Sky's Translation Blog

“Mandrill! Why are you following Sigma!?”

“Following? That’s stupid. I’m just seizing the opportunity.”

“Opportunity…? For what!?”

“Ain’t it obvious? Freedom!”

After my battle with Penguin, I receive word that the large-scale plant powering 70% of the city has been occupied by Mavericks. With the city cloaked in darkness, I rush to the site as fast as I can. Waiting for me is a Reploid modelled after a monkey: the Special A-Class Hunter, “Spark Mandrill”, formerly of the 17th Elite.

Why must comrades fight one another…?

Once again, I’m pointing my buster at someone who was once an ally. Because I am a Maverick Hunter, I resign myself to battle. Would this continue forever? My heart feels like breaking at the thought, so I decide to focus on the situation at hand.

Mandrill said he was occupying the power plant for freedom… But this?

“Stealing the city’s energy supply for yourself… that’s what you call freedom!?”

“Well, there’s that, but it’s bigger‘n that.”

“Bigger…?”

As he says that, Mandrill slowly lowers his arms and looks into my eyes with a fond, nostalgic expression. Those eyes... There shouldn’t be any reason for a look like that, at least under these circumstances…

“What do--”

“Hey X,” Mandrill interrupts, “don’tcha feel caged, being bossed around by humans every day of your life?” Without even waiting for my response, he continues. “I do. A lot!”

Slowly, his nostalgic expression morphs into anger and hatred.

“Look, my body uses a tonna energy. The humans built me this way’n put a limit on the energy supply I could use. But why should we listen to their orders? We were built with power and better abilities! Protecting humans? Screw that! If they’re so weak that they can’t even protect themselves, then they should die. I ain’t got reason to give up my freedom for pathetic weaklings--” He continues on and on while I say nothing and just listen. Eventually, his tirade ends with a simple conclusion.

“S’why I welcomed Sigma’s uprising. S’all.”

But that reason is far too simple and selfish. Without thinking, I raise my voice.

“That’s why you caused a city-wide blackout!?”

“Pretty much. Sigma freed me. I gotta pay him back, s’all. Don’t really give a crap about his crazy ideas.”

“Then what about the humans who created you? Shouldn’t you pay them back too?”

“X, haven’tcha ever wanted something so badly?” Mandrill inches closer to me. There’s something lethargic about his movement, as if he’s exhausted. “Like, havin’ all the energy to yourself or… Oh I dunno, gettin’ promoted to Special A-Class Hunter?”

Obviously, even I have selfish desires. Reploids are programmed with those feelings to develop their own personalities. But even though those traits were artificially created and given to us, I have no problems with that.

“Well, I do have my own desires... But that doesn’t mean I should use others as stepping stones to get them! Everything I want can come after we achieve peace!”

Thanks to these turbulent times, there are some things I can’t obtain. I think I’ll find it in a world where everyone is living happily. However, in a world full of grief and sorrow, there’s not a single thing I’d want. That’s why I’ve chosen to fight.

“After peace, huh…?”

Mandrill scratches his cheek, mulling over my words for a moment, before returning with a question.

“In that peaceful world ya keep yammering on about, are Reploids supposed t’serve humans?”

“Yes. We have much stronger bodies, so we must support them.”

It’s just common sense. Maverick or not, it should be obvious to someone who was once a Hunter, but it seems like that isn’t the case with Mandrill.

“Yeah, I getchu now. The inequality of peace, huh?”

“What…”

Before I can process the meaning of his words, he interrupts with another reply.

“Is that ittt?!?!!”

With a loud boom, the ground suddenly cracks beneath Mandrill’s feet. His demeanor changes, now radiating rage off every inch of his face.

“In your version of peace, humans are always above us! Why do Reploids gotta bow to them?! Why do we gotta be their slaves?!”

There’s no end to the fury in his words as he continues his violent outburst. While stomping and pounding the ground violently, Mandrill continues to speak.

“Even our top guy, Sigma, ranks below their crooks!”

“It’s not like that! You’re only focusing on who’s superior and who’s inferior!”

“Because it’s true! We Reploids aren’t supposed ta hurt them, but they get ta decide if we live or die!”

The way Mandrill puts it, he seems to think humans have the absolute right to destroy Reploids. But that’s false; no one has that right. If a human tried to destroy an innocent Reploid, they too would be charged with a felony as serious as murder. There may be a kernel of truth to his words, but the world we live in isn’t overrun by inequality like he says.

“A human who hurts a Reploid will be charged with a felony. And if that’s the case, than naturally Reploids who hurt humans should also be charged with a felony! Why do you keep dismissing humans just because you think they’re weak?!”

His-- no, their viewpoint is biased towards justice for Reploids…

Why won’t they consider the humans’ point of view? When you talk about justice for just one side, you get wars like this.

“Why do you keep talking from only your perspective?”

Mandrill sighs in exasperation. “Ahh, alright, I’m done. You’re too annoying.”

In the end, Mandrill and I can’t see eye-to-eye. It’s for this reason that many Reploids like him will turn Maverick. Thinking about it, our world may have always harboured such discontent. With Sigma as the trigger, all of their swelling anger finally burst, causing them to bare their teeth.

“Come at me, X. I’ll shut ya up with sheer force!”

“Ah, weak, so weak… Penguin lost ta this kinda weakling? It ain’t even funny.”

An electrical shock that tails its target at every angle, Mandrill’s “Electric Spark” is difficult to evade with a dash or wall-climb.

“Kickin’ up the wall to climb it though? Talk about surprising! But in the end, you’re just a B-Class weakling.”

Because of that, I haven’t been able to land a single hit on Mandrill. His human-sized ball of electricity relentlessly assaults my metal body. My body’s circuitry is wailing…

“Damn… my body…. Can’t move….”

“We’re machines, man. Electricity’s lethal to us.”

He’s right. For the first time, I directly experienced its power.

Mandrill continues gleefully. “Of course, this means I was one of the strongest Maverick Hunters!”

Combat-type Reploids are, to some extent, equipped with electricity-resistant materials. Thankfully, this allowed me to keep my consciousness. Non-combat models, however, would’ve had their circuitry and somatic cells burnt to a crisp instantly.

Considering this…I can’t leave him be. Due to his selfishness, Mandrill’s mayhem is affecting innocent humans and Reploids. That alone is enough justification for a Maverick Hunter like me.

That’s right. I have to change my thinking…. What’s in front of me is a Maverick!

“Even so…. Here….. Here, I must… stop…. You…!”

“Keep barkin’, small fry.”

Suddenly, my head is grabbed from behind and slammed into the ground. Sparks fly across my vision. My body screeches and smells foul, like something is burning. Only my consciousness is unaffected; I can’t move a single arm or leg.

“Hahaha! This is the real world, X!”

An enemy that utilizes electricity to attack; I never expected it to be so overwhelming, and I’ve only taken two or three shots. Any Reploid who continuously received these blows would find their entire circuitry fried. Something seems odd, though. Even though it’s his specialization, Reploids shouldn’t be able to generate this amount of electricity by themselves. There must be some kind of trick to it…

I hear Mandrill’s raucous laughter, soon petering out into the distance. At once, I realize what is out of place in my memory.

A human-sized ball of electricity? Strange…it should only be fist-sized at most.

“Damn…. What’s going on….”

Clearly, Electric Spark’s power has increased. And several times over, at that.

“I gotta say, Sigma’s too soft. If we don’t teach ya small fry a lesson in superiority, ya get all cocky and try t’rebel against us.”

Little by little, anger begins to seep into me.

“Lissen, there’s strong guys n’ weak guys in this world. The weak are only food for the strong to live. Chill Penguin got beat ‘cause he’s a weakling, and you were the strong guy.” Pausing briefly, Mandrill continues. “And ‘cause I’m beatin’ you, I’m even stronger! Anyways, I’m done messin’ around. It’s time to die! Electric Spark!”

Amidst the sound of electrical buzzing and burning, the smell of burnt concrete mixes with the stench of searing metal...I scream; my body’s circuitry feels blistering, torched even further. At this rate, I’ll lose consciousness. If that happens, it’s over for me. I can’t afford it. I’ve got to stand up and stay cognizant. Please body, move!

“Whooa, I can’t believe you can stand after all those attacks!”

With a splitting headache and strained body, I find the strength to stand, supporting my crumbling joints. My view is blurry, but I could hear the echo of Mandrill’s excited voice. Mustering my strength, I threw a punch, trying to hit him while he’s doing a cheerful dance. With a few quick steps belying his large figure however, he puts distance between us.

Come to think of it… Mandrill… he’s a monkey-type Reploid, isn’t he? He’s got devastating electric attacks, and his mobility surpasses humanoids… Unbelievable.

“.....----.............”

I try to reply, but nothing comes out of my mouth. The attack earlier almost fried my vocal circuitry. In front of me, Mandrill sways his large body from side to side, giving me a look that clearly says ‘whatcha gonna do now?’

Haha… wonderful. Now I’m real angry.

Sure, my attacks won’t hurt him that much. But… if my arm can move... if I’m still conscious, then I can only focus on repeating whatever I’m still able to do. The only thing I won’t do? Give up.

“I...I’ll…. show you….”

Using all my strength, I aim my buster at Mandrill. I don’t know how or why his electric attacks have increased in power… and if I don’t figure that out, my chances of winning are slim. Even so, I’ve got to show him I’m not backing down.

I will not yield to Mandrill or to Sigma.

“Argh, I don’t like those eyes!”

Mandrill’s body starts to crackle with sparks. If those hit me again, I’m done for. So no matter what, I’ve got to avoid his blasts and find his weakness --

--? Wait.

Wait a second, I think I see something. Mandrill’s retreating, putting distance between us, and I realize... Mandrill’s body charges the Spark, but if I look closer, there’s a current flowing up from the ground into him.

That’s it! He’s using the power plant itself to boost his attacks! Treating the floor plating like a battery terminal! If I’m right, then I know just what to do about that, though... I’m not even sure if this is going to work. Doctor Cain once told me that I have a special ability within me… I’ve got no choice. I have to believe this’ll work.

I evade Mandrill, and focus on my Buster. Mandrill is only throwing punches. It feels like he’s stalling for time to recharge the Electric Spark after throwing so much of it at me.

Chill Penguin, I need your power now. Please, I beg you, share your strength with me!

As I reach out, my arm resounds with a click, and there is an intense, uncomfortable feeling of parts moving within.

“--Let’s go, Mandrill! I’ll show you my potential!”

I fire - not my regular solar bullet - but Chill Penguin’s special weapon, a burst of frigid ice. My shot catches Mandrill, encasing half of his body in ice.

Mandrill shrieks, “I-Impossible! Shotgun Ice?!”

I can’t believe it either, but it looks like Doctor Cain had been right when he told me my internal systems could handle the special weapons of other Reploids. Chill Penguin’s weapon chip hadn’t done anything for me until now, so I thought Cain was wrong, but…

“How? How can you use Penguin’s weapon!? You ain’t even made for the cold!”

His demeanor has changed completely; with half his body frozen, he flusters.

“Strange, isn’t it… maybe he wants to stop you too?”

“Quit messin’ with me!”

Mandrill throws a tantrum, pounding and bashing at his frozen parts. He’s trying to chip the ice off his feet so he can reconnect to the power plant’s energy. Useless. I know better than anyone how strong that ice is.

“The tables have turned, haven’t they Mandrill?”

“Huh, you think I’m done? Ya dumbass B-class!!”

I hear a loud crack, and Mandrill’s struggles shatter the ice. Free, he lumbers toward me.

“Penguin’s lame ice ain’t gonna hold me! I’mma choke the life outta ya, X!”

He swings his fist at me, the electricity sparking within back to its normal amount now that he lost access to the facility’s energy. However, it’s still fast as a bullet, faster than one would expect from someone his size. Normally, any Reploid would be crushed and fried on the spot. But it never connects. Not because I’m special or superior or anything like that. No, for a simpler reason. His arm vibrates and snaps off long before it reaches me.

“No...way…. Auugh--”

Far too late, Mandrill understands what is happening to him.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have been so dismissive of the abilities of another Special A-Class Hunter. You lose, Spark Mandrill.”

Shotgun Ice is cold enough to destroy even Reploid ceratanium armor. Spark Mandrill is equipped with parts resistant to heat and electricity, since he uses electrical attacks. However, he’s strained those tempered parts far beyond their tolerances in our fight. Unable to vent the energy he’s using, half of him has become a giant mass of superhot electrified steel, and the other half, frozen by Shotgun Ice, has become stressed and brittle. Shotgun Ice is even stronger than I’d expected, compromising Mandrill’s body to the point of shattering. It isn’t the only reason, but it doesn’t help anything either.

“You know, I only escaped because my whole body was frozen…” Maybe I was just lucky that time.

But Chill Penguin’s ‘lame’ weapon has defeated Spark Mandrill.

“Darn… I’m more hurt than I thought.”

Now that I’ve retired Mandrill and the power plant has been liberated, I want to make my way back to Doctor Cain’s lab for repairs. Normally, I would use a transporter to return to Hunter HQ, but Navigator has alerted me to interference in the area. With no other choice, I’m forced to move a certain distance from the power plant before transporting. In the state I’m in, however, it’s extremely difficult to even walk properly. The designated point, an Energen Crystal mining site, is a bit far from the power plant. Worst case scenario, I’ll take some of the crystals to replenish my energy, even if their purity isn’t optimal.

An hour passes by as I struggle past the mine hills, and in front of me stands a new Maverick.

“I see… thou hast grown considerably, X.”

“What are you… why? Armored Armadillo!”

The 8th Armored Division’s former commander, the very picture of fortitude and vigor with a strong moral compass; an ideal Hunter. Long ago, he helped me understand what it meant to be a Maverick Hunter. Now he stands here, blocking my path. I don't want it to be true, but all signs point toward him having gone over to Sigma's side.

“Well… if one is said to be strong, wouldst thou not find it tempting to obtain proof?”

“What proof?!”

Armadillo pauses, closing his eyes for a short moment, before sending a piercing glare at me.

“I see… thou hast not been informed of anything…”

I sense a distinct emanation of hostility from him -- a spirit found on the battlefield that could only come from a ‘warrior’. It’s not anger. Rather, it’s quiet, murderous intent. How could someone like him become a Maverick of Sigma’s army...?

“Whether thou truly hast the ‘potential’; that is what I seek to affirm.”

“...‘potential’? What are you talking about?”

While responding, I am mindful of the distance between Armadillo and I. The air of ‘hostility’ surrounding him never wavers, even now as we speak. That aura confirms to me that battling is the only option; my words are meaningless.

“Whilst thou anguishes, thou grows in the midst of battle; even the weapons of thy enemies are made to become thine. A Reploid with hidden, unlimited potential…. That is the rumoured ‘Megaman’.”

I only see certainty in Armadillo’s eyes.

Even I’ve heard of the urban legend of Mega Man. In the past, Sigma and Doctor Cain spoke about it. It’s a legend every Reploid recognizes.

----- They say, Mega Man is a machine that evolves.

----- They say, Mega Man can take his enemy’s power as his own.

----- They say, Mega Man can surpass the limitations of machines.

----- They say, Mega Man has a soul no different than humans.

“Are you saying you became a Maverick over a legend as ambiguous as that!?”

“But it is not ambiguous. Thou art proof of it, X,” Armadillo said, pointing at me.

“So you’re saying I’m Mega Man. Given the situation, that’s as if--as if you’re saying that I’m the trigger of this war!?”

“Yes, that is what I am saying.”

“How...dare you?!”

I’m at fault? You're all off hurting the innocent, people and Reploids alike. You're causing the world to spiral into a vortex of chaos and despair. And now you want to blame this; your actions, all of it...on me?

Indignation washes over me. My arm stings of irritation, and a flood of angry energy wells up inside it. I hastily ready myself to unleash it, when suddenly my body is flying through the air, following a loud thud.

“Wh-Who..?!” I stagger, coughing.

I’m attacked again from behind, with enough force to pierce through my body. It’s not Armadillo. My vision, blurring and darkening, notices the shadow of a violet-coloured Reploid.

“Passing out already? You’re no fun.”

That ill-tempered and crass voice, the familiar colour; there’s no doubt it’s Vile.

“Thou art still too weak… mayhap, when thou rises to greater heights, we shall meet again.”

★ 誓い ♦ Chikai ☄ Oath 

★「運命」なんて知らない　けど ♦ Unmei nante shiranai kedo ☄ I don't know a thing about fate, but

★ この際　存在を認めざる　を得ない ♦ Kono sai sonzai o mitomezaru o enai ☄ On this occasion, I have no choice but to accept it exists

★ 本当にこんな私　でもいいの？　ねえいいの？ ♦ Hontou ni konna watashi demo iino? Nee iino? ☄ Are you really okay with the way I am? Hey, are you?

★ あんまり　期待させないでほしいよ ♦ Anmari kitai sasenaide hoshii yo ☄ I don't want you to get my hopes up too much

[Chorus] ★ 今日という日は　嘘偽りの無い ♦ Kyou to iu hi wa usoitsuwari no nai ☄ Today has no falsehoods

★ 永遠の近い　日和だよ ♦ Eien no chikai hiyori dayo ☄ A day perfect for eternal oaths

★ 綺麗な花も　証人も要らない ♦ Kirei na hana mo shounin mo iranai ☄ Pretty flowers or witnesses are unnecessary

★ 同じ色の　指輪をしよう ♦ Onaji iro no yubiwa o shiyou ☄ Let's get rings of the same colour

I've seen some pretty interesting translations of certain lines, so I’ll note why I translated it the way I did.

認めざる　を得ない  (sonzai o mitomezaru o enai)

I’ve seen a few translations that write “I accept that it exists” but there’s an element of being forced to (accept it) with the way it’s written. Otherwise, you could just write it as “認める(mitomeru)” and not add in “ ざるを得ない (zaru o enai)”.

今日という日  (kyou to iu hi)

This does not strictly mean “today”, otherwise that would just be “ 今日 (kyou)”. You could directly translate it as “the day known as today”. There’s a certain emphasis that comes with this phrasing.

嘘偽り  (usoitsuwari)

I’ve seen someone translate this as “lies and falsehoods” which isn’t wrong, but the word itself just means “lies” but with a strong emphasis. I guess doubling up would be a legitimate way of showing the emphasis. I used falsehoods but that’s not a really pretty word... but the length of the sentence matches the next one :P

日和  (hiyori)

“Chill Penguin! Why are you doing this!?”

“Ha! Even if I told a B-Class Hunter--a humanoid like you, you wouldn’t understand Sigma’s ideals!”

“You don’t know that! Talk to me. I don’t want to fight you, too…!”

“...You really are just a B-Class pushover… That’s why I hate you.”

The day Sigma revolted against humanity, I didn’t waste a second. I became a Maverick and stood against the world. They always say “People are not born equal,” but nothing exemplified this more than we Reploids.

Think about it. From the very moment we’re born, we’re Reploids: machines for the purpose of making the humans’ world prosperous. In other words, as soon as we’re created, we’re already treated as inferior to humans. No matter how hard we struggle, we can never rise above them.

No matter how far a human falls, they are still human. Some of us don’t even vaguely look human. As a Reploid modeled after a penguin, specializing in activities located in regions of extreme cold, I’m the best example.

For me, not being humanoid was the beginning of this inequality.

I consistently aimed to excel as a Maverick Hunter, but because of my characteristics, I was only deployed to uninhabitable, lonely, cold regions. Many opportunities were denied to me from the moment of my creation, simply because I was not humanoid.

“X. Have you ever wondered why you’re humanoid?”

Someone like you wouldn’t understand, but still, it wouldn’t hurt to try. Not only that, I’ll use all my power to deny everything you believe in.

“I have. Not once, not twice, but constantly. It’s been on my mind since my creation. ‘Why aren’t I humanoid?’”

But thanks to Sigma, I finally have that answer. My many years of resentment, hatred, of frustration, pressed into my memory like the accumulating weight of a snowbank.

“No… I’ve never thought about it.”

So that’s it… Humanoids really do get treated better.  Of course you haven’t thought about it.

“That’s because you’re a sheltered pushover.”

“What do you mean, Penguin? So what if I’m humanoid?”

Oh, I see. Apparently, I had the wrong idea. With our ability to think for ourselves, why would we ever question our existence? Of course we should. Seems the humanoids never considered that, though. Then again, I bet they thought they were on equal standing with the humans.

Ha! That’s the funniest joke I’ve ever heard!

“Do you honestly think you’re on the same level as them?”

“Of course! No one is superior to anyone else. Reploids and humans ought to live in harmony and support each other! Isn’t that what it means to have a peaceful world?”

Are you serious? Wow, this guy’s completely insufferable!

“Harmony? Support?” I laugh. “Have your lenses gotten foggy?”

Humans and Reploids don’t live in harmony. This world is one where humans use Reploids as a crutch to survive. Concepts like the “3 Laws of Robotics” are a thing, right? Their mere existence proves they already hold us in disdain. This idiot can’t even understand something that simple.

“In a ‘peaceful world’ where you walk alongside humans, there’s no place for me. That’s why I support Sigma’s utopia for Reploids. A world where Reploids are truly appreciated. That world has no need for humans. To me, they’re the real Mavericks!”

Why am I getting so worked up? This guy’s just a puny B-Class Hunter, and it’s the infamously naïve X, to boot. He’s hardly a match for me, a Special A-Class who clawed his way up to the top.

“Penguin! What’s left in a future without humans?”

“Enough! It was stupid to even consider talking to you… Just freeze to death!”

“Persistent, aren’t you? I’ll admit, you seem to have gotten better in the short time we haven’t seen each other. However….!”

X evades my ice attacks, feinting, but it’s not like he can do anything. What could a B-Class do when all of his buster shots bounce off my ice armor?

“Damnit! Then what about this!”

He starts charging his buster for a shot. However--

“Do you think I’ll wait for you to finish charging that? Eat this!”

With a mighty shout, I hurtle myself straight towards him, coated in an icy armor.

This ice-covered room had been designed to maximize my fighting capabilities. X, on the other hand, isn’t used to ice, so he can’t move freely. He can see me coming, but he can’t balance, let alone dodge.

“Arrghhh!”

He takes the full brunt of my charge and slams into the frozen wall behind him, shattering a chunk of it. He falls to the ground with a clank and a shower of ice shards.

“Well, well, well. Would you look at that! It was a mistake for a B-Class Hunter like you to challenge me in the first place.”

Buried under the ice, X doesn’t even so much as twitch. It looks like he took a considerable amount of damage--there’s no movement at all.

“I’ll make you into an ice sculpture later. It’ll serve as a nice present for Sigma.”

Now I’m lagging behind on my orders from Sigma. Maybe I can work my underlings harder and try to recover the delay…

Wanting to return to my duty, I turn my back on X to leave the room. Suddenly, a flash of light whizzes past my face with a roar and crashes into the wall.

“Hm... So you lived, huh?”

“Argh… I won’t be finished off… that easily…”

I look behind me. X, despite his injuries, stands on trembling feet and points his buster at me.

I see. Only his willpower seems to have improved any. But in the end, he’s still only a B-Class Hunter.

“If your attack hadn’t missed, you probably would’ve been promoted from B-Class.”

“I don’t want to shoot an ally in the back.”

He’s still so determined. He’s talking like he hasn’t lost already. And yet, he can barely keep himself standing. Even now, he wants to irritate me even more.

Ally?

You and I? Allies, you say?

I chuckle at first, but eventually it turns into a raucous guffaw.

“Wha… what’s so funny!?”

Are you kidding me? Even in this situation, even in his condition, he still thinks of me as an ally! Maybe the chip in his head bugged out a long time ago. And don’t we call the irrational ones ‘Mavericks’?

...Nah, he’s just been under the wrong impression from the get-go.

“X, I have never thought of you or the other Hunters as allies.”

“Wha…?”

Ah, this is pointless. Talking isn’t going to get through to him… I should’ve learned that by now. I’ve gotta show this moron more clearly that I’m his enemy. If I don’t, he’ll keep calling me his ally in an infinite loop of presumptuous, self-righteous garbage. I have to make him understand the difference between the two of us.

“Alright, X. I’ll prove that I’m your enemy… with this!”

I send an order to the computer that controls the room’s functions. The dome’s frozen walls gradually grow transparent until they’re easily seen through.

Now, all of my hard work is ready for X’s viewing pleasure.

“What… How could you!”

His eyes, which held such innocence before, fill with rage. Now, he understands what kind of hell he entered; the idea that I am his enemy finally sinks in.

Icy statues of frozen Reploids make up the walls of the room.

“PENGUIN!”

With a roar, X charges at me, his buster humming with power. Finally, he gets it. Not that it changes the situation, though. Those shots just keep bouncing off my armor.

“What a change, seeing you attack with such murderous intent! But a B-Class is still a B-Class.”

X only screams in response, blinded by his rage. He keeps firing his buster, ignoring his limits. Does he really think he’ll hurt me if he just keeps shooting?

I’ve wasted enough of my time messing around with this B-Class pipsqueak. It’s about time I end this.

“I’ll freeze you just like one of these statues!  Take this! Shotgun Ice!”

<<SHOTGUN ICE>>

Witness the ultimate freezing breath, the pride of the Lord of the Snowy Plains!

Blasted by a sub-zero snowstorm capable of freezing even lava, X freezes into a large ice block, his buster still aimed.

By the time he realizes it, it’s too late. In the blink of an eye, he’s turned into a motionless, humanoid ice sculpture.

I can still see and hear, but my body can’t move… So this is Penguin’s Shotgun Ice attack… What power…

“---”

What are you saying, Penguin?

“---”

No… Stop it! Stop hurting innocent people! What gives you the right to do such an awful thing?

“---”

There might be a chance that everyone can still be saved! What good comes from doing this?

“---”

I beg you… Please stop…

If I had the strength… If only I had more power… I want the power to help others. Even if I’m alone in my fight, I want to be able to protect so many others… My friends… I want the strength that will grant me this. I refuse to give up our peaceful future like that. I want power!

Yes, I must not give up.

I must not give up here!

“Finally shut up?”

I stare at X’s frozen statue, taking the time to relax. Now I can carry out Sigma’s orders. He entrusted me with an important task to complete. It’s unacceptable to be late or fail the mission just because of some nuisance like X. Originally, I planned on sending the frozen Reploids as a kind of gift to Sigma, but the run-in with X ruined my mood.

“Tsk, if I give him something like these useless ice sculptures, it’ll just be annoying, so why don’t I destroy them all instead?”

When it comes to interior design, you should only send something that fits the receiver or the place, otherwise it’d just be oversized junk. Like X, all the peons here are B-Class or lower.  

It’s just as well. If I don’t present something like the frozen statue of Special A-Class Hunter Zero, that pretentious artist Octopus will harass me with endless snark. While I have no obligation to comply with that guy’s artistic senses, excuuuuuuuse me for wanting to avoid tiring, unnecessary verbal abuse.

“Sigh. Dealing with all these peons is a bother…”

I step toward the closest frozen Reploid, reaching out to destroy it--

There’s a sudden thump from the statue of X.

“...Huh?”

For a fleeting moment, I think I see X move within the ice.

“Am I seeing things? No, it can’t be…”

Yet there’s a weird feeling in my gut that stops me short of saying “It’s impossible.” Just to be sure, I raise the sensitivity of my ocular sensors to peer into the ice… Hey, is this for real? Not only is this guy still conscious in the ice, he hasn’t lost his audio-visual functions!

“Gwaa! Isn’t this interesting?”

In that case, I’ll let X experience the consequences of opposing Sigma. I’ll show him firsthand what reality is.

“You can see and hear this, can’t you X? Right now, I’m going to destroy each of these Reploids one by one. I’ll show you the reality of your situation: that you can’t protect a single person, that you are just B-Class cannon fodder.”

The ice groans.

At my words, I can see X tremble within the ice again. I ought to praise the guy for the fact that his systems are still functioning even after taking a direct hit from Shotgun Ice. He may be a B-Class peon, but he’s still a Hunter assigned to the 17th Elite Unit.

But a weakling can only be a weakling.

This guy doesn’t even have a single watt of power left to change his hopeless situation. Now, if Zero was the one who came here, I would’ve been in trouble. I guess the Maverick Hunters have been stretched so thin they can’t even make a decent decision anymore. This should prove to be good news to Sigma, too.

“Well then, who should I destroy first… Alright, let’s start with the guy with the most annoying face.”

The ice creaks.

I turn my back on X’s frozen form to face my chosen target. I don’t feel like just smashing his little friends into pieces, I’m also interested in seeing X’s resentful face permanently frozen in place. But in this state, I can’t tell the difference between all these peons. Without any unique external features or equipment, they’re just rabble. It’s such a waste of valuable memory to record these small fries.

“Peons who don’t even have enough value to be memorable, huh… Is there any significance to your existence as Reploids?”

Now, who to destroy? While thinking about that, one guy suddenly catches my eye: a humanoid Reploid sporting a blue frame. It’s not that he has any special characteristics, but I keep going back to him. I have to laugh.

“Alright, let’s start with this guy! Luck has run out for he who looks like X!”

I extract the frozen statue of the blue Reploid and place him just a bit away from the wall. While adjusting the distance, I also position it in a suitable angle.

Directly in front of X.

The creaking continues.

The reality that you can do nothing, the reality of your own weakness. The reality of this world with inequality constantly shadowing you. With the cold blooded death of his comrades, I will teach this B-Class weakling all of this!

...Huh?

It sounds like something’s been cracking for a whi-

“I WON’T LET YOU DO IT!”

“Gwaaahhhh!!!!”

All of a sudden, with a resounding cry from behind, I’m sent flying through the air by an enormous force. I don’t know what happened, but I do know one thing: I was attacked by “someone”. The proof is right there on my back.

I catch my balance just before I crash into the ground, looking back where the voice and attack came from.

“Gwah! What the heck just happened? Hunter reinforcements??”

My feet scrape against the ice as I adjust my battle stance to prepare to deal with those reinforcements, but--

“I haven’t been beaten yet, Penguin!”

It's X! He escaped the statue created by my Shotgun Ice, and now faces me with his fist raised.

“You bastard… how did you break out of that ice!”

“I don’t know… but my burning spirit gave birth to a miracle!”

It’s infuriating that my proud work of ice is shattered into pieces, and now X is calling it some sort of miracle.

“You, a machine, making miracles? Gwah gwah! There’s a limit to such unscientific garbage!”

“It’s alright if you don’t believe me, but I’ll make it happen as many times as I need to!”

The meekness in X’s eyes up until now vanishes with his declaration.

How? Why was he able to break my ice? All I can come up with is he temporarily overheated the solar power reactor in his buster, and used the heat to quickly melt the ice from the inside -- that’s the most likely way.

I should have knocked him out. I screwed up.

Ultimately though, it’s a matter of how much he was saved by chance. Because of one lucky move, a “miracle” as he called it, X is suddenly overflowing with confidence.

That fact, above all, is the most infuriating.

“Then freeze again! This time, I’ll make sure your CPU gets frozen along as well!”

I fire Shotgun Ice at X again! Compared to the last time, the hyper-cold air used has a higher concentration of freezing gas. This is my version of a charged attack. There’s no Reploid around that can take this lethal ice breath and stay conscious!

I’ll freeze his internal circuitry and memory chip in its entirety!

“Gwah, gwah! Die this time, X!”

“Where are you looking Penguin? I’m over here!”

“What--!?”

The voice came from behind me?

I immediately whirl around, and there he is.

When I look carefully from the place X was standing before to where he is now, I understand. There are tracks gouged in the ground.

“What’s with this speed? Were you hiding your power before?”

Not even I, with my capabilities, can hide the shock. X must’ve taken less than a second to dodge my ice breath as it was launched. Though we’re Reploids, the only one who could take less than a second to cover this much distance, to my knowledge, is Boomer Kuwanger, a specialist in high-speed battles.

I can’t believe it. The plain-looking, humanoid X might have been hiding this kind of functionality?

“My wish to defeat you has made me evolve!”

To my utter disbelief, X throws the word “evolve” at me. First a miracle, and now evolution?

“Don’t… don’t give me that nonsense! You’re saying that you, a Reploid, are evolving?! As if--”

As if you’re human?

Human. I’ve never been so furious as right now.

“Gwahhhh! Don’t get cocky, X!”

To us Reploids, there is no evolution. That’s because we’re machines. All we can do is accumulate experience to broaden the range of our abilities. You might call that “evolution”, but we machines are limited to the specs we are created with. To break past those limits, the only method we have is to change our parts and undergo reconstruction. Therefore, X’s speed has to be an ability given to him beforehand.

That revelation, that reality, really grinds my gears.

“You think I’ll accept that you were given the capability to rival a Special A-Class?!”

Fine. Sure. He had that ability all along. I’ll acknowledge that much. But even if a B-Class suddenly pulls this power out of nowhere, we Special A-Classes still have more experience! If X plans on running around with that speed to evade my attacks, all I need to do is make sure there’s nowhere to run.

“No matter how fast you are, you can’t avoid this!”

As X dashes out of sight, I start to spin in the opposite direction, firing Shotgun Ice continuously. Gradually, my attacks transform into an enormous, freezing tornado. The tornado expands until it’s impossible to dodge unless you take flight. Before long, it’s strong enough to bury everything in the room, dying my vision snow white.

After a few more seconds, we’ll be able to hold X’s last rites again. That’s how I imagine it… and decide it will be.

But X has other plans.

After the tornado dies down, I promptly search for X’s ice statue, but no matter where I look, he’s nowhere to be seen. Frantic, I scan every nook and cranny as I back up to a nearby wall, and then it hits me.

“You.... You climbed up the wall--!”

There, right above me, having clambered up the wall by kicking against it until he was close to the ceiling.

“Are you kidding me?!”

This shouldn’t be possible for the likes of X…. the likes of a B-Class Reploid!

“Don’t oppose me, you mere B-Class… B-Class peon!”

How could this B-Class surpass me? I’m Special A-Class! I climbed my way up to the top with my own strength!

“B-Class, A-Class… It’s because you’re so obsessed with these things that you’ve lost sight of what’s important!”

And now this: X telling me not to obsess over status. When my pride was smarting!? Don’t obsess!? There’s only so much joking I can take! Are you saying you don’t know how important status is to us Reploids? Do you need me to show you!?

How outrageous can one person possibly be!?

“My obsession with being a Special A-Class is because that’s a barometer of my true ability! No wonder you’re a B-Class!”

No, I don’t plan on trying to understand the likes of X. As if I’d even want to.

“Though I’m no longer one, a Special A-Class Hunter’s judgement will always be Special-A.”

I speed around to the frozen blue Reploid from before and place my hand threateningly on his head.

“Well then, X. If rank doesn’t matter, surely you can handle this, right?”

“You coward! Resorting to something this low now of all times!”

Even if you’re hiding some strong abilities, you’re still a soft-hearted fool. And that’s why you are a B-Class.

“This is a hostage situation. After all, I’m a Maverick. I don’t do nice things like playing fairly.”

Did you really think we were going to have a gentlemanly duel? To me, everyone in this room is just a hostage I can use against X. And using them to bring him down is a perfectly logical and rational judgement for a Reploid to make.

Well, what will you do? For some reason, X acts as if he’s taking a breath, and then--

“He… he’s even faster than before!?”

With a high-pitched sound, he vanishes. Panicking, I look everywhere, but I just can’t find him.

Fine! You leave me no choice! I’ll go ahead and get rid of this hostage! Just as I’m about to execute him--

What the hell…?

“Why… why must I fight those who were once my allies… Answer me, Penguin!”

“Are those… tears? Are you crying!?”

He is.

On top of that, he’s making a total mess, just like how a human would cry. What the hell is with this meaningless feature? What advantage is there to installing this kind of function into us Reploids?

“How far… how far do you plan on mocking me?!”

“But, because of you, I’ve recalled something important, Penguin….”

Around the center of my back, I feel cold steel touch me. At the same time, I hear X’s voice. It’s only a moment, but during that short pause in his words, I turn around and bathe him in freezing air. Or at least, I try to, but X’s words continue, faster than I can act.

“--I... am a Maverick Hunter.”

An explosion roars through my body. X’s face fills my vision as it starts failing. As usual, that stupid face is gentle, and still crying. Not only can he evolve, he is even equipped with the feature to cry like a human…

“Heh heh heh… Why X-- aren’t you a pitiful sight?”

The Ride Armor pinned me down, fingers groaning as it tightened its grip on me. Against the ground, I couldn't see my opponent at all, but I didn't need to: I already knew him well.

“Grck.... Vile! Have you really gone Maverick!?”

“Obviously. There’s fewer strings attached -- it’s way better. Why don’t you become a Maverick too?”

“Don’t screw with me!”

He was being facetious, trying to see if I'd give myself away as a Maverick on top of suggesting it would be better that way.

“Why… Why are you people doing this!?”

I wonder, do these sound like the words of a former Maverick Hunter?

My name is X.

I’m a B-Class Maverick Hunter in the 17th Elite Unit. Regardless of my rank, it has… become my duty to fight countless enemies. In the wake of countless tragedies, the Maverick Wars had begun….

A few hours ago:

I was with Zero--my mentor, friend, and a Special A-Class Maverick Hunter--when we received a report of a Maverick incident. Dispatch sent us to a military facility in the southern part of the city to investigate.

“Sure is quiet for an incident…”

“No signs of damage, either... Maybe they were mistaken.”

There wasn’t a single trace of Mavericks, humans, Reploids, or even Mechaniloids, so we concluded that it was likely a false report, and tried to contact Hunter HQ.

“...Huh? That’s weird. I’m not getting any response from HQ.”  Zero tried several channels but encountered static each time.

My luck was no better.

“I can’t seem to, either.”

Strange. The common and dedicated lines weren’t working?

“...Do you think something’s happened at HQ? Or maybe someone’s jamming the signal nearby.”

“The former’s unlikely… so it must be the latter. X, let’s try to find better reception. Not much more we can do here.”

“Understood. Let’s hurry, Zero.”

We swept through the area once more to confirm the situation, leaving the matter of our original target, the military facility, for later. We took the highway leading back to the city on our Ride Chasers--high-powered air bikes--but came to a stop upon noticing a disquieting pattern.

“...Huh? Zero, something’s wrong… It’s dark out, but I don’t see a single vehicle anywhere.”

It was July 4th, 21XX, just past 20:00. On a weekend, there weren’t as many cars around, but for there not to be a single one? To add to that, even the typical Mechaniloids that ran around the clock were nowhere to be found.

“...Looks like something might’ve gone down while we were away, after all.”

When Zero and I headed out, everything was normal: plenty of vehicles and Mechaniloids around and running. Now? The emptiness was utterly bizarre.

“It feels like all the activity from earlier just up and vanished…” No matter how far and wide we looked, we couldn’t find anything at all. It was like a ghost town. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this… Zero, let’s keep going!”

This city of ours… What was going on?

As our sense of unease grew, Zero and I plunged deeper into the city.

"What... What’s going on!?"

"It's like a warzone... Hey, hang in there! What happened!?"

We'd been on the highway for about an hour, but when we finally arrived, the place was demolished, the Mechaniloids were out of control… And amidst the ruins, we found a young, injured Reploid.

The sheer amount of damage he’d sustained burned itself deeply into my memory.

"This was...caused by a buster...?"

The same kind of weapon I carried caused these injuries: a buster cannon, meant for combat.  

You could expect to see damage like this on the body of a Maverick who'd been taken down by a Hunter. But this Reploid was no Maverick; he was a civilian.

"Mmgrck... A... Maverick... Hunter...?"

The young Reploid wouldn't survive his injuries; he’d taken a fatal shot to head. There was nothing I could do.

I wondered if he already knew.

With the last of his strength, he ejected a single memory chip from a slot in the side of his head; Zero palmed it without a word.

"Sig... Sigma..."

"Sigma?  Did something happen to the Commander?"

"..."

The young Reploid's systems went into terminal shutdown, leaving our questions unanswered. He appeared to be sleeping, but he was gone.

"What the hell happened here in the last few hours..." Zero muttered under his breath as he laid the Reploid back on the ground, one hand still balled around the chip.

No matter how much we wished otherwise, there was nothing we could do for him now. But he'd given us a potential clue; one that we wouldn’t waste.

"Zero, let's head back to HQ. I'm starting to worry."

“You’re right. Let's check this chip first, though. We need intel."

Zero inserted the chip into the Ride Chaser's onboard monitor before he'd even finished talking.

With a whirr from the reader, footage from the chip began its playback.

I couldn’t even begin to grasp what we saw.

"...If this is real, then this isn't just some random incident. This is big."

I couldn't respond; the words just wouldn't come out.

I had no idea how to react--not after being shown something like this.

“This is worse than anything we could’ve prepared for. We might be machines, but this is like a nightmare.”

It truly was a nightmare--a recording that left you wishing you could just wake up and leave it behind.

It was to be expected: as a Maverick Hunter, you were bound to witness tragedy. What had transpired here, though, went far beyond anything I’d ever encountered before. There was no doubt Mavericks existed, not anymore.

It’d never crossed my mind that a day could come where I’d go Maverick, too. Not even once. But this was why we took it upon ourselves to be Maverick Hunters, to protect humans and Reploids who lived peacefully from the threat of mayhem and violence.

In a sense, it was a way to convince ourselves. You tell yourself that, as a Maverick Hunter, you’ll never become a Maverick. The reality was that year after year, the number of Mavericks kept rising. In spite of that, the Hunters continued to work together to fight for and protect humans and civilian Reploids from harm.

In this way, we maintained peace.

And yet, the memory chip entrusted to us contained footage of Maverick Hunters slaughtering civilian Reploids.

“There’s no way… I won’t stand for this!”

I rushed down the highway towards Maverick Hunter HQ; an attack en route left our Ride Chasers destroyed. In light of the message--that Reploid’s last moments--we had to get back to HQ no matter what.

“I’m going to check the vicinity while I try to find another route. You keep following the highway, X.”

With that said, Zero took off, abandoning the overpass for the city proper. Nothing bad could possibly happen to someone like Zero, so I did as told, following the highway towards HQ.

“I can’t believe that Commander Sigma would go Maverick… I just can’t!”

That chip contained evidence of Commander Sigma’s insurrection against humanity itself, and Hunters who pledged themselves to his cause followed him down that path. The rebellion extended past this city alone; its banners threatened to smother the whole world. This was a statement, declaring all humans and any Reploids who defied their rule would be crushed.

“There must be a mistake here, somewhere… There has to be.”

I muttered it to myself like a wish, fighting off Mechaniloids and Reploids blocking my path. Why must my fellow Reploids become Maverick? Why must we fight against each other?

None of my former comrades could offer an answer.

“Why… Why are you doing this….”

How many Reploids and Mechaniloids have I destroyed by now...

The remains of my fallen comrades filled my scope as more enemies advanced upon me. I aimed my buster, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread. Inhale… Exhale… Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself against my apprehensions. Body too tense, I didn’t have a second to relax when--

“Huh. Didn’t expect you to come back here alone.”

Before I could even react to the voice that boomed out behind me, an enormous figure engulfed my vision and slammed me hard into the ground.

“What’s the matter, X? Can’t even land a single hit on my Ride Armor?”

“Damnit! Fine, then. How about this!”

I unleashed all the energy in my buster on Vile. But he easily neutralized my attack with his own assault.

“No… No way!”

That shot took everything I had. That charge shot, my special technique and most powerful attack, had no effect on him whatsoever.

No, I shouldn’t think like that. Even if my attacks don’t work, I couldn’t afford to throw in the towel now!

“If I can’t take you out with just one hit, then I’ll keep firing until I beat you!”

When Vile had suddenly appeared, he trapped me with his Ride Armor. In order to escape, I targeted the road around me, firing off buster shots to break it up and loosen the grip on me enough to get free. From there, I immediately counterattacked, but he simply repelled all of my shots. Deciding that close combat put me at a disadvantage, I kept some distance from Vile and launched a constant barrage of charged shots. I knew that the continuous overuse of my buster would damage it with every shot, but I had no other option.

“This is it Vile. Either you get destroyed or my arm goes down trying!”

“My my… You sure are acting like some kinda brat pitching a fit, X. It’s about time I shut you up for good.”

Vile kept deflecting and even dodging my attacks. He slowly closed the distance between us, his voice just as cavalier as ever. If he drew just another step closer, I’d be in a position to get captured in his massive Ride Armor’s arms again. Suddenly, my entire body seized up, as if something constricted it tightly. I couldn’t move.

“Hyaaugh! W--What is this!?”

Glancing about, I saw what appeared to be a rope generated by some sort of electrical shock wrapped around my body. Only then did I notice the numerous metal discs on the ground surrounding where I’d been caught.

“Is this… An electromagnetic capture device!?”

Something like this was typically used against rampaging criminals, or for Mavericks who proved to be too difficult to handle. Only Maverick Hunters were allowed the use of such devices, but Vile had once been a Maverick Hunter himself. He must have taken it from storage at Hunter HQ at the time of the coup d’etat.

“You were so focused on me the whole time, you neglected your surroundings. A rookie mistake like that is how you got caught in a such a simple trap.”

If only I’d been paying attention, I would have noticed that Vile set this trap right under my nose. I struggled to break free, but as expected from a trap intended for Mavericks, I accomplished nothing. I stood no chance against a tool even Mavericks had trouble getting out of.

“You really are just a B-Class after all… What would Sigma want with a wimpy weakling like you anyway?”

I still couldn’t move, and found myself once again in the Ride Armor’s grasp. My joints began to creak as its grip tightened.

“You’ve only got one life, X. You should’ve been more careful with it..”

While he taunted me, that grip tightened further. The trap had already been enough, and the Ride Armor pushed it into overkill territory. After all I had heard and seen about Commander Sigma’s uprising, the weight of the reality finally started sinking in... The reality that Maverick Hunters had become the very things they hunted…

“I mean, I could tell you how fun it is to kill people, but I’m not sure you’d be convinced. Oh well, time to die, X.”

This is bad, this is bad, this is really bad. If things kept up like this, I’d be done for. I’ll die without achieving a thing! Caught in a force without mercy, my joints could only shriek, and my vision began to blur. I could hear it. I could feel it throughout my entire body. The sound of metal crunching echoed throughout my mind. The sound of metal being broken…

-- D E A T H --

When that word came to me--

“Do anything more to my friend, and I’ll blast your head clean off your shoulders, Vile.”

In a flash of red, what I saw was--

“Tch… So you finally caught up, you blond bastard.”

A Reploid with golden hair fluttering in the wind like a banner of hope as he aimed his buster. Zero.  

“The situation is… If I must be frank, pretty bad…”

“What’s pretty bad is the fact that you can call this disaster ‘pretty bad’...”

“Honestly, I still can’t believe it...”

After I stumbled into that encounter with Vile, Zero rushed in to save me once he realized what was happening. I lost consciousness soon after, but when I came to, I found myself at the “Special Machine Research Facility” underneath Maverick Hunter HQ. Vile had the advantage, but instead he boarded an airship that suddenly appeared, vanishing without doing anything more.

While I underwent repairs from the damage done by Vile’s assault, we discussed the next plan of action and what objectives we Maverick Hunters should take. Speaking of, it’s been a while since I’ve been here, hasn’t it?

“If this insurrection is truly happening, then the Hunters’ foundation will crumble.”

“I don’t want to believe it myself, but… as a scientist, I cannot deny what my eyes have seen. I must accept it. But something on this scale has never crossed my mind before…”

This came from the elderly scientist who personally tended to my repairs. With a mournful expression, he meticulously went about mending my parts. It was likely no one else in the entire world could mend a Reploid faster.

“This must be hitting you hard, Dr. Cain.”

Dr. Cain.

The man known as the world’s greatest scientist, and the one who laid the foundation for Reploid design. His work was so great, it’s been said that there isn’t a single person alive who doesn’t know him. Commander “Sigma”, the one leading the insurrection, was said to be his greatest masterpiece.

Commander Sigma had set a shining example in his day-to-day leadership of the Maverick Hunters. As a Reploid, I had the utmost respect for him, so I still couldn’t believe he’d gone Maverick…

No. I just didn’t want to believe it. Because if I did, something inside me would shatter. But, saying that, I just couldn’t leave it alone.

The truth was, I’d fought with Vile, and seen with my very own eyes countless civilian Reploids slaughtered by those who’d gone Maverick. And Commander Sigma--no, Sigma, declared war against the world.

I’d seen the footage too. There was no doubt: Sigma had gone Maverick.

“Exterminating all humans to create a world just for Reploids… It’s delusional.”

I bit my lip at Zero’s words. If it became a world of only Reploids, what would be left?

“Certainly, you Reploids have strength and tenacity that surpass that of humans… but because of that, we must live in harmony. No life is worth more or less than another. That was what I always wanted to convey… but there’s no doubt that Sigma would reject that.”

The man before me was probably the one suffering the most in this situation. He was the father of Reploid technology, and it was his greatest masterpiece that just declared war on society. Now, he would be subject to the harsh criticism of society.

“I don’t know what kind of world Sigma’s picturing in his mind,” Zero said evenly, leaning against the wall nearby with his arms folded, “but if he’s gone Maverick, then we have to take him down. That’s our job as Maverick Hunters, X.”

Always calm and unwaveringly decisive. That was Zero for you.

“I know, Zero… Our power is meant to protect. If someone threatens the peace of the world, even if it’s Commander--no. Even if it’s Sigma, I’ll fight.”

I clenched my barely functioning left hand, confirming the power that was there. This power I’d been given to fight with… it was meant to protect. It was not something to be aimed at people. And right now… I should use this power for the troubled, elderly man next to us.

“As long as you understand.”

As if he felt the determination in my heart, Zero left those parting words and exited the room.

That’s right. Now was not the time to be lost. Even now, Sigma’s band of Mavericks were threatening peace. Having to fight my friends and fellow Reploids will be painful, but there are things in this world that I must protect.

Pg1

Rockman & Forte: The Pair’s Journey, Last Part    

Specially drawn for the occasion   Last Chapter

Pg2

Forte: Jump into the Remote Gate already. Forte: It is best for you to return to your human. Rockman: Running away by myself, Rockman: I can’t do something like that! Rockman: Let go of Forte--!! Rockman: Kgh…! Rockman: Dammit. Open your mouth--!! Forte: Rockman, stop doing unnecessary things!

Pg3

Rockman: This bastard! This bastard! This bastard! Gregar Fragment: YOU'RE SO ANNOYING--!! Rockman: Uwah--!! Forte: His mouth opened! Forte: Now! Rockman: Wah~!

Pg4

Forte: Rockman, know where you stand. Forte: Without your operator, you’re nothing but small fry. Forte: Nothing more than a burden. Rockman: You don’t have to say it like that! Forte: But when you add in a human’s strength, Forte: You become an irreplaceable enemy to me. Rockman: Forte... Forte: That’s why--

Pg5

Forte: GO ALREADY--!! Rockman: !!

Pg6

Forte: So you can once again become my enemy, Forte: Go, Rockman!! Rockman: Fo...rte…. Rockman: I’ll wait for you…! Rockman: For the day I’ll fight with you again, Rockman: I’ll wait for you, okay--!!

Pg7

Forte: Aa... Forte: I’ll definitely come and kill you. Rockman: Forte…-- Rockman: Thank you. Rockman: I can go home… I can go back to Netto-kun!

Pg8

Gregar Fragment: Just to let your friend go Gregar Fragment: You choose to sacrifice yourself. Gregar Fragment: Foolish. Gregar Fragment: As you wish, I’ll devour you!! Forte: Now that he’s passed through the gate, Forte: I no longer need to keep you alive. Gregar Fragment: What!? Forte: You didn’t realize?

Pg9

Forte: If it’s just killing you, there’s no trouble at all!!! Gregar Fragment: Gyaaaaaaaaaah!!

Pg10

Forte: With this... Forte: I’m alone…. Forte: …. Forte: What’s wrong with that? Forte: It’s just gone back to normal, that’s all. Forte: After, my path is a blood-soaked one Forte: I don’t need a travel partner.

~End~

Pg11

Choose whatever way you like as an "ending" for the proudly solitary form of Forte in the previous page. The next pages are simply just an "extra of an extra".

Forte: ! Forte: What? Serenade: Forte... Forte: Serenade!! Serenade: So you’ve sent Rockman back, huh. Serenade: Iya~ Well done! Forte: You… since when have you been watching?

Pg12

Serenade: When the two of you started your journey-- from about there. Forte: … (From the beginning?!) Serenade: The truth is, Serenade: I’m starting to get tired of being alone Serenade: If it’s okay with you, together we can--

Serenade: Aah, wait a minute! Serenade: If it’s only once in a while I’ll even fight with you! Serenade, Hey, come on! Forte: DON’T FOLLOW ME!