Sleepers Wake: 09/16/2030, 12:15  He'd reached the point where she and the others had entered the cargo lift room and discovered Subject N's body.  (Yes, this is it... this is where that memory is...!) --Jun, the first to go into the cargo lift room, screamed.  Moribe, what's the matter!?The rest of the group gasped and ran on in after Jun--  ♪ BGM: Evil and Nightmares ♫ --Everyone just stood absolutely still, overcome with shock. Everyone had been struck speechless by this unforeseen turn of events. It wasn't long before Kazami-- I... I'll run a vitals check on her...--ran over to the girl with that declaration.  Status all red... Her pupils have dilated...Kazami laid the girl down and spoke. Moribe, help me out. I'm going to perform CPR. R-right.Jun hurriedly sat down next to the girl. Kazami performed cardiac massage. 15 compressions. Jun performed artificial respiration. 2 rescue breaths. The girl didn't respond.  (This is when Ms. Tachibana was infected by malice... Then shouldn't that girl be showing up any second now!? A remnant of Subject N's spirit must be here!)Though he thought that-- Subject N still hadn't shown up.   --...-- guys have to take...--It seemed like Watase was saying something behind her, but she ignored him. She filled her hands with strength as she continued the CPR compressions. 15 compressions. 2 rescue breaths. 15 compressions. 2 rescue breaths. 15 compressions. 2 rescue breaths--    Kazami unconsciously voiced her thoughts into words. ...ie... Nagisa, don't die...!Jun gasped at that moment. S-Sis...! This girl isn--... sa...!But Kazami's thoughts had come to a halt. Jun's voice grew distant and her words carried no meaning.   (Please come back...! This can't be happening, not when we've just now reunited... I don't want this!)Her thoughts became less and less coherent. But at that moment-- Lieutenant! Stop it already!♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ !Jun's voice brought Kazami back to reality. ...Tachibana...Kazami was astonished when she heard Watase's faint whisper. (Ah... Did I... just lose my mind for the first time in years...?)She thought the absolute loss of sanity she'd displayed in those weeks after Nagisa's death would never resurface again, but-- (How careless of me... I have to be calm... Be calm, be calm, be calm... This girl isn't Nagisa. Pull yourself together...) I did everything within my power... But she's... dead.She had been trying to act like her normal self. But for some reason, everyone looked at Kazami with what appeared to be fear on their faces.  U-um, Lieutenant Tachibana...? Er... are you okay? I apologize for causing you all concern. I'm all right now.She spoke calmly once again in order to hide the irregularity in her emotions. But gloom swirled around in her heart. (This girl isn't Nagisa... But there's no mistaking that she's a victim of this accident. Yet another... life... has been lost.)Kazami was about to leave the room with that thought-- When she suddenly heard a voice behind her.  !?Kazami turned around in surprise. For a moment, she thought the girl had returned to life--  Like before, there were absolutely no signs of life from the body whatsoever. ...Um, hello?No one answered her calls. (... I must be imagining things... I'm not calm at all right now...! I mustn't let my desires twist the facts...)Kazami finished persuading herself and looked away from the corpse.  (Wh... what is this...!? This is what Ms. Tachibana really experienced!?)Subject N had survived until this time and manipulated everyone's memories. So if Kazami's memories had been distorted, that meant only her memories of before this point in time would have been altered. However, there was no floral scent in this memory. And the ''spirit of Subject N'' that had shown up in Watase, Ukita, and Jun's minds hadn't made an appearance. (... What's going on...? Is she in another memory later on...?)Natsuhiko thus continued to read through Kazami's memories as he pondered on the meaning of that mystery. It was only a little later on that yet another strange event occurred-- It was in a memory of right after Yuuri had vanished.  ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ Watase spoke up beside Kazami, in a voice full of worry. The AD will only last about another hour. She'll be in big trouble if we don't find her before then. ...Yes... Though with that said, if Yuuri was hiding a card from us, we can't fully deny the possibility she was hiding some AD on--... ...Watase's voice grew distant again. (Why...? Where would she go off to all by herself in such a dangerous situation...!?) Please be safe...!Kazami muttered that and went running off. --She then heard the same voice she had noticed earlier.  ???: {Or she could end up dead, just like me...} ...!The voice sounded as though it were echoing inside her head. Kazami gritted her teeth and mentally replied to it. (... I know... You're an auditory hallucination, aren't you...? It's my guilt at failing to save you that's causing me to hear this voice, isn't it? There's no other way.)???: {...} The voice went quiet. Kazami endured her guilt and continued talking in her mind. (I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I'll make sure you get a proper burial once this is all over... so please don't blame me right now, at the very least...)--But she couldn't hear the auditory hallucination anymore. That brought Kazami both relief-- --and a slight twinge of loneliness.  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ (This is strange! What's happening!?)Yuuri's voice echoed in Natsuhiko's head while he reeled from astonishment. {Th-this isn't right, Hikorin! Something's wrong!} (Yeah! What's the deal with the auditory hallucination!? Why is that happening!?) {Don't tell me that N used telepathy... just like you used telepathy on Captain Kasasagi!?} (No, that's impossible! I mean, Subject N's already dead... That shouldn't be happening...!)What's more, there was no floral scent in this memory either. It was an inexplicable phenomenon that was neither memory manipulation nor telepathy-- But Natsuhiko knew fully well what it was. (Don't tell me that Ms. Tachibana...!)A new suspicion was born into Natsuhiko's mind. It was only a little bit after that memory-- That yet another bizarre event occurred.  ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 3 ♫ She was keeping an eye on the monitors by herself. She figured that the least she could do while she was recovering there was check the monitors-- But she couldn't muster much effort into it. (To think that there could be a murderer in this facility even at this very moment...!)Fear and trepidation began to take root in Kazami's mind. Though this was the first N disaster she'd ever encountered, she figured all she had to do was focus on rescue efforts like always. But the situation had changed far too quickly. She was reminded of what Ena had said when they discovered the cargo lift had been sabotaged. ''This was no ordinary disaster. Someone meant for this to happen.'' Jun had also said there were terrorists hiding in the city. To be honest, a part of her agreed with the both of them-- But she didn't breathe a word of it and adamantly denied the possibility. (The situation's already harsh. What we have to fear the most here is everyone starting to jump at shadows...! We can't let ourselves fall prey to that. We must work together to get through this. If we don't, we may not survive...)But if she were to follow Ena and Jun's suspicions to their logical conclusion with the knowledge that only nine people were in the facility, that would lead her to one damning suspicion: ''One of us is the culprit''-- That was exactly why Kazami could not admit to the existence of a killer. (But in that case... who killed that girl? Why did Ms. Yuuri vanish? Did the real culprit already escape...?)Her doubts welled up and filled her heart. But Kazami shook her head and denied them. (No, I mustn't think that! I'm letting myself fall to pieces right now! It's too dangerous to let these thoughts control me--)Just as Kazami tried again to convince herself-- --a voice called out from behind her.  !?Kazami turned around in shock--  ♪ BGM: Evil and Nightmares ♫ Eek...!A gasp emerged out of her mouth. The girl who'd been lying dead by the lift earlier was standing right next to the door. Y-you're...!Astonishment stole the words from Kazami's lips. The girl took that moment to speak up.  {... Sorry for startling you like that. But I just couldn't bear to watch you trying to go down the wrong path...}She had the same voice as the auditory hallucination she'd heard earlier. An unbelievable thought overwhelmed Kazami. A-are you a ghost...!? {Something like that, I guess... Not even I'm really sure.} You're not sure...!? (If she's not a ghost-- then does that make her an illusion!? If that's the case, has my sanity already deteriorated that much...!?)But what she was looking at didn't seem like an entity as vague as either a ghost or an illusion. The girl continued as Kazami struggled with her confusion. {Please don't be so scared... I just want to help you.} Wh-why? {I don't really know either, but maybe I've taken a liking to you?} ...? {Anyway, there's something I want to tell you. If you want to survive, you have to doubt everyone around you.} Doubt? Doubt who? {Everyone but yourself. Especially... yes, especially Mr. Watase.} Wh-what are you talking about!? {Surely you've caught on as well, haven't you...? Some things about his amnesia are just plain unnatural.} Ah, that's...! {You see, I've been thinking... maybe this culprit you're all afraid of... Is none other than Mr. Watase?} Stop! Why would you say that!?Kazami instinctively shouted in response to that statement. He's not that kind of person! {But really think about it. Isn't there a chance he's lying to you all? Why do you think he'd have to lie like that...? Maybe there's something he wants to hide from everyone. Even you.} I won't believe that... Who in the world are you? Why are you telling me all of this...!? {... I don't know. I have no memories. I don't remember a thing about myself.}A lonely expression suddenly appeared on the girl's face. {... But I feel like I was in some dark place for a very long time. I'm sure it's there that my mind slowly corroded away. All I have is doubt, hatred for others, a desire to kill... and little else.} No way... But you're talking to me normally right now, aren't you? {You're right. I wonder why that is...?} ...? {... Sorry. Didn't mean to confuse you. Well, I'll be going now.}The girl said that, then smiled. W-wait!But right when Kazami shouted that... The door opened. ...!Kazami came back to her senses and looked at the door.  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ C-Captain... and everyone else too...! Tachibana... are you by yourself? That is correct... Why, does it look like someone else is here?Kazami concealed all emotion and expression on her face and answered calmly. She didn't want to let them know what had just happened. Not by any means.  Natsuhiko was speechless. He could hear Yuuri's hollow voice. {You don't mean that, just like you... Ms. Tachibana was...} (Yeah...)Natsuhiko answered dumbfoundedly. (Ms. Tachibana was seeing... a phantom Subject N.)--Just like how Natsuhiko had seen Yuuri's phantom for nine years. Kazami too had been constantly seeing an illusion so lifelike she was convinced it had to be real. (B-but why was it only Ms. Tachibana that saw a phantom...? I mean, this is nothing like what happened with Watase!)Subject N's tone and manner of speech here were also clearly different from Kazami's. Much like how Yuuri's phantom hadn't talked like Natsuhiko. {Come to think of it, her circumstances closely resemble yours in this regard, don't they...? Lieutenant Tachibana lost her sister nine years ago and fell into complete stupefaction-- and her memory was also manipulated on top of that. So maybe it's not all that strange that she started seeing a phantom...?} (No... I don't think that's enough to explain everything...!)But he couldn't come up with a clear answer. Natsuhiko read more of Kazami's memory. And the next time the illusion showed up--   --and failed.   ♪ BGM: Pose the Question to this World ♫ Kazami instinctively shook Salyu off with all her might.  ! --Salyu! (Oh God... what have I done...!?)Kazami walked up to Watase and Salyu in blank shock. Captain... is she...? It's okay, she's just passed out. I-I see...Though she was relieved to hear that-- --Kazami thought about Salyu's words once again. ''This man is a terrorist. He attacked us last night and this morning as well. Everything that's happening here is all his fault. Even you should have questioned that idea several times.'' --Those words brought her heart great pain. Her body began to shake in fear. Tachibana...?Watase sounded confused. Kazami wrapped her arms around herself to stop her shivers and tried to answer him. Captain, I...''I trust you.'' That was what she wanted to say. But at that moment--  --a voice echoed in her head.  ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ The girl from earlier was standing right next to Kazami before she even realized it. The girl looked at Watase along with Kazami and spoke. {That Sannomiya kid's right... There really are terrorists. And Mr. Watase is one himself.}A thought flashed through Kazami's brain when she heard that. (Now that I think about it, that BC rejection group has been causing quite a number of incidents recently...! The people who caused the Great Rokumei City Arson all those years ago have committed yet another act of terrorism... But if that's the case, then why would a BC rejection group attack this facility?)The girl answered that question. {Hey, there's no nuclear reactor here, right? So if this place isn't a nuclear research facility, what could it be...? There's one more industry that's just as vital as nuclear power to this city... Now what is it again?}Kazami realized it at that moment. (Impossible... is this place... A BC research facility!?)Now that she thought about it, Watase didn't like BC. That was why she had barely ever discussed the topic with him. She never mentioned how how she had aptitude, albeit not much of it-- nor did she mention her sister's case, either. (So for some reason, Watase's hatred for BC grew worse, he became a terrorist... and attacked this facility!? Then Dojima and Hiyama tried to stop him and were killed by him for it!? Which means those researchers and that girl also got caught up in it all and were...!?)She didn't want to believe any of it. But if it weren't true, then why had Salyu called Watase a terrorist? Why did Watase have a gun? Why had he lied? --She couldn't come up with a single solid answer. (Then if he committed any crimes, it was before he lost his memories-- Which means he forgot about his sins due to his amnesia...?)Those thoughts drove Kazami to look at Watase with fear. ...Taohibana, why... why are you looking at me like that? Wait, you don't believe what Salyu said, do you? It's ridiculous! There's no way in hell I could be a terrorist! I don't care if I have amnesia, I'm -sure- of that! You guys know better than anyone else that I've been a rescue worker for ages, don't you!?--He was right. He was a strict yet kind man who always kept on fighting to protect people's lives. Watase was supposed to be a true rescue worker who'd taught Kazami how to live her life in a strong manner while her heart was still scarred from Nagisa's death. (My hero... is a murderer?)Despite that, Kazami asked Watase one final question. ...Captain, may I ask you just one question? ...What is it? Captain, why was it that you went down to the basement at 6:42 AM, shortly after this accident occurred? That's-- I told you guys, that's because Dojima and Hiyama called for me on their radio... So what you're saying is that your radio could receive transmissions then, correct? But... but you know... I personally tried to reach you on your radio just a few minutes before that...! ...! Why was it that Dojima and Hiyama's transmission got through to your radio, yet mine did not...? Did you make it... so that my transmissions weren't received for some reason...? H-hey-- how long have you been thinking that? Ever since you said you 'got some of your memories back'... when you told us why you went down to the basement. But I didn't say anything... because I trusted you... I figured that time discrepancy was just you remembering the time incorrectly...!Kazami lowered her eyes and continued in a shaky voice. I... I tried as hard as I could to trust you. I've trusted you for as long as I can remember.--But the faith she spoke of-- Was shattered by one sentence from the girl.  {He's the culprit.} (...!) {Hey, you're the only one who's realized his true colors, aren't you...? If he is delivered his just deserts here, then his sins will never come to light. Don't you think he should die here as Watase Kasasagi the rescue worker...?}Those words reached the deepest parts of Kazami's heart. (You're right... I have to act now to preserve his good name--!)And in that moment, Kazami's mind--    ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ All that came through after that were fragments of her incoherent thoughts.   You went down the wrong path... This is the only thing... I can do for you now... OPEN THE GATE, WATASE!Anger, sorrow, a desire to kill, and all other sorts of emotions... They formed a fierce whirlpool of malice that Natsuhiko was dumbfoundedly floating in. (Wha... what should I do!? How can I save Ms. Tachibana!?) {The fact that Lieutenant Tachibana has been brought to this state means that N's spirit should be here somewhere! It's just that Lieutenant Tachibana has been infected with malice far worse than the others, that's all! You have to find N somehow and erase her!} (R-right! Then I'll go search through more memo--)But right when Natsuhiko thought that... Kazami's head--  --was filled with the sound of a woman's echoing voice. (!?)It wasn't Subject N's voice. It belonged to none other than the person whose mind Natsuhiko was linked to at this moment-- (Ms. Tachibana!?) {H... how!?}Neither of them had ever experienced the target of their Senses Sympathy talking back to them while the process was still underway. But that wasn't all. Even more bizarre phenomena occurred.     (--What!?)Everything Natsuhiko had seen and heard up until this point in time flashed through his head.     He remembered that phenomenon.     It was those high speed flashbacks he had when Yuuri read his memories this morning right after he arrived at LABO. (Why are my memories being read--!?)He had no clue what was happening. Kazami then continued.  ♪ BGM: Approaching Death ♫ (...!)That was the same thing Yuuri had said back then. Natsuhiko was assaulted by intense anxiety. {Tenkawa, you planned to erase this girl, didn't you...!? But that's the same as killing her. Do you have the right to play judge, jury, and executioner like that...? Answer me, Tenkawa!} A savage malice surged forth with that voice! (!!)It suddenly started worming its way into Natsuhiko's mind all at once. (Aah, aah, aah...) (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!)--and cut his link to Kazami's mind. 
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| ← # ? May 19, 2017 14:36 |
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