Story/E2-4 Part 1/Script
[………………]
FN-57: Honestly. How did you let things end up like this? I only left this to you because PP90 vouched for you.
Kiana: Hey, it’s not like I wanted this to happen! Who could have known Seele was actually...
FN-57: There wouldn’t have been any problems if you had just killed her off, right?
Mei: I’m sorry, 57-san, but Seele is our friend, after all...
FN-57: Your friend? Is the definition of friend in your world someone that you fight with all day and who then proceeds to wreck someone else’s home?
Mei: To some extent… yes.
FN-57: Sounds just like the protagonist of a TV serial. And now things have ended up like this after spending all those resources, and by the time our Commander comes back we’ll have to wreck it all anyway… Then, the main loss now was this… Ponya-san, I believe?
Kiana: It’s Bronya!
FN57: Tch, Eastern Europeans. In any case, she’s the human girl with the same sundae hairstyle as PP90, right?.
Mei: Seele kidnapped her, and now we want to get her back. And also… we want to bring Seele back safely too...
FN57: You can bring that big mess anywhere you want as long as it’s not here. Also, please get rid of the Breakdown Energy you brought along and get rid of all those zombie dolls too.
Kiana: Mm! We’ll take care of it!
FN-57: So our aims are the same, then? In that case, I’ll be your adjutant this time, but don’t expect me to coddle you like PP90 did.
Kiana: Huh? Really?
FN-57: Well, we’ve settled things on our side and Helian-san approved it too, After all, our dolls caused some trouble in your world, so consider this working together as equals. Also, there needs to be a Griffin doll supervising you in case you hit the self-destruct button or something.
Kiana: Is there really such a thing...
FN-57: Someone’s definitely used it before. Also, where are our PP90 and Vector?
Mei: I’ve been worrying about that myself. If Seele came back alone, then they...
Himeko: I’ve just detected a Griffin signal. Not sure who it belongs to, but things are looking pretty grim where they are. Who’s willing to go out and get them?
Kiana: Himeko-san! You’re okay already?
Himeko: Mm, just that the Nexus System took a lot out of me. I might not be able to directly participate in the upcoming battles.
Mei: Then let me go and find them. YOu should stay here and assist Kiana, Himeko-san.
Kiana: What, you’re making me sound so unreliable… speaking of which, where’s Headmistress Theresa?
Theresa: I’m repairing Griffin’s databases. That Seele… I don’t know what she was up to when she was messing around with them… still, this is fine. I’ve found her location after examining the traces she left behind.
Kiana: Really?
Theresa: She’s right beside us, in that ruined amusement park. While I have no idea what Seele’s brought Bronya there for, we just need to take her back ASAP. Also, there’s another problem; according to an observation report just now, the passage might end up closing soon.
Mei: Huh? What does that mean? We… can’t go back?
Theresa: Ahh… actually there’s a few more days, but you’d better not delay for too long!
Kiana: “Don’t delay for too long”, you could settle this quickly enough if you stepped in, Headmistress!
Theresa: Forget it, Seele’s caused so much trouble that I’m afraid I might thoroughly destroy her if I got careless. So I’m handing her over to you-
Kiana: Alright, alright, then everything should be fine now, right? Let’s begin right now!
FN-57: Are you sure everything is fine?
Kiana: Huh? What’s the matter?
FN-57: Are you just going to openly march our forces in? Leaving aside the number of casualties that Seele is going to cause to our dolls, given that she can chop the base in half… your Bronya’s still in her hands. Are you sure you can rescue the hostage that way?
Kiana: Then… then what should I do?
FN-57: Stall for time until Mei finds Vector and PP90.
Himeko: …I understand what FN57-san’s getting at.
FN-57: Hehe, that’s Himeko-san the soldier for you. Let’s discuss the specifics of the plan later!
Kiana: Huh? What are you guys going on about over there… alright, alright, I’ll do it your way! Besides, all I need to do is stall Seele, right!?
[…………]
[At the same time, in the ruined amusement park.]
Bronya: …Seele.
Seele: Are you awake, Bronya-nee? Did you dream of Seele?
Bronya: Bronya hasn’t dreamt in a long time. All this was done by you, Seele.
Seele: Yup. Seele heard the voice of “Mama-sama”. By the time I woke up, I was sitting inside the Hyperion.
Bronya: While the mothership was passing through the tunnel, Seele took over the original Seele’s body.
Seele: Yup, the original Seele... so weak and useless that everyone couldn’t like her more. Seele simply took back what was hers.
Bronya: And the one who sabotaged the mothership back then was...
Seele: Was also Seele, at Mama-sama’s suggestion. The storm outside was fierce, so all I needed to do was open a cabin door.
Bronya: …And the Headmistress mentioned that this world didn’t originally have Breakdown Energy...
Seele: That’s obvious, how could this world have Breakdown Energy? Obviously it was Seele who dumped it out of the mothership during the confusion-
Bronya: And you did all this… for Bronya?
Seele: Of course it was for Bronya-nee. It was all for… this moment.
Bronya: Bronya… isn’t worth that much.
Seele: That’s because you forgot, Bronya-nee. You’ve forgotten too much… but that’s fine, Bronya-nee. From today onwards, you can stay in this world with Seele forever.
Bronya: Here?
Seele: There’s no Breakdown here, no Slain, and no “Mama-sama”... So Seele doesn’t have to hurt anyone any more, and Bronya-nee doesn’t have to be hurt any more… I’m sure we can be very very happy here!
Bronya: This place doesn’t belong to us. It doesn’t belong to Bronya, and it doesn’t belong to Seele eith-
Seele: Then what belongs to Seele!?
Bronya: ...
Seele: Bronya-nee, you should know… Seele doesn’t have anything anymore… right now, I don’t even need to protect that useless Seele… was Seele wrong? Is that what you think too, Bronya-nee? That your friends on the Hyperion are more important than Seele?
Bronya: Seele is very important. But two people can’t live by themselves in this place.
Seele: That’s fine! Seele’s already prepared!
[Seele takes out a storage device.]
Seele: I saved all the doll personality data from that Griffin database in here.
Bronya: Why did you steal that?
Seele: To make Bronya-nee happy, of course. With a slight conversion, Seele can change to the personality of any doll. Do you understand now? As long as Bronya-nee likes it, Seele can become anybody!
Bronya: What does Seele mean by “like”?
Seele: Bronya-nee, are you examining Seele’s status?
Bronya: Seele’s status is very unstable.
Seele: That’s the price Seele has to pay for staying here… Seele is willing to do anything for Bronya-nee. That’s what “liking” means to Seele.
Bronya: But Bronya doesn’t know how to respond. Bronya can’t do anything for Seele...
Seele: Seele knows, Seele knows… Seele knows that it was because of Seele… that Bronya-nee can’t go back to how she used to be… but Seele will do anything to make Bronya-nee like Seele again.
Bronya: Seele… if that happens, your mind will become even more unstable, and then it’ll vanish again.
Seele: Yes… to Seele right now, “forever” is a temporary thing… So can’t you keep Seele company a while longer, Bronya-nee? Or...
[Seele takes Bronya’s hand.]
Seele: Would you rather Seele vanish now… again… for ever...
[Bronya lets go of Seele’s hand.]
Bronya: Bronya doesn’t want to hurt anyone else any more. Also, everyone will come looking for Bronya.
Seele: You won’t have to worry about that, Bronya-nee. Seele will take good care of Bronya-nee.
Bronya: Seele, you shouldn’t hurt them.
Seele: I’m sorry, Bronya-nee. What Seele wants can only be gained by hurting others.
[The sound of gunfire comes from outside the park.]
Seele: Please sleep for a while longer. The next time you wake up, this world will belong to Seele and Bronya-nee alone.
First Completion
[There is a lull in the fighting. The only thing that was accomplished was knocking Seele’s weapon out of her hands.]
Seele: …That’s not enough… still not enough… Kiana. How could an attack like that possibly kill Seele? Can’t you hit me harder? It doesn’t hurt Seele at all~
Kiana: I don’t want to kill you, Seele.
Seele: That’s because of the other Seele, right… because of the other Seele who’s willing to lie in your palms and do whatever you tell her, right? Seele just wants to take what belongs to Seele!
Kiana: You don’t take friends! Neither Bronya or the other Seele belongs to anyone! So please stop hurting them!
Seele: You’re the ones who hurt Bronya-nee, you and that world with the Breakdown in it! If we could stay in this world, both Seele and Bronya-nee wouldn’t have to become like that again!
Kiana: The “Breakdown” is a law of our world. All we can do is survive under under those conditions. What’s happened has happened, Seele. Neither you or Bronya can go back to the past again.
Seele: …Yes… no matter what I do, Seele and Bronya… can’t go back...
[Seele raises her weapon again.]
Seele: But… now Seele has a new chance to throw away that past… to let Bronya-nee meet Seele again, and Seele will become what Bronya-nee likes… and then… forever… and ever...
Kiana: If you’re just trying to run from the past, then it’ll be the same no matter which world you go to!
Seele: Seele’s not running away! Seele just wants… a fresh start!
Kiana: I’m sorry, Seele… then let’s put an end to it again!
[…!]
FN-57: I have to say, you sure do babble on before and after you fight. Still, that did buy us a lot of time.
Himeko: That’s the kind of girl Kiana is. Not only does she want to win, she also wants to have the last word. It’s reckless, but it’s also made her a lot of friends. Maybe that’s her charm point, although everyone she’s attracted is of the same sex...
FN-57: Those words sound quite full of regret coming from you… although, have you already figured out the route, Himeko-san?
Himeko: I have a basic idea of the amusement park’s layout. The rest is up to Mei. Are you sure Vector and PP90 are still alive?
FN-57: Frankly speaking, both of them don’t have much of a will to live.
Himeko: That sounds very bad.
FN-57: Unless… the two of them are travelling together now...
[At the same time, in the underground rail tunnel.]
[Bang! Bangbang!]
PP90: …VI… vi?
Vector: Don’t move around. Compact your body. Hang on tightly to my shoulders. Otherwise I can’t guarantee that I can ship you back in one piece.
[Bang bang!]
PP90: I thought… I was dead...
Vector: Dolls aren’t like humans. They don’t die just because you cut through a few arteries. Whether she intended to or not, Seele slipped up.
PP90: But… *coughs* ...we’re still in danger, right?
[Bang bang!]
Vector: There’s still a lot of Slain, and we might not be able to make it out in time. Any last words? Say them, it might cheer you up.
PP90: Leave me behind...
Vector: I’ll do that for real… wait, are you crying?
[PP90 is sobbing from where she’s hanging from Vector’s shoulders.]
PP90: Vivi, please… if we both die here, then this stretch of neural cloud memories will be completely destroyed… just when… just when we were getting along a little better.
Vector: …You want me to live so that I can tell the next you that we were sisters in suffering for a few minutes? I’d rather die here than confess that to someone like you who doesn’t know anything.
PP90: Haha… at least you… *cough* ..admitted that we’re friends.
[Bang bang!]
Vector: Yeah… I honestly don’t understand why you keep pestering someone like me...
PP90: That’s true… you’re gloomy and curt… you’re unlikable and you love to argue. You keep grumbling quietly to yourself, and then when you meet with the slightest setback you give up and blame everything around you...
Vector: Thanks, so you were pitying me? I always hated that about you.
PP90: I was envying you, Vivi you idiot! *coughs* I like this job very much… I like Griffin, I like the Commander, and my doll friends, but from time to time… I’m saying, just occasionally… I guess it’s only about… 2 or 3 minutes per day… in those 2 or 3 minutes… I want to be someone like you...
[Bang bang!]
Vector: I thought everyone liked you because you were always a good girl.
PP90: Why do people have to like you because of good things?
Vector: ...
[Vector falls silent for a while.]
Vector: Thank you, PP90.
PP90: Huh?
Vector: And also, sorry.
[PP90 laughs with difficulty from Vector’s shoulder.]
PP90: Don’t waste the two things I want to hear the most at a time like this… so please, just...
Vector: Forget it, we’re safe now… aren’t we, Mei-san?
[Mei emerges from the other end of the tunnel.]
Mei: I’m sorry, are you… alright?
Vector: “Alright”? In this state? Why don’t you see how much of PP90’s waist is still attached to the rest of her, and my leg.
PP90: Mei-san… how’s Seele?
Mei: Seele’s become very powerful after absorbing the Breakdown Energy… Kiana’s still buying time. FN57-san and Headmistress Theresa are working on a plan.
PP90: FN57-san? Wow… how bad are things that we need to use her plans...
Mei: I know you’re too badly hurt, PP90-san, so you should get a good rest first. But… while it might not be good to talk in a place like this… Vector-san, could I ask you to continue fighting after undergoing quick repairs?
Vector: *laughs coldly* Sounds like I’m back to the daily grind. What do you need?
Mei: Sorry, let me take care of the Slain in front of us first. Excuse me-
[Mei bows to Vector, then walks up to the Slain dolls and raises her weapon.]
Vector: I hate to interrupt, but we can’t hold out much longer even if it’s just standing up.
Mei: Headmistress Theresa will come and pick us up in person in 5 minutes.
Vector: Hah, I thought a mere doll wasn’t important, particularly me.
PP90: You’re important to me, Vivi. At the very least, you did a good job of serving as my legs for fleeing.
Vector: I’m flattered. By the way, did you choose “fleeing” specifically because you knew what I could bear?
PP90: Hehe, that’s right… *coughs* … and I know you can bear more.
Vector: Thank you. Sounds like I’m going to be much more important now.
Mei: At the very least, Vector-san, you can’t determine how important you are by yourself. Trust me. This time, both worlds need you.