()||<BIN>9</BIN><黑屏1>0,10</黑屏1><BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:
()||<BIN>161</BIN><黑屏2><SE2>Gunfight</SE2><BGM>10213</BGM>:...A group of Dolls runs through a snowy, wind-whipped battlefield, firing behind them as they move. +Amidst this heavy bombardment, the Paradeus mech pursuing them finally collapses to the ground.
GeneralLiu(0)<Speaker>General Liu</Speaker>||:This is great... The Doppelsöldner's down!
AUGPARA(0)<Speaker>AUG Para</Speaker>||:Look out!
()||<SE1>Explode</SE1>:There is a loud explosion, causing General Liu to lose her balance and fall heavily into the snow as intense pain courses through her back. +AUG Para is behind her, but how could she make a mistake like that...? +Still dazed, General Liu looks behind her and sees AUG Para also lying face-down in the snow. +Grenades have shredded her body and it looks like there's no chance of her ever getting back up.
GeneralLiu(1)<Speaker>General Liu</Speaker>||:She did it to cover me... And it was done because... +VHS, a Doppelsöldner's coming!
VHS(0)<Speaker>VHS</Speaker>||:I know, the HOCs are ready! +M200 and I will take it out, you give us long-range fire support!
GeneralLiu(1)<Speaker>General Liu</Speaker>||:Got it!
()||<SE1>Explode</SE1>:Support fire thunders down from the distance, blowing the relentless White Faction mech to pieces. +However, the Dolls remain frozen in place, unable to move.
VHS(0)<Speaker>VHS</Speaker>||:M200...
M200(0)<Speaker>M200</Speaker>||:I can't move, VHS... I've been...hacked... It's...her...
()||:M200 drops her gun and collapses like a puppet whose strings have been cut. +VHS and General Liu remain rooted to the spot, facing forward. A slender figure steps out of the gunsmoke and flames, smiling arrogantly at them.
NPC-Mercurows(0)<Speaker>Mercurows</Speaker>||:Oh, you servile Dolls, inn of grief, ship without helmsman in a mighty tempest...
VHS(0)<Speaker>VHS</Speaker>||:Mercurows...
()||:VHS is having trouble working her arm, but she reaches out toward a nearby command console. +The defense gate closes in from either side, crushing that figure between its slabs with a deep and heavy thunk.
GeneralLiu(0)<Speaker>General Liu</Speaker>||:The electronic interference is weakening! Thank goodness! Now... +Huh? Why is...the defense gate...being pushed open...
NPC-Mercurows(0)<Speaker>Mercurows</Speaker>||:A laughable performance, ladies. No man steps into the same trap twice, and this gate isn't exactly hard to hack. +"Behold. Whether that race has done good or evil during its lifetime will make no difference in the end."
()||:Mercurows spreads her arms and raises them in an exaggerated manner.
()||<SE1>AVG_whitenoise</SE1>:An indescribable noise assaults the Dolls. Their neural clouds are unable to bear the strain, and in the end they all go offline.
()<Speaker>System</Speaker>||<SE1>Stop_AVG_loop</SE1>:<color=#FFFF00>Signals lost from four Dolls. One Doll is unable to move.</color> +<color=#FFFF00>Combat Simulation No. 5 - Failed. Difficulty - Normal. Time elapsed - 5 minutes. Distance travelled - 1000m. System grading - C.</color> +<color=#FFFF00>Restarting Combat Simulation. All four Doll positions have been reset.</color> +<color=#FFFF00>Beginning Combat Simulation No. 6. </color>
SL8(3)<Speaker>Gr SL8</Speaker>||<BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:Huh? It's over? But I didn't even move...
VHS(0)<Speaker>VHS</Speaker>||<BGM>BGM_Sneak</BGM>:...Please pause this. We need to do a review.
NytoIsomer(3)<Speaker>Dandelion</Speaker><通讯框>||<黑屏1>:<color=#00CCFF>Exiting simulation mode. </color>
()||<黑屏2><BIN>73</BIN>:The Squad Puzzle Dolls disconnect from the simulator and rise from their seats.
VHS(0)<Speaker>VHS</Speaker>||:In this last battle, we encountered the elite enemy unit Mercurows. +She is an extremely skilled hacker. On top of that, she can restrain a single target and limit our ability to deal damage.
M200(0)<Speaker>M200</Speaker>||:Maybe we could use a drone as bait or have someone volunteer to take the attack while the others open fire while she is restrained?
GeneralLiu(0)<Speaker>General Liu</Speaker>||<黑点1>:But if we do that, that teammate will... Ah, sorry, I'll defer to your opinions.
()||<黑点2><BIN>8</BIN>:I look away at this point, turning to address Dandelion, who has been connected to the control terminal all this time.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:Still no progress?
NytoIsomer(3)<Speaker>Dandelion</Speaker>||:No. Well, objectively speaking, they HAVE made an improvement. +They didn't even last long enough to leave a record during the first combat sim, but now they have five minutes' worth of data.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:I brought Gr SL8 in to make up for the loss in combat power, so why is it still like this?
NytoIsomer(3)<Speaker>Dandelion</Speaker>||:The deployment for the combat simulations has VHS as team leader, AUG Para as vanguard, General Liu as support while M200 provides long-range precision fire. +While the temporary transfer Gr SL8 has excellent stats, VHS has no intention of making use of her. All she does is use Gr SL8 as a hostage.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||<BGM>BGM_Empty</BGM>:...
()||<BGM>10209</BGM>:Meanwhile, Squad Puzzle has finished their review of the battle on the training ground. +Gr SL8 looks like she wants to say something, but VHS ignores her. +The other three Dolls shoot her apologetic looks as they head off after VHS.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:Looks like they're not meshing well.
NytoIsomer(3)<Speaker>Dandelion</Speaker>||:That does seem to be the case. Frankly speaking, Commander, I do not understand the intention of this training program. +If your objective is to accustom the majority of our Dolls to battling Paradeus forces, then we have already achieved our objective. +Squad Puzzle clearly does not make the grade, so why not remove them from deployment during operations?
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:I know what you mean. Not every Doll can gain the skills needed to fight Paradeus units through training. +The wise choice would be to not waste time and resources on them and spend them on Dolls with more promise instead.
NytoIsomer(3)<Speaker>Dandelion</Speaker>||:Indeed.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:According to the intel we received from Ange in Bremen, Paradeus is far more active than we imagined. +Since we'll be facing off against them sooner or later, I would like all the Dolls at the base to be prepared for that eventuality. +I won't allow mass casualties like last time to happen again.
NytoIsomer(3)<Speaker>Dandelion</Speaker>||:That does sound like something you would say, Commander.
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:More to the point, this is also Kalina's plan. +I promised her that I would take good care of the base in her place.
()||:I fall silent as I think of Kalina. +Paradeus, Kalina's illness, and the chaotic situation weigh heavily on my heart. +As I watch how swiftly the Mission Failed pop-up appears for the Dolls of Squad Puzzle, I silently add the battle readiness level of Griffin to the list of my worries.
()<Speaker>System</Speaker>||:<color=#FFFF00>Combat Simulation - Failed.</color>
NytoIsomer(3)<Speaker>Dandelion</Speaker>||:Do you really wish to continue?
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:Yes. However, things can't go on like this. I need to think of a way to speed up the process.
NytoIsomer(3)<Speaker>Dandelion</Speaker>||:What do you mean?
()<Speaker>Commander</Speaker>||:Let me speak to them. +Squad Puzzle, can you hear me?
VHS(0)<Speaker>VHS</Speaker><通讯框>||:<color=#00CCFF>Loud and clear.</color>
VHS(0)<Speaker>Commander</Speaker><通讯框>||:I'll be directing the battle this time.
VHS(0)<Speaker>VHS</Speaker>||<黑屏1>:<color=#00CCFF>...Understood.</color> +<color=#00CCFF>Squad Puzzle standing by! Ready for orders, Commander!</color>