﻿\setgamedatatitle("Risbell's Espionage 2")

\text("Priest")
Ugh... gah... stop... my head is splitting...!
\endtext

\text("Follower")
Ah... ugh...
\endtext

\text
He collapses to the side, forced to ignore even the
followers clinging to the Kiramushi.
\endtext

\text
Clutching his head from the splitting headache, the priest
flees outside.
\endtext

\text
Bumping into the altar and chairs, even crawling on the
floor, the priest desperately tries to escape.
\endtext

\text("Priest")
What is this... what's happening... aghhh...!
\endtext

\text
A Kiramushi passed right by the priest. In that instant, he
clutched his head as if his brain had been scrambled.
\endtext

\text
But that wasn't all. In that moment, he even 'forgot' who he
was.

\endtext

\text("Priest")
(I'm fading away... my name... my memories... everything...)

\endtext

\text
Everything goes blank.
\endtext

\text
The fear of not being able to remember is terrifying.
\endtext

\text
Things that were in his memory just vanish all of a sudden.

\endtext

\text
That's why he's running away. But what exactly is he running
from?
\endtext

\text("Priest")
No... I have a mission... a duty I must fulfill...!

\endtext

\text
He feels like he was doing something for that purpose. He
has to remember what it was.
\endtext

\text
And he feels like the answer lies beyond this door―

\endtext

\text("Priest")
Ah...
\endtext

\text
The surging wave of light swallowed even the priest's
memories and emotions.
\endtext

\text
....................
\endtext

\text
..............
\endtext

\text
......
\endtext

\text
―At the same time, in Barathorn.
\endtext

\text
In the northern snow country, Kiros. A group was racing
through its capital toward the food storehouses.

\endtext

\text
They were Shuka soldiers. But not just any soldiers.

\endtext

\text
They were a special unit personally selected and trained by
Tsushin as his own pawns.
\endtext

\text
attack Kiros's food storehouses.

\endtext

\text
use that as a trigger to ignite the anxieties of Kiros's
citizens and incite a riot.

\endtext

\text
The result would be civil war in Kiros.
\endtext

\text
For them, it was an easy mission.
\endtext

\text
However, the soldier at the front suddenly stopped in his
tracks.
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 1")
Something's wrong... We should be at the food storehouses by
now...
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 2")
Yeah. And there's no sign of anyone around. What the hell is
going on...?

\endtext

\text
It feels like we've been running for dozens of minutes. My
depleted stamina makes that clear.
\endtext

\text
But the scenery hasn't changed at all. We can't even get
close to the castle.
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 3")
No way, is this...
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 1")
Wha...!?
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...Good evening.
\endtext

\text
In an instant, the scenery changed. The soldiers couldn't
hide their shock at the bizarre sight.
\endtext

\text
No, more than that, they couldn't hide their surprise at the
Diabolica standing before them.
\endtext

\text
They knew her.
\endtext

\text
She was among the information they'd received from the spy
sent to Hados.
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 2")
T-The Demon Lord's army!? Why are you here...?

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
To welcome you, of course.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
I went out of my way to cast an illusion and lure you here.
So Kiros wouldn't get caught up in this.

\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 3")
Then that town earlier was... No, just how long have we been
under this illusion...?
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Who knows? You can think about that in the afterlife. I
can't let scum like you live any longer.

\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 3")
He―
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 3")
Gah!?
\endtext

\text
Suddenly, a slash came from behind the soldiers, catching
them off guard.
\endtext

\text
Red rain fell on the white snowfield.
\endtext

\text
Cutting through the wind and flicking off the blood,
Beatrice smiled seductively.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Hehe...♪
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 1")
Damn... So there was another one with you...! In that case,
I'll take you down first―
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Ah... Watch your step. I won't be responsible if something
explodes.
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 2")
Wha...!?
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 1")
Whoa...!?
\endtext

\text
The moment the soldiers stepped forward, the piled-up snow
burst upward into the air.
\endtext

\text
Everyone present had their vision swallowed by pure white.
Not just the Shuka soldiers.
\endtext

\text
Risbell and Beatrice had their vision stolen as well―

\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 1")
(They can't see either... I'll sense their magic and strike
first...!)
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 1")
Wha... ah... guh...
\endtext

\text("Shuka Soldier 2")
Gah...!
\endtext

\text
The snow that had been thrown into the air began to settle
again.
\endtext

\text
By the time their vision cleared, the soldiers had been
sliced clean in half and lay collapsed on the ground.
\endtext

\text
Beatrice and Risbell were both completely unharmed.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Sensing magic and trying to strike first... When it comes to
that, we Diabolica are a cut above the rest.

\endtext

\text
At the soldiers' feet, Risbell's trap magic, having finished
its job, glowed faintly.

\endtext

\text
Beatrice couldn't see them, but there were more than ten
other traps set up around the area.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
With this, we've stopped Shuka's plot, but... are you really
sure it's okay to just leave the Winga cult alone?

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Ah, it's fine. It's already taken care of.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...Huh?
\endtext

\text
Risbell tilted her head at Beatrice, who was laughing so
casually.
\endtext

\text
The attack plans of both countries.
\endtext

\text
The Shuka soldiers' attempt to incite civil war, and the
Winga cultists' assault on the military officers.
\endtext

\text
To prevent all that, Beatrice and Risbell acted alone, just
the two of them.
\endtext

\text
That was because they wanted Caym to focus on unifying Nilt―

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
(If only we could use this to draw out whoever's behind
these people...)
\endtext

\text
That was their true goal. At the very least, Caym's turn
would come after that.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
(If only they'd back off after this...)

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...Beatrice-san?
\endtext

\text
Risbell suddenly noticed Beatrice wearing a grim expression.

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
No... Come here for a second.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Eh, kya!?
\endtext

\text
With a yank, Risbell was pulled by the arm by Beatrice.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Geez, pulling me all of a sudden... What are you thinking―

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
...You're awfully relaxed. Is it because you feel confident?

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
I don't understand what you mean. What are you... huh?

\endtext

\text
As she tried to step in front of Beatrice, Risbell finally
noticed the presence there.
\endtext

\text
A goddess, an angel... Risbell was momentarily captivated by
the beauty and divinity of the being before her, as if it
embodied such a holy existence.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
...Stay behind me. It's dangerous.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Beatrice-san...?
\endtext

\text("？？？")
...So it's you. The sewer rats who were getting in our way.

\endtext

\text
Despite her appearance, it felt like she'd just hurled a
terrible insult at us.
\endtext

\text
But that actually helped Risbell switch gears right away.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...So in other words, you're admitting that you―or perhaps
you all―are the ones who incited both countries.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Let me ask you instead: who exactly are you?

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Don't question me. Know your place, filthy demon.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
.........
\endtext

\text
――What a nasty woman.
\endtext

\text
Risbell grumbled inwardly, though she didn't say it out
loud.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
Don't bother with pointless tricks. All you'll do is delay
your destruction by a little... It's meaningless resistance.

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Hmph... Just a delay, huh? So you can't destroy us right
this second. I wonder why that is?

\endtext

\text("？？？")
You don't need to know. Because I'm going to purge you both
right here...!

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
You're awfully bloodthirsty, aren't you...!
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
But we don't have time to play with you!

\endtext

\text
At the exact same moment, the two of them turned their backs
to the mysterious woman.
\endtext

\text
The woman's magical power was so overwhelming, it dwarfed
even the combined strength of the two.
\endtext

\text
And fighting in an unfamiliar snowy field was a huge
disadvantage unless they managed a surprise attack.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
You think I'll just let you escape...?
\endtext

\text
Of course, she took a step forward to chase after them.

\endtext

\text
Right into the area where Risbell had set her traps.

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Wha―
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
If it's come to this, I'll just activate all of them!
\endtext

\text
Magic triggered in rapid succession, explosions and
lightning erupted, and snow flew everywhere.
\endtext

\text
The roar was deafening, and the ground shook so much it was
hard to stay standing.
\endtext

\text
It even triggered an avalanche, swallowing the woman in a
wave of snow.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Whoa... That was flashy.
\endtext

\text
The fact that this was all set up just for a few Shuka
soldiers was honestly terrifying.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Just to be sure. ...Beatrice-san, what about her?

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Just as you predicted, Riz. ...Though, well, look at the
mess.
\endtext

\text
They're probably the ones who were pulling the strings
behind Shuka and Kiros.
\endtext

\text
However, Beatrice didn't think they'd finished her off with
that.
\endtext

\text
She was sure the woman would attack again.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Let's go. There's no need to stay here any longer.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
You're right...
\endtext

\text
They hadn't finished her. That fact left Risbell with a
lingering sense of unease...

\endtext

\text
There was no chance of victory, and with their objective
achieved, there was no reason to argue.
\endtext

\text
And so, after Risbell and the others left...

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Damn it... Such a cheap trick...!
\endtext

\text
Teleporting out from within the snow, the woman managed to
escape.
\endtext

\text
But by then, Risbell and the others had already fled.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
...Fine. If they've run away, all I have to do is storm
their hideout.

\endtext

\text
Suppressing her rage that threatened to boil over, the woman
vanished.
\endtext