At dawn, Babylonia's reinforcement forces arrive at the island. Members of both mission squads rush toward the people they've been worried about.
The Science Council representatives gasp at Vera's new frame, one she's never seen before, while the Star of Life personnel diligently work to save the Gray Raven Commandant.
Fortunately, after a thorough search the personnel detect faint life signs in a narrow crevice beneath the "Hollow."
...They pull out a person in an even worse condition than the Gray Raven Commandant.
All the wounded are transported back to Babylonia.
One month later, after deliberation by all parties involved, the events on the island are officially classified as an "accident" and placed under strict confidentiality.
After confronting an unknown Ascendant and completely eliminating a "deathless one" who had been hiding in darkness for years, not a single one of the three people involved in the incident perished.
In a way, it could be considered a "miracle."
Kurono submits the design specifications for the Geiravor frame—reportedly due to pressure from the Control Court—while the Science Council obtains full access rights to the frame.
As for Haniff, a rigorous investigation awaits him upon discharge from the hospital.
And as for the Gray Raven Commandant...
It's a quiet afternoon as you doze off in the pristine white hospital room.
The hazy dream transports you back to those years... around the time you were about to graduate from F.O.S. College.
It was also a quiet afternoon, in this very same hospital room.
Rushing to death's embrace like that, yet somehow you were still saved... you've got quite the survival instinct.
In the clean white hospital room, you gaze hazily at the ceiling, vaguely aware of three young people chattering incessantly nearby.
This should be your first time in Star of Life's intensive care unit—little do you know this will become a peculiar sort of normal in the future.
...I'd say we're the lucky ones. With all those Corrupted, I thought we were goners... never expected to experience a last-minute rescue twice...
Can't believe Ms. Bridget actually knows Granny Wang... that's so cool! Maybe the Cargo Crew would be a decent place to end up in?
Skilled people can thrive anywhere, but if you're a "loser," you're doomed no matter where you end up.
...
Simon's voice trails off.
Well, I still want to join the Task Force more than anything. Sorry about that, Cargo Crew.
Why are you telling us? Who asked you? I couldn't care less about the aspirations of losers. I'm definitely getting into the Task Force no matter what.
And what's your problem?
...I've got a troublesome doll waiting for me at home. One pair of sixes.
The raspy voice sounds like someone working a rusty bellows.
Hey, do you think [player name] remembers me? I was the one who helped rescue this guy when he collapsed outside the base—though he was already unconscious by the time I got there.
Hard to say. The doctor said the intracranial hematoma is gone, but judging by their reactions these past couple of days, those memories probably didn't survive.
Then when [player name] gets discharged, I'll fill them in on everything.
Don't you dare tell this good-for-nothing anything, or you'll regret it.
Says who? Just because you think it's an embarrassing moment for you, we can't even mention it? I saw everything with my own eyes...
Even though I have my issues with Vanessa, let me explain... The Instructor has already spoken to us. We're explicitly forbidden from spreading any information about this incident... Apparently it's an order from higher up.
Especially anything concerning those two Constructs... We suspect it might be connected to Kurono.
Two Constructs?
Wasn't there just one "Leia"? There's another? Don't tell me you won't explain this to me either? Ugh—so unfair!
Shh—
Hmph, you idiots are so busy chatting you've forgotten about the cards.
I've warned you all before, if you want to join the Task Force through normal channels, stay away from Kurono. And if you don't want to make things worse for this half-conscious invalid wasting away in the bed, then keep your mouths shut about everything.
Oh, I win.
Vanessa tosses down her remaining cards, dusts off her hands, and walks out.
A few minutes later, the hospital room is quiet as if nothing ever happened. You simply stare blankly at the new terminal and the bouquet of flowers Simon left on the bedside shelf, with no memory whatsoever of the ground simulation training.
The bewildering sense of missing memories stays with you for a long time. At first, doctors recommend regular rehabilitation sessions, but months pass, and even after successfully graduating, not a single fragment of those memories returns.
You abandon your fixation on brains and memories, turning to watch the scenery rushing past—the transport vehicle has been driving through a wasteland of ruins for nearly an hour now.
We've arrived. Recruits! Get out of the vehicle!
The soldier from the driver's cabin jumps down and waves for everyone in the rear compartment to follow.
This area used to be one of F.O.S. ground training facilities, but it was abandoned after an incident last year—some of you were there, weren't you?
He gives a strange look, clearly wondering why someone who experienced the incident would want to return to this place.
Alright, complete your mission quickly and don't stick around! We need manpower for the reconstruction of the surrounding conservation areas too!
You grip your newly issued tactical terminal tightly, scanning the area while traversing the gray, ashen ruins.
After carefully searching the surrounding area, you follow a faint signal to a cavity formed by collapsed rubble. After a moment's hesitation, you squeeze through the narrow entrance and climb down.
Upon entering this place, a strange sense of familiarity washes over you—especially after spotting the pile of kindling and bandages clearly left behind by someone. The feeling of recognition becomes impossible to ignore.
After calling out a few times without much expectation, you're met with nothing but the echo of your own voice.
Additionally, you find several suspicious charred fragments near your feet. Lifting them to your nose, you detect the distinct odor of burnt plastic.
—Even if these are remnants of a terminal melted by intense fire, there's no way to retrieve any data from it now.
Finding no further clues beneath the ruins, you grip the concrete blocks with a sense of disappointment, preparing to climb back to the surface.
But just as your fingers grip the edge, a fragile piece of paper falls from a crack in the concrete.
You lunge forward to catch the paper, but the writing on it is hopelessly blurred and completely illegible, having endured long periods of exposure to wind and rain.
Despite this, your heart pounds with excitement.
You walk briskly across the ruins.
Then gradually quickens your pace...
The breeze gradually rises to a howl, each stride longer than the last... until you break into a desperate run.
As the familiar sound of wind echoes relentlessly in your ears, you realize something—you've been here before, running madly along this same path not long ago.
A name suddenly rises to your lips, yet it somehow remains trapped, an unspeakable word.
Faster, run faster, as if a Construct is counting down in your ear.
Running until the daylight grows dim, until snow begins to fall from the sky once more.
Running through all the ruins and decay, through fate and fragmented memories.
Finally, you stop at the highest point of the ruins, slowly raising the note in your hand toward a broken wall before you.
Shh.
The note rustles in your palm, nearly crumbling to pieces, yet somehow its soft sound transports you back to a moment you've never witnessed before.
Huff... Puff...
...Cough...
A gush of vital fluid surges from her mouth. She tries to contain it with her hands, but it all seeps through her fingers, steadily dripping onto the pale ruins below.
She lowers her hand, staring at the crimson staining her palm, too weak now to even manage a sneer.
...What kind of... ending... is this...
*Coughs*... At least... I didn't make... the ending worse...
She knows that the "little Commandant" has already reached their destination and will be rewarded with a brilliant future.
She shuts her eyelids, contemplating what will happen next.
Dying here... not great. But if Kurono finds me again...
...that would be much worse.
Hmm... I'm done with all this.
Briefly having companions is actually a cruel thing, because no one wants to return to a boring, miserable daily existence—what's even more ridiculous is that the connection is broken, and that person will most likely remember nothing.
An absurd escape filled with heroic sacrifice, and yet she alone is left to gnaw on the remaining memories.
...
No.
...I refuse to accept this.
No... I absolutely refuse... this kind of... ending...!
The flames around her body can no longer ignite, so she chooses to use all her remaining strength on her hands—she wants to leave a note, but tiny snowflakes fall upon it, quickly dampening the paper.
...It's not working...
What else can I do?
She's growing restless. She needs to find a way to escape Kurono as soon as possible, preferably by "hunting down" those in Babylonia, and take back everything that belongs to her, all the glory, the spoils, and...
Suddenly, as she stares at the vital fluid in her palm, an idea surfaces in her boiling M.I.N.D.
...Heh.
She forces a smile anyway.
One last... prank...
You stand atop the ruins, gasping for breath after the frantic sprint.
The cold wind pierces painfully through your body, but an excited heartbeat still pumps hot blood through your ordinary flesh.
Opening your hand, the note quivers precariously, about to be blown away—but that doesn't matter anymore.
At the edge of your vision, a massive message written in "blood" covers the collapsed wall.
Through the trembling strokes, one can see that distinctive touch of mischief, along with an intense refusal to surrender.
Like someone vibrant and bold, she flamboyantly left behind a "wanted poster"... to conceal a hidden wish.
The end is just ahead. Even if it costs you your life, you must reach the finish line.
As for me... our paths will cross again, in a better place.
You laugh amidst the desolate ruins. From the chaotic jumble of memories, a single phrase breaks free from the confusion and surfaces.
If grief can only last for one second, then we'll meet again in the very next.
Alright, for our "reunion after a long separation," I should prepare some clichéd lines.
Opening your eyes—fully opening your eyes—you return not to any dream, but to unmistakable reality.
—It's been a while.
The red Construct sits in a chair beside the hospital bed, peeling a bright red apple.
Want some fruit? We only have apples here.
Vera passes over a slice of peeled apple.
Sure thing—guess where you are? Heaven or hell, take your pick.
Hahahaha... Correct answer!
She seems satisfied with your answer, laughing with a rare sense of relaxation as she casually crosses her legs.
What else do you want to know? I'll answer anything, but you've got three minutes.
Your frame has been transferred to the Science Council. Hilda personally supervised the process. Everyone worked quickly. They not only reduced the frame's overall power output but also installed various modules necessary for daily life.
That kind of Haywire situation... it won't happen again.
The Garnet frame is nearly totaled and is still undergoing repairs. You can't switch back to the Rozen frame either for now, as the Science Council is worried about potential issues during the frame synchronization process. We'll reconsider after you're discharged.
Except for that Ascendant who left behind traces of their escape, everyone who deserved to die is dead as dead can be, all the Hetero-Creatures and every last Haynes.
By the way, that junior colleague of yours is now under supervision in a special ward. These past few days, he's stubbornly refusing to acknowledge any connection with Haynes—it's more of an emotional denial. He insists that from now on, he'll only be "Haniff."
As for you... if Babylonia's support had arrived even slightly later, the Punishing Virus would have completely devoured your internal organs. The wound on your leg was also serious, but it's healing well. Star of Life's medical technology really is something else.
Ask quickly, the three minutes are almost up.
...
...Exactly the same question as back then. You're really persistent.
Of course not. It's been so long.
Vera holds up what remains of her cut apple as she contemplates the question seriously.
Hm...
Even though it often brings me to tears with rage, it can never be judged as a tragedy.
If I must define it, it is an incredibly rich and glorious life.
The debts I had to repay, I've repaid. The vengeance I had to seek, I've sought. The path I had to walk, I'm still walking.
Most importantly, there have always been people by my side throughout the journey.
As she speaks, she reaches out and tidies the hair on your forehead.
Don't rush. Once your memories return, we can reminisce properly every day.
I haven't yet seen the end of your destiny, so I'll keep watch by your side... We have all the time in the world.
The door to the hospital room is gently pushed open as more people who care about the two of them walk in.
Great, the annoying visiting hours begin. Today those three irritating folks from Gray Raven all have missions, so finally they're not the first ones barging in...
And with that, Vera's answer comes to an end. She places the apple back on the plate and rises to leave.
She moves with complete freedom, as if all the blessings bestowed upon her life have finally taken effect—able to go wherever she wishes, able to obtain whatever she desires.
Whether it's a medical pack, a serum, an apple, or a person she wants to save.
She rests her hand on the doorframe and turns around.
What is it? I can spare a moment for one last bit of nonsense.
...Hmph, of course.
Since the starting point was "Vera,"" the end point should also be ""Vera."
Even beyond the end of the final road, there will always be a field of pomegranate red.
I heard you almost lost your life. Did those kindergartners from Gray Raven work themselves into a panic?
Vanessa stands by the bedside empty-handed, not even bothering to bring a bouquet, making snide remarks. Bambinata quietly lies at the edge of the bed, listening to the unfriendly exchange between her "master" and the Gray Raven Commandant.
Oh? What's that supposed to mean? They leave and I show up right after? Sounds like I'm not welcome here.
Oh? What's that supposed to mean? They leave and I show up right after? Sounds like I'm not welcome here.
Yes, F.O.S. College's graduation ceremony is next month. For the distinguished alumni speech segment, will you be attending?
Whatever you want. I'm just here to relay your answer back to F.O.S..
If that's all, I'll be on my way...
BOOM!
The hospital room door bursts open with a loud bang.
There you are—Lady Vanessa! S-s-something terrible has happened!!
...Get to the point.
She's done something wrong again and now she's hiding in a box! She absolutely refuses to come out, and says she won't listen to anyone unless you give her a mission in-person!
Leia drags another Egret Construct into the hospital room.
……
From the trans-dimensional black hole of the box, a timid gaze peers out.
……
Vanessa's expression darkens, and Bambinata wisely retreats to the side.
Do I need to personally escort you out, princess?
Perhaps it's the first time hearing Vanessa personally address someone as "princess," but the shock of it lingers in your mind.
After a few seconds of silence, the black hole of "Self-Doubt" begins to shake violently.
Sorry sorry master sorry sorry master sorry...
...Come out now!
I can't take this anymore, lemme just get some water to calm down—Oh hey there, Gray Raven! I've been so busy I didn't even get to greet you properly.
Leia dashes to the bedside to grab a glass of water. The engines throughout her body are whirring loudly. Clearly, dragging her teammate here took considerable effort.
What does a Construct like you need water for? You come out too—
Vanessa's frustration builds on two fronts. On the one hand, she's still struggling to peel the massive clump of "Self-Doubt" off her teammate, while the other reaches out to roughly grab Leia, who's busy asking the Gray Raven Commandant for water.
(Smacks lips.)
Strange, shouldn't high-class people's water taste better? Why doesn't it have any flavor?
Leia, you're responsible for prying this one out of there, or you'll be kicked out of Egret tomorrow.
How is this suddenly my problem again! Vanessa—
Vanessa, I won't go! Vanessa, can't you be a little nicer to me, please? Vanessaaa.
Beep beep beep...
The terminal by the bedside suddenly rings. Looking at it, you see that it's a caller with an unknown identity.
The figure on the other end of the call hears the commotion in the hospital room and furrows their brow.
Why is it so noisy... I heard you have lots of visitors every day? Don't you find that annoying?
……
He notices your keen questioning, goes quiet for two seconds, then breaks into a malicious smile.
Yeah, they weren't wrong about me. I'm rotten to the core, and I can't stand being controlled, so I escaped.
...Okay okay, no no, I didn't escape. Look, I'm still in the hospital room.
He holds up the terminal to show his surroundings, then his expression turns serious.
I won't run away anymore. I'll cooperate with all investigations and punishments related to me... and Haynes.
I've just been feeling restless lately, stuck in here day after day, confined to this hospital bed... So I figured out a way to get my hands on someone else's terminal.
I heard your place is always lively, so I thought I'd join in the fun. That's all there is to it, it's not too out of line, right?
No idea. I don't want to stay with Kurono... but it's not like I have much choice in the matter.
...Are we changing subjects that quickly?
What am I even...
...I'll think about it. I might not get the chance anyway...
Amid the chaos at Egret, Haniff falls silent on the other end of the communication. He clutches his empty sleeve, looking somewhat dejected.
The investigation related to Haynes is still ongoing. I don't know when all of this will be over.
You observe his reaction, and then a new idea suddenly hits you.
...The bad news first. How could things possibly get worse?
...Just give me the good news instead.
...
I shouldn't have asked.
Beep. Disconnected.
Just as the stranger's call disconnects, Leia, who is clinging to Vanessa like an octopus, suddenly slaps her forehead.
Ah! I almost forgot about the important stuff!
She rummages through her backpack as it clinks and clatters, pulling out nail polish, small hair clips, earrings, necklaces... before finally finding a small cardboard box, which she hands over.
This is your package. It was delivered to the nursing station, and they asked me to bring it to you while I was here.
Vanessa curiously weighs the package in her hands, feeling something inside rattling noisily as it shifts around.
As the box opens, it reveals numerous metal dog tags inside, reflecting the light of the hospital room.
Taking them out for a closer look...
A large pile of dog tags lies silently in Vanessa's palm, yet every single one bears the same engraved name—
"Lloyd"
