Flamier: Gorou, Lilac! I'll draw the enemy's attention, so you two attack!
Sui: I'll follow up and help you, Flamier!
Flamier: Thank you. Let's go!
Flamier super jump, away!
Flamier: I swore to these shoes I would do everything I wanted to do to its end! ...Grandfather, I haven't forgotten what you've taught me. Here I come!
Flamier's shoes start glowing and leaving a light trail as she moves.
BOOM
Monsters: Geeee...
Gorou: Whoa, Flamier combined light and explosions in one move!
The Monsters have been stunned by Flamier's light blast!
MC: The enemy's attentions is on Flamier! Sui, take them all out!
Sui: Got it! Master, I'm going to copy your techniques. I'll string you all up! Fairy Godmother's Dressmaker!
Sui sends out nearly invisible strings to bind any Monsters trying to escape.
Sui: Flamier! Burn it all!
Flamier: Thank you Sui! Now I can bomb them all at once! Fire Flower Bomber!
Giant explosion!
Lilac: Sui and Flamier did great! Now it's our turn!
Gorou: Right, I'll help out!
Gorou and Lilac run in while Sui and Flamier have drawn most of the aggro. The Big Monster notices and creates more minion ghosts in response.
Gorou: What, it thinks it'll protect itself with a mob meat shield? I'll put them all to sleep and set you up for Lilac! Let me play you the song of my people!
Gorou's sound waves spread across the Monsters, who react by attempting to run away.
MC: It's working Gorou! Now's your chance, Lilac!
Lilac: Thank you, Gorou!
Lilac superjumps at the Reaper type Monster. The Reaper readies its scythe to counterattack!
Lilac: How dare you use my brother's memories against me! I will cut you out by the root! Garden Shears X-Scissors!
Lilac beats the Monster to the punch and stabs its core!
Lilac: I will never let you go for that stunt!
Lilac stabs the shears in even harder!
Monster: L-L-LOVELYYYYY (poofs)
Sui: Look! The ghost Monsters are disappearing too.
Flamier: We did it! Lilac destroyed the main boss's core!
Gorou: ...yeah, looks like Lilac moved on too.
Lilac falls to his knees from pushing so hard on his weapon.
Lilac: (panting) It's over...now--
One Monster in the middle of disappearing comes at Lilac from behind.
MC: Lilac, look out!
Lilac: Oh no!
MC being the closest runs in without thinking. Since Lilac can't move, MC uses the toy sword and swings at the Monster. Surprisingly, it knocks it back really hard.
MC: W-what!?
MC looks at the sword. It breaks, having finished its job.
Lilac: MC, are you okay!? You saved me, but that was so dangerous! Normal weapons don't work on Monsters!
MC: Sorry, I moved before thinking... and actually why did the sword work?
Lilac: ...no, I'm sorry. I panicked in the surprise of it all, thank you... I can get up now. My apologizes for prompting you into recklessness. Please let me handle the rest.
Lilac stands in front of MC to face against the Monster. It looks like some pixellated shadow, but it still mimics Hashidoi.
Shadow: Li...la...c...
Lilac: I won't fall for that anymore, no matter how much you mimic my brother... he's always been inside me, ever since that day...
Lilac thinks back to that time he wasn't able to say 'sorry.' He whispers goodbye to those feelings, then grips his weapon.
Lilac: Hashidoi, I've gotten stronger. Would I be able to protect you now?
The instant Lilac finishes his question, the Monster fades to mist.
MC: ...good job. Finishing the operation.
With the Monsters gone, MC walks over to Lilac. The rest of the party runs over to regroup.
Gorou: MC! Is Lilac okay?
Lilac: Yes, I'm just a little tired but I'm alright.
Gorou: That's great then! Now we just need to find the kid and...hey, is that...?
Gorou sees the little boy fallen at the sacred tree's roots. Gorou runs over and picks him up. The boy is breathing.
Gorou: ...seems he's asleep. Did the Monster get him already earlier? Good thing we made it in time...
Sui: That's Celt's brother. I'm so glad we rescued him safe and sound.
Flamier: He doesn't have any serious injuries. We should still take him to the hospital once we get out of the forest though.
Gorou: Right. And we should let the family know since they'll be worried.
Lilac: Yes. Let's go back on the path we marked up.
Light starts pouring from the sky as clouds part.
MC: Oh my god guys, look behind us!
Lilac: Behind? What--!
The sacred tree blooms beautifully in the morning light, and pale petals scatter down gorgeously.
Lilac: T-that's Wehrmalt's symbol, the true form of the sacred tree!
Sui: It's so beautiful. How fantastic...
Flamier: I agree. I didn't know Wehrmalt had something like this.
Gorou: How pretty. I've never seen so flowers bloom like this before.
Everyone's attention is held by the breathtaking view.
Lilac: Hashidoi...
Only MC hears Lilac.
MC: ...um, Lilac...
MC holds out the broken sword.
MC: I'm sorry.
Lilac: MC... No, it's okay. You defended me.
Lilac takes the broken sword and looks at it with a gentle smile.
Lilac: I think your courage combined with my brother to protect me. This sword...my brother has helped me out so much.
Lilac looks to the sacred tree. The wind rustles its branches.
Lilac: ...Hashidoi loved flowers. He'd smell their scents and love them. He taught me so much about flowers.
Lilac holds the broken sword and his brother's memories close to himself.
Lilac: ...his eyesight and health were poor, but...I wanted to show him this view.
Lilac's voice wavers with unspoken feelings. A tear falls onto the sword.
Lilac: ...I'm sure...he would have loved it. And he would have been jealous that I could see such beauty.
Lilac quietly closes his eyes as he holds the unchangeable past close and thinks.
Lilac: ...I'm sorry Hashidoi. Thank you.
Title card: Reminiscence
Midday, MC and Sui call Huckle.
MC: And that's what happened. Sorry to worry you...
Huckle: ...I see. I understand the situation, thank you. You had a rough time on what was supposed to be paid vacation, huh. I'm glad you two made it out alright. Any injuries?
Sui: No, we're okay. Sorry for causing concern...
Huckle: Oh, no need to apologize. You got attacked by Monsters, and you called in earlier. I got worried when Mokdai filled me in, but you did well with so little information. He and Ryekie were worried too, spending all night researching Monsters.
Mokdai and Ryekie are snoring off to the side.
Sui: Oh... we just added more work onto your piles...
Huckle: If it helps save lives, it's all worth it. Everyone was doing their best. And actually we did find something similar to ghost type Monsters in the database.
MC: Similar? What's it like?
Huckle: The ghost types in their first stage are so small you can't see them by eye. When enough of them gather together they form something like fog or mist.
Sui: So the fog itself was a Monster...? Oh, so that's why MC sensed Monsters when the fog showed up.
Huckle: The small ones can't eat much like that, but the amnesia cases that happened this incident is likely from the Monsters eating a portion of people's memories. They grow that way until they become visible.
MC: So they gather together to become bigger. I remember something like that.
Sui: The evolved ones can physically interact with this world, right? We've seen some attack and destroy cities, but I guess mimic types aren't that rare...
MC: So I could hit it with the sword because it evolved? The mimics could be touched too.
Sui: And after we defeated the Reaper Type Monster, all the other ones started disappearing...does that mean the big one was manipulating the others?
Huckle: If nothing else, its core was sharing energy with the other Monsters.
Huckle sighs and thinks.
Huckle: The way these ones tried to pretend to be someone people knew and frighten them makes it look like they were trying to drive people to despair... it's an unnatural behavior. It's only a guess, but I sense some sort of artificial design to them.
Huckle: Well, we can leave it aside for now. You two should go relax since you hadn't really had the chance yet, right? We'll upload the intel and battle video to the Monster database and extend some paid days off for working on vacation.
MC: Oh my god, really? Yay! / I feel bad now...
(AB) Huckle: ...uh, yes?
Huckle: Haha, don't worry about it. You guys haven't really had any down time like you planned yet. I'm not THAT terrible a boss to make you work without having rested. And Maculata told me to tell Sui to accept what people give you. Go have fun, boss's orders.
Loud noises come from behind Huckle!
Akashi: Director! I just heard Sui and MC got into a Monster case at their vacation spot! Are they okay!? Mokdai wouldn't pick up when I called and...o-oh, you two seem fine...
Huckle: Haha, Akashi was really worried.
MC: Thanks for worrying about us / Sorry I couldn't call / So how was the test?
(A) Akashi: ...uh, I mean of course I'd be worried if I heard you guys ran into a Monster! At least call, dammit...
(B) Akashi: R-right...well at least you're okay... I'm tired from running all this way now...
(C) Akashi: T-test!? Uh, I did my best but...wait, we're not talking about that now! Ugh, I'm drained now... I'm glad you seem fine...
Akashi: (slumps shoulders) Well, I figured you'd be okay since Sui was with you.
Sui: Aww, is that what you think of me? Are you being shy?
Akashi: What!? NO! I'm just saying don't make me worry!
Huckle: Haha, well Akashi is right. Careful on your trip.
Click
Sui: We really worried everyone. Not like we could help it since it was an emergency... We should buy lots of souvenir presents as an apology.
MC: Good idea. What should we get?
MC and Sui walk to the flower festival area.
Sui: ...oh right, it's almost time to meet everyone else. We're supposed to meet at the dining area, so we should hurry since it's further away.
MC and Sui walk over when MC notices someone along the way.
MC: ...wasn't that Lilac? Where's he going?
Lilac is heading for the forest.
Sui: ...what's wrong?
MC: I just saw Lilac head for the forest. Could you go on ahead and let everyone else know?
Sui: There doesn't seem to be any more Monsters around, but still that's weird. Okay, I'll tell Gorou and Flamier when I see them. Call me if something happens.
Later
Lilac has gone to the sacred tree and has a bouquet in his hands.
Lilac: ...Hashidoi. You came here that day, didn't you?
Lilac inclines his head as he lays the bouquet at the sacred tree's roots. Small white flowers bloom on a branch with a sweet, gentle scent.
MC: ...here you are, Lilac.
Lilac ...MC? Why are you here? Weren't you going to go sightseeing?
MC: I saw you go into the forest and got worried...
Lilac: Ah, I see. I came to visit the sacred tree again. (looks at the tree)
Lilac: Wehrmalt's flower festival was originally based on this tree. It's a miracle flower that blooms only every 200 years, and on this day you tell people the things you normally can't say. That's the tradition I've heard of since I was a child. I didn't know the tree was real back then. Maybe that was when the Monster started eating it little by little.
A pale flower petal falls on Lilac's shoulder.
Lilac: ...maybe I shouldn't be telling you this since we only just met, but...would you listen to me?
MC nods.
Lilac: Have you ever given anyone flowers? My brother taught me about the simple but clean feelings about picking flowers for someone you care about and remembering someone when looking at flowers.
Lilac looks at the broken sword he has with him.
Lilac: This sword was stuck in the back of the sacred tree...it's so strange. The day before he disappeared, I threw this sword at him. I was young, but I yelled that the sword was worthless if he wouldn't go adventure with me. But the sword was here instead of at home...he tried to keep his promise.
Lilac gives the sword a hug before planting it into the ground.
MC: Lilac...
Lilac: I truly love flowers, and I'm sure my brother felt the same way. I loved them so much that I could handle them for work... but I was wrong. I understand that now that I've found this sword again.
Lilac looks at MC.
Lilac: What I really love is the smile of people who are happy when they see flowers. I want to watch over those smiles close to the flowers, just like the time I gave flowers to my brother. I won't be doing things in my brother's place because he couldn't do them, but because I want to... I won't ever forget my brother. I will go forward with no regrets, and I want to make people smile with these feelings. I've finally realized that doing so will make it feel like my brother is around. I've realized that that dream was born because Hashidoi was here. It's what he gave me.
Lilac holds his hand out to MC.
Lilac: You were an Operator with no hero power, and you saved me with that sword. Thank you very much. I can say it wasn't a mistake to trust that sword to you.
MC: No, thank you. It's because of you we defeated the Monster!
MC and Lilac look towards the tree.
MC: I'm sure those feelings will reach your brother.
Lilac: ...yes. Thank you for listening to me.
A gentle breeze blows, bringing petals down to the open space below. Short trees with white flowers bloom just beyond.
MC: ...those are the same flowers in your bouquet. What're they called?
Lilac: Those are...moria flowers! I can't believe so many are growing out here.
Lilac gently picks some flowers.
Lilac: In the language of flowers, morias mean "thank you for being besides me." My brother gave these to me once.
MC: Your brother was showing how he felt.
Lilac: ...MC.
Lilac looks at the flowers. It has a gentle scent.
Gorou: Heeey, Lilac! MC!
Flamier: Lilac! MC! Are you there?
Lilac: It's... Gorou and Flamier. Why are you here?
Sui: Oh, there you two are. These flowers always look so beautiful.
Flamier: Yes, and they smell so lovely. So calming.
Gorou: We were looking for you two. You should have asked us along if you were gonna watch the flowers! We just dealt with a Monster attack and there's a great view here. May as well drink to it!
Sui: You and your alcohol. But yes, I agree about the scenery.
Gorou: Aww, you do understand! I got nonalcoholic drinks for you too!
Flamier: Lilac, would you like to come with us to the flower festival?
Lilac: Me?
Gorou: Hell yeah! Didn't you say you were going to show me to a good pub?
Sui: I'm interested in some hot dogs and flower berry candy. MC, how about we buy some to share?
Flamier: There's also the fireworks show I'm helping with happening on the last day. Ooh, please come see it with me!
Lilac: Okay okay, I will...! Oh wait, I need to call management before that!
MC: Time's a-wastin'! / The party's just getting started / Fun time!
MC pushes Lilac forward, and the party follows along. A gentle breeze blows across the quiet clearing, scattering the petals lightly...
The End
No comments:
Post a Comment