Super Robot Taisen: OG Saga Endless Frontier - Full Script - By solidsnake0928 =============================================================================== Table of Contents........................Quick Search Introduction..............................[INTR] Legal Information.........................[LEGL] Contact Information.......................[CONT] History of and Version of FAQ.............[HIST] Allowed Websites..........................[WDST] Script....................................[SCRP] Thanks....................................[THNX] =============================================================================== Introduction [INTR] This is actually my second FAQ that I have created, the other is a Skills and Combos list for Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled. I decided to make this FAQ because there was a demand for it on the boards, and I am bored with my Walkthrough for Black Sigil. I also want to say that, as far as I know, this file is perfect, if there is a grammatical or spelling error, it is in this FAQ. I have kept it very close to the exact information in the game. Even the musical notes are included. I have eliminated a few things though. The tutorials are not included, neither are the messages if you do something wrong (ie. if you try and go to Kagura Amahara before going to Trodel Stadt or Schlafen Celeste). If there is a demand for this info, I may update the file with that info. All "spoken" dialog is included. IF you find there is something missing, please feel free to contact me and let me know. I will research the veracity of the claim and make an update if needed. =============================================================================== Legal [LEGL] This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. =============================================================================== Contact [CONT] If you would like to contact me regarding anything concerning this guide or Super Robot Taisen: OG Saga Endless Frontier or any other game related topic, you may do so at the following e-mail address: solidsnake0928 (at) MSN (dot) com Please also put something in the subject line regarding either Super Robot Taisen or GameFAQs or your e-mail may be deleted. Please do not expect a return e-mail immediately, I do have a full-time job, wife and other responsibilities, that definitely come before any video game. If you need to ask me a question, that you need a specific answer to, you probably would be more likely to get an answer on the Black Sigil boards, as I am a frequent poster there. Please do not forward anything, and I do mean anything, to me, as I will delete the e-mail and block my account from receiving anything from your e-mail address. =============================================================================== History [HIST] v1.00 - 8/2/09 - Finished formatting and ordering script v0.00 - 7/22/09 - Started work on SRTOGSEF script =============================================================================== Allowed Websites [WBST] The only website that is allowed to have this FAQ posted on it is the following www.GameFAQs.com www.GameSpot.com All other websites are not allowed to have this FAQ in it's entirety on it =============================================================================== Script [SCRP] <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken Well, here we are. Let's get goin', Aschen. Aschen Roger. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken So, it's been twenty years, huh...? Aschen To be precise, it has been twenty-three years and sixty-three days, Captain Browning. Haken Heh... There's such a thing as being too precise. ...We can talk about the past later. We finally have permission to search this airship. We're gonna find out what was here before... or what's here now. Aschen Understood, Sir. Please return safely. Haken Yeah. ...Hey! You're coming too! Aschen You're being precise, too, Captain. Haken That's nothing like... Whatever. Just go and unlock that door there. We're here to search this ship. We can't get stuck just inside. Aschen Roger that. ... ...... ......... ...I'm sorry, Captain. I can't do this. This password system is very complex and too much of a hassle to figure out. Haken You know yourself better than that, Aschen. Why do you think I brought you here? Aschen Roger. I will need to activate the special code to provide a boost to my password cracking subprogram. Haken ...Oh, THAT. You're right, that really gives you a boost, but... Okay, go for it, Cinderella. Nothing's going to happen if we just stand around here. Aschen Roger. Haken (By going into Overdrive, she gets a huge burst of energy, but...) (She is one weird android, and she sure is helpful... Just...) Aschen Code DTD activated! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! Leave it to me! Haken ...Just this part. Hey, Aschen. Aschen Hmmm? What's up? Haken What do you mean, "What's up?" Why'd you activate that mode? Aschen We wanna get through this door, right? I'm just gonna bust it down! Haken ...I thought you said "password cracking subprogram," but... Well, okay, do whatever you want. Aschen Yay! Heeeeere's Aschie! ...Genbu Spike!! Haken *sigh* Aschen All done, Captain. Haken Well, let's go then. Aschen Roger. Haken (This is where Aschen and I were picked up twenty years ago... Make that twenty- THREE years ago...) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken Hm? Aschen What is the matter, Captain? Haken Hmm... Something's wrong here. Aschen Yes... I agree. I can sense movement. Haken Let's get our weapons ready, just in case... <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken It's a real mess in here, but it looks like the power's still working. Aschen The enemies we have encountered must be the security system of this airship. Haken Hardworking little guys, aren't they? Even after twenty years, they're still guarding this old wreck. Aschen What shall we do now, Captain? Haken Well, we can't turn back now. We keep moving forward. You know what to do with this door, right? Aschen Yes, Captain. I will do so with the utmost precision. ...I can't open this one. Haken *sigh* Don't give up so easily! Aschen No, this door is opened with a Key Card. We can't open this door by doing what we did with the other one. Haken I see... We don't have the equipment to tear it down, either. All right, we'll just have to come back later. I doubt we'll find the key, but let's look around some more. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken Hm? What the...? Aschen Heat signature confirmed. She seems to be human. Haken Whew, she's a big girl, isn't she? ???(Kaguya) ...No... I've had enough to eat, thanks... Aschen She is obviously dreaming. However, she only appears to be around 170cm tall. That is not very large. Haken ...That's not what I meant. Aschen If you are talking about her bust, I would estimate it at around 100cm. Haken ......! ...Aschen? Aschen Yes, Captain? Haken That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Aschen Thank you, Captain. So, what shall we do, Captain? Smack her and wake her up? Haken So aggressive! Let's use a gentle touch with this one... ???(Kaguya) ...U-Um... Haken Oops, we woke her up. Hey, Sleeping Booty. Have a nice nap? ???(Kaguya) Oh? Oh yes, good morning. Haken I take it from your clothing that you're from our neighbor world, Kagura Amahara. ???(Kaguya) Yes... Haken The door to this area was locked. How'd you get in here...? ???(Kaguya) Lock...? I just messed around with the keypad next to the door and it opened up... Haken ...Aschen. Aschen That's possible. Statistically improbable, but possible. Haken Oh, so you're the reason the guard systems were activated, huh? Well, Cowgirl, you can end up in some serious trouble if you sleep here. Did you know that? If you're lost... I'll take you back to your home, Miss. ???(Kaguya) Really? Thank you so much! I'd really appreciate it! Aschen Please take care. He must be thinking some untoward thoughts about you. Haken H-Hey, don't say stuff like that. Let me introduce myself. I'm Haken... Haken Browning. Just an ordinary bounty hunter. Aschen I am Aschen Brodel, serving the ordinary bounty hunter in all aspects. Kaguya My name's Kaguya Nanbu. ("Nanbu"? Where have I heard that before...?) Aschen Captain, would you like me to search for information on her? Haken Yeah, please. Aschen ...Kaguya Nanbu. Owner of the castle in Kagura Amahara. Princess of the Nanbu Clan. Haken Bingo. ...Wasn't there a bounty out there with her name on it? Aschen Correct, Captain. Haken I guess there's a lucky wind blowing on us right now. Looks like some easy money's coming our way! Kaguya What's so funny, guys? Let me in on the joke! Haken Okay, Princess. I'll explain on the way to your place. It's not really a joke, but we're talking about money. Kaguya Oh... So, you've already found out about me... Aschen Yes. So, how much? Haken Don't be so blunt, Aschen. Slow down a little. Well, Princess. I'm not gonna ask what you're doing here, but please come with us. Kaguya ...O-Okay. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ??? ...... Haken Hm...? This one doesn't look like the other machines out there. Kaguya Oh? This man... Is he a karakuri like you, Aschen? Haken ...What? Aschen That is correct. ??? Targets acquired. Code number... Done. Proceeding with attack. Haken I don't think he's gonna let us talk this out... Okay, stranger! Let's dance! Aschen Hmm... I can't really do this one, either. Haken Even while you're in Overdrive, huh? I guess we need to find a Level 2 keycard. Aschen Why don't you check between her boobs, Captain Staresalot!? You're spending enough time ogling them! Kaguya Wh-What...? Haken Aschen, show the Princess some respect. ...Though I wouldn't mind taking a look there... Okay, ladies. Let's head back to Zeit. Aschen Okies! Kaguya What's "Zeit"? Haken The "Zeit Krokodil." It's... like our home. It's pretty worn out, though. I can show you around when we get there, Princess. Kaguya Oh, please, thank you! Haken ...... (What were those red androids? This is really getting to me...) ???(Cardia) ...... <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken Hey, Lee, I'm back Lee Ah, I'm glad you made it back safely, Captain. How did your investigation go? Haken All right... The ship is damaged, but the power source is still running. We fought some mystery robots, too. ...This isn't going to be fun. Oh, and we brought you back a souvenir. Say hello. Kaguya H-Hello! Lee Aha! Such a beauty! She looks very scrumptious! Thank you, Captain! Kaguya Um... Wh-What!? Aschen Please don't take him seriously, Lee. The captain didn't mean that he brought you something to eat. Lee Oh... I see. I thought it would be nice to have some live meat once in a while, you know? Haken Hey, Vice Chief, don't scare the guest. She's... ???(Marion) If you do that, you'll start an interdimensional incident. Haken She's right, Vice Chief. Professor Marion... It's rare to see you out of your lab. Kaguya Marion...? Are you the... Marion You're correct, Princess Kaguya. I am Marion Sumii, from Kagura Amahara. Marion I'm half elf, from Elfetale, and half human, from Kagura Amahara. Aschen Her mixed heritage makes estimating her age difficult. However, from her personality I can deduce she is old. Marion ...I can deduce that I may disassemble you "by accident" during your next maintenance session, Aschen. Aschen Huuuuh? Whaaaaaat!? Lee I had no idea you were Princess Kaguya. Please excuse my rudeness. I am the Vice Chief of this ship, Lee Ly. Kaguya P-Pleased to meet you... Please, don't eat me. Haken Oh, don't worry about that. The reward for you is much greater than for the other bounties out there right now. Kaguya (What would happen to me if there wasn't a reward...?) Marion Oh, right, Captain. I have news for you about a new bounty. Haken How unusual for you to be looking into the wanted lists, Professor. This must be a big one! From Dorothy next door, huh? Did the Sirena Pirate Clan finally get put on the bounty charts or something? Marion No, this is a new target. Its name is "Phantom." Kaguya Eh? Phanwha? Haken A ghost, huh? So, what kind of guy are we looking at here, Professor? Kaguya Um... Is it that karakuri with the pitch-black armor? Marion It seems you've heard of it. It is very similar to the "Combat Karakuri" from the world of Kagura Amahara... It is a Personal Trooper with a black metallic body. Haken A Personal Trooper!? Hey, Aschen, that's... Aschen The "Ten Year War" that ended three years ago in the neighboring world of Elfetale... A "Personal Trooper" is the name for a medium-sized combat robot that was used in that war. Haken Woah, hey... I hope there aren't going to be any more wars going on! Marion There is a small chance of that. The Phantom is a similar machine to the "Nacht" and "Abend" robots. Haken Argh... This had better not be anything huge. Lee Wait. How does a princess from Kagura Amahara know about the Phantom that was found in this world? Kaguya In our country, we call that karakuri the "Black Specter." We've seen the Black Specter in recent times... It's caused us a lot of harm in our world... The reason I'm in this land is to fulfill my family custom to take a journey... And follow the footsteps of our attacker... The Black Specter. Haken I see. You've been well-trained, Princess. But, I don't think your country wants to lose you. Aschen That's why they've put out a live bounty on you. So vultures like us can bring you back safe and sound. Lee So? Get to it, Captain. Go take her home and bring us back a big bag of money. Haken I was just going to do that! Still... I am the captain, you guys. Can't I get a little more respect around here? Lee Well, to be honest, I have nowhere near the respect for you that I have for Father John. Kaguya "Father"...? Aschen I agree with Lee. You can't be so carefree and expect the same amount of respect. Haken How about any respect at all...? Fine, I'm going. Lee Oh, yeah, I got a message from Father just before you got here. He says: "Come see me sometime." Haken *sigh* Marion Captain. Haken What!? What else do you people want from me!? Marion The wanted Phantom... Can you bring it back to me? Haken ...Huh? Marion According to my research, it's made using technology from the outer worlds. It must be a very interesting mech! Hmhmhmm... I'm really excited by the idea of having it under my hands to disassemble and put back together... Haken But then we won't get the reward for the bounty... Fine, I'll see what I can do. Lee Well then, we wish you the best of luck. I'll be waiting for another edible souvenir, Captain! Marion And the Phantom! Haken Okay, okay! Goodbye already! <<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>> Aschen I'm picking up an energy response... The Gate is becoming unstable. Haken Again? This Cross Gate is never stable... Kaguya What's a Cross Gate? ...Ooh, you're talking about the "Kouki-Mon." But why is this Gate closed now? Aschen There are many mysteries surrounding the Cross Gates. We still do not fully understand how they work. First of all, we don't even know why this Gate is connected to the outer world. Haken So, we can't find whatever it is that makes the Gate unstable. Kaguya It's so mysterious... I wonder what will happen to us, living in this unstable world... Haken That's enough waxing poetic, Missy. There's nothing we can do about it anyway. I'm done with the lecture. We'll talk more about it on the way. Aschen First, let's head to Father's place. Haken Riiiiight... This isn't gonna be pleasant. Kaguya You kept mentioning that name on your ship... Just who is this "Father" guy? Haken Huh? Well... He's my dad. An ex-bounty hunter, and now he's the representative for the only town here, Trodel Stadt. Kaguya He's your father? Oh, then I have to say hello! Haken I know he'll misunderstand, so... Please, don't. Aschen Yes. It is customary for the man to visit the lady's family first. Haken Yeah, well, I'm not like those ordinary guys. Anyway, Trodel Stadt is just beyond the iron bridge. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken All right, let's get going to my dad's place so he can finish yelling at me. Kaguya Huh? Why would he do that? Aschen Oh, our captain is always getting us into trouble by doing weird stuff. Kaguya Hmmm... Isn't that how boys are supposed to act, Aschen? Haken She's overexaggerating. Come on, let's go. We need to get some supplies, too. We don't have that much time. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken We're here, Mister Representative of Trodel Stadt, John Moses. John Don't take that tone with me... You're late. I thought I made it clear to Lee that I needed you here ASAP. Haken Hey, I'm pretty busy, too. Didn't anyone tell you that we're investigating the Mai Tierra? John Maybe they did... How was it? Haken Oh, there's so much stuff that we had to take a break from it all. We'll get back to it, though. John If you say so. I want to tell you to take your time, but... We have some emergencies. Aschen Is one of them... finding a missing person? John Right you are, Aschen. It seems like a VIP from our neighbor world of Kagura Amahara has gone missing. Haken Yeah, about that... Kaguya Hello! John Eh? Who's this? I don't think I asked for one today, but I won't say no... Kaguya Huh? Haken Who do you think she is, you filthy old man!? The woman attached to these huge knockers is the Princess. John What!? In that outfit...? Well, that does look like one of the fashions from over there. All right, Cowgirl, excuse my comments. I'm John Moses, the official representative of this town. Kaguya So you're the king, more or less... I am Nanbu Kaguya, Princess of the Nanbu Clan! Mr. Moses, you're Haken's father, right? John Hm...? Well, I guess so. Wouldn't you say that, Haken? Haken We're not related. He just raised me. Kaguya Huh? Haken Ahem... So, anyway, Pops. Your emergency is just to deliver the double D-bomb here to her castle? John Don't get smart, kid. I have three things I need you to do. Haken Oh, man... John First, look for Princess Kaguya... Okay, I'll scratch that one off the list. Second, investigate the "Mild Keil." Aschen The Mild Keil is that substance made from a mysterious energy, isn't it? John Right. It's been found all over the world, but one thing's for sure... It doesn't belong here. We've discovered a bunch of the crystals in Lost Herencia as well. Haken It doesn't hurt anyone, does it? This whole world is full of mysteries like that. The Mai Tierra is another mystery, right? Who cares about some rocks? John I do. That's why I'm sending you to do some investigating. Haken Tch, fine. What's the last of your precious emergencies? John The newest bounty... "Phantom." Kaguya The Black Specter! Haken Oh, Mr. Phantom again, huh. I heard about it from Professor Marion. It's pretty aggressive, right...? John Right. If the Phantom is related to that war a few years ago, it can't be allowed to run around free. That's why we needed to restrict access to the other worlds 10 years ago. Kagura Amahara must have done the same. Kaguya ...... Aschen So... Everyone was stuck in the same world for the past ten years? Kaguya Yes... By closing the Kouki-Mon, we prevented anything from coming in from the outside worlds. Oh, yes... How did your world handle the war? Did anything happen here? Haken You saw the Cross Gate from here to Elfetale on our way here. It's pretty unstable these days. Thanks to that, not a whole lot came over, and we didn't really get harmed by the war in that world. John We've sent some search parties around, but... We have nothing yet. If you find the Phantom, destroy it. Don't consider anything else. Haken Alright, Pops. I don't know if I can destroy it, but we'll do our best. Aschen The Professor asked us to bring it back to her, so we'll do our best to do that, too. Okay, Father John. I'll keep an eye out for all that stuff while we go drop off the Princess. John Very well, Captain. I'll look forward to hearing some updates from you. Aschen Goodbye. Kaguya Nice meeting you! John ...... (The Mai Tierra... It's been twenty- three years since we met on that ship...) ("Pops," huh...? Maybe it's time for you to start taking care of yourself, Haken Browning.) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kaguya I was kind of wondering about something when I came to this world... Haken Hm? Kaguya What is that huge metal thing there? Haken Oh, this used to be a ship. The "Schlafen Celeste." Kaguya Ship... You mean a flying karakuri? Haken We don't know if it's 10,000 years old or what, but it's never been able to fly. Now it's just an excavation site. Kaguya Excavation...? Haken Tell her, Aschen. Aschen The Schlafen Celeste's power source is still active. Its "transport pods" are always bringing things to this world that don't belong here. So basically, this ship's systems are useless to pretty much anybody. However, we hunters call it an "excavation site," since we can find artifacts from other worlds there. Kaguya So, that's basically where all the treasure comes from, huh? Haken Are you interested, Princess? Why don't we jump in and play around for a bit? ...How about it? Kaguya Huh!? We can go in!? Haken Of course we can! We're hunters, after all. Kaguya Ooh! This sounds really fun! Take me, Haken! Take me now! Haken Er... Yeah, let me escort you. Aschen Princess... Didn't you learn in Kagura Amahara not to get into ships with strangers? Kaguya Huh? But... I know who both of you are! You're not strange! There's nothing to worry about! ￾ô Aschen ...... Haken Yeah, Aschen. There's nothing to fear. Aschen ...Well, okay. Captain, don't go starting any international incidents with her, all right? <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kaguya Oh... These crystal-like rocks are... Haken These are the "Mild Keil Stones," right? Father said they were showing up all over the world, but... Kaguya "Mild Keil"? We call it "Kusabi-Ishi" in our country. Haken Maybe they're from here? Aschen But... I don't think this ship's transport pods could send this substance to every other world... Haken Yeah, you're right. But, it's true that these crystals weren't here when we were last on the Schlafen Celeste... Something tells me this isn't going to be as fun as I thought it would be. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken Well, well... Looks like this pod is still spitting stuff out. Kaguya There are so many different-looking things here... These ones are made to bring stuff here from other worlds? ...It's such a mess in here! Haken This place has been raided. Probably by that girl from Esmeralda Castle... Aschen I think we should put an end to this now, Captain. Kaguya Oh? You guys know who did this? Haken You're not the only one interested in treasure, Princess. There's a lot of greedy people out there. Some of them are bandits who come over from the neighboring world of Elfetale. We've fought several times, but... She really knows how to use those bombs of hers. Kaguya Bombs? Haken Never mind. You know how to use those bombs of yours, too. Kaguya What are you talking about? Aschen Enough sexual harassment, Captain. Let's investigate these transport pods. Haken Okay. Let's start with the ones that are already active. (I don't see any of the Mild Keil around here... If they didn't come from the pods, where DID they come from?) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken Huh? Who's that? ???(T-elos) ...... Kaguya Oh...? Is someone there? *gasp* Haken! Be careful! Haken What...!? ???(T-elos) ...... Kaguya ...... Haken What's up, Princess? Nobody with a rack like yours is allowed to look that sad! Kaguya What are you talking about!? You didn't think that she was a dangerous karakuri!? Haken You keep saying "Karakuri..." Do you mean android? Well, you shouldn't be afraid of androids, now... Right, Aschen? Aschen Correct. Kaguya Yeah, but... I felt something dangerous coming from her... (Some kind of... energy? But... She was missing something... Why was I so afraid of her?) Haken I don't know if you're being smart or I'm being stupid, but we really do need to find out more about her. We have to find out who that robot rockin' the hot chocolate bod is and what she's doing here. Aschen How? Haken Well, let's go with the easiest way first... Let's ask her. If I remember right, there's only a broken-down transport pod down this hallway. We'll find her. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aschen I've lost the target. Kaguya She's fast... Haken But isn't this a dead end? She couldn't have gotten past us! Hmm... Has the transport pod been repaired now? Aschen It seems like it hasn't been used for several hundred years. Haken Well then... Maybe it's time we did! Goblin *growl* Haken Well, look what we've got here. Seems the transport pod's working now... Maybe Mocha Mecha Girl fixed it? Aschen Maybe so. That would explain how we lost track of her. Kaguya So she used this thing to go somewhere, right? Where? Haken Hell, I don't know... We'll have to ask her the next time we see her. Goblin *polite cough* Haken Oh, right. Sorry for making you wait. You're one well-mannered individual there, you know that? All right. Welcome to Lost Herencia. Let me run the welcome wagon right over your ugly ass! It broke down. Aschen The transport pod has been shut down, and is now permanently disabled. Haken Thousands of years old, but one little brawl in here and it goes kablooie... That's a design flaw right there. Hey Aschen, are there any records that can tell us where that Miss Mocha Mecha beamed herself off to? Aschen The databanks have been destroyed, but I will try to reconstruct them. Kaguya Where did that karakuri come from, anyway? Haken Those monsters we just fought aren't from around here. Just where did they come from, and where did she go...? Aschen Captain, I've recovered a little information. I'm unable to get an exact location of where she came from, but I traced the path of where she went to. ...Dulces Tomb. Haken ......! Are you kidding me!? She went to Dulces Tomb!? Aschen Yes, Captain. The western side of Elfetale... A large building north of Dunopolis. Kaguya Doonoppalawha? Haken Ah, right. Someone from Kagura Amahara wouldn't know much about the war in Elfetale, would she...? Dulces Tomb... The world of demons... Where Formido Heim began the war against the world of Elfetale. The Cross Gate that was used in the invasion of Elfetale is located there. Kaguya Huh...!? Then... Haken Yeah, even I can see that "Ten Year War" popping up its ugly head again... Along with the Phantom. Aschen What do you think is happening? Haken ...I don't know. But we need to get our jobs done as soon as we can. Let's get the Princess back to Kagura Amahara. Aschen Roger. The Cross Gate is to the west of this ship. Please, let's go straight there. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kaguya Here we are! This is Taketori Castle! Haken It's still just as huge as I remember it... Well, it sure is fancy. Kaguya Huh? Have you been here before? Haken Yeah. Actually, I come here pretty often. I have a client here. Kaguya Client...? Aschen Well, we are here to trade you in for the reward this time, Princess. Haken Heh, that's right. Kaguya D-Do I really have to go back...? Aschen Your come-hither looks won't have any effect on the captain this time. He's all about the money. Haken Don't make me look any worse than you already have! ...Let's go. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken Princess, we're gonna make a quick stop at this place. Kaguya Huh? Okay... Haken Hey, is Shirou here? Shirou Rrrr! What do you want!? Oh! It's you, Haken. Been awhile, hasn't it? Woof! Did you find something nice? Haken Well, I found a little something pretty taking a nap and thought I'd bring it here. Kaguya He means me. I was sleeping. Shirou Woooof! Such beauty... Hey, wait a second! Haken, you idiot, this is Princess Kaguya! Woof! I, er... Ahem... How are you, Princess? Kaguya I'm fantastic! How's my favorite shopkeeper doing!? Shirou Oh, please, Princess Kaguya... I know I don't deserve the honor of being called that... Haken What's with him? Aschen Records show that the royal family has always frequented a particular chain of shops. This is not one of them. Kaguya How's your daughter doing? The "Cat Merchant" is your daughter, right? Shirou RrrrRRRR...! Aschen Stress level increasing. Shirou How dare you even insinuate that that... that THING is my daughter!? WOOF! If you weren't the Princess, you'd already be a pile of quivering entrails for even mentioning her! Kaguya Eek! P-Please don't...! Haken As interesting as watching that would be, calm down, Shirou. Who the heck are you talking about anyway? Shirou Oh, ah... Please, excuse my outburst, Princess. Woof. Ahem... The Princess is referring to Koma. She is a merchant working on Ryugu Island to the north. She's a bad kitten who doesn't have any appreciation for her customers, woof. You should steer clear of her, Haken. Haken A bad catgirl, eh? Well, I'll certainly keep that in mind. I'll see you later, Shirou! Shirou You're welcome anytime! This shop is open 24/7/365! Woof! Haken Okay, Princess, let's head on over to the castle. Kaguya Yes... <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken King Nanbu, huh? I'm getting a little nervous waiting here... Aschen Please, Captain, watch what you say in front of him. ???(Sanuki) I apologize for making you wait, travellers from Lost Herencia. Sanuki I am Sanuki Nanbu, ruler of the world of Kagura Amahara. I hear that my daughter seems to have caused you people some trouble. Haken No, not at all. We found her while we were exploring. Hey, Princess, your dad's wait-- ...? Huh... Where'd she go? Aschen She told me that she was going to go back to the town. Haken You shouldn't just let her go! She's our bounty! ...And you should tell me these things when they happen! Sorry, King. I'll get her back, as soon as I can. Sanuki ...Do not concern yourself. I know where she must be going. You will likely find her at Fujisakura. Haken Fujisakura. Got it. ...Now to find out where that is... Aschen I believe he is referring to the giant tree that supports this entire town. Sanuki That's right, Machine Girl. It seems... she still needs her mother... Haken (...What's that supposed to mean?) Sanuki Never mind. If you leave town, you can find the Fujisakura Altar. I apologize for imposing on you again... Haken All right, Sir, I'll get Princess Kaguya back here as soon as we find her. But... She did say that she was "on a journey." It's great for us bounty hunters that you're paying us to bring her back, but this all seems a little suspicious. Sanuki Ha! You certainly are the man taking John Moses's place as the top hunter in the worlds. Yes, you're right. Our land has problems besides the Kusabi-Ishi crystals growing in the ground. The Megi Castle to the west, and the sudden appearance of the Black Specter from nowhere... Haken (The Black Specter...? Oh, right, the Phantom. So, it's been going back and forth through the Cross Gates...) Aschen According to my data, the Megi Castle is the headquarters for the Shiki-Oni. Sanuki Yes, it is the Shiki-Oni castle. Even after ten years, Shuten hasn't given up his petty little fight. Princess Suzuka hasn't come back from there, either... Haken *sigh* I don't think we need to get into this one. It's too much for an ordinary bounty hunter to deal with right now. Aschen I must agree with you. Sanuki Hahaha, sorry for rambling. I will prepare the reward. Please bring Kaguya back here and we can settle our transaction. Haken No problem. We won't be long. He said "Sake Fujura," right? Aschen No, Captain. "Fujisakura." The altar is at the roots of the giant tree. Haken *sigh* What is she thinking...? <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kaguya ...... Haken There you are, Wander Twins. Hey! ...She's not paying attention. Aschen Shall I pull her dress down, Sir? That would likely elicit a response. Kaguya Huh? Oh, Haken. Haken I need you to get back to the castle so I can finish my mission. Aschen And we can get paid. Kaguya S-Sorry... I needed to pray to my mother... Haken And... This tree is your mother? Kaguya ...I'd be lying if I said she isn't. Haken ......? ...Was that a bad question to ask? I'm sorry. Kaguya ...... You're a kind person, Haken. I think I should introduce you to Suzuka. Haken What are you talking about? Kaguya Oh, I'm sorry. She's my friend. We've been watching out for each other since I was little. Aschen You seemed to be alone when you were in our world, though. Was she with you? Kaguya Suzuka is in Megi Castle now. She's worried about her home town... Haken Suzuka and Megi Castle... I could have sworn I heard those names not too long ago... If that's her home, then Suzuka must be... Kaguya Yes, she's the Princess of the Shiki-Oni. ￾ô Aschen There seem to be more princesses than there are countries in this world... Kaguya I-I don't know what to say to that... Haken The king said that Suzuka went to Megi Castle and hasn't come back yet. Kaguya What!? She went to Megi Castle even before I went to Lost Herencia! Aschen Is it possible that she is in danger? Kaguya ...... Haken, I'm sorry. I have to go find out. Please stay here. I'll pay you the reward for returning me myself if my father refuses to. Haken ...... Well, I guess it's not a bad idea to look for the Phantom while we're here. Kaguya Haken...? Haken Okay, Princess, we'll be by your side for a little longer. Is that all right with you? Kaguya Woah! You're so helpful! Thank you so much, Haken! Haken Hey, don't mention it. Aschen ...Don't underestimate him... If my records are correct, Megi Castle is to the east of here. Haken Great. Let's stop by Shirou's shop and get ready to go. (I know I'm going to get into trouble for this, but then... I'm always in trouble anyway.) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken So, this is Megi Castle, huh? Kaguya Huh... What's going on...? Aschen What's wrong? Kaguya I've been here before with Suzuka, but... There wasn't anything near this much Kusabi-Ishi in here! Haken Hmm... Yeah, those are more Mild Keil crystals that people keep finding all over the place. Aschen But Captain, these crystals aren't giving off any energy like the other crystals we've seen. Kaguya So... They're fake? Haken Who knows. Maybe their batteries ran out or something. Aschen Perhaps the power from the crystals is being used elsewhere in the castle. Kaguya Um... Like, using it to keep a fire going in the kitchen? Haken Maybe to keep some air fresheners running. This place could sure use 'em. Whatever. Let's get going. We should start looking for that Shiki-Oni Princess. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Suzuka Shuten! Hey! Over here! Pay attention to me, damn you! Shuten ...... Suzuka Shuten! Shuten Suzuka... Won't you share in my dream? Suzuka ...Are you out of your mind? I don't care if this is your castle, it's still my home! You're ruining it! Shuten ...... Suzuka How dare you fill my home with these Kusabi-Ishi! I'll never forgive you for this! Shuten I'm almost there, Suzuka. It's so close... I'll have power over everything, power to help our people... Suzuka Shuten! Haken Hey, what's goin' on here? Kaguya Suzuka! Hiiiii! Haken, that girl showing off her belly is my friend Suzuka. Haken Ah. Very nice... Aschen Captain, please don't go there. I take it from their conversation that the large man on the other side of this crevasse owns this castle. Suzuka Hm? Kaguya...!? Kaguya! Where in the seven hells have you been all this time!? Kaguya Um... I went to the neighboring world... Suzuka Don't tell me you were in Lost Herencia! Argh! You and Shuten! Everyone's lost their damn minds! Haken Easy there, Unicorn Girl. I think it's against the rules of nature to be that mad when you're as cute as you are. Aschen Indeed. Please calm down, Skinny Princess. Suzuka H-How rude! Kaguya, who are these idiots and why did you bring them here? Just to insult me!? Kaguya C-Calm down, Suzuka. It'll take a while to explain... Shuten Intruders, huh...? What are my new guards doing!? ...Fine. Suzuka, you're welcome to come back when you change your mind. I'll always be waiting for you. Suzuka Damn it, Shuten! I'm not done talking to you! Shuten ...I must go... ...fix... the world... Suzuka (Huh? Shuten?) Haken Ah, he's gone. Aren't you going to go after him? Suzuka Of course, I am, dolt. If we go north, there is a large gate... ...By the way, just who the hell are you guys? Hmm... So the Kusabi-Ishi is growing all over in your world of Lost Herencia too, huh? Kaguya Yeah, there was this crashed old ship that was just full of it! Suzuka I see... Hmm... And that's why you're with this amateur playboy and his perverted mech? Haken I wouldn't say "amateur..." I prefer "skilled hobbyist." Aschen I will write something insulting on that billboard you call a torso... Kaguya H-Hey, okay, all right...? We found Suzuka, so it's all good, right? Suzuka You never change. You're a very positive thinker, but you don't actually think about anything. Fine. This might not all be a coincidence. The Kusabi-Ishi here in Megi Castle may be related to the ones in Lost Herencia as well. Exit this room and go up the stairs to the north. I'm sure we'll find Shuten there. Follow me, people. Kaguya Okaay! Haken Which one of these is the Princess!? Oh, right... Both of 'em... <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Suzuka Once we're through this gate, there should be a... Hmm? Haken There's more Mild Keil stones blocking the way... Can we get through? ???(Koma) Ummmm... Hello? You're not getting through here! Kaguya Oh, it's that evil catgirl merchant... Koma! Haken This is that kitten that Shirou was talking about, huh? Koma Oh, please, Mister. Don't listen to what that nasty wrinkled rotten old wolf has to say about little me! Kaguya Aww... She's so cute! Koma Well, anyways, I can't let you guys get past here. The owner of this castle told me to not let anyone by. Suzuka Shuten did that? Koma, what's this all about!? Aschen ...I'm sure she's just in it for the money. Kaguya Koma! There's something really weird going on the world! We need to do some more investigating, so... Koma Your taste in clothes is weird. Maybe you should try finding an explanation for that first. Kaguya ...... ...Let's kick her ass, Haken. Haken ...*sigh* Okay, so there go those fantasies... We're not playing around here, Kitty, so just let us pass, all right? Koma See, here's the thing. I'm being paid to keep you out. I'm at least going to work for the job I'm being paid for. Haken Oho! You're all mercenary. I like you more already, Kitten. Koma But... If you're willing to pay more than King Musclehead does, I might think about changing my mind. Aschen This girl has loyalty issues. Suzuka This dirty puss insists on being in my way!? Bring it on! Haken Sorry. Guess that means "no deal." Koma All righty! I'll claw you to shreds and take all your money anyway! Aha! You guys are very strong! I'll just be getting out of your way now. Aschen Weren't you hired to keep us out? Koma I was hired to TRY to keep you out. I did that! ...And I don't want you to hit me anymore, so... Besides, these Kusabi-Ishi are going to keep you from getting through anyways. Suzuka H-Hey! Wait! Kaguya Wow! That was one amazing escape! Haken We've got it rough, don't we, Aschen? Aschen Yes, Sir. Haken Can you look through your records for what those monsters that were with Missy Mew Mew here were? Aschen I will try. One moment... Kaguya What's wrong, Haken? Haken Nothin'. Don't worry your pretty little head over it. Aschen Captain, I've finished my search. ...There are no previous records of those creatures. But, they seem to be giving off an energy signature similar to the Mild Keil stones. Suzuka "Mild Keil"... Is that like the Kusabi- Ishi? What are those things even doing in this castle, then? Kaguya Wow! It's all so mysterious! Haken Monsters that are related to the Mild Keil crystals... The strange Personal Trooper, Mr. Phantom... I guess we should start looking for more information, huh? Kaguya, do you know of anywhere else on this world we could look for more info on what's going on? Kaguya Um... Probably at the Master's place. Haken And this Master would be...? Suzuka One branch of the Nanbu Clan is an elite ninja squad, the "Ura Genbu." Their leader is named Otone. It seems that there's been little conflict between them and the people from this castle. I'm interested in finding out what's going on around here! Haken Okay, welcome aboard. Let's go meet that ninja master, then. How hard can it be to find an ancient clan of ninjas? Kaguya In the northwest part of our world, there's an island protecting the Kouki- Mon... the Cross Gate. Ryugu Island. Aschen You're becoming a master at finding half-naked princesses, Captain. I have a feeling this is going to be big. Haken Yeah, I can't wait. ...But, I don't think this is going to be all fun and dames. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Haken So this is Ryugu Island, huh? I've never been to this part of this world before. Suzuka Ha, of course you haven't! The Ura Genbu are here to make sure that suspicious people like you never make it here. Or never leave, heh heh... Aschen I wonder how "suspicious" you would look without your hair... Haken Ladies! Let's all be friends here. Kaguya, your master's supposed to be here, right? Kaguya Yes. She'll be at the Altar, which is further into the center of town. Haken Right, let's go there first. But man, what a weird little town. Was it really necessary to build it right on top of the ocean like this? Suzuka Ryugu Island was created as an outpost to keep watch over the Kouki-Mon. To make sure that war that happened a decade ago never happens again... Aschen The "Ten Year War" ended three years ago. They're still guarding the Cross Gate? Kaguya Yes. Once in a while, creatures from Elfetale still try to come through the gate into this world. They're like Tengu or Kamaitachi... Similar to demons from our myths, but somehow different. Haken Interesting... My world has mutants and broken machines roaming around, but... It's all very different from one world to another, huh? Aschen It seems that Elfetale is still suffering from the damage of the war even now. Suzuka You humans and we Shiki-Oni aren't all
that different, in a way. We all have
our own problems.

Haken
So, Princess Barebelly, why are you
watching out for Princess Bounciful in
this situation?

Suzuka
......

...You shouldn't be asking those kinds
of questions. And especially not in that
kind of manner.

Aschen
Says the one who calls everybody an
idiot the instant she meets them.

Haken
Okay, if you don't want to talk, that's
totally fine. Let's go find out what
we can now.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Otone)
I have been waiting for you, Princess.

Kaguya
Helloooooo, Master!

Haken
Ah, so this beautiful ninja here is,
uh... What was that name...
Otone, right?

Aschen
She seems fairly normal, Captain.

Suzuka Think, you guys. If she was built like
Kaguya, she'd never be an effective
ninja. Flopping around all over...

Otone
Mmm. So, you are the ones who found
Princess Kaguya?

I heard the news from Taketori Castle.
I appreciate your efforts.

Haken
Hey, no problem. Think of it as a little
"I scratch your back, you scratch mine"
style of thing.

I want some information about that big,
shiny, black Phantom, and some other
subjects, too.

Otone
The Black Specter, you say?
Very well.

Haken
What? You've never been able to contact
Elfetale?

Otone
Correct. We have sent some scouting
parties through the Gate, but...

Suzuka
What's going on over there? It sounds
like there are still monsters coming
from that side.

Otone
I don't know. None of our reconnaissance
groups have yet to return.

Haken
...Something's up.
I'm sure of it.

Otone
I don't know if this is related to that,
but... two days ago...

The Phantom passed through the
Kouki-Mon and went to Elfetale.

Haken
The Phantom...!?

Suzuka
What are you Ura Genbu doing!? It's your
job to keep crap like that from getting
through the Kouki-Mon!

Otone
I have no excuses. We were able to
damage it, but we had taken severe
casualties as well... Then it left.

Haken
Damn... At least we know where it went.
It's in Elfetale now, huh?

Aschen
I am more concerned that you haven't
contacted the Elfetale government in
three years...

Haken
I don't want to think about what could
have happened... We need to go there
and see it for ourselves.

Hey, can we use the Cross Gate?

Or are we gonna have to fight you to
"prove our worth" or whatever usually
happens in places like this?

Otone
...We will not stop you. You have
brought the Princess back.

Haken
Okay, Purple Lotus Blossom. We'll be
going through the Gate now.

Sorry, Princess Kaguya. Our trails
ran together for a while, but it's
time to say goodbye.

Kaguya
Huh!? But why! We were all getting
along together!

Haken
We're hunters, Princess.

Aschen
We know where our target is. It's our
job to find it and take care of it.

Otone
Please return to Taketori Castle,
Princess. King Nanbu is worried about
you.

Kaguya
......

Haken
That's right. Leave the messy hard work
to the common slobs like us.

It was only for a little while, but it
was fun while it lasted. Just give me a
smile to remember you by. ...Adios.

Kaguya
Good... bye...

Suzuka
Finally! I hated that dolt's guts.
Him and his rude little insult machine.

Otone, I'll take Kaguya back to the
castle. Is that okay?

Otone
...Very well.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Right... Let's get going to Elfetale.

Aschen
Are you sure? We still haven't collected
the reward for delivering the Princess
to her father.

Haken
I was so cool when I said goodbye! I
can't go back in there and be all "Oh
hey, about that money..."

Aschen
If Vice Chief Lee hears about this,
he'll bite both our heads off. He can't
even eat mine!

Haken
You don't get it, Aschen. This kind of
stuff is what gets you a lady's heart!

Hell, they might even take the reward
to the Zeit Krokodil for us, just for
the chance to meet me again.

Suzuka
You're an idiot, Haken. No woman would
fall for that stupid attempt at
manipulation.

Kaguya
Haaaakeeeennnnn! Eeeeee!

Aschen
You appear to be wrong, Suzuka.

Haken
Ha! See?

...I mean, what are you two lovely
ladies doing here?

Kaguya
We're going to Elfetale, too!

Haken
What? Even Otone said that she doesn't
know what's on the other side of that
Cross Gate.

Kaguya
It's a tradition in the royal family
that you have to walk around all the
known worlds after you turn eighteen.

I don't want to be the first to fail
that just because of some war.
It won't look good on my records! ￾ô

Suzuka
I'm trying to find the source of the
Kusabi-Ishi.

It seems like the situation in Elfetale
may be pretty grim...

So it'll be my job to keep her safe from
all the dirty people out there.

Haken
Hey... Is she talking about us?

Okay, girls! Double the Princesses,
quadruple the fun! Let's go check out
that new world!

Ura Genbu Ninja
Master... Princess Kaguya has rejoined
the bounty hunters.

What are your orders?

Otone
...Leave them be.
But keep your eyes on them.

Ura Genbu Ninja
...Yes, Master.

Otone
......

(Princess... What are you doing!?)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
What the hell is that?
Some kind of vine?

Aschen
Maybe it's a tentacle, molesting the
planet itself.

Suzuka
What is wrong with you!? That's the
Kyamos Tree. It's a huge plant that has
grown in this world for millennia.

Kaguya
Oh, you've never heard of it?

Haken
Well, the Cross Gate to Lost Herencia
is pretty far to the south from here.

If we try to get to it, we'll run into
"her," who really doesn't want us to be
here.

Suzuka
"Her"? Who are you talking about?

Haken
Kaguya might remember, since we
mentioned it at Schlafen Celeste...

There's a bandit here that keeps
invading our world to steal stuff.

Aschen
Do you think Dorothy is related to the
problems here?

Suzuka
So, the bandit's name is Dorothy?

Aschen
Correct. She is probably one of the
most powerful people in Elfetale right
now.

Kaguya
...We're not going to see her, are we?

Haken
Nah. We can go south a ways and head for
Espina Castle instead, where King Howzen
rules.

Anyway, we'll find out more there than
we will standing around here talking.

Kaguya
Whee! It's been so long since I've been
in this world! I'm so excited!

Haken
Yeah... Excited.

Suzuka
Something the matter, playboy?

Haken
There's... something bad in the air.
What the heck is it?

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
H-Hey...! What the hell happened here!?

Kaguya
Is this Espina Castle? It looks very...
weird. Those are some strange choices
in architecture.

Suzuka
Would you stop being such a ditz for one
second!? Look at those crystal pillars!
Could they be...?

Aschen
They do match a previous scan I have
taken.

They're giving the same readings as the
dead Mild Keil stones we found in Megi
Castle.

Kaguya
What!? Why...!?
None of this makes any sense!

Haken
...This must be why the ninja squads
from Kagura Amahara never made it back
home.

Well, we'll have to go in and
investigate. Keep your guards up,
ladies!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kaguya
How does it look, Suzuka?

Suzuka
It's bad... There's nobody left in this
castle any more.

Haken
Yeah. Just crystals, everywhere.

Did you get anything, Aschen?

Aschen
Hmmm? Whaaat?

Kaguya
Aschen, turn off your Fun Mode!
This is serious!

Suzuka
Yeah, you broken karakuri!
Knock it off!

Aschen
Cram it, cow and chicken! I went
into Overdrive Mode so I could look
around at full power!

Kaguya
Cow...?

Suzuka
Chicken...!?

Haken
Girls, girls! Enough!

Okay, Aschen. Let's hear what you found
while scanning in Party Girl Mode.

Aschen
Roger, Captain.

Judging by the state of the town and the
depowered Mild Keil stones, it's been
this way for at least a year or two.

I found no survivors...

Haken
Damn... How has nobody else noticed
this!?

True, Northern Elfetale and Lost
Herencia don't come into contact much... 

...and we couldn't go from the Southern
area to the North for a couple of years,
too...

Kaguya
Why's that? I thought the north and
south parts of this world were connected
by land...

Haken
Another effect of the war... Ziegel
Road, the road that connects the two
parts of the world, is blocked.

Aschen
During the war, part of Formido Heim
fell from the sky.

Haken
I guess they haven't been able to do
much to clean up, but... Shouldn't
Kagura Amahara at least know about it?

Kaguya
Unfortunately, during the war in
Elfetale, our government blocked any
traffic to or from this world.

Suzuka
...Also, our own interactions with
Elfetale have been extremely limited.

We didn't ignore what was going on, but
we didn't make an effort to find out,
either.

Aschen
I doubt that all information about what
happened was blocked, though...

Suzuka
Right... When the ban on travel lifted
three years ago, our king should have
come here to see King Howzen, but...

Haken
It would have happened here, then...
So, this lovely redecoration must have
happened not too long after that.

Kaguya
Suzuka, if this castle became like this
because of the Kusabi-Ishi, then...!

Suzuka
Right... Megi Castle is in danger, too!
We have to get back, immediately!

(Shuten... What are you up to?)

Haken
Hm...? Wait a minute.

Kaguya
Wh-Wh-What the heck is that!?

Haken
Look at that thing!

Suzuka
It's gigantic! ...Is that Kusabi-Ishi!?

Aschen
From the color and luster... It must be
a newly-created Mild Keil crystal.

Haken
It's blocking off the path we used to
get here...

Hmm...
It's all starting to make sense now.

Suzuka
Yes. At least we know where the
Kusabi-Ishi is coming from, right?

Kaguya
It's coming from here!
From Elfetale...!

Haken
Well, dammit. Looks like we're stuck
in enemy territory, now.

Kaguya
Haken! If we can't get back to Kagura
Amahara, and the road to the south is
blocked, then we're...

Haken
...I know, Honeydews. It means we're
stranded on this island!

Suzuka
We have to return to Megi Castle as
soon as we can!

Aschen
I'm detecting a thermal signature.
It appears to be humanoid.

Haken
What...!? A survivor? Or...

Koma
Ladieeeees and not-so-gentleman!
I know you know who I am!
It's Koma!

Kaguya
Huh!? Oh!
You're that darned cat, Koma!

Koma
You're awfully rude, Princess KaBOOBya.

Kaguya
Um... You're even ruder!

Aschen
I'm going to regret asking this, but why
are you here? And how did you get here?

Suzuka
Spit it out, Koma. If there's a secret
route out of here, tell us!

Koma
Secret route? I just followed you guys
here!

And just as the Kusabi-Ishi pierced the
ground beneath me, threatening to tear
me to purrfect little shreds...

I used my super meow evasion techniques
and rolled out of the way!

Haken
So you're trapped here with us.
This keeps getting better and better.

Okay, Stray Kitten.
Why were you following us?

Koma
I was ordered to. Shuten, lord of
Megi Castle, told me to help
Princess Suzuka.

Suzuka
Shuten sent you...!?

I see... Shuten...

Koma
Yes. He really is worried about you, you
know. He said, "Bring her to Megi. I'm
about to do something big."

Suzuka
(He means something involving the
Kusabi-Ishi, huh...? Shuten, you fool!)

Haken
Anyway, we need to find a way out of
here.

The four of us aren't really familiar
with this world. Do you know anything
that can help us, Koma?

Koma
Hmmmm...
Why not head to Mirabilis Castle?

Aschen
Where is Mirabilis Castle?
Is it anywhere near here?

Koma
Oh, just take the western exit of this
castle and head northwest.

That castle was used as a staging area
for troops from Formido Heim during
the war.

Kaguya
D-Doesn't that mean the place is full
of danger!?

Koma
Oh, that was years ago. The castle lord
is long gone, and now there's just
monsters and some surviving troops.

Haken
Either way, that doesn't change the fact
that it'll be dangerous there... But if
we do go, can we leave this world?

Koma
Well, it was being used as a place to
keep troops before sending them out.

Aschen
...Then there may be a Cross Gate, or
even a transport device like on the
Schlafen Celeste.

Hey, I don't know.
Worth a shot, though, isn't it?

Suzuka
Just sitting here isn't going to get
us anywhere, that's for sure.
What do you think, Haken?

Haken
Sounds good, Dancing Princess. I've
never been very good at the Waiting
Game, either. Let's go.

Kaguya
What about you, Koma?
...Would you like to come with us?

Koma
Are you kidding!? I'd never go somewhere
that might be full of things trying to
kill me! You guys must be nuts!

Haken
This cat doesn't know when to keep
her mouth shut.

Kaguya
...Let's beat her up, Haken.

Koma
C-Come on, Princess Kaguya! I won't come
along, but I can still help you guys.

I'll open up my shop, the Caterwaul,
just for you for a little while! ￾ô

Suzuka
You'll help us by selling us stuff...?
I don't believe this!

Koma
...There must be some nice treasure
lying around in this castle, too.

Haken
Sheesh...

Okay, Greedy Puss, we'll come see you
as much as we have to.

Once we're ready, we can head off to
this Mirabilis Castle.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kaguya
I thought this place would be scarier,
since it was used by soldiers...
But this looks like fun!

Haken
Don't let the looks fool you. What you
don't see can still hurt you.

Suzuka
That's right. The same thing applies to
men, Kaguya. You should train your eyes
to see the truth behind appearances.

Aschen
Thinly-veiled insults aside, Suzuka
does have a point. There is much to be
careful about.

Haken
I'm assuming you mean about the castle,
right? Well, don't keep it all to
yourself.

Aschen
Yes, Sir. The previous lord of this
castle was named Hum Dum.

His race is unknown, but suspicions are
that he might be half Elf from Elfetale,
and half Demon from Formido Heim...

Suzuka
I see... So he had a secret connection
to the enemy forces.

Haken
Any information on what kind of guy
this Hum Dum was?

Aschen
...If you're asking what he looked like,
the statue with the stupid face is meant
to be in his image.

Kaguya
Huh?
Woah, he's so round!

Haken
Hah! He has a nice smile, but...
This guy's obviously a bad egg.

Kaguya
He does look a little mischevious...
But what makes you think he's evil?

Haken
Like Suzuka said, you have to learn to
see the truth about people. This guy's
face says he's scheming for something.

Suzuka
That would probably be because he
was a spy for the forces of Formido
Heim.

Aschen
However, before the war ended, Hum Dum
was severely disciplined by the
Orchestral Army.

Haken
The Orchestral...?
Hey, aren't those guys the--

Aschen
Yes. The Orchestral Army is Formido
Heim's elite squad.

Kaguya
Uh-oh... They sound like bad news.

Wait... Formido Heim punished him?
Wasn't he working for them?

Suzuka
Yeah! They were using Hum Dum's castle
as a place to attack Elfetale from.
Why would they do that?

Aschen
There is no information regarding the
reasons for the disciplinary action.

Haken
It was a pretty strange war all around.

It began when Formido Heim suddenly
declared a one-sided proclamation of
war. The fighting went on for a decade.

Then Formido Heim suddenly offered a
peace treaty that nobody was expecting.
The war just... stopped.

Suzuka
So King Howzen accepted that treaty and
ended the war, right?

Haken
Yeah. After that, Formido Heim closed
off the Cross Gate connecting them to
Elfetale from their side.

Kaguya
Like we did in our world...

Suzuka
I don't understand why they would act
that way, though. Maybe some kind of
rebellion in their own land...

Kaguya
...So that's what this castle's history
is, huh? It's not so exciting now...

Aschen
Not to make things worse for you, but
it seems that this castle is still...
"alive," in a way.

Kaguya
Huh? What is that supposed to mean?

Aschen
Records show that Hum Dum enjoyed
creating and building elaborate traps
within his castle.

Haken
So, we'll have to be even more careful.
Great. And if Koma was right, then there
will be enemies all over the place.

Well, we can handle any traps this place
can throw at us. If there's a transport
device here, we might have a way home.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Kyon)
Yay! I'm finally free!

Haken
Woah, what's this?

Aschen
Something small was under this statue.
Please give me a moment to crush this
insect.

???(Kyon)
Wha--!? W-Wait a sec!
I just got out! Don't crush meeeeeeee!

Whew, I thought I'd be stuck under that
thing until I became a dried-up old
prune...

Suzuka
Who are you? You look very strange.

Kaguya
Umm... I'm Kaguya. What's your name?

Kyon
Sorry! Kyon's on a secret mission right
now. I can't tell you my name.

Aschen
...So, Kyon. What were you doing in a
place like this?

Kyon
Wha--!?

D-Did you read my mind!?
Are you a psychic robot!?

Aschen
Yes.

Haken
Uhh... No.

Okay, little girl. This place is far
too dangerous to use as a playground.
Run along home now.

Kyon
Don't treat Kyon like a kid! I'm on
a mission!

Aschen
My data indicates that the statues in
this castle were used to bring soldiers
to this world from Formido Heim.

Suzuka
We fought some of them just now, too.

Is that what your mission is?
...Who are you, exactly? You don't look
human, and you're not a Shiki-Oni...

Kaguya
She's not? Then, what is she?

Haken
...Could you be a demon?
Someone from Formido Heim?

Aschen
The Cross Gate is supposed to have been
sealed. Either she is a survivor of the
war, or...

Kyon
U-Uh...

Kaguya
C'mon, Kyon!
Please tell us what's up!

Kyon
......

Hmhmhm... Muwahaha!
You've got it figured out!

Kyon's name is Kyon Feulion!

I'm a "Sweeper" in Formido Heim's
special mission force, the Orchestral
Army!

Tada! Are you surprised!? Huh!?

Haken
Okay, Little Lady. We don't care what
you and your little friends call
yourselves...

Wait!?
The Orchestral Army!?

Kyon
...Oopsie.

Suzuka
Well, well, looks like we've found
something interesting here.

Kaguya
Let's find out everything she knows! ￾ô

Suzuka
Indeed. Capture her and get as much
information as we can from her tiny
little head.

Aschen
Let's have fun with her.

Kyon
E-Eep...

Haken
*sigh* I'm starting to wonder which
side is supposed to be the bad guys...

All we want to do is get past the
Mild Keil crystals so we can get back
to our own worlds.

I don't want to start a brawl over it,
so if you could...

Kyon
Aaaaarrgh! Shut uuuuuuup!
You stupid wannabe cowboy twit!

Haken
Huh!?

Kyon
I've made up my mind! I'll smack you
guys for the sake of my mission, and
just because I feel like it!

Ugh... Owwiee...

What is with these guys...!? They look
so weird, but they're so strong!

Aschen
I'm surprised you still have the energy
to insult us.

Suzuka
Heh heh... I find that the tougher the
opponent, the more fun it is to make
them squeal.

Haken
I think you need some more punishment
for that "wannabe cowboy" crack.

Kaguya
Look, let's not hurt her any more...
I feel sorry for her. Right now, we're
being more evil than she is.

Kyon, I'll tell these scary people to
back off... So just tell us what you
know. Okay?

Kyon
.......

I don't want your pity, you idiot!
I'll remember this, you bitches!

Kaguya
B-Bitches!?

Haken
Such a foul mouth on such a little girl.

She didn't seem too bright, but she sure
was strong. I don't think she was lying
about being in the Orchestral Army.

I don't think she's smart enough to
lie well, anyway.

That means that all these things about
the Phantom and Dulces Tomb aren't just
a coincidence.

Suzuka
I don't know... Do you really think the
Black Specter is related to all of this?

Aschen
Nacht and Abend... The Personal Troopers
similar to the Phantom used in the
war...

The Orchestral Army is said to have
been the machines' commanders.

Suzuka
I see... So we have more problems here
than just the Kusabi-Ishi.

Kaguya
This castle... I feel like all our
troubles are leading us here.

Haken
If we're lucky, we might end up meeting
Mr. Phantom, too.

It'd be best if we continue on...
But where do we go from here?

Kaguya
The floor beneath the statue Kyon was
trapped under seemed to be cracked.
Should we check it out?

Haken
That's something we can look at.
I hope we can keep going...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Saya)
Hm? Oh, hello.
How are you?

Haken
Isn't this castle supposed to be
uninhabited?

Kaguya
We seem to be running into people left
and right down here...

???(Saya)
Oh, my, are you people from this area?
I'm sorry to have to bother you when you
have such a lovely bunch with you.

Kaguya
Hi!
..."Lovely bunch"?

Suzuka
What are you trying to say?
Just who are you?

Saya
Me? Oh, I'm Saya. I seem to have come
over to this world because of the
effects of the Flux...

Aschen
Flux? What is she talking about?

Saya
I was wondering if people over here
would understand... It's basically an
entrance to another world.

Haken
Are you talking about the Cross Gates?

Saya
Is that what you call them over here?
Well, my job is... Oh... I mean...

Oh, right. I was looking at the moon
and writing a poem, when suddenly the
sky opened up and I was here!

Haken
A poem, huh?So you're a real romantic?

Suzuka
Hm... A werefox poet...

Saya
......! You know what I am?

Kaguya
Oh, yeah, look. She has ears like Koma,
but she's like a fox, not a cat.

Saya
Let's see... I take it you're a demon...
No, sorry. An Oni?

And the woman in green must be an
android.

Aschen
That's right.

Saya
And the lady in white...
You must be a werecow.

Kaguya
Um... I'm human...

Haken
Okay, Foxy Lady. Were-people aren't so
rare in the worlds.

Anyway, can we ask you some questions?

Saya
I see...
The Endless Frontier...
Elfetale, huh?

All these worlds are interacting with
each other.

Haken
Which world are you from? Don't tell me
you're from Formido Heim...

Suzuka
Well, a werefox would usually be from
Kagura Amahara, but I have doubts that
she's from there.

Saya
My world is called the "Substance
World," Oni-Princess.

Haken
I've never heard of that one...
Anyway, now we know that there has to
be a transport pod near here!

Saya
I think you might run into some trouble
along the way, though.

There are some troublesome people in
red and black clothes that were chasing
after me in here.

They're from the Substance W--

Haken
Huh?! Red and black!?

Do you think they could be...?

Aschen
...It's possible that they are part of
the Orchestral Army, like the demon we
fought earlier.

Kaguya
They're chasing you, Saya?
...Why are they after someone who just
popped out of another world?

Suzuka
The war ended three years ago... If they
are looking to begin something, now
would be a good time to strike.

Saya
(They seem to have their own ideas about
what's going on here... What's this
army thing they're talking about?)

(Well... Might as well let them keep
believing their mistakes for now.)

Oh, yes, it was terrible. They ran
after me, shouting things like "Release
the hounds! We're hunting a fox!"

I was so scared...

Haken
Those animals! I can't forgive them for
being so cruel to a perfect beauty like
you.

Saya
I was planning to keep running as far
as I could to get away from them.

...If you can, could you beat them up
for me so I can escape? That would be
so noble of you, handsome.

Haken
Hey, leave it to us, foxy.
You know these guys' names?

Saya
It's a man and a woman. The man is
named Reiji Arisu and the woman is
called Xiaomu.

Haken
Reiji and Xiaomu. Gotcha!
I'll make sure they learn their lesson.

Saya
Oh, my... You're so awesome, Sweetie.

Haken
Now, now... Can't have every woman I
meet falling for me, now can I?

Kaguya
Ahem!
Aren't you getting a little ahead of
yourself, Captain Browning?

Haken
Ah... Heheh, pardon me.
You're starting to sound like Aschen,
Princess.

Well, Miss Saya, we'll mosey on ahead,
so if you'll excuse us...

Aschen
If you leave this castle and go south,
you will find the ruins of Espina
Castle.

Haken
There's a merchant named Koma hanging
around there. Meet up with her and
wait for us.

Suzuka
She's a were-animal like you. We'll come
back and get you two when the transport
pod is up and running, got it?

Saya
Oh, you're so kind! Thank you!
...Koma, huh?

Later, sweeties.
Until we meet again... Hmhm...

Suzuka
That woman... She seems to have some
very strong power within her.

Haken
So? I can't just shoot her for being
strong, can I? I think talking to her
was the right thing.

We found out more from Saya than we did
from that little witch girl who cussed
us out and ran off.

Kaguya
Hmm... I think that fox woman was a
little suspicious, though.

Haken
Didn't we say that you had to work on
looking beyond appearances, Kaguya?

Aschen
It's a bad idea to assume that someone
is on your side merely because they
don't attack you on sight.

Suzuka
Men! They're all idiots. All you have
to do is wear something tight and wave
your ass at them, and they're yours.

Haken
Whatever! At least we didn't have to
waste our energy fighting her, right?

If there are more Orchestral Army people
ahead, we have some stuff to settle
with them.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Damn! What's with this floor?
I can't get past...

Kaguya
It's a little too slippery for my
taste...

Haken
Hmm... We'll have to find something to
block it off.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Reiji)
Hm? Who's there!?

???(Xiaomu)
Looks like a human... and some other
races, too.

Oh! Are you the ones you dropped that
huge statue on us a while ago!?

Haken
What statue? Ah, you mean the one we
had to break to open the door.

Kaguya
Oh, right, one of them did fall through
the floor. D-Did it hit you guys?
Are you okay?

???(Xiaomu)
If it did hit us, we wouldn't be here
to yell at you, moron! All you'd find
in here is a nasty mess.

Aschen
On to a different subject... Who are you?
I could make some assumptions, but...

Reiji
Who are we? I'm Reiji Arisu, and this
little one is Xiaomu. We were sucked
into the Flux and...

Haken
Right, so they're Reiji and Xiaomu.
Those red and black clothes...

Suzuka
They totally match the descriptions.
They must be part of the Orchestral
Army.

Hey, you there.
Are you another werefox?

Reiji
(Another...?)

Xiaomu
Ah, you got me. I'm surprised you know
what I am! Now let me guess... You're a
Shiki-Oni, and a high-ranking one.

However, I'm an ancient Sage Fox with
over 700 years of experience!
Show me some manners, girlie!

Suzuka
Isn't it long past your bedtime then,
Old Woman?

Aschen
Oh? Is it nap time already?

...Hey!

Suzuka
Awww. You're so cute when you're
stupid, Grandma.

Reiji
Enough joking around! I don't know who
you are... But, I'd like to have an
explanation for what's going on.

Haken
We're just doing a favor for someone.
Nothing personal, but you're going down.

Kaguya
Huh? Hey, Haken... Wasn't that girl
from the Orchestral Army wearing black
on red, and these people the other--

Xiaomu
Arrrrgh! I don't care about your
nonsense! Bring it on, if you're not
scared!

Reiji
Hey, wait, Xiaomu. Calm down. We don't
even know what's going on here.

Haken
No, Foxy Part II is right, Skunk Scalp.
I like getting things over with fast,
too. Well, not some things...

Reiji
...It seems you're unwilling to help us.
Still, I'm not going to die in some
unknown world like this!

Haken
Heh, I like you. If I wasn't about to
kick your ass, I'd buy you a drink.
Let's get this over with!

Suzuka
Hey, Blow-Up Android Girl, I get the
feeling that these people aren't really
part of the Orchestral Army...

Aschen
Maybe so, Princess Training Bra.
I still think it's safer to beat them up
and decide what to do with them later.

Reiji
Tch... These people are strong!

Xiaomu
They're all dressed funny, but...
They sure can fight...

Aschen
You're one to talk about fashion
decisions.

Haken
You guys are tough too, but it's too
bad for you that you're outnumbered.

Okay. Tell me what the Orchestral Army
is planning!

Reiji
What the hell are you talking about?
We don't know about any armies or
orchestras here.

We're agents from the Shinra agency.

We came here from a place called the
Substance World.

Xiaomu
Yeah! We don't know what your
Whore-Chest-Real Army is, anyway!

Kaguya
Hmm... Didn't Saya mention something
about a "Substance World," too?

Reiji
What...!?

Xiaomu
Saya!? Hey, Melon-Smuggler!
Where did you hear that name!?

Suzuka
The werefox, Saya... She told us that
you're villains chasing after her.

Reiji
That lying--! We're not your enemies.
We came here through the Flux to track
her down and arrest her.

Haken
Woah there, "Agent."
Do you have anything to prove you're
telling the truth?

Reiji
Heh. Let me ask you: Do you have any
proof that Saya's NOT lying?

Haken
......

...You got me there.
Now what? Do we believe them or not?

Kaguya
Anyone have a coin we could flip?

Xiaomu
This is ridiculous...

Reiji, we don't need to deal with these
people anyway.

All we have to do is look around for
somewhere where monsters working for
Ouma are gathering and find Saya.

Suzuka
Huh? Wait, Miss Sage Fox.
What are "monsters working for Ouma"?

Lots of strange new creatures have been
appearing in Kagura Amahara lately...
Could those be the same thing?

Reiji
Ouma is a group consisting of certain
kinds of creatures. Saya is the leader
of that group.

If you see any monsters wearing masks
over their faces, they belong to Ouma.

Kaguya
...Then, that means... Uhh...

...I'm sorry! Did we hurt you!?

Aschen
Aww, are your butts all sore from the
tremendous ass-kicking we dished out?

Xiaomu
I seriously thought you were going to
kill us! Your stupid Bimbo-bot doesn't
have any intention of apologizing!

Reiji
Where did Saya go? It looks like she
got here before we did.

Haken
Oh yeah, that sexy body's already
left the castle.

Reiji
Damn, we lost her again... She even had
the nerve to set you chumps up to stall
us while she got away.

Suzuka
It can't get any worse for you two, huh?

Xiaomu
You're the idiots who let yourselves be
tricked! Don't act like none of this is
your fault!

Reiji
That's enough, Xiaomu. I think we need
to understand each other a little more.

Suzuka
So Ouma wants to bring chaos to the
worlds, and Shinra exists to stop that
from happening...?

Reiji
Right. We came from the Substance World
through a Fluxuation... A kind of rift
to other worlds.

Kaguya
Saya said the same thing, too.
...What's your relationship with her?

Reiji
Nothing big. We're just arch-enemies.
...We've beaten her before, though.

Haken, was it?
Why are you here?

Haken
I think we're trying to get to wherever
you came from. We want to use the
transport device so we can leave.

Reiji
Back into the deepest part of the
castle, huh? All right, I'll escort you
guys there.

We need to make sure we know how to
get back once we catch Saya anyway.

Haken
Okay, Zebra Boy. We'll team up for now.
Deal?

Reiji
Amazing.
Let's go, Haken Browning.

Aschen
"Amazing"?

Kaguya
He means he's glad Haken made that
decision.

Haken
Well, we can learn more about each other
along the way.

Reiji
Right. The room we teleported into
is past the leftmost door on the floor
below us.

But, we can't get back there right now
because of the slippery floor.

Kaguya
Oh, that floor.
...What should we do?

Aschen
Maybe we could use these glass tables
somehow. Let's take a closer look.

Haken
Okay, sounds like a plan.

Xiaomu
Reiji... Things are getting pretty
complicated now.

Reiji
We'll never get anywhere if we sit
around complaining about things that
are already over with.

Xiaomu
*sigh* I never thought that the new
Flux that opened in Shibuya would lead
to somewhere like here...

Reiji
Another day, another world. Let's just
do what we came here for and go home.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Reiji
Here we are. That clock-like object on
the wall... We came out of that.

Haken
Interesting. Looks like there's someone
who wants to tell us something...

???(Cardia)
......

Suzuka
Is she another karakuri? She looks a
lot like Aschen.

Aschen
......

Kaguya
Oh! She looks like that karakuri
I saw on that ship before...!

???(Cardia)
......

Reiji
She wasn't here when we came out...
Looking at the blades on her arms and
legs, I'd guess she's an android.

Is her power turned off?

???(Cardia)
......

Xiaomu
Oh, did you hear that?
"Let's all play with my knives"...? ￾ô

???(Cardia)
I never said that.

Kaguya
Woah, she's alive!

Aschen
...Who are you?

Cardia
My name is Cardia Basirissa.
Model number W06.

Aschen
W06...
I know this means something...
Where do I know that from!?

Cardia
...Don't tell me, you lost your memory
in the crash.

Haken
The crash...?
Are you talking about Mai Tierra!?

Kaguya
Um... Is the Mai Tierra that huge
thing I was sleeping in when you found
me in Lost Herencia?

Xiaomu
What? Mighty? Sleeping? Huge thing?

Oh, we're having a more mature kind of
conversation, are we? You'll want to
get out of here, Oni Girl.

Suzuka
I know you're being stupid on purpose,
and I'm not going to react to it.

Reiji
Remember, Xiaomu? They gave us a short
summary of what happened while we were
on our way here.

If I remember right... It's a battleship
that crashed twenty years ago. Haken and
Aschen were found nearby, right?

Haken
I'm glad one of you understood what I
was saying... But that's just history.
I don't like talking about the past.

You said your name was Cardia? Did you
come here to find us because of what we
did on the ship?

Kaguya
Er... Yeah, we did blow up a few
machines... And some robots... And I
didn't make the bed when I left...

Cardia
......

Haken
Aschen, do you know anything about her?
Is she... a relative, or something?

Aschen
I... I do not know.

(My... memory...? The only thing left in
my memory that might be about her is...
my own model number...)

(W... 07...)

Cardia
I see. So be it.
All I need to do is complete my mission.

Aschen
Mission? What kind of mission?

Cardia
The kind I don't need to explain to you!

Damage surpassing 70%...
Unable to continue the mission.

Aschen
Cardia, I'll ask you again.
What mission are you talking about?
Who are you?

Cardia
...There is no reason for me to discuss
these things with you.

For twenty-three years, I have been
waiting... All for the mission...

Aschen
......

Xiaomu
Hah, we've scared her away.
That was one short-tempered robot.

Reiji
I don't understand the technology level
over here. It's all mixed up.

Haken
Very perceptive of you, Mr. Agent.
You did say you've traveled across
several different worlds.

That pink lady must have come from the
world I live in... Lost Herencia.

Suzuka
What's her connection to Old n' Busty
Karakuri here? She's acting all weird.

Aschen
I am not weird. I'm me... I think.

Xiaomu
Hmm... Maybe some critical function or
something got switched off in her
robo-brain.

Kaguya
I think she's just Aschen!

Reiji
This still doesn't really make sense...
Let's do what we came here for in the
first place, Haken.

Haken
Okay, okay. Let's take a better look at
that transport machine in the wall.

Suzuka
So, how is it?

Aschen
It's no good... The power has been
completely shut off.

Kaguya
Right... This machine runs on magic
power, but... I don't feel any power
coming from it.

Reiji
Damn it! So we can't get back to our
own world?

Kaguya
I don't know about that. I just know
that we can't use this thing anymore.

Xiaomu
What!? Does that mean we're stuck here
forever!?

Suzuka
Maybe this isn't such a bad place...
A woman's got to look on the bright side
of everything, and plan for the future.

Xiaomu
......

Okay, Reiji. I'm gonna want a big house,
and two kids...

Reiji
I haven't accepted that we're going to
be living here yet.

Saya must be planning on leaving here.
She must have some other way in mind.

Haken
Hey, have you forgotten the Cross Gates?
Moving from world to world isn't
anything new around here.

Kaguya
Why don't you guys come along with us?

Maybe you can find a way home... And I
still want to pay you back for beating
you up, too...

Xiaomu
Ohhhh... It'll take a lot more than an
apology to clear that debt up.

Reiji
That's very kind of you, Princess.
Is that all right with you, Haken?

Haken
Okay, pilgrim.
Welcome to the Endless Frontier.

Arisu in Wonderland...
Heh.

Reiji
If you find any white rabbits, let me
know so I can shoot them.

Aschen
Captain... I found this.

Haken
Huh? This is a keycard.

"Level 2"...? Hey, do you think this
could go to the door on the Mai Tierra!?

Kaguya
Where did you find this?

Aschen
It was on the ground after we fought
Cardia.

(I'm pretty sure she dropped it on
purpose...)

Haken
Heh, nice job. We still can't use the
transport pod, though. Perfect timing.

Suzuka
Well, I guess our only option now is to
go back to Espina Castle.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Koma
Oh, wow, it didn't take you guys very
long, did it?

Haken
Yeah, we just got back.

Koma
Would you like to buy something first?
Maybe you'd like to, you know...
"rest up" before we go?

Xiaomu
Who's this interesting girl?
Is she... a nekomata?

Reiji
This creature is a merchant?
These worlds really do have an
interesting mix of races.

Haken
If our situation was a little better,
I'd take you up on your offer to "rest
up"... But I've got bad news.

Koma
Huh!? What happened!? Isn't there a
transport device in Mirabilis Castle?

Kaguya
There is... But it's not working.

Oh, but! As you can see, we brought
some people back with us! It'll be a
lot more fun around here now. ￾ô

Koma
......

...Now's not the time to get all excited
about having a muscleman and a fox girl
here.

Kaguya
Urgh...

Suzuka
...That was pretty smooth, if indirect.

Reiji
That wasn't smooth at all. You can't go
around insulting people you just met.

Xiaomu
Yeah, you stuck-up cosplay magnet!
Why I oughta--

--Oh! I mean... You guys said that Saya
was coming this way, right?

Reiji
Right... Is she still around?

Koma
Oh, I met Madam Saya.

She's already gone.

Aschen
Madam...? Did something happen?

Koma
Yes indeed! She bought soooo much
stuff from me!

Haken
I can't blame her for being happy, but
I'm not pleased that the enemy's managed
to restock all her stuff...

Xiaomu
Where'd she go!?

Koma
Oh, she started doing this amazing
hip-swaying walk and headed off towards
the Ziegel Road.

Reiji
(I wonder who that little display was
for...)

Kaguya
Oh? Isn't Ziegel Road blocked off?

Haken
Yeah, that's right. If we're lucky,
Reiji, we might get to see her again
in no time at all.

Reiji
What? What do you mean?

Aschen
Southeast of here is a highway that
leads to Southern Elfetale.

Suzuka
Right now, that road is closed off...
because of debris from the last war.

Haken
Well, we don't have a choice. Since we
can't use Mirabilis Castle, we'll have
to push through that place.

Then we'll make that lying poet pay
for pulling a fast one on us!

Kaguya
Yeah, let's get her good!

Aschen
She needs to be taught a lesson or two.

Suzuka
Muwahahah! Oh, I'll make sure she learns
what happens when you mess with me!

Xiaomu
Their enthusiasm for revenge is a little
unsettling...

...Are you okay with this, Reiji?

Reiji
It's not like we have a choice. This is
our only hope of returning to our own
world.

Sometimes you have to take a walk on the
dark side...

Haken
Hey, wait. Don't talk like we're the
bad guys! I just enjoy dispensing
justice!

Kaguya
Um... I'm a member of the royal family
in my world, you know...

Aschen
Oh, there's one more thing I want to
ask you.

Koma
What's up?

Aschen
Have you seen another android like me
coming from Mirabilis Castle?

Koma
Hmmm.... Nope!
I haven't seen anyone but Madam Saya.

Aschen
......

Haken
Don't get so worked up, Aschen.
She'll turn up again.

...I'm sure of it.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Reiji
So, this is a piece of debris that fell
from the sky during the war.
What is this...? A tower?

Xiaomu
Hey! Why were you dopes saying the
path is blocked!? The way is wide open!

Suzuka
Who are you calling a dope!?

Wait, what? It's open?

Kaguya
Oh! You're right...
Actually, it looks like the door has
been blasted open!

Haken
Hmm... Did Saya do this?

Xiaomu
Well, it looks like somebody did a real
number on it. I didn't think Saya had
the power to do this kind of thing...

Aschen
These scorch marks around the entrance
indicate that some type of energy weapon
was probably used here.

I believe that something like a beam
sword was involved.

Reiji
A laser weapon of some kind...
Unless Koma sold one to Saya, she
wouldn't have been able to do this.

Suzuka
So if it was someone else, could it
have been that karakuri Cardia?

Aschen
...It is possible.

Kaguya
Well, it does seem that Saya came
through here, anyway.

Haken
that's fine with me. It means we can
head south. Let's keep moving.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Man... This place is a mess.

Kaguya
It did come crashing out of the sky
a few years ago. It's not surprising
that it's not exactly clean.

Oh... I remember when I looked in that
refrigerator that hadn't been opened
in two years...

Aschen
We don't need to hear about that.

Captain, I'm detecting multiple heat
signatures.

Haken
What? Don't tell me a load of guys just
rushed in here as soon as the door
opened.

Xiaomu
Could it be the Ouma?

Reiji
(I don't feel anything...
It's not Saya.)

Suzuka
Well, whoever the enemy is, let's beat
them up and get our butts back to
Megi Castle.

Haken
That reminds me... That red liquid on
the ground here... Wasn't that stuff in
Megi Castle, too?

Aschen
It does match my previous readings.
...It appears to be some kind of highly
toxic chemical. I advise avoidance.

Kaguya
This is really weird. Doesn't this
building belong to Formido Heim?

Haken
Maybe it has some connection to the
Mild Keil stones.

Suzuka
Hmm... That's a pretty sharp guess for
a wiseass like you.

Haken
Heh... Let's just get through here.
I guess I'll use Night Fowl here to
bust through these rocks in the way.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Anne)
Oh, hey. You're not allowed to pass
through here. ...Go away.

Kaguya
Oh, okay. Sorry, fish lady.

Fish... lady!?

???(Anne)
Well, you're half right, anyway!

Reiji
Half...? Oh, I get it. A mermaid.

Suzuka
Hmm. You're from the "Ocean Country,"
Varna Kanai, right?

???(Anne)
You're absolutely correct, little one.
I don't have any prizes for you, so
scram.

Suzuka
Wow. Take a look at her!

I definitely need to step up my game and
take her on for size.

Xiaomu
Trust me, her "size" has to be, like,
twenty times yours.

As for me... Oh, maybe about eight times
or so.

???(Anne)
Heh heh... Just so you know, I'm nowhere
near my full potential just yet.

Suzuka
What!? I don't believe it!

Xiaomu
Okay, that's crossing the line from
titillating to just creepy.

Reiji
Is this "full potential" something we're
going to have to worry about, or is this
pointless female posturing?

???(Bonny)
Captain, ignore these puny ones in the
front. That girl in white is a much
greater threat to your superiority!

Kaguya
Huh? I'm not threatening anybody,
honest!

Wow! You're even more of a fish than
she is!

Haken
All right, already. You must be the
Sirena Pirates. That makes you Captain
Anne Sirena and Chief Bonny Maxmad.

Anne
Oho! You know who we are?
You're good!

Haken
Heh. I'm a bounty hunter. I've been
waiting for your names to show up on
the wanted list for a long time.

Bonny
So what, hunter? We're not wanted right
now. He doesn't seem to be with "them,"
Captain. What do you want to do?

Anne
Hmmm...

Aschen
Who is this "them" you just mentioned?

Anne
That pink robot woman who was chasing
that thing through here.

Aschen
......!

Suzuka
Come on, stop being vague.
What "thing"?

Reiji
Before you get to that... Did a woman
in short shorts with grey hair and fox
ears come through here?

Haken
What are you even doing here, anyway?
Are you the ones who blew the door
open?

Anne
......

All this noise... I can't hear myself
think!

Let's just blow them all up, Bonny.

Bonny
...As you wish, Captain.

Kaguya
Blow us up!? But why!?

Bonny
Captain Anne always thinks outside the
box. It's too much trouble to answer all
your questions, so we'll kill you.

Xiaomu
That's not just outside the box, that's
halfway down the street to Crazytown.

Haken
Okay, Flotation Device, we're not
playing around either. We need to find
out more about what's happening.

Anne
Ha! You're a funny guy, Cowpoke.
Don't underestimate us.

Whew! You guys sure are strong!
Man, nothing like a good brawl to clear
my head!

As to your questions... That pink
android was chasing after the Phantom
that passed through here.

Kaguya
Woah! That was easy!

Oh! The Phantom!?

Suzuka
The Black Specter...! Could that be the
thing that destroyed the entrance to
this place?

Xiaomu
Who are you talking about? Who's the
"handsome black inspector"?

Haken
No, the "Black Specter." The Phantom.
It's a humanoid weapon that we're
chasing for the bounty on it.

Aschen
So Cardia was pursuing the Phantom,
Captain...

Haken
Hmm... This is starting to get pretty
complicated. Maybe that Cardia chick's
got something to do with the war, too.

If that's the case... We might, too,
Aschen.

Aschen
......

Kaguya
Haken...?

Haken
Never mind.

Haken
Thanks a bunch, Little Mermaid.
We're gonna hit the trail.

Anne
Man, what a waste of time. We lost the
fight, and we lost track of those other
guys, too.

Reiji
"Other guys"? Is there someone else
involved in this?

Anne
None of your business, Orca-hair.
Asking questions will just get you into
Round Two with us, got it?

Kaguya
No! We're done asking questions.
Bye!

Anne
Hahaha! Alrighty then!
Well, good luck, landlubbers.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Phantom)
......

Haken
Aw, crap...
There it is!

Xiaomu
Wh-What the hell? Is that a guy in a
power suit or something?

Reiji
Is that the Phantom you were talking
about earlier?

Aschen
There's no mistaking it. This is the
Personal Trooper... Phantom!

Phantom
......

Suzuka
Okay... So where's that karakuri girl
that was supposed to be running after
this thing?

Kaguya
Maybe we've already passed her?

Reiji
We didn't run into Saya either...
Do you think this thing was waiting
for us?

Haken
Whaddya say, big guy?

Phantom
......

Haken
Okay, Black Specter. You're not feeling
very chatty right now.

I didn't think you'd show up here,
though...

...We've been hearing things about you,
Mr. Phantom.

Phantom
......

Kaguya
Are we going to do this, Haken?
Right here and now?

Haken
Yeah. This isn't the only target we
have, and he's right in front of us.

Might as well take the opportunity,
right?

Let's get this party started!

Hey! Come back here, you...!

Aschen
The Phantom has escaped... I've lost
all signs of him.

Haken
Damn!
...I guess our first match was a draw.

Xiaomu
That was a pretty cool robot.
I kinda liked the design.

Kaguya
Don't say things like that right now!

We couldn't capture it, and now it might
go back to our world again...

Suzuka
Yeah! We can't just let it get away!

We have to follow it! Right now!
Come on, everyone!

Reiji
This black robot, the pink android, and
Saya, too... It looks like a good number
of people have been through here.

Does anybody know where we'll be when
we get to the exit of this place?

Haken
Southern Elfetale is on the other end
of the Ziegel Road... It's a little
messy over there.

A werewolf and a bomb girl are the
rulers in that part of the world.

Xiaomu
A bomb girl? What's that supposed to
mean? Does she have an even bigger rack
than Princess Family Size here?

Haken
No... I mean, she literally uses bombs.

Kaguya
Do you mean that bandit you said is
always sneaking into your world?

Haken
Well, you'll all find out for yourselves
when we get there. Right now, the Cross
Gate can get us to Lost Herencia.

It'll make things easier for us to
follow where all these people have been
running to.

After we get out of here, keep heading
south. The Cross Gate will be there.

I remember that there's a fortress
nearby, too. I think it was called
Abuelita Castle.

Suzuka
Hmm... Well, let's take a quick break
and keep on the trail.

Aschen
Captain, did you notice...?

Haken
The robots that were fighting us along
with Phantom? Yeah.

Aschen
They were slightly different... But they
were the same style as the androids that
were with Cardia when we fought her.

Haken
This is going to be so much more than
just grabbing somebody for the bounty
now, isn't it...?

Aschen
......

Haken
Never fear, little Cinderella.
We'll get the answers to our questions
the next time we meet Phantom.

...I'm sure of it.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Reiji
So this is Abuelita Castle...
What a strange place.

Xiaomu
The owner must really like animals!
What's with that gigantic wolf head
around the door there?

Haken
That's the ruler of this castle,
Rubor Cucullus...

Supposedly, he was appointed to this
position because of his great victories
during the war here.

Kaguya
So he had his own face put on the wall?
Talk about self-promotion...

Suzuka
We have more important things to discuss
than that, in any case.

Haken
There's not much more to say, though...
As you can see, the Cross Gate is
unstable.

Reiji
Is there something we have to do before
we can use this gate to get to your
world?

Haken
Who knows? It all depends on how the
Gate's feeling at the time. It's been
uncooperative for a while, though.

Aschen
What could be causing this instability?

Haken
One possibility... is that something
with a powerful energy field passed
through the Gate and disrupted it...

Xiaomu
Well, even if we do find out what's
doing it, there's no point if we can't
use it to get out of here...

Kaguya
Hmm... Why don't we start asking around
town?

Haken
That's a good idea. But, I doubt that
anyone here would really know how the
Gate works.

Looks like we need to head straight
to the top for this one.

Xiaomu
The top...? You mean we have to talk to
the king?

Haken
Bulls-eye, Foxy.

Reiji
Is the king here kind enough to meet
with common people like us?

Haken
Hey, we are traveling around with a
couple of princesses here, remember.

And the king here is an... acquaintance
of the Vice Chief on my ship.

They used to get into all kinds of
crazy stuff back in the day.

Kaguya
Wait... Lee's the tiger-man who wanted
to eat me, right!? Is the guy we're
trying to meet going to...

Aschen
Remember, he is a wolf.

???(Katze)
Unfortunately for you, the king seems
to be out right now.

Suzuka
Eh? Who are you?

???(Katze)
Heehee... Sorry to interrupt your
conversation.

Kaguya
Woah, a cat person now!

Haken
Southern Elfetale is the land of the
were-people. It's nothing unusual here.

Reiji
So... Who are you?

Katze
Meeeee? Oh! My name's Katze Kotolnos.
You can call me Katze, Studly Boy.

Reiji
Don't call me "Boy." ...Haken, I'll let
you handle this one.

Haken
Reiji! Hey! Wow... he really doesn't
want to deal with this.

Ahem. So, Mr. Katze.
Or... is it Miss Katze...?

Katze
Ooh, either's good. I'll answer to
anything.

Aschen
Pick one!

Kaguya
Um... Before things get out of hand, we
have some questions we'd like to ask.

Haken
So, uh...
*sigh*
...Mister...

Katze
Yeeeeeeeessssss?

Haken
You were saying that Rubor isn't here?

Katze
That's right. The two of us know each
other very well... Heehee!

Kaguya
......!

Gosh! The king must be a very friendly
guy, then!

Suzuka
Kaguya, he means... Never mind.

Xiaomu
Have you been living under a rock
your entire life?

Reiji
That's enough from the peanut gallery.

Haken
Okay, Mystery Catman. Might as well ask
you, since Rubor isn't here.

...We want to know when the Cross Gate
outside's going to be usable. Would
you know, since you're from here?

Katze
Hee! Sorry, I don't live around here,
either. I don't know.

Aschen
Guessing by his clothing, I would say
that he's from Dunopolis, the country
in the western desert...

Katze
Oh, you're so right, Mechabuki!

I'd heard that things were getting out
of hand over here, so I came to ask
Rubor about it.

It seems that some people are going
after those mysterious artifacts that
Dorothy has been researching, too.

Kaguya
Dorothy...? Is that the bomber girl
Haken was talking about?

Haken
Right. She's doing research on
something...?

Katze
Well, it's just a rumor, but... She's
supposedly trying to find a way to
destroy the Mild Keil crystals!

Suzuka
What? Break the Kusabi-Ishi...!?

Reiji
That'd be great... If it was true.
Do you have any proof?

Katze
I told you.
It's just a r-u-m-o-r!

But if it isn't true, I don't see why
there's suddenly so much going on over
at Dorothy's castle...

...Especially the Orchestral Army.

Haken
......!

Xiaomu
Who? Oh, that organization that Haken
thought we were a part of when he beat
poor little me up.

Katze
I've heard that they've already broken
into her castle. And this isn't a
rumor! It's bona-fide NEWS!

They also say that bandit brought
back some amazing treasure from Lost
Herencia.

And that treasure is what they say is
causing the Cross Gate to be unstable.

Haken
You're certainly one well-informed cat.
I wonder how much of what you're telling
us is the truth.

Still, that wreck of a battleship is
always being raided by that bandit for
artifacts from the transporter...

Kaguya
It's where that scary other karakuri
girl was, too...

Aschen
The transport machine mysteriously
activating on the ship... The reason for
the Mild Keil stones being there...

It may have something to do with
Dorothy's recent activities.

Koma
Hello hello, peoples! Here I come to
make your day a little brighter!

Reiji
Hm? I thought you were waiting for us
back at Espina Castle.

Suzuka
What are you doing here, Koma?

Koma
Now that Ziegel Road is open, I'll be
everywhere my customers need me!

I'll be opening a new branch of
Caterwaul here, too!

Of course, if you want to bop on over
to Espina Castle, let me know and I'll
be there for your money! ...And you!

Haken
Gee, you sound so concerned...

Katze
Oh, helloooo, cutie! Do you fine-lookin'
folks know each other?

Koma
Oh, yes!
These people are my loyal customers!

...AKA "suckers who'll buy stuff at
my fantastic prices."

Katze
Hee hee hee! I get it.
These two strapping young men are okay,
but the rest of them...

Kaguya
Um, we're right here, you know.

Haken
Well, at least we can stock up on things
now. We've got places to go, people to
see.

We're off to Esmeralda Fortress,
Dorothy's HQ.

Katze
Are you done with me, then? Am I to be
discarded like a wet tissue?

Reiji
Yes.
Thanks for your help.

Katze
Oh, no problem, Boy. I'd like the chance
to help you guys out more...
How about it?

Xiaomu
Reiji... Run!

Reiji
There's nowhere to run...
But we don't need any more help, thanks.

Katze
Heehee... Ciao!

(And now, to watch and see what move
they'll make next...)

Suzuka
That was one tiring conversation. Is
everyone from the desert like that?

Haken
Who knows? Well, we don't have anything
more to do here, so...

Kaguya
Dorothy... huh.

Haken
Yeah, I'm not exactly up for seeing her
again... But, it looks like we don't
have any other options.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Xiaomu
So this is the Esmeralda Fortress, huh?
It's all shiny and clean...

Haken
That's Dorothy's style.
...Pretty tasteless, huh?

Suzuka
Haken, you said you know this Dorothy
person, right?

Haken
We've run into each other a few times
while exploring some sites.

I first met her just before the "Ten
Year War" started, so that would have
been 13 or 14 years ago.

That would have made me... 9 or 10.
I was out with my pops at an excavation
when we first saw her.

She was tossing these bombs like no
tomorrow, and we had to run around like
crazy just to make it out alive.

Reiji
...Reckless.

Haken
Who knows? This time, I'll make her run
away from me. Might as well ask her why
the Cross Gate isn't working, too...

Aschen
While we're at it, we should steal her
research on how to destroy the Mild Keil
crystals.

Kaguya
Oh, yes!

Suzuka
Mwahaha! We'll give her a beating she'll
never forget!

Xiaomu
Man, I'm having second thoughts about
hanging around with these guys...

Reiji
......!

Haken
If that cat-man was right, then there
are some Orchestral Army types in here,
too...

Hey, Reiji?

Reiji
......

Aschen
What's the matter?

Reiji
...I don't know about that Army, but
I know she's here.

Xiaomu
Reiji? Is your scar hurting...?
Does that mean it's Saya?

Suzuka
Saya? The fox lady who tricked Mister
Gullible here back in Mirabilis Castle?

Reiji
Haken wasn't the only one who fell for
her lies... All of you did.

Kaguya
Never mind who lied to who!
Are you okay!?

Reiji
Y-Yeah. Don't worry about me...
It'll stop soon.

(I've had this scar for ten years...
It'd be nice to put an end to this
soon.)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Henne)
Huh? What are you doing here?

Haken
That's our line. ...That outfit...
Let me guess: you're with the
Orchestral Army?

???(Henne)
Since you were able to tell that from
my uniform, then... It must be you guys.

You're the ones who interfered with our
agent in Mirabilis Castle. ...Looks like
her report was right on.

"Dumbass poser wearing a black
trenchcoat, black hat, red bandana,
and fingerless gloves."

Haken
What...!?
What's wrong with my gloves!?

???(Henne)
"Airheaded, naive, cow-boobed human."

Kaguya
"Cow-boobed"!?

???(Henne)
..."Eel-looking horned dancer."

Suzuka
What!? How do I look like an eel!?

???(Henne)
And "Bad-tempered robot (I hate this one
worst of all! >XD)"

Aschen
That report has too much of a personal
bias to be worth trusting.

Reiji
That sounds like the reports Xiaomu
writes back at Shinra.

Xiaomu
Don't make fun of me! My fashion
criticisms are helpful and constructive!

???(Henne)
As for you two, who weren't in the
report...

Don't worry, I'll make sure you get
something nice to put on your
tombstones.

Kill them all.

Haken
Well, Miss Executrix, since it looks
like we're not getting out of here
alive...

Can I at least have your name, oh
Black-Winged Beauty from Formido Heim?

Henne
Hmph. Very well. I am Henne.
Henne Valkyria, of the Orchestral Army.

Kaguya
So she IS with the Orchestral Army...!

Suzuka
And you're here because...
You're after Dorothy's research?

Henne
I'm not about to tell you anything about
that. I don't know who you are, but
you should stay out of our business.

I'll teach you that lesson myself!

Agh...! These guys...!

Xiaomu
Sorry. We might be a sorry-looking
bunch, but we're pretty strong.

Haken
I don't think you're in any position to
be criticizing anyone's fashion choices
there, Onesie.

...Now, Miss Henna. Why is the
Orchestral Army interested in the
Mild Keil stones?

Aschen
My data says that the Orchestral Army
used to lead the Personal Troopers
during the war.

Kahuya
The Phantom... So the Black Specter
that's ravaging our world is also
connected to your army?

Henne
...Why are you so interested in this
stuff? It has nothing to do with you.

Suzuka
The Mild Keil crystals are wreaking
havoc in my castle! This has everything
to do with me!

Henne
......

...You have no idea what's going on
here. Stay out of this.

Reiji
What...?

Henne
Go back to your own worlds.
...That's my last warning.

Xiaomu
What the--!? Why'd she stick around and
talk if she could have warped away
whenever she wanted?

Reiji
She said we had no idea what was going
on... What did she mean by that?

Suzuka
How should I know? All I know is that
I want to find out!

Haken
That little girl from before, Kyon,
said she was investigating something...
I don't think they're here to fight.

Aschen
Then, was Little Red Flying Hood trying
to steal Dorothy's research in order to
destroy the Mild Keil crystals?

Kaguya
Maybe they're after the treasure that
Dorothy brought here through the
Kouki-Mon.

Haken
All we can do right now is make guesses.
...We'll find out more if we keep
moving.

Isn't that the switch that opens the
gate? Let's check it out.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Saya
Oh my, she said she would get rid of the
intruders, but look who it is...

Haken
You!

I'd recognize that fantastic backside
anywhere. You're that fox that lied to
us!

Aschen
Captain... Please don't remember people
by their physical features.

Saya
That's okay. Thanks for helping me out
back in that other castle. And who are
these newcomers behind you?

Reiji
......

Saya
Oh... We meet again, little boy.

Kaguya
What's going on? Reiji looks so serious!
My heart's pounding... Are they in love?

Xiaomu
It's nothing like that, you twit.

She's the leader of the Ouma
Organization in our world.

They're trying to use the Flux--the
Cross Gates of your world--to do evil
across all the worlds.

Reiji
You... You died the last time we fought!

I killed you myself!

Saya
......

Suzuka
Well, that's awkward. What happened in
your world?

Saya
Oh, they got all in a snit because I
connected a bunch of different worlds
together.

Reiji
The merging of worlds on such a massive
scale threatened to destroy the basic
foundations of the universe!

Our goal as agents of Shinra is to
prevent that from happening!

Haken
Okay, you sly vixen. That explains why
Reiji was traveling through the various
worlds to find you.

(Connected worlds... That sounds just
like the Endless Frontier.)

(So for Reiji and Xiaomu, the way our
worlds interact is totally strange...)

Xiaomu
Saya! We should be ending our fight in
our own world!

Why are you fooling around here when you
should be looking for a way back to
Earth!?

Saya
Ha... I'm doing my best to do my job
here, kid.

I'm not in any hurry to get back to our
own world in any case.

Reiji
What...? Stop dodging our questions!

Aschen
She makes it sound as if she is working
for another party.

Haken
Well, who would hire a conniving minx
like you around here? It would have to
be Dorothy, wouldn't it?

Saya
Ooooh! You're so right, handsome.

Kaguya
And, wham! Right into flirt mode!

Saya
I'm trying to get her to lend me her
device that'll break those blue rocks
over there... But she won't do it.

Suzuka
A device to break the Kusabi-Ishi!?
So, it's not just a rumor that Dorothy
has something like that?

Saya
I guess we're after the same thing,
then.

Well, let's get this over with, boys.
Either keep talking or start fighting,
but stop wasting my time.

Reiji
There's nothing left I want to ask you.

You've outlived your usefulness, Saya!
Let's fix that right here!

Haken
...Reiji, that came out a lot more evil
than you probably meant it.

Saya
Oh, boys... You're better than I thought.

I've underestimated you. I thought you
were just a bunch of poorly-dressed
hicks.

Kaguya
Hey! I always dress like this!

Haken
Quit playing hard-to-get, lady. You're
not going to fool us again. Start
telling us everything you know.

Saya
I already did!

Aschen
Oh... She's right.

Reiji
......

Saya
Ooh, aren't you a big scary man.
Well, I'm done here. See you later!

Oh, right. If you still want to see
Dorothy, you need to activate the big
elevator. Got it?

Xiaomu
Hey, wait! C'mon, Reiji!
Let's get her!

Reiji
...Leave her be, Xiaomu.

Haken
Are you serious? You really looked like
you wanted to kill her back there.

Reiji
...She'll have to return to our original
world sooner or later.

We don't have a clue on how to get back
either.

Aschen
So... If she's also looking for a way
back, it's better for you?

Haken
...Not a bad idea, I guess.
You guys are visitors, after all.

Xiaomu
I see... Good thinking, Reiji.

Come on, then! Let's go get this
Dorothy girl! ￾ô

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Dokugozu)
Gah... Who the hell are...

Mooh no!

Xiaomu
What the--!? You!

Haken
You guys know this Raging Bull?

Reiji ...He works for Saya. So she dragged
you here along with her, Dokugozu?

Dokugozu
You don't get to use my name, you
bastard! Our boss was supposed to be
down below. How'd you get here!?

Xiaomu
...Sorry, Bully, but your Mistress has
left the building.

Dokugozu
What!? And she didn't even tell me!?
Argh...

Ah, what the hell. I'll finish my
job here, then go meet up with her.

Suzuka
What job? What are you talking about?

Dokugozu
Tearing you shrimps limb from limb!

Our leader ordered us to kill anyone
that comes near this weapon storage
area!

Kaguya
Well, if you're not gonna talk,
bring it on!

Dokugozu
Wait! Hey, you! In the white!

Kaguya
Y-Y-Yes...!?

Dokugozu
......

W-Will you marry me?

Kaguya
Um... I'm not a cow...

Dokugozu
Oh, c'mon! Don't be like that!

Hmmoo... I never expected you Shinra
guys would show up here!

If my leader's already gone...
I'm outta here, too!

Kaguya
Haken!
Um... He asked me to marry him...

Haken
And you're happy about that!? You'd
better think about what he saw in you.

Xiaomu
Every woman gets happy when they're
proposed to! Well, it depends on who's
doing the proposing, though.

Suzuka
She has the worst taste in men.

Aschen
Obviously, considering who she's
hanging around now.

Reiji
Enough of this. Let's keep looking for
a way to activate the elevator.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Dokumezu)
Huh? You...!? No way!

Reiji
Dokumezu... I never expected to see
you here, of all places.

Kaguya
Wow, look at this guy! He's got a
horse head! Creepy!

Suzuka
Hmm... You look kind of like the
monsters that appeared in
Kagura Amahara.

Dokumezu
No puny bastard from Shinra has the
right to say my name!

If you're here, then what happened to
Mistress Saya...?

Xiaomu
We spanked her ass and she ran off
crying her eyes out!

Dokumezu
Damn... Then I should go meet up with
her. I wanted to see what was in here,
though...

Haken
What's in here, anyway?

Dokumezu
It doesn't matter, since I'm going to
finish you off anyway! Let's get this
over with!

Aschen
Come and get us. You're not the first
wild stallion I've had to break.

Dokumezu
I knew it'd be a lot harder once we
split up.

Screw this! I'm going to go find
Mistress Saya. We'll meet again, Shinra!

Reiji
What a horse's ass. He sure can
run away, though.

Aschen
Captain, I'm sensing strong energy
coming from the northwest.

Haken
Could it be whatever that bandit brought
here through the Cross Gate?
Kaguya

Who knows? It sure does sound
suspicious, though!

Haken
Yeah, let's go take ourselves a look.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Reiji
Look at everything in here. Just how
much stuff do they need?

Haken
This castle was right in the center of
the Ten Year War.

They needed a lot of supplies to be able
to continue fighting and supporting
themselves.

Aschen
Most of this appears to be stolen goods
from Lost Herencia, though.

Kaguya
Could this big white box be stolen
from your world too, Haken?

Suzuka
It looks like a coffin.
Let's stay well away from it.

Xiaomu
But, it's a work of art! Look at these
smooth lines and perfectly rounded
edges... It's clearly worth something.

Haken
Yeah, yeah, whoever made it had good
taste. Is this it, Aschen?

Aschen
Yes. The energy readings are coming from
inside this capsule.

Reiji
Should we force it open? We might be
able to find some more information about
what happened to the Cross Gate.

Kaguya
Whoa! It's opening!
...There's someone inside!?

Aschen
Please step back, Princess.

???(KOS-MOS)
......

Haken
A woman...? 
No, it's another android.

Suzuka
Wow! That's one beautiful karakuri!

Xiaomu
Yeah! Whoever designed this robot had a
lot more on his mind than just combat
potential...

...Hey, wait a minute!
A-Aren't you KOS-MOS!?

Kaguya
Huh!? You know who this person is!?
Did you know she was in this coffin!?

Reiji
No, we've met her before. We fought
alongside her, actually... she wasn't
in a big white box then.

Xiaomu
Hey, KOS-MOS! Long time no see.
Did you get a haircut?

Reiji
There are more changes to her than just
her hair, Xiaomu. Pay attention.

KOS-MOS
Reiji Arisu and Xiaomu... You haven't
changed at all.

Reiji
KOS-MOS, what are you doing here?
Why do you look so different?

KOS-MOS
......

This is my fourth body. Shion recreated
me when my previous frame was destroyed.

Xiaomu
You... were destroyed? Things must have
been pretty bad in your world if someone
like you was defeated.

Kaguya
Who's Shion?

KOS-MOS
Shion is one of the people who created
me.

Suzuka
Hmm... You're a very honorable karakuri,
if you respect your creator like that.

Aschen
(Creator...?)

KOS-MOS
I do not know how I arrived here.
...I was waiting for my final checkup
in this storage capsule.

I sensed something out of the ordinary
and rebooted in auto-maintenance mode.

Haken
If I could just butt in for a sec...

This Robo-Beauty... Is she from your
world? The Substance World?

Reiji
...Broadly, yes. But she's from another
time period.

Xiaomu
She's from our world, but a couple
thousand years in our future!

KOS-MOS
That is correct.

Haken
The same world, but from a different
time... How is that even possible?

Reiji
I don't know how the Cross Gates work
here, but the Flux sometimes allows us
to move through time.

KOS-MOS
Reiji, I... I must return to my
original world.

Reiji
It's the same for us, KOS-MOS. But...
We don't know how at the moment.

We'll explain on the way. Come with us,
and we can figure out how to get back.

KOS-MOS
Affirmative. Do the rest of you agree
with Reiji's invitation?

Aschen
You will have to prove your worth by
beating me in combat.

Haken
Damn it, Aschen, stop picking fights
with Robo-Babes.

You're all right with me, KOS-MOS.

Suzuka
I don't object to having a polite and
helpful karakuri around. Unlike the one
we've been with this whole time...

Kaguya
I hope we get along, KOS-MOS!

KOS-MOS
Thank you. The pleasure is mine.

......

(Shion...)

(I will return to you, no matter what.)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Hello, this is Dorothy.
I'm busy at the moment.

If you're that desperate to see me, you
can come in if you manage to answer some
brain-teasers I have for you!

I doubt you stupid beast people will be
able to figure them out, though!
Ahahahaha!

Kaguya
Wh-What is this? A brain-taser? It
shoots lightning into your head?
No, thank you!

KOS-MOS
No, a brain-teaser is a riddle.

Aschen
So, we solve her little quiz and the
door opens. Is that it?

Xiaomu
Well, how badly do we want to see her?

Suzuka
We can do this!

Reiji
Stop fooling around. What a waste of
time... Do we touch the mirror again
to hear the questions?

Haken
It looks like it. Probably has something
to do with these weird statues lying
around right here. That's her style.

All right, let's hear the question.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Hee Heehee Heeheehee Heeheeheehee...

Dorothy
I was all ready to come out here and
meet whoever beat my puzzles...
Who are you dopes?

Haken
Don't be like that to people you don't
know. That's just rude.

Dorothy
I'll be the judge of that.

...Oh, you're Haken Browning, that
bounty hunter, aren't you?

Haken
Bulls-eye, Dorothy Mistral.
What are you doing cooped up in your
room like that?

Dorothy
......

How dare you ask a lady what she does
by herself in her own room!

Kaguya
Yeah, Haken. Now who's being rude?

Reiji
Can we have one conversation that
doesn't go into this territory,
Princess? Just one?

Haken
I'd love to hear what you're up to, but
I'm not looking to trade innuendos
right now.

What I want to see from you is... the
system you're designing to break the
Mild Keil crystals.

Dorothy
...You too, huh? Where do people hear
this stuff from...

Xiaomu
That's what Saya said she was here for.

Dorothy
Saya, huh?
I really have to thank her.

It was thanks to her otherworldly
technology that I was able to complete
the Anti-Mild Keil device, the Argyros.

Suzuka
So you finished it...?
Then what was that fox up to?

Reiji
(She didn't seem to be that interested
in Dorothy's work, though...)

(What's she really up to?)

Aschen
If you finished it, why didn't you let
her have it?

Dorothy
I'm not quite done with it yet. I can't
mass-produce them, and I'm not going to
give her my prototype.

Haken
I see... Could we at least rent it
from you?

KOS-MOS
Please.

Dorothy
Hmm...

Wh-What!?
How'd you get activated!?

KOS-MOS
I was able to reboot by crossreferencing
my auto-maintenance routines with the
sensors from the pod I was in.

Normal combat will not present a problem
to standard system functions.

Dorothy
...Haken Browning.

Haken
Yes, Lady? Are we going to be allowed
the privilege of paying you money to
use your device?

Dorothy
You're in no position to bargain with
me! You're a thief! You stole that robot
from my storeroom!

I worked so hard to steal it from
Schlafen Celeste, too!

Kaguya
What? I sense some misplaced anger
here...

KOS-MOS was in Lost Herencia first...

Dorothy
Shut the hell up! I'm going to send you
all to hell, where you belong!

Owww! How dare you do that to a lady!

Haken
A real lady would be more demure. You
should cut down on the "throwing bombs
at visitors" thing, too, La... Missy.

Xiaomu
Seriously, what am I going to do about
these powder burns on my clothes?

Haken
Listen, Bomby Dearest, if you'll let us
borrow whatever it is that can destroy
the Mild Keil stones...

I'll overlook your thefts in
Schlafen Celeste.

Suzuka
I need it to save my home, Megi Castle,
as well.

Aschen
I'm sure even a heartless wench like
you could understand the predicament
these people are going through.

DOrothy
I'd heard that I had a reputation for
being cold, but I didn't think it was
that bad... Fine.

But! On two conditions.

Kaguya
She's not in any position to make a
deal with us, is she?

KOS-MOS
We've come this far. Let's not make
matters any worse than they are now.

Reiji
What are your terms?

Dorothy
I need you to bring me a red Mild Keil
crystal.

Haken
The red ones?

Dorothy
Yes. They're a purer form of the usual
Mild Keil stone.

My experimental shells are capable of
destroying the blue crystals, but not
the red ones.

KOS-MOS
It would appear that pieces of red
crystal are already here.

Dorothy
I said I needed a pure form! It needs
to be a deeper red color, like blood.

And one more thing...
Reasearch and development takes a lot
of funding.

Kaguya
Are you going to ask us for money?

Dorothy
No! I'm not about to start a telethon
or anything.

I'll sell you guys some of my old stuff
for a tidy profit to help recoup costs.

Reiji
You mean "for a bargain," right?

Xiaomu
Yeah! We're not buying your used crap
at new prices, you shyster!

Dorothy
Quiet! An understanding of marketing
forces and economics is necessary in
order to conduct research at all!

Haken
Okay, you greedy little...
Getting a red crystal and buying some
junk from you won't be too hard.

Dorothy
Then we'll have to wait until it
stabilizes. Why don't you go kill some
time somewhere? Like, not here?

Aschen
Captain, why don't we go back to that
cat who told us about Dorothy in the
first place?

Haken
...Katze, right? That catman from
Dunopolis? Maybe we should see if he
has any more news.

Dorothy
Someone from Dunopolis?
...That's odd.

That city was completely cut off because
of the huge gate that was placed across
the land after the war.

Haken
Well, we'll find out for ourselves when
we get there. For now, we'll borrow
some of your "shells," Madam Dorothy.

Dorothy
Looks like I don't have much of a choice
in the matter... I'll let you borrow my
"Argyros," the Mild Keil breakers.

KOS-MOS
What about your shop?

Dorothy
Just ask me when you want to see what
I've got for sale. They're all marked
at... special prices.

Kaguya
All righty! Thanks so much, Dorothy!

Haken
Right. When we're done here, let's look
for that gate between here and
Dunopolis. It's to the southwest.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Xiaomu
Yup. That's a big gate, alright.
What do you think, Kaguya?

Kaguya
It's so... abnormous!

Reiji
What are you two babbling about?
How's the gate, Xiaomu?

Xiaomu
It's closed, and locked, and very
sturdy... I don't think we can bust
through it.

KOS-MOS
Haken, for what reason was this gate
placed here?

Haken
It was only three years ago. After the
war ended, this whole wall was built
only in a few short months.

Suzuka
Well, what's on the other side? Those of
us from Kagura Amahara don't know much
about Elfetale. It was closed off.

Aschen
This is the route to the western side
of Elfetale, also known as Dunopolis.

After the war, the western part of this
continent suffered a severe climate
change and became a desert.

This gate was created to halt the spread
of the desert into the rest of the
world.

The desert is now known as Dunopolis.

Kaguya
Who built this? They must have been
super-rich to make a wall this huge
so quickly.

Aschen
According to records, it appears that
there is only one remaining city in
Dunopolis...

The Grand Marquis seems to be the
leader in the area.

Xiaomu
Hm... I've looked all over this gate,
but I don't see a space where even a
tiny little kitten could get through.

Reiji
 But that cat-man Katze was over on this
side of the wall. How could that be?
Is he really from this place?

Haken
Hey, don't say things like that. We'd
better not have to go in there, too...

KOS-MOS
...! I'm reading a strong energy
reaction. It seems to be a dimensional
distortion.

Kaguya
Oh! Could it be that the Kouki-Mon has
stabilized by itself?

Reiji
Perfect timing. Now we can finally get
back on track.

Suzuka
Yes... We've been adding so many new
problems to our worries, we might have
forgotten why we came at all.

KOS-MOS
I am sorry to be a burden.

Suzuka
Oh, I don't mind you at all, KOS-MOS.
You're honest, beautiful, and strong.

If there's anyone here I'd like to toss
into the ocean, it'd be the perverted
fox and the white-haired dude.

Reiji
Don't even try it.

Xiaomu
I'll launch YOU into the ocean with my
patented Xiaomu Suplex!

Haken
We're so close to getting home, guys.
Let's not start fighting now.

Kaguya
Can we go back to your ship for the
time being, then?

Aschen
Yes, we should do more research on the
Level 2 keycard we found for the
Mai Tierra.

Kaguya
After that... we're gonna go back to
Kagura Amahara.

Haken
Right... Let's go home.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Let's get back to the ship.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lee
Ah, Captain! We were worried about you.
We couldn't contact you, so we thought
you were dead in a ditch somewhere.

Haken
If you were really worried, I think
you wouldn't be so happy to say that.

Lee
Hmm? Haven't you collected the bounty
for Princess Kaguya yet?

Aschen
We've had some complications, so we're
postponing the collection.

Kaguya
Actually, we have a whole lot more
people with us now!

Suzuka
Wow, this ship is a real antique.

Xiaomu
It's a rather well-preserved Grobda,
though!

KOS-MOS
I believe that the ship is between
fifteen and twenty years old.

Reiji
I see. So he actually is a captain,
not just calling himself one to be cool.

Lee
Aha! Fresh meat, eh? The guy looks too
ropy, and the android's right out...
The rest of you look scrumptious!

Xiaomu
Hey! Stop licking your lips when you
look at me like that! That's just
creepy on all kinds of levels.

Man, this weretiger sure has a
sick sense of humor...

Kaguya
(At least, I hope he was joking...)

KOS-MOS
The ship's engine does not appear to be
stable. Has this ship been suffering
mechanical issues?

Marion
You sure know how to kick us when we're
down, Newbie.

Haken
Ah, Dr. Marion. So the ol' Zeit isn't
doing so well, is she?

Marion
No...
...By the way, you there.

KOS-MOS
Yes?

Marion
...... 

Follow me over to my lab. I want to
take you apart and see what makes
you tick.

Reiji
Wait a minute. How could you say
something like that so casually, like
you were asking her out to lunch?

Marion
...Who are you? I'd prefer it if
outsiders would mind their own
business on my ship.

Lee
Professor Marion's a bit of a mad
scientist who just gets these urges to
disassemble interesting mechs.

Xiaomu
That sounds familiar... In any case,
don't try to take apart someone you
just met!

Haken
This ship's starting to get pretty
rowdy, and we just got here.

Let's have a powwow. We have some stuff
we need to discuss with you. What's new
over here?

Marion
Allow me to explain, Captain.
Please come to the lab.

Haken
What? The Phantom was in the
Mai Tierra!?

Marion
Yes. The capital has issued a report.
This is trustworthy information.

KOS-MOS
If that is the case, I believe they
would have handled the situation by
themselves, without waiting to hire

a small group of mercenaries such as
this one to deal with the threat.

Aschen
Yes, this doesn't seem logical.

Marion
It's not that easy, Aschen.
...To be fair, they did try to handle
the problem themselves.

Haken
And what happened? We've never seen the
Phantom here, so I don't think there's
much to ask about.

Kaguya
We've fought against the Black Specter
ourselves... It wasn't easy.

Marion
I'd like to say you were right...
But, there's more to the problem than
that.

Suzuka
Uh-oh. What now?

Marion
Another enemy has appeared in the area
where the Phantom is suspected of
entering.

Haken
What is it? Another defense mechanism
of the ship?

Marion
 ...Could be. According to the data that
the investigators brought back, the
enemy is...

Another Personal Trooper.
The Abend.

Xiaomu
A bent what?

Haken
...! The Abend!? You mean that thing
from the war...?

Marion
Yes. The medium-scale battle mech
used by Formido Heim.

Its whereabouts, along with its partner
mech, the Nacht, were lost at the end of
the war.

Reiji
This is all starting to come together...
That war keeps popping up at the center
of everything.

(If Saya's involved with this at all,
this is going to be a real problem.)

Kaguya
Let's go, Haken! I have a really bad
feeling about this...!

Suzuka
......

Kaguya
Oh... That's right...
Suzuka...?

Suzuka
It's all right... I wanted to go back to
Megi Castle now that we can destroy the
Kusabi-Ishi...

But I understand the situation right
now.

You know where we're going after this
Balck Specter thing is taken care of,
right, Casanova?

Hakne
As you wish, Princess Snide.
We'll clean up your Mild Keil problem
in Megi Castle.

Aschen
Let's go, then. We have the Level 2
keycard, so we can go further into the
ship now.

I believe that's where we need to be.

(If Cardia left this key card behind on
purpose, then this case is sure to be
connected to them.)

(We might be able to find out more about
my missing memories... And about the
captain...)

Marion
Well, Captain, please don't forget what
I asked about the Phantom.

If you can, bring the Abend back, too.

Haken
Okay, Girl Genius. It looks like it'll
be a lot harder now, but we'll do our
best.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Abend)
......

Kaguya
This... It's a karakuri!
Do you think it's...

Aschen
Abend. This must be the robotic
weapon that was at the core of
Formido Heim's army during the war.

Abend
......

Haken
...On top of that, the power wasn't
on in here the last time we came to
visit.

KOS-MOS
Haken, I sense a strong energy source
beyond that door.

Reiji
This ship... Even after crashing and
being broken in half, it's still
functioning!?

Xiaomu
That shiny black Phantom, and now
this white Abend... They're obviously
related somehow.

Haken
Maybe, but to find out for sure we're
going to have to get around this guy,
no matter how cool it looks.

Suzuka
We can take it. Your Professor asked
us to bring this one back with us
along with the Phantom.

Kaguya
A red and white karakuri... It looks
to me like a bloody fallen angel.

Haken
That's pretty dramatic, Princess.
It looks more like a white knight.

Come on, White Knight.
Let's do this!

Abend
.........

Haken
It escaped... Now that I've let both
the Phantom and the Abend get away,
I'll never hear the end of it...

Aschen
But... Why are these relics from the
war years ago coming to a place like
this? Why now?

Reiji
It has to be related to that black
robot, the Phantom, somehow.

Kaguya
I-I'm getting scared to go on...

KOS-MOS
It would be best to put aside any
fears, especially if we mean to
continue ahead anyway.

Xiaomu
Hm... You know what they say:
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

Haken
......

Suzuka
What's wrong, smart guy? Fox got your
tongue? No snappy comment like "Okay
baby!" or anything?

Haken
I just can't get in the mood.
...I never get this bad a feeling
about what we do...

Aschen
Captain...

Haken
Heh, don't look so down, Aschen.

We've got that keycard...
Right. Let's go.

Oh, right. Aschen, can you get some
of the fragments that blew off of
Abend during the battle?

We can at least give those to
Professor Marion to look at.

Aschen
Roger. I'm sure she would enjoy the
whole thing more, but they'll be
better than nothing.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Suzuka
Wow... What's all this?

Kaguya
Ooh, those screens are so pretty.
They're almost hypnotic.

KOS-MOS
All these monitors seem to be
functioning at peak efficiency.

Haken
I can't believe how tough this ship
is. Even twenty years after crashing
in the desert, it's still working.

Or... Maybe someone else turned it
all back on recently...?

Aschen
I don't feel the same energy that I
did the last time we were in this
place. That must be what happened.

Xiaomu
Well, these pictures sure are cool.
What do you think it is? Some kind
of video game advertisement?

KOS-MOS
No. It appears to be a database used
for maintenance.

Some of the data has been corrupted
and is non-recoverable, but...

Most of the information here is in
records of the robotic weapons that
are stored on this ship.

Aschen
I see.

Haken
Hey, Aschen, you're an android, too.
Can you at least pretend to show some
effort to read these computers?

Aschen
Please continue, KOS-MOS.

KOS-MOS
Yes. This battleship seems to have
been carrying a shipment of combat
androids.

They all have designations falling under
an umbrella codename, the "W Series."

Kaguya
W?
Does that stand for something?
Oh! Aschen! What's wrong?

Aschen
...The android we fought at Mirabilis
Castle, Cardia, called herself W06.

And, one of the few pieces of
original data left in my damaged
memory banks is my code number.

...It's W07.

Suzuka
So that means you're not originally
from Lost Herencia, but you're a
karakuri from another world.

Aschen
It is my theory that Cardia dropped
the keycard on purpose so we would
discover this information ourselves.

(Still, knowing that does not mean
that I can remember anything else
about what happened then...)

Reiji
Wait, Haken, weren't you found with
Aschen on this ship? Don't tell me
you're a--


Hey, woah, hang on a second. I'm a
human. I've had all my physicals, I
eat, I sleep, and I enjoy the ladies.

It doesn't matter where you came
from, Aschen, I don't care.

You've been with me for over twenty
years. You and me... we're family.

Aschen
...Thank you, Captain.

Haken
Did you dig up anything else,
KOS-MOS?

KOS-MOS
Yes. In addition to the data on the
Abend...

The specifications for machines
named "Nacht" and "Phantom" are
available here as well.

Haken
...What!?

Nacht, Abend, and Phantom!? The
machines that were used in the war
all came from the Mai Tierra!?

Aschen
That's hard to believe, Captain.

The Cross Gate to Elfetale was highly
unstable during the time the war was
going on.

Meanwhile, those machines were seen
repeatedly in that world, but not in
this one. How would they get here?

KOS-MOS
A moment, please. The machines that
are in this database are not the
ones you have encountered.

The data here indicates that they
were "20-meter-tall human piloted
robotic weapons."

Kaguya
What the...!? But... the Phantom and
the Fallen Angel we fought weren't... 

Reiji
Yeah, they were only three or four
meters, at most.

Xiaomu
This is the era of downsizing.
Maybe they shrunk?

Suzuka
...A fighting karakuri.

What if they were just built the same
way we make karakuris in Kagura
Amahara, but to look like these?

Reiji
Right... Your Jyaki Kung Fu is about
as tall as they are...

Suzuka
Hey! It's Jyaki-GUN-Oh, doofus.
Get it right!

KOS-MOS
That is quite likely. This data must
have been used to create miniature
replicas of these mechs.

Aschen
The only other world than Kagura
Amahara or ours that has the
technology to make those is...

Haken
It's Formido Heim, isn't it?

Now that I think of it, the Little
Witch was using some kind of weapon,
and Winged Girl had a beam saber...

Aschen
Formido Heim does have a level of
technology equal to or above our own.

Haken
Well, now we kind of know how those
Orchestral goons had access to those
weapons during the war.

Aschen
But... some of this doesn't make
sense.

It would be impossible to get data
from here back to Formido Heim
during the war.

Suzuka
So, we're back to where we started,
then.

Xiaomu
If we don't put an end to this, we
might have to fight a 60-foot super
robot some day...

Kaguya
It'd squish us with a single step!

Hmm... But, thanks to this, we know
that it's not just coincidence that the
Phantom was seen here.

Haken
Right... There's still more to this
than meets the eye.

That Abend was trying to protect
something from us, too.

Reiji
Let's go find out what it is, then.
Shall we, Haken?

Haken
Right. Let's keep this crazy train
rolling. I'm not too excited to see
what's gonna come up next...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
This one says "W06" on it. I'll bet
that the Pink Blade was in this one.

Aschen
......

Haken
Cardia herself is nowhere to be seen,
though...

There's no doubt that she rebooted
the system here. But why...?

Haken
W07... I have to say, Aschen, this
doesn't look like a very comfy place
to sleep.

Aschen
......

There are other containers that are
open as well, and some that appear
to still be sealed.

I wonder what I was doing in here...

Haken
......

Aschen
How did I find you, Captain?

Haken
You don't remember?

Aschen
...Unfortunately, no.

Haken
Hell, at this point I wouldn't be
surprised to find out that you gave
birth to me.

Aschen
Let's not even go there, Captain.

Haken
Come on, that was a joke.

Haken
We've looked at everything, but
there isn't anything particularly
helpful in here.

I'm kind of curious about that
cradle-like thing in the back,
though...


Okay, let's get back to the Zeit
and put our heads together.

Haken
Huh!? What's going on!?

KOS-MOS
A dimensional distortion has occurred.

Aschen
It came from the north! It's from
that hangar-like area in the back!

Kaguya
I-It looks like we're not going to
get out of here that easily...

Xiaomu
Well, nothing in life is free.

For every bridge you cross, there's
a toll... or a troll! Mwahahaha!

Suzuka
You are really starting to creep me
out. Knock it off.

Reiji
We should go check it out. I'm sure
it's not going to be anything fun,
though.

Haken
You're right... Let's go.

Cardia
......

Phantom
......

Cardia
(There you are, W07... And though I
still have doubts, could that human
be...?)

(If you try to leave before examining all 9 android pods, but after looking at 
Cardia's and Aschen's pods)
Haken
...I'm still not satisfied. I think
we should look around a little
more in here.

Aschen
These are all pods for storing
androids. We should take a close
look at all of them.

(If you try to leave after Cardia and Phantom transport into the Mai Tierra)
Haken
We've come this far... We need to see
this through to the end. Let's go
check that place out.

Cardia
W07... Aschen Brodel.

Aschen
W06... Cardia Basirissa.

Did you drop that keycard so we could
see this?

Phantom
......

Kaguya
The Black Specter! Why is it with
that karakuri person!?

Cardia
This Phantom was created in this
world, the Endless Frontier...

The information used to do so was
brought from somewhere else.

Reiji
Not here? We just found the data in
the computers a few rooms back.

Cardia
...No. The Phantom was searching for
its true memories.

As am I.

Xiaomu
What? Does that mean that you've lost
your memories, too?

Cardia
When this ship crashed, the main
computer, codenamed "Tinkerbell,"
was massively corrupted.

As a result, a portion of the orders
given to the W Series was lost.

Aschen
What was this mission?

Cardia
If W00 does not complete a certain
task, we are to destroy it to
maintain the project's secrecy.

Aschen
What task would this be?

Suzuka
Just so we're clear... Zero Zero
isn't Aschen?

Cardia
I've already said that Aschen is W07.
She is also the only one of us with
Code DTD loaded into her system.

Aschen
What... Who is W00?

Cardia
You... don't even remember that!?

W00... is our leader.

Haken
So, where is it now?

Don't tell me that W00 is Mr. Phantom
here. That would make this day so
much worse than it's already been.

Cardia
The full-scale Phantom was developed
to be W00's personal combat mech.

This Phantom is a replica of that
design, on a smaller scale. It
operates by its own AI.


KOS-MOS
...Did you create that replica?

Cardia
Someone from this world created it.
I must find out who that is... and I
must terminate them for secrecy.

Haken
So I guess we were wrong when we
thought they had "Made in Formido
Heim" labels, huh?

Kaguya
Umm... So, where is this Mr. Woo?

Cardia
......

Xiaomu
Maybe that was the wrong question to
ask her...

Cardia
W00's whereabouts are unknown.
...That data has been lost.

Aschen
Is that why you made sure I would
come here? So you could see if I had
that information?

Cardia
Correct. However, it's clear that it
was a complete waste of time. You're
nothing but junk after all, W07.

Reiji
I see... So you sent the Abend robot
after us to see if it would trigger
Aschen's lost memories...

Cardia
The Abend...?
I've never seen it before.

Haken
(What? How's that work? She has the
Phantom right here, but she doesn't
know about the Abend...?)

Cardia
...Enough talk. I believe I have
reached the limits of what useful
information I can get from W07.

I must now terminate all of you to
preserve the secrecy of the data that
was discussed here!

Suzuka
Well, at least your reasoning for
that's easy to understand. You're not
gonna get us without a fight!

KOS-MOS
Hostile actions detected. Releasing
restrictions on lethal weaponry.

Phantom
......

Kaguya
Black Specter...
You will haunt my world no longer!

Aschen
It seems that I've completely
forgotten any memories that I may
have had, or any orders...

But what I know right now is that I
am Aschen Brodel... proud member of
the Browning family.

Haken
Well said, Aschen.
...All right, Phantom, this is the
end of the line for you.

If you want to join this hoedown,
Miss Cardia, I suggest you put on
your dancing shoes.

Ready? Let's hit it!

Cardia
If damage increases... completion of
the mission may be in jeopardy.

We shall meet again, W07. You are
all on my "sometime hence I'll
terminate" list.

Aschen
......

Haken
Damn it, stop running away!
Let's get this over with!
You're mine now!

Cardia
Phantom, let's retreat..

..Hm!?

Phantom
......

Kaguya
I-It's all sparky! And it's smoking!

Xiaomu
Don't tell me... Is it going to
self-destruct and take us all with
it!?

Cardia
No...! Phantom, why are you
disobeying me!? I am ordering you!

Suzuka
What's wrong with it?

KOS-MOS
I sense that its core directive
circuits have overheated, and its own
native AI has taken over.

...It is, in effect, making its own
decisions now.

Reiji
KOS-MOS... Are you saying that this
Personal Trooper has a mind of its
own now? And it's not retreating?

Cardia
Ngh...!

Aschen
Cardia...!

Haken
Let her go, Aschen. The Phantom's
still here. Don't let your guard
down!

Phantom
......

Suzuka
But... It's not moving or exploding.
What are we going to do about it now?

Xiaomu
Kaguya, go poke it a few times. You're
naturally insulated from shock with
all that rubber on your chest.

Kaguya
N-No way!
You go pet it, Xiaomu!

KOS-MOS
I believe that Aschen is the most
appropriate person to investigate it.

Aschen
Very well. I will fondle it a little.

Phantom
......

Aschen
(Phantom... Why did you disobey
Cardia's orders?)

Phantom
......

Aschen
Captain, his functions have completely
shut down.

Haken
Okay... So...
We beat it, right?

Reiji
That's good to hear. We can drag it
back to your ship, then.

That's one problem out of our way,
at least.

Kaguya
Yeah! Now we don't have to worry about
it terrorizing Kagura Amahara anymore!

Suzuka
That's great to hear. Now all that's
left is to do something about the
crystals in Megi Castle.

Haken
Let's not start throwing ourselves a
party just yet.

How are we going to get this thing
back to the Zeit Krokodil?

KOS-MOS
This was supposedly created for the
leader of the androids. It falls to
our leader to take responsibility.

Haken
I think your logic's off a little
bit there, KOS-MOS...

Fine... It sucks to be the leader
sometimes...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Marion
Way to go, Captain! This is fantastic!

Phantom
......

Haken
Hey, I'm a man of my word, Doctor.
If you're going to start falling in
love with me now, take a number.

Marion
Oh, don't worry about that. I'm not
interested in kids who haven't grown
out of a "Cowboys & Indians" phase.

Now, move it! Out of my lab!

Haken
Ugh... Well, I'll leave the rest in
your capable hands, Doc.

Oh, don't forget to analyze the
pieces from Abend that Aschen brought
back, too.

Marion
Heeheehee...

Oh, Phantom? C'mere, big guy... ￾ô
You've got a hot date with my tool
box!

Lee
How was the Doctor, Captain?

Haken
The usual. Looks like we're not gonna
get the bounty on that one. She's
about to take it to bits.

Kaguya
Aw... That's too bad.

Xiaomu
Poor little robot...
Disassembled... Dead...

Suzuka
Well, we've shut the book on the Case
of the Black Specter. You remember
what we're doing next, right?

Haken
I haven't forgotten, Pint Size.
Next stop: Kagura Amahara and
Megi Castle.

Reiji
There's some questions that were
raised that I don't think should be
ignored at this point.

KOS-MOS
You're referring to the Abend robot,
and how the data from the ship was
leaked to Formido Heim, correct?

Aschen
We don't know what Cardia's really
up to, either.

(...As well as what my "orders"
were supposed to be...)

Lee
Hmm... Honestly, I don't have a clue
what you people are talking about.

But, I'll have some people look for
information elsewhere, Captain.

Haken
Good man. ...Tiger. I've got some
unfinished business left back at
Megi Castle, then.

Contact me if anything happens.

Lee
Aye aye, Sir.

Marion
Wait up, Captain.

Haken
Oh, Dr. Marion. Bored with your new
toy already?

Marion
Not even close.

Kaguya
That's a pretty scary smile she has
there...

Aschen
...Probably because she's pure
evil to any robots around.

Marion
...I'll pretend I didn't hear that. I
want some combat data. Can you take
the Gespenst along with you?

Xiaomu
Oh, somebody new is coming with us?
This is turning into a real picnic.

Phantom
......

Suzuka
It's the Black Specter!

Kaguya
Huh!? Guest Pants?

We'll be attacked the instant we set
foot in Kagura Amahara if we take
that thing with us!

Marion
Don't worry. I've overwritten its
core programming so it will obey our
orders now.

If you call it during battle, it
should be able to provide you with
some support.

Reiji
Yesterday's enemy is today's friend,
huh...? Very clever of you, Doctor.

KOS-MOS
You called it "Gespenst." Is that
the new designation for this robot?

Marion
No, actually. It seems that Gespenst
is its original name. I found that
out while hacking its 'ware.

Xiaomu
Ahhh... I need to come up with
something cool and fun to say, like
"I summon thee, Gespenst!"

Haken
Heh, that does sound pretty neat.
I'll have to steal that line.

Aschen
Doctor, in regards to this robot...

Marion
The materials used to make it aren't
native to Lost Herencia.

I did some comparisons to my sample
library, and there's no mistake that
this robot is from Formido Heim.

And as to the Abend fragments...

They're almost identical in nature,
but their composition is almost
completely different.

Suzuka
What? You mean they do the same
things, but they're not made the same
way?

Marion
If I were to try to explain it to a
classroom of young schoolchildren,
yes, that is what I would say.

There are elements of the Abend's
construction that are almost organic
in nature.

I think it is likely that the Gespenst
and the Abend were manufactured in
different locations.

Haken
This is getting heavy, Doc.
...Okay, I think we need to look into
this a little more.

Marion
Please do so, Captain. If you do find
anything, please bring it back to me.

Haken
Okay, Vice Chief. We're off to
Kagura Amahara. ...Again.

We're gonna do a little more in-depth
research on the Mild Keil stones in
Megi Castle.

Lee
You're such a hard worker, Captain.
You remind me of a young Father John.

Haken
Heh, like Pops, huh...?

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Nacht)
......

Suzuka
Wh-What is this!? Is this another battle
karakuri?

Kaguya
Look at how many weapons it's packing!
Do you think this is...?

Aschen
I recognize that machine. It's the last
Personal Trooper... The Nacht.

Nacht
......

Xiaomu
That's one scrappy-looking blue beetle.

Haken
When the Abend showed up, I knew we were
going to run into this guy sooner or
later. I didn't expect it this soon...

Okay, Mr. Nacht. What are you doing way
out in the middle of nowhere like this?

Suzuka
Hey! What do you mean, "middle of
nowhere"!?

(First, the Kusabi-Ishi growing here
like at Espina Castle, and now this
karakuri...)

(Just what is going on here?)

Nacht
......

Gespenst
......

KOS-MOS 
(Are they communicating? I don't detect
any transmissions. Could these soulless
machines be capable...?)

Reiji
Standing here and staring at each other
isn't going to get us anywhere.

Aschen
If he's the same as the Abend, we can't
avoid fighting.

Haken
Well, just like last time, then. Either
get some pieces or drag the whole damn
thing back to the Professor.

KOS-MOS
Initiating combat sequences.

Kaguya
Anything that stands in our way will
be put down!

Suzuka
She's right. Now get out of my home!

..."Steel Beowulf"!

Nacht
......


Nacht
......

Haken
Man, that was a pain and a half...
No wonder people were terrified of that
thing during the Ten Year War.

Kaguya
I was relieved when I knew that the
Black Specter wouldn't attack our land
any more...

But now we have the Steel Beowulf to
worry about...

Xiaomu
Sheesh, this Edo-World sure has a lot of
troubles, doesn't it?

Suzuka
It's "Kagura Amahara."

Reiji
Professor Marion said that the Gespenst
and the Abend weren't made by the same
people, right? What about the Nacht?

KOS-MOS
That is not entirely correct. I believe
she meant that the different machines
were manufactured in different places.

Whether the machines are still in use
by their original creators remains to
be seen.

Aschen
...Yes. Cardia was with the Gespenst on
the Mai Tierra, but she did not know
about the Abend's presence.

Haken
On top of that, the Nacht and the Abend
were both used by Formido Heim during
the war years ago...

Kaguya
Does this mean that this Beowulf is
being controlled by people from the
Orchestral Army?

KOS-MOS
The androids that fought alongside the
Nacht were the same model type as
Aschen and Cardia, however.

Xiaomu
Hrrrmmm... This is getting more and
more confusing.

Reiji, explain everything to me again.
Um... Start with us chasing after the
Ouma members in Shibuya.

Reiji
There's no need to go that far back.
Focus on what we're doing now.

What chance is there that the Orchestral
Army is using those androids alongside
the mechs in battle?

Aschen
It's not impossible...

Kaguya
U-Um... So what's going on?

Haken
We're just agreeing that we don't really
know anything for sure. Don't get your
pretty little head in a tizzy.

Though... if things keep going the way
they are, we're gonna have to take a
trip to Formido Heim.

Suzuka
I'm worried about Shuten right now.
We need to hurry forward, everyone.

Reiji
All right... Ugh!?

Xiaomu
Reiji!? Is it...? No, don't tell me.
...But I have to know!
Wait, no, I don't wanna hear it.

Reiji
Just stop talking already.
...I'm fine. Let's go.

(She was looking for a way to break the
Mild Keil stones, and this place is full
of them... It could be her...)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Suzuka
Shuten!

Haken
Hey, there's your sweetheart, Suzuka.
Took us a while to find him, though.

Shuten
......

Suzuka
Shuten, are you okay?
I was worried about you.

Xiaomu
Oh, is this your boyfriend? And all this
time you were talking about other
people's tastes, you muscle fetishist!

Suzuka
Shuddup! Stupid Fox!

Kaguya
Yeah! He's a wonderful gentlemen, and
a fine specimen of a man. Isn't that
right, Shuten?

Shuten
......

Haken
I don't want to ruin your romantic
reunion here, but it looks like
something's up with Studly Do-right.

Shuten
...Problem...

Suzuka
Shuten...? What's wrong?
Can't you tell who I am!? It's me, Princess 
Suzuka!

Shuten
World... of mistakes...
Must fix... the mixing.... of worlds...

Kaguya
H-He's completely out of it...
I don't understand what he's saying
at all.

KOS-MOS
The possibility exists that he is being
manipulated by a third party.

Reiji
What? Is he being mind controlled?

Saya
I'm not sure myself... But it certainly
seems that way.

Aschen
So the Trickster Fox has finally
shown herself.

Saya
All foxes are tricksters. It's what
we do. The smart ones, anyway.

Suzuka
lWhat are you doing here, you fraud!?

Don't tell me... Are you the one who's
controlling Shuten!?

Saya
Oh, no, no. I came here looking for a
red crystal.

Reiji
A red crystal... That's what Dorothy
asked us to get her.

Saya
Oh, so you've heard about that, too?
I guess that means I have to get the
crystal-buster from her first!

Xiaomu
Mwahahah! Too late! We've already got
the Argyle Socks that break the blue
crystals!

KOS-MOS
The correct name is "Argyros Shots."

Saya
Even better then. I'll just take them
from you.

Suzuka
Oh no you won't.
And don't change the subject!

Shuten
Suzuka...

Suzuka
Shuten? Are you back to your senses!?

Shuten
...We, the Shiki-Oni clan...
Now's... the only time... we can bring
back... the glory of the past...

I'm sick... of playing nice...
with the humans... 

Kaguya
Why...!? We want to get along with
everyone, including the Shiki-Oni and
the Kami!

Shuten
If we have power... there is no need...
to have to play along... by being nice.

Suzuka
...Have you been possessed, Shuten...!?

Reiji
Yeah, he's definitely under the
influence of something. What is it,
though?

Saya
...It's the Mild Keil stones.

Haken
What...? The crystals are controlling
him? They're just rocks!

Saya
No. These stones.... They're alive.

KOS-MOS
Living implies that it is an organic
compound. Is that correct?

Saya
Mmm... How can I put it...? I can feel
the life force pulsing from these
stones.

Haken
(Professor Marion said that the Abend
was made of organic materials, too...
Is this just a coincidence?)

Saya
Just walking next to one of the stones
made me a little light-headed... And
since he lives here... Yeah.

Xiaomu
So, they're, like, emitting charm rays
or something? Straight into your brain?

Aschen
The Mild Keil crystals are affecting
all living things in one way or another.
Is that correct?

Kaguya
It looks that way. Can we snap Shuten
out of it, though...?

Reiji
We have to try. Since he's looking for
a fight, let's give it to him!

Saya
Yes, let's get started. All the
beautiful women in here are making
Muscles McGee here all antsy!

Shuten
...Eliminate... those who disrupt
the power...

Suzuka
Shuten! Just hang in there!
I'll bring you back!

Shuten
Ugh... Gah!

Suzuka
Shuten!

Saya
Ow! Don't you think that was a little
harsh if you're just trying to wake him
up!?

Kaguya
W-We were trying our best!

Reiji
Saya, are you really after the crystals
that are controlling this man? Is that
what your goal is!?

Saya
I'll let you figure it out, boy.
But that's not what I'm after.

I do need to get back to my own world,
so finding a way back is my top
priority.

But... I can't come home from a vacation
without any souvenirs, you know.

Reiji
...What are you doing in this world,
then?

Saya
Quit biting my lines, boy. How long are
you willing to play nice with the people
from this world?

Reiji
What...?

Saya
I'm trying to find out what I need to
do in order to get back where we came
from, and what to do once I'm there.

Xiaomu
What? You already have plans for when
you get back home?

Saya
That's not the case for you three, is
it? Little boy, little fox, and the
little lost robot.

KOS-MOS
My name is KOS-MOS.

Saya
We're all outsiders that don't belong
in this universe. Don't forget that,
boy.

Reiji
......

Haken
Okay, Chatterfox. That's one great
speech you made there.

But, don't start underestimating the
Endless Frontier here.

This is a place where different worlds,
made from all kinds of people, even from
different times, can come together.

It's a land of infinite possibility.
Thus, the name "Endless Frontier."

Kaguya
There's no such thing as an "outsider"
here! Everyone's welcome to live their
lives in our worlds!

Saya
......

Whatever. If that's the opinion of the
people who live here, I guess it doesn't
really matter then...

Now, it's time I got going. My treasure
was stolen a little while ago.

Aschen
Stolen? We haven't done anything.
...Yet.

Saya
This blue robot just tromped in here
and took off with it.

KOS-MOS
...The Personal Trooper, Nacht.

Reiji
What...!? So, when we fought it just
before we got here...?

Xiaomu
It was on its way out with the red
crystal we needed!?

Saya
Talk about bad timing. If you'll excuse
me, I have a robot to hunt down.

Haken
You're going after the Nacht?
Hey, what are you--

Saya
Ha! I'm not telling you anything.
See you next time, Cowboy.

Aschen
The Nacht... took the Mild Keil stone?

Kaguya
I'm even more confused now! We should've
asked Saya more questions while she was
here...

Suzuka
Who cares about that stupid fox! I'll
find her and torture the information
out of her later!

We need to worry about Shuten now!
Shuten, are you okay!?

Shuten
Ugh... S-Suzuka...?

Where am I...? 
What happened to me?

Suzuka
I was so worried about you! I can't
believe a leader of the Shiki-Oni could
get brainwashed by the Kusabi-Ishi!

Shuten
The Kusabi-Ishi...! That's right!
Suzuka, where is it!?

Where's the red Kusabi-Ishi!?

KOS-MOS
If the information we received was
correct, it seems the Personal Trooper
Nacht has stolen it from here.

Shuten
"Nacht"...? You mean the blue karakuri!?
Where'd that bastard go!?

Kaguya
Um... We beat it up, and it ran away...
S-Sorry...

Shuten
What!? You Juggmonkey!
I can't believe this!

Kaguya
J-Jugg... monkey...?

Shuten
Do you have any idea how long it took to
create a crystal on that scale!?

Suzuka
That's enough, Shuten! I don't want to
bring back our race's glory by relying
on an unknown power like that!

Haken
(So that's what King Nanbu meant when he
said that Shuten hasn't given up in the
last ten years...)

Shuten
Suzuka... I...
I'm not giving up yet...!

Suzuka
Shuten...

Xiaomu
He sure is stubborn.
Men!

...I know how he feels, though. Fighting
for your pride in your race, and for the
significance of your existance...

I myself started a strike in Shinra over
the treatment of my people in our
organization.

Kaguya
Huh? Did things ever get better for you?
How did that work out?

Xiaomu
Reiji put me over his knee and spanked
me until I cried and promised to get
back to work.

Kaguya
That's not exactly standing up for
yourself...

Aschen
This entire conversation is pointless.

Suzuka
No... Xiaomu may be stupid and gutless, 
but she has a point.

...Part of this is my responsibility for
not doing everything I could to make
Shuten understand my opinions.

Haken
So, Princess Booty-Shaker, shouldn't
you go after him?

Suzuka
Don't you have enough women jiggling
around you now to keep your eyes off of
me?

Shuten is a very strong Oni. Changing
his mind isn't going to be easy.

...The fact that the "crystal" was able
to control someone as stubborn as him
is a real problem.

Reiji
The red crystal the Nacht took...

KOS-MOS
It is the one Dorothy wanted in order to
create a way to break the red Mild Keil
stones.

Kaguya
Haken, that karakuri must really be from
Formido Heim then...

Haken
Looks like the likeliest explanation to me 
right now. It would explain why the 
Orchestral Army was at Dorothy's.

Well, there's no avoiding it now...
We've got to go there.

Aschen
To Formido Heim?

Xiaomu
Huh? I thought you said all the Gates
to that world were blocked off.

Haken
...There's always a way.

Let's go back to the Zeit.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

!!

Kaguya
Ah...

Otone
......

Xiaomu
Ooh, ninjas!
Who are they?

Reiji
Are they... our enemy?

Kaguya
M-Master...!?

KOS-MOS
Kaguya seems surprised to meet you.
How Sensei-tional.

Aschen
Yes. She is Princess Knockers'
swordmaster.

Otone
I had a feeling you would be here,
Princess Kaguya.

I heard that you had returned to
Kagura Amahara, and thus we have
come to return you to your father.

Haken
Hey, sorry for borrowing the Princess
for a little, Ninja Ma'am. She just
couldn't bear to let me go.

Otone
Indeed. Now I must insist that you hand
the Princess over to us, this instant.

Suzuka
Hm...? Otone, what are you...?

Kaguya
Wh-Why? I'm not done with my pilgrimage
across the different worlds yet!

Otone
Princess... Now is not the time to worry
about that.

Emperor Nanbu is very concerned about
the state of affairs across the
different worlds.

Depending on what happens... He says that
it may become necessary to seal the
Kouki-Mon once again.

Kaguya
What...!?

......

But Master, that's the same thing as
running away and hiding from the
problem we're all facing.

I believe that now is not the time to
be sticking our heads in the sand!

Otone
......

Princess, I knew that you would not be
willing to come back.

That being the case...

I was given orders to ensure your
return, through any means necessary.

Kaguya
......!

Otone
...You've gotten stronger.

Kaguya
It's not just me, Master. Everyone here
has helped me to grow and supported me
in my journey.

Otone
Your power is part of what has drawn
these people to you, Princess.

Haken
We call that "charisma."

Xiaomu
Yeah, she has some great charismas
that make everyone come look at her.

Aschen
That was terrible.

Suzuka
Reiji, do us all a favor and give her
a good smack, would you?

Reiji
Understood.

Xiaomu
R-Reiji! No!

Otone
We shall make our retreat, Princess.

Kaguya
M-Master...?I

Otone
 will report to the Emperor... that I
was unable to locate you.

Haken Browning... I leave the Princess's
safety in your hands for a while longer.
Do not abuse my trust.

Princess Suzuka, do you understand what
I am asking as well?

Suzuka
Of course I do. I'll watch out for her,
so don't worry.

Otone
It's my job to worry.
But, I will trust in you.

Otone
(This is how it should be for now. If
Emperor Nanbu is serious, then the
Princess may have to use her power...)

(That must be avoided, no matter what.
She cannot become a victim, like the
one before her...)

Kaguya
Master...

Reiji
It looks like she had some troubling thoughts
of her own... 

Suzuka
She is very young to be a Master, but
she is quite strong.

Something tells me that she was doing
her job without telling us everything
she was thinking.

Xiaomu, you could learn a thing or two
about shutting the hell up from her.

Xiaomu
*sniff*
This sucks! I cried a little, too...

Kaguya
(I think Reiji really did spank her
when we weren't looking...)

Haken
Right. Let's cut the chatter and get out
of here, okay?

Aschen
Shall we return to the Zeit Krokodil
at once?

KOS-MOS
You said something about having a way
to enter Formido Heim. Is it possible?

Haken
Yeah, kind of. We'll go back to the
ship, and from there we'll be able to
do what we need to do.

Kaguya
Your ship can help us?

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lee
Are you serious, Captain!?

Haken
Do I look like I'm joking, Vice Chief?

Lee
You know I can't take you seriously in
that stupid hat, Sir.

Haken
Hey!
...That hurts.

Hey, Doc, how's the Zeit's engine been
doing lately?

Marion
She gives a little cough here and there,
but there's nothing really wrong with
her.

Haken
Nice. Well, then...
Vice Chief, prepare for departure.

Lee
......

Aye-aye, Sir.
Don't blame me if anything goes wrong,
though...

Give me the order when you're ready to
fly to the Gate leading to the desert.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kaguya
This is a much better way of getting
around! Why didn't we do this instead
of walking all over the place?

Xiaomu
This ship sure shakes a lot, though...
What's it called again? The Galaxian?

Aschen
It's the Zeit Krokodil.

Reiji
But, why are we suddenly traveling by
ship? What does Haken plan on doing?

Suzuka
Just let it be. Enjoy the ride while it
lasts.

KOS-MOS
He said that this is the way we would be
able to enter Formido Heim.

Kaguya
Oh, I guess we're taking this through
the Kouki-Mon.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lee
Here we are... Southern Elfetale.
We've made it safely, Captain.

Haken
Good thing the Cross Gate actually
worked this time.

Lee
Ah, Southern Elfetale...
Heh, it brings back memories.

I was last here before we found you,
Captain, so it must have been...
Oh, 25 years or so.

Haken
You were a bounty hunter before you
even met my dad, right?

Lee
...Well, only by name. Truth be told,
Sir, I was nothing more than an ordinary
bandit in those days.

You know Abuelita Castle over there...?
Rubor's king of that place now, but we
used to get into all kinds of trouble.

Haken
Rubor Cucullus... He earned his title
of king through his acts of heroism
during the war.

That's one hell of a success story.

Lee
He loved fighting, and he had a lot of
ambition. I'm not surprised he actually
made something of himself in the war.

Haken
I'd like to meet him once.

We stopped by before going to Dorothy's,
but we weren't able to meet him.

...Oh yeah, Vice Chief.

Lee
Yes?

Haken
Do you know this... kinda swishy-
acting catguy from Dunopolis?

Lee
A werecat? Not that I can recall...
Why do you ask?

Haken
He said he was a friend of Rubor's. He's
the one who told us that Dorothy was
working on breaking the crystals.

Then he gave us a lecture on how the
Orchestral Army was involved in all
this. He's been right about everything.

...And, he's one of the reasons we're
about to do what I brought the ship
for.

Lee
Dunopolis... huh.

Haken
Yeah... The land that turned into a
desert because of the war.

Dulces Tomb was used as Formido Heim's
frontline base during those years...

Marion
...On top of that, Nacht, Abend, and
Gespenst all appear to have been used in
a similar manner here.

Haken
Doctor...

Marion
Why don't we get this underway, then?
Lee and I are used to our captain asking
us to do crazy things.

It was like that working for Father
John, and it's like that now.

Haken
Aschen was on my pop's crew ever since
I was a baby, too.

I wonder why he chose me to be the next
captain, considering how much younger I
am than any of you.

Lee
I'm sure he had his reasons.

Oh, by the way, I've reported what
we're doing to Father John.

Haken
...Did he say anything?

Lee
"Do whatever you want."

Haken
Man, talk about his hands-off policy.
...Let's go, Vice Chief.

Lee
Aye-aye, Sir.

Kaguya
Oh? This place...

Aschen
It's the large gate that prevented us
from going to Dunopolis.

Reiji
He told us to relax in the observation
deck, but...

I'm not observing anything relaxing.
Don't tell me he plans to knock the
wall down.

Aschen
...This is the only way of getting to
Dunopolis.

...And this gate cannot be opened with
human strength.

Suzuka
So... We have to try using something
stronger?

Xiaomu
Why are you guys being so calm about
this!? It can't be that simple!

KOS-MOS
The engine's output is increasing.
I suggest we brace for impact.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Suzuka
Hey! Captain Bonanza-Brains!
What the hell were you thinking!?

Xiaomu
We could have been squished into
chunky Texas-style salsa!

Haken
Yeah, well, I had a feeling you'd just
argue if I told you what I had in mind.

Kaguya
Wh-What a childish reason...

Reiji 
So... This is your way of getting us
to Formido Heim?

Haken
Eventually, yeah. First, we need to get
to the cemetary at the other side of
this desert, Dulces Tomb.

Kaguya
That's where the Kouki-Mon to Formido
Heim is, right?

Aschen
We believe that's where the dark-skinned
android that resembled KOS-MOS warped
to from the Schlafen Celeste.

KOS-MOS
......!

Aschen, that android you just
mentioned... Did she have a face guard
with red lenses and long green hair?

Aschen
Yes, that's right.
Is she... related to you, KOS-MOS?

KOS-MOS
......

...T-elos.

She's destroyed my body once before.
Her abilities are... much greater than
my own.

...She's closer to being human, and
yet... farther away, at the same time.

Kaguya
(So... She really was dangerous when
we saw her before...)

Xiaomu
Then, she's like an upgraded version of
you?

KOS-MOS
Correct.

...Haken.

Haken
Hm?

KOS-MOS
Let us head to Dulces Tomb. If it truly
is T-elos, she will be very powerful.

She does not belong in this world.
Neither do I...

Reiji
It's not just you, KOS-MOS. We don't
belong here, either.

Haken
Yeah, but I don't really mind.

Well, Doctor...
How's my baby doing?

Marion
Normal transportation will be all right,
but there's no way we can take her
across this desert.

Haken
I had a feeling it wouldn't be that
easy.

Kaguya
Let's get off and take a look around.

Xiaomu
You look like you're having fun.
How much more positive can you get...?

Kaguya
It's fun to go around the world and see
new things! Especially if it helps us
make world peace!

Haken
Okay, Li'l Miss Sunshine, let's see if
there's any way we can make it across
the desert from here.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
It sure is hot...

Aschen
Well, duh, Haken! You're wearing a huge
black trenchcoat! Take some clothes off!
Show some skin, you silly billy!

KOS-MOS
I see that her "fun mode" proves rather
useful in releasing excess heat.

Aschen
Oh, I only get like this when I'm
overheating anyway, so it doesn't really
matter!

Reiji
So... What happens when we get into
battle out here? Do you really overheat?

Kaguya
So... hot...
So... thirsty... 

World peace can suck it.
I just want some air conditioning.

Haken
...That was fast.

Xiaomu
If you lick your front teeth a little
bit, it'll help you produce saliva in
your mouth and you won't be so thirsty.

Kaguya
......

You're right...!

That's amazing, Xiaomu!

Xiaomu
I read that in a book somewhere!
You have to apply knowledge once you've
learned it, you know?

Suzuka
That's a pretty lame temporary solution,
though.

Haken
Isn't it weird that it's this hot when
we're right next to the water?

Anne
That's because of the war in the past.

All the magic used in the war screwed up
the weather and the atmosphere something
fierce.

Kaguya
Oh!? Captain... Anne!?

Anne
Looks like you're not doing so hot.
Or... rather, it looks like you're
doing way too hot.

Xiaomu
We're not in the mood, Splashdunce!
Everyone's ready to shrivel up and die!

KOS-MOS
Why are you here?

Bonny
This is our home base. Just south of
here is the Cross Gate to our own world,
Varna Kanai.

Kaguya
Wow, there are two Kouki-Mon on this
side of the gate?

Anne
That's right.
...Well, no reason to talk out here in
the boiling heat.

C'mon aboard my ship, the Silent Vox.

Anne
Huh!? You want to go to Dulces Tomb!?
Are you serious!?

Haken
Of course we are, my busty pirate wench.
We're just trying to figure out a way to
get past that desert.

Bonny
The only way I can think of is the
Giant Marquis.

Kaguya
That's the name of a town, right?

Anne
What are you talking about?
The Giant Marquis is a tank.

Reiji
A tank? Haken, what's going on?

Haken
That's weird... Aschen, don't your
records say that it's a town?

Aschen
Yes... My data indicates that it was a
town created after the war.

However, since the area was closed off
by the large gate after the war, I don't
have any more information about it.

Bonny
Well, there's your problem.

Anne
Your information isn't entirely wrong.
The town was built on top of a huge
tank that looks like a cat.

Suzuka
How can a tank carry a town? That
doesn't sound physically possible.

Anne
I hear that they're using an ancient
artifact from the war to do it somehow.

Reiji
So if we could get to that town, we
could ride across the desert, too?
That's amazing.

Xiaomu
But, how are we going to catch up to
something that huge?

KOS-MOS
I estimate that it must be quite large.

Haken
...There has to be a way.

Bonny
If you're set on finding the Marquis,
head straight north of here to the
geoglyph.

I'm sure that's the best place you can
get a view of the desert from.

Anne
I would take you guys there, but...

Kaguya
That's okay. It's just north of here,
right?

I'm sure you'd dry out like a fish
flake if you went outside in this
weather.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Xiaomu
Wow. I wasn't expecting it to be that
big!

Reiji
Yeah, me neither.

Kaguya
That... was the Giant Marquis, right?

Haken
Huge tank, looks like a cat, has a town
on its back... I don't think there's
two of them running around.

KOS-MOS
You said earlier that there would be
a way we could get on it, Haken?

Suzuka
It's really fast, considering how big
it is... What are you gonna do?

Haken
Nothing extravagant. It's simple.
...We'll chase after it and climb on.

Aschen
......

Captain, I'm sure Vice Chief Lee is
going to bite you this time.

Kaguya
Oh! Don't tell me you're going to...!?

Haken
You got it, Princess. It takes a tank
to catch a tank, right?

Let's get back to the Zeit.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lee 
Are you serious, Captain!?

Haken
Do I look like I'm joking, Vice Chief?

Lee
I find it hard to trust people who
wear assless chaps, Sir.

Haken
Now that's just hitting below the
belt...

Xiaomu
Well, duh, you dummy. I'd say the same
thing if you asked me to tackle that
huge tank we saw.

Aschen
Get alongside the tank, then jump across
onto it... You always come up with these
audacious plans, Captain.

KOS-MOS
Does this ship have any problems in
speed or endurance that would prohibit
us from undertaking this plan?

Marion
Oh, please. Don't underestimate this
ship.

The Zeit Krokodil may be old, but she's
still in active service.

Kaguya
Huh...? D-Does that mean it's going to
be okay?

Marion
I meant that we won't have a problem
carrying out this scheme. ...The sand'll
shorten the engine's lifespan, though.

Reiji
That certainly sounds like a problem.

Haken, don't you think you're rushing
things a little? Shouldn't we look for
a better way than ruining your ship?

Haken
Normally, I would... But I have a very
bad feeling about this. We need to get
this over with ASAP.

If I didn't feel that way, I wouldn't
have crashed my baby through the wall
to get here in the first place.

Suzuka
Well, he's right about that.

Lee
...All right, Captain. Let's go play
cat-and-also-cat with that huge tank.

Once we take off, we might not be able
to come back for a while.

Why don't you guys go to Abuelita Castle
and make sure you're prepared?

We'll be waiting here. When you're
ready, just say the word.

Haken
Sorry for all the trouble, Vice Chief.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kaguya
This is it...!
I'm getting tingly all over!

Suzuka
Hmm... It looks like this trip is
helping Kaguya grow in a lot of ways.

Reiji
...I'm worried about what kind of leader
she's going to be in the future, though.

Aschen
I do not think now is the time to be
worrying about worlds other than your
own... 

KOS-MOS
Target located.

Xiaomu
Attention, all hands! Emergency
announcement from Xiaomu! The kitty
tank's headed straight north! Over!

Haken
Okay! Get us in close, and we'll jump
onto it from there! Lee, I'm counting
on you!

Lee
Aye-aye, Sir!
Zeit Krokodil...
Full power!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Aschen
Yahooo! We stopped it!

KOS-MOS
...You're overexcited, Aschen. This was
not in the original plan.

Suzuka
Wooooo! What a chase! My heart's
pounding with excitement!

Kaguya
I'm still tingly!

Xiaomu
I was excited about this when we
started, but... That was actually pretty
scary.

Reiji
That was no laughing matter. I'm
surprised we didn't get smashed to
pieces.

Lee
Captain! I've confirmed that a crack
has opened on the side of the tank!
You can enter it from there!

Haken
Fantastic piloting as ever, Vice Chief.
Come on, everybody, let's go!

Marion
The Zeit's not going any further,
Captain. You didn't tell me we'd be in
a demolition derby!

Haken
Keep the Zeit on standby. I'll contact
you guys later. If you don't hear from
me in two hours...

Make your way back to Lost Herencia and
tell my pops what happened here.

Marion
...Understood.
Please be careful.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Rubor)
Hm... There was a bit of a shake a
moment ago... Did you guys do that?

Suzuka
Is that a werewolf?
And beside him... It's...!

Koma
Helloooo! It's everybody's favorite
black-market kitty vendor! KOMA!

Aschen
I knew she carried illicit goods.

Captain, that man who's with Koma...

Haken
Yeah, I didn't think this would be how
we ended up getting an audience with
him.

He's the king of Abuelita Castle,
Rubor Cucullus.

Reiji
So, he's the wolfman that the catman
went to see.

Rubor
Ha! At least you recognize me, runts!
Now show some respect!

Xiaomu
Ooh! Aren't we aggressive?
Yes, we are! Oh, yes we are!

Kaguya
Why are you here?
...And Koma... How did you even...?

Rubor
The forces of Formido Heim are acting
with impunity within my realm.

In addition, the ghosts from the war,
Abend and Nacht, have appeared once
again.

Kaguya
That's happening in our world, too!
That's why we came to investigate--

Rubor
Investigate!? And give them more time to
do as they please? No! We are going to
Dulces Tomb to invade Formido Heim!

Suzuka
What...!? Wait! Are you trying to start
another war?

Rubor
If that is the result, then so be it.

Reiji
Remember, this man became a king due to 
his actions in the previous war. It's no
surprise he'll jump for this chance.

KOS-MOS
Koma, do you want another war as well?

Koma
Me? Oh, I'm just being paid to be a
bodyguard.

...I'm being so well-paid that I'd feel
stupid to hang around with you
cheapskate hunters any longer.

Kaguya
Don't you have any morals at all!?

Haken
Okay, party animals. You're not gonna
be so lucky this time.

Aschen
Starting anything with Formido Heim
right now's going to cause a huge amount
of trouble. Please head back home.

Koma
Maybe we'll go home after we claw you
to ribbons!

Suzuka
You stupid cat! Don't you have any
feelings of friendship or respect?

Koma
Who are you kidding? Where's the
business sense in those? I'm all about
the money, kid! Screw loyalty!

Xiaomu
I'll screw some sense into your head,
you mangy puss!

Kaguya
Um, this is getting kind of out of hand.
What are we going to do?

Reiji
...This isn't getting us anywhere, Haken.
We need to talk to the king, not argue
with greedy catgirls.

Haken
So I gathered.

Well, Sir Wolf. My ship's standing by
right outside.

Can I ask Vice Chief Lee to give you
a ride home?

Rubor
Lee? Oh... that guy.

He said he was working for a respectable
human, but... A puny brat like you?
Hahaha! That's a laugh!

Haken
That would have been my father, John
Moses. That was a long time ago... 

Rubir
Ha! That doesn't change the fact that
you're not getting anywhere, whelp!

A beast that cannot use his fangs is
destined to die quickly!

KOS-MOS
Haken, it seems our negotiations have
been broken off.

Haken
I can see that... Beasts that can't
use their fangs, huh?

But idiots who will bite at anything
won't survive long either!

Rubor
Grrrr! Why are outsiders like you
getting in my way!?

How much do you think we, the people of
Elfetale, have lost because of the war
Formido Heim forced on us!?

Espina Castle has been completely
destroyed! How many more attacks must I
suffer on my territory before I fight!?

Haken
The cause of Espina's fall is still
unknown. We don't know if the Mild Keil
stones are connected to Formido Heim.

(There's a good chance that they are,
though...)

Suzuka
Don't go starting wars by jumping to
faulty conclusions!

Rubor
There are times when a man has to stand
his ground, even if war is the result!

Kaguya
There shouldn't be any war! I can't
believe that you're trying to start one,
after what happened...

Rubor
Some things can only be gained through
battle! War or no war... If this is not
the start, something else will be!

Kaguya
I can't believe you think that...!

KOS-MOS
...It is true, however. Histroy has
proven it.

Rubor
Someone who fled Kagura Amahara to
escape the war and has hidden herself
has no right to lecture me!

Kaguya
......!

Rubor
My battle for justice begins here!

Koma
Well, my fee only covers one fight,
so I'm outta here! See you laters!

Xiaomu
He may have been mean, but I think that
guy might have had a point... He sure
did have charisma.

See? I'm getting goosebumps here.

Rejiji
Don't go around showing places like
that off, please.

Don't be discouraged, Princess. You're
bound to find people who argue against
your ideals sooner or later.

Kaguya
Right...

Aschen
We should continue our own investigation
here as well.

Haken
Okay. We need to understand more about
Formido Heim's involvement in this mess
so we can stop that King Wolf.

Let's go see where Koma's run off to.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Is this... the engine room?

Xiaomu
How much horsepower would you think this
thing gets? Or would you measure it
in catpower...?

Reiji
Amazing... Somehow, I doubt a tank this
size only requires this much power to
move.

Suzuka
I feel a whole lot of energy coming from
this place.

Aschen
It feels like the energy that Kyon and
Henne were giving off during our battles
with them.

Kaguya
So that means this technology must be
from Formido Heim, too...

KOS-MOS
It must be true that an artifact from the
war is powering this tank.

Haken
I wonder who's using this thing to
run a city...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Woah, we've got some company.

???(Ezel)
......

Kaguya
It's a... a were-skeleton!

Reiji
I'm pretty sure that's not what he is.

Hey, that vest...

Xiaomu
Hmm. Looks like we were right to stop
that Wolf Guy a few minutes ago.

Suzuka
...Indeed. Or else his war would've
started right here.

Aschen
Orchestral Army...

???(Ezel)
Who're you...?
Ah. You're the ones that were in those
reports.

"Man with multiple weapons and a scar
on his forehead."

Reiji
...Hm?

???(Ezel)
"Werefox with strong magic powers,
believed to be from the same group as
the man with the scar."

Xiaomu
Th-That's the nicest thing an enemy's
ever said about me...

???(Ezel)
"Man in black carrying an assault rifle
and a large pistol."

Haken
This must be from that winged girl,
since he knows about Reiji and Xiaomu.

???(Ezel)
"Female warrior from Kagura Amahara,
wielding a large sword."

Kaguya
Oh, th-that's me!

???(Ezel)
"Shiki-Oni from Kagura Amahara,
controlling a humanoid robot."

Suzuka
Yeah, yeah.

???(Ezel)
"Bad-tempered robot (I hate this one
worst of all! >XD)."

Aschen
I don't think that was in the winged
woman's report.

???(Ezel)
And another android who is not in my
reports... Hmm. Is it only a vessel...?

KOS-MOS
......

Haken
This guy's... kinda different from the
two we've met already.

Hey, Skully. Are you one of the officers
in the Orchestral Army?

???(Ezel)
...Leave.

Haken
What...?

???(Ezel)
This does not involve you. There is no
need for useless bloodshed. Go away.

Haken
Useless bloodshed? Aren't you the ones
who started the "Ten Year War"?

???(Ezel)
......
Yes. That is what happened.

Kaguya
Wh-What's going on...? He's totally not
like the other Orchestral Army people
we've run into so far.

KOS-MOS
If you do not intend to fight us, then
allow us to pass.

Aschen
We need to get to Dulces Tomb.

???(Ezel)
Dulces Tomb, eh...?

Katze
I see. So that's why you took so much
trouble to get on board this tank.

Suzuka
Huh? It's you!

Katze
Oh, hey, I know you guys. Aren't you the
bounty hunters who were in a big hurry
to get to Dorothy's place?

Now here you are, on the Giant Marquis.
Interesting!

Xiaomu
Wh-What's going on? Don't tell me...
Are you this tank's...

Katze
I'm the leader of the town on the tank.
Katze Kotolnes, at your service.
Hee hee hee!

Reiji
I didn't see that one coming.

Katze
Hee! Sorry for not exactly telling you
the whole truth when we first bumped
into each other, big guy.

Suzuka
This is ridiculous. But it does explain
a couple of things... Like why you
wanted to see the king.

Haken
And now we know how you knew what the
Orchestral Army was up to when we met
you in Abuelita Castle.

Kaguya
So, wait... Does that mean that he's
friends with the people in the
Orchestral Army!?

???(Ezel)
......

...Katze?

Katze
Look, Ezel, my answer's not going to
change, no matter how many times you
ask me. I hung up my uniform long ago.

Ezel
What if I were to tell you that what's
happening in our world now is connected
with you?

Katze
...I'm done fighting, Ezel. It's over.

No... It ended when I discovered that
I was wrong about everything.

Ezel
......

Haken
I can't hear what they're talking
about... Hey! Are you gonna ignore
your guests over here?

I heard you call him Ezel. The name's
Browning. Haken Browning. Nice to meet
you.

Ezel
(...Browning...?)

My name is Ezel.
...Ezel Granada.

I am the leader of Formido Heim's
special forces unit, the Orchestral
Army.

Aschen
So, he's the big boss around here.
...What is the Orchestral Army's true
intention in Elfetale?

Ezel
There's no reason to explain myself to
you. You should stay out of things that
you don't understand.

Haken
(That Henne chick said something similar
when we met her, too...)

Kaguya
W-Well, can we at least get past you
if you don't want us listening to your
conversation with the cat man here?

Ezel
...That is not acceptable, either.

Reiji
...That's not exactly surprising. We're
pretty much trying to do the same thing
the Wolf King was.

Katze
Oh, by the way, this cute little catgirl 
came crying to me to help her a little
while ago.

She was all "Oh, help help help! These
scary weird crazy people are chasing me!
They want to cut my tail to bits!"

Man, what do you have against her?
She looked so innocent and sweet...

Aschen
Great. First she runs off, now she's
making up all kinds of crap about us.

Xiaomu
That stupid cat! Who's she calling
crazy!? Nobody wants a piece of her
tail!

Ezel
Are you sure you want to do this,
Katze...?

Karze
Don't get me wrong, Ezel. I'm just here
to protect the people of my town.

Ezel
Katze.
...Remember what I said earlier.

Katze
......

...Please, just get out of here.

Well, then... I surrender.
I'm totally at your mercy.

Do with me as you wish, tough guys.
What exquisite tortures do you have
lined up for me?

Kaguya
Um... Nothing, I think. What do you have
lined up for him, Reiji?

Reiji
We weren't going to do anything to you
in the first place. We just wanted a
ride to Dulces Tomb.

Haken
Okay, Feely Felis, here's what we
want out of you.

KOS-MOS
We need you to take us to Dulces Tomb.

Suzuka
We're also curious about your
relationship with the skeleton knight,
too.

Aschen
On top of that, we need to punish that
stupid cat who's probably hiding in
your town right now.

Xiaomu
C'mon! Hurry up!

Katze
...Oh, dearie me. Let's go back to town
and have a little chat instead of
sitting in this dusty tunnel.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Katze
I see... So you're after the Nacht,
which ran off with the Mild Keil stone
you were looking for.

Haken
That's not all. There are a lot of weird
things going on that all have to do with
the war thirteen years ago.

We can't let this go on. You must have
already seen that Northern Elfetale
is in ruins.

Katze
......

Aschen
Lost Herencia was lucky to not be
severely hurt from the war, but we have
no way of knowing what will happen now.

Kaguya
I believe that Kagura Amahara shouldn't
just close off all relations to the
other worlds again...

Suzuka
There are a lot of people from other
worlds gathering in Elfetale, too.

Reiji
Right. There are too many problems
happening here. It can't be pure
coincidence.

Xiaomu
If we and Ouma keep running around,
it's just going to make things more
confusing for everybody.

KOS-MOS
This is all in addition to a dangerous
being from my own world who is here as
well.

Haken
That dark beauty... We're almost
positive that she went to Dulces Tomb.

Katze
*sigh* ...All right. According to you,
it sounds like you've already scared the
Werewolf King off for me...

I should at least thank you for doing
me that favor. Thaaaaaaanks!

Kaguya
Aww, that's so sweet! Thank you! You're
the nicest cat-man I've ever beaten up.

Katze
I'm assuming that's supposed to be a
compliment, so I'll take that as you
intended it.

Reiji
It's hard to tell, with her.

Haken
Okay, now that this cat-and-pony show
here is over, let's get this tank
moving to Dulces.

Oh, wait. Before that, I need to contact
my ship. Can you take us back to the
southern edge of the desert?

Haken
Howdy, Vice Chief. We're back.

Lee
I'm glad to see you're safe, Captain. I
can't believe you managed to hijack that
enormous tank. I'm so proud of you.

Haken
Oh, no, the leader of the town is a
fairly understanding guy. We basically
got along.So, how's the Zeit?

Marion
She'll need some thorough maintenance.
Frankly, I'm surprised she was able to
withstand all you put her through.

Haken
Uh-huh. Well, we've got our ride across
the desert. You guys take the ship back
to Lost Herencia.

I'll call if I need you. This'll never
happen again, so take your time to make
repairs, all right?

Marion
Where have I heard that before?

Lee
So, you're going to Dulces Tomb right
now, then?

Haken
Yep. If everything works out well, we'll
go from there straight to Formido Heim.

That'll get us closer to Nacht and
Abend... That's what's most important
right now.

Lee
Roger that. We'll get going to Lost
Herencia, then.

Haken
Oh, one more thing. Take this catgirl
and throw her out the window as you pass
Abuelita Castle, would you?

Koma
Helloooo! I was such a smart ass, they
made my ass smart! Hee hee!

Lee
Mmm, you do look a bit swollen down
there, but otherwise... Scrumptious!

Koma
It's because thay spanked me until I
cried a little bit. I'm all black and
blue!

Haken
Vice Chief, feel free to eat this one.

Lee
Ahhh! That's very nice to hear!

Koma
Nooooo! I can change, I swear it! I'll
wait for you guys at Abuelita Castle!
Pleeeeease forgive me!

Haken
Okay! Be a good little kitty from now
on. I'll be looking forward to seeing
some new stuff in your shop!

All right. Please get on your way,
Vice Chief.

Lee
Aye-aye, Sir. We'll be heading back to
Lost Herencia.

Katze
So? Are your friends okay now?

Haken
Yeah, we're all good. Thanks.

Where are the others?

Katze
They're sightseeing in town. There are
some interesting things here, believe
it or not.

Haken
Sheesh, they're so easygoing...

...Mr. Katze, there's one thing I need
to be sure of.

I need to know how you're connected to
the Orchestral Army from Formido Heim,
if you're from Elfetale.

Katze
......

...I used to be a gunrunner. I sold
weapons to Formido Heim during the war.
In other words, I was a death merchant.

Haken
I see. If that's true, then
Mr. Skull-Head must have been here to
buy weapons from you, right?

...So he is getting ready for another
war, isn't he?

Katze
I see... You're pretty smart, Cowpoke.

I know what it may seem like, but I
swear that isn't what's happening.

Still, he didn't tell me what they were
up to, either.

Haken
......

Oh, well. I won't complain, as long as
this thing takes us to Dulces.

Katze
Okay, Slim. When you want to go, tell
me and I'll have this tank start
moving.

I can take you back to the southern
end of the desert, too, if you'd like.

Aaaaand... I'll take you to one of my
favorite shops.

Haken
...I'm not sure I want to know what
kind of stuff your favorite shop sells.

Katze
...Heehee! Oh, you. No, it's my favorite
because I own it. It's the "Nice Guys
Exchange Station." It's heavenly.

Haken
Um... We might as well take a look, as
long as we're killing time while
crossing the desert.

Katze
So, are we heading to Dulces Tomb now?

Haken
Right. The only way we can cross this
desert is to use the Giant Marquis.

Let's do this in style, Mister.

Katze
I'll do my best, Sonny Jim.

Allrighty then! Giant Marquis...
Overdrrrrrrive!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

?!

Kyon
Oooh! It finally opened! Yaay!

*sigh* I'm so glad that door opened up
again... I thought I'd never get out...

Haken
Hey, Little Demon.
You look happy.

Kyon
Of course I am! I was able to go in
there, but it locked behind me, and
then...

--O-Oh my gosh!
Wh-What are you guys doing here!?

Aschen
We were about to ask you that. If you
tell us the truth, we won't have to
spank you again.

Suzuka
Mwaaahahahahaha!
I wouldn't mind beating her up again!

Kaguya
Oh, well. I guess we're going to deal
with her in the same way we deal with
everything...

Xiaomu
Wait, what? Is this tiny girl part of
that Orchestral Army, too!?

Haken
Yup. She's an Orchestra Girl. We fought
her before we met you and Reiji.

...Are you on another secret mission,
Little Girl?

Kyon
I let my tongue slip last time, but
that's not gonna happen again!


KOS-MOS
Why is this person even here?

Reiji
There should be a Cross Gate leading to
Formido Heim here in this tomb.

It's not that surprising that someone
from Formido Heim would be in here.

Kyon
Wrooooong! The Cross Gate here was
sealed after the war ended!

I came here to investigate, because it
looks like someone's used the sealed
Cross Gate somehow!

Kaguya
I knew it! The girl who looks like
KOS-MOS must have been here!

Kyon
Oops...

KOS-MOS
......

Xiaomu
Huh? If that's the case, then how did
this kid get here in the first place?

Suzuka
Good question. Hey, Short n' Sassy,
you'd better tell us how you ended up
here.

Kyon
No way! Now that you know about my
secret mission, I'm going to put you
all in unmarked graves!

Haken
We've worked too hard to suffer lame
ironic deaths like being killed in a
cemetery!

You're going to tell us what we want,
no matter what!

Kyon
Grrrr! There's even more of you weirdos
now, so it's even harder than before!

Aschen
They may be weird, but they're
helpful.

Reiji
You don't need to call us that. It's not
like you guys are any different.

Kyon
I'll blow you all to hell next time!
Believe it!

Xiaomu
Yeah? Yeah!? You're startin' somethin'
you don't wanna finish, Chump! We'll 
take you down anytime! This means war!

Kyon
War!?

No! Formido Heim is done with wars!

...I've had it with wars...!

Haken
Huh? What was that, Witchling? You said
"Formido Heim is done with wars"?

Kyon
...Urgh. Uh-oh...

Suzuka
You've messed up again, who cares.
Just tell us what you meant!

Kaguya
We came here because we thought the
people in Formido Heim were up to
something. Help us figure it out.

We thought that... you were trying to
start another war.

Kyon, if we're wrong, tell us why!
Please!

Kyon
......

I was ordered not to tell anyone!
So NO!

Even if we don't start a war, I'm still
gonna get my personal revenge on you
jerks for beating me up!

Remember that, you idiots! You stupid,
boob-headed, lackwit, moron jerkface
sack of crap brainless BITCHES!

Kaguya
Boob-headed...?

Aschen
Well, now we know the Orchestral Army
is involved in this in some way.

Haken
That's for sure.

...But some of what she said is itching
at my brain...

Kaguya
If the Kouki-Mon here is sealed...
how did the Orchestral Army get here?

Haken
If we take that demon girl at her word,
then they didn't come here to start
another war, either...

Reiji
Would it be safe to assume that she is
only here because someone used the Cross
Gate that's supposed to be sealed?

KOS-MOs
She made no mention of T-elos, though.
...Is it possible that she is no longer
here?

Xiaomu
That might not be true, KOS-MOS. The
gimmick that let us open this door tells
me this place is gonna be a pain.

Suzuka
She's right. There's still the
possibility that T-elos hasn't even
reached the Kouki-Mon yet.

Kaguya
I'm a little scared to go on now...

Haken
Well, there's no turning back now.
Let's keep going.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Aschen
Regardless, we must be careful. Now that
we're here, what do we do now, Captain?

Haken
Well, the Cross Gate's unstable, and
we can't just sit around here doing
nothing.

Reiji
Let's head towards that huge castle in
the center. Or is it a tower...? 

Aschen
...Hm? What's... this reading?

KOS-MOS, would you please look at this?

KOS-MOS
Affirmative.

......

There are so many different energy
reactions here. It does not make sense.

Xiaomu
Like, you can't analyze anything that
you're picking up?

KOS-MOS
No, the exact opposite. ...I have a
perfect match for this strange reading
in my records. 

Aschen
......

Kaguya
So does that mean that we're going to
find something that we already know
about here in Formido Heim?

KOS-MOS
...I am detecting the same readings as
the generator from the battleship named
"Mai Tierra," from Lost Herencia.

Haken
What...!?
Where is this coming from!?

KOS-MOS
Directly north from our current
location.

Aschen
Then I was right...

Haken
What does this mean? They couldn't have
brought the Mai Tierra here, could they?

Reiji
It's not impossible, but I don't think
they could have done it without us
hearing about it.

Suzuka
Hmm. Maybe we should take a closer look
around the area near the tower, then.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dorothy
Hello there.
How are you all doing?

Rubor
Hah! You're late!
What took you guys so long?

Kaguya
Huh? Dorothy!?

Haken
And King Wolf...? What's going on?
How did you two get here?

Dorothy
What are you, stupid? We're standing
right in front of it.

KOS-MOS
...A Cross Gate. Where does it lead
to?

Rubor
There aren't that many of them in the
first place. Which Gate did Formido Heim
use when they started the war?

Aschen
The ones in Mirabilis Castle and in
Dulces Tomb, as far as we know.

Suzuka
But, both of those Gates were sealed.
We've seen them both with our own eyes!

Dorothy
It seems that Katze, whom you all know
so well, told King Rubor where you were
planning to go.

Xiaomu
The cat guy!? Why would he do something
like that to us!?

Rubor
Ha! He's my business partner. He's also
been a valuable source of information
to me.

Haken
(Rubor doesn't know that Katze used to
be a member of the Orchestral Army...)

(If Katze didn't tell Rubor himself,
then there's no need to start bringing
it up right now...)

Dorothy
And... It seems that this Katze has also
had some financial dealings here in
Formido Heim, as well.

Reiji
Is he here?

Kaguya
Um... Dorothy, we can see how you got
here, but...

Dorothy
You want to know why we're here, of
course.

I have the same reason as King Rubor.
This all concerns me.

Northern Elfetale has been laid to waste
because of the Mild Keil crystals.

Espina Castle was my home town.

KOS-MOS
Home...

Suzuka
That's why you knew so much about the
Kyamos Tree.

Dorothy
I want to confirm with my own eyes
whether or not Formido Heim is involved
with what's been going on lately.

Kaguya
Can't you just... leave that to us?

Ooh, I know! You could come with us!

Rubor
I'm not asking outsiders for help! What
happened in my country is my problem to
take care of!

Dorothy
How can we trust you anyway? Those war
machines, Nacht and Abend, are following
you around like puppies!

Xiaomu
...Yeah, that's gonna be hard to
explain.

Rubor
They seem to be following your commands,
though. That's fine.

Turn them over to me! I will use them
to smash my way into the Formido Heim
main base!

Haken
As much as I'd like to see that
happen... I can't let you do that.

...It seems there's a connection somehow
between Formido Heim and Lost Herencia.

Aschen
The same readings as the Mai Tierra...

Suzuka
We need to find out the relationship
between the Kusabi-Ishi in Megi Castle
and in this place, too.

Reiji
Let's just agree to not interfere with
each other and get on with our own
business.

Rubor
Ha! We can't do that... Like Dorothy
said, we don't trust you!

Xiaomu
Guys, he's glaring at us... I bet he
thinks the Alteisen and the others are
treasure he can steal from us.

Haken
We've gone through a lot to get these
robots on our side. Letting him poach
our loot wouldn't be cool.

Come on then, Elf and Wolf.
Let's get this over with.

Dorothy
......

Kaguya
(Dorothy...?)

Dorothy
Damn it!
I lost again...!

Rubor
Dorothy! Let's fall back and make our
way to the center...

Dorothy
......

Rubor
Hey! Are you listening!?

Dorothy
......

Rubor
Tch! So useless...!

The Cross Gate here's closed up again,
so I'll have to start all over...!

Dorothy
*sigh*

Kaguya
Dorothy? Um...

Dorothy
...You win. I give up.

Haken
Dorothy, I want to know what you're
really doing here.

Dorothy
Fine... To tell you the truth, I guess I
really didn't care how our battle just
now would turn out.

After the effects of the "Ten Year War"
and doing everything I had to do to
survive in the wreckage of our world...

I didn't know if I could entrust
something this big to outsiders like
you.

You people, who have no idea what the
hardships of those times were...

I just hopped on Rubor's war bandwagon
because I was prideful and stubborn.

Aschen
That's surprisingly deep, for you.
What happened to make you change your
mind?

Dorothy
...When I was creating the Argyros and
Corundum bullets to destroy the crystals,
I came to realize something.

These Mild Keil stones... This bizarre
substance doesn't belong to any of the
worlds we know about.

It's very close to being a mineral, yet
at the same time... It's alive.

Suzuka
So both Shuten and the fish pirates...
were being controlled by the "will"
of the Kusabi-Ishi.

Dorothy
If you already know what it does, that
makes it a lot easier to explain this
next part.

If we ignore what's going on, what
happened in Espina Castle will be the
the fate of all the worlds.

...This is not the time for me to get
caught up in petty grudges about what
happened between us.

I have to admit it: the worlds need
someone like you, Haken, who can find
out the truth behind the Mild Keil

crystals without being tied down by
history or political differences.

Haken
Thanks for the kind words, Little
Bomber Girl. You can rest easy that
we'll take care of this.

And I have to say... When you gave that
speech just now, you looked more
beautiful than ever.

Dorothy
If you're trying to make fun of me, I'm
going to blow you to smithereens, then
blow those to smithereeneens.

Well... Enough of that.

I'm going to wait here until this Cross
Gate stabilizes, then take it back.

Aschen
Do you think King Rubor will come back
here?

Kaguya
Oh... And Katze was with you, too,
wasn't he? Where is he now?

Dorothy
Katze and Saya seem to have come out
from different gates than we did.

Unlike the other worlds, it seems that
the Cross Gate from Dulces Tomb can lead
to many Gates here in Formido Heim.

Reiji
......!?

Wait... Did you say Saya!?
She's here too!?

Dorothy
Yes, she's the one who brought the
information from Katze to King Rubor.

If I recall correctly, she said...

"Oh, this might be my chance to find
a way home."

Xiaomu
What!? There's a way back to our own
world from here!?

KOS-MOS
We must find Saya.

Suzuka
So, you're telling us that we need to
find yet another Kouki-Mon. Argh...

Haken
Well, Dorothy, it's been a blast. I
hate to say goodbye to a pretty lady,
but we need to get going.

Dorothy
Good luck, Haken Browning.

(Talk to Dorothy)
What? What else do you want from me?

Kaguya
Um... Can we still buy stuff from you?

Dorothy
You want to shop? Here?

Haken
You had some interesting stuff back at
your castle, so the Princess here is
just being curious.

Dorothy
*sigh* Do you seriously think I brought
those things here with me?

......

Well, as it just so happens, I did
tuck a few goodies under my dress before
I left the castle.

Suzuka
You did!? Why!?

Dorothy
Aaaahahaha! You know what they say:
"Forewarned is foreplay!"

Xiaomu
No, it's "Foreplay is for me," dummy.

Reiji
"Forewarned is forearmed," you idiots.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Koma
Ta-Daaaaah! Look who's here! Who's the
cat who won't punk out when there's
danger all about? It's Koma! Hurray!

Suzuka
Oh, for the love of... Where did you
sneak in from, you stupid cat?

Koma
I came right through the Kouki-Mon,
Surfboard Princess! Easy-peasy fo'
sheezy!

Aschen
The one in Dulces Tomb?

Koma
You betcha! This is the first time I've
ever had a chance to see Formido Heim...

So when they invited me to come along,
I agreed without a second thought. ￾ô

Kaguya
...Who invited you here?

Reiji
There's no need to ask. It's Saya,
isn't it?

Haken
Hey, Reiji. I've been meaning to ask for
a while now... Why do you grab your head
whenever Saya's around?

Reiji
Saya's the one who gave me this scar.
Ever since then, for some reason... 
the pain comes back when she's near.

Koma
Madam Saya told me that she might have
found a way home.

KOS-MOS
Dorothy said that Saya mentioned it to
her, as well. Saya must be on to
something.

Koma
She's past here, so maybe you should
ask her yourself!

I didn't really bother to pay attention
when she was telling me about it. I was
thinking about selling all my stuff!

Aschen
Stupid cat.

Haken
Okay, Kitty in Pink. Since we don't have
a way to get to our world, you're our
convenience store for now.

Koma
Yippee, I've cornered the market!
Come see what I've got for sale!

(Talk to Koma)
I'm here to help you on your journey!
And to help my business, too... ￾ô

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dokumezu
Mistress Saya, they're here!

Saya
Finally! What took you so long, boys?

Dokugozu
Ooh, my bride-to-be's here too!

Kaguya
I'm NOT your fiancee!
I'm a woman, not a cow!

Saya
True love can transcend silly things
like species boundaries, don't you
think?

Kaguya
Awww... Th-That does sound romantic,
but...

Xiaomu
This is not the time for love lectures,
you moron!

Saya! What are you doing in a place
like this!?

Saya
I'm doing some research, both for Ouma
and because I'm curious.

Reiji
...We've been told that you may have
found a way back to our world.

Saya
Well, it's just a theory at this point,
Little Boy. Don't get too excited yet.

Haken
Don't tell me, it's related to the
Mild Keil stones, right?

Suzuka
That reminds me... This shameless fox
was after Dorothy's device, and she was
also trying to get the red crystal.

Saya
Oh, that doesn't have anything to do
with what's going on here.

...I'd heard that there's something
here that had come from a different
world than the Cross Gates go to.

And if there's a way for something to
get here from another world, shouldn't
there be a way to get back, too?

Haken
(Something came here? I wonder if it's
related to that reaction KOS-MOS
detected when we first got here...)

Saya
Hahaha! Would you like to know what
it is, little boys...?

Xiaomu
Well, it's not like we really want to,
but if you're going to tell us anyway...

Aschen
Don't play stupid, Xiaomu.
Yes, we want to know.

Reiji
...What is it, Saya?

Saya
It's a sssssseeeeeeecret. I'm not doing
this just for fun, so it'll be a hassle
if you're there getting in my way.

KOS-MOS
......

...That does not make sense.

If she came here with Dorothy, then she
must already know that we had the
Corundum bullets and would come here.

Kaguya
If you put it that way... you're right.

Saya
...Oh my. You really are clever,
little Robot Detective.

Well, I guess you'd have figured it out
eventually... I need to buy myself
some time, though.

Reiji
Time for what...?

Saya
Dokugozu! Dokumezu!
Are you guys ready?

Dokumezu
Of course, Mistress Saya.

Dokugozu
I'm totally ready to blow!

Haken
Yeah, well, we're ready too, Farm Boys.
...You okay back there, Reiji?

Reiji
Yeah, I'm just worried about Saya
"buying time." Let's deal with these
guys, quick!

Saya
Ngh... You've got quite a little war
party going now...

Suzuka
It doesn't take that many of us to
beat you, you lying fox.

Saya
Oh, well. I've stalled you for time,
so all's well that ends well.

Reiji
What do you mean...!?

Saya
First, I'm waiting for this Gate that
we came here through to become stable
again...

Second... We were buying time for a
"friend" of mine to get her own job
done.

Kaguya
There are more people working with you!?

Dokugozu
...Ooh, that girl is scary.

Dokumezu
Are you sure you can trust her,
Mistress Saya?

Saya
We don't trust each other anyway.
...But, we both want to get back home,
so we're in the same boat.

KOS-MOS
......! Saya, you don't mean...

Saya
Hahaha! Well, we need to prepare for
our next task. Ta-ta!

Reiji
Damn... I wonder how close she is to
getting back to our original world.

Xiaomu
I bet she's really close... I'm more
worried about this "friend" she just
mentioned out of nowhere.

KOS-MOS
...According to Dorothy, all of them
came through the Cross Gate in Dulces
Tomb.

The only other person who would be there
who is also from our world would be...

Aschen
...T-elos.

Haken
The Dark Beauty...

KOS-MOS
I believe the chances of it being her
are quite high.

Suzuka
...What's going on in Formido Heim?
It's like a tourist spot for every bad
guy in all the worlds.

Kaguya
But, where could they be now?

Haken
...There are other buildings in this
world they could be hiding in.


Either they're in one of those, or in
the huge tower at the center, or...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
What is this thing? Wait... I could
swear I've seen something like this
somewhere before...

KOS-MOS
This wreckage is the source of the
readings that match those of the crashed
battleship in Lost Herencia.

Aschen
...The Mai Tierra.

Suzuka
This? But it looks nothing like that
other place.

Reiji
Is this the bow of a crashed battleship?

Xiaomu
This part isn't stuck in the ground,
either. It's split, like it was cut off.

Kaguya
Then, the front half of the ship is
here, and the back half...

Haken
Yeah. It's in our world, Lost Herencia.
In the middle of a big crater...

...This must be how the people in
Formido Heim first found out about the
Nacht, Specter, and Abend robots.

Reiji
This must also be the thing Saya was
talking about that came from another
world.

Aschen
Captain, it appears that we can enter
the wreckage through this emergency
hatch.

Kaguya
A-Are we allowed to go in?

KOS-MOS
I do not believe we would be the first
people to enter. We should investigate.

Kaguya
Oh! I'm sure I've seen this before...

Aschen
The materials and design of this
hallway... There's no doubt that this
is the same as the Mai Tierra.

Cardia
That's correct... W07.

Aschen
Cardia...!?
Why are you here!?

Cardia
I already told you. I'm going to
terminate those who have breached the
secrecy of our project.

I've finally located them.

Suzuka
You're one hard-working karakuri.
How did you even get here, though?

Cardia
...What good would knowing the answer
do you?

Haken
We had a hell of a time getting to
Formido Heim.

But, now that we did, it seems like
everybody and his grandmother managed
to get here before we did.

It's not even funny anymore.

Cardia
......

Down on the land... That is, the Cross
Gates that connect these worlds in what
you call the Endless Frontier...

The Cross Gates have all become
unstable.

Kaguya
All... the Kouki-mon!?
But why!?

Cardia
The reason is unknown. However, the Gate
in the facility known as Mirabilis
activated as well.

Reiji
Mirabilis...!? The clock-like Gate that
we first saw you at activated?

Aschen
I see, Cardia... You came here through
that Cross Gate.

Xiaomu
Th-Then, doesn't that mean we can go
back home!? I thought I'd never get to
read my favorite webcomic again!

Cardia
I can't let that happen.
...All of you must be terminated.

Anyone who has learned of the purpose
of the Trilobite-class battleship
"Neverland" must be eliminated.

Haken
"Neverland"? Some kind of paradise, huh?
Kind of ironic that it ended up split
in half and rotting here, then.

Kaguya
Terrorbyte and Newbieland...
You seem to know a lot more about your
orders than the last time we met, Cardia.

Cardia
It's because I was able to successfully
link with this ship's main computer.

Aschen
The main computer's still functioning!?

Cardia
After a fashion, yes. The damage to its
systems was critical and most of its
data was already lost.

It suffered a complete nonrecoverable
system failure while I was searching its
databanks for more information.

Aschen
...Cardia, tell me. Tell me the memories
that I lost.

Cardia
......

Aschen
Please, W06...

Cardia
......

Twenty-three years ago... The Neverland
was transported to this world, the
Endless Frontier.

For reasons that are still unknown, the
ship suffered massive damage in midair
and split into two.

Suzuka
...And the front half landed in Formido
Heim, while the back half crashed in
Lost Herencia?

Cardia
Correct. The front half contained the
ship's main computer, the
"Tinkerbell."

The back half contained the W Series
storage area and the hangar.

Haken
Ah... And that's how Aschen ended up
found in Lost Herencia. You were there,
too, in one of the other pods.

But, other than you robots... Was there
a baby on that ship?

Cardia
A baby? ...There are no records of that.

Haken
......

Kaguya
Haken...

Haken
I was kind of hoping she could tell me
something about where I came from.

Aschen... Where the heck did you find
me?

Aschen
...I no longer remember.

Haken
(Is it just coincidence that Aschen was
found with me? Or is there something
else to this...?)

T-elos
Hmph... You're rather chatty for a
soulless machine.

KOS-MOS
...T-elos!

Reiji
So you're the "friend" that Saya was
talking about.

Xiaomu
Of all the people... Sheesh!
She seriously needs better taste in
friends.

T-elos
"Friend"? What nonsense. Interactions
with humans are either useful or not.
"Friendship" is irrelevant.

That monster woman seemed to know of a
way to return to our world.

Until I confirm the veracity of her
claims, she remains useful to me.

...I'll kill her once I find out if she
is telling the truth or not.

Xiaomu
Wow, talk about two evil women...
Er, one robot and one beast-lady.

Suzuka
Cardia, shouldn't you get rid of this
smart-mouthed karakuri, too?

Don't let us stop you. We'll just sit
back and watch. We'll even cheer you on.

Aschen
That's very devious of you, Little
Princess.

Cardia
There is no need for that yet. This
android still serves a helpful purpose
to me.

T-elos
......

KOS-MOS
T-elos, the reason why you aren't saying
anything about Cardia...

T-elos
It still has its uses. This thing says
that it wants to go back to its own
world, too.

Cardia
We haven't finished exchanging
information. We can deal with each other
after getting rid of you.

Kaguya
T-Talk about an abusive relationship...

Aschen
Even if you do manage to defeat T-elos,
how are you going to get back to your...
our world?

Cardia
There are still more tasks I have yet to
complete before I do. In order to
protect the secrecy of the project...

I must destroy this world and anyone
else who may know of us.

Reiji
That's a pretty tall order there... Are
you saying that you're going to kill
everyone in Formido Heim by yourself?

Cardia
If it is necessary, then yes.
...Records show that a war took place
in the recent past.

All I need to do is induce another one
to eradicate this world's inhabitants.

Haken
You're vile...! You're going to start
a war and kill countless people so you
can keep your stupid secrets!?

Xiaomu
That's insane! There's no way we're
going to let that happen!

Cardia
The fires of war are the only way to
purge the knowledge from this world.
There is no conflict of morals here.

Aschen
(Conflict... Caused by war...)

T-elos
What does it matter, anyway? If one war
is all it takes to destroy this world,
than its "will" was weak anyway.

Let us begin, KOS-MOS.

I'll drag that thing out of you and
return to my own world!

No... Not returning, but recursion...
That is far more appropriate.

KOS-MOS
......

T-elos
Ngh...! KOS-MOS...!
Not once, but twice...!

Still, I now have the information I
need. This place's transfer coordinates
and system source will be of use...!

Haken
(Transfer coordinates...?)

KOS-MOS
T-elos.
...Where are you trying to go?

T-elos
Everything moves in cycles, KOS-MOS.
...There's your answer.

I will be waiting for you where it
all began!

KOS-MOS
......

Suzuka
Don't let her get away! She's just going
to cause us more problems later!

Aschen
...We need to take care of this one
before we can do that, Suzuka.

Cardia
......

Dam...age... at 92%...
It seems like... this is it... W07.

Aschen
It's over, Cardia. You can't run away
from us any more.

Tell me before you shut down completely.
What was the order I was given?

You've linked with the main computer
here... If anyone can possibly know,
it has to be you. Please, tell me!

Cardia
...W07...

You... are to... keep... W00 safe...

Those were... your orders.
From... him...

......

Aschen
......

KOS-MOS
This robot is no longer operative.

Reiji
W00... Could that be...?

Haken
Maybe it was that weird robot we saw
at Wilkurkind.

Parts of its weapons and fighting style
looked like Cardia and Aschen's.

Xiaomu
In the end, she ran out of juice before
telling us anything really useful.

Suzuka
If we took her back to your ship, maybe
Marion could check her out, but...

Kaguya
We can't carry her around with us,
though...

KOS-MOS
Cardia has been terminated, but T-elos
is still out there. We still have a
mission to complete.

Haken
Yeah, yeah. It sounded like T-elos got
her hands on the information from this
ship's computer, too.

In any case, let's get out of here.

Aschen
......

...Goodbye, Sister.
I will continue to live as well
as I can...

...Hm? What's this...?

Haken
The electricity along the floor's been
deactivated? I guess the power source
must have been on this ship.

Xiaomu
That's not much help. I'd rather have
the Cross Gates stabilize.

Aschen
...Captain.

Haken
Hm? You took your sweet time coming out
of the ship. What happened?

Aschen
I found this near Cardia's body.

Kaguya
Is this... a key?

Suzuka
It sure looks old...

Haken
...Could this be for the central tower?

Reiji
Considering where Cardia was planning to
go after getting that information, it
would make sense. This is great.

Haken
Yeah, it sure is. Looks like we're going
to wrap up this little excursion into
Formido Heim sooner than we thought.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Katze
Hey! I had a feeling you guys would
make it this far.

Haken
Yo, Army Man. So this is where
you've been waiting...

Katze
These are my old stomping grounds,
after all. I couldn't just sit around,
knowing what's going on right now.

Kaguya
Um... Just what IS going on right
now?

There's just too much stuff happening
all at once, and it's getting so
confusing keeping it all straight...

Katze
Ehhh, how can I put it...? It's like
the world is straining at the seams.

Reiji
Does it have anything to do with all
the Cross Gates to Formido Heim
suddenly opening?

Xiaomu
They're pretty unstable, like a pretty
woman's heart... Just opening and
closing, whenever they feel like it.

Suzuka
Are the Kouki-Mon related to what's
happening to the world here?

Katze
Yes. But, it's not just related...
It's the exact cause of what's going
on.

Haken
What the hell are you talking about?

Katze
Ezel seems to be trying to do
something extreme.

He's... intentionally trying to make
the Cross Gates become unstable.

But constantly applying pressure to
the Gates by opening and closing them
is a very dangerous thing to do.

It might be okay for now, but who
knows what's going to happen in the
near future...?

KOS-MOS
Intentionally...? Why would the leader
of the Orchestral Army want to do
something like that?

Haken
The Orchestral Army members we met all
said that they didn't want to start
another war, though.

...Aren't they doing just that with
what they're doing now?

Katze
Oh, not at all. He's not doing it to
cause any harm to the other worlds.

What they're doing now is being done
to deny the Einst any more power than
they already have.

Aschen
The "Einst"...? I am not aware of
that term. Is it another organization?

Katze
No, they're not new at all. I believe
that you've already seen and fought
them a number of times.

Kaguya
B-But, where?

Haken
Give us some more hints, Mystery Cat.
Was it those guys in the undersea
ruins in Varna Kanai?

Suzuka
The ones that appeared around the
Kusabi-Ishi and made Shuten go crazy?

Katze
Bingo. Those are the Einst.
...They're directly responsible for
the "Ten Year War."

They're beings from another world
that managed to make the king of
Formido Heim, Stahl Deib, their slave.

Reiji
"From another world..."? Do you mean
they're from some other place that
isn't part of the Endless Frontier?

Katze
That's a really great guess. Right on
the money. Then again, you're from
another world too, aren't you?

Thirteen years ago... King Stahl
succeeded in opening a certain Cross
Gate that had been sealed.

This Gate led to the world of those
called the Einst.

Kaguya
A-And then what happened? Did these
aliens kidnap him and do all kinds of
nasty probing things to him?

Katze
You really seem curious about this,
Juicy Princess.

...But I think I've said enough for
now.

Xiaomu
H-Hey! Don't leave us hanging like that!

Katze
If you want to know the rest, you'll
have to get past me.

Only those who meet the qualifications
are allowed through here.

KOS-MOS
...What are these criteria?

Katze
It's whether you're strong enough to
beat me! Simple, isn't it?
Heh heh heh!

Haken
No matter how strong you might be...
Do you think you can tackle all of us
at the same time?

Katze
Thanks for the consideration, Cowboy.

Still, this is my way of making sure
what's been done comes to an end.

...as the former sub-leader of the
Orchestral Army.

Kaguya
An end... to what, though?

Katze
......

...I just said I'm done answering your
questions. If you're set on stopping
Ezel, you'll have to fight me.

Enough talk. Have at you!

Haken
Stop Ezel...?

Okay... We'll go along with whatever
your plan is for now. If beating you
up is what it takes, so be it.

We're all determined to get to the
bottom of this!

Katze
...All right, you win. Maybe you do
have what it takes to do this. What
a strange crew you have here, Captain.

An android from the fallen battleship,
the Neverland...

Aschen
...I'm probably the only one left,
though...

Katze
The Princess from the world of Kagura
Amahara, that closed its Gates to save
itself from the war...

Suzuka
You mean when we shut the Gate to
Elfetale during the "Ten Year War"?

Kaguya
No, we weren't saving the world...
All we did was hide...

Katze
Strangers from beyond the Endless
Frontier...

KOS-MOS
......

Reiji
We didn't exactly have a choice in the
matter, though.

Xiaomu
...Call it fate or karma or something.

Katze
...And the man named Browning.

Haken
Huh? What does my name have to do
with anything?

Katze
......

Kaguya
What did you mean when you said that
Kagura Amahara was saving itself?

Haken
I'd always thought that the "Ten Year
War" was between Formido Heim and
Elfetale, and no one else.

Aschen
...True, something happened to turn
all of Western Elfetale into a desert.

Haken
...Formido Heim hadn't shown any
intention of attacking any of the
other worlds, though.

Katze
......

That's all I can tell you, folks.

Once I realized the mistake that I'd
made... I immediately went AWOL and
left Formido Heim.

...I felt so guilty that I couldn't
stay in the Orchestral Army and live
with the guilt over what I'd done.

So, that's why... I don't have the
right to tell you anything else about
what really happened.

...If you really want to know more,
head for the top of this tower.

The only man who can tell you the
rest will be there.

Haken
...The leader of the Orchestral Army,
Ezel Granada.

Katze
Yes... The man who killed our king.
Ask him for the truth, in his own
words.

Haken
......!

Katze
Well then... I'll be going back to
Dunopolis. I'm still someone
respectable there.

Kaguya
But... All the Kouki-Mon are unstable
right now. How will you get there?

Katze
It'll open up eventually if I wait
long enough.

Since Dorothy and Rubor are there too,
I don't think I'll get bored.

Oh, right. This door is locked, but
there's a really easy way to open it.

Good luck finding it out, though!

Haken
Well, that's that, huh? He's a nice
guy, considering he tried to kill us.

I think he left us with more questions
than answers, though.

Kaguya
The Einst... Are they really behind
everything that's happening?

Haken
Considering that they started the war
and made the Mild Keil crystals, is
that too hard to believe?

Aschen, do you have any data on this?

Aschen
Nothing at all.

Reiji
It's been ten years since the war
started... Why would they suddenly
appear after hiding for so long?

Suzuka
There's still somebody who can
tell more about everything... Both
in the past and right now.

Xiaomu
That armored guy with the skull for a
face, right? I bet those other two
are going to be with him...

KOS-MOS
We do not know if what Katze said
about intentionally destabilizing
the Gates is correct.

Haken
Right... Looks like we're just going
to have to keep on going ourselves.

First, we have to open this door.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kyon
Oh, maaaaaan! How'd they get this far?

Ezel
......

Henne
Ezel, are we really going about things
the right way here?

...Destabilizing the Gates means that
we'll be opening the ones that were
supposed to stay sealed, too.

Kyon
Hrmm... It's caused a bunch of people
to come over here who aren't supposed
to, too.

Ezel
......

Haken
Well, the gang's all here.

Xiaomu
There you are! It's the secret
fighting force, the Formido Heim
Marching Band and Chowder Society!

Kyon
No, you idiot! We're the special
forces unit, the Orchestral Army!

Henne
I never thought that we'd be duking
it out here.

...We won't hold anything back!

Kaguya
W-Wait a second! Please! Everything's
going way too fast!

Haken
Your lackeys seem to be rarin' to go,
but how about you, General Anatomy?

Ezel
......

Haken
......

Ezel
What are you implying, hunter from
another world?

Haken
Your catguy friend told us to ask you
for the truth.

We want to hear it from you... "the
man who killed his king."

Ezel
......

Henne
What? Ezel, what is he talking about!?

Kyon
No way! King Stahl died in glorious
combat with the enemy!

Ezel
......

You spoke to Katze.

Reiji
Fighting is easy. You just keep
battling until either side falls.

Aschen
I doubt we should be settling our
disagreement this way. The Neverland
is connected to our own world, too.

Ezel
......

Over 20 years ago...

It all began when a piece of an ark
from another world fell on Formido
Heim.

Kyon
More like... the entire front half,
not just a piece.

Aschen
That would be the same time that the
Mai Tierra, the back half, fell in
Lost Herencia.

Ezel
Our ruler, King Stahl Dieb, took an
interest in the technology from that
ship.

It contained data about machines from
that other world... Transportation
technology and humanoid weapons.

Haken
These "humanoid weapons..." You
mean Nacht and Abend?

Henne
Ezel, what's this about "transport
technology"? I've never heard of it.

Ezel
The ark came to the Endless Frontier
from a world outside the small number
of worlds connected by the Gates.

It used something known as a
"dimensional transportation device"
to come from its own world.

It wasn't perfect, but it was capable
of establishing dimensional coordinates
for the worlds it could go to.

Reiji
So... It's like a device capable of
controlling the Fluxes.

KOS-MOS
Did Formido Heim manage to make use
of that technology?

Ezel
Yes. It took us ten years to analyze
the machines and successfully
manufacture our own Cross Gates.

And, eventually, we succeeded in
opening a gate to another world.

Xiaomu
...And by "another world," you mean
one of the ones that isn't connected
to a regular Cross Gate.

Haken
I see where this is going. You made a
Gate to the world where those Einst
guys were from.

Ezel
...Correct. You all must be aware of
their powers by now.

King Stahl wanted that power for
himself... and he led his army into
the Einst world.

He took with him the humanoid weapons
based on plans found in the fallen
ship. The Nacht, the Abend...

...and the ArcGain.

Haken
Not the Gespenst? I've never heard the
name ArcGain before. Was it made from
the same data?

Ezel
No, the ArcGain was actually found on
the ark. A blue combat mech, with
bladed arms and cannons on its legs.

Aschen
Hm...?

Haken
(That's the one we fought at
Wilkurkind, in front of the red
Mild Keil stone!)

Ezel
...And eventually, the King returned.

Kaguya
And then...!?
Wh-What happened next!?

Ezel
......

...I executed him.

Suzuka
Hey, wait! You must know a lot more
that you aren't telling us!

Xiaomu
Your story was pretty good, too.
Why don't you want to tell us what
happened?

Haken
All right, let me guess. You don't
plan on telling us any more, huh?

Ezel
......

Henne
Ezel... are you serious?
Did you kill King Stahl...?

Kyon
They're not just lying to try and
confuse us?

Ezel
Henne, Kyon... I'll tell you the truth
about what happened when this is all
over. The truth behind the war...

...and about the Einst.

Kyon
...Are you gonna tell these guys, too?

Katze thought they were worthy of
knowing the truth, or they wouldn't
be here.

Still, if they lack the power to apply
what they learn, it will only bring
about more disasters.

If they are too weak to handle the
truth... Then they cannot be allowed
to live, knowing what they know now.

Henne
...I understand, Sir. I'll fight them
with every fiber of my being.

Kyon
Yeah! This time it's personal!
I mean it this time!

Henne
Urk...! They're much stronger than
when I last fought them at Dulces Tomb.

Kyon
I hate each and every one of you!
Stupid, badly-dressed, over-boobed,
fake, two-toned, fox-eared bastards!


You have the Nacht and the Abend on
your side now... And even the Phantom,
which was created to destroy them.

Haken
Yeah, well... We wouldn't have come all
this way out of simple curiosity, now
would we?

Aschen
...We aren't here to get revenge on
Formido Heim for the war, either.

Reiji
Some of us are from a completely
different world than these, like the
Einst are.

KOS-MOS
We need to return to our own worlds,
no matter what.

...There is someone waiting for me.

Ezel
......

Very well. Our defeat here must be
fate, as well.

Henne, Kyon, I want you to pay attention
to this as well.

Henne
...All right, Sir.

Kyon
So, these people aren't really bad guys
either...? I guess it's okay for them
to hear this, too?

Fight's over! We're all friends now!

Suzuka
I've got my eye on you, Little Girl.

Xiaomu
Yeah, I'm not sure I'm over that remark
you made a few seconds ago.

Kaguya
O-Over-boobed...!?

Ezel
......

You want to know what happened after
King Stahl returned from the world of
the Einst, correct?

Haken
Right... You killed him. But why?

Ezel
The only ones that returned from that
world were the king and his three
bodyguards.

Kaguya
The three karakuris? The Wulf, the
Angel, and the other one?

Reiji
You didn't go with him?

Ezel
I was under orders to protect Formido
Heim during the king's absence.


If I had gone... maybe none of this
would have happened at all.

Aschen
What do you mean...?

Ezel
......

King Stahl was no longer himself when
he returned to Formido Heim.

Suzuka
No longer... himself?

Huh... Do you mean he was under some
kind of mind control, like Shuten?

Ezel
No. The one who stepped out of the
Gate... It was something that had taken
the king's shape, but it wasn't him.

Kyon
Huh? So, it wasn't really the king
anymore?

Ezel
...That's right.

That... creature... is what suddenly
declared war on Elfetale, saying it
would create a "world of silence."

Henne
That's how the war started...!?
Ezel, I've never heard this!

Ezel
...I only realized the truth near the
end of the war. How could I have told
our entire world what had happened?

That all our fighting, all the lives
lost, was because we were being
manipulated by this... thing?

That all the atrocities we committed
on Elfetale were ordered by some alien
being under the guise of our leader?

Henne
Ngh...

KOS-MOS
None of you had any suspicions about
the war at all?

Kyon
...I was in the rear echelon, as part
of a bombing squadron.

Henne
I was in the mercenary units on the
frontline.

...Do you think that a soldier fighting
in the chaos of battle has time to think
about if their king is a fake?

No... On the battlefield, you either
fight, or you die. There's no room to
wonder "what if"s.

Xiaomu
...Well, she's got a point there.

Ezel
In Formido Heim, the king rules with
absolute authority.

This creature looked exactly like the
king, and we all obeyed it as we would
our own master.

Haken
So, you came to realize this, and...

Ezel
I was the first one to become
suspicious, but Katze was the one
who looked into the matter.

Eventually, our "leader" showed its
true nature. The Orchestral Army turned
against it and fought back.

Kaguya
What happened then!?
Did you win!?

Reiji
Slow down, Princess.

Ezel
...We did win. I personally killed the
thing masquerading as our king.

Our revolt took place at the isolated
tower in the battle of North Olitoria.

However, the Orchestral Army was on the
verge of annihilation from the battle
against the loyal Formido Heim troops.

I announced that King Stahl had died
in combat, temporarily took power, and
created the peace treaty with Howzen.

Katze left the Army to find a way to
help the victims of the war in Elfetale,
and left Formido Heim.

Aschen
That's what led to the creation of the
Giant Marquis. From colossal battle tank
to desert-crawling town...

Ezel
Being the only survivor from the
Orchestral Army, I reformed our ranks,
determined to make up for the war...

...and to ensure that Einst could never
make contact with us ever again, I had
all the Gates in this world sealed.

Henne
So that's... the truth behind the
"Ten Year War..."

Kyon
Huh? Then what about the Snack, Almond,
and Cardigan?

Haken
That's Nacht, Abend, and ArcGain.
...What did happen to them?

Ezel
It's most likely that they had been
reprogrammed by the Einsts when they
captured the king.

All of them gained extreme combat
powers and self-regenerating
capabilities.

Once the king was dead, they left our
control... And disappeared without a
trace.

Xiaomu
Wow, talk about a sudden upgrade.
Well, we know how tough they are from
personal experience.

Suzuka
Why would these karakuri suddenly start
going after the Kusabi-Ishi?

Kyon
We don't know. That's why Henne and I
went to Elfetale, so we could find out.

Henne
We all know what happened there, though.
We ran into you.

Ezel
There is no doubt that the Einst are
capable of going to the other worlds
through different Gates than ours.

KOS-MOS
The undersea ruins in Varna Kanai...
Wilkurkind.

Aschen
Yes, considering that we found the
Nacht, the Abend, and the ArcGain there,
that is most likely correct.

Haken
Your fuzzy former follower told us that
you're trying to destabilize the Cross
Gates on purpose.

Why would you want to do that?

Ezel
There are more Gates to the Einst world
than the one here in Formido Heim.

I'm not sure you understand the
implications of that.

Haken
In Espina Castle... Northern Elfetale
was virtually wiped out because of the
Mild Keil stones.

Suzuka
Megi Castle is close to becoming that
way, too.

Aschen
The Schlafen Celeste in Lost Herencia
had Mild Keil crystals inside it, as
well.

Ezel
If I release the energy stored in this
tower, it will be possible to interfere
with all the Gates that go there.

Kaguya
This tower has that kind of power?

(The same... as the Fujisakura...?)

Ezel
After a great deal of research, I
discovered that the Mild Keil stones
gain energy from the Cross Gates.

Constantly opening and closing the Gates
depletes this energy...

And without a stable energy supply,
we'll be able to prevent the Einst from
launching an invasion on other worlds.

Reiji
But, Katze said that this was a risky
plan...

Ezel
...I understand that. But, there's no
other way to buy time, and we can
destroy the Einsts already here.

Kaguya
......

Ezel.
...There is another way.

Could you leave this to me...
No, to all of Kagura Amahara?

Ezel
Hm...?

Haken
Kaguya, do you have a better plan
in mind?

Kaguya
......

Suzuka
Don't tell me...
Kaguya, you're not thinking about--

Kaguya
Suzuka, we have to get back to Taketori
Castle. We'll talk more there... Okay?

Suzuka
...All right.

Ezel
...I'll power down the barriers that
are protecting Formido Heim, and reopen
the Gate to the Kyamos Tree.

Kyon
You've got all three of the Personal
Troopers following you now, right?
That means...

Henne
There's only one relic from the war
that's still out there... The ArcGain.

Haken
Right. And I have an idea where it
might be.

Kaguya, before we go to Taketori Castle,
let's make a quick stop at Lost Herencia
first.

Kaguya
What are you going to do? Where do you
think it is?

Aschen
You suspect... that it will be on board
the Neverland in Lost Herencia?

Haken
Yeah. ArcGain must be one of the same
series as Aschen and Cardia... It must
be this W00 we've heard so much about.

Reiji
Hmm... If that's true, there's a
good possibility that it would be
hiding there.

Xiaomu
There's an old cop saying that a
criminal always returns to the scene
of the crime.

Ezel
The Neverland...
Take this with you, then.

KOS-MOS
Is this... a card key?

Ezel
Indeed. We found it inside the wreckage
here, but it doesn't correspond to any
door on our section of the ship.

Aschen
This is... Level 3...!

Haken
Bulls-eye!
I remember seeing a Level 3 hatch
in front of the Operations Room.

Thanks, Ezel. We'll go after the
ArcGain on our own.

Henne
Ezel, what should we do?

Ezel
...We will continue to follow the
Einsts' tracks. Concentrate on Varna
Kanai to begin with.

Kyon
Well, see you guys later! You too,
Miss Bounciful Boobage!

Kaguya
Aw, that's so sweet, Kyon.
Remember, they say it helps to drink
a lot of milk when you're a kid!

Kyon
Huh...?

I-I-I'm not jealous of you!
I don't need your homespun wisdom,
you H-Game dropout!

Kaguya
Wh-What does that even mean...?

Kyon
......

(...Milk, huh...?)

Suzuka
(Hmm... Milk?)

Xiaomu
(Note to self: stop by the store and
get milk when we get home.)

Ezel
Aheh. We shall meet again,
Haken Browning.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Aschen
Captain, we are going to Lost Herencia
now, correct?

Haken
Yeah. Let's hurry. It looks like we
don't have a lot of time now.

Reiji
It's nice that we're done with the
Orchestral Army now, but...

Xiaomu
There's still Saya to catch, and
T-elos, and the ArcGain...

Haken
Whatever. Let's get to the Cross Gate
before we start worrying more.

KOS-MOS
Kaguya, what is this "other way"
you spoke of earlier?

Kaguya
Oh? Oh... Um, there's some things I know.

Let's just leave it at that for now.
Come on, let's go to Lost Herencia!

Suzuka
......

<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>

(If you visit before opening portal to Einst World)
???
Weaklings, the time is not yet now...
Return when the gate to another world
has opened...

(If you visit after opening portal to Einst World)
???
...Strong ones...
Are you prepared...?


You sense an ominous power...

Haken
...

Looks like we've defeated it.

Aschen
So it would appear...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

There's a broken capsule here. It seems
like there's a nameplate below it.

The words are scratched and hard to
read, but... it's possible to make out
the words...

[W00 Haken Browning]


Haken
......

What's... the meaning of this, Aschen?

Aschen
......

I've been successful in salvaging a
portion of the data.

This capsule contained W00...
The prototype for the W Series.

Haken
......

Kaguya
The W Series...!
Aschen...!?

Aschen
It appears that W00 was not an android,
but... a living human.

Aschen
A child was created through genetic
manipulation to create a "superior"
human.

It would be physically and mentally
stronger, and through "imprinting" it
could be taught advanced skills.

Reiji
...So they were artificially creating
supersoldiers?

Haken
......

What are the skills that this kid was
supposed to learn?

Aschen
It's to control its own
Personal Trooper.

It seems the project was meant to
develop the weapons used by the soldiers
they created as well.

KOS-MOS
Cardia said that the Phantom... is a
replica of W00's personal unit.

Aschen
Yes. Some of the data concerning that
was available as well. The machine's
codename was the Phantom...

While its official name is the
"Gespenst Haken."

Haken
......!

Gespenst
......

Haken
Gespenst I see... So, when you ignored Cardia's
order to retreat, and when you hacked
into Nacht and Abend...

You were actually obeying my orders,
even if I didn't know I was giving them
at the time.

You're a loyal robot, Mister.

Gespenst
......

Haken
Then, does this mean that there are
other guys like me running around the
world somewhere?

Aschen
...No. It seems that you're the only
one, Captain.

Xiaomu
What does that mean? There aren't any
more advanced humans like Haken out
there?

Aschen
Yes. Only one was created as a
prototype, and the project was
terminated.

KOS-MOS
Was there some sort of defect leading
to the project's end?

Aschen
The reason on file is... The results of
the project could not be used as weapons
until the child fully matured.

Suzuka
Ah, I get it. It would take a couple of
decades to get a fighting force. That's
way too long.

Kaguya
It's no different from raising a child
normally...

Aschen
Once the project to create humans was
terminated, they moved on to designing
androids.

Haken
And that's you and Cardia.

Aschen
Yes. Combat androids W01 through W10
were developed by the project.

The person responsible for the project
is named Raymond Browning.

Haken
Browning...

......

I see... So I was made in a lab.

Reiji
Haken...

KOS-MOS
Haken, the circumstances of your
creation does not hold much meaning
with regards to who you are. So...

Haken
Huh? What's with you guys?

All we have here is an uncomfortable-
looking cradle.

...Since ArcGain isn't W00, we're out
of leads about where it could be.

Kaguya
Um... Haken? Are you sure that you're
okay?

Suzuka
Doesn't this bother you? You just found
out the whole reason behind your
existence.

Haken
Let me ask you, Skinny Princess. What
do you think about yourself, as a
Shiki-Oni? 

Suzuka
...Huh? Nothing, really. I'm just a
princess, from a noble bloodline.

Haken
How about you, Stupid Fox?

Xiaomu
Don't call me that!

There's not much to say. I'm just a
cute and smart sage fox.

Aschen
Shameless self-promotion...

Haken
What about you, Aschen? Does being an
android bother you?

Aschen
There's no reason why it should. It's
not like I have any control over what
I am.

I'm just Aschen Brodel.

That's all there is to it!
Wheeeeeee!

Kaguya
It seems a little complicated in
Aschen's case, though.

I'm still kind of surprised to learn
about all this.

But... You're still you, Haken.

Haken
See, that's my point. I can't help what
I am, any more than the Princess here
can help being so round and juicy.

It's not like that lovely bunch of
coconuts is going to just vanish one
day.

I'm Haken Browning, bounty hunter from
Lost Herencia.

The second captain of the Zeit Krokodil,
taking over for John Moses.

If my life hasn't been a lie, regardless
of how I was born... Then, that's all
I need to know.

Xiaomu
Man, I can't believe you're so cool
about all this. Where's all the drama
and the slow dramatic monologues?

Reiji
...Just taking pride in the life you
live, huh...?

Haken
Heh... Don't go looking for anything
deep in what I said.

I'd be pretty depressed if I'd found out
that all my memories had been faked,
though.

Aschen
There is no need to worry about that.
I have video footage of you growing up.

I've changed your diaper many times, and
I made sure to record your development
over time.

I can put these images together into a
time-lapse video if you wish. Would you
like to watch it?

Kaguya
Huh...?
I-Is it important that we see this...?

Haken
What the hell, Aschen. Delete those
pictures right now. Don't even think
about watching them.

Aschen
It's part of my life's story, so I
refuse to delete them, Brother
Zero Zero.

Haken
Okay, Sister Seven. I'll have Doc Marion
cut that stuff out of your head.

In the end, all we discovered here was
the shocking secret of my birth.

Reiji
You don't seem to be too shocked about
it, though.

Haken
Sorry about that. Should I faint and
start screaming a little?

...If I did something like that, it'd
just make Kaguya and the others worry
more about me, right?

Reiji
......

...It's tough trying to keep up that
cool exterior, isn't it?

Haken
No kidding.

KOS-MOS
......


......!

Haken, I'm sensing a transportation
reaction happening right here!

Haken
What...!?

ArcGain
......

Reiji
ArcGain The ArcGain!?
What is it doing here?

Haken
Oh, come on. We just figured out why
you SHOULDN'T be here, and now you come
barging in... You're not W00.

That doesn't explain what those guys
next to you are...

???(Einst Haken)
......

???(Einst Haken)
......

Haken
Howdy, folks. What are you handsome
guys doing here?

Kaguya
Huh!? Three Hakens...
What's going on!?

Xiaomu
I've heard the phrase "the more the
merrier," but what's going on!?

Haken
Aschen, you said that I was the only
prototype for this thing, right?

Aschen
Yes, that should be the case.

Suzuka
But, look at those guys... They look
just like him. They're even standing the
same way! They have to be him!

Reiji
That's a pretty vague way of deciding
these things...

A being that looks exactly the same,
but is completely different inside...
I've heard about that somewhere before.

KOS-MOS
Yes. It sounds similar to what Ezel told
us happened to the king of Formido Heim.

Haken
Einst...!

I didn't expect them to whip out some
imitations of me, though.

Einst Haken
Bring silence... back to the world...

Einst Haken
To... return... once again.

Kaguya
Return...?
What are they talking about?

Haken
There's one thing I do know.

They want to get rid of us.

ArcGain
......

Haken
I don't know why you brought these
cheap copies of me here...

But this is in really bad taste, you
know? I'm still getting over finding out
what I really am!

ArcGain
......

Haken
Showdown time, Mister Arc. You're the
last of the humanoid weapons used by
the king of Formido Heim...

We'll end it here...!

Huh!
It just exploded...?

Kaguya
Those fake Hakens... They disintegrated
into dust when we beat them, too.

Aschen
...Captain, they seem to have the same
characteristics of the Einst that we
fought at Megi Castle and Wilkurkind.

Reiji
That was creepy, though. They looked
so much like you...

Haken
Yeah. If they tried to act more normally
and talk like me... I can see that
they'd easily fool ordinary people.

Xiaomu
I still don't see why they suddenly
brought out those fake Hakens.

Suzuka
Right... One of him's more than enough.
Making more is just annoying.

Haken
...Couldn't you have put that in any
other way?

KOS-MOS
There is the possibility that they came
here to search for something.

ArcGain's detonation seems to have been
self-induced.

It would be most likely that it did so
to not leave any information about
itself behind.

Kaguya
What did they come to investigate,
though?

Aschen
The only information one could find here
is that our Captain was on board the
ship when it came to this world...

Along with a portion of the data used
to transport the ship from its original
world to the Endless Frontier.

KOS-MOS
The coordinate data...

Reiji
Is that what T-elos was talking about
in the Neverland over in Formido Heim?

Aschen
Yes, it seems that this Level 3 facility
was linked to the main computer of the
ship.

In order to examine the effects of
transportation on test subjects, some
of the coordinate data was saved here.

Haken
Are the Einsts trying to do something
with this data?

...Now I see why the Orchestral Army was
doing something as severe as
destabilizing the Cross Gates.

The Einsts suddenly made their move.
Since they knew what the Einsts could
do, they were really nervous.

It'll be a pain if we keep running into
these guys. Let's get back to the Zeit,
then...

Kaguya
Haken, let's go to Taketori Castle
right now, please.

There might be something we can do about
the Kouki-Mon.

Suzuka
...Kaguya.

Kaguya
I know, Suzuka. I'm just going to have
a chat with my father about it.

Suzuka
......

Xiaomu
Huh? Why are you being so secretive
all of a sudden?

Reiji
That reminds me... You said that there
might be another way...

Kaguya
We can talk about it later!
C'mon, let's go!

Haken
......

(So this is where I come from, huh...)

(I'm not that shocked... But, it's not
something I can just ignore, either.)

......

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
I'm back, Vice Chief.

Lee
Welcome back, Captain. It seems like
you're doing a lot of stuff out there...

Haken
Yeah. It's all been a barrel of laughs.

...Then again, I've found something out
that I didn't really want to know.

Lee
Captain...?

Haken
Never mind.
How's the Zeit doing?

Marion
It's pretty much repaired. As long as
you don't order us to crash through any
more walls, she'll be fine.

Haken
Relax, Doc. I'm done with those
shenanigans.

...Oh, yeah. I have something I want you
to analyze for me. Do you have time?

Marion
What is it?

Haken
...It's a piece of this combat robot
called ArcGain that picked a fight with
us.

We were all having a good old-fashioned
brawl when it went and exploded on us.
I'm curious to know what it really is.

Marion
I would've preferred it if you could
have brought it back in one piece...
I'll see what I can do.

Lee
Oh, Captain. There's a visitor here
to see you.

Haken
A visitor? Who is it?

Lee
It's the former Captain.

Haken
What? Of all the times...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

John
How's it going, Haken?

Haken
Yo, "former Captain."

It's not like you to leave your office
and check out the actual world anymore,
Dad.

John
I heard you were doing some crazy stuff
with my Zeit. Well, I was in the area,
so I decided to swing by.

Haken
...Yeah, right. That can't be all there
is. Is it something too important to
trust with a transmission?

John
......

Okay, there's no use in hiding it.

...We've received a request from Kagura
Amahara to take the princess into
protective custody and return her.

It came directly from Sanuki Nanbu
himself.

Kaguya
What!? M-My father...!?

Suzuka
They know I'm here watching over you...
Something must have happened.

John
Probably.

Aschen
Father John, did King Nanbu give any
reason in particular for this?

John
I asked, but he wouldn't give me a
straight answer... It might be
something he can't discuss with us.

Kaguya
I don't think there's anything in
Kagura Amahara that would be so
shameful, though...

KOS-MOS
There is the possibility that a problem
suddenly arose that must be dealt with
quickly.

John
All right, Son.
...Get to Kagura Amahara, double-time.

Depending on what's going on... I'm
giving you clearance to act like a
knight to help the princess.

Haken
Okay, Dad. We were actually heading to
Kagura Amahara after this, anyway.

I don't know if this is good or bad
timing, but we'll find out when we
get there.

Xiaomu
I can see where you get your taste
in fashion from.

Reiji
He seems a little too easygoing to be
a head of state, though.

Haken
All right, let's head to Taketori Castle
in Kagura Amahara.

Oh yeah... Pops.

John
...Hm? What's the matter?

Haken
......

...Never mind, it's nothing.

See ya later, Old Man.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kaguya
Haken, where are you going? We need to
hurry to my father's place...

Haken
Hold your horses, Princess.

...Something's not right in this town.

Reiji
Yeah, what's going on?

Haken
In times like these, they always say
it's best to attack from the side
instead of the front...

Hey, Shirou! You here?

Shirou
Hm? Oh, Haken... Ah, and Princess
Kaguya is with you, too, woof!

Kaguya
Um, did something happen?

Haken mentioned it already... The whole
town seems kind of restless.

Shirou
......

Suzuka
Shirou, tell us what you know.

Shirou
...All right.

Aschen
The Ura Genbu... The nation's ninja
squad are fortifying the town here?

Shirou
Well, it's only a rumor... But, I've
heard that they've taken over the
Fujisakura.

Kaguya
The Ura Genbu... My master and her
apprentices!? B-But why would they do
something like this!?

Shirou
I don't have any details, Princess. This
information came from a reliable source,
but there's no proof.

There have also been reports that people
have been seeing Shiki-Oni from Megi
Castle here as well, woof.

Suzuka
Oh, no... Is Shuten up to something
again!?

Xiaomu
That pain-in-the-butt muscleman...
He still hasn't learned his lesson, huh?

Reiji
If the royal armed forces are working
with the Oni, who are supposed to be
their enemies...

...Is there any possibility that this
is a revolt against the king?

Shirou
...I don't know. But, there hasn't been
any fighting or casualties in this
town.

That's probably why they're keeping a
tight lid on this and not telling the
people what's going on.

KOS-MOS
It seems that they want to regain
control of the situation without having
to inform the general public.

Haken
I can see why they'd want Kaguya back
now.

Thanks, Shirou.
We'll go see the King.

Shirou
I have bad feeling about this.
Be careful, Haken. Woof!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kaguya
Father!

Sanuki
Ah, Kaguya.

...Is it really you, Kaguya?

Kaguya
Huh!? Father...?

What are you talking about!? I can't
believe you'd forget your own daughter's
face!

Sanuki
Ah, but those curves... There's no
mistaking them! You're my daughter!

Kaguya
Father, can't you think of a better
way to recognize me?

Reiji
There is so much wrong with this
conversation.

Haken
Hmmm... Let me take a wild guess here.
Emperor Nanbu, did a fake version of
Princess Kaguya show up?

Sanuki
...That is correct. She was found trying
to undo the seal cast upon the
Fujisakura altar.

Haken
......

(We just ran into copies of me, too...
This can't be a coincidence.)

Suzuka
Emperor Nanbu, what was this copy Kaguya
trying to do there?

Although, since you said she was at the
Fujisakura altar, I have a pretty good
idea...

Sanuki
*sigh* In the end, the seal was
broken... and we allowed invaders into
this town.

I ordered Otone and the Ura Genbu to
pursue her, but... We've lost contact
with them.

Haken
We have heard an unconfirmed report
that the Ura Genbu have taken over
Fujisakura.

Aschen
Our source of this information must
remain a secret, woof.

Sanuki
......

There's no use in hiding it from you.

...Your information is correct. The
Ura Genbu are preventing anyone from
getting close to Fujisakura's interior.

Kaguya
Is Master Otone there, too!?

Sanuki
...Yes. It's unthinkable that she would
do such a thing in some kind of revolt,
but...

Haken
Hang on a second, Kingy. What do you
mean by "Fujisakura interior"?

Kaguya
The altar at the root of the Fujisakura
is actually a door... The inside of the
tree is hollow.

Treasured swords are enshrined there,
and there are also shrines used for
rituals.

Xiaomu
First another fake person, now someone
is acting completely out of character
and committing treason...

Haken
Yeah... The Einst have to be behind
what's going on here.

Suzuka
They must've come from... Megi Castle.
Considering that people have seen
Shiki-Oni here, too...

Kaguya
Father, I'll go! I need to go, to
release Master from the curse of the
Kusabi-Ishi...!

Sanuki
The Kusabi-Ishi!? Kaguya... How much
have you become involved in all this?

Kaguya
Father, let me tell you everything
that's happened...

Sanuki
I see... So, Formido Heim was trying to
make the Kouki-Mon unstable... And these
"Einst" have already attacked...

Kaguya
Yes. Northern Elfetale was annihilated.
Varna Kanai is beginning to face similar
problems.

Suzuka
And since the Kusabi-Ishi is related
to all of this, this matter involves me
as well.

Kaguya
Father... That's why I'm considering
using the power of Fujisakura.

Sanuki
......!

Kaguya...!
Are you out of your mind!?

Xiaomu
Woah! That woke me up!

Haken
Hey, what's the matter?

Sanuki
......

...Forgive me, that was uncalled for.

But, Kaguya...

Kaguya
I understand, Father. But, there's no
mistaking that the Einst are involved
with what's going on here.

And because they are gaining power from
the Kouki-Mon...

Sanuki
...Yes. That was why the army in Formido
Heim was trying to destabilize the
Kouki-Mon in the first place.

Aschen
I'm totally lost here.

KOS-MOS
Could it be... that the Fujisakura is
capable of affecting the Cross Gates in
some way?

Sanuki
......

Kaguya
Father, no matter what we do, we can't
just leave the Fujisakura like this.

I'm worried about my Master, too.
I'm going in there...!

Haken
Not so fast, Princess.
You mean "We," right?
And not the royal we.

Sanuki
This is our land's problem. There is
no need to concern yourselves with this.

Xiaomu
Well, we're already in this deep.
We can't just back out now.

Reiji
Right. We've worked too hard to make her
do this on her own.

KOS-MOS
I will continue this mission as well.

Suzuka
Emperor Nanbu, please leave this to us.
They might not look it, but these people
definitely have what it takes.

Aschen
Look who's talking. You don't look it,
AND you don't have it.

Haken
Aschen, stop trying to pick fights
with our teammates.

Well, that being said... We're in on
this, too. Let's all head over to this
altar and see what's there.

Kaguya
Everyone...!
Thank you so very much!

Sanuki
...I thank you as well.
I pray for your safe return.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Reiji
I can't believe this is the inside of a
tree...

KOS-MOS
I do not believe this can be just
nature's doing. It seems that much
labor went into creating this place.

Kaguya
That's right. This tree itself was a
place used for rituals, where offerings
were made to the gods.

Haken
So... That means there's treasure lying
around. Today's our lucky day, Aschen!

Xiaomu
Just think of it as a big toy box, huh?
You really are a little kid at heart.

Aschen
Please keep in mind that our objective
here isn't to steal everything that
isn't nailed down.

Suzuka
Well, if some goodies happen to fall
into your pockets, I don't think
anyone's going to complain.

Kaguya
We're still quite a ways away from the
Hall of Messengers, where the rituals
are performed. Let's hurry.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Koma 
......

Kaguya
Koma!? What are you doing here!?

Koma 
......

Haken
She's not acting like her usual annoying
self. Don't tell me...

Koma
...Restructure... this... world...

Reiji
Looks like it's the same thing that
happened to Shuten and Anne... She's
under Einst control.

Koma
...This altar... closes... gates...

Xiaomu
It's a pain that part of her is still
conscious while this is happening.

KOS-MOS
The power doesn't force the victim to
act, but makes it believe that her acts
are normal... Similar to hypnosis.

Aschen
Aside from us androids and superhumans,
why aren't Reiji and the Breast Extreme
Princesses becoming like this?

KOS-MOS
...I do not know. There must be some
difference from person to person.

Koma
If you get in the way... Kill you all...
And... Grab treasure... And run...
Meow...

Suzuka
Is she really being controlled?

Kaguya
This is Koma we're talking about.
Maybe she's faking it.

Haken
Well, this is a good chance to get some
information out of her. Come on, Koma,
snap out of it!

Koma
Wha--!?
Oh, my! Hello, everyone!

Wow, what happened to me? I had a dream
I was fighting you, but I guess it came
true!

I thought I was gonna crush you guys
like an empty can of coffee...
But you're too strong!

Haken
Talk about delusions...

Okay, Coffee Kitty. Give us the lowdown
on what's going on here.

Koma
Umm... I heard that there's supposed to
be this awesome treasure here in the
Fujisakura!

And I was like, "Oh, Koma, girl! You
can't let a chance like this slip
through your cute little fingers!"

Xiaomu
We don't need to hear the inner
monologue!

Kaguya
...If this was any normal situation, I'd
be slapping you silly right now, but
I'll let it slide this once.

What's going on in here?

Koma
Umm... Y'know, I'm not too sure, myself.

I remember talking to Princess Kaguya
a while ago, and my memory's kind of a
blur after that.

Kaguya
Me...!?

Aschen
...It must have been that copy. Where'd
the Fake Breasts go?

Koma
I... I don't know. I think she went...
Up?

KOS-MOS
Up...? Is that where the Hall of
Messengers Kaguya spoke of is located?

Reiji
Now we know for sure the Einst are
involved in this.

Suzuka
Then, maybe Otone and the rest are being
controlled like Shuten and Koma?

Haken
The question now is, what are the Einst
trying to make them all do?

Kaguya
Let's hurry up and find out!

Oh... What are we going to do with
Koma?

Koma
I'm going back to Elfetale. I came here
in such a rush, I left all the stuff
from my shop there.

Well, I'll be waiting for you guys to
drop by my shop once in a while!
Byeeeeee!

Haken
She always gets to do everything she
wants. Zoom!

Aschen
Perhaps we could learn something from
her.

Kaguya
Yeah, anyway... I'm worried about this
fake me running around...

Suzuka
(More Einst... Shuten might be involved
with what's going on here, too...)

KOS-MOS
We still do not know why the Einst would
need to be in this place.

Xiomau
Yeah, Kaguya. This big-ass tree... It
can do something to the Cross Gate,
can't it?

Kaguya
...It has the power to close off the
Kouki-Mon in this world.

Reiji
So the way your land stayed isolated
during the war was because of this tree?

Kaguya
Yes.

Haken
Princess...
Did... something happen here?

Kaguya
Wh-What? No, nothing happened...

Haken
It's just that when you mentioned this
tree's "power" to your father, he went
kind of ballistic.

And when we talked about this altar
before, you said that this tree has
something to do with your mother.

Kaguya
...I'm surprised you remember that,
Haken.

Haken
Well, a woman's allowed to keep a little
mystery to her if she wants. I'm not
gonna dig if you don't want to talk.

Let's keep going to that Hall of
Messengers, then.

Kaguya
......

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Woah, we're outside.

Xiaomu
Wow, this is gorgeous. It makes me wish
I'd brought along some of my special
sake.

Reiji
I don't think you'd want to get too
relaxed this far off the ground.

Suzuka
This isn't the time for that, anyway.

KOS-MOS
I am detecting a strong energy reaction.
Kaguya, is our destination close by?

Kaguya
Yes, we're almost there. If we climb the
large black vine to the far left, we'll
reach the Hall of Messengers.

Haken
Okay. Let's be ready for anything.

Aschen
It seems like we could climb the green
vines as well. Perhaps we should
investigate those, too.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kaguya
Master!

Otone
......

...Princess... I... will fix... these
lands... and return...

Haken
Yep, looks like the Einst got to her,
too.

Kaguya
Oh, but the magatama is still safe!
Thank goodness!

Aschen
Magatama?

Kaguya
We can't perform the ritual without it.
If it was destroyed...

KOS-MOS
It may be too early to be relieved.

Shuten 
......

Dokumezu
Shinra... Heeeeeere...

Dokugozu
...Wiiiiiiiife...

Xiaomu
It's Saya's bull and horse lackeys!

Reiji
What are they doing here!?

Xiaomu
Looks like they're under Einst control,
too!

Reiji
(What does this mean? Saya shouldn't
have any direct involvement with the
Einst. Or... Is she up to something?)

Shuten
......

Suzuka
Shuten! No, not again!

Shuten
...It's all right, Suzuka.

Suzuka
Shuten!? You're... You're not being
controlled?

Shuten
My head hurts a bit... But I'm still
fully in control.

Aschen
Why are you here, then?

Shuten
After they got to me once, these...
Einst, was it...? I started to
understand something about them.

Those guys who created the
Kusabi-Ishi... They're trying to
change the world.

Haken
Change it...? How?

Shuten
More than that... They want to go
back to their home.

KOS-MOS
Does this mean that they are from
another world as well?

Shuten
...Who knows? I'm not interested in
that.

Suzuka
Shuten! If you know all this, why are
you still in our way!?

Shuten
It's because... I still can't give up,
Suzuka.

I was able to make it this far in all
this confusion. I've made it here, to
the true core of Taketori Castle.

And, even better, the Ura Genbu, the
humans who caused us so much trouble,
are mindless servants to the crystals.

Otone
......

Haken
Uh-huh. So... What now, Shuten? You're
going to take power with all this going
on? Make some changes?

Shuten
Yeah, I'm gonna take every advantage I
can, for my people's sake! All the odds
are finally in my favor!

Suzuka
Shuten, why are you so...!?

Xiaomu
Hmph, so he only wants to take a chance
when it's a sure thing, huh?

C'mon, Reiji. You're the one with the
gambling habit. Tell him that this is
no way to make it big!

Reiji
I don't like people who insist on making
bets on things with low odds, though.

Kaguya
You can't be afraid to take chances,
either.

Shuten, I can't lose here, either.

Otone
...Princess... world... of silence...

Kaguya
I must fight, and I must win! To save
my Master and my world!

I accept this duel...!

Dokugozu
Urgh...! Ow! What the hell!?

Dokumezu
This... We're in that giant damn tree!
What're we doin' here!?

Reiji
What are you two idiots doing wandering
around a place like this?

Xiaomu
You've got to stop letting yourselves
get controlled all the time, too.

Dokugozu
We were being controlled!? Hurm...
Oh, yeah! My wife suddenly appeared,
and I got all excited, and then...

Dokumezu
Why is she with you guys now? What's
going on? Do you have a twin sister?

Kaguya
Oh, no, see, there's this thing...

Haken
The one you saw was a cheap copy made
by the Einst. You dolts completely fell
for it and were brainwashed.

Dokumezu
What!? Impossible! I could see that
buffoon Dokugozu being brainwashed,
but me!? Never!

Dokugozu
Hey, you were being controlled too,
Horse Face!

Aschen
Why don't we beat the living crap out of
them while they're arguing? I'm sure
it'll save us trouble in the long run.

Reiji
I agree... We'll send Saya back to you
later! I hope you're ready!

Dokumezu
Hey, you're the ones that're gonna be
sent back. You and that white android.

KOS-MOS
......! Me?

Dokugozu
Our Mistress wanted us to give you a
message: "Come to the largest battleship
in this place."

Dokumezu
We're all outsiders here...
Don't forget that, Shinra!

Reiji
What!? Hey, wait!

Xiaomu
The largest battleship...?

Shuten
...Sounds like that gigantic wreck in
Lost Herencia, doesn't it?

Suzuka
Well, now what, Shuten. If you haven't
had enough yet... I'll finish the job
myself.

Shuten
Heh... *chuckle*

Haaahahaha!
You win!

Kaguya
S-Shuten...?

Shuten
Everything was in my favor, and even
then my big chance faded away.

I accept my defeat. Right at the very
end... Luck wasn't with me.

Otone
...Ngh.... Mm...?
What was I...?

Shuten
Looks like she's waking up, too.

Otone
You're... Shuten!?
Why are you here...!?

Shute
Come on, lady, gimme a break. We were
fighting side by side a minute ago.

Otone
...Nrgh, that reminds me, I...

Kaguya
Master!

Otone
Princess Kaguya...!?
So it wasn't a dream...!?

...Princess, please forgive me...
I've shamed myself and my training!

Suzuka
You were fooled by that other Kaguya
that was here.

Otone
O-Other...?

...That's right. I remember seeing
Princess Kaguya here, and then...

Kaguya
That wasn't me, Master. It was an
imposter.

Reiji
You were being controlled by it.

Otone
...I truly do lack training, if I failed
to see through a simple ruse like that.

Haken
Don't feel so bad, Li'l Ninja. The
copies look almost identical to the
real thing.

Shuten
And now that my worst enemy is awake,
I'm out of here.

Suzuka
Shuten...

Shuten
Suzuka, I've finally let it go.

...I was just being stubborn. I think...
I can understand why you took the
humans' side now.

Getting controlled by the Einst without
even knowing it...

Using that power to fight people I don't
have any real quarrel with...

That's not right.

Suzuka
...You've finally got it, Shuten. If
you only bully people into submission,
you'll just end up feeling empty.

Conquering Kagura Amahara, doing nothing
but creating more reasons for hatred
between humans and Shiki-Oni...

Shuten
Right... There's no defense for what
I did.

Suzuka
......

...Well, I guess that's enough lecturing
for today.

Shuten, you know what to do with the
Kusabi-Ishi in Megi Castle, right?

Shuten
Yeah, I'll dig them out and put them
somewhere people can't get to them...
if I can't destroy them myself.

...Once everything's over and done
with... I want you to come back too,
got it?

Suzuka
......

...I'll think about it.

Shuten
...Heh.

Kaguya
Thank goodness... It seems like Shuten
understands now.

Now it's my turn to do some lecturing.

Otone
......

Princess, are you here because...?

Kaguya
......

Haken
Hm? Kaguya...?

Suzuka
......

Kaguya, this decision can't fall on
only your shoulders.

Kaguya
......

Aschen
What are they all muttering about?
Is there some kind of knitting circle
going on here?

Reiji
I don't think it's anything that
innocent.

KOS-MOS
Perhaps it is about how this place has
the power to interfere with the Cross
Gates?

Xiaomu
Right... She keeps avoiding that subject
whenever we mention it, and she still
hasn't told us what she's going to do.

Haken
Okay, Princess Zipper-Lips. I think
it's time you told us everything.

Kaguya
......

...Haken, could I speak with my
Master...? Just the two of us?

Otone
......

Haken
Hm? Yeah, that's fine with me...

Suzuka
...Otone.

Otone
...I know. This decision is not for me
to make myself, either. I'm just going
to listen to what she has to say.

Kaguya
......

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
......

Aschen
What now, Captain? Princess Kaguya is
back at the castle, and we have
completed our task.

Reiji
We're thinking about going back to that
gigantic crashed battleship in Lost
Herencia.

Xiaomu
Do you think we should trust what
Dokugozu and Dokumezu said, Reiji?

Suzuka
That fox girl Saya is your enemy, right?
Can you trust what she had her goons
tell you?

Reiji
We don't have any information about how
we can get back to our own world.

KOS-MOS
The Schlafen Celeste is where T-elos and
I were transported to. If we keep that
in mind...

Reiji
...Then there's a good chance that
Saya's found a way back from there.

Aschen
Saya did team up with T-elos to do a
lot of research back in Formido Heim.

I remember her mentioning "transport
coordinates."

Haken
So they're planning to use those and
the ship to do something... I see.

Kaguya
Sorry for making you wait.

Haken
Hey, are you done talking to your
Master?

Kaguya
......

Yes, everything's all right!

Um... So, Haken, where are you guys all
going now?

Haken
We're going to check out the Schlafen
Celeste. Reiji and the others have an
invitation from Saya for a play date.

Reiji
Are you okay with this, Haken? I don't
want to let go of this chance if we
really can go back, but...

Haken
It's cool, Agent. You've been a big help
to all of us. You don't owe us anything.
Xiaomu
I'm not going to feel good if we leave
here without taking care of the Einst
situation...

Kaguya
Einst...?

U-Um... I don't think we'll need to
worry about the Einst anymore.

Aschen
What makes you say that?

KOS-MOS
What do you mean, Kaguya? Do you have
a new way to deal with them?

Kaguya
......

We're going to have a meeting to
talk about it.

Suzuka
Kaguya... Don't tell me you're
going to--!?

Kaguya
I don't know yet, Suzuka.

Haken
...You can't tell us?

Kaguya
......

I'm sorry, Haken.
This is something I can't speak about...

Haken
...I see.

Well, okay, Miss Mysterious. We're
going to get going, then.

Kaguya
Okay.
Reiji, Xiaomu, and KOS-MOS...

This may be the last time we see
each other.

Reiji
Yeah, thanks for everything.
...I hope we meet again some day. 

Xiaomu
All worlds are connected. We'll meet
again under the moonlight someday.

KOS-MOS
I thank you for everything, Kaguya.

Kaguya
Oh no, the pleasure's mine!

Haken
We'll swing by again sometime tomorrow.

I'm still worried about the Einst.
They're going to be a problem for all
the lands in the Endless Frontier.

Kaguya
Tomorrow...?

......

Okay...! I'll see you then!

Haken
Well then, adios, Princess.

Kaguya
...Haken.

Haken
Huh? What's up?

Kaguya
......

...I had a lot of fun...!

Haken
Okay...

Kaguya
It was a very tough journey, but I've
met so many people from all over the
worlds.

It was very exciting! I'm so glad I
was a part of it.

Haken
Hey, it's a little early to start
writing your memoirs now, Kid.

Once we get Reiji and the others back
to their own world, we'll come back and
you can continue your pilgrimage.

Kaguya
......

Right...!

Then... Goodbye, Haken.

Haken
......

Yeah, see you later, Princess.

KOS-MOS
Ah, there's Haken.

Haken
Sorry for the wait.

Aschen
What's wrong, Captain?

Suzuka
How dare you make us ladies wait! What
kind of womanizer do you think you are?

Haken
Don't get whatever you've got on under
that dress in a bunch, Princess. I just
had some business to take care of.

Xiaomu
Yeah, "business."
The kind you "get busy" with.

Reiji
Haken, are we going directly to the
Schlafen Celeste?

Haken
Let's go back to the Zeit first.
...I have to confirm something.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lee
Oh, Captain. Welcome back.

Haken
...Yeah, I'm back, Vice Chief.

Lee
You don't look so well. Did you get
dumped again or something?

Haken
......

Something like that.
It's a pity it didn't work out.

Xiaomu
Really? I thought you were rocking out
or something back there, but she dumped
you? I'm sorry, dude.

Haken
To be honest, part of it's because I'm
going to be saying goodbye to these
guys soon, too.

Reiji
If all goes well, that is.

KOS-MOS
Our situation is still unclear. Saya's
message does not shed any light on the
problem, either.

Lee
So, you already know where you're going
next?

Aschen
The Schlafen Celeste.

Suzuka
Since there's a chance that Dimwit Fox
here can get sent back, we're going to
send her packing as soon as we can.

Lee
I see... This is possibly a farewell,
then.

...Captain, before you go, please go
see Father John.

Haken
Pop's place? Did something happen?

Lee
We received a transmission earlier.
...It seems that Kagura Amahara has
made some kind of decision.

Haken
Gee, that's informative.

Lee
I agree. Still, your father's never been
one to give out facts that he doesn't
have to.

Haken
All right. We'll go see Mister
Descriptive, then.


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
What...!?
Is that true, Pop?

Are they really going to...
seal all the Cross Gates...!?

John
...That's right.
The Fujisakura in Kagura Amahara...

It seems that gigantic tree has enough
power to interfere with the Gates.

Haken
I wonder if that's how they closed
themselves off for a whole ten years
during the war?

John
Exactly.

These Einst that are our current
problem... You said they gain power from
the Cross Gates, right?

Haken
If we close the Gates, we can prevent
them from invading our world...

John
The appearance of the Mild Keil stones,
people being controlled by them, and on
top of that...

The sudden appearance of an imitation
Princess Kaguya was what made them
reach this decision.

Haken
We never actually ran into it.
But still... It's just a copy, right?

(...Well, it is pretty creepy, since
these copies look so much like the
originals...)

John
The problem here... is that the copies
are so much like the original person.

Haken
So, what's the problem with that? If
that perfect body can be copied over
and over, isn't that just great?

John
Yeah, if it was just her body, I
wouldn't mind having a copy or two
around the house myself.

...However, the copy Kaguya was even
able to replicate the "spiritual power"
of the Imperial bloodline.

Haken
Spiritual power...?

John
It's what is necessary to use the
power of the Fujisakura.

Haken
What!? Then, the Einst copy was able to
control the Fujisakura by herself!?

John
It seems so. That's probably why they're
so anxious to make the first move to
protect themselves now.

...Ruling a country's tough, I tell ya.

Emperor Nanbu lost his wife...
Now he'll have to lose his daughter...

Haken
Wait, hold on! What's that supposed to
mean?

John
Sanuki Nanbu's wife sacrificed her life
to close the Gates using the Fujisakura
during the war.

The reason is because... she used up
all of her spiritual energy or life
force to draw out the tree's power.

Haken
That's... what happened to Kaguya's
mother...?

John
This time, they're not going to close
just the Gates in Kagura Amahara.

They want to shut down all the Gates
in all the worlds.

I can't fathom how much energy it would
take to do something like that...

But... I can easily imagine what would
happen to the person who uses that much
energy.

Haken
......!

...When does this ritual start?

John
From what I was told... tonight.

Haken
T-Tonight...!? Why!? Aren't they
rushing this a little!?

They're going to close off all the
Cross Gates in the entire Endless
Frontier, just like that?

John
...It seems this ritual can only be
done on the night of a full moon.

And in Kagura Amahara, that's tonight.

If they miss this opportunity, they'll
have to wait an entire month. They must
have decided that they can't wait.

Haken
(Kaguya... So that's why...!)

......

Pops... Isn't there anything you can
do? Isn't there some other way?

John
......

Haken
...I...

John
The Schlafen Celeste, the giant ship
said to have come here tens of
thousands of years ago...

The research suggests that the people
in that ship traveled to different
worlds by creating their own Gates.

Haken
They could... create their own Gates?

John
Yeah, there is some sort of huge cannon
controlled from the bridge. It's not a
weapon, though.

Its purpose is to tear a hole in space
and time... a hole to another world.

Haken
How do you know all this?

John
The areas with the transport devices...
I'm the one who locked that large door
and forbade anyone from going in.

Haken
...This is the first I've heard of
it, Dad.

John
It was around 30 years ago...
I was about your age, in fact.

Past that door, there's a generator
room and an elevator that leads directly
to the bridge.

Once that generator is activated and
you gain control of it, it can be used
relatively easily.

Doesn't it send a chill up your spine to
think of how easily anyone could just
punch into another world, at any time?

Haken
I see... And that's why you locked it
up so that nobody else could mess with
it.

...Hm? Wait a second...
Hey Pop, if we used that...!

John
...You might be able to reach the world
the Einst are invading us from.

Haken
......

...Dad, I just remembered something I
have to do. I'm heading back to the
Zeit.

John
I'll send the passcode to open that
large door to Lee.

Haken
Thanks, Father John.
...Adios.

John
......

(Well, this is sure to start an
international incident...)

(Heh... I've finally made it this far,
Haken, but I'll take the blame for you
if it comes to that.)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Aschen
...Close the Cross Gate?
And they're doing this tonight?

Marion
It's been officially announced by the
leaders of Kagura Amahara... As of this
point the shutdown will be indefinite.

Suzuka
......

Xiaomu
Get back to your country, Oni Girl.
I'm sure you've got friends and family
over there.

Suzuka
You don't need to tell me what to do,
Furry Girl.

KOS-MOS
We have places to return to as well.

Reiji
The power of the Fujisakura will
probably affect our transport, too.

Xiaomu
We need to hurry then. Should we all
split up here and say goodbye?

KOS-MOS
Suzuka needs time to return to her
own world as well. That would be best.

Suzuka
There's no need to worry about me.

(Kaguya... So there's no way around
this...)

Reiji
Xiaomu, KOS-MOS, let's go.

Aschen
......

Thank you for everything. Let me thank
you in our Captain's place.

Reiji
Yeah, the pleasure's ours, too.

...Hm? Where's Haken?
I thought he came back a moment ago?

Lee
The Captain...? You're right. Where
did he go? Could he be up on deck?

Reiji
......

...I'm going to say farewell to him.
He's helped us out a lot.

Haken
......

Reiji
Haken.

Haken
Ah, Reiji.
...What's up?

I hear you guys are taking off soon.

Reiji
I heard about the Cross Gates being
sealed. We were thinking about going
before it might affect us.

Princess Suzuka said that she's going
back to Kagura Amahara before the Gates
close, as well.

Haken
......

Reiji
...I wanted to say goodbye before we
leave.

Haken
You got me, Secret Agent Man.
I'm not going to be able to go with
you three to the battleship.

Reiji
......

...Is it about Princess Kaguya?

Haken
...Do you know how they're going to
close the gates, Reiji?

Reiji
No... But, I have an idea. It was
obvious, after seeing her father's
reaction to the suggestion.

Haken
...I thought you might figure it out.

...Closing off all the Cross Gates until
the Einst give up, or we find a new way
to deal with them...

Reiji
...It will take tremendous power. We
couldn't do it... And we can't take
her place.

Haken
......

Reiji
The Einst are a real threat. This is
extreme, but it's the only way to
handle them.

Haken
What if there was another way? Maybe not
for certain... but what if there was a
chance to attack the Einst directly?

Reiji
......

And what if it fails? There's no time
to take these kinds of risks.

Haken
......

Reiji
Kaguya is saving the world, Haken. At
the cost of her own life, yes, but...

Haken, are you going to just--

Haken
A lot of fun...

Reiji
...Huh?

Haken
She said... that she had a lot of fun
with us.

Reiji
......

Haken
She's barely 18, and she's saying that,
and now she's going to kill herself.
It's just not right, dammit.

Her life's barely begun... and it's all
about to end.

We're forcing this all on a nice girl,
just because we want to hide from
something we don't want to face.

Reiji
......

Haken
Closing the Gates is only going to
last so long.

But if we defeat the cause, it'll end
right there. I'm not saying there
aren't going to be risks...

Reiji
Let me ask you something.

Are you telling me you're going to take
that chance and fight to protect this
world?

Haken
...Don't underestimate me.

Reiji
......

Haken
I'm a man, risking my own life, by my
choice.

...Of course I'm doing it to get the
girl! The world can bite me.

Reiji
......

I'm glad to hear that.
...If that's the case, then I can't go
back to my original world just yet.

Haken
...What?

Reiji
...I don't like taking risks that aren't
in my favor. But the more of us there
are, the better our chances.

Haken
......

Heh... All right, Agent.

And they call me the clueless optimist.
...I don't even know what to say right
now.

Reiji
This is how men should act! I've been
called a child so many times that I've
lost count.

Haken
Hah! You were definitely raised by a
woman, weren't you? ...An extremely
fine woman, too.

Reiji
Yeah, you're right.
...Now, let's go.

...So that's the plan. We're going to
head to Kagura Amahara first.

Xiaomu
What!? Hang on, Reiji! We were just
talking about going back!

Aschen
Now we're going to kidnap that princess
with the ridiculous chest and run for
the Schlafen Celeste...? Seriously?

Suzuka
......

KOS-MOS
Are we going to take part in that
mission as well?

Reiji
There are still some things that we
need to take care of while we're here.

Xiaomu
Argh! You're letting your feelings get
in the way again!

I bet Haken was all "I'm risking my life
to save a girl!" and you were all "Boo
hoo hoo, let me come, Haken! Please!"

You might kick tremendous amounts of
ass, but you'll always be a little kid
on the inside!

Reiji
......

Haken
Heh. Looks like you'll be a kid forever
then, Mr. Romantic. You were right...
A damn fine woman.

Reiji
...I'm going to spank you a thousand
times when I have time later.

Xiaomu
N-No! I won't be able to sit down for
days!

Wait, why are you threatening me with
the Night of A Thousand Spankings?
I didn't say anything wrong!

Aschen
At one spank per second, it would only
take 16 minutes and 40 seconds. Hardly
a full night.

Xiaomu
I don't need your smart math right now!

Reiji
...Sorry, KOS-MOS.

KOS-MOS
I do not mind at all.

I believe that friendship and sacrifice
are part of the most important bonds
between people.

Haken
Right... Let's get to Fujisakura.
We've got a Princess to kidnap!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kaguya
......

...Mother...

...How did you feel when you closed off
all the Kouki-Mon?

I... actually feel very peaceful,
right now.

When I was younger, I didn't know
anything at all about what was going
on in this world...

But, though my pilgrimage was hard...
It was really fun, too. I've learned
a lot about other people.

I have no regrets at all...
I truly mean that, Mother.

That's why I want to protect this
wonderful world...

Just like... how you protected us from
the war.

When I see you in the afterlife...
tell me that story about the Princess
from the moon... 

Haken
......

Kaguya
Who's there...!? This place is--

Haken
Howdy, Princess.

Kaguya
...Haken!?

What...? Didn't you go to the
Schlafen Celeste...?

Haken
We were going to, but then I heard that
if I came here tomorrow, I'd be too
late. So we did some rescheduling.

Kaguya
......

...Haken Browning.

Haken
......

This decision has been reached by the
imperial family of Kagura Amahara.

Only the Princess of the Imperial
bloodline is allowed into the Hall of
Messengers before the ritual.

That would be me, Kaguya Nanbu, daughter
of Ui Nanbu.

I don't know how you got in here, and
I don't care, either.

...I ask that you leave.

Haken
......

(Ui Nanbu... Her mother, huh?)

All right, Little Miss Responsible.
This is the first time you're really
acting like a princess.

...I was thinking about kidnapping you
and running off to pick a fight with the
Einst directly, but oh well!

Kaguya
...Huh...?

Haken
Sorry to bother you, Princess. I
wouldn't want to upset your country or
anything.

Kaguya
Fight... the Einst...?
What do you mean?

Haken
Nah, I shouldn't tell you. I'd just get
put on the wanted list if I did. That'd
be ironic, wouldn't it?

...Bye.

Kaguya
...Haken!

Haken
...Sorry, was there anything else you
wanted from me, Princess?

Kaguya
What will happen... if you fail?

Haken
.....

Kaguya
If you were to fail... 
What are you going to do?

Tonight is the only time I can use the
power of the full moon to use the tree's
magic.

If we let this opportunity pass...
it's going to be a while until we
get another full moon.

But what if you can't defeat the Einst!?
Who's going to protect the Endless
Frontier!?

Haken
......

Do you think I'll fail, Kaguya?

Kaguya
......!

If you have even the slightest doubt in
me, I'm not going to force you to leave
this place.

I mean, if you think about what's at
stake, coming with me probably isn't a
safe bet.

But... I'm going to win.

I'm pushing all my chips into this pot.
Losing isn't even an option anymore.

Kaguya
If losing isn't an option... then it
isn't even gambling anymore.

......

Can I... throw my bet in with you, then?

Haken
......

...That's your choice.

There's this fairy tale that Dr. Marion
used to tell me when I was a kid.

There was a princess visiting from the
moon, and there was no way to stop her
people from taking her back there.

But, there actually was a way...
If the princess herself had refused
to go back home.

Kaguya
......

...Would you...

Would you... be willing to kidnap me...?

Haken
......

...If that's what you really want.

Especially if you're asking me with that
great big smile on your face!

Kaguya
......

...Yes...!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Otone
...Master Nanbu.

Sanuki
Is that you, Otone?
...What's the matter?

Otone
...Princess Kaguya has been kidnapped
by the bounty hunter from Lost Herencia,
Haken Browning.

Sanuki
I see.

Otone
...Is that... acceptable?

Sanuki
Otone, how was such a person able to
even reach the Hall of Messengers in
the first place? At this time?

Otone
...I believe it's because you must have 
something in mind, Master Nanbu.

Sanuki
...Truthfully, I'd received a message
from the leader of Trodel Stadt,
John Moses.

"I want you to believe in my son..."
That is all it said.

Otone
......

Sanuki
...That young man, Haken, is not his
true son.

Otone
Are we to believe in him, then?

Sanuki
...I believe so. He's probably testing
me, to see if I believe in my own,
true daughter.

......

Otone... Leave the situation with
Kaguya alone. Return to your post.

Otone
...As you wish.

(Princess... Please come back safely...)

Sanuki
This is the right thing, isn't it,
Ui...? Back then, all I could do is
send you off.

But this time... I will believe in the
strength and possibilities of the
next generation...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

John
Hey, good job, Haken.

Haken
I'm not the son of the famous bounty
hunter John Moses for nothing, you know?

If I couldn't do something this simple
easily, there's something wrong with me.

John
...And the Princess?

Haken
She's waiting outside, with the rest
of the gang.

We're planning to go straight to the
Schlafen Celeste from here.

John
......

I received a message from the guards
there just a moment ago.


...The energy reactions inside the
Schlafen Celeste are growing stronger.

Haken
Ha! Bulls-eye. So she was talking about
that place.

......

...Dad, there's... something I need to
tell you before I go.

John
...Hm? What is it?

W00... An artificially-created human
experiment from the Mai Tierra...?

Haken
That's the way it seems.
Pretty funny, huh?

...You're not laughing, Pops.

John
It's no laughing matter.

Haken
......

John
Why are you telling me something that
might just be a bad joke? It's not even
worth the breath it takes to deny it.

Haken
...Dad...

John
You're my son, Haken.

Lee, Marion... I think of all of you
as my sons and daughter.

It's because we're all one big family,
right?

Haken
......

Okay... Well, I'm gonna take off now.

Gotta go save the world.

John
All right, Haken.
...That should be a breeze for you.

Go show the world what you can do.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Right, this must be the door that Pops
was talking about. 

Reiji
Is... Saya going to be behind this door? 

Haken
It was sealed and locked thirty years
ago, so I kind of doubt it. 

Xiaomu
We didn't see her anywhere else on the
ship, though. 

KOS-MOS
I've analyzed this door, but there are no
traces of forced entry. 

Aschen
Maybe she was just lying? 

Suzuka
Even if she was, lying to us about this
back at the tree wouldn't have done
them any good. 

Reiji
No... She's here, all right. 

...Let's leave her alone for now. She's
not the reason why we came here. Saya
can wait. 

Kaguya
I'm sorry... 

Reiji
...There's no need to apologize,
Princess. 

I firmly believe that helping you
protect this world will lead to us
finding a way back to ours in the end.

Haken
Very smooth, Agent. Let's get this door
open before she starts swooning over
you even more.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

!?

Kaguya
E-Eek!

Haken
I thought the power supply for the
elevator would be in here...

But it looks like I'm the one getting
turned on.

Aschen
Oh, please...

Einst Kaguya
......

Einst Kaguya
......

Einst Kaguya
......

Einst Kaguya
......

Xiaomu
Wow! It's a wall of boobs!

Kaguya
H-Hey, don't say that...

These must be the Einst clones that
were in Fujisakura, huh... Talk about
bad taste.

...Or maybe, it's actually good taste?

Suzuka
Don't ask me.
...But why would Einst be here?

KOS-MOS
We did find many red Mild Keil crystals
in the hallway before we came in here.

Reiji
You're right. This battleship has a
bigger connection with the Einst than
we thought.

Haken
Yeah, they made four Princess Clones,
all of whom can control the power of
Fujisakura. We must be getting close.

Einst Kaguya
...Problem...

Einst Kaguya
...The world...

Einst Kaguya
...will be fixed...

Einst Kaguya
...Will return...

Kaguya
Th-The more I look at them, the more
I realize how flashy my dress is...

Suzuka
"Through others' faults, wise men
correct their own..." That saying fits
perfectly here.

Reiji
Not really, since she's technically
looking at herself.

KOS-MOS
I believe we should be prepared to
intercept them. Initiating defensive
measures.

Haken
There's no way you ladies are getting
through to the Fujisakura.

I just kidnapped one from there not
too long ago.

Kaguya
They were terrible opponents...

Xiaomu
Yeah, in more ways than one.

Aschen
There's no mistake that this door leads
to the generator room.

Haken
...Well, let's hurry up and switch it
on, then. If more copies show up, it'll
be a real pain in the ass.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Saya
Hiii! We took the liberty of coming in
first, Little Boy. 

T-elos
......

Reiji
I knew you were here somewhere.
Where did you sneak in from? 

KOS-MOS
...T-elos. The reason you're with Saya
is because... 

T-elos
...Right. I've found the way to return
to our original world, KOS-MOS. 

Suzuka
What...!? Is that true!? 

Saya
Oh, it's more true than anything I've
ever said so far. 

...What convinced us, though, is
these kids here. 

Einst Reiji 
......

Einst Xiaomu 
......

Reiji
Me... and Xiaomu!?
This can't be! Are they--!? 

Xiaomu
It's me and you! And them!
Who are also me and you! 

Haken
The Einst made copies of you, too...! 

What do these clones have to do with
you being able to return to your own
world? 

KOS-MOS
...The Einst created copies of Reiji and
Xiaomu as test subjects in order to
research how to control the Fluxes. 

Aschen
I see... They made the copies of Captain
W00 in order to control ArcGain... 

Kaguya
And they copied me so they could use the
power of the Fujisakura? 

Saya
Oh my! I'm so happy that you guys are
understanding all of this so fast!
It's complicated, isn't it? 

T-elos
I agree. Now we just have to kill them. 

Suzuka
This karakuri seems as psychotic as
always... 

KOS-MOS
But, T-elos, that does not explain how
we can return to our original world. 

T-elos
Why do I have to explain my plans to a
scrap doll like you? 

Saya
Really, you've all served your purpose
here when you switched on the generator. 

Let's end it here. Dirty and simple, so
you won't create any more problems in
the future. 

Xiaomu
You mean "clean and simple," right?
...I get what you mean, though. 

Kaguya
I guess they're planning to use that
cannon thingy over there. 

Saya
Oh, no, you couldn't be more wrong,
Cow Girl. If we did this, it'd send us
to yet another strange world... 

Most likely, the world where these
Einst things are coming here from. 

Reiji
What...!?

Haken
Jackpot!
Your info was right on the money, Pops. 

T-elos
It became obvious when we reverse-
engineered the coordinates where your
copies came from. 

That has nothing to do with me, though. 

Well then... No more playing around,
KOS-MOS. 

...It may have taken me some time to
reach you again, but that doesn't change
your fate. 

I will tear you apart, just like last
time... 

Along with these detestable humans from
another world! 

KOS-MOS
...T-elos. 

If your existence is going to cause
my friends harm... 

Then I will use everything I have to
stop you! 

Saya
Oh, don't you think it's a nice touch
to settle your lifelong vendettas in
a completely different world? 

Reiji
Eh... It's nothing new. 

Xiaomu
Yeah, he's right. Going to some other
dimension to fight a final battle is
such a cliche! 

Saya
Ngh...! This isn't good... 

Reiji
...Saya, go back to our world. 

Saya
Oh? You're letting me go? 

Xiaomu
We're gonna see how you do it and
copy what you do so we can get back,
too. 

But first... Tell us how to do it! 

Reiji
...Are you using the transportation
device that KOS-MOS and T-elos appeared
from? 

Saya
Ooh... You did win, so I'll give you a
little hint. 

We should be able to get back... in
theory. We won't know for sure until we
give it a try ourselves.

......

Are you sure about what you're doing,
boy? If you don't go with us, there's
no knowing for sure where you'll go. 

An outsider jumping in from nowhere to
save this world... Don't you think it's
arrogant to do their job for them? 

Reiji
...Arrogant? No. I'm just doing what
I've always sworn to do. I just might
end up saving the world in the end. 

Saya
Sheesh... You really are like your
father, aren't you? 

Reiji
......

T-elos
No...! I... can still fight! 

KOS-MOS
I've said this before, T-elos.
This is not our world. We don't
belong here. 

...Go with Saya, back to our world. 

I will return soon, to where Shion is
waiting for me. 

T-elos
......

Saya
Come on, T-bone. We lost. Nothing
good's going to happen if either of
us dies in this world... 

Right? Or, do you wanna fight them
again? I am going to hold back a little,
though. 

T-elos
......

...KOS-MOS. 

KOS-MOS
...Yes? 

T-elos
I'm not going to allow you to die in a
worthless world like this! 

You had better come back alive...
So I can tear you apart myself! 

KOS-MOS
...I cannot promise that I will be
destroyed by you. Still, I will return,
no matter what. I promise that, T-elos.

T-elos
......

Saya
Well then, we'll let you guys get back
to whatever it is you're doing. 

We'll meet again with the "Hundred-
Night Plan," little boy. 

Reiji
...The what? 

Haken
Are you sure you want to just let her
go? I thought you guys were trying to
catch her when you came here. 

Suzuka
Aren't you going to regret this later? 

Reiji
...We need them as lab rats to see if
their plan to go back home really works
or not.

Aschen
That's cold. 

Haken
Yeah, well, we're going to do something
worse, and we don't even get to test
it out first. 

Xiaomu
If what Saya said is right, then the
Einst world is so close now...! 

Kaguya
Anyway, let's try playing around with
that shiny control panel over there! 

KOS-MOS
Confirming activation of core units.
Main cannon is now online. 

Kaguya
... So, this is the thingy that makes this
other thingy here go boom... It looks
really complicated. 

Reiji
There are so many buttons here...
Which ones do we need to press? 

Xiaomu
Well, let's just press the one that
stands out the most. 

Like this one?
Or maybe that one?
Ooh, press that one there! 

Haken
Stop right there, you nutball. Aschen,
could you enter the exact coordinates
before we do anything else? 

Aschen
Roger. Hmmmmmm...

Hmmmmmm...?

Hmmmmmm...?

Ah, whatever!
That's good enough! 

Charging main cannon

Beginning main firing sequence

Aschen
The beam is firing. The portal has
opened safely.

Suzuka
How did you know which button to press?
You weren't just guessing, were you?

KOS-MOS
I am confirming the presence of energy
similar to the red Mild Keil stones
from the hole.

Haken
So then, through that hole there is
the main Einst stronghold.
...It's finally come down to this!

Reiji
Hey, it's good that it opened, but...
Isn't it a little far away?

Kaguya
You're right. Do you think we can walk
across that shiny thing into the hole?

Xiaomu
No, you'll probably just burn your
pretty little ass off.

Haken
......

...I've got an idea.

KOS-MOS
An idea? Are you going to create another
portal closer to where we are? 

Aschen
Unfortunately, the cannon seems to have
been damaged and will not stop. 

...It will be difficult to get it to
fire again. 

Haken
...... 

Reiji
Haken, your idea wasn't to knock the
ship over and fire the cannon again,
was it? 

Kaguya
Maybe we really don't have a choice but
to climb up that string... 

Xiaomu
I already told you! You'd fry! 

Suzuka
The troops are getting restless...
What's your answer to all this? 


Let's go back to the Zeit for now.
I'll explain there. 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lee
Are you serious!? You... want us...
to climb up the Schlafen Celeste!?

Marion
...Captain.

Haken
C'mon, don't get so angry, Doctor.

There's no other way. This is our first,
and most likely last, way to strike at
the Einst.

Well, if it's physically impossible for
the Zeit to make it... I guess I'll just
have to give up.

Lee
...Uh oh...

Marion
IMPOSSIBLE...!?

Take that back! Nothing is impossible
for my Zeit Krokodil!

I'm going to the engine room! Lee, grab
my tools from the lab! We're going to
show that brat what the Zeit can do!

Lee
Doctor! Please, don't do anything crazy!

...She's gone.

That was a dirty move, Captain.

Haken
I've seen my dad pull that one off a
couple of times... It's always good to
keep an ace up your sleeve.

Lee
......

...All right. I know that there's no
turning back, now that you've kidnapped
the Princess.

...Looks like we're gonna have to
do this.

Haken
Sorry, Vice Chief. I'll reward you for
this some day.

Lee
I hope we all live long enough for you
to regret that.

...There's a good chance that coming
back won't be as easy as going in. You'd
better be prepared for the trip.

Once you're ready and have made up your
mind, give me the order and I'll take
us to the Schlafen Celeste.

Haken
Okay, Flying Tiger. I'll let you know
when the time comes.  

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lee
Are you sure you're ready?

Haken
Yeah, let's do this.
...We've all made up our minds.

Marion
I'm sure the engine can withstand going
at full power. For a short period of
time, at least.

Lee
Understood.
...Well then, Captain?

Haken
Okay! Vice Chief, set a course...
To the Schlafen Celeste!

Lee
Aye, Sir! Preparing for take--
Hmm?

Haken
...Hey, what's up, Lee? I was going to
shout something exciting, but you kind
of killed the mood.

Lee
I think I saw someone near our ship.

Koma
Hello-o-o-o-o!
Can Captain Haken come out and buy
some stuff from me? ￾ô

Xiaomu
It's "come out and play-e-yay,"
isn't it?

Haken
Howdy, Merchant Kitty. We've got some
chores to do. Now run along home before
it gets dark.

Koma
What are you talking about!? I know
you're up to something fun!

Suzuka
Sheesh... The things those cat ears
pick up on.

Reiji
I don't think it's going to be all that
fun, though.

Kaguya
Koma, we don't know what's going to
happen where we're going.

KOS-MOS
...In the worst case, returning to
these lands will prove... difficult.

Koma
......

So... I guess this is related to what's
going on.

Kaguya
Huh? What are you talking about, Koma?

Koma
All the Cross Gates are going berserk!
All of them! Everywhere!

Haken
What...!?

Koma
There's nothing anyone can do about it!
I was on my way back to Kagura Amahara.

Kaguya
So then... My father had made the
correct decision after all...

We should have closed the Kouki-Mon as
soon as possible...

Suzuka
...Even if we leave for Kagura Amahara
now, we'll never make it back in time
for the ritual.

We don't have a choice but to go on...!

Koma
Are you going to where the people who
are behind all this are!?

Reiji
That's right... I knew we didn't have
much time, but I didn't think it would
be this urgent.

Xiaomu
We have to break through into enemy
territory from here.

Go home, Cat, if you don't want to get
hurt.

Koma
Enemy territory... The place where the
Kusabi-Ishi are originally from, right?

Sooooo... I might be able to get my
hands on some super-rare stuff, hmm?

If it all goes well, I'll be up to my
pointy ears in profit!

Aschen
I don't think she really understands
what's going on here.

Koma
Of course I do!

Why, for my customers (and my purse),
I'll go anywhere! Through blazing infernos
and freezing waterfalls!

Haken
All right, all right... But I don't want
to hear any complaining later, got it?

Koma
Aye-aye, Captain Haken, Sir!￾ô

Haken
You know the plan, Vice Chief! We're
gonna ramp off the Schlafen Celeste at
full power, right into the hole!

Lee
Aye!
Zeit Krokodil... Full power!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Is everyone all right!?

Xiaomu
Owie...
I should've held on tighter...

Suzuka
No kidding... That landing was hard
enough that I felt my internal organs
bouncing around.

Reiji
Phew...
Looks like we made it, though.

Kaguya
This entire island... Is it the body
of some gigantic creature!?

KOS-MOS
More appropriately, it's the corpse of
some gigantic creature.

Aschen
...I'm getting an energy reaction!
It's almost exactly the same as the
Mild Keil stones! Let's kick some ass!

Marion
The atmosphere outside seems to be
safe enough.

Lee
But, how are we going to go back...?

Haken
...In any case, we're going to check
this thing out.

It's obvious that the Einst are able to
get from here to the Endless Frontier.

There has to be a way back to our
world somehow.

Kaguya
But before we do, we have to defeat the
Einst leader...

Reiji
If that "leader" happens to be this
whole island, we're pretty screwed.

Marion
That doesn't appear to be the case.
This creature appears to have been dead
for quite some time... It's fossilized.

As Aschen mentioned, it's comprised
of almost the same substance as the
Mild Keil crystals...

I think it's safe to assume that the
Einst have been scattering pieces of it
in the various other worlds.

KOS-MOS
I'm detecting a strong energy signal
from the portion that appears to have
been the head.

...I believe that it is a Cross Gate.

Xiaomu
Is that where we're going? That's easy
enough, then. Keep moving a head!

Aschen
Yes. It would be much more embarrassing
if we had to search for the "breasts"
or "crotch."

Suzuka
Koma, what are you gonna do?

Koma
I'm coming too, of course!

...Fighting's a pain, so I'll let you
big strong people handle that.

Lee
This is the furthest the Zeit's going
to go here, Captain.

Haken
That's more than far enough, Vice Chief.
...We're around the side of the neck, so
it's not too far to the head now.

We're going to try going in from that
crack over there.

Lee
Be careful, Captain.

Marion
We'll leave the engine running for you
in case anything happens.

...If you find anything interesting,
bring it back to me.

Haken
So greedy, Doc! You're starting to
remind me of Koma there.

...Well then, we're off.

(Talk to Koma)
Koma
Welcome! I'll do anything for my
customers and their sweet sweet money!

The party's HP and SP have been
restored.

Oh, by the way, I just healed you guys!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

???(Wahrschein)
......

Haken
Uh-oh. Now what is this thing?

Aschen
It's an Einst, to be sure.
...But this energy...!

KOS-MOS
It's incomparable to anything we've
fought against up until now. We must be
very careful against it.

???(Wahrschein)
...I...

Reiji
Wait... Is it able to communicate
with us!?

Wahrschein
I... am Wahrschein Lichkeit.
I was... created... to return...
to the "Land of Beginnings"...

Xiaomu
Land of Beginnings...?

Wahrschein
...The world... must be fixed... 

Suzuka
I don't get it. Is it even listening
to what we're saying?

ArcGain
......

Kaguya
Hey! Here's another thing I don't get:
What is that mustachioed karakuri
doing here!?

He blew up when we fought him!

Haken
...Don't you remember? These guys make
copies of everybody. Are you surprised
they made another one of these things?

Achen
He's right. Its readings are much more
like the Einst's than when we faced it
before.

Wahrschein
Must fix... those who wish...
for the unwanted world...

Reiji
...It's coming!

Haken
...I hope that was one of their
bosses...

Reiji
Since it could talk, and it was so
strong... That would be a good bet.

Kaguya
Wasn't it... wavering a lot?

Aschen
You mean, physically?

Suzuka
I don't know if calling it a ghost
would be right... But, it did seem
extremely unstable.

Xiaomu
...Yeah, it seemed kind of confused.
Like it had just been born or something.

KOS-MOS
It could be possible that it was made
as a defensive measure against us.

Haken
An Einst that can communicate, huh...?


Kaguya
...I thought that last fight was tough,
but this looks even worse...

Haken
Great. Now we've got the Alteisen, the
Weissritter... and the Gespenst.

Xiaomu
They look pretty scary all lined up like
that, but... Who's gonna fight them?

Reiji
...Who do you think? Us.

Aschen
Just like the ArcGain from a moment
ago... These must be replicas as well.

KOS-MOS
Soulless steel shells...
What could the Einst be yearning for?

Suzuka
Hm. If we ever want to find out, we
can't lose here...!

Haken
That... was a tough one.

But, there's still a ways to go!

Aschen
Captain, the energy signal that we are
following... It's coming from up there.

Suzuka
What a dreadful flow of energy...
Look, I'm getting goosebumps...

Xiaomu
Me, too. Look, they're right here...

Kaguya
M-Me, too... I didn't even know you
could GET goosebumps here! Look!

Reiji
Stop waving your asses at each other.

...This is probably going to be it, huh?

Haken
I don't think there's any doubt about
that.

KOS-MOS
I'm reading a similar reaction as the
Cross Gates... But it seems to be the
same energy as the Flux.

Reiji
...What? What are these Einst trying
to do?

Haken
We'll find out soon, I'll bet...
Once we finish climbing up there.

Let's be ready for anything. Once we're
done, the only thing left... is to
head up.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Wahrschein
Wel...come...

...Those... from unwanted... worlds...

Haken
"Unwanted worlds"...?

Kaguya
Who... are you?
What are the Einst...?

Wahrschein
...Those who fix... erroneous...
worlds...

Haken
Are you saying that the Endless Frontier
is an erroneous world? 

Wahrschein
...We... are also... otherworldly
beings... 

We wanted... to go home...
Even if... we had to open...
the Cross Gates...

But... no matter how many...
we opened...

Haken
Don't tell me... those Cross Gates...
You're the ones who--!?

Kaguya
Then, the ones that brought all the
different lands together was... you!?

Wahrschein
A-Aa... Arrrggh!

Aaargh... Wh-Why...!?
I... these worlds'... this world's...

Why... Why... did I lose...

Reiji
It's because you underestimated us...
That arrogance is the reason for your
defeat.

Xiaomu
And your face looked like you deserved
a good old-fashioned ass-kicking!

Wahrschein
Now... Never return... return to...
a world... of silence...

KOS-MOS
We all want to return to our own
worlds.

But you cannot sacrifice one world in
order to save another.

...That's what I believe.

Aschen
The Captain and I were from another
world, too. But this is our home!
We will protect it with our lives!

Wahrschein
I... am a being... equal to...
a Creator... Why... Why...

Haken
...It might be true that the Einst
may have created the Endless Frontier
when you opened the Cross Gates...

Kaguya
But the people who live there are not
your pawns!

Suzuka
Your failure to understand that...
is your fatal mistake.

Haken
If you want to go back, then do it
yourself! Don't drag our whole world
along with you!

Get out of here! Go somewhere where
we'll never have to see your ugly face
again!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kaguya
Whoa! Wh-What's going on...!?

Suzuka
What's happening!? It feels like I'm
stepping through a Kouki-Mon!

Haken
Don't tell me...
Is it going berserk!?

Reiji
This... It's the Flux! It feels like
space is being torn open...!

Xiaomu
Wh-What!?
KOS-MOS! Analyze it!

KOS-MOS
It seems that the energy of the Cross
Gates is going out of control.

Aschen
Is it because we cut the link between
Wahrschein and the Cross Gates?

Haken
What's happening!? Is it...
sending us away...!?

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Haken
Ugh... Where are we...!?

Kaguya
Haken, are you okay...!?

Aschen
It's the Zeit Krokodil!

Suzuka
It looks like it threw us back to the
Endless Frontier... Argh, I landed right
on my butt...

Kaguya
Oh...! Oh, no! Where are Reiji and
Xiaomu!? And KOS-MOS...!?

Haken
Th-They aren't around here...!?

Aschen
...I don't sense them nearby. Either
they were sent somewhere else, or...

Suzuka
Or they were left in the Einst world...?

Haken
That can't be...! Everyone...

Lee
Captain!

Marion
...It appears that you're all right.

Aschen
Vice Chief Lee and Professor Marion...
I'm glad to see that you are safe.

Haken
Dammit! They really aren't here...!

Suzuka
...Could they really have been...?

Maion
There's no way to be sure, but there's
a chance they were sent back to their
own world.

Kaguya
You mean they were able to go back?
What makes you say that...?

Marion
......

It's because the Cross Gates have
disappeared, and the world has returned
to its original state.

...The state it was in before the
Endless Frontier.

Haken
What? What are you talking about?
What happened to the Cross Gates?

I don't understand any of what you're
saying, Doc.

Lee
Just take a look around. It'll all
be obvious after a few minutes.

Haken
Look around...?

......

H-Hey... Is this...!?

What in the world...!?
Where is this!?

Aschen
...All I see is a bunch of stuff I've
already seen mashed together.

Suzuka
The Kouki-Mon are all gone...!?

Lee
That's right. What exactly did you do
back there in the belly of the beast,
Captain?

Haken
...Long story short, it seems that the
Einst were the ones who brought the
Cross Gates into this world.

...And we defeated their boss.

Marion
That being and the Cross Gates must have
been linked somehow.

Kaguya
Yeah, considering what happened to the
Kouki-Mon just before we went there.

Aschen
So that creature's energy was released
accidentally, and turned this world into
the Endless Frontier?

Marion
...Most likely.

Kaguya
The walls dividing the dimensions have
disappeared, and the worlds have become
one...

Haken
Wow, talk about a lucky break. My last-
ditch effort to save the world from
destruction...

Pretty much entirely reconstructed it!
...I guess that makes me pretty much a
god, right?

Suzuka
Somehow I don't think that's the case,
but you have a god-like ego.

Kaguya
Do you think everyone is all right?
No one else disappeared like Reiji and
the others, did they...?

Anne
I never imagined something like this
could happen...

Bonny
But, Captain, we've got quite a view
here. I've never been to Kagura Amahara
before. It's all so fresh to me!

Anne
We won't be fresh for long if our whole
civilization is stuck in this stupid
desert!

Shirou
How about ordering some giant water
tanks for the former dwellers of
Varna Kanai?

Anne
What the--? Are you a merchant from
Kagura Amahara?

Shirou
Indeed. I think I was more surprised
than anyone with what happened, but my
shop is open no matter what! Woof!

Koma
Helloooo! Leave it to me to get
you what you need! It's Koma! Aren't
these UV rays harsh!?

Shirou
Gah... Koma! Stay out of my business!
Get out of here! Woof!

Koma
Shut up, you stupid old dog! If these
fishies use anything they get from you,
they'll end up with water fleas.

Katze
You know, she's right. Clearly these
people need a better class of service
than either of you can provide.

That's why you should buy whatever you
need from me!

Anne
Oh, great, it's the Cat Commander.
...That's right, you lived here when
this was just a desert.

Katze
That's right, Captain! You know, this
sun is really bad for someone of your
beauty. Come on into my shop!

Shirou
No, it's best to get them right into
a barrel of water before they get all
dried out.

Bonny
Those merchants are really getting at it
with each other. I think they've found
a new target market.

Anne
Hey, I'm a merchant, too, remember.

Bonny
So? Get in there and start trying to
sell them something, Captain!

Anne
Hrmm...

Shirou
You stupid cats have no right to tell me
how to run my business!

Katze
Hey, just because you run a clean little
shop doesn't mean you can be so rude,
Wolfy.

Koma
You call this clean? It's a stinky,
flea-ridden dog house!

Shirou
Shut up, you little--!
You want a taste of my Ultimate Sakura
Fang Strike!? Woof!

Anne
This is giving me such a headache...

Why don't we just... blow everything up,
Bonny?

Bonny
......

...A superb plan, Captain.


Rubor
......

Ezel
......

Rubor
Ezel The world has become whole... And the
Cross Gates are gone, too.

Ezel
......

Rubor
That doesn't change the truth of what
you and Formido Heim did to our land.

Ezel
...I know. If killing me will bring you
satisfaction, then do as you will.

Rubor
Gladly!

Lee
Wait, Rubor.

Rubor
Huh...!? You're... Lee!?

Lee
Now that the world is like this... You,
a king, are going to start this new
world off with a public execution?

Rubor
What...? Stay out of this, Lee!

John
...He's right. We have things that need
to be done, as leaders. Isn't that
right, Wolf King?

Rubor
You... You're the Wandering Bounty
Hunter, John Moses.

John
I passed that nickname on to my son.
...And the Skull General over there must
be Ezel of Formido Heim, correct?

Ezel
Indeed.
...Why do you know my name?

John
Haken told me everything.
...Including the truth behind the war.

Ezel
...Even if we are exonerated for our
actions, it's nothing more than making
excuses for murder.

John
I'm thinking about rebuilding Lost
Herencia.

What're you going to do about Elfetale?

Rubor
......

John
And the same goes for Formido Heim.

Ezel
......!

Ezel
...There is no king in Formido Heim.
The war cost us everything.

John
Then, start from scratch.
...Isn't that all there is to it?

Ezel
...You want me... to do that?

Lee
I don't think it's that hard. John and
Rubor were both bounty hunters. At least
you were a leader in your old job.

Rubor
Don't tell me what you're getting at...
I'm going to pound these bones to dust
here and now!

If you're going to ask me to let him
live after all he's done, I'll crush you
too, Moses!

Lee
You'll have to go through me before you
lay a finger on Father John.

Don't tell me you've forgotten my
Vicious Tiger Elbow, Rubor...!

Rubor
Hah...! Bring it on, Lee!

Ezel
...Stop it.

Your opponent is Formido Heim, not
Lost Herencia, Wolf King.

Rubor
What!?

Ezel
Still, the nation of Formido Heim no
longer exists now.

...I will work to create one.

Rubor
......

Grr! I thought I'd finally made it by
becoming the king of Southern Elfetale,
and now look what happens!

Now I have to start all over.
Fine... I will rebuild my kingdom, too.

You bastard skeleton, you'd better have
your country rebuilt by the time I'm
ready for you!

Once I'm strong enough, I'm coming for
you! Your land will be mine!

Ezel
......

I'll do my best for my people, Rubor.

Rubor
Heh!

John
Well, they're both gone... Lee, are you
sure you're okay with this?

Lee
I'm still the Vice Chief of the Zeit.
Since my Captain's always wandering
around, I have to keep doing my job.

Actually, he's looking after the ship
right now, so I guess he's doing my job.

John
Heh. I appreciate what you're doing for
all of us, Lee.

Otone
Hm... This is a problem.

Aschen
What's the matter?

Otone
Hm? You're that karakuri...
Aschen, wasn't it?

...This settlement on Ryuugu Island was
created to keep watch over the
Kouki-Mon.

Now that the Kouki-Mon is gone, I have
no reason to be here... And it's quite
a distance to Taketori Castle.

Aschen
I see.

Otone
What makes you come to a place like
this?

Aschen
I came to the Schlafen Celeste to look
for our friends who have disappeared.

On my way back, I saw a suspicious
shadow heading towards this island,
so I decided to stop by here.

Otone
A suspicious shadow?

Henne
Would that be about me?

Aschen
Probably.

It was an unknown flying object with red
clothes, black wings, a bad temper, and
an unstable personality.

Henne
Are you picking a fight with me!?

Aschen
Ummmmm... No?

Otone
Stop it.
...Are you from Formido Heim?

Henne
Yeah. Our leader's suddenly gotten a
fire under his ass about something, so
we're all really busy now.

Aschen
Your leader... Ezel Granada has suddenly
become more motivated?

Henne
He said he wants to rebuild Formido Heim
and atone for the damage he caused
during the war.

Otone
I see... I can respect him for that.

Henne
So here I am, flying around like a bat
out of hell and working my butt off
every day. We're so undermanned...

Aschen
Here comes the complaining...

Otone
Well, I can understand your situation.
...If you need them, I can allow the
members of the Ura Genbu to help you.

Henne
Hey, that'd be great!
...Oh yeah, I had one other job that
Ezel asked me to do.

Aschen
What's that?

Henne
He wants to increase the size of the
Orchestral Army and strenghten Formido
Heim's presence in the new world. So!

Either of you guys want to join the
Orchestral Army?

Otone
Huh...?

Dorothy
Can't you listen? I'm the only one with
the right to investigate that ship.

It's right in front of my castle!
Practically in my yard! It's mine!

Marion
I was the one researching the other half
of this ship in what used to be Lost
Herencia.

Thus, I am going to take part in the
research of the front half of the
Neverland.

Kyon
That thing was originally in
Formido Heim! It still belongs to us!

The Orchestral Army reserves the rights
to check that thing out!

Dorothy
There is no more Formido Heim, though.

This is a new world! Your past claims
of property have no bearing here!

Marion
So, your argument is basically
"Finders Keepers"? Only a true
thief would say that.

Kyon
Just because you were checking out the
back doesn't mean you get to claim the
front half, too!

Dorothy
Gaaaaaa!

Marion
Hmmmmmm!

Kyon
Aaaaaah!

Dorothy
This is getting us nowhere!
Let's just fight it out, then!

Kyon
Fine! I'm up for it, you bitches!
In the name of the Orchestral Army, I
will win!

Marion
......

Wait. This is unfair for someone like
myself. I'm not a fighter.

Dorothy
Oooooh, that's tooooo bad!
The other two of us agreed to it, so
there's no backing out now!

Kyon
Sorry, old lady! We're just gonna
throw you out first, then! ￾ô

Marion
Old...!?

......

Are weapons allowed in this fight?

Dorothy
Go ahead. I've got a stash.

Kyon
Me too! My broom's gonna sweep you
both right into the cemetery!

Marion
...I see. Well, then.

Nacht
......

Abend
......

Gespenst
......

Dorothy
Aw, crap...

Kyon
Uh-oh...

Marion
So, the rules are that the one who
doesn't get pounded into sludge gets to
investigate the ship, correct?

Dorothy
I think maybe we can reach a
more peaceful resolution.

Kyon
Me too me too!

Marion
...Good.

Suzuka
......

Sanuki
So, then, King Shuten. Are you all right
with our arrangement?

Shuten
I'm a man of my word. The Shiki-Oni will
never lay a finger on Taketori Castle,
from this day forth.

...Mostly because we're too far away to
cause trouble now.

Suzuka
The distance isn't what's important
here.

Putting aside your ill feelings for
others is what matters.

Shuten
Yeah... That hatred is what made me
vulnerable to the Einst, and allowed
them to use me...

...It's a sad chapter in my life.

Suzuka
Good, good. That's quite an improvement,
if you can understand that now.

I guess I'm going to return to Megi
Castle, too.

Shuten
A-Are you serious, Suzuka!?

Sanuki
Hm... But if Princess Suzuka returns to
Megi Castle, life around Taketori is
going to be so much duller.

Suzuka
Hey, don't worry. Just call me up
whenever you want to see me. I'll
dance and cheer you all up!

Shuten
Dance...? Hey, Suzuka! Which dance are
you talking about...? Not...
Not THAT dance...?

Suzuka
Of course I am! No celebration or feast
is complete without it!

Shuten
You promised that you'd only do that
dance for me!

Suzuka
Oh, well. People's hearts change,
Shuten. Don't get so upset over it.

Shuten
But... That's not the sort of thing
you should do in front of other people!

Sanuki
Oh, no, our state dinners would be
extremely dull without Suzuka and her
amazing dances.

...Which reminds me, why don't we have
a festival celebrating the merging of
the different worlds?

I was thinking that maybe you could
start teaching Kaguya that dance.

Suzuka
Heeeheeheehee!
Leave it up to Master Suzuka!

Shuten
S-Suzuka... C'mon, man...

Haken
From the looks of the reports... it seems
like everyone's doing just fine.

Aschen
It seems that way... But, are you okay
with not going out there and looking
around in person?

Haken
Vice Chief Lee and Professor Marion are
out, too, so I might as well look after
the ship for once.

Haken
...I've got the wide-range sensors on
the lookout for Reiji and the others,
too.

If they start picking up anything, I'll
be ready to go get them immediately.

Kaguya
......

Reiji, Xiaomu, KOS-MOS... I hope they're
all doing okay...

Haken
According to Doc, there was a transport
reading right before the Cross Gates
disappeared.

...She said that that might have been
them going back to their own world.

There's no way for us to confirm that,
so we can't really say anything for
sure, though...

Kaguya
......

(Everyone, please be safe...)

Um... What are you going to do from
now on, Haken?

Haken
Me? Well... I'll probably go have myself
a little tour around this brave new
world we're living in.

That'll keep me busy for a while.

...What about you, Princess?

Would you... like to come with me?

Kaguya
......

I'll go back to my country, Haken.

Considering what's happened all over
the world... I think things are going to
be hectic at Taketori Castle, too.

Haken
I see... You're right.

Hey, do me a favor and get back home
without risking your life for once,
okay?

I can't keep kidnapping you every single
time you get yourself into trouble,
you know.

Kaguya
I'll let you know if that ever happens
to me. I'll send you a message saying,
"Please, come kidnap me!" ￾ô

Haken
Heh, okay. Well, you do that whenever
you need to, all right?

Kaguya
Of course! ￾ô

...Haken.

Let me say this again. ...I really did
have a lot of fun. I mean that from the
depths of my heart.

Haken
Me too, Fun-Loving Princess. But, we
don't need to say goodbye forever this
time.

Kaguya
Right...! Let's... take a walk together
sometime!

Haken
Yeah, I'll look forward to it, Kaguya.

Kaguya
Yes...!

Haken
......

Kaguya
......

Haken
......

Kaguya
......

...Um... Haken?

Haken
Hmmm...?

Kaguya
...Could you... turn off the lights...?

Haken
......!

...Of course, Princess. I wouldn't want
to embarrass a fine lady like yourself.

===============================================================================

The End                                                     ...to be continued?

===============================================================================

Thanks                                                                   [THNX]

Thanks to 
Monolith Soft
Banpresto
Namco Bandai
Atlus Co
GameFAQs.com
GameFAQs Endless Frontier message boards
Thanatos2k (for suggesting this faq in the first place)

finally
Thank you to my wonderful wife for putting up with me while I made this script


Copyright - 2009 - T. Nye aka Solidsnake0928