The Middle (before battle)
Mine experience hath taught me that this... this Workshop here, featured in none other than Fixers Monthly, would be best for thy merchandising opportunities! Quite the clean, flawless finish did they boast! And about this Workshop on the side - while it doth produce figurines of passing quality, thou must practice caution! For they merely run mass-production lines of generic products with nary a spark of creativity!
... Thank you for the advice.
Aw, thou needst not thank me! ... Ahem. As for Fixer "merch," I must recommend thou beginnest with button badges, for there is aaaaabsolutely zero concern that a Color Fixer's button badge meeteth the fate of becoming deceased stock, plunging thy revenues to the negatives -
The excitement of accompanying such a... distinguished figure is quite well understood, but perhaps such discussions could be tabled for later in a mission such as this...
Ah... Ahaha... quite. 'Tis an unimaginable glory, to partake in an epochal moment such as the new Color Fixer's very first mission...
Don Quixote, breathe.
So, junior... how's Color Fixer life? Ya got a fan and everything already.
.......
*sigh* Not even gonna pretend ya heard me? Ah, well. He gets like that when he's nervous, so ya guys better get used to it now. You have no idea how many times we bickered until I finally got used to him sulking...
Anyhow... is this really the "House of Spiders?" It's a lot different from... what I'd expected.
Fret not, for this is indeed the correct destination. A swift observation did I make with this gear labeled "multi-angle camera," and saw all paths in your surroundings lead to infinity in all directions. Indeed, there is no doubt that you have entered the assailants' den.
This place is...
*puff* A "Corridor." So this is where they've spun their web.
The disquietude immanent in a name such as "The House of Spiders" seems to hardly convey the sense emanating from this place, which is more akin to a supermarket... or a warehouse at a Nest.
Yes, though it is more like a warehouse of toy boxes and nothing else.
I recognize some of these toys as the ones my parents had bought me in my childhood.
Toys are imbued with meaning only when they are played with.
Thus, one must come to wonder - why have they kept these untouched in their packaging, in a way that seems to hamper even the purpose of detached admiration?
... An object's purpose is often determined by its owner. As it stands now, it seems that the "purpose" is to display the goods, nothing more.
♬Leaping across rooftops of the City♬
♬To protect its peace and safety♬
Do you hear that?
Eh? What, the song?
Th-this song...!
Huh? Is this some kind of twisted song that breaks your mind when you hear it?
The OP of "Let's go, Poludnitsa!", a biographical show of the eminent Federico, a Grade 1 Fixer of the Devyat' Association...
... Allow me to investigate the veracity of her claim.
... No, there is no need to concern yourself with that kind of research.
The song alone shouldn't cause us any concern. Let us head toward the source of the sound.
Ooooh... Ohhhhhh...!!
Take this! Breaking~ Slam!
Badass... Seriously, that's like, the sickest move of all time...
Slam a weapon on the ground, use the rebound to leap into the air for the finisher... Lightning~ Kick!!
Papa, ya gotta teach me how to do that!
Hmm~ If you wanna try that move, you're gonna need some more leg augmentations and a few more Vengeance Tattoos!
Then... Can I head out for a sec so I can cross just two more vengeances off the book?
No. No need, Kiddo.
I was hoping to avoid running into these clowns again...
What a baffling coincidence.
.......
Some time prior to the group's entry into the Backdoor portal...
When Ryōshū signed the onboarding contract, we also received intel on the internal structure of the House of Spiders.
The issue was that... the order in which individuals entered the Backdoor determined their destination within the House of Spiders with no discernible pattern.
The LCC concluded that this unpredictability is outside the realm of analysis...
... however, such a variable is still within Faust's control.
To demonstrate, assuming that no one other than us comes in or out of the House of Spiders, Faust knows that the third person to enter the House of Spiders will emerge to the Ring Nursefather's gallery.
Then we must discuss with the LCA to determine who's to go where.
The sooner that meeting takes place, the better. Everyone should begin their preparations to infiltrate the House of Spiders, save for the Team Leaders, Miss Faust, and... Manager Dante.
As for the roster... we will share them once they've been finalized.
Coincidence played no hand in our presence here.
.......
Still sucks on our end. Looks like... looks like I'll be fighting with my life on the line today. 'Specially with that bumblebee punk on their side.
Holy crap, you're gonna use the sword, too? Sick!
Then I think I'm gonna... try papa's moves he showed off at the lab.
You guys saw that too, right? When papa kicked up the combo counter on those gun-totin' guys in black armor and pulled off a super, blasting them to smithereens?
Ah, there's this Fixer who uses a skill similar to papa... Ugh, who was it again? The same guy who worked at that legendary Fixer Office before moving to another one...
... Sir Rinaldo of Charles Office.
Oh shit, right! Right! Didn't he have this move where he'd line up, like, 10 dudes in a row and cut 'em all down at once? So cool... but I'm a bit too weak to replicate that move myself...
... Hast thou not been... watching a biography of a Fixer of justice until mere moments ago?
Eh? Ohh, "Let's Go, Poludnitsa!"? 'Course, bro. I watch every Fixer-related clip and animation.
You a fan, too? I recognize all of those badges on your coat. Hey, can ya gimme one of 'em?
Nay, I shan't...
... For I cannot well hand over symbols of Fixers to one who spectates a massacre as though she is observing a mere game.
...?
Ohhh! So you're playing that kinda character, huh? Neato!
Doesn't that character in the newest episode of FixAtar talk kinda like that? The guy who crawls out of that hole in the desert...
... El Bombín.
Yeah! El Bombín con Botas Naranjas! "Let this ammunition of justice strike thee down~!"
... Silence. I wish... I wish for thy silence.
How doth one grapple with the contradiction that is to admire the justice of Fixers through their videos and comic books... yet to behave as thou dost...?
...?
Whaddayamean? I just think they're badass, that's all.
Though of course, nobody's beatin' my papa in the badass game!
Ezra. Do you recognize anything about that Nursefather's sword?
Mm... just one thing. It's clearly not a Workshop weapon, going by the finish.
Is it possible that the weapon is from a Workshop you do not have access to, Miss Ezra?
It's possible, but that glowy thing inside the scabbard... That thing's gotta be a Relic. Aw~ YuRia probably could've told us more about it if she were here, but... either way, I'm pretty sure it's rare as heck.
Hah. You've an eye for weapons.
... That's interesting.
Eh? What's so interesting?
The amount of trash in this room makes me wonder how such a thing came to be in your possession. As far as I know, Relics are so rare and expensive that even the Four Families of Hongyuan don't have that many of them, let alone rare ones.
Trash...?
... The floor is littered with empty cup noodle containers and toaster pastry wraps... They must've been eating nothing but junk food for at least a few days.
Papa bought me a whole boxful of 'em.
Out there, it always pissed me off how Big Brothers and Big Sisters would chide me about snacking on nothing but this kinda junk... But ever since I came here, papa's been letting me eat whatever I wanna eat, however much I wanna eat 'em! What about it?
... I cannot help but assume they would have adverse effects to one's health.
Worried she'd get sick? It ain't a big deal in the City.
Can't let something trivial like that stop me from feeding tasty treats to my family.
What a shining example of fatherhood.
Which is interesting, because Ryōshū seems to have nothing but hatred for all of you Nursefathers.
... You're walking a mighty thin line by running your mouth about my kid when you don't even know her that well.
... I don't know about her other fathers, but my parental love for Yoshihide, my daughter, has always been completely earnest.
Havin' a good time, Buddy? Enjoyin' a nice drive with your Papa?
It's alright, I guess.
You sure you're not overspending?
It's been forever since my very own daughter asked me to buy something for her. Money ain't a thing!
I just wanted some tracksuits to wear around home.
Don't remember asking for that... massive bear plush.
Eh? A younger sibling I'm close with told me every kid these days carries around something like this.
Kid being the keyword there.
Besides, isn't this bear plush supposed to be red?
Want me to do a U-turn?
... No. Purple's fine by me.
Buddy, you ever find anything you don't like, you can talk to me about it. I'll always make sure to avenge the wrongs... no matter what I gotta do to get there.
If she wanted something, I'd empty my pockets to get it for her, even if that meant I had to borrow money from my younger Brothers and Sisters and risk losing face.
And if she wanted to do something... I let her go wild, as long as it didn't violate the rules of the House of Spiders.
'Cuz that's family. A little sacrifice ain't a thing if it's for one of us.
But... Ryōshū left the House of Spiders, despite everything.
Have you ever questioned yourself... why?
... Must've been for that pipsqueak, obviously. I would've snapped that little twerp's neck had I known she'd get in the way of my Yoshihide's bright future.
I need not hear more to know...
... that you were no good father of hers.
Team Leader. How much longer are we going to indulge that piece of trash?
I am in agreement with the distinguished Color Fixer. 'Tis high time we demonstrated to them the meaning of justice.
*puff* Don't rush. I was about to get started anyway.
This is LCD. Engaging the Middle Nursefather.
Well, I'm sure you've been monitoring the situation here, Manager Dante. So...
... please proceed according to plan.