Obnubilation ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ If they didn't find any soon, all of LABO would probably turn into a contaminated zone for them. That hopeless situation was the one thing they wanted to avoid at all costs.  There's only 30 minutes left until the effects of the AD run out. Let's split up and look for some. Which means we should make the factory our focal point for the search, correct? This is where they supposedly make the AD, so some of it might have survived the fire.Come to think of it, Kazami had mentioned a while back that AD had been given to them by LABO staff members.  But won't trying to find one of those in this wreck be like trying to find a needle in a haystack? True. And we've gotta search the inner ring from head to toe as well.They didn't have time to keep discussing the matter, so Watase instantly made a decision. Got it, then I'll search the inner ring by myself. Everyone else will check the factory.Watase said that and headed off to the inner ring by himself.   (--No, calm down. You still haven't checked B1 yet.)Watase headed for the stairwell so he could go up. He opened the fireproof door--  (Dammit, we don't have time for this!)His watch said ''11:58 AM''-- Only 20 minutes were left until the AD were off. (Do I have to go back up an elevator shaft again? No--)Watase took out the 10 meter rope he'd been carrying this whole time and tied the end to the debris lying on the ground. He then tossed it up, and it caught on the handrail of the still intact landing of B1.  (--Okay, here I go!) OK, show of hands, how many people thought that Watase was going to die right there? (Tch, I wasted too much time...)Watase cursed himself and ran off again to begin the search anew. But his searching ended without yielding anything--  (I hope Tachibana and the others found AD...)Watase ran through the connecting passageway to the factory with anxiety in his heart-- but just then... !!!???Watase shuddered at the roar that'd come from straight ahead.  ♪ BGM: Memento Mori ♫ Kazami and the others were surrounding it. What's wrong!? What happened!?He ran over to the group to find everyone, including Kazami, staring at a pile of debris that stood in the middle of the dust. No one paid any heed to Watase's question-- none of them even reacted to him. Hey, Tachibana! Tell me what happened!Just then, Kazami answered in an absentminded voice.  Ms. Yuuri's... by the time we noticed, it was too late...Watase looked down at the debris to find a giant pool of blood seeping out from under it. It then finally hit him that Yuuri was not among the ''four'' people there. *sob*... Yuuri... Yuuri... Why... why did something like this happen...? We got so caught up in looking for AD that we... I... I should have noticed it was dangerous... (N-no, no, this isn't for real, is it...?)But as soon as he understood the situation, something in Watase snapped, and he ran over to the bottom of the debris. Yuuri! Please, Yuuri, answer me! --You dumbasses! What the hell are you all standing there for!? Help me save Yuuri!It was then that Jun, the one who'd normally be in Watase's shoes at the moment, spoke sadly. It's hopeless, Captain... that huge pile of rubble came falling from the ceiling... Yuuri was right under it... so...Jun's words painted out her sobs. N-no... dammit-- DAMMIIIIIIIIIIIT!The group then just stood where they were for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, Kazami's watch alarm went off. Did you find any AD...?Kazami silently shook her head. It was then that the Procyon began to beep. The reading was now precisely at ''4000 mSv''-- Watase's skin quickly started growing numb, and his head began aching. Let's go... we're all done for if we stay here. Let's go find AD first. Besides, we still have to find Natsuhiko and his friends.The group then started searching the facility all over again starting from Area 1.  It wasn't long before even his pace gradually grew weak. Despite that, the group had to keep wandering the facility to find AD and the survivors. Eventually, they noticed Ukita was gone. Hey... where'd... the old man go...?His head hurt so much that even thinking was a Herculean task for him. But it appeared that it was the same for everyone else. That's odd... He was with us... just a few minutes ago, wasn't he...? Yeah... he was there... a short while ago... right... Ms. Tsubakiyama...?Ena didn't answer Jun's question. Teach...? ...Ena then falls unconscious.  His nausea was so bad that he couldn't even open his mouth. Hey... we'll fiiind that A... AD for suure thiis time, riiight...?Jun's speech was now considerably slurred.  Kazami carried her on her back and spoke. Captain... at this rate, we'll suffer the same fate......I know. Watase tried to say that, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a faint noise that sounded like a sigh. Watase and Kazami were soon no longer in any condition to carry people.  They'd left Jun and Ena in some room, but they couldn't remember where that was. All they knew was that they felt like hell and that their heads felt as though they were on the verge of splitting.  Watase got caught in the blast and was knocked away. His body was incredibly sluggish. He sat up and looked around him, but Kazami was nowhere to be found. His mind was a total void. (Huh...? Why am I alone...? I... I can't take this anymore...)Watase started walking as blood dripped down his right arm. A piece of debris like a thin, sharp knife was impaling it. He hadn't noticed his wound at all. It must have happened at some point earlier. It felt like the pain wasn't even his own. (What... the hell... am I doing again...? Oh... right... I need... to find AD...) Watase suddenly lost his sense of balance.  It hurt, of course, but that no longer mattered to him. ...I don't need these... Watase no longer needed his body, his senses, his thoughts, or his memories. He just wanted one thing. ...AD... That was the only thing Watase craved... ...but before long, he no longer needed that either...   ...this was not the more ridiculous bad end I was promised, or hoping for. ...we'll do better next time.
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| ← # ? Nov 19, 2016 23:17 |
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