Youko |
"Not a single casuality and to still be able to defeat that demon...?" |
Youko |
"Fufufu... SSS, still interesting. Seems like Iridescent's power is still strong even underwater." |
Youko |
"The Mist Core has also begun to reject my magic power. It seems that the experiment has failed." |
Putra |
"Youko, let's not do this anymore. If you can use such great power, why don't you use it for something more beneficial to the world?" |
Putra |
"Causing a Phantom Mist under the sea is crazy. This is not something anyone should do simply out of curiosity." |
Youko |
"You make me laugh when you say it's for the good of the world. The way you say it, it sounds as if you are fighting for the world." |
Vivienne |
"That's what we're fighting for, aren't we?" |
Youko |
"So let me ask you. What is the world to you?" |
Youko |
"Iris Cloud? Iris Metro? Do you call the five countries protected by the five Giant Trees, 'the world'?" |
Vivienne |
"So what? What's funny about that?" |
Youko |
"You have a very narrow view of the world. Today you have seen facts that you never imagined before. And you believe only what is written in the textbooks?" |
Youko |
"Do you really believe that a map made by powerless people is all there is to 'the world'?" |
Yoshino |
"Vivienne, if Youko asks you a question, don't answer. Her sorcery tampers with your memory." |
Vivienne |
"Got it. Thank you Yoshino." |
Youko |
"As expected of a Nishikese sorceress. You've already seen through the 'Clairvoyance' word order." |
Yoshino |
"A sorceress who talks a lot is a keikai target. Anyway, be careful what you say." |
Miyako |
(I didn't know that at all...) |
Youko |
"Iris Cloud and Iris Metro. Those who have received the blessing of the Iridescent God fight against demons and clear the Mist. Against the two Mists of different nature, the Divine Child of Iridescent Clouds travel the steel railway in a magic train." |
Youko |
"The Mist you call Poison. This is very important for us." |
Yoshino |
"What do you mean by 'us'? Do you mean some organisation? Or do you mean some country?" |
Youko |
"Both. Let's not answer about where I was born and raised yet." |
Youko |
"However, out of respect for your strength, I will tell you here about the organisation to which I belong. In order to build a good and trusting relationship with you all." |
Youko |
"...I am one of the Resistance extremists, who has been behind the scenes manipulating Canaria, and asking her to do simple 'jobs' for me." |
Queensway |
"Resistance extremists...!" |
Miyako |
"When she said extremists, she means a different faction from Yuuzen-san's side. Yuuzen-san said she knew almost nothing about the radicals these days." |
Youko |
"We are no longer the same Resistance that we used to be. Whatever, we will talk about that in due course." |
Putra |
"Hold it right there!" |
Putra |
"... My attack slipped through!?" |
Miyako |
"This is a super advanced illusion, Youko is talking to us from another place, not here." |
Versailles |
"We can't even catch her because she has no actual presence... Such cowardly trickery." |
Youko |
"It's possible for me to touch you even if I don't have myself in-person here." |
HZk20-001 |
"!" |
Just before Youko's illusion faded away, a powerful sorcery was triggered as an aftertouch. |
It was fired at Putra as she chased after Youko, but the control robot Hertz took a stand and protected Putra. |
Herz's chest seemed to glow red for a moment. It is believed that the magic of the mist stone reacted to save Putra. |
HZk20-001 is not equipped with combat capabilities. Yet... It had the power to protect people. |
Putra |
"Hertz!" |
HZk20-001 |
"......" |
Miyako |
"The mist stone in its chest is completely shattered. I figured it was implanted with an art to counteract magic and sorcery in exchange for a power source." |
Putra |
"You protected me..." |
Putra |
"I'm Sorry. If I hadn't carelessly poked my head in, none of this would have happened..." |
Vivienne |
"Putra, don't." |
Vivienne |
"You have to say 'thank you' first." |
Putra |
"...Right. That's right." |
Putra |
"Thank you, Hertz. For protecting me and everyone else." |
Putra |
"Thank you for showing me the way here. Thank you for teaching me everything." |
Robot HZk20-001, who managed the underwater city of Abyss. The robot we nicknamed "Hertz", counteracted Youko's powerful spells, its functions completely shut down. |
Hertz is not human. It cannot be healed by spells or magic. Its power source, a mist stone, was shattered. We will never hear another word from Herz again. |
...However, another voice has spoken to us instead, using Hertz's body.
??? |
??? |
"O' people of the surface! O' Divine Child of Iridescent Clouds! How well you have saved Abyss from danger." |
Putra |
"You're not... Hertz then?" |
??? |
"I am not HZk20-001. I am the one who managed the Sea Railway in this underwater city of Abyss in prehistoric times, the one HZk20-001 called Mother. My true name is Abyss, the same as the name of this city." |
Abyss |
"It was I who led you here." |
Vivienne |
"The one who possessed Paddington's body!" |
Paddington |
"Hawawa! That explains everything." |
Abyss |
"It was insane of me to borrow your body, Lady Divine Child. I am so very sorry. I had no other choice." |
Abyss |
"Thanks to you, the dimensional rift created by that being Youko has completely closed and returned to normal. The main core was on the verge of going on meltdown a few minutes ago, but it has now regained its normal state." |
Putra |
"Good. The Mist seems to have lifted, so we're safe here now, right?" |
Abyss |
"Yes. We may have lost the last control robot, but the main core and the history and culture of this city have been preserved." |
Abyss |
"And also the souls of those who lived here." |
Putra |
"Good... it was really good. Thank you Abyss." |
Vivienne |
"Hey Abyss, what's going to happen to this city now? Are you going to be okay with the control robot gone?" |
Abyss |
"The main core was originally managed by me. The security system can be activated in an emergency. Other city functions are now meaningless. I will turn off the lights and sleep in the dark sea again." |
Conductor |
Abyss, can I ask one question from this side as well? |
Abyss |
"Of course. However, please note that I will not be able to answer the questions that HZk 20-001 has made forbidden. The railways that run on the ground and the Sea Railway have a different history." |
Conductor |
We will continue to see about that for ourselves. What I want to ask you about is the Sea Railway that has appeared this time. |
Conductor |
Hertz told us that the underwater city of Abyss also serves as an 'underwater station'. So, just to confirm, will the Sea Railway that we have been on be able to continue to run on the Mist Train in the future? |
Abyss |
"Yes. It is possible. However, it is conditional on your presence. Divine Child of Iridescent Clouds." |
Abyss |
"The power possessed by the Divine Child of Iridescent Clouds can unseal the Sea Railway. The same can be said about the railway that runs on the ground... for example, the Giant Tree Railway." |
Abyss |
"Each railway line is something that affects each other. They resonate with the Giant Tree." |
Yoshino |
"This is powerful information." |
Miyako |
"If there are steel tracks around the Steel Tree, it means that Conductor's power can break the seal." |
Queensway |
"We were distracted by those big thorns, but there is a Giant Tree Railway around the Giant Tree in the first place. Just because it became a Steel Tree doesn't mean the railway line disappeared." |
Conductor |
The appearance of the Sea Railway has widened the scope of our investigations. But now it can only come as far as here in the underwater city of Abyss. There will be significant changes to both Iris Cloud and Iris Metro in the future. If we follow them, we may be able to find our way to the Steel Tree. |
Abyss |
"Visit this place again when there are any changes on the surface or at sea. The vast Sea Railway begins here at Abyss. You may be able to open a new route." |
Abyss |
"There are still many underwater cities in Flamarine. If you continue on the Sea Railway, other family members of HZk20-001 will one day greet you." |
Putra |
"The Hertz's family?" |
Yoshino |
"Likely it means different individuals. For example, there are 002 and 003. Surely." |
Vivienne |
"Then we'll have to tell them about today. To Hertz's family." |
Putra |
"Mhm... One day, I'm sure." |
The Special Steel Squad successfully averted a crisis in the Flamarine Sea. A source of vicious Phantom Mist was almost created in the seas. |
I shudder to think what would have happened if our arrival had been delayed, and Youko had allowed the otherworldly Poison and the demons affected by it to continue proliferating in the underwater city. |
Youko, of the Radical Resistance sect. She was working with Canaria, what will she do in the future the next time we faced each other...? |
Putra |
"......" |
Vivienne |
"Putra, it's time to go. Let's go back to land." |
Putra |
"Ah, it's that time already. Sorry, sorry. I'm sorry you came all this way to get me." |
Vivienne |
"...Have you been talking to the sailors from Metro?" |
Putra |
"Yeah. It's a beautiful view here, both on land and offshore. This is how they hold up the insignia and give you a big view of the sky and the sea." |
Putra |
"And then there's the ships." |
Vivienne |
"You're going to look for it, aren't you? With the Sea Railway." |
Putra |
"Yes. I promised I would find them again. It doesn't matter how many years it takes. Even a piece of the hull. I have to make sure there are no souls left behind in there." |
Putra |
"I'm surprised, then, that there were stations and tracks in Flamarinian waters." |
Putra |
"When I saw the tracks on Pulau Ketam, I thought they were part of the land, but I didn't realise the tracks continued this far offshore..." |
Vivienne |
"Yeah. I was surprised too." |
Vivienne |
"At the same time, it was kind of exciting. To think that in such a big, beautiful sea, there's a whole world out there that we don't even know about." |
Putra |
"Me too." |
Vivienne |
"Hey Putra". |
Putra |
"What?" |
Vivienne |
"The sea is beautiful. It's so beautiful." |
Putra |
"Yeah. It's so beautiful on the seas, and under the seas." |
Putra |
"I want to protect this sea for a long time. We have to protect it. That's what we're fighting for." |
Vivienne |
"I will help you. For that though, teach me to swim again next time." |
Putra |
"Of course! Not only how to swim, but I'll also teach you how to dive!" |