()||9<黑屏1>0,10BGM_Empty: ()||9<黑屏2>:... +... A while later. Griffin City. 塞伊()Sei||:Hmm... I should be at the right place... +This...should be VA-11, right? ()||<黑屏1>:...The White Knight pushes open the door. Jill(0)Jill||186<黑屏2>m_va_welcome_to_va11_hall_a:Enjoy the present day and the present time. +Good Southern Hemisphere, Miss White Knight. Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:Ah...hello... +(Sniffs) This place smells weirder than how Captain Jericho described it... Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:Ah, sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:You simply said what I've always wanted to say. +I'm guessing you're the partner Jericho mentioned? She's a regular here. Feel free to sit anywhere you'd like. Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:Mhm, I arranged to meet her here. Are you the boss? Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:Yes. Just call me Jill. +I'm very glad to meet you, Miss White Knight. Are you a member of Unit 765, the Blitzkrieg Corps, as well? Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:Yes, I'm Captain Jericho's second-in-command. My name is Sei P. Asagiri. +Er...I should be ordering something first, right? Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:Please feel free to look through the menu here. Would you like something strong, or something more suited to Dolls? Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:I rarely come to places like this, and I'll be on duty in a bit. +So...I'll have a Sugar Rush. +I have work later tonight, so no Karmotrine, please. Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:No problem. I already heard from Jericho. Please give me a moment. Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:I knew it, that Captain Jericho... Wait, you're the boss and you're mixing the drinks yourself? Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:I have an employee under me named Gillian, but she's at the sand rains protest. I'm sure you know a lot of people are there today. Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:Yeah, I just came from over there. The protest this time is really big. Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:Should we be discussing this? Your job as a White Knight is to stand in opposition of the protesters. Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:The White Knights aren't the minions of an evil empire. We're simply paid employees. Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:I can understand your position, especially since those protesting citizens are all wielding live weapons. Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:Yes, many of them don't even know how to chamber rounds, and some of their weapons misfire randomly due to lack of care. The weapons are more dangerous than the people themselves. +Fortunately, we have the Valkyries around. They're in charge of handling first aid and fire extingushing. Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:Do you think the Prime Minister will show up? Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:I don't know. The Prime Minister is only in charge of entertainment. She'd be much better at organizing a disco dance party than disaster management. Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:I'm starting to wonder if the Prime Minister is really in full control of the city or not... Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:You heard those rumors too? +They're saying that Prime Minister Dorothy Haze is just a puppet and someone else is controlling this city from the shadows. +But then I'm thinking, why would her real master rain down sand every month at breakfast time to ruin this place? Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:Last month, I heard a drifter in a vegan burger joint say that during the days of human civilization, the god that created the world would test people. Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:Isn't it unfair that believers can't test their own gods? +And when I look around, I start to think...what's so great about creating the world? +We may have made the Dolls, but now we're nothing more than natives, a minority. Still, life isn't too bad, but the sands are a little worrying. +In any case, I have no right to comment on this. I don't want to think too much about anything besides my job and the people around me. Sei(5);Jill(0)Jill||:That's fine, I was just curious. Besides, everyone loves to discuss a conspiracy theory or two. +Also, you can take your helmet off. Wearing one of those in a native sector won't win you any popularity points. Sei(5)Sei;Jill(0)||:Oh? Sorry. I just put it on recently, and it's still novel to me. Jill(0)Jill||:I can understand. My favorite posters are always the ones I put up recently. +Alright, here's a Sugar Rush. ()||:...Sei takes off her helmet and puts it aside. Sei(0)Sei||:Thank you... Ah, I like this taste. Jill(0)Jill||:It's an honor to hear that, especially since you're my first customer this evening and a White Knight. +Wait a minute... Your face... Haven't I seen you somewhere before? Sei(0)Sei;Jill(0)||:Huh? H-Have you? Sei(0);Jill(0)Jill||:...You're Stella Hoshii's bodyguard, aren't you? I saw you beside her during one of her street rallies. Sei(0)Sei;Jill(0)||:Er...that was two years ago. Do you know her? Sei(0);Jill(0)Jill||:Of course I do. Who wouldn't know the wealthiest native in Griffin City? +Her IOP Foundation's done a lot for the city, and she's been giving kids presents for Christmas for the past two years. +She came here for a drink once, but that was a long time ago. +You can't really tell by her appearance, but she's a good person, and everyone knows what she's done for the city. Sei(0)Sei;Jill(0)||:She would be very happy to hear that. But as you can see, I've changed sides and become a White Knight, so I don't have anything to do with her anymore... Sei(0);Jill(0)Jill||:Perhaps I shouldn't ask, but why? Sei(0)Sei;Jill(0)||:Sorry, I probably shouldn't be talking about this stuff on my first visit here, but Jericho says you're a reliable person, and I feel the same way too. Jill(0)Jill||:It's my job and I like it, as long as dogs or annoying customers don't show up. ()||<黑屏1>:...Sei takes a few drinks and her glass is soon emptied. Stella(0)Sei||9<黑屏2>:...Stella and I were childhood friends. We met each other in a children's park. Stella(0)Jill||:I remember from one of her speeches, she mentioned that the two of you were attacked by S.F. in that park, and because the White Knights couldn't respond in time, her eye... Stella(0)Sei||:It took a lot of courage on her part to tell that to the public, and I encouraged her to do it too, because fighting S.F. shouldn't be the White Knights' job alone. +Back then, she and I made up our minds to use everything we had to build a better world... Stella(0)Jill||:I see. So isn't that a good thing? Stella(0)Sei||:Yes, but this world is done for, as there are too many things that people are powerless to do anything about. +But whenever she comes across any sort of difficulties, Stella would always...toughen her way through things. +Especially after the first sand rain three years ago. She became more and more extreme, and working with her became harder and harder... Stella(0)Jill||:Why is that? Surely there must've been a reason, right? Stella(0)Sei||:I guess she was chasing down news about S.F.. That attack cost her right eye, which she'll never forget about... +And I know that it wasn't so much anger so much as a kind of fear... Stella(0)Jill||:So does that mean the large reduction in S.F. attacks over the past three years was because of Miss Stella? Stella(0)Sei||:I don't know. Nobody knows. She hasn't talked to anyone, including me. +She would often go missing by herself without even taking me along, and I...I was supposed to be her bodyguard, right? +So after that point, I had a good talk with her, and I quit my job as her bodyguard and left her... Stella(0)Jill||<黑屏1>:And then you joined the White Knights? Sei(0)Sei||186<黑屏2>:Yes. The White Knights have always been in charge of eliminating S.F. and protecting the city. +I wanted to understand this city and the hearts of the people better. I wanted to help her in my own way. +But she's been avoiding me ever since, or perhaps she's been avoiding everyone. I believe that she's still a good person, just that...she's grown distant... Sei(0);Jill(0)Jill||:Yeah...she hasn't made any public appearances over the past three years, and I haven't heard anything about her at all in the past few months.+What happened to her? Do you still keep in touch? Sei(0)Sei;Jill(0)||:We haven't kept in touch, but last night... +She suddenly messaged me out of the blue. Sei(0);Jill(0)Jill||:...A message? Sei(0)Sei;Jill(0)||:I don't know what was her intention, but at the very least, she knows what I'm doing now. +I chose to take it as...she still misses me? +But still, she must have a new bodyguard by now. I chose this path myself... Sei(0);Jill(0)Jill||:Don't say that. You might not be together, but you're still friends, right? +I feel that you should go talk to her, at the very least. Sei(0)Sei;Jill(0)||:Alright. After this operation, I'll give that some serious thought... Sei(0);Jill(0)Jill||:Don't worry, the sands won't bury the Southern Hemisphere right away. You two still have time to make up. +The next drink is on me. Is there anything you'd like? Sei(0)Sei;Jill(0)||:Is that alright? This is only my first time here. Jill(0)Jill||:Don't worry about it. Both your work and that of Miss Stella's matter to me. +Not to mention, it's MY honor to meet you tonight— Jericho(0)Jericho||:If you're planning a toast to your friendship, then you shouldn't leave out this intermediary over here. Sei(0)Sei||:Ah, Good Southern Hemisphere, Captain Jericho! Jill(0)Jill||:You're late, Jericho. Jericho(0)Jericho;Jill(0)||:I ran into a bit of trouble along the way, thanks to that baguette-wielding vigilante and the little pet she found... +But it's all settled now. I finished scanning the memories of the target, and we've gotten the coordinates and made the appropriate plans. +Jill, I trust that you didn't put any alcohol into Sei's drink? Jericho(0);Jill(0)Jill||:...Of course not. I did as you told me. Jericho(0)Jericho;Jill(0)||:Then hurry and finish up with your mix. We'll be heading out once she's done. Sei(0)Sei;Jill(0)||:Let's leave now, then. With so many people waiting on us, we don't have time to waste. +Miss Jill, perhaps I'll have a couple of stiff drinks to celebrate when I get back. Jill(0)Jill||:Looks like it's a big operation. Jericho(0)Jericho||<黑点1>:Big enough that our beloved Prime Minister might personally rip out my Imprint for telling you. Let's go now. Jill, Save a glass for me too. ()||166<黑点2>:...Jericho and Sei bid Jill farewell and leave the bar. Sei(0)Sei||:Did you find Elisa's location? Sei(0);Jericho(0)Jericho||:I did, at long last... +As I thought, Elisa's hiding place is saved inside Architect's head! Sei(0)Sei;Jericho(0)||:You rarely get this worked up, Captain. Sei(0);Jericho(0)Jericho||:I've waited too long for this moment! +Now, once we capture the Mastermind, we'll be able to put an end to all of S.F.'s wrongdoings. +While we can't do anything about the sand rains, at the very least we'll be able to do something to ensure safety for the people of Griffin City. Sei(0)Sei;Jericho(0)||:I understand, Captain Jericho. +It's an honor for me to take part in this operation. Sei(0);Jericho(0)Jericho||:No need to be tense. S.F. hasn't got any aces up their sleeve. Sei(0)Sei;Jericho(0)||:No, I just... +Maybe it's because I shared many stories with Miss Jill, but I suddenly realized that I've never thanked you before...for the things I've learned over the past eighteen months. Sei(0);Jericho(0)Jericho||:Sei, you're the sort of person that plays better with the group the worse you are at interacting with them. +To me, being a White Knight is just a job, and I've never treated you as a friend. +I think highly of you, but...I don't understand this thing you call "friendship". My neural cloud was never designed to accommodate that sort of thing. Sei(0)Sei||:That's good enough for me, Captain. +Treating a native like me just like any other colleague without taking me lightly or giving me unnecessary attention is all I ever wanted. ()||:...Jericho looks at Sei. Jericho(0)Jericho||<黑点1>:I've never thought of myself as a good leader, so...I should be the one thanking you. +Alright, we're here. Get ready. ()||10<黑点2>BGM_Empty:... Sei(0)Sei||m_va_march_of_the_white_knights:This is a native residential area. Are we going to search for the Mastermind here? Sei(0);Jericho(0)Jericho||:According to our intel, S.F. has hidden themselves in a few of the district's empty warehouses. +Perhaps someone is harboring them here. That would be a crime. Sei(0)Sei;Jericho(0)||:S.F....hiding in the warehouses here? +Stella and I grew up in this district, and... Sei(0);Jericho(0)Jericho||:What's the matter? Sei(0)Sei;Jericho(0)||:No, it's nothing important... Sei(0);Jericho(0)Jericho||<黑点1>:Don't get distracted and keep a low profile. This is the final battle for Griffin City. +Let's head out and find where that Elisa is hiding!