A Distinct Objective (before battle)

The first order of business is intelligence sharing, and... deductive reasoning based on the available information.

My team and I were attacked in the hallway connected to the conference hall.

That guy was... hah, I'll be straight with you guys. Super, super duper strong.

I would've stood my ground if only Hornet, that dumbass, were here...

By "Hornet," you are referring to...?

The junior of our team, but he's really, really strong. He's so strong that... uh...

Ah, I've got it. There was this time when I, uh... what was it again? Some kinda pastry, I think? Anyhoo, I got me some bread to snack on later, and in that split second my back was turned, Hornet, that asshole, swiped it right off of my plate!

I got so pissed off that I punched him right in his solar plexus to get him to cough it up, and, and... he just went "oof," and... swallowed my bread anyway! Like, does that make any sense to you guys?

Uh... yeah, okay... I guess that makes him strong...

Although Ezra's anecdote wasn't very illuminating, none of us bothered to ask for further clarification, as it seemed that the only way to get an objective measure of the Hornet's strength was to let her punch us in the solar plexus as well.

So... what's this "Hornet" up to now?

Ishmael peeked around as though she was expecting him to pop out from a hiding spot in the Broadcast Sector.

Oh, you are going to lose your mind when you hear this! Listen up, what he's -

... Not yet, Ezra.

- up to is a s-secret. It's uh... classified stuff.

Ezra trailed off awkwardly.

I tend to analyze my enemies with observation and deduction.

I try to identify their unique colors - the kinds of weapons they use, their methodologies, whether they enjoy the slaughter or avoid it, their attitudes toward battle... all of it.

Once I have that, I can get an idea of when to begin my counterattack, or what kind of weaknesses of theirs I can exploit; and that's how I've usually opened my path forward.

But he...

Moses inhaled sharply as though she missed her smoking pipe, which was nowhere to be seen at this moment.

... was chaotic. I could not identify a single pattern in his behavior.

He is an empty shell.

His act of killing lacks any emotional touch.

And that... is why you couldn't get a read on him.

... On the other hand, you... You appear so clearly to me.

You seem so anxious to cut something down, is that correct?

You are broken, shattered; but every shard is keen and transparent... like a hail of small blades.

A glass-like sword of many edges, so fragile with its futile wish to sever away what cannot be severed.

What is it that you grasp so tightly in that scarred hand of yours?

... Little shit. What are you peeking into?

Hey, don't talk to our Team Leader like -

Just as Ezra was about to give her a stern warning, Hohenheim stepped in and changed the subject.

To add to that, Marton here and I were in front of the laboratory when it occurred.

At first, it began with the sound of rushing wind. Something large and heavy, cleaving through the air - the kind of sound one should never come to expect from a department like ours, so full of delicate machinery and containment units.

It happened right before my eyes. Something snapped the employee who was walking only a step ahead of me... in half.

And the first thing that came to my mind was this - did an Abnormality breach containment?

But if such were the case, the alarm should've gone off.

... So far, this tracks with what Miss Alyssa told us.

She said there wasn't any warning at all before the attack...

Once I got a better look of what that was, I realized that it was neither Abnormality, Peccatulum, nor a Distortion... it was a massive scabbard.

When I looked toward where the scabbard came from, there stood a man who presumably threw the weapon...

... reading a book like he was out on a stroll.

And the book was...

Matthias... He must've been reading his Book of Vengeance.

First the Thumb, and now the Middle...

I stared at him, still processing what had just happened... when boss grabbed my arm and started running.

I couldn't look back. I heard screaming - from dozens of people, but...

... You seem to be fond of recounting unnecessary details.

Only after arriving here, at the Broadcast Sector, did I remember that Alyssa was still out there.

When one's life is at risk, the brain instinctively reduces the processing of information to the bare minimum required for survival. It is only natural.

But I was the last person who handled that research proposal, boss.

…….

Alyssa should've been at the conference hall, too. With us.

Hey, listen. If you wanna look back and nitpick at literally every little thing you did in the past, we're gonna be here forever.

I know it might sound like a bit of an empty platitude, but... focus on what we can do right now, what we're going to do going forward, okay? You'll have time for regrets later.

... I suppose so.

You did save my boss once, so... I guess it's only right that I should have more faith in you people than anyone else.

I would like to clarify that the "saving" was but a part of the experiment, but given the urgency, I will forgo a more detailed explanation.

Looks like we're all caught up, then? Good. Now, let's share what we know.

Moses began laying out the situation with the expertise befitting a leader of the LCD.

Today, intruders attacked the LCE department situated in the basement of the HQ.

We lost control of the entire LCE facility, and save for our current location, every sector has been neutralized by a single or a pair of intruders.

Any survivor who's conscious enough to communicate properly is already here.

After the attack, every containment unit was also forcibly unlocked, adding even more fuel to the fire.

We are beset by foes on every side; a search for a foothold is a difficult one indeed.

Darn, if only these surveillance cameras weren't busted... I'd love to be able to keep track of their whereabouts.

As I have repeated many times today, we are attempting to bring it back to operational status. You speak of restoring a sabotaged power grid like it's a task as simple as wiping one's glasses.

More than anything, we need these two pieces of information at the present.

One: Who are the attackers? Two: What objective brought them to the LCE?

The man we encountered seemed to have a one-track mind, squarely set on killing as ordered.

But there are far too many threads that point toward a motivation more complex than "infiltrate the facility and slaughter its employees with abandon."

Moses's deduction aligned with Outis's - if the assailants' goal was truly nothing more than slaughter, their first order of action should've been to unlock the containment units.

The intruders are... hm, yes. I have enough evidence to at least get a general idea of whom they might be.

Do elaborate.

There's the "Thumb Nursefather" who's stalling the Red Gaze. Then, there's the member of the Middle who attacked the researchers. And we've seen evidence of the Ring's involvement too, given the presence of corpse manikins.

At least two or more Fingers are involved in this attack.

The Thumb...! The vile cur the Kurokumo Clan serves are here...?

Hm, yet this is quite odd. Lady Moses, are the Fingers not hostile against one another?

Those ilk have no business coming within even a sleeve's breadth of each other, save when compelled to attend assemblies such as the Finger Bow-bell, where they oft quarrel to no end.

Correct. But consider this from the opposite perspective - there must be something of enough importance for the officers of each Finger to put aside their differences and work hand-in-hand.

…….

Spiders. Or... the Nursefathers of the House of Spiders.

That's what they're called.

And we've just snared ourselves into the web they spun.

The Fingers... rarely ever cross the line they've drawn between each other. This strange entanglement certainly is a deviation.

"Nursefathers," was it? Seems like a terribly meaningful title to me.

Then it can be presumed that the House of Spiders is a place to... raise something, or someone. To have such high-ranking officers of each Finger gather at one place to nurture someone...

One might think that it hardly makes any sense, and indeed, it doesn't - but what if their purpose itself is just as outrageous? That would, paradoxically, explain how they've come to gather.

Ryōshū, is it? You seem to be inextricably tied to that place.

I.K.W.Y.W.

Ah, she just said "I know what you wan - "

Mm, no need. I can understand her abbreviations.

But I can't tell you what I know. Because -

Because it's all broken. The place, the memories attached to it... I can see how they've shattered.

…….

You don't have to recall everything. All I need to know is what that "outrageous purpose" is. What is it?

Me.

To forge me into a blade that cuts through all.

But I left that place behind.

<Ryōshū, can you tell us anything more?>

... Shame, but that's all I have, Clock.

I don't remember much more than that. Even if I did, it's not an easy thing to speak of.

Ryōshū let out a protracted sigh just as Moses did earlier, the long exhalation of someone who clearly craved a puff of smoke. It betrayed the aloofness she projected.

Come to think of it, Ryōshū hasn't been smoking at all since we got here. Or... maybe since the truck.

... Clock, like she said, and... like what you've seen, my mind is a mess.

I have questions of my own, but the answers elude me.

But maybe the pieces can be put together using your hints, like the one you gave me earlier.

So we have to solve this together, this puzzle... or this game of escape room.

Ryōshū muttered placidly.

…….

If it is you the House of Spiders wants, then I must ask you to entertain this question: why did they bother attacking the HQ?

Oh?

As Moses began her explanation, Ryōshū looked in her direction with mild amusement.

When you said you "left" the House of Spiders, I presume you meant you "escaped" it.

Members of different Fingers are hardly the kind of people to fraternize even on a good day, but this alliance of sorts they call the House of Spiders has persisted even after your departure. At a glance, it may only appear that they were simply waiting for your return.

But given their... behaviors today, they don't strike me as a particularly patient group as a whole.

In other words, I find it suspicious that they decided to act now. If they were desperate, they would've made the move long ago.

This leads me to believe that... they were waiting for the right time.

Whichever is their motive, Ryōshū - whether it is getting you back, or doing something else - the fact remains that they have chosen this particular moment to act.

The Nursefather of the House of Spiders we encountered, she... made way for us so that Ryōshū could come to the HQ Research Facility.

She harbored such intense and complicated feelings for Ryōshū, but...

... I don't think I got any sense that she was trying to kill or take Ryōshū with her.

But she said that the Nursefathers were waiting for me here.

Clearly, they're here to see me, Weirdo Detective.

Alright you - Hey, what the hell's your problem?

Be calm, please. It is best that we do not interrupt their conversation.

In intense dialogue shall they find and draw out the answer... let us not dare stem this course.

It is a fair assumption that the Nursefathers of the House of Spiders have attacked this place to provoke you. However...

... I can't seem to shake the thought that they must have a distinct objective.

If they were indeed after Ryōshū and only Ryōshū, then... choosing this specific time and place hardly seems to serve that purpose.

<The intervals between each of the Sinners are different, but...>

<... once a Sinner's "turn" ends, another's begins. Every single time, without failure.>

<This case has everything to do with Ryōshū. I believe, without a shred of doubt, that it's her turn.>

Hm.

Once the Sinners relayed my words, Moses fell into a brief contemplation and began to mutter a sequence of words.

Limbus Company. The Mirror. The Glass Window. The former L Corp. Extracted E.G.O. Enkephalin. Psychoments. Abnormalities. Monolith. Sinner Ryōshū.

I can't think of too many things in the LCE Research Facility that could be what the House of Spiders is after.

By process of elimination, the only reasonable answer that can be deduced is as follows:

They're here for the Golden Boughs.

... So that's how it is.

<…….>

<Moses is right. It's become very important for us to look into Ryōshū's past, to reach in and see what lies there, but...>

<... LCB's goal, its journeys, and its stories have always been bound to the same terminus. Obtaining the Golden Boughs.>

<Hohenheim... where are the Golden Boughs in this facility located?>

The manager would like to know the location of the Golden Boughs.

It's at a laboratory in this facility.

Hohenheim's gaze turned to me.

Perhaps he was looking at the clock hands on my head.

... Very well. I suppose there's no way around sharing the contents of our presentation.

Hohenheim's answer sounded more like a prolonged sigh.

It was... a presentation regarding our progress in the Golden Bough experimentation.

…….

And the limited group of individuals with the clearance to access the contents of that presentation... does not include members of the LCB.

... Oi, aren't we the ones riskin' our necks out there to collect those boughs? How come we're not allowed to -

I am not the one who decides the scope of our security.

Hohenheim, your concern is understandable.

The company maintains tight control over any information regarding the Golden Boughs.

There is no way to know, at this moment, what the consequences of leaking this information without the company's explicit consent might be. If the worse comes to worst, we may even be subject to... a memory wipe procedure.

Unbelievable. We're stalled by some red tape at an exigent circumstance like this?

What do you expect from a company practically built on secrecy and suspicion?

Anyway, assuming the risks of divulging this information are understood and accepted by all parties present, let me get straight to the point. The Golden Boughs, we were... hm. We were experimenting with grafting the retrieved boughs onto one another.

Grafting the boughs...

Then, was the purpose to combine the boughs to form a singular tree?

…….

Nothing slips by a fellow researcher, I suppose.

Correct.

We are incubating the Golden Boughs under a very special environment... to create a sapling. We haven't yet managed to graft them together into a proper tree, no - but that horizon is in sight.

Today was the day that we were to share the successes of the experiment with certain major characters and teams within the company... until this happened.

The Golden Boughs are at the laboratory, hm...

Then, we have to get to the laboratory before they do and secure the Golden Boughs.

But... we can't just waltz out on our own when this whole place might be crawling with enemies, right? Is there any way we can get in touch with the HQ right now?

Did HQ even receive your support request?

We did send a rescue signal to HQ an hour ago, but we have no way of knowing whether it was received. The attackers destroyed all of our outgoing transmitters earlier.

As long as they received a signal, any signal, it shouldn't take long until they recognize that the LCE is under attack by an overwhelming force.

Assuming that the LCA has sent us support units, do we have an estimate of how long it might take for them to arrive?

... Even if they have to navigate around inaccessible passages currently present in the facility...

... it should be no more than 10 minutes.

10 minutes? Then they should've been here already.

They have either failed to receive the transmission, or the power outage has trapped the reinforcements in the elevators.

Hm, yeah... If it weren't for Miss Saude bringing us up to speed, we wouldn't have thought of using the Backdoor to come straight to this facility.

If such is the case, then we need only reboot the power divider in the Facility Management Room.

Heya, Mister Big Brain. If we wanna restore this department from a shutdown state, we gotta take out all the Distortions and Abnormalities sauntering about, right?

... In order to perfectly restore the facility, yes. This place has been designed to be quarantined from every other Department if even a single Abnormality has escaped to its hallways.

Eh, no use sitting around putting our heads together then, right? Hey, if you guys are scared of some Abnormality or Distortion, leave it to us! We'll kick their butts.

Nobody said they're scared. I'm just saying, we could benefit from practicing a bit of caution.

It would be wisest to prioritize restoring power to the facility. It seems that these attackers are making effective use of the dark.

... I see.

Executive Manager. I am of the opinion that we must split our forces in order to facilitate our operation, given the urgency of the situation.

The situation looks rather pressing for us to sit here and waste time debating what to tackle first.

Once I nodded in agreement, Outis quickly took control of the situation.

Listen up, men. We prepare for two things: reconnaissance and extraction.

Huhh...? Extraction? You mean escape?

Assuming that the LCA's support will arrive, it would serve us best to move in tandem with them to improve our chances of launching a joint attack with numerical advantage over our enemies.

Also, we have to stay mobile - we've held this position for too long. Our enemies will methodically kill and comb through the entire facility until they find what they're looking for. The more we remain stationary, the more likely we are to encounter them, and that will only elevate the risk of total obliteration.

Makes sense. Besides, the others here ain't like us. Once they get killed, it's over for them.

Another thing - don't forget that we have to reach the Golden Boughs before our enemies do. Whichever we end up prioritizing, we won't get anything done by staying holed up in here.

Very well... Then, if we were all to leave this place at the same time, where should we prioritize? We have many pressing tasks, as you have explained. Golden Bough retrieval, facility power restoration...

But the Facility Management Room to restore power to the facility, the laboratory, and the area with the damaged circuitry are all located far from each other...

... We divide and conquer.

Securing the Golden Bough, restoring power, and suppressing Abnormalities to clear a path for the reinforcements... they're all equally important, and must be resolved concomitantly. And to do so, we must split up into squads based on our expertise.

Yeah, alrighty. We work better as a separate unit anyway.

The LCB will be in charge of securing the Golden Bough, as our Executive Manager here has the ability to detect it whenever they are in proximity to one of them.

Ooh, kinda like a metal detector?

How dare you compare the Executive Manager to a - hmph... I'll let that one slide, given the urgency.

Anyway, we would like to leave Abnormality, Distortion, and Peccatula suppression to the LCD.

Gotcha~ That's totally our bread and butter!

How many... difficult Abnormalities or Distortions did you have contained in this facility?

Combatants of your prowess should have no trouble suppressing most of them - save for 2, however, that might pose some trouble.

Take these microcommunicators with you; we use these to communicate between laboratories. While it has limited range, it should be useful enough for relaying the suppression tactic for each entity you come across.

Perfect, we've secured a means of communication.

As for restoring power to the facility, I would like to designate that task to the LCE personnel here. I presume you are best acquainted with the layout of this facility out of all of us?

A reasonable choice. The layout of this facility is more complicated than it might have first appeared to you.

That is indeed one way to describe abysmal cable management.

... Please, consider it but a representation of the entropic escalation phenomenon. Despite the way it looks, the setup is quite stable.

Marton gave a handful of tiny radios to Outis, who distributed them to each of us.

Very well. Don't forget to keep each other updated.

…….

The acrid stench of smoke I'd much rather leave buried in the past... keeps coming back.