Operation story: SN-5

Operation

Story

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Characters
Elysium Inquisitor Irene Jordi Kal'tsit Specter Ulpianus Alty Aya Dan Frost High Inquisitor Dario Saint Carmen Thiago Amaia Rocinante The Last Knight Calm Townsperson Terrified Townsperson BizzareCultist Out-of-Breath Cultist Sea Terror
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Before operation

“

The Eye of Iberia is rekindled, and the conspiracy in Gran Faro seems to be drawing to a close. The ocean is always touching this land, pushing everything into the abyss.

”

<Background 1>
Aya	Can't wait any longer?
Frost	......
Alty	If what Kal'tsit said was true, then none of us can really afford to wait around. Even while we walk this land, we are still a part of the sea. Those corrupted descendants are... in the process of changing the "environment." In time, none of us will be spared. All we're doing now is sitting around waiting for the end to come.
Aya	We're not the only ones sitting around though, and everyone's reasons are different. Think about it more broadly. Who knows, maybe these lands aren't suited for our survival?
Frost	(Riffs in agreement) Not harmonious enough. There's something I wanna try.
Dan	Time to mix it up, all for the tunes!
Frost	(Riffs in agreement)
Alty	So what exactly do you have in mind?
Aya	Uh... Well, we're not exactly accomplishing much over here. Just treat it as a little pre-concert workout. Don't swim too far out, Frost.
Frost	A workout. Huh. What about the rest of you?
Aya	I think I'll pass.
Alty	Too lazy.
Dan	I can feel the inspiration on its way. It's so close. Just a liiittle bit more.
Frost	...Alright. (Riffs enthusiastically) I'll be off then.
<Background 2>
[A Church of the Deep cultist runs through the streets.]
Out-of-Breath Cultist	*pant*... *pant*... No, what did that woman and the Inquisitor do? How could they so easily erase the gift of the sea?! Ægir... It must've been the Ægir. What the Ægir left behind, those strange machines! They must be destroyed!
[A Sea Terror approaches the cultist.]
Sea Terror	(Makes a slithering sound as it clings to the cultist's calves)
Out-of-Breath Cultist	That's right, my brother, the Penal Battalion has this place surrounded, and we've failed to break through... We've nowhere to run. But... our exalted prophet has returned to the sea. All that's left... is to pave the way for Her.
[The cultist did something that agitates the Sea Terror.]
Sea Terror	(Impatient slithering sounds)
Out-of-Breath Cultist	If they seek to hold back the tide, then let them dash against the rocks. My life is but one brick in a lengthy road.
<Background 3>
[A townsperson is spooked...]
Terrified Townsperson	Eek!
[...as Thiago walks toward him.]
Thiago	Don't panic, it's just me. Why haven't you taken refuge yet?
Terrified Townsperson	M-Mayor Thiago... I was drunk and out as cold as a gloompincer, so I didn't hear anything. By the time I woke up, everything had gone to shit, and these disgusting things were all over the place. What happened here? Has the Inquisition sent anyone yet? What's going to happen to us?
Thiago	...The great ocean is not guilty of any crime, but the Inquisition does not agree. They control the so-called law, and have condemned us as sinners. Soon enough, the Sea Terrors will return to the ocean. But I cannot allow the Inquisitors to condemn Gran Faro to death just like that.
Terrified Townsperson	What are you talking about? Have you gone mad?
Thiago	Mad? I'm not the one who's mad! I simply need to know! What can we do before the Inquisition destroys this town and rounds us all up to stand trial?! An Inquisitor has already arrived. I saw that clearly when hiding in a little alley. I've never seen one that old before, and they gave me the chills...
Terrified Townsperson	What are you gonna do then, Thiago? Go up to them and try to reason with them?
Thiago	We'll have to choose sides again, right? When the Ægir were taken away, most people looked on, just like that. They had a chance to stand up for them, but nobody stepped forward.
Terrified Townsperson	Thiago, you–
Thiago	Now, we have another chance. Either watch the Inquisition put everyone in Gran Faro on trial, or–
Terrified Townsperson	Have you lost your marbles?! Inquisitor! Hey, Inquisitor! He can handle us all without raising a hand!
Thiago	Take me to them.
Terrified Townsperson	...What are you talking about?
Thiago	Drop the act. How long do you think I've lived in this town?
Terrified Townsperson	...... Alright, follow me. If your goal really is to take revenge on the Inquisitors...
Thiago	......
[Thiago and the townsperson walk away as Elysium watches.]
Elysium	Just what are you up to, Mayor Thiago?
<Background 4>
[A rumble is felt in the lighthouse.]
Inquisitor Irene	......
Jordi	Almost there.
Inquisitor Irene	This is already taking too long.
Jordi	S-Sorry.
Inquisitor Irene	It's not your fault. It's mine, for not having enough patience. ......
Jordi	Um... Doña Inquisitor, if you're worried about the others, you can go help them. I think I can handle things up here.
Inquisitor Irene	The High Inquisitor gave me a order to protect you. As you've seen, those monsters are everywhere. I can't just leave you alone.
Jordi	But I don't want to be what's holding you back from joining the battle... I just–
Inquisitor Irene	As long as you can light up this tower, then the High Inquisitor will have made the correct decision. I simply defer to his judgment.
Jordi	...I understand.
Inquisitor Irene	Did your knowledge of the Eye of Iberia come from your parents?
Jordi	Yes. Or more precisely, it's the sum of all of Gran Faro's past. They gathered all the best lighthouse engineers in all of Iberia, or at least that's what my uncle told me.
Inquisitor Irene	The territory used to be demarcated by the Inquisition, until it was abandoned after a string of incidents involving the Ægir and the Church of the Deep.
Jordi	......
Inquisitor Irene	I'm not trying to reopen old wounds, but I've been thinking. Before I left, I read the dossier about the sentence handed down at the time. ...No, never mind. Do you hate the Inquisition?
Jordi	Um... To be honest... If there's anything that always hangs over the heads of the people back home, other than the ubiquitous dark clouds, it would be the word "Inquisition." The town once glimmered, giving us the confidence to rebuild our homes. The workers and engineers gave everything they had to fight the disaster, but the Inquisition took everything before it even struck.
Inquisitor Irene	And do you still believe that today?
Jordi	It's the place I grew up in. Everything I've ever seen or heard has only reinforced that lesson. And, um, I'm sorry, ma'am.
Inquisitor Irene	You are simply stating your lived experiences, citizen. It is your actions that will prove your loyalty to Iberia. ...Still, I'm astonished you had the guts to say all that in front of an Inquisitor.
Jordi	I never would've dared, not until I came here... But, then I saw the Eye. For the longest time, it's only appeared in my dreams, nothing more than a sculpture sitting in the plaza. Everyone in Gran Faro who came before me has passed this all down. Our duty, what we must do... It's all surging through me right now–
[Jordi noticed something in the lighthouse's base.]
Jordi	–Um, ma'am, do you see something glimmering at the base of the lighthouse? Something blue, and sparkling like stars...
Inquisitor Irene	That's– –The nethersea brand!
<Background 5>
Specter	Do you really think you can fight me, Mister Knight?
The Last Knight	......
Specter	You only care about the lighthouse. Why? Why do you cling to it so?
The Last Knight	Monstrous waves... Swallowing the sky... ...Even the stalk of wheat... consumed by silence. All things great and small... returned to nothing.
[The Sea Terrors are seemingly confused.]
Sea Terror	(Agitated slithering sounds)
High Inquisitor Dario	He can speak, but not command his kin. The Sea Terrors are in disarray. Let us put an end to this.
[Dario casts an Arts attack from his lantern which disorients The Last Knight...]
The Last Knight	(Rasping roar) –!
[...allowing Specter to land a blow on him, who does not react to it.]
Specter	–What a surprise, Mister Knight. You're not moving like you were before.
The Last Knight	......
High Inquisitor Dario	Those are human movements. A charging wind-up, unique to Kuranta knights. What exactly are you?
The Last Knight	......
The knight continues to ignore his two opponents. His attention is solely on the third. Even with his attack, the towering lighthouse does not even shake. If even the Profound Silence failed to destroy the Eye, what chance does a lone knight have? It bewilders him. It pushes him to try even harder.
The Last Knight	(Rasping murmur) Clouds, rolling hills, pillars of ash... arrayed across a hotbed of decay. The tides... unending...
[The Sea Terrors recover from their confusion and looks at The Last Knight.]
Sea Terror	(Violent slithering)
High Inquisitor Dario	You're injured, and the Sea Terrors are drawn to you.
Specter	So it appears. Got a little scratched up on accident– Ngh...
[Specter experiences seizures.]
High Inquisitor Dario	Step aside. You're no longer fit to fight.
Dario's eyes quickly dart across the Abyssal Hunter in front of him. Her movements had paused unnaturally a few times during the previous clash. He's heard reports about her. She was involved in the Sal Viento experiments, but the woman who stands before him is completely different from the one who emerged from that fierce battle. Who was she? And who is she now?
High Inquisitor Dario	They've hardly touched you, yet you seem barely able to stand. Maybe an illness you contracted in Sal Viento?
[Specter recovers.]
Specter	...The scent of the sea is rather intoxicating, that's all.
The Last Knight	...Knight ...Comrade. Why, why must you gag on the air, and endure the heat? You'll never taste... the fruits of civilization. Urgh...!
The ground is shaking. Energy long-lost floods through the pipelines and into the broken body of the Eye of Iberia, prying open its eyelids.
Specter	It has awakened. The entire island whispers the groans of its first light. Slowly it shakes off its winter, as if waking from centuries of hibernation.
The Last Knight	...The cycle of all existence... Does not belong to the sea...
The knight lifts his head, gazing up from the shadow beneath the great lighthouse. He is perplexed.
The Last Knight	That... is not the monstrous waves. Where... are they?
Without drawing a single breath, as naturally as a shadow slants in the direction of the light, Specter brings down her weapon. But the humanoid Seaborn in front of her avoids it, with logic-defying explosive force. In midair, the knight looks far out into the distance. He is listening, listening for the coming of new waves. And he will break them.
The Last Knight	...Ishar... mla...
[Loud thunderous sounds are heard...]
The Last Knight	(Rasping growl) –Roci–nante–!
<Background 6>
[...as The Last Knight's "steed", Rocinante, emerge from the waters and gallops to his side.]
Rocinante	(Braying) –!!
[The Last Knight mounts Rocinante, and...]
The Last Knight	(Unintelligible sounds) Chase!
<Background 5>
Specter	Turns out, Mister Knight is afraid of the light.
High Inquisitor Dario	Don't pursue him. He's not the only Seaborn like that out there. Our only duty is to defend this lighthouse.
Specter	He's only lost interest in the lighthouse.
High Inquisitor Dario	I don't care about the motivations of monsters.
Specter	Are you saying... I'm also a monster?
High Inquisitor Dario	You? You are undergoing a transformation. I don't know whether this is something that happens with every Abyssal Hunter. But if necessary, this reef will be the last bit of land you'll ever step on.
Specter	You would still call this land, when we're clearly surrounded by ocean?
High Inquisitor Dario	Disasters change coastlines, not national boundaries. Every last centimeter of land swallowed by the Profound Silence is still subject to the laws of Iberia.
Specter	Laws, a virtuous word. Yet not all creatures recognize this virtue.
[Several Sea Terrors show up before Specter and Dario.]
High Inquisitor Dario	...Ready your blade.
<Background 4>
Jordi	J-Just a little bit more!
[A Sea Terror moves toward Jordi...]
Sea Terror	(Slithering sounds)
[...but Irene cuts it down.]
Inquisitor Irene	Hurry up then! If this drags out any longer, the lighthouse will be swallowed up by the nethersea brand!
Jordi	...Ran into a little bit of a hitch! One of the auxiliary structures might've been damaged, b-but that would take too much time to investigate!
[Irene cuts down more Sea Terrors.]
Inquisitor Irene	Just booting up the core facility will suffice. We still have to retrieve the flagship's coordinates, ideally reestablishing a connection with the line running along the coast–
Jordi	I, I know, but– Those things might be even higher up!
Inquisitor Irene	Then keep going! Hurry!
Jordi	...No. I have to stay here... Turning on the lighthouse is as simple as pulling the most conspicuous lever, but I need to stay here and oversee the power system rebooting. You should go, ma'am.
Inquisitor Irene	What? But if you're attacked by a Sea Terror that slipped through the net, we'll all–
Jordi	I know! But I, I don't want to come up one step short, not now! Those monsters– They only lashed out against humans because we invaded their nest, right? If that's the case, they won't keep destroying the facilities. If anything, getting into a fight will only make things more dangerous, so you should keep climbing instead!
Inquisitor Irene	...A conspicuous lever, right?
Jordi	Yeah, it should be obvious. Flip that, and at least the main facilities, including the lighting equipment, will start up again. ...Assuming what the log said is correct.
Inquisitor Irene	Alright. I'll be right back, Jordi.
[Irene climbs to the lighthouse's top.]
<Background fades out>
Inquisitor Irene	The console... Well, this is it. ......
Nothing on the outside is visible from within the tower. Could the Stultifera really not have sunk? How are they supposed to find that great dreadnought? Is it too late for the Penal Battalion to come to their aid? Are the cultists of Gran Faro hiding even more secrets?
[...]
Just by pulling down on lever in her hand, all of these questions would be answered. Irene should have been conflicted. She had accepted too much, learned much of the sea, and seen it all with her own eyes.}
Inquisitor Irene	–Now's the time. I hope you're ready, Irene.
[Irene pulls the lever, and...]
Dazzling light penetrates the ocean, piercing through everything. The light will lead the way. The light can dispel the darkness.
<Background fades in>
Inquisitor Irene	It worked! Hey, Jordi! Did you see that? We did it–
[A Sea Terror shows up before Irene...]
Sea Terror	(Slithering sounds, rubbing against the wall)
Inquisitor Irene	Merda...
[...but Irene swiftly cut it down.]
<Background 7>
Saint Carmen	I didn't think you still had it in you to appreciate this sculpture.
Kal'tsit	The Eye of Iberia... The offspring of the marriage between Ægir and Iberian technology. On land, each nomadic city can only seamlessly communicate within its own walls. Between cities, however, is like crossing a moat.
Saint Carmen	No system of communication can resolve the interference caused by Originium-rich zones. The only solution is to set up base stations that are at constant risk of being destroyed by Catastrophes. I hear some countries have already adopted the technology of mobile base stations that navigate on a fixed route between cities. Their engineers are no different from those who guard our lighthouses. Even today, humans still stumble about across this great land, blindly grasping for clues. We must still grope our way across Terra in near total darkness. But, what of the ocean?
Kal'tsit	There is no Originium in the ocean. The Ægir's communication technology vastly surpasses anything we have on land. The Eye of Iberia is not just a set of lighthouses.
Saint Carmen	It is, of course, Iberia's vision. Very few people know that it was left to us by Breogan, as a microphone to connect all of Iberia.
[A female townsperson walks toward St. Carmen.]
Calm Townsperson	It's been a while, sir.
Saint Carmen	Your work was invaluable in allowing the Inquisition to respond so quickly to Dame Kal'tsit's proposal. How about you? Have you enjoyed your time in Gran Faro?
Calm Townsperson	Compared to the other cities where our colleagues lay dormant, this place can hardly be considered dangerous.
Kal'tsit	......
Saint Carmen	So, what have you found here?
Calm Townsperson	My sincere apologies, sir. I doubt I know much more than you and the Dame. The order given to me by the High Inquisitor was to monitor Gran Faro for more potential enemies, those who would violate our laws and desecrate our country. My conclusion being, no. Not for the time being.
Saint Carmen	When the Church's cultists appeared, you didn't notify your team in time.
Calm Townsperson	Correct, I determined those cultists to be impotent, and took advantage of the Penal Battalion's withdrawal as a prime opportunity to go after their true mastermind.
Saint Carmen	And did you find them? Are there more... false bishops, presiding over the sea's invasion of the land?
Calm Townsperson	Without concrete evidence, I can only speculate as to who their leader is. But Mayor Thiago, a worker from the Iberian hinterlands, is nominally the mayor of this town. Since the Eye of Iberia project was scrapped and the Inquisition made quick work of the traitors in Gran Faro, it's been no secret that he has been a pointed critic of the Inquisition.
Saint Carmen	Thiago... One of Gran Faro's laborers, sheltering the cultists. It would seem we have our next target, Dame Kal'tsit.
Kal'tsit	......
Calm Townsperson	There's one other thing. Umm, Lord Carmen, the Penal Battalion seems to have come under attack.
Saint Carmen	What...? They've invested a Tercio just to quash the evil writhing in Gran Faro, to the point that it's a rare luxury to see even a single badge. What could they up against?
Calm Townsperson	The nethersea brand has seeped through the ground to the surface, drawing a circle roughly fifty kilometers around Gran Faro. And, it's a perfect circle, almost as if it was drawn with a compass... It's not the town that's been surrounded, though. It's us.

After operation

“

The remaining Church of the Deep cultists reach an agreement with Thiago. Kal'tsit and Carmen are delayed, and there is no time to wait at the Eye of Iberia. The Hunters and Irene decide to go ahead and locate the great ship.

”

<Background black>
[Amaia and Ulpianus walk together.]
Amaia	We're almost at our destination.
Ulpianus	......
Amaia	What? You'd never would've reached the Stultifera in one piece without me. The children of the sea would've ripped you apart, crushed you, or bound your limbs as they dragged you off to their nests.
Ulpianus	You're not like Quintus.
Amaia	What might could you be talking about? My skin? This sack of flesh? None of that matters.
Ulpianus	What are you trying to accomplish?
Amaia	And what are YOU trying to accomplish, Hunter? Your kind already loathe your enemies while simultaneously doubting the purity of your own blood. But still... you pretend to be calm. What are you trying to get out of me?
Ulpianus	......
Amaia	Silence. A wise choice. Ægir are not a sociable lot, it is known. But it seems there are exceptions. Or, are you just a bit of an unpopular grump?
Ulpianus	......
Amaia	I can answer your question. Quintus wouldn't, nor will other humans. But the Seaborn will. Like Heralds, we come to understand things. We are not limited by the way humans think.
<Background 8>
Ulpianus	I don't need your riddles.
Amaia	Hmm... Before coming here, I was in the midst of translating a literary classic from Ursus. It was about race and nations. About history. I was putting it into Iberian and Victorian. Take a look, Mister Hunter.
Ulpianus's gaze follows the woman's hand, his eyes subconsciously drawn towards the ocean. A pitch-black sea. Dense with dark clouds. Oppressive. And yet, a vague outline of the starry sky is visible.
Amaia	Even the Ægir rarely look out across the ocean from the water's surface. Different races, different countries. The land is fractured in every sense, and its conflicts are neverending. But when you look over the boundless sea, do you see anything representing those divides?
<Background 4>
[Irene cuts down the Sea Terrors in her way.]
Inquisitor Irene	Tch... These damn monsters! Jordi! Are you alright?!
<Background fades out and in>
[A Sea Terror is approaching Jordi...]
Sea Terror	(Slithering sounds, rubbing against the wall)
Jordi	G-Get away from me–!
[...but Dario cuts it down before it can get too close.]
High Inquisitor Dario	Seems like activating this facility has made these poor creatures realize that this place doesn't make a very good nest. [character]
Jordi	High Inquisitor!
High Inquisitor Dario	Keep ascending, Ægir. Your hands are for wielding tools, not fire and steel. The plan is unchanged. Go with Irene and find what the Inquisition and the Hunters are seeking.
Jordi	I, I know! Please be careful!
[Lumen heads outside.]
<Background 5>
Skadi	Do you really think we can find that ship?
Gladiia	It can only pass through Iberia.
Skadi	I don't understand... If it is a place like Rhodes Island, why hasn't it tried to return in sixty years?
[Specter looks at Skadi, and...]
Specter	We too are lost, unable to find a way back home. Is that not so?
[More Sea Terrors emerge from the waters.]
Sea Terror	(Sounds of stirring, slapping the water)
Specter	The children are increasing in number.
Skadi	...Are you alright?
Specter	Me? Why do you ask?
Skadi	You didn't speak a single word on the way to Iberia.
Specter	Have you always seen me as a chatterbox, Skadi?
Skadi	......
Skadi stares deeply into Specter's eyes. When she'd finally found Laurentina on land, her eyes were clouded over. Then she saw it in Sal Viento. A fragment of Laurentina as she was. But it was short-lived. After returning to Rhodes Island, she seemed to have fallen back into the abyss. But now, Skadi begins to find herself unable to distinguish which corner of Specter's mind she is currently dealing with. She has an ominous guess. One that has always swirled through her mind.
Specter	What's the matter?
Skadi	......
Gladiia	No need to overthink this, Skadi. And the same goes for you, my sleepy little mermaid. We don't have much time. You will awaken.
Specter	Will I?
Gladiia	You will. For the time being... Go with Shark and take out the small fry. Their numbers are endless, so remember to adjust your breathing and conserve energy.
Skadi	You should already know that I prefer it that way.
Specter	...Must we be in such a hurry to perform again? The storm is not yet ready.
[The Sea Terrors approach the Abyssal Hunters trio.]
Specter	Heh, but it seems our dance partner won't be kept waiting.
<Background 4>
[Irene cuts down more Sea Terrors in her path.]
Inquisitor Irene	Tch, there's no end to them.
Jordi	Doña Irene!
Inquisitor Irene	You're still alive! So that flash of light was from the High Inquisitor's lantern after all!
Jordi	Um, he wanted us to continue on... But what exactly should we do? Keep searching for the ship's location?
Inquisitor Irene	I was originally planning to wait for the technicians to arrive, but seeing how you got this big fella started all by yourself–
Sea Terror	Hiss... Hiss...
[Irene slashes the Sea Terror.]
Inquisitor Irene	–Make every second count!
<Background 3>
[Thiago meets with a Church of the Deep cultist.]
Bizarre Cultist	Thiago? So you're finally seeing clearly.
Thiago	Why haven't you fled? The Penal Battalion and that Inquisitor have been lying in ambush in town.
Bizarre Cultist	Then why haven't your proud townspeople returned?
Thiago	......!
Bizarre Cultist	The Inquisitors have already taken away all the confused, directionless residents of Gran Faro, and you already know what's going to happen to them. You know all too well.
Thiago	But I can't sit by and watch Gran Faro go up in smoke. I have to do whatever I can.
Bizarre Cultist	You? Fight the Inquisition? Fair enough, Thiago. But that will only hasten the town's demise. Iberia will never tolerate an act of treason. While we welcome all into our fold, but the weak do not have that right. This "determination" of yours is but a sick joke your mind is playing on you. You understand nothing. Who do you think you're talking to?
Thiago	Who? If I'd cared enough to investigate, you would've been flushed out by the Penal Battalion long ago. Tell me then, what can people like you offer Gran Faro?
Bizarre Cultist	In the end, this town is... a mere human settlement. What we seek to offer up to this land is of a much higher calling than your meaningless baubles.
[A Sea Terror tries to communicate with the cultist...]
Sea Terror	(A slithering sound emerges from cracks in the building)
[...who understands that...]
Bizarre Cultist	You've been followed.
Sea Terror	Hiss...
[Elysium reveals himself.]
Elysium	Hah, these Sea Terrors have pretty sharp senses.
Bizarre Cultist	An outsider? We will allow it. Your flesh and blood shall become nourishment for our wounded. We all give back to this land.
<Background 4>
Inquisitor Irene	Tch, the nethersea brand has already reached this far. The walls, the stairs, it's all over the place! Are you still not done yet? They're getting closer!
Jordi	Almost there! How does this make any sense? Even after all these years, the signal-receiving devices are still operable... But why? How? Oh, the logs– –Woah, there it is! Now let's take a look–
[More Sea Terrors show up...]
Sea Terror	Hiss...
Inquisitor Irene	Ugh–
[...but Irene cuts them all down.]
Inquisitor Irene	(Their numbers are exploding! They're moving through the nethersea brand, as if they've merged with the ground entirely!) (At this rate, even Maestro and the Hunters won't be able to stay in this branded place for much longer...)
[A Sea Terror creeps toward Jordi...]
Sea Terror	(Rough sounds of slithering across the floor)
Inquisitor Irene	Damn it– Underneath us! Jordi!
Jordi	Wh-What?!
[...but it was hacked apart by Gladiia before it could endanger him and Irene.]
Gladiia	Continue.
Jordi	Ah, um... Okay...
Inquisitor Irene	Abyssal Hunters!
Gladiia	You're too weak. Swarms like this require swifter movements. Spare yourself the energy to breathe. Like so.
[Gladiia gracefully eliminates some of the Sea Terrors.]
Inquisitor Irene	Urgh...!
Gladiia	How much longer, Ægir?
Jordi	Th-There are no records in the logs of how to operate these information terminals, so I'll have to keep searching– –There's some data here... I don't understand what it means, but it keeps popping up!
Inquisitor Irene	Keeps popping up? Even if that's from the Inquisition's last attempt, that should've been years ago!
Jordi	I, I'm not sure. I assumed the data loss was caused by a power outage, b-but– If my hypothesis is right... There's a ship that's been sending signals to this lighthouse for decades!
Inquisitor Irene	What...
Gladiia	How far away it is?
Jordi	I know, I'm looking... Ugh, where are the navigation records– ......
Inquisitor Irene	What is it?
Jordi	...It's very close. How can it be... so close? Waaaah!
Inquisitor Irene	Wh-What happened?!
Gladiia	I'm afraid the underground portion of the tower has been swallowed up by the nethersea brand.
Inquisitor Irene	We need to make our decision, now!
Gladiia	Decision? What decision? If we have the means to locate the ship, then we will go.
Inquisitor Irene	No! We should eradicate the Sea Terrors to ensure that the Penal Battalion's reinforcements can arrive safely!
Gladiia	Impossible. You will merely wear yourselves out before the stronger prey can even join the hunt. Or do you mean to say that Iberia has hundreds upon thousands of people willing to hold the line to their dying breath, like the High Inquisitor below us?
Inquisitor Irene	No, but–
Gladiia	Opportunity waits for no one.
Inquisitor Irene	......
Gladiia	Have you confirmed the coordinates?
Jordi	Ah, um, I can determine an approximate range, but I don't know why it's spinning around, or if that means–
Gladiia	It is being kept afloat by aberrant ocean currents. See that square surrounded by Seaborn? That's what the ship looks like now.
Inquisitor Irene	But, that ship is the only vessel we have.
Gladiia	You can have it. We don't need it.
[Dario walks toward the others.]
High Inquisitor Dario	No. Go with them.
Inquisitor Irene	High Inquisitor?! What did you just say?
High Inquisitor Dario	The Eye of Iberia has already been activated. There should still be some working safeguards in place. Lord Carmen will arrive to purge the evil remaining along these shores. We don't have time to waste on these endless hordes.
Inquisitor Irene	Th-Then, I'll stay with you, sir!
High Inquisitor Dario	No. You ought to accompany them. You should go see the ocean.
Inquisitor Irene	I...
High Inquisitor Dario	What saved your life, what let the rescuers find you... wasn't me. It was the Scriptures you hold in your hand. Make the right choice. Do not bring shame to Iberia.
Inquisitor Irene	Understood, High Inquisitor. I will become Iberia's eyes, and return the Stultifera to our country's embrace.
High Inquisitor Dario	Then go. I look forward to seeing the moment you pass down the correct verdict.
Inquisitor Irene	Yes, High Inquisitor!
[Irene heads out.]
High Inquisitor Dario	You should leave too. Go with them.
Jordi	Sir... I don't want to. I want to stay here.
High Inquisitor Dario	It's too dangerous.
Jordi	I don't know a single thing about that golden vessel. The best I could do is bask in its magnificence, but... I don't think that's where my duty lies. I, um, this might be a strange thing to say, but I... I only felt my own worth when I was exploring this lighthouse, so– Please, let me stay here.
<Background 5>
[Skadi eliminates another of the Sea Terrors.]
Skadi	Exactly one hundred down. But nothing has changed.
Specter	They're like stars in the sky.
Skadi	Breaking the encirclement would be simple, but defending the lighthouse? How long would we be slashing away?
Specter	What a fine, colorful carpet they make as their carcasses dissolve. A carpet of life... Ah, this must be the most beautiful carpet in the land.
Skadi	(True, the nethersea brand is spreading, which means...)
[Dario shows up and immolates the Sea Terrors with lantern.]
High Inquisitor Dario	Your weapons cannot burn them, but mine can.
Gladiia	That's only a temporary solution. Cauterizing the tips of the seagrass won't stop it from growing.
High Inquisitor Dario	It's good enough. Grab your people and get out of here. Steer the ship out, or you won't be able to get your bearings.
Gladiia	You realize what that means.
High Inquisitor Dario	You don't need to tell me, Ægir.
Gladiia	Very well. Do your best to survive, High Inquisitor. Shark, Skadi!
Skadi	That's the ship...
Gladiia	Yes.
Gladiia	After so long spent waiting on land, we are finally about to return to Ægir. We...
Gladiia's words slow to a halt. Her hand caresses her neck. On her well-concealed skin is a patch that is rough to the touch.
The ship is right in front of her eyes. –No, don't be hasty, Gladiia. The ocean is still dangerous. Otherwise, it would not have trapped the three Hunters ashore. But without a doubt, her heart is smoldering.
<Background 4>
High Inquisitor Dario	......
Jordi	They've left.
High Inquisitor Dario	That's right. Which means we're stranded here until the Penal Battalion's reinforcements arrive.
Jordi	......
High Inquisitor Dario	You've done well, Ægir, so you've earned the right to answer a question.
Jordi	Ah, o-okay! I swear to answer truthfully!
High Inquisitor Dario	Did you make your own decision to leave the shore, and come here with us? You're just an ordinary person. Janitor or whatever, you are no warrior. Few can wander out to sea, let alone witness a battle against the Sea Terrors. Yet... Look, your expression doesn't shake at all under the light of my lantern. What are you thinking? What do you want?
Jordi	...... I can't even remember ever seeing my mother or father. Everyone always told me I'm an Ægir, and that we came here to repair the lighthouse. But it's all ruined. I... Before all this, I didn't know a single thing. I was lost and confused. To be honest, when the Sea Terrors came, Thi– Someone told me to leave as soon as possible. But... Truthfully, I didn't even know where I could go. Because I'm an Ægir, all I can do is keep my head down as I trudge through life. And, um... just so you know, I'm actually a chapel nurse, not a janitor. But that doesn't really count as work, does it? All the things Mr. Elysium talks about, the way he acts... Maybe that's what it really means to live life upon this land. That's why... I felt like this was an opportunity.
High Inquisitor Dario	Are you not afraid of death?
Jordi	I don't think there's anyone who isn't, sir.
High Inquisitor Dario	I should be frank with you. The nethersea brand has already completely engulfed the coastline. We don't have much time left.
Jordi	Oh.
High Inquisitor Dario	Lord Carmen and Dr. Kal'tsit may have their methods, but I'm not so optimistic. When the others left, we were basically condemned to death.
Jordi	Is... that why you insisted on me going with them?
High Inquisitor Dario	It's too late to regret it now. You chose to defy me, of your own free will. But even if you die here, your death would be by no means meaningless.
Jordi	......
High Inquisitor Dario	You're not shaken.
Jordi	Haha... Just a little bit, maybe. But even if I went with them, wouldn't I still have nine-to-one odds of dying? As long as I stay here in this lighthouse, I can at least feel like I've already–
High Inquisitor Dario	Don't be in such a hurry to give up. The Eye of Iberia should have its own defenses. Go start them up.
[Dario walks away from Jordi.]
Jordi	Ah, alright. But, where will you go?
High Inquisitor Dario	Now... We are alone at sea, far from our homeland. Again and again we arrive on this little reef, the weight of our lives and of our vessels so much heavier than the place itself.
<Background 5>
Sea Terror	...Hiss...
[A large number of Sea Terrors swarmed the area.]
Sea Terror	(Swarms of slithering sounds)
High Inquisitor Dario	Between the ocean and Iberia, there is no such thing as justice... or evil. Only sword and lantern– Only me.
[Dario takes a stand against the Sea Terrors with his lantern and handcannon.]