Branch D-02, part 11 (after battle)

<Were those Abnormalities responsible for killing all the employees?>

I doubt that. If my guess is right...

Please keep your eyes forward, Executive Manager. There's another one of them.

A humanoid being wearing the head of a statue was slumped against the wall.

Hi...? Are you... here to... draw your lot...?

Gather all your IDs... and give them... to me... Then we'll find the winner.

Its hand was barely grasping onto the strap of an employee ID card. "Alex" was the name written on it.

... Alex.

Gone nuts, has she? And what's that babble about winners?

Some Abnormalities... had to be placated with regular offerings as part of the managerial guidelines.

You shouldn't go that way... They will find you...

... You had to sacrifice people to it, didn't you?

It's your turn... to draw...

<People...?>

What happens if no human sacrifice is made?

We never found out... We'd never deviated from the procedures.

I guess it escaped and started killing people left and right.

Ha! That "Abnormality" must've been one spineless bugger. Does it thwack victims in the back of the head?

What... do you mean?

Did you all get jabbed in the eyes or what? Those wounds were clearly left by humans. You can tell they were beating the shite out of each other.

Those thickos killed each other in a fight.

B - but why would they do that?

S'clear as day.

Probably figured they could last a bit even after the branch got buried.

Keep up the stream of human sacrifices nice and steady, and rescue might eventually arrive.

Guess they kept the lots going for a few months, buyin' themselves time with each sacrifice.

Problem, though: y'think the one who drew the short straw would always go quietly?

If I were them, I'd rather bash the nearest bloke's head in than let 'em kill me.

Better them than me, ain't that right?

... And the rest is history, I bet.

And the last survivor... put on the stone mask belonging to the statueheads...

Believing that it'll save her from being sacrificed.

That can't be. Alex isn't the kind of person who'd kill just so she could save her own skin -

How do you know that? You can't even be sure if that's actually Alex or not.

Let me... give you a tip...

You'll be much better off... going on your own foot... before they come for you... Kehehe... Kehe...

Let us be on our way. This person will perish before long.

While everyone else moved along, Yuri remained in place and kept on staring at the statue-clad individual.

It wasn't your fault... You know it's not, right?

Leave me behind, Yuri... Please leave me...

......

<... Time to go.>