﻿\setgamedatatitle("Morte_03")

\text
――A brief respite in the midst of battle.
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\text
After somehow driving back the powerful undead, the Demon
Lord's soldiers are each resting their bodies in preparation
for the next fight.
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\text
Some drink water, some lie on the ground panting, some groan
in pain as their wounds are treated――
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\text("Margaretta")
Here you go, Agri. Are you alright?
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\text("Agri")
Oh, water... Thanks. Gulp, gulp, gulp... Ahhh!

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\text
Agri gulps down the water Margaretta handed over, pours the
rest over his head, and shakes out his hair.

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\text("Agri")
...Hah! Now I finally feel human again.

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\text("Margaretta")
You fought well out there. ...There we go.

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\text
With her heavy armor clanking, Margaretta sits down next to
Agri.
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\text("Agri")
You too. ...Knowing you've got my back lets me go wild
without worry.

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\text("Margaretta")
Cleaning up after you isn't exactly my favorite thing... but
watching a berserker fight from the sidelines is pretty
nerve-wracking, you know.
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\text
Margaretta glances sideways at Agri, checking on him.

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\text("Margaretta")
More importantly, are you really alright? You seemed a bit
down...

\endtext

\text("Agri")
Yeah... Well, I am. But don't worry, I won't slack off in
battle because of it.
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\text("Margaretta")
That's not quite what I meant...

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\text("Agri")
............
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\text("Agri")
Yeah, it's true I got bummed out over that Morte chick.
...Not being popular with women is my own damn fault, always
has been.
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\text("Agri")
But, well, whether I fall for someone or not is my own
business, right? That's all it is.

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\text("Agri")
...Deciding to save a woman and then ditching her just
because she turned me down―that's just pathetic.

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\text("Margaretta")
Agri...
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\text("Margaretta")
Hmm. ...It seems I've misunderstood you a little until now.


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\text("Agri")
Heh... Did I win you over?
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\text("Margaretta")
No. Not at all.
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\text("Agri")
...Yeah, figured as much. Dammit...!
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\text("Agri")
Not that I care! Stuff like that doesn't bother me! Damn it
all!
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\text
Agri grabs the sword lying beside him and stands up.

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\text("Agri")
Alright, let's go! I'll cut down every last one of the
remaining enemies myself!
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\text("Margaretta")
That's the spirit. But before that... looks like we've got
company.
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\text
The soldiers begin to stir with a buzz of excitement.
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\text
Looking toward where their attention is focused, there she
is―the beautiful woman with her undead escorts... Morte.

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\text("Morte")
I have... something to discuss... Bring out the one with the
horns...
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\text("Caym")
Morte, huh. I figured you'd show up soon.

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\text
It's an unspoken rule that no fighting takes place during
these talks. ―Even so, Agri and the others gather around
Caym.
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\text("Caym")
Sorry, Queen of the Dead. ―As you can see.

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\text("Caym")
Your cute little undead have mostly been taken care of by
us.
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\text
Behind him lie heaps of undead corpses... or rather,
remains. Indicating them with his chin, Caym puffs out his
chest with pride.
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\text("Morte")
I... don't mind. They were dead to begin with. Soon...
they'll rise again...
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\text("Morte")
...More importantly...
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\text
The Queen of the Dead, Morte, fixes her gaze intently on
Caym and his group.
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\text("Agri")
W-What is it...?
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\text("Morte")
...I watched... through my crystal ball. I saw... how you
all fought...
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\text("Morte")
You are... different from those who've come to this
graveyard before... it seems.
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\text
Morte's gaze sweeps over everyone, not just Caym.

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\text("Agri")
H-Hey, what the hell!?
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\text("Risbell")
Uh, um...?
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\text("Margaretta")
Hm? You there...
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\text
Morte looks at them with a longing expression, as if gazing
at something dazzling.
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\text("Morte")
You are... overflowing. With the brilliance of life... I'm
almost... jealous...
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\text("Agri")
I-If you're jealous, then―!
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\text("Agri")
Come on over here! You don't have any reason to cling to
this gloomy grave or those corpses!

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\text("Agri")
...I'll take you in, right here, in my arms!

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\text("Morte")
That... I don't want...
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\text
Morte shakes her head firmly.
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\text("Agri")
Guhh! Ugh...
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\text("Margaretta")
There, there. ...You never learn, do you?
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\text("Caym")
...Jokes aside. If you were watching, then you understand.

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\text("Caym")
We are the Demon Lord's Army. ―Unlike any other army on the
surface.
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\text("Caym")
Whether our enemies are humans or monsters, if they stand
against us, we destroy them...
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\text("Caym")
But on the other hand, no matter what they are, we don't
hesitate to make them allies. ...Even if they're corpses or
ghosts.
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\text
Behind Caym, the mixed ranks of humans and monsters cheer
loudly.
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\text("Agri")
Well, uh... ghosts... I'd really rather not deal with those,
though.
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\text("Caym")
...To put it simply, the only reason we're fighting you is
because you're our 'enemy.'
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\text("Caym")
Morte, let me ask you again. ―Join us. Become one of our
allies.
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\text("Morte")
An ally...? You mean... I can really become... one of your
allies?
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\text("Caym")
That's right. If you do, we have no reason to keep fighting.

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\text("Caym")
I can't exactly die for you, but... from now on, any corpses
we get in battle are all yours. How about it?

\endtext

\text("Morte")
Ah... corpses... new... fresh corpses...

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\text
Just when it seemed Morte's heart had completely wavered―

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\text
From deep underground, a terrifying, bone-chilling roar
echoed, shaking their guts and freezing their souls.
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\text("Agri")
Wh-what the hell is that!?
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\text("Risbell")
Ugh... I can feel it...! It's on a whole different level
than anything before...!
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\text
Risbell clutches her head and drops to her knees.
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\text("Risbell")
Wh-what evil...!
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\text("Caym")
Y-yeah... this is bad...
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\text
Both Caym and Risbell, skilled in magic, sensed the presence
at the same time.
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\text
A presence far more ominous and powerful than anything
before―its will burning with rage.
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\text
Morte, who had been looking up at the trembling ceiling of
the labyrinth, turned her gaze back to Caym and the others
and spoke.
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\text("Morte")
That's right... I came to warn you... I had forgotten...

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\text("Morte")
Turn back... Beyond this floor, what awaits you is...
something completely... different...

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\text("Morte")
Long before I lived here... since ancient times, there have
been beings dwelling in the depths of this earth...

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\text("Morte")
A-ahh... there's no escaping now... not for me... or for
you... a-ah...!
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\text
At that moment, a white light like a giant hand surged up
from the ground and enveloped Morte.
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\text("Agri")
Morte―!
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\text
Agri rushed over―but when the light vanished, Morte's figure
had disappeared from sight.
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\text("Margaretta")
She's gone...? No, it looks like she was swallowed by the
ground...
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\text("Agri")
...Damn it!
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\text
Agri swings his fist through the air where Morte had been.

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\text("Agri")
Now we've got no choice but to take those freaks down!

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\text("Agri")
―Right? You're not seriously thinking of turning back now,
are you?
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\text("Caym")
Hmph...! We don't need any unnecessary meddling.
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\text
Caym steps forward, trampling the ground beneath his feet.
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\text("Caym")
I don't know what kind of trick that was... but don't think
you can just take a woman from me and get away with it.
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\text("Caym")
―Let's go. I'll send every last one of them down to the
depths of the earth.
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\text
Led by a quietly furious Caym, the Demon Lord's army
advances even deeper into the 'Graveyard at World's End'―

\endtext