Main Scenario/Steel Thorns

The Steel Tree of St. Iris Episode
31-1	Lack of Cooperation
31-2	Sniper in the Darkness
31-3	Separate Action
31-4	Large Army
31-5	Overcoming Numerical Disadvantage
31-6	Enemy General
31-7	Rain of Light
31-8	Happy to See Youko
31-9	Steel Thorns
31-10	Steel Tree of St. Iris

In order to reach the Railway Seeker's manipulator, the Special Steel Squad took the Mist Train along the railway track and approached the Giant Tree of St. Iris.
The Sea of Fog used to be in this area. After Ricardo was set free, the Mist around her cleared and we were able to approach the Giant Tree Railroad.
However, the situation in the vicinity had changed drastically. As we approached the Giant Tree, we could clearly see what the mysterious shadows we had just seen from the hillside were.
--The Steel Tree was surrounded by huge steel thorns.
Yakutsk	"I knew it, but it looked so different from when we were here before."
Putra	"It's covered with huge thorns everywhere. It's going to be difficult to get off the train and continue on."
Vivienne	"Are all these thorns made of steel?"
Yoshino	"It feels like it's not just steel. A special kind of metal. It might repel sorcery and magic."
Yoshino	"Vivienne, try to attack it with some magic to see if it works."
Vivienne	"What kind of magic should I use to attack it?"
Yoshino	"Just find out how durable these thorns are. Just hit it with enough offensive magic to crack or dent it, and it'll be fine."
Vivienne	"So we just need to see if there is a magic barrier or not?"
Putra	"Vivienne, don't go freestyle overboard, okay?"
Vivienne	"I know. Offensive magic is my forte. Could you not underestimate the ace of the Gendarmerie?"
Yoshino	"Can't help but feel uneasy about that comment, but yosh."
Weapons and tools didn't seem to be able to destroy them in any way, so we needed to see if offensive magic would work.
Speaking of Vivienne's offensive magic. "Kougyoukei" Yoshino suggested to shoot the thorns with offensive magic to check magical durability.
Vivienne	"Here we go then. PRÊT, FEU~!"
Vivienne	"Now that's a 'yosh'♪"
Putra	"THAT'S NO 'YOSH'! I just told you to not go freestyle overboard!"
Yoshino	"Maa, maa, don't be so giddy, because Yoshino already predicted Vivienne would go overboard and the steel thorns still wouldn't budge."
Putra	"You're right... Not a scratch, even if it was hit by such ridiculous magic."
Vivienne	"The moment I landed the shot, it was neatly cancelled out. Either there's a counter spell in place, or the thorns themselves have the power to nullify magic."
Queensway	"If it had the power to be impervious to all damage, not just magic..."
Queensway	"Wouldn't that be like steel railway rails? Aren't they ancient relics that don't react to heat or magic?"
Yoshino	"Oooooh-, good deduction by railway otaku Queensway."
Yakutsk	"If that's the case, there's nothing we can do. If that thing is so well-protected, there's no way we can get to the end of the line. There are so far no records that any part of the railway was ever destroyed."
Detroit	"Cannot be destroyed... Yet it can disappear on its own."
Yakutsk	"Disappear on its own..."
Detroit	"There must have been plenty of times when a new railway line suddenly appeared with the Mist, or a strange turntable device became active. So maybe there's a way to make this thing disappear?"
Conductor	Good point. You've got good brains, Detroit.
Detroit	"It's just a theory. Nothing can come out of the head of an idiot."
Yoshino	"Detroit is not stupid. Yoshino thinks you're a lot smarter than some other people."
Putra	"By the way, who are these 'other people'? You're not talking about me, are you?"
Yoshino	"Putra is fine with twisting heads. I think that's your strength."
Putra	"I see! I'm not sure what you mean, but thanks Yoshino♪"
Yoshino	"Really great job from Detroit. But Yoshino is still puzzled. What if there isn't another way in?"
Queensway	"There might be a way to get rid of these thorns, or there might be a time when they are temporarily lifted. It's too early to give up."
Detroit	"If we keep track of the changes, like we do with the railway, we can see if there's some kind of pattern. Luckily, we have a Great Divine Child who can memorize what she sees perfectly."
Paddington	"You called me?!"
Yakutsk	"I didn't, but I was wondering if ya could do assist us while you're out here."
Paddington	"Of course! Even if I can't do it, I'll take care of everything!"
Yakutsk	"In the meantime, memorise the thorn patterns as far as ya can see from here. Report back to me any changes until we have withdrawn from here."
Paddington	"Then not to worry! I've already got your input! I've memorised the whole thing, including the route map leading up to here! I don't know if the Giant Tree Railway is beyond these thorns, but I think I can work out the approximate distance and direction by calculating the perimeter!"
Yakutsk	"Yes, thank you very much."
Paddington	"Thank you very much!"
Yakutsk	"Now, if Paddington could bring back the information here, we can compare it with the existing maps and routes."
Queensway	"Ah, and hopefully we'll get some information on the Railway Seeker."
Queensway	"As well as investigating the Steel Tree, the fact that she's leading an army of monsters poses a considerable threat to the whole world."
Yakutsk	"I agree. If more than one Railway Seeker appears at the same time to lead an army, it'll be all-out war. We need a united Allied Force."
Detroit	"But the Allied Forces won't move a large army immediately. It's only when there are a lot of casualties that they decide to do something about it."
Yakutsk	"Perhaps Mary is right. The quickest way is to let the top brass see the devastation for themselves."
Detroit	"They don't come to the front, they stay 'up'. The military top brass is the same in every country, now and in the past."
Yakutsk	"As an officer of the Eisengrad Army, it's a terrible thing to hear, but it's sadly true. Soldiers on the front line don't always get to fight 'meaningful battles'."
Conductor	We can't start blathering on. Now that we know we can't move on, we have to come up with something.
Conductor	It turns out that both Youko and that Railway Seeker, who are one step ahead of us, are after the Steel Tree. If, as Youko says, the Steel Tree is "powerful enough to destroy this world", we can't just let them have their way.
???	"The power powerful enough to destroy the world. It is not evil, but the light of justice."
Detroit	"WHO ARE YOU?"
Detroit	"You are, the Phantom Mist cultist!"
Yakutsk	"She's also the most horrible cadre ever, that sacrificed our comrades at the Loren Citadel. She seems to have been empowered up in a rather unpleasant way."
Queensway	"Why is the Mistism cult leader doing here? Didn't she get sucked into the Gate when she attacked us at the station...?"
Yoshino	"She must have come back. It's not impossible, since Canaria and Yuuzen were able to come back."
Yakutsk	"She's an unfortunately lucky kretin."
Mistism Cult Leader	"I am a Child of Mist. I was guided to my rightful place by the Giant Tree."
Mistism Cult Leader	"I was welcomed by the Giant Tree. I have been empowered with the power of the former Children of Mist, and bestowed upon the authority to rule this world."
Yoshino	"Authority, by whom?"
Mistism Cult Leader	"The Giant Tree."
Yoshino	"Are you alright in the head? Plants don't have any authority. You're just being delusional, right?"
Mistism Cult Leader	"I am not delusional. I am in fact in control of this country."
Yoshino	"So, what do you think, Miko-sama of St. Iris?"
Conductor	She is delusional. Delusional to use the words "authority" and "rule" when one has become a general of a monster army.
Conductor	I have to concede that she has gained unworldly power as a result of wandering in the interstellar chasm worlds. But that is not the power to rule Iris Cloud.
Conductor	"I was welcomed by the Giant Tree" is no more different than a child's joke.
Mistism Cult Leader	"The Divine Child of Mist Clearing. The root of all evil that disturbs the harmony of this world."
Mistism Cult Leader	"You mistake yourself for a false messiah. You are the sinful Divine Child, who clears the Mist to save the world, and continues to torment the Giant Tree."
Mistism Cult Leader	"But I will no longer let you do as you wish. The time has come. The holy cradle of St. Iris has evolved into the Steel Tree. The kingdom of the Children of Mist will be restored."
Mistism Cult Leader	"Only the chosen can reach the throne of the Steel Tree. We are the People of the Mist. We rule the world of the Mist, we are connected to the otherworld, and we bring new powers into this world."
Putra	"I don't know who she is, but I know she's a very bad person."
Vivienne	"I wished she were just a cuckoo, but unfortunately she's not all that is."
Yoshino	"Yes. She has tremendous magical powers."
Putra	"Really? Which is stronger, the Railway Seeker?"
Vivienne	"She's the controller of the Railway Seeker. Of course she's stronger."
Mistism Cult Leader	"O' Child of Mist Clearing. You have three options."
Conductor	Three options in this situation? Do kindly share the details.
Mistism Cult Leader	"The first option, join me as my servant. You will journey with me to the Throne of the Steel Tree. I will control your body, and you will be the general of all the monsters."
Conductor	I refuse. Tell me another way.
Mistism Cult Leader	"The second option, become one with me. This option can save the lives of your companions. Become a human pillar to unite the two forces and strengthen our power as the Children of Mist. Your body and spirit will be utilised as the source of my power."
Putra	"Yoshino, translate that for me."
Yoshino	"To put it simply, 'Shashou will be turned into an Iron Injection machine exclusively for her'."
Yakutsk	"DON'T BE BLOODY STUPID!"
Queensway	"That's right! Who would accept such a thing?"
Conductor	Everyone calm down. There's no way I'm going to do what this woman wants me to do.
Conductor	Those two are pretty much what we expected. And we probably know what the last one is too.
Mistism Cult Leader	"The third option is that you will all die here."
Putra	"It's the Railway Seeker!"
Vivienne	"Are you saying that the Mistism cultist can summon Railway Seekers at will?"
Mistism Cult Leader	"The act that you call 'Iron Injection', is not something only the Divine Children of Iridescent Clouds can do."
Mistism Cult Leader	"The direct transfer of special magical power, by the one who has the power to give, to a person who has received the blessing of a strong force. This is what you call Iron Injection..."
Mistism Cult Leader	"But now I have the 'power to give'."
Queensway	"No way...!"
The Mistism cultist woman embraced the Railway Seeker she had summoned and bit her on the neck.
The Railway Seeker was left to the mercy of the woman. The woman's lips on the slender neck were infused with a disastrous magical power.
Railway Seeker	"Ugh, uuuuggh..."
Mistism Cult Leader	"More... More. You can't defeat the Divine Child of Iridescent Clouds with this much.... Mmnnnh."
Railway Seeker	"Ahg..."
Railway Seeker	"Ahg... ah, ah!!"
Railway Seeker	"AAAAAAHHH!"
Putra	"Does that mean that the Mistism cultist Iron Injected the Railway Seeker?"
Yoshino	"Yes. A frighteningly thick and dark Iron Injection, that you wouldn't even miss it even if you're not Yoshino."
Steel Demon General	"ーーーー!!"
Yoshino	"Very ferocious. Super tough."
Queensway	"That kind of power can't be the power of the Giant Tree. She's only giving it bad stuff."
Yoshino	"It's not Iron, it's Poison Injection."
Queensway	"If we don't finish it off here, St. Iris will be in trouble. We have to take them down no matter what."
Detroit	"Of course. We'll take them down here."
Conductor	But they're pretty tough. I don't know if we can take them out with this many people. I hope the reinforcements can at least locate us...
Detroit	"Don't worry. We have our own hand to play too. If it was injected and became stronger, we can be injected and become stronger as well."
Detroit	"An eye for an eye. Conductor. Give us all a legit injection. Let's show them which one of us is the real deal."
Yakutsk	"What a coincidence. I was thinking the same thing."
Detroit	"It's settled."
Detroit	"Enter formations. Keep Conductor in the rear and be careful not to get surrounded. We don't have time to take our time. Switch one by one and let Conductor share his magic."
Mistism Cult Leader	"Train Knights and the Divine Child of Iridescent Clouds. How far will they be able to resist my power?"
Steel Demon General	"ーーーー!!"

The Steel Tree of St. Iris Episode
31-1	Lack of Cooperation
31-2	Sniper in the Darkness
31-3	Separate Action
31-4	Large Army
31-5	Overcoming Numerical Disadvantage
31-6	Enemy General
31-7	Rain of Light
31-8	Happy to See Youko
31-9	Steel Thorns
31-10	Steel Tree of St. Iris