Moving Out
All preparations are complete.
The false world will end, and the Cycle of the witch shall never turn again.
You're all that's left.
Olberos.
Years ago. Raven Wall, Western Liberators' garrison.
A makeshift graveyard for the fallen, near the garrison.
Well, look who it is. You've come a long way, Commander.
Hello, Mr. Whiskers.
Haha, the Commander brought her little sister along today. Good to see you, truly.
First time you've come out here, isn't it? Did your big sister give you the okay?
Ceres is old enough now... It's time she knew how things stand in the West.
And I've heard my share of nagging about being overprotective.
I'm sorry, sir. You're the one always running ragged on our account...
No need for that. Cooped up at home all day, I'd catch twice the scolding in the next life.
I've got to show my face to my wife now and then, so she can brag about what a great husband she's got.
...My apologies. Even if we couldn't recover her body, I should have retrieved her wedding ring.
Haha, my old lady was always a greedy sort.
No doubt she took it along to look at it whenever she misses me.
So don't dwell on it too much. I'm doing just fine, see?
Look here. I had some strength to spare, so I already touched up that sword you asked about, [Daystar]!
Wow, Venera! Your sword is looking good as new!
Meteoric steel is finicky. It won't accept anyone it doesn't like.
If it was tainted by the Void and still came back like this, then it must truly belong to you, Commander.
Mm...
What's wrong, Ceres?
No, it's nothing.
Haha. Staring right at my face like that, was it a bit much to take in?
Sorry for holding you up with dull talk. Go on and see to your business.
Then if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way.
Venera, there's something I want to ask you.
Sure, what is it?
Mr. Whiskers's eyes were all red around the rims.
Did something sad happen to him?
Mm... So you noticed after all.
The truth is, his wife went away to somewhere far, far away.
He can't see someone dear to him anymore even if he wants to.
Mr. Whiskers is a good man. He helps lots of people.
Mm... That's right. He helped us often even before I enlisted.
Then why did Mrs. Whiskers have to leave a kind person like him?
...
Look at the sky, Ceres. What do you see beyond Raven Wall's bulwark?
...The dark-red sky and ground give me a bad feeling. They look like an angry face.
It's because winds carrying blood-red sand sweep across the whole West.
Here we call it the red wind. At its worst, it blurs even where the sky meets the earth.
So that we could see the sky clearly, she scooped away a handful of that red sand and went somewhere far, far away.
What's good about being able to see the sky?
...You can see the stars.
And when you can see the stars, you can hold on to hope for tomorrow.
Will Mr. Whiskers smile if that happens?
Yes, I'm sure he will.
Even if we only lose things and gain nothing in return for now...
Someone will finally be free to enjoy everything built on those sacrifices.
Then... what should people who aren't Liberators do?
I applied to enlist once, but they turned me away for being too young.
Ahaha. Your heart's in the right place, but we can't send little children off to the battlefield.
A way for you to help before you grow up, hmm...
...That's right. The memorial for those who've gone far, far away will begin soon.
Will you pray for them with us?
So they may safely set out on their final journey.
Yeah! I'm good at praying. I'll pray for Mrs. Whiskers.
So the people who went far, far away... can make their journey safely.
...Liberators Sartre, Solon, and Mariner.
We remember the names of those we've lost, yet we pray our memories of them are not steeped in sorrow.
The one who made the stars knows them as well, and numbers each step toward rest...
We pray. May our footsteps be etched after theirs.
...We pray.
Unbroken blades shake the night, their ringing scraping against one another.
And within that frenzied clamor, I wander through a dream that has yet to end.
...Commander... Commander Venera...!
Commander! Please, give the order! At this rate we'll be wiped out...!!
N-no...! AAAAAAAGH!!
*Huff...* *Huff...*
Commander, are you all right?
...I'm fine. The situation?
Most of our troops have been killed, and even those who remain are gravely wounded.
With the forces we have left, our odds against that monster are... slim.
...Leave it as it is, and more of the West's refugees will fall victim.
We have to end this here, whatever it takes.
So...
Commander. Every trooper here is a warrior of the West, prepared to lay down their life.
Please do not grieve over the noble resolve each of them carries.
...Right. It has to be that way.
Even this endless wandering is nothing more than the illusion left behind by everything we've sacrificed in the name of a greater cause.
We commit our sins without hesitation, covering the truth with a starry sky we call hope.
All units! The enemy is a Voidborn of unknown class!
For the refugees of the West waiting back home, and for our comrades who lie beneath this red earth!
Carve through the darkness and reclaim the dawn!
But what if the starry sky we've chased is nothing but a storm cloud that will blot out tomorrow?
What meaning could we possibly find in a pitch-black sky where not a single star shines through?
The day I came upon that distant sliver of truth...
I had to uncover why the night must grow so deep.
Years later. Raven Wall, Western Liberators' garrison.
The graveyard for the fallen, near the garrison.
...Liberator Hamel, Darian, and former Commander Venera.
We remember the names of those we've lost, yet we pray our memories of them are not steeped in sorrow.
The one who made the stars knows them as well, and numbers each step toward rest...
We pray. May our footsteps be etched after theirs.
We pray. May the courage of those who went before us become our shield...
And may we, too, press forward with unwavering steps.
We pray. Hearing the cries of the wounded, we say there shall be no hesitation on this path...
May we one day laugh again beneath a sky full of stars.
...We pray. Though our oath carved in blood may be tested beneath the names we bear...
Grant us the courage to grasp the blade of truth over false peace.
Western Liberators, all assembled and accounted for, Commander Ceres.
We can move out at any time. Your orders, please.
Good. There's no need to drag this out.
Today, at last... we put an end to this long fight.
Move out.
We're taking back the West's golden fields!
Western Liberators. Operation: Destroy the Void Core
Operation Day