The Night Comes Still
<How's the taste? Said they brewed it with the tea leaves Xichun gave us. It's called Baihao Yinzhen... or something, I think?>
Mm~ It's a nice cup of tea that goes down easily. Not as good as Xiren's, though.
<... Yeah?>
Cool wind of Daguanyuan blows under this pavilion.
Now that we've survived another huge incident, I was planning to hold some consultation sessions with the Sinners like I always do. But...
... I wasn't sure when Mephistopheles was coming back, so I decided to conduct them outdoors.
Well... a change of scenery can be nice from time to time.
<As much as I'd love to be a part of that discussion... this thing didn't come with a mouth.>
Ah... that must be a sore spot, Dante.
You've expressed that feeling before, remember? Whenever we were snacking together, you'd say things like that.
You gave up the complimentary food from the WARP train to Rodya too, and... hm, you must've been curious of its taste back then.
<W-well, you know... it's not all that bad.>
I think I'd feel regret and sadness. It's kind of tragic, almost...
Ever since Hong Lu severed the cycle that bound the Hierarchs of Daguanyuan, and sealed the Xianren in their temple...
... he's been making a lot of expressions that I hadn't seen before.
Moreover, lately, I've been getting the impression that he's actively been trying to express his feelings and thoughts, even for things his past self would have simply accepted as-is.
Like an old dam breaking, its fresh spring water surging to freedom...
I can't give you a mouth, but you can trust me to give you a very detailed explanation of flavors. So feel free to ask me any time~
<Yeah, thanks.>
And honestly, I think that's a good thing. Especially because, more so than anything, I could sense that Hong Lu was gently enjoying these moments.
I think I can safely mark him down as experiencing 'very positive changes' in my consultation notes -
Though I'm not sure if any of that'll get through to you... given that you probably don't even remember the taste of food anyway~
... let me change that to 'started on a path to achieving some very positive changes'.
E-excuse me! Manager!
That's when Sinclair suddenly rushed up to us on the pavilion.
<... What's going on?>
I-I know you're in the middle of a consultation, but, uh... there's this huge, big as a house truck by the entrance that's...
The point is, I think you might have to come see this!
Oi, Clockhead.
<Is that...?>
The truck was, indeed, massive - it certainly did live up to all the fuss Sinclair kicked up. But...
Hyah... ain't that something, huh?
... it didn't seem to me that the other Sinners were all that concerned about it.
<Is everything okay here...? Hope it's not another attack on Daguanyuan...>
Huh? Nah, it ain't. Well... we did suspect that at first, but it's all right.
It's because no one on the bus knows how to observe. It's all about the details, get it?
Look, it's right there. The company logo.
<... Where?>
Seriously? It's right there, in that corner over there.
Ishmael pointed at something on the vehicle, irritation clear in her voice. I stared really hard at whatever she was pointing at...
... and managed to find Limbus Company's logo painted on the vehicle.
It was the size of a palm.
They were this close to chopping that truck into a million pieces when I pointed that out.
Gotta say, I'm impressed you even managed to make out what that is... Doesn't look like anything other than a smudge to me. I guess eyesight's really the first thing that goes with age.
I meaaaan~ it's kinda their fault for making it so small and inconspicuous, ya know?
That's because it's not a public-facing vehicle.
Saude walked into our circle, dusting her hands and brushing past a few disgruntled words.
This is a research vehicle used by the LCE Department. You've used this once before, remember?
... Mm. Extrapolating from the material and the color of the truck's cover panel, it can be determined that it is the same transportation device used for the regular check-up.
Right on.
Ever since you used it safely to arrive at LCE, we've been using it to move the LCC base around.
... Hang on, does that mean that we were your guinea pigs?
AND, guess what! Just today, when we opened the truck to transport a different team...
Oi, don't ignore me!
Instead of answering Heathcliff's question...
... Saude walked up to the truck and swung open its rear doors.
In it, we saw the same mess of machines we saw back then, and...
<Hey, this light...>
... the now-familiar green light.
... I see.
Saude, has there been any further modifications to this vehicle since then?
Hm... well, I'm not certain on the details, but LCE's chief resear -
Hohenheim.
Yes, him. Are you two... well acquainted?
Not very well. But I do make an effort to remember his minor yet numerous mistakes.
... She sounds oddly happy.
Anyways, according to the research report he gave us, the vehicle's been modified to allow for universal use across other departments of Limbus Company.
LCB's bus - Mephistopheles, right? The report said something about using the Backdoor of that bus as a reference to equip this vehicle with various functions. And...
That explains why this phenomenon is taking place here...
Walpurgis Night.
Yet... how is this possible when we sit not astride the bus seats?
It is not a theoretical impossibility.
Certain major parts of the technology forming its engine have been shared with Hohenheim; it is within the realm of possibility that the engine's influence may be transferred there as well.
... However, the means by which it has affected this vehicle has to be studied.
It seems to comprehend our absence and the subsequent separation from the bus...
Could it, mayhap, be reacting to the presence of a Golden Bough...?
At this moment, Mephistopheles is currently boarded by Vergilius, Charon, and various other members of LCCB including Pilot. Therefore...
... if they have traveled far, your conjecture may be true.
Or... There exists a flow that ensures our encounter with the Walpurgis Night regardless of the environment surrounding us... perhaps.
Faust talked to herself, staring pensively into the distance, before turning toward us again with mild resignation.
Lead the way, Dante.
If it has found us, then it must rightly be observed.
Aha, I knew it. It's the former L Corp.'s turn!
<Huh? What do you mean "knew it"?>
Ah, Heathcliff opened up a betting pool about where our next Walpurgis Night location's going to be.
<... A betting pool?>
Alright, alright! What'd I say? Pay up, ya gits.
Nngh... you told me it was just about time the patterns changed!
No way... but it was just the right time to bet against the odds!
<…….>
By the looks of it, the bet seemed to have been about whether this Walpurgis Night would take us to the Library or the Lobotomy Corp. Headquarters.
<Hey... something about this place seems a bit different from the other former L Corp. hallways we saw in the past.
Didst thou sense it as well, Manager Esquire? Hoh... 'tis familiar yet... unfamiliar, indeed.
A stage for a play, almost...
Seems it's gotten wider, too... It's still the same long and narrow hallway, but it's slightly wider.
While it is unknown as to how many days have passed in these Headquarters...
Mm? Prithee, repeat what you have said?
Ah... no. This subject can be discussed later, when its veracity becomes clearer.
Sharing the current circumstances of this place...
... We find ourselves at the Lobotomy Corp. Headquarters of a certain day... at its Central Command, to be exact.
The very center of the middle layer.
Then the ones we've visited so far must've been in the upper layer.
Correct. It is said that the departments of Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters were progressively unlocked with the passage of time.
... Hm. According to the reports, when the Headquarters crumbled and fired that skyward light, it was...
... Indeed. It appears that with every visit, we find ourselves at a further point in time here. As soon as the current 'day' can be pinpointed...
... we might even be able to experience that day.
Perhaps. Then -
BEEP - BEEP - BEEP -
Well... that didn't take long. We're here to take care of some 'Ordeal' or something again, aren't we?
Hey, I'm not complaining. We've kind of been loafing around and doing nothing while Jia Xichun left for that grand conference to decide the future of Daguanyuan or something.
Tsk, but we have so little time... I must prepare a more intense training regimen to make up for lost time.
Whichever it is... heh. It'll be F.U.N.
What's everyone waffling on about?
Cue the Sephirah... It's an angry one this time.
Yeah! What, did you expect some other voice speaking through the Central Command PA system other than Tiphereth's?
Tiphereth, the employees are confused. Please explain the situation to them.
Huh...? There's two of them?
Yes, I'm also Tiphereth.
The Central Command, unlike other departments, boasts a rather significant size; it is large enough to have to be managed in two areas: A and B. It is said that this is why they have two separate Sephirot managing this department.
Yeah, and it's a lot, even between the both of us... Which is why it's up to you to be more thorough!
Yeah, yeah... bring out the Ordeal already. What are we destroyin' this time?
Like I said, what are you all waffling on about?!
There's been an Abnormality containment breach...! The whole company's about to go belly-up because everyone else is off trying to suppress the mess on the other side!
Then, the alarm that was blaring all throughout the company suddenly went quiet...
... Oh no. The Second Warning.
Ugh... Great, look what you did, you bunch of slackers! Get to our headquarters, now! Deal with the blue entity!