Story/Night 9-4 (Part2)/Script

[……]

M1928A1: Keep firing!

Judge: Urgh...
That’s enough out of you lot.
Still, coming back of your own accord was praiseworthy, M4A1.

Actually M3: If you want me, come and get me!
Look at your sad state now, weren’t you acting like you were all that just now?

T65: We've epinned her down!

Judge: ...
Pinned down…?

[Boom.]

[In an instant, Judge unleashed an unprecedented amount of firepower and drove everyone back with brute force.]

Garand: Urgh… still not enough...
Just a little more...

M14: Garand-nee, let M14 handle it.

T77: Her attack pattern’s too simple, so seeing through it is child’s play.

T65: Tell me! Where did you take M16-senpai!?

Judge: Are you still living in a hollow dream, Griffin doll?
Cheh, I didn’t want to make the cleanup too hard for M4A1’s sake…
…
Don’t interrupt me now, Dreamer. M4A1 is right in front of me.
...

Actually M3: I’m standing right here, come bring all your SF buddies to get me, why don’t you?

Judge: Yes… I also thought that it was very suspicious that she was not travelling with the other AR Team members.
But that is not a problem…
...
Those two from the AR Team… understood, I will take care of it.

Actually M3: What’s the matter? Not fighting?
Is your mommy calling you home for dinner?

Judge: I will consider the events of tonight as having my actions curtailed due to my rashness in being repeatedly baited by you.
Well-played, human commander, but it will not happen again next time.
Perhaps you lot… should be glad you did not say something you should not have said.

[Judge swiftly vanished from sight.]

Garand: Something we shouldn’t have said… what is that?

Actually M3: Who knows? That womanlet must have gotten all swollen-headed, acting all stuck up like that.

[……]

Actually M3: Ah… about, about that...

T65: Looks like she changed back...

T77: Well, that certainly left an impression… was it a result of the makeup too?

M14: Everyone, we… we found M16-san.
But… please come over quick...

T65: M16-senpai...
M16-senpai!!
Auuuauuuu—

M16A1: Urgh… not so hard… it hurts...
Also, don’t press on those modules that got torn out, help me stay like this.

T65: Uwah...
Uwaaaahhhh—

T77: T65-senpai, please control your tears.

Actually M3: M16-nee...

M16A1: M4, it’s been a while.
It looks like Persica didn’t lie to me. You have changed.... and quite a bit, at that.

Actually M3: Why… why did you take so long before coming back...

M16A1: Many things are not as they appear to you.
I am helping you, in a different way.
Although, it really does hurt a bit this time.

T65: If we use a quick repair kit… we still have some here...
If you can hold out until we get back to base, I’m sure Persica will have a way to fix you…
Therefore… M16-senpai...

M16A1: But I can’t do that now, M4.
I still have… something that I need to finish.

M4A1: Why!?
What is all this for!?

Actually M3: Why!?
You’re in this state, so why are you thinking about all that!
What is this all for !?

M16A1: ...

M16A1: It’s for you, for everyone’s future.
I know that I’m doing you all a disservice...

T65: M16-san, we’re not the only ones!
T91… T91, she...

M16A1: Haha… T91 must have been lonely while I wasn’t around, huh?
Tell her to get out into the sun more, and not to keep thinking about pointless things.

T65: Everything would be okay if you came back!
Tell her that yourself—

M16A1: She’s been chasing my back all this time… but nobody ought to treat themselves that badly.
Particularly a smart and hardworking doll like her, she shouldn’t be limited by how I am.
T65… before I finish this mission and go back, make sure you take her out to see more of this vast, sprawling world.

T65: Uuu… uuu….

Actually M3: 16-nee… why are you facing all this by yourself…
There’s got to be a better way...
If only you’re willing to believe in us… then I’m sure we can overcome any difficulty together...

M16A1: …
I...

M16A1: It’s not like I don’t believe you!
Ahhhh, you talk too much! I’m heading back right now!

T65: …
…
...Huh?

T77: ...Ah.

T65: ...
Wait… wait a minute…
Don’t tell me...

T77: Thompson-san got the wrong version of the script!
Hurry up and cut that part out!

Garand: It, it’s alright, we can dub over it in post—

M1928A1: Oi, how much more work are you going to make me do?
M14, stop messing with my dummy, it’s nearly been shot to bits by Judge.

M14: Ah...
But when I heard you say all those weird lines just now, I couldn’t help...

[……]

T65: HOLD ON A MINUTE!
HOW COME YOU ALL KNEW THAT!

---

[……]
[Beeeep.]
[The playback ended.]

T65: ...
And that’s… how it ended up...
So…

T91: Is that so...
M16-senpai… she said all that…
She looked quite well… I’m glad…

T65: She also said for you not to worry about her, she won’t tell you when she’s coming back to Griffin.
Also, M16-senpai said for you to be a good girl and drink your milk tea!

T91: ...
Mm, I got it...
……

T91: Pfff...

T65: What is it, don’t laugh in such a weird way!

T91: It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.
But I was just thinking… where did you get the camera you used for filming?

T65: Ah? Oh that,I dug it up by accident when I was out one afternoon to bury stuff.
Since it still looked serviceable, naturally I’d want to try it out, right?
Why does your smile look so weird...

T91: Ah? Is it?
I really am just smiling—
I’m happy… I really am.

T65: Is… is that so...

[Outside the maintenance room.]

T77: She looks fine.
I’ll leave the rest to you, T65-senpai.

M3: For some reason… it feels like we haven’t seen T91-san smile in a very long time.

Garand: Whew… what a relief...
Now I… I’ll go back and write those reflection reports M1928A1-san wanted me to do.

M3: Reflection reports… why!?

Garand: About how I did not adequately grasp the severity of the situation and led you into dangerous SF territory, for which I must reflect upon my actions.

T77: But that’s not your fault alone, Garand-nee, we’ll help you write it.

Garand: You don’t need to...
M1928A1-san said that this is just a formality to hand to the Commander, so it doesn’t need to be that good…
Rather, she’s hoping that I’ll share my makeup tricks with her so she can learn them...

M3: Speaking of which… Can I ask you a question? Garand-san…
If the M16A1 we saw back then was Thompson-san’s dummy…
Then when did you do the makeup for it?

Garand: When I was with you.
Who said I had to do it all myself?

M3: Huh?

Garand: M14 and I did the makeup on the dummy while we were fleeing.
And the performance after that… all of it was improvised by M1928A1-san…
She really is amazing.

T77: Well, if it’s M14-senpai, then I can understand why it was done so fast.

---

[The laughter of two people rang out from the room.]

T77: ...
I suddenly remembered… that old, old story.

M3: Hm?

T77: As two people ran along the road to freedom, they encountered a scary gap.
One of them leaped easily over it, but the other didn’t dare to — and so the one who had jumped over had an idea…
He took out his torchlight and shone it across the gap… he wanted the second person to walk over while treading on the light.

Garand: But didn’t the second person refuse in that story...

T77: Although he wasn’t willing to give it a try, he did see that path paved with light as hope, didn’t he?

The Road Home Is Paved With Light - END