The Last Scrap (before battle)

All the Sinners, save for Ishmael, gathered to behold the finished product.

Ooh! Do I behold with mine eyes the transformed bus?

Would one call this a busboat, or a boatbus?

<I think I'll go with busboat?>

Where did the wheels go? We'll need them again once we're done with U Corp's District...

A needless concern. Of course it has been modified to be amphibious, with both a boat form and a bus form.

What is this, some kind of magic bus...?

The myriad of possibilities Mephistopheles holds means it has always been capable of various functions. Hasn't Faust expounded upon this detail once?

Now now, that's enough of that... Let's start it up.

Gulp...

As Mika fiddled with its controls, the bus... I mean, the boat... I mean, the busboat shuddered awake...

<Huh?!>

And sputtered off with the odd screeching noise we heard earlier.

Nhgh... I think we're missing something. Maybe it's the form transmogrifier that's messing up.

Yeow~ I thought my eardrums were going to burst. What could possibly be causing that noise?

Mika... I think it's that one part where we had to make do with what we had.

What was that? Did you just say "make do"?

W-we didn't have a choice! There weren't enough parts in stock...

There's this one thing that was supposed to be irreplaceable, but the problem is...

<…!>

...This wasn't the sound of its engine, was it?

It's the gigantic mutant we've encountered before. It's headed this way.

It is likely drawn here by the same clamor as afore.

Hmm hmm, that's good news~

That big boy has the exact part we're missing on its back, don't it?

I-it does, I guess...

Big Sis, are you really...?

I am, really~ It's that one expensive and tricky to manufacture part, isn't it?

Don't you remember the way it killed the employees of other boat workshops?

Well, that's because it crashed into us, not because we were hunting the bastard for parts.

But now~ I have these lads and lassies to help us.

Besides, it killed the people that helped us start Molar Boatworks from our bum days, didn't it? Looks like this is just the time to give it a right smashing down its noggin.

And make me some more wine outta its brain juice, too...

...Big Sis?

C-can we get some, too?

Wha, what do you mean, "we"?

Hmm, this king trash crab is supposed to be a few years old, so it has to be the same one from earlier.

Anyway... all we need to do is catch and kill that prick, innit?

Right on~

You heard 'er, clockface.

Heathcliff turned to me, visibly eager to go up and crush some shells.

Let's not. Isn't this better for us?

<Ishmael?!>

Gee, Ishy... Where have you been all this time?

I was making preparations for our survival on the Great Lake, obviously.

The least I can do is make an exhaustive guide on whales you can study up on, right?

You know I don't read that kinda stuff...

Then I'll keep reminding you until you have no choice but to read it.

See, manager? We still need more time. There is so much more to prepare.

That king trash crab can be repelled, can't it? Then let's do that and finish modifying the bus later. With more time on our hands...

<Ishmael... I'm not sure. My lack of memory doesn't help, of course, but...>

……

<I don't get what you're so scared of, or what we're supposed to be preparing for.>

<As much as I want to respect your opinions and reflect them... I don't think this is the best for all of us. So - >

There is no "all of us".

<...Huh?>

Let's be honest here. Is any one of us devoting themselves for the sake of this "all of us"?

We all signed a contract with Limbus Company for our own goals. I did, Yi Sang did as we saw last time, and all the other Sinners did.

Aren't we only in this together to achieve our personal aims?

And you, too...

You're forcing yourself to look for those Golden Boughs, things you've probably never heard of once in your life, just so you can get your memories back.

You have a more selfish motive than anyone else here, so why do you pretend like you're doing anything for all of us?

How dare you raise your voice against -

Enough.

...Tch.

Vergilius, who seemed to have been discreetly listening in on our conversation, joined as though he'd been a part of it from the start.

Ishmael. I believe I made myself clear during our meeting.

The 'contract' comes first.

...The contract, huh.

Sure, this is a company I'm working for. Of course it does.

Ishmael glared at me with a face unlike anything she'd shown before.

I sensed... clear hostility in her eyes.

Fine, I'll abide by the oh-so honorable contract. Manager. Give me your orders, and I'll follow them.

So, if there's anything you want from me from now on, state it. Clearly.

I won't get out of line by providing unsolicited help or explanations anymore.

<…….>

What are we waiting for? Weren't you going to order us to go kill that giant crustacean? I'll gladly obey as it is stipulated in the contract, Manager Dante.

After Ishmael finished speaking, she blankly stared at me as if awaiting my order...

To which I could only reply with:

<...Let's go.>

As soon as I finished, Ishmael turned around and left the shop as if on cue.

All I could do was lead the other Sinners and follow her.

<…!>

Just then,

I heard vicious sounds of crashing waves and roars of an all-crushing storm.

Visions of destruction pass before me.

Limbs and bits of flesh tear off in the shredding storm that brings crashing waves, Ishmael clings to the ship for dear life...

And a behemoth of an eye, its overwhelming and all-consuming size looming over the ship, watches her in silence.

Perhaps... This could be a clue to Ishmael's perplexing behavior.