Sinking Moonlight

Who's a moron?! I don't see you doing anything with your Arts!

S-stop! We need defensive Arts in place to regain control of each jurisdiction.

Caster on the east side down! We need another one up there!

Careful!

Fire! Incoming!

Help meeaaaaaaaaahhh!

P-put it out! Does anyone have some way of dousing the flames?!

It burns! Help meee!

Tatjana... Save... me....

Ahhh... Gaaaaahhhh!!

Tatjana! Focus! You're too far out! Careful!

Huh?

Lucky me! Another noble lapdog to burn alive!

——

......

Chaos. The town is all sliced up into nice little pieces, like a cake.

Now, the last piece is crumbling to bits. They can't stop us.

And even if we stopped ourselves. Even if we packed up and left. Do they really think they could survive?

Leithanien will leave them to die.

The nearest nomadic city has 24 of those towers, and not a single lord can spare a glance for the dying little town in the Winterwisp Mountains.

Tragic.

There was a time when we grew weary of such tragedy. Let's not forget, standing here.

Think things through.

Sure. Say, why don't you ever talk like this? I'm just complaining.

Complaining that we held out so long, biding our time, and nothing changed, in the end. It all went to hell.

It's just so anti-climactic. I'm disappointed.

They're pushing in!

Huh!

I- I'm coming!

Shit! Tough nut to crack!

Where did that Vulpo come from? Are those nine tails I'm seeing?

No way! She's Infected! Why is she with them?!

So young... After all you've suffered, shouldn't you be fighting back?!

...

Comrade! Don't be deceived! Fight the power!

They are the criminals who chain and oppress us!

You...

Hm?

You... don't know anything!

She, she sent them flying?

The Arts around her slowed down? Where do those Arts come from? I've never seen it in the books.

You can't decide someone else's fate. Rhodes Island, Mom and Dad, everyone's always been so good to me!

And you! Don't sneak up on me!

Agh...! I can't... move...!

Hnng!

Stop...

Stop ruining things for everyone! Think about all the pain you're causing everyone else!

...So, what's next?

Biederman... the culprit is dead.

We have no hard evidence until Click and Ayerscarpe return...

Then who is the real killer? What is actually happening here?

Now is not the time to discuss that. We have to put down the riot first.

......

Folinic?

I... I don't know what to do...

I understand.

It's ridiculous, ironic, and hopeless. A doctor dedicated to healing the Infected died in the midst of an Infected riot.

I've been fuming about it... more than anyone.

Hnng!

Why? Why does it have to be this way? Why doesn't anyone know what's happening here?

Killing each other doesn't solve anything! You're all going to die!

Get out of my way! I will go through you if I have to, kid or not!

I'm not moving!

You have to listen to me!

Listen to what? Are you playing judge here? Who are you to determine what's right and what's wrong?

How do you think we got here? Plenty of wannabe philosophers out there railing about the era, the country, and human nature. They don't know shit.

But if you're walking down the road and a highwayman with a knife asks you for some charity...

Are you gonna have a heart-to-heart about Leithanien's corruption? Or about Rim Billiton's blood-soaked operations?

No!

Uh oh...! I can't... hold out much longer...!

He's thinking about how to kill you and get away with it. And you're thinking about whether you should shoot first, or try to put a little distance between you.

Nine times out of ten, you're just trying to make it out alive.

There's always little people to sacrifice. Turns out they're people like us, not like you.

You rest easy, talk about your ideals, complain about the shitty state of the world. You talk about the big picture. The real enemy is far away, so you don't deal with the problems right in front of you. Hah!

It's working! Keep it up!

But you're all innocent! It's not like you all wanted this...

Innocent? Pfft. I don't need your sympathy. None of us are innocent. Piss off.

We're doing what it takes to survive. Even if that means somebody else can't. There's no charity in survival.

——!

Hey! What's up with that nine-tailed Vulpo girl?!

Target her! Quick!

Gah! My staff... it snapped! Where did that bolt come from?!

We're here.

Ayerscarpe and Click should be out there evacuating civilians. As for us...

Folinic?

...Reunion.

I know what I heard. They were cheering that Reunion liberated them.

But they're not...

No!

They're the core of this riot. Get rid of them and it falls apart!

If it weren't for them, Atro would still be alive!

Folinic!

...

Calm down.

Sorry.

This isn't your first time. It's not mine... either.

I'm just... at a loss.

Let's go. Rhodes Island is going to find a way to stop this riot.

It's Rhodes Island. You put all your hopes in a bunch of kids, huh?

They're so green. They didn't even get here in time to stop all this. It's already over.

...But they are warriors.

Oh?

Warriors, who have known the battlefield.

Have the others withdraw.

We will go.