Chapter 15: Awakening [The same face...?!] b1: [But...] b2: [I was cut apart from my brother...] [And my brother was...] [way before this.] b1: [...] b1: [...Is he sleeping?] b2: [...Or is it] b3: [More like a doll or something.] Page sfx: blink b1: Not quite. b1: ...! b2: ...ah... b3: [It spoke... and its eyes...] b1: We're not dolls. b1: ...?! sfx: vvvt Page sfx: oooo b1: I am you. b1: I am also you. b1: We/you are you/us. b1: ?! b2: W...what is... [you...] [not...] b1: [You are not alone.] sfx: shock Page b1: At this rate, you're going to die. b2: And then, another "you" will... b1: How does it feel to die? sfx: step step b1: With the Consciousness Orb, we can collect the memories and experience he obtained out there. b1: No matter how many times you die, you'll live again, and here you will stand. b1: Then we just write 'em to the next one. b1: -...! [It's about you.] Page b1: ...That's right. b2: We/you are clones. b3: We were created at the order of the Archangel after the Great Blaze. b1: [...] b2: [Clones?] b1: If in the course of the "mission", "you" died... b2: The memories and experiences of "you" from that point would be transmitted to "me". b3: Then, "I" would be brought to the outside world from this underground research lab. sfx: uoooo b1: [I am...] b2: "I" would then awaken as "you". Page [I see.] [That's why, when I died, I would live on!] [It makes perfect sense that it would seem that way.] [Memories from my previous "life" would be transmitted and...] [Back then, I thought my scars had healed and vanished, but I was wrong.] [They never existed in the first place!] [It was in fact a new body.] b1: The Archangel was terrified that my/your purification abilities would die with us. b2: After all, the only one capable of purifying God and obtaining the Idea Sephirah is I/you. b3: God itself had lost the ability, b4: and it was essential for his end goal of world creation and preservation. Page b1: That's why, when the Great Blaze happened, he found the original Koriel no. 12 and created numerous clones. b2: No. 12's... that is, "your" memories, were imprinted along with the concept of the "mission" to all clones. b1: I'm sure you recall the rest, don't you? b2: [...] b1: ...At one point, the Archangel released countless clones at once. b1: That didn't work, though. b2: [Why not?] b1: Didn't Eliza mention it to you? b2: "Purification" requires your consciousness to be present to be used. b3: "We" do not contain the power of purification in our Idea Sephirah. b1: No matter how many times Doctor Angelicus and the research angels tried, b2: in every attempt, b3: only one of "you" would awaken at a given time. b1: [-...?!] Page b1: [Why? Physically, wouldn't all clones be identical?] b2: [If one could awaken, then shouldn't a hundred awaken?] b1: In theory. b2: In any case, it wasn't working. b3: Other humans they tried were able to. b1: But "you"... b2: you were special. b3: Only one of "you" could exist at a time. b1: [...] b2: [Why...?] b1: Why indeed? b2: There didn't seem to be any reason their theories didn't hold. b1: Probably because she knew it, I think. b2: [...?] Page b1: "Her" being the one who preserves this world. Warped and crazed as "God" is... b2: She thought of you as a singular, unique existence. That's why. b1: That's why only one of "you" can exist. b2: Well, that's my hypothesis, anyway. [...] [Why...?] b1: [Why do you... hypothesize anything?] b2: [You're me, right?] b3: [How do you know all these things I don't...?] Page b1: "I" am "you" but am not "you". b2: A mere copy of one who became half a god, but was split. b1: While memories are being written to "you" and until you awaken, b2: I have joint ownership of some memories from both you and from god. b1: That's why I know. b2: Do you see? b1: You have a large scar on your right hip. b2: [...?!] b1: It's not from the moment of the Great Blaze. b1: It's from a long time ago, b2: when you were a child, and were split from your older brother. b1: Yes... Page b1: Half a person, twice split, sharing the thoughts of a god... b2: Koriel 12... b1: You are the Original. sfx: Shuff shuff sfx: gasp b1: ...! b2: No... b3: How are you up?! b1: It's impossible...! b2: Spontaneous awakening from that state... there's no way... sfx: clang clang b1: ...ugh... Page 103 sfx: slam sfx2: clang b1: ... b2: What a disaster. b3: How'm I going to explain this one to Lord Archangel...? b1: If I can gather everyone together, maybe... sfx: clang clang b1: [It won't open!] b2: [How can I...] b3: It's all right. b1: If you use a consciousness orb, you can escape. b2: [Consciousness orb?] b1: This way... Page 104 b1: [...!] b1: [Wh... what?!] b2: Another of you. b3: The Cursebringer Angel transferred it here using a Consciousness Orb in the Neuro Tower. sfx: click b1: ... b1: ? sfx: roll b1: This was stolen by Gliro! [side text: gotcha!] b2: The Cursebringer collected that. Page 105 b1: If you use that Consciousness Orb, you can make it out of here. b2: You wouldn't survive long distances, though. b1: [Me?!] b2: [Up until now, I've never...] b3: Never know until you try, right? b4: [Uh...] b1: Be careful around the Archangel. b2: [...!] b3: He isn't aware that you've "started over" already, but... b1: Once you've made it to the bottom floor, you'll be fine. b2: Don't give any indication you plan to betray him until then. He might get in your way. b3: [Okay...] b4: Then, one more thing. b1: Purify us. Page 106 b1: Purify us. b2: Take our Idea Sephirah to Eliza. b3: Use it on her behalf. b1: [But...] b1: If you do that, we, too, can become one with her. b2: [!] b1: We are merely those who wait to become "you". b2: It's an existence of mere meat. b3: Being in this state is... painful. b1: Purify us. b1: May this endless cycle be b2: ended at your hand... [-at my hand...] Page 107 sfx: paaaaa sfx: booosh sfx: baaash b1: ...Use this. b2: This is your/our idea sephirah. b1: Thank you... [...] Page 108 sfx: shuff [Hmm? I should bring this back to that woman...] sfx: Psssha! b1: There he is! b2: N... number 12! b1: Y... y... you'd better give up! b2: Did he purify all of the clones...? sfx: crash! sfx: crunch Page 109 sfx: Pssha sfx2: step step b1: He's fled into that room! b2: What a fool! b3: Blindly running away into such a small room, a dead end at that! b1: Now 12... b1: Hmm? What's he doing? b2: -There's no way... sfx: Bzzzzz sfx: Bsssha! Page 110 b1: W... what?! b2: Transferral of a living being?! b3: What God granted to him was not merely purification ability... b4: She gave him even the power to use consciousness orbs?! sfx: hrrrrrrm sfx: vrrrt b1: Waaagh! b2: Ya scared me! b1: The hell happened to ya? b2: Where'd ya come from? Page 111 b1: [-You...] b2: [What kind of person were you before...] b3: Huh? ['you' meaning me??] sfx: step b1: Hey, wait, godammit! b2: What in the blazes was that? b1: [That man...] b2: [He's different now...] b3: Ahh... b1: -Wh b2: huh?! sfx: ooooo b1: Just now... b1: Did something happen to you? b2: The researcher angels were suddenly all confused about something... b3: ...though I suppose asking you is meaningless. Page 112 sfx: clunk [...?] [Where is it...?] b1: You! b2: Do you not bear in you the synthetic consciousness orb?! sfx: clank [Is this what those researcher angels were so panicked about...?] b1: Wait here. b2: I'll get confirmation... sfx: clunk b1: ! b2: No. 12! Wait! b1: Are you not listening to me?! b2: Tch! Page 113 [His bearing seemed strange.] [His memories should not have returned, but...] [Is there] [a set of "eyes" I can use in the tower...?] b1: -Wait. b2: You there, execution squad member... b1: ... b1: Come here... Page 114 b1: Lord Arch... b2: angel...? sfx: Brrrm b1: ... b2: Thank you. b1: Your idea sephirah... b2: With it, you and my egg can give birth... Page 115 b1: This consciousness orb is our egg. b2: This is where your memories are held. b1: With this, they can be given back to you... b2: [...] b1: This was given to me at the Great Blaze, when I was split apart from Mother. b2: At the time of fusion, you were kind enough to impart your all. b2: Mother feared at the time that it would go crazy with her, and was saddened by the thought. [-My...] b1: [...If I take these memories back into myself, where will the current "me" go...?] b2: [Just like the clones when they are rewritten, will I disappear?] Page 116 b1: No. b2: It's "remembrance" only. b3: [I see.] b4: Why the worry? b1: [Hm.] b2: [If I disappeared, I think I'd be unhappy.] b1: [The prior me wouldn't have memories of you or Alice.] b2: [He wouldn't know her aura of nostalgia...] b3: [If...] [If I forgot everything when my memories returned,] [That would be a "me" I don't know.] [The me prior to the Great Blaze... would he understand?] [When he was betrayed by the one man he thought he could count on, how did he feel?] [Has there been someone else who] [spent their all seeking out another person's thoughts?] Page 117 b1: [...] b1: [...Thank you. I remember now.] b2: [There is another whose thoughts I would see...] b1: [...Eliza?] b2: [When I was with her, I recall seeing it...] b1: [In the Archangel's memories, a woman strongly resembling you appeared.] b2: [Was that you?] b1: No. Page 118 b1: I was born from Mother at the time of the Great Blaze. b2: Alice and I form the Split Divinities... b3: Before that, I did not exist. b1: However... b2: The human whose appearance I am patterned after came from the Archangel. b1: Just as Alice's came from you, it seems. b2: Before the Great Blaze, Mother had no way to read the "intentions" of others. b1: If it was created to be patterned from the Archangel's thoughts, b2: it was still merely a reflection only. b3: There would have been no meaning behind it. b1: [...] b2: [Lord Archangel's reaction seemed....] sfx: gasp sfx: vrrt b1: Eliza?! Page 119 b1: I've been searching for you, Koriel 12... b1: No. 47?! b2: Lord Archangel's orders. b3: Willing or not, I'm taking you to the bottom floor. b1: Huh...? sfx: drag drag b1: Enough talk, you're coming with me! [wha huh?] Page 120 sfx: oooo b1: This is the bottom floor. b1: ... sfx: uoooo Page 121 sfx: ooo sfx: shfff b1: -Go. b2: Go and purify the Absolute God. b1: ... sfx: step b1: ...Heal the world. b2: Heal your contemptible self. b1: ...What is it? sfx: step sfx: ooo sfx: Wooiish Chapter 16: The Pain of Phantom Limbs