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I'd also like it if they showed us why Ena hardened her heart instead of telling us. Cause they sorta just went "cuz, lol"
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May 2, 2017 00:52
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Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye: 09/15/2030, 09:30 Ena came to Rokumei Academy. To bid farewell to the school where she had spent half a year as a teacher.  ♪ BGM: Achiever / Theme of Ena ♫ Even if everything were to go by safely, it was very likely that she'd no longer be able to come and go to school leisurely. If they were to obtain evidence of human experimentation at LABO, it'd stir the upper ranks and switch things over to a full-blown investigation. So today was likely the last day she could spend as a teacher in Rokumei Academy. And with that thought in mind, the school building seemed all too precious.  (It was such a nice school... It was peaceful, and the students were all obedient...)And it wasn't just the school. All of Rokumei City was, at least ostensibly, beautiful, orderly, and peaceful. But the city was filled with lies and deception behind the scenes. (... Now that I think about it, Chief Kuroda said something similar...)--It had been right after Ena had entered the ESP Bureau and returned to Rokumei City-- As she had been reeling from the surprise of all the developments along the streets and the automatic driving systems installed in the vehicles, Kuroda had told her this:  Kuroda: Rokumei City could very well be the most dangerous city in all of Japan right now. Huh?Kuroda: The truth is, despite the city's appearances, there have been atrocious incidents here in the past. Including disasters with high casualty counts. But it would cause a huge uproar if such a huge incident happened in a government designated top secret city, when its entire point is to have high public order, wouldn't it? It would threaten the very meaning top secret cities exist. So instead, the city government hushed those incidents and treated them as mere accidents. Wha... True, you would expect to see a top secret city conceal some actions here and there, but still...Kuroda: This city's cover-up techniques are particularly thorough, too. They have no qualms about making any sort of lie as long as it's to maintain public order. Well, for example-- 'You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.' It's basically like that. What's that?Kuroda: The Gospel According to Matthew. The people of the past said some good stuff, huh. I didn't think you were a Christian. ...You don't look like the type.Kuroda: There's a lot more to people than meets the eye. And not just people. Same goes for everything. So, Tsubakiyama. If you wish to see through to the truth of this town, then you must doubt everything you see and hear. ...Kuroda: 'Doubt' is the mother of investigation. Sadly enough.  But then again, her father's opinion had been the opposite of Kuroda's. ''The most important thing humans have is the ability to trust.'' That belief had stayed with Ena's father until the very end. He believed in the innate goodness of man. He believed in the PRC's researchers. He believed even that the monsterified Communicator A could one day be healed... And he believed until he died. (But Father... we might already be living in an age where we cannot survive on belief alone.)--Outside of Rokumei City, anti-Communicator discrimination still persisted. But within Rokumei, human rights were being trampled on without second thought. The city was both a cradle and a cage for Communicators. But humans cannot live their entire lives in a cradle, nor were they born to die imprisoned in a cage. (Will this age full of malice one day come to an end...?)No, it will end. She wanted to believe that. Even if it were no more than an idealistic thought, if she were to abandon her ideals, then she would lose her love of the world for sure. As Ena had that thought-- a voice abruptly echoed inside her head.  ♪ BGM: Silence ♫  {It's me, Mashiro Toba! If you're at school, please come to the staff entrance!} Huh... Ms. Toba!?Ena was shocked. She thought there weren't any students around. (An emergency? What could it be...?)Ena felt dubious, but she still headed for the staff entrance. --And at the staff entrance, she found Mashiro as well as Natsuhiko and Salyu. When they moved to the BC room to speak in detail, Mashiro and the others told Ena something unexpected: Q had infiltrated the city. And Natsuhiko, Mashiro, and Salyu had been somewhat dragged into the affair...  ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ Ms. Ena, you believe us!? Yes. You are my students, so I believe what you say.She had to believe it. Ena had already heard that Q had recently been conducting destructive activity in the city. Higa had also mentioned something a while back:  Higa: Right after they formed, they certainly did continue to target top secret cities. And in the spring nine years ago, they conducted just one small-scale destructive activity. Ever since then, the City shot up security, establishing city gates and surveillance cameras.  Driven only by wholehearted hatred for Communicators. They were another figure of malice, different from LABO's sinister shadow. (And students of mine have been dragged into their grasp...!?) ...I don't think you should involve yourselves in this incident any further. No way...! Why not!?Natsuhiko and the girls wouldn't accept Ena's answer. Perhaps because they knew nothing, they acted in accordance with their ignorant, yet pure sense of justice. It was as dazzling a sight as it was a worrying one. ...Right. If I want you kids to understand where I'm coming from... it looks like a special lesson is in order.And thus Ena began a lecture. Her final lecture as their teacher--
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May 2, 2017 17:30
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Body and Soul: 09/16/2030, 05:56 In the early hours of September 16, Ena headed to LABO with Kuroda and Higa.  ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ They were stopped at the entrance by a LABO security guard... But using the false warrant, they half-forced their way inside.  But once they had arrived there, the researchers called them to a halt once more. According to them, not even ESP Bureau commissioners could be allowed further in, ''for the sake of preserving secrecy''. Now that it had come to this, Ena was about to threaten them with her gun and force them to open up the path to Area N, but-- Before she could, she suddenly heard a thunderous roar. !!? Wh-what's that sound!?As if to answer that question, more and more sounds echoed forth. The automatic disaster prevention system began broadcasting warnings like mad. Automatic PA: --Intense tremors detected in B1 Area 1. --Intense tremors detected in B2 Area 3. --A fire has broken out in B1 Area 2. --Intense tremors detected in B2 Area 2. ♪ BGM: Approaching Death ♫ --Ena was caught completely off guard. She had not expected such a thing to happen today of all days. Was it a coincidence? An inevitability?-- Either way, the ESP Bureau members got dragged into the terrorist attack.  Kuroda: Wh-what in the world... is going on here!? I-I don't know... but it might be a Q terrorist attack...!Higa: Q!? You mean those bastards know this place is a BC research facility!? That's only a possibility.Ena, Kuroda, and Higa had heard rumors that Q had infiltrated the city. But while Q may have infiltrated the city, LABO couldn't have just conspicuously strengthened security. That would be the same as installing a sign saying ''This is a BC facility''. And perhaps LABO had maintained security at normal levels for that very reason, but-- (Did they take advantage of that window of opportunity...?)Kuroda: ...Tch! Then let's just look for an exit for now! Higa: In case we do encounter any terrorists, well, it might be completely out of our scope of work, but... I guess let's try and see if we can apprehend them. Understood!The commissioners broke off into a run to search for an exit.  Ena got separated from Kuroda and Higa. Chief! Commissioner Higa! Where are you!?Voices called out in response to Ena from across the fire. Kuroda: Tsubakiyama!! We can't regroup like this! Let's split up and search for exits separately! Higa: Wait for us on the surface! G-got it!And a little while after they parted-- --an ominous siren blared out. Automatic PA: --A 'Case N' has just been detected. In accordance with this emergency, security has shifted to Blockade Mode. Looking down all gates and bulkheads. And thus, Ena became trapped underground.  *cough*! *cough*!! Ugh, drat... it... Like hell am I gonna die here!Ena tossed off the lab coat given to her by LABO and made a mad dash away from the fire and smoke... And then she pulled the hose out of a hydrant and began fighting the fires herself. After extinguishing the fires, she began planning how to escape from the connecting passageway-- --when eventually, rescue workers appeared.  ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ ...'Ena Tsubakiyama'. And you guys? I'm Lieutenant Tachibana. This is Ensign Moribe. And this girl is Yuuri, a civilian we found trapped down here. A civilian? So there's someone besides me who was caught up in this incident? Y-yes...The girl named ''Yuuri'' looked at Ena with fearful eyes. (Yuuri... The same name as ''Yuuri Kotono''? Something's bothering me. Looks like the best course of action is to put on the veil of an ordinary person for a while and work with them for now.)Besides, she had to search for an exit anyway, and she was also worried about Kuroda's and Higa's safety as well. Ena decided to work with this group. --She took the AD just as Kazami had instructed. Through her work experience, Ena had already gained knowledge about the dangers of WX particles and the effects of AD, among other things. And naturally, she also knew how LABO had maintained the facade that it was all related to nuclear power. (But it's not like I can tell everybody about that...)If any ordinary person were to know about those things, they'd immediately be targeted by LABO for the purposes of concealing information. In any case, the dangers were still real, and they still had to keep administering AD either way. With that thought in mind, she decided to play along and kept going for a while... And eventually, she saw Kuroda and Higa again.  ♪ BGM: Evil and Nightmares ♫ Ena couldn't help but scream. For when she saw them again, Kuroda and Higa's appearances had completely changed. Perhaps they were masquerading as LABO researchers, considering they were still wearing their provided lab coats. But the lab coats were no longer white, having been stained deep red by the blood oozing from their countless gunshot wounds. (They were shot...?)Given that they were lying with their heads turned towards the door, it was possible that they'd been trying to escape from the room. The various sized holes in their body, especially the big ones in their stomachs, exposed their rust-colored viscera. But Ena couldn't peel her eyes from the dead bodies. (... What's any of this supposed to mean...!? Why were Chief Kuroda and Commissioner Higa shot to death, but the rescue worker alone had his neck snapped? I can only think of two answers... All three of these people were together when a terrorist came in, shot Chief Kuroda and Higa, and massacred the rescue worker. Or perhaps the rescue worker was the terrorist himself... Chief Kuroda and Higa tried to apprehend the terrorist and fought him barehanded. And the scuffle ended a draw-- with all three of them dead.)--She had a feeling the answer was more likely the latter. If she remembered correctly, her father's journal stated that Kuroda had transferred from the National Police Agency and had been an expert in martial arts since childhood. And Higa used to be with Public Security. It wouldn't have been surprising if he had matching strength too. (I don't know the truth of the situation... but there's one thing I know for sure: Chief Kuroda and Commissioner Higa were killed by the terrorists...!)Ena gritted her teeth. (... Please rest in peace... I swear I will avenge you...! I swear I won't let there be any more victims than this...!)Tips posted:TIP: Tetsuyoshi Kuroda Tips posted:TIP: Ryo Higa She decided to keep up the facade of an ordinary person as she searched for the culprit. Or at least she tried to, but--  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ Watase looked at the dead body and muttered dumbfoundedly. Wh-who is this girl...?Ena didn't know either. But she had a hunch. (This girl's clothes... look almost like a hospital gown...! Could it be that this girl... was a test subject confined in LABO!?)In that case, it was highly possible that Q had killed her. (Then was Ms. Yuuri a test subject too...!? Could the cause of Captain Kasasagi's amnesia be related to the test subjects? If his amnesia is due to Senses Sympathy... then who erased his memories, and why? Was it this girl before she died...? Or could it have been Ms. Yuuri?)Several doubts seized Ena's mind. She considered revealing her true identity and using her gun as a threat to seek out the criminal-- but that was too risky. If any of the members of their group were either a terrorist or an Ability Level 6 Communicator, then that whole plan had a high chance of backfiring on her. (... Now that I think about it, everyone here right now is suspicious... If that rescue worker was a terrorist, then Captain Kasasagi, Ms. Tachibana, and Ms. Moribe might be with the terrorists as well. And then there's Mr. Ukita, a possible sleeper agent, as well as Ms. Yuuri, an unidentified girl... There's nobody here I can rely on as an ally...!)She was only armed with a single gun. She couldn't risk an offensive when she didn't even know her enemy's numbers. (But still... I will apprehend the culprit, at all costs. It's part of my job as a commissioner.)Ena felt the weight of her gun as she made her decision. (... Protect me, Father...!)And thus Ena began her lonely battle, knowing that anybody could be an enemy. 
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May 2, 2017 17:32
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SSNeoman posted:I'd also like it if they showed us why Ena hardened her heart instead of telling us. Cause they sorta just went "cuz, lol" You want your cover blown and your mind read at any point?
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May 2, 2017 22:18
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HerpicleOmnicron5 posted:You want your cover blown and your mind read at any point? Oh hey, I wanted to respond to that post but forgot. Anyway, that's the main reason, though it is kind of twofold: For one, Ena has seen the bad side of Communicators - Communicators that use their powers for crime. Because of that, she's essentially developed the same mindset Terrorist Watase did: "Keep your heart closed at ALL times, because if you don't, somebody will read your mind and gently caress everything up". Additionally, she's come to the conclusion that her father died because he was too trusting towards Communicators, and tried to prevent that. It's kind of summed up in the beginning of School Days: TheMcD posted:
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May 2, 2017 22:29
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Oh, right, another thing I wanted to bring up at this point was the listing of the bodies found in LABO in the Route After Normal Ending. At this point, I think you should be able to attach names to everybody listed there, though you might have to make some more connections for everything to click into place. For reference: TheMcD posted:
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May 2, 2017 23:09
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HerpicleOmnicron5 posted:You want your cover blown and your mind read at any point? She went into school to reverse this process. It seemed to not have been voluntary.
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May 3, 2017 00:10
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I FINALLY realized what this game reminded me of (Besides Zero Escape and Danganronpa, obviously): The Science Adventure series (AKA: Chaos;Head, Steins;Gate and Robotics;Notes).
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May 3, 2017 00:21
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MOVING TIME: 09/16/2030, 16:55 ---- --  ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ This time, he didn't have the usual headache and his brain didn't feel like it was swaying. Most likely because Ena was not corrupted by malice. Since he merely connected their minds using Senses Sympathy, his brain and mind didn't appear to be as burdened as when he had to confront Subject N. Eventually, Ena looked at Natsuhiko and spoke quietly. Mmm... is it over? Y-yes. Any malice? None. You were given AD quickly after you found Subject N in front of the cargo lift, so you avoided it... I see. That's good.After saying that, Ena gave a somewhat embarrassed smile. So you know my true identity now, then. ...Yes. Shocking, isn't it? I'm sorry for deceiving you all this time.''How many times have I heard that today?'' Natsuhiko wondered as he responded. Um, are you okay with me knowing? It was the only way to prove my innocence. But please keep it a secret, okay? You too, Ms. Yuuri. Okay...Ena fell silent after that. A tinge of sadness filled her face.  She ended up remembering many painful memories as well. For every memory that Natsuhiko peeked into, Ena remembered it as well. That was a fundamental rule of Senses Sympathy.  Don't be silly. No need to worry about me. It's all part of my job.And with that declaration, Ena's facial expression returned to normal. More importantly, everyone listen up. Ms. Sannomiya's attacking Captain Kasasagi right now. Huh!?♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫  H-hold on a second. Why would Louise attack-- Oh, I know! Louise must've gone crazy 'cause of that BC, right!? --Probably.There was no proof of that, but Natsuhiko just nodded for now. He had no time to explain Watase's true identity. Mr. Tenkawa, can't you send telepathy to Ms. Sannomiya? I tried, but I can't get through! And I don't think Salyu will lend an ear to what Watase has to say, either... Then what if Natsuhiko goes to Louise and directly explains the situation to her? No, wait! He's heavily injured, you know? We can't have him do something so dangerous, can we? Then... then I'll go! Huh!? Wh-what will you do if you go!? Save the captain, of course!And with that, Jun flew out of the room before anyone could stop her. Geez... she's so impatient...!Ena spoke with a sigh as she gripped her gun. I'll go too. That girl's not going to have any strength on her own. Th-then I'll go too-- No. It's too dangerous, so just stay here. Will you be okay, Professor...? Don't worry about me. I might not look like it, but I'm a super civil servant who safeguards society from the shadows.And with that grandiose declaration, Ena left the shelter. --Leaving only Natsuhiko, Yuuri, Ukita, and the unconscious Mashiro behind. (Will those two be okay...? Salyu still somewhat sees Prof. Tsubakiyama as hostile. I don't know how she feels about Jun, though-- She might think Jun's in cahoots with Watase since she's also a rescue worker.)But nevertheless, if Watase, Ena, and Jun all worked together, they could probably succeed in apprehending Salyu. Though someone might get hurt in the process. (Dammit... for now, let's check on Watase's situation!)Natsuhiko tried using Senses Sympathy on Watase.  ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ Haah, haah...!He could hear Watase's rough breathing and the sound of dragging feet. Watase appeared to be desperately running through a connecting passageway somewhere. (Did he injure his foot!?) {What's wrong, Watase!? Are you okay!?} N-Natsuhiko!?Watase seemed surprised to have heard the ''auditory hallucination'' again after so long. Don't surprise me like that. Was that telepathy? {Well, yeah. But you don't need to speak out loud. We can hold a conversation if you just think the words in your head.} I see. That's a big help. {So, what's the current situation!?} {Kinda driven into a corner here...! Salyu attacked me, and I'm in the middle of running away.} {Where are you!?} {I'm on B2-- at the connecting passageway between Area 3 and 2's outer rings. Salyu twisted my ankle in Area 3, so my foot's all messed up now. So I barely managed to escape here--}It was at that moment that a sound echoed behind him. !? {Dammit she caught me... Natsuhiko, send her some telepathy! It should be easy for you, right?} {I don't think it'll work, but--!} {Salyu, it's me! Can you hear me!? Watase's on our side. There's no need to fight!}Natsuhiko repeatedly sent that message. And then once he reinstated sympathy with Watase's senses--  She showed no reaction. The telepathy clearly didn't get through. {No good! She's not reacting! Looks like she's taken AD!} {Well that sucks... Looks like I've got no choice but to use brute force.}Watase took a defensive stance. The pain in his ankle propagated to Natsuhiko. {I probably can't do this without hurting her... I'm sorry, but please overlook that.} {H-hold on, Watase! Can't you lure Salyu here!?} {I've been trying to do that for a while now, but it's been a lot harder than I thought it'd be...}Watase addressed Salyu. Hey, Salyu, I just got some telepathy from Natsuhiko! !? Forget about me and head to Area 5! He's waiting for you over there! Hmph... I don't believe a word you say.It appeared Salyu didn't believe him in the slightest. She was unable to imagine other people's feelings. Therefore, it was probably safer for her to doubt everything and trust nobody. {Watase, get out of there! Go around towards Area 2, pass through Area N, and return to the shelter!} {You sure? Isn't Salyu your--} {Forget it, just prioritize getting out of there for now! We're sending Jun and Prof. Tsubakiyama your way right now!}Natsuhiko ended Senses Sympathy after giving that answer.  Hikorin! You look kind of pained right now... Did you use Senses Sympathy!? Yeah... and now I know that Watase's in real big trouble right now.For now, Natsuhiko sent telepathy to Ena and Jun. {Professor, Jun, can you hear me!? Watase's currently heading towards Area 2! His foot's injured! Please go help him!}And then he used empathy to receive Ena's reply.  She was no longer closing her heart. Once he confirmed she had received the message, he pondered some more. (Watase's already beat up senselessly too...! It's not unexpected, though, considering how he's been running around for nearly 8 hours to save everyone. In that case... in that case... I'll try too...!)Natsuhiko made up his mind and spoke to Yuuri. ...Yuuri... I'm going to Salyu. Huh? But Captain Kasasagi said to stay here... But Ms. Tachibana's the only dangerous character lurking around now... And besides, if things don't change quickly, Watase will be in even worse trouble. I can't just wait and see. He's worked himself to the bone, so I will too...!Yuuri fell silent at those words for a second-- but then she readied herself and spoke. I-in that case... I'll go too. You too? It'll be hard for you to walk around by yourself, and... If you happen to come across Lieutenant Tachibana, you might have to repair her memory on the spot, right? ...Natsuhiko was worried about taking Yuuri with him, but she was indeed right. ...Okay. Let's go together. Mr. Ukita, please stay here and watch over Mashiro. V-very well, but in that case-- If you're going, then take this pistol with you. You might run across Ms. Tachibana along the way. There are only two bullets left, but I suspect it'll still function as a threat.Ukita spoke in a stiff voice. They still didn't quite know what Kazami's intentions were. So it was probably better to be safe than sorry. ...Understood.Natsuhiko took the pistol and slung it on his belt. Okay, then Yuuri... I'm sorry, but can you lend me a shoulder? O-okay.Natsuhiko borrowed Yuuri's shoulder and tottered out of the shelter.
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May 3, 2017 17:47
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Hm. Even Watase's death here doesn't seem like it'd be the end of very much. Unless it sends one of his coworkers around the bend.
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May 4, 2017 00:19
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Glazius posted:Hm. Even Watase's death here doesn't seem like it'd be the end of very much. Unless it sends one of his coworkers around the bend. Well, him and Ukita are the only members of Q left and thus some of the only people who might be able to disarm the bomb. Plus, only he has both the skill at fighting and sufficient detachment from Natsuhiko to stand against him when he inevitably goes bonkers.
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May 4, 2017 04:42
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OddHaberdasher posted:Well, him and Ukita are the only members of Q left and thus some of the only people who might be able to disarm the bomb. Plus, only he has both the skill at fighting and sufficient detachment from Natsuhiko to stand against him when he inevitably goes bonkers. Well... TheMcD posted:
I mean, I guess they could still be able to disarm it as opposed to deactivate it, but it doesn't look good. What Watase is going to come in really handy for is subduing Kazami for the malice removal procedure. Look at the alternatives: - Natsuhiko / Yuuri / Mashiro: lol - Ukita: Doesn't have it in him, completely outmatched - Jun: Will probably slip up because it's Sis and get her poo poo wrecked (Kazami would probably murder her because the malice would make her rationalize it that it's Jun's fault Nagisa died) Ena is the only one with a chance, as she's managed to keep Jun down, but Kazami is stronger, smarter and more experienced than Jun and would probably have the balls to call Ena's bluff, at which point she might either crack like Ukita did against Jun (which is bad), or take the shot to kill (which is also bad). Watase is the best candidate to take on Kazami in a nonlethal confrontation. Except when he fucks up and kills her by accident, but that's just our Watase.
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May 4, 2017 17:47
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Out of order: 09/16/2030, 17:03 ♪ BGM: Approaching Death ♫  That just left Kazami and the girl he was fighting right now. (But now I'm faced with a dilemma. How do I get away...? ...Should I try playing things her way now?)Salyu lunged at him as soon as he thought that. Hnn!Watase mustered his strength and pushed Salyu back away with a sidestep counter. Tch.Salyu, now on the floor, did a backwards somersault and stood up.  !He could tell Salyu was chasing him. Pain rushed through his injured ankle with every step he took. (But as long as I can get -there-...!) A security gate. Watase swiped his card through the slot. And right as the gate was opening, he destroyed the card slot. What're you doing!?He heard Salyu shout at him from behind. Watase pressed the close button on the other side and ran into Area 2.  Watase stood in front of the closing gate to block her, then shouted. I know you can't trust me, but this isn't the time to be fighting! Go to Natsuhiko and the others! They're looking for you! !?Bewilderment ran through Salyu's face for a second. It was at that moment that the gate shut-- separating Watase and Salyu. (Phew... that sure was close. I have to get back to the shelter before Salyu circles around to me...)Watase limped on over towards the shelter. If he used Area N as a shortcut, he could to get to Area 5 much faster. He steeled his resolve, dashing through the connecting passageway that led to the inner ring. (Dammit, my feet hurt like hell...! Will I make it!?)Watase endured the pain, opening the gate-- Only to see someone there on the other side. !!He thought it was Salyu for a moment, but he was wrong. Someone a bit taller than her was walking towards him through the dimly lit hallway. --Watase's eyes widened when he realized who it was.  ♪ BGM: Evil and Nightmares ♫ Ka... Kazami...!?Yes. It was none other than Kazami. She was carrying someone in her arms. Someone with deathly pale skin wrapped in something like a hospital gown. --It was the body of Subject N. The one that mysteriously vanished from the cargo lift room.  ...Captain.Kazami muttered that in a quiet voice when she noticed Watase. However, Watase was too perplexed by the sight before him. Y... you're the one who moved the body...? Yes... But why!? Because this girl is my sister... Because she's Nagisa... ...!!Watase felt every hair on his body sticking on end.  H-hold on, Kazami. That girl is called Subject N-- N...? Well, 'N' is the first letter in Nagisa's name... No, you've got it wrong! She's a Communicator who was born in LABO! Your sister has been long de-- Silence.Kazami interrupted Watase before he could finish. She then gently placed Subject N's body on the floor. After that, she sidled on over towards Watase.  After all, it's your fault that Nagisa died! Yes, that must be it...! Wha...!?Naturally, Watase wasn't responsible for Nagisa's death nine years ago. Yet Kazami was looking at him with bloodthirsty eyes. ...How did it come to this? Hey, tell me why, Watase. Why do I... have to kill you...!?Kazami's words were growing more and more devoid of any meaning. Watase started shuddering. (Th-this is...! To think being infected with malice can drive someone this far...! Kazami's already...!)--lost all trace of rationality.
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May 4, 2017 17:48
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Dun dun DUUU-We Knew This Already-UUUN
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May 4, 2017 20:53
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Oh no Watase, whoever thought that getting pushed out of the ring by Salyu would have him come face to face with Kazami!? Out of the frying pan and into the fire he went! WILL THE WATASEMANIA BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE KRAZAMI!?
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May 4, 2017 21:29
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EponymousMrYar posted:Oh no Watase, whoever thought that getting pushed out of the ring by Salyu would have him come face to face with Kazami!? There is no one Watase can't kill by lightly tapping.  I can't help but think of this Key and Peele skit, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-jv7doUI8o DMW45 fucked around with this message at 01:26 on May 5, 2017 |
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May 5, 2017 01:16
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Well, that's um...I was kind of hoping Nagisa would still be alive, but she's carrying the body and I doubt that even BC trances let someone not die of a gunshot to the stomach for that long so....
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May 5, 2017 03:54
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Well, I mean. Watase was actually there when the fire collapsed their house. You could pretty easily make some memories so that he was responsible.
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May 5, 2017 05:09
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BenRGamer posted:There is no one Watase can't kill by lightly tapping. Absolutely perfect. Like most Key and Peele. From now on, that is how I choose to remember the AFTER route Watase vs. Salyu fight went down.
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May 5, 2017 12:21
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EponymousMrYar posted:Oh no Watase, whoever thought that getting pushed out of the ring by Salyu would have him come face to face with Kazami!? You know, thinking about it, Salyu is French, right? You know who else was French? Andre the Giant! ...brother.
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May 5, 2017 18:24
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Louise Yui Sannomiya: 09/16/2030, 17:05 ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ Salyu! Where are you!? Salyu!They called out Salyu's name to find her. Not much time had passed since Watase had encountered her around here. But if Watase had gotten away from her here, then there was no telling when they'd find her. And with that thought in mind, Natsuhiko searched around Area 3.    But they couldn't find her. Crap, where is she...? Maybe she went to another area...But not a moment after they whispered that-- they heard her voice. Natsuhiko! ♪ BGM: Words of Healing ♫ Salyu!! Ahh... I finally found you...!Salyu smiled in relief and dashed towards Natsuhiko.   Gwoh!!Salyu's small head sank into Natsuhiko's solar plexus. But Salyu paid no attention and just kept nuzzling her head against him.  I-It's okay... I'm a little roughed up, but I'm alive. Now that you mention it, how did you get here with those injuries? Oh, I borrowed Yuuri's shoulder-- Huh...!?Apparently Salyu hadn't noticed Yuuri's presence until then. Salyu took along hard look at her before murmuring in confusion. 'Yuuri'...? Your childhood friend? Y-yes. ...I am confused. The professor told me Yuuri died nine years ago. And that you've been seeing a phantom of her ever since. Oh, I see... Of course Mom would have you play along with my madness. But Yuuri was actually alive. For nine whole years, she's been trapped in this facility just like we are now. ...!?His explanation only seemed to make Salyu more and more confused. (... I guess it's understandable. I mean, it confused the hell out of me too.)That was what Natsuhiko was thinking-- but immediately afterwards, Salyu said something completely unexpected. Yuuri... Wh... what is it? I feel... like I've seen you somewhere before... Huh!?Natsuhiko gasped. Even if she had heard about the phantom issue, Salyu shouldn't have been familiar with Yuuri's appearance, so how--!? Wh-what do you mean!? Have you met before!? It might be my imagination, but... when I saw Yuuri, I felt somehow nostalgic... Wait... have you met her before, Yuuri? N-no. I think it's just your imagination. ...? Since Hikorin's talked to you about me before, it just doesn't feel like this is the first time you've met me, that's all. Does that sound about right, Salyu? Mmm... That's probably it. I haven't come across you today, either. And besides, the professor showed me a picture of you from nine years ago. It's probably because I saw that. Right... So allow me to introduce myself again.Ignoring the perplexed Natsuhiko, Yuuri spoke to Salyu. Nice to meet you, Salyu. I've heard a lot about you from Hikorin. You want to see Mashiron, don't you? She's in Area 5, so we'll take you to her. O-Okay.Yuuri took Salyu by the hand and began to walk. Then I'll carry Natsuhiko. O-okay, thanks.He felt a little ashamed at having such a small girl carry him, but he didn't want to waste time debating it. So Natsuhiko quickly accepted the offer.   ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ Salyu, are you okay? You don't feel bad anywhere? You mean because of the radiation? ...Y-yeah. I am fine. I injected AD about 40 minutes ago, so it should still be effective. My head hurts a little, but it's nowhere near as bad as last time.That was probably because the WX particle energy levels were decreasing even in Area N. And then Natsuhiko suddenly remembered something. Ah... hold on a second.Natsuhiko spoke up and got down from Salyu's back. What is the matter? Is there a problem...? Well, Yuuri--Natsuhiko gave Yuuri an eye signal and sent her telepathy. {I want to check if Salyu's infected with malice or not, just to be completely sure.} {Huh?}Yuuri's face froze at that message. {Even if Salyu's under the influence of AD, BC should probably still work on her in here, right? I think we should do it while we've got the chance.}Area N had a reading of over 15000 mSv just two hours ago. So the reading was probably still over 4000 mSv. But Yuuri frantically shook her head.   And once more, we have the question of ''do we want to run a deep memory check or not'', except this time, Yuuri is the one that's against it. However, that doesn't really change that we're going to be going in for the full story. {I do. But what's scary about that malice is that you aren't aware of it yourself, right?}Natsuhiko's thought was that they should just do it to make sure nothing was wrong, considering everything that could go wrong. {Hmm... then let's just check to see if there are any ''floral-scented memories'' or not. That's all we need to do to know if she's infected with malice or not.} (...?)For some reason, Yuuri was being almost uncharacteristically obstinate. (What...? Why's Yuuri so against the idea of diving through Salyu's memories? Is there some sort of connection between Salyu and Yuuri...?)Once he pondered that question, suddenly-- A vision of what he saw from within Ena's memory flashed before his eyes.  As well as a vision of the day Salyu transferred in.  (...!!? Communicator A and Salyu are both from Andresy...!?)  (Huh... what...? What's the meaning of this?)He didn't understand the reason why, but he had a feeling it had something to do with Yuuri's odd behavior. Since Communicator A spent the last year of her life inside LABO-- {H-hold on a second, Yuuri... There's something you know about Salyu that I don't, isn't there!?} {...!} {Is there some sort of reason we shouldn't dive into Salyu's memories!?} {N-no. It's just... we don't have time...}Yuuri fell silent. Salyu then interrupted.  Uh, well...It was too hard to explain, so Natsuhiko just gave a noncommittal answer. It's just... there's something we need to do... and so Yuuri and I were discussing it via telepathy. Telepathy? Yuuri's a Communicator too? Y-yes, I am. So can you use telepathy, and empathy, and...? Just those two... well, there aren't any other BC abilities besides those two, right? I see...Right after she said that-- Salyu took a deep breath. ...I've solved the mystery. Huh...? Actually, it's been bothering me a little. There are too many unnatural points about my past. There are very few details in it despite there being 13 years worth of content. Don't you think so too, Natsuhiko? Y-yeah...True, Natsuhiko did find it somewhat bizarre that her parents wouldn't let their daughter out of the house at all, but-- ...What about it? I finally know the answer to the reason why that is.Salyu gazed at Yuuri and spoke. Yuuri-- You manipulated my memories, didn't you? --Wh... what?Natsuhiko doubted his ears. S-she manipulated your memories...!? Wh-when!? Wait, hold on, have you two even met before!?Thoroughly confused, Natsuhiko looked to Yuuri. But she did not look particularly surprised. ...Salyu, you remember? ...Just a little bit. When I saw your face, it sparked a memory. A memory of September 9th, the day before I met Natsuhiko. The keyword 'memory manipulation'. Area Zero. Your room-- I don't remember the details, but... I feel like I owe an irreparable debt to you.Salyu's words confused Natsuhiko even further. Y-Yuuri... is what Salyu's saying... true?Upon hearing that question, Yuuri nodded in resignation. ...Yes. The truth is... I have falsified Salyu's memory once before. Why...!? There was no other way. There were things she needed to forget for her own sake... Yuuri, can you return those memories back to normal? I can, but... You might be better off not knowing, you know...? ... That's why I manipulated your memories in the first place, Salyu. Knowledge of the truth might do nothing but sadden you. Are you sure you want to know?Salyu answered Yuuri's question on the spot. It does not bother me. Please restore my memory. I want to know the truth. I'd take that over living a lie.Natsuhiko pondered as he heard that statement. She was exactly right. Averting your eyes from the truth meant you could not move forward. Salyu needed to know the truth in the same way he did... Then... should I leave it up to just you to dive into Salyu's memories this time, Yuuri? ...No, I want you to see too, Natsuhiko. Huh? I have a vague feeling of what the details of my memories are... so I want to let you see them too. And, if you don't mind... I want you to support me. ...!Salyu's honest words pierced Natsuhiko in the heart. ...Hikorin, I want you to join in too. I want you to see what it is I've done... I want you to see our past. All... all right.Natsuhiko nodded at those words. And thus, hand in hand with Yuuri-- he tried using Senses Sympathy.  
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May 5, 2017 18:25
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Is now really the best time for that, you guys? You know, with the malice monsters all over the place as far as you know?
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May 5, 2017 23:58
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Glazius posted:Is now really the best time for that, you guys? You know, with the malice monsters all over the place as far as you know? I mean, it's a lovely situation either way. At least diving through somebody's memories goes by quickly, and the alternative is risking Salyu being infected with malice and having her going nuts at a very bad time. And Salyu going nuts would lead to many people being very dead.
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May 6, 2017 00:20
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Oh BTDubs Watase's good now can you maybe chill No? No one's going to tell her?
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May 6, 2017 10:51
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Danaru posted:Oh BTDubs Watase's good now can you maybe chill That's actually a really good move, not telling her. The thing is that if she really is infected with malice, then telling her that she shouldn't be attacking the person that she wants to attack is a one-way-ticket to Axemurderville, as seen with Jun, who simply rationalized that everybody telling her not to murder Ukita was clearly just trying to protect him and must therefore also be carved up with an engine cutter.
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May 6, 2017 11:13
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Rapunzel: 09/01/2027, 10:00 The sights she saw spread before Natsuhiko's field of view. Salyu sat in front of a piano, thinking to herself. ''My entire world lies within this estate''-- Eventually, Salyu's tutor entered her room.  ♪ BGM: Individualist / Theme of Louise ♫ Tutor: Louise, it's time for practice. What are we playing today?The tutor answered by giving Salyu her lesson plan for the day. Tutor: A new song today: Ravel's 'Gaspard de la nuit'. Play it with feeling. With emotion. Salyu nodded and began to play the song. Her pale fingers wove smoothly over the ivory keyboard. But though her hands reproduced the beauty of the emotional melodies, her heart felt nothing. --Salyu was born and raised inside this estate. For some reason, her parents would not let her leave the grounds. Naturally, that meant she did not go to school. Instead, she was surrounded by the company of tutors of all sorts, and received training in just about every field imaginable. And, perhaps as a result of the tutors' excellence or perhaps the brilliance of Salyu's all-encompassing talent... Salyu had barely reached the age of 10 when she had gained a pool of knowledge both deep and wide.  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ Natsuhiko thought to himself as he watched that memory. The sight before him agreed with what Salyu had told him of her past a few days ago. But at that moment, Yuuri's voice echoed in his head. {That's not it, Hikorin...! This memory is a fake. A false memory I created.} (... I knew it.)Yuuri had already told him that she had falsified Salyu's memory. (But why would you do this...?) {... Because there was no other way to save her.} (... What's that supposed to mean?) {Let me restore the memory to how it was before I falsified it. Salyu's real memory--}   the sight before them faded like mist.  (... What is this...!?)Yuuri continued as Natsuhiko recoiled in bewilderment. {This poor girl has been shouldering a fate even more cruel than mine... So please, support her.}
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May 6, 2017 15:07
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Oh boy, an expansion on the concept of what Natsuhiko went through. This is going to be a trip.
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May 6, 2017 21:11
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I'm gonna go out on a limb here and argue that unlike Watase and Mashiro, Yuuri did do something wrong.
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May 6, 2017 21:20
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Oh hey, I finally caught up to the edge of this thread. A few pages back, people were wondering why the big bomb in LABO was supposed to be going off 1 second after the doors opened, yet in the normal end went off 1 second before. I think I have a pretty good idea if you consider that the one who gave them the bomb is the head of Q. They know that the Rokumei City Arson was perpetrated by a communicator of similar level to the 2 held in LABO. Would an organization created out of fear of the unknown really just trust that the communicators rescued from LABO have their best interests at heart? Q may be pretending that their goals align with Watase's, but I bet they'd jump at the chance to wipe out both LABO and it's test subjects by ensuring there is no escape. I'm sure leaving no witnesses is also a boon.
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May 7, 2017 12:29
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The Girl Who Was Plugged In: 09/01/2027, 10:00 Salyu stood still in that room, thinking to herself. ''My entire world lies within this facility.'' (Facility...!?)That word triggered red flags in Natsuhiko's mind. When the door opened, it was not a tutor that entered the room--  (!?)--but a woman Natsuhiko knew well.  ♪ BGM: Individualist / Theme of Louise ♫ As Dr. Tenkawa entered the room, Salyu asked her a question. Whose memory are we transferring today? Professor Emeritus Kagano, an authority on fluid mechanics. Fluid mechanics. Not interested. You might actually find it interesting once you understand it, you know? After all, it only takes a moment.Dr. Tenkawa was indeed right. Salyu nodded and followed her outside the room.  They brought Salyu through the underground garden and stopped in front of Subject N's room.   Anyone who wanted to meet her had to be either completely bound or injected with AD. Dr. Tenkawa and the other researchers opened the door and brought Salyu into Subject N's room. ♪ BGM: Extra-Sensory Perception ♫  ...Welcome back.They heard Subject N's voice. The researchers soon responded. Eriguchi: We're starting now, Subject N. Kashiwagi: Starting Memory Transfer Experiment Phase 2, Trial 316. From No. 3, Subject N, to No. 2, Subject Y. Begin Senses Sympathy. Okay.And with that signal, a flood of ''information'' flowed into Salyu's head. It was the memory of the ''fluid mechanics authority'' or whomever it was that Dr. Tenkawa spoke about earlier. Ugh...Salyu groaned. Though it only took a moment each time, Salyu could never get used to that feeling. Even though it was only memories that were being written onto her brain, it felt like even her own mind was being rewritten. --Done.But as soon as Subject N gave the word, the bizarre sensation faded. Eriguchi: Roger that. Now withdraw Subject Y. Salyu was then taken out of the room again.  ♪ BGM: Individualist / Theme of Louise ♫ Yui, try solving this problem for me.On her PDA screen was a problem relating to fluid mechanics. ''In August 2015, a solid body flow pattern was confirmed near Jupiter's south pole. The following data table represents a two-dimensional model of that flow pattern. Based on the data, explain the mechanism behind the formation of the flow pattern.'' Roger.Salyu took the PDA and smoothly solved the problem. Dr. Tenkawa looked at Salyu's solution and then spoke. Yes, that is correct. Naturally.It was no surprise. For that problem itself was made by the very same fluid mechanics authority whose memory Salyu now had. Thus, there was no conceivable way Salyu would be unable to solve it. Successful memory transfer confirmed. Memory Transfer Experiment Phase 2, Trial 316 complete.Dr. Tenkawa spoke those words into a voice recorder and then addressed Salyu. That finishes up your work for today. Let's head back to your room. Understood.And with that answer, Dr. Tenkawa brought Salyu back to the room she started out in. This was Salyu's one and only unconditional ''role''.  First, LABO would invite ''guests'' with technical expertise to come to the facility. After putting a guest to sleep with drugs, they would quickly bring them to Subject N's room. There, Subject N would apply Senses Sympathy to steal all of the guest's knowledge. A skilled Level 6 Communicator is able to handle memories inside the human mind almost as if they were digital data. The Communicator could copy and paste the memories into their own mind, as well as bestow their own memories to a third party. Such tasks were easy, assuming one could manipulate intracerebral BC particles at will. Furthermore, the entire process took only a negligible amount of time. The guest would be left with a memory gap, but all Subject N had to do was fill it in with a fabricated memory. Once the drugs wore off and the guest woke up, they would not remember a thing. They would not even be aware that anything had happened to them. It was an extremely efficient, perfectly imperceptible theft of trade secrets. The backbone of an industrial espionage effort created by LABO, Rokumei City, and a certain corporation. (It's a well-planned system...)That was what Salyu thought. There were several ways of inviting the guests as well. Sometimes they'd be invited directly with made-up business. Sometimes they'd visit LABO of their own accord. Rokumei City Hospital was yet another entity in on the deal, and thus there were cases where they had drugged patients who had useful knowledge and transported them to LABO. Thus, LABO obtained knowledge from visiting guests and applied that knowledge for use in its own facility. In its greed, LABO also stole trade secrets that had no direct relation to BC in order to sell them off to other research facilities they had connections with. --Salyu's role was to be one of the final cogs in the process. All of the memories and knowledge Subject N stole from the guests were transcribed onto Salyu's brain. As a backup, so to speak. Salyu was thus a ''spare brain'' for Subject N. That said, Salyu didn't think much about it. She had already been burdened with that role for as long as she could remember. Just once or twice a week, the professor would come bring her to Subject N's room and back, just like today. And as long as she did that, she received all of her living necessities. All necessities except for freedom, that is.  Dr. Tenkawa thanked her as always. But Salyu noticed her voice was just a little bit quieter than usual. Professor, what's wrong? It's nothing. I'm just a little tired. We've been busy recently, you see.Salyu was relieved. As long as the professor said so, it was probably just that. I'm sorry, but I've got matters to attend to, so I'll be going now. I'll show up again later. When's the next appointment? Hmm... it might not be for a while, actually. Subject N hasn't been well lately. I see.Salyu felt glad that she wouldn't have to deal with that troublesome sensation, but at the same time, she felt a little lonely that the appointments were diminishing. I'll be sure to tell you when an appointment's scheduled. See you later.And with that, the professor left the room. Salyu gazed at the shut door. As long as nobody opened that door from the outside, it would never open. Salyu thought she would have a bit of free time until the next time the professor came. --Salyu herself wasn't quite sure of how long this had continued. Such a trifling past had sunk to the bottom of her vast, oft-rewritten pool of knowledge. But what she did remember was that when she was younger, she had a different sort of role. (If I'm not mistaken, that was the experiment to inundate the body with WX particles...) Exposure to such an environment could artificially raise BC aptitude-- or at least that was the goal of the experiment. But Salyu showed no results. The experiments failed, leaving her with the Rank F Aptitude she was born with. (Compared to back then, any experiment would be better...)Salyu was thankful that those experiments had ended five years ago. The current ''memory transfer experiment'' hadn't had a single failure. (... Unlike the experiments in the past, these ones have a definite purpose.) She proved that even knowledge of how to perform physical techniques could be inherited. --By the age of 6, she had a complete understanding of Kant's ''Critique of Pure Reason'' and was able to identify its points of issue from an existentialist perspective. By the age of 7, she solved the mystery of the zeta function that had been plaguing mathematicians across the globe. She also proved the Riemann Hypothesis. By the age of 8, she inherited the knowledge of an elderly pianist and successfully played the extremely difficult piano piece, ''Gaspard de la nuit''. Tips posted:TIP: Gaspard de la nuit By the age of 9, she had learned all sorts of athletic techniques ranging from artistic gymnastics to ball games and martial arts. By today, at the age of 10-- Salyu had the knowledge of 316 specialists of all sorts of fields packed within her brain. (... And thus, I became a monster.)The amount of knowledge in Salyu's brain had undeniably exceeded the apparent limit for human beings. Her swelling pool of knowledge was her entire life's history-- --and before she knew it, it was the very proof of her existence.
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May 7, 2017 14:47
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Miyoko did everything wrong
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May 7, 2017 15:36
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Arkanumzilong posted:Miyoko did everything wrong yeah, jesus loving christ. Even if they're like, "we'll N-ify Natsuhiko if you don't cooperate", assuming LABO is doing that, which is likely, doesn't justify her actions. If LABO's actions are exposed, she should be serving a life sentence in prison, or even be tried for crimes against humanity. but that probably won't happen, because the game will be like "she did it for love, so it's okay!". Japanese stories can be weirdly forgiving towards monstrous actions if they were done for LOVE.
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May 7, 2017 18:00
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I swear LABO spends its time inventing new crimes just to commit them.
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May 7, 2017 19:06
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Zakrelo posted:I swear LABO spends its time inventing new crimes just to commit them. If they don't commit crazy brain crimes, someone else will.
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May 7, 2017 22:44
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On the bright side, the axe murderer memories they gave Salyu came in handy here. 
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May 7, 2017 23:15
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I mean the idea of writing skills to humans is a good thing! But holy MOLY the ends do not justify this poo poo 
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May 7, 2017 23:27
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Holy crap, this is intriguing.
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May 7, 2017 23:32
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At this rate it might be faster to list off what nefarious schemes LABO isn't taking part in. 
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May 7, 2017 23:35
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I really hope Miyoko goes to prison for the rest of her life. It's not like Natsuhiko's life would change much either way.
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May 8, 2017 01:01
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Don't worry, it'll turn out that Communicator A infected her with malice so nothing that happened in the years since is her fault. 
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May 8, 2017 01:23
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