The Indigo Elder (before battle)

This was unexpected of you, Faust.

For you of all Sinners to be the one to bring aboard a 'big shot' to our humble abode.

Tsk, do you have any idea how many times that prick killed us? The least you could do is -

Yes... that reminds me. I'll have to re-open my personal consultation hours for a certain kleptomaniac among us.

……..

Vergilius' obvious discontent at the involvement of an outsider didn't seem to bother Faust.

I considered him indispensable to the completion of this mission.

And why is that?

Because I am the only one who can hunt that Pallid Whale.

... Of course you are.

The Indigo Elder.

Indigo? He is a Color?! Thou meanest to say that I at this very moment am sharing a space with not one but TWO COLOR FIXERS...?

I heard that you were wandering the Great Lake to hunt its Whales.

And last I heard, you hunted one of the five Calamities, the All-impaling Marlin Whale.

... Hrm.

The old man grunted. It was neither a confirmation nor a denial, but that was the way the old man was. Everyone understood that.

All circumstantial evidence suggests that the Golden Bough was devoured by the Whale stranded at the Great Lake.

Yes, that very same Pallid Whale of the Five Calamities, normally observed in the Outskirts.

... Hm. Of course. That's how these things always tend to flow.

We've wasted much time, so I'll be blunt. I wish to hunt the Pallid Whale.

Yes. And time's all we have.

Moreover, we know where the Whale is headed.

And I am certain that you have spent a significant amount of time observing and learning that Whale to hunt it.

…….

I've got a plan.

And I'll do anything to make it work. Even if you want me there only as bait.

And this is how we'll do it.

… …… … …….

The crowd fell silent when Ishmael finished explaining her plan.

... You're mad. All that thrashing's finally sent you off the deep end.

I'm just going there for my mission. And the Golden Bough just happens to be in the same direction.

I'll leave it up to you. Well, to the manager, since their decision matters the most.

This Company, me... We're both just trying to find a way to reach our goals. That's all this is.

…….

Besides, does anyone have a better idea?

No. Can't agree to that. We're making a mistake by even entertaining that barmy idea.

……

I must ask you one last thing.

Will you join us to fish, Red?

The Indigo Elder suddenly broke his silence with a question.

…….

I'm not experienced or particularly skilled at hunting marine life, but...

... I have other, more important concerns that prevent me from joining.

So, no. Unless the worst comes to pass, I will not take part.

…….

The old man rose from his seat and walked off as though he was about to leave.

Wait... Wait a moment.

We don't need the guide. With a proper plan, we are more than capable of completing this mission.

To give up so quickly is -

I never said I am.

This loud, screaming ship won't do in our hunt for the Pallid Whale.

<Screaming? I didn't think Mephistopheles was that loud.>

To hunt it, the boat must remain near and covert. A narrow and sturdy boat is what we need.

... Huh? So all you needed to hear was that Vergilius wasn't going to help out? Why?

Right? This could go much smoother if Vergie was with us.

We can prepare a boat that fits your specifications, should you request it.

That's all right. I'll sail on my own skiff.

That old dinghy? That Whale could split it in two with a light wag of its tail.

... No. That skiff... It may not look like much, but it is extremely durable.

I see that X Corp.'s alloys have been used in its construction. That could not have been an easy ingredient to come by.

Ooh... another benefit of having a Color bestowed upon thee, then?! I have heard tale of -

Hrm...

Instead of entertaining that bombardment of questions...

... he approached me.

<…?>

I noticed it in the earlier scuffle. That clock seems to have been you and your crew's lifeline.

I know not how it works, but I presume it is a Singularity of sorts.

It will not work against the Whale.

So start now. Get used to the idea that not everything can be brought back.

<Why...>

<Why did you accept? Even after Vergilius opted out?>

It was a question I've been unable to let go.

Dante asks why you accepted our request, even after Vergilius opted out of it.

You ask me the wrong question. I would have denied your request, had Red agreed to take part.

Let's say that Red joined us. We would together battle the Whale in a long and arduous struggle. In the end, the Whale would surely go down - taking one of us with it.

That is why I would have opted out if Red chose to join us.

<…?>

Because the hunt would no longer be mine.

Whatever doth thou mean? Thy intentions elude me...

I mean that I would not be able to test the limits.

…….

The limits? What are you even talking about?

Look, to hunt that Whale, we have to prepare with everything we have. And...

Out of fear, humans drew borders even to the Outskirts that lie beyond the City limits.

Beyond it are stars that lie beyond the edge of understanding, beyond even the concept of fear itself.

I am but a fisherman seeking to cross the borders and challenge that very understanding.

... Are you talking about what lies beyond the Outskirts? Its outreaches?

That Whale... devours everything. It brings nothing but calamity... How could you..

Ah, so you have been a prey once, sailor.

Countless Lakes here also devour. Summon calamities.

If you find yourself at a crossroads, if you find that your life is worth nothing in the face of what lies before you...

Recall this conversation.

…….

I'm no good with advice. Never was.

Still, I thought I'd part a few words...

... as a fellow seafarer. Suppose I felt a bit of kinship.

As per the old man's directions, we rode on the skiff prepared on Mephistopheles.

I saw Ishmael, moments before boarding the skiff on Mephistopheles.

This was Ishmael's plan, but... I had no way of knowing what she was really thinking.

I had an inkling, yes. And so far, I've been going along with those vague guesses. Vague guesses that led to disasters.

So I had to ask her myself.

<Ishmael. What do you really want?>

What I really want...

<…!>

I see another vision of Ishmael.

She was hiding it well from the other Sinners and Vergilius. But I could clearly see what she really wanted. Her true desire.

<Ishmael, you...!>

She was lifting a body from the waters.

A body that was torn asunder. Shattered bones, strips of muscle tissue, flesh... Ishmael trembled with elation before what looked like the Captain's mutilated corpse.

What?

Come on, let's get going.