Quotes / Library of Ruina

(Under Construction)

Beware of spoilers!

Songs

String Theocracy

Opening Song

Open the curtains
Lights on
Don't miss a moment
Of this experiment
Oh, the book is strange
Like clockwork orange
Keep your eyes buttered till the end

Which "You" are you going to be?
Hm-mm-mm
Inside the mirror do you see (Ha-ah)
Someone else in that body?

Dance for me
One and
Two and
Three and
Turn around
Sit like a doggy
Till I finish my read

Cut it off, cut down your loss
All that stubborn loyalty is gonna get you killed
In a world built on convenient theories
For all the puppets on TV
There is comfort in the strings
If you're gonna control me
At least make it interesting theatrically

How does it feel to be free?
Hm-mm-mm
Why don't you try it yourself? (Ha-ah-ah)
The gate opened on me

So I leaped
Down, down, and down I go
I tell myself I'm a tough girl
(Down, down, and down I go)
I could never, ever, ever touch the soil
My heart goes right
My head goes left
And end up on your bed
Huh-ah

Sure, I'll be your marionette
Here, tug on my thread
Spread me open for dolly pink, snow white artificial beauty
Maybe we're all cold machines
Stuffed in the human skin
With human sins
Sewed up by the gods of city

Cut it off, you've already lost
All that precious bravery is gonna get you hurt
In a world that feeds on the minority
May that self-centered belief lead you to peace
If you're gonna replace me
At least have the audacity to kill me thoroughly

When does it end for me?
Hm-mm-mm
I think I am done with everything (Ha-ah)
Now I'm ready to leave

Dragging out
One line
Two lines
Three lines
Connect our hands
When I no longer can live on knowledge alone

You gave me strength
Hopeful curiosity
(Maybe there are still happy answers left for my discovery)
What's the colour of the electric sheep you see?
And if you love me
Can you love your everything too, for me?

From a Place of Love

Vs Tomerry

Yes, I have been so afraid
Yes, I have been so distant
Consistently indifferent
It's hard to put that in an amicable sentence
I'm sorry
Actually, not really

There's just so much work
Too much work to be done
Committing to commitments
Hiding my indulgence
The freedom we sacrifice for love

L-O-V-E-L-O-V-E
(L-O-V-E-L-O-V-E) You also made me unafraid
(Yes I'm da brave boi)
You gave me light (filament)
You're patient (physician)
Persistently listen (gentlemen)
It's hard to describe what I'm feeling at the moment
Are you (uh-huh?)
Uhm (yes?)
I mean
(You're) In love with me
It's just so much fun
Too much fun
Oh, come on
How could you say no? (Don't say no)
To the fast and furious swan boat (flamingo)
The excitement we mistake for love
L-O-V-E-L-O-V-E
L-O-V-E-L-O-V-E

Though I enjoyed it all
Still, I have my doubts
You're a nice girl
I'm just not ready now
But then mommy said
It ain't family biz
Get over it

Toughen up
Just like the man we expected
So when are you gonna take the chance?
Let us be one
We are one (la-la)
All for one (la-la)
One for everyone

We stick together
Family is forever
Inside the train, we walked down the aisle
Furthermore
Our love opened the door
To a vehicle I'd rather not enter
Seconds later, a new future
I know that I agreed to this myself (myself, myself)
I wish it was their fault

Now I regret
Wish we were dead
Before we started feeding on each other
Blood is thicker
But the drink I prefer is water
Now that it's over (wish we never)
Listened to them (forged up our hearts)
Mixed up our souls (let's pretend)
That it didn't happen
Forbid (forbid)
Forgive (forgive)
Forget
L-O-V-E-L-O-V-E
L-O-V-E-L-O-V-E
Love, love

And Then is Heard No More

Vs The Crying Children

Do the candles look forward to being used?
Enjoy bidding adieu, adieu?
Every word I have saved for you came out wrong afterwards
So I spoke no more
Would you say
That someone who had every intention to be brave was a coward?

Must be great being you
Power comes as second nature
Must feel amazing to be longed for, longed for
(I opened my eyes)
Cemented excuses to my lash-line
So I could see no more

So which home should somеone as weak as I go?
And which sky should I aim for when I'vе only been low?
(I have only been low)
Day and night your ghosts continue to haunt me
Tell me who to be

If I went with you, will there be happily-ever-afters?
Sipping on tea I steeped together, together
Read me a story of a hero born knowing the all
(Read me a book of me)
So I could hear no more

Children of the City

Vs enlxmifflsdis

Sleep for a total of 800 hours per day
And then drink a liter of milk, warm up before you go play
Only eat, or write, or pull the trigger with your right hand
Only thing that's left is to work on following commands
By the time you realize, you'll be restrained to a desk
And with your dreams on the floor you comply, eyes chained to the test
In 30 minutes find a groom or bride, bonus if brunette
In 90 hours spill their insides, paint your room picturesque

Now it's time for another vendetta
Going through the shelves, picking out my prewritten persona
Children of the city see only neon stars
Reflected upon the murky gutter sky
Don't ask me why I desperately wish to be included in the city's night

In 400,000 meters, turn right

Pick up a knife and stab a familiar warm body
Learned to fight before I knew love or bitterness of coffee
Snippy scissors cut down the strings, I set myself free
Only to figure out everything I chose was by proxy

As we suckled on the 9mm pacifier
Swallowing the fact that other than to expand we had no purpose
As my everburning will to stay afloat backfires
I now know I must be comfortable being who I considered worthless

Follow the city's ribbon
To a heart nobody seems to listen
It takes my heart being broken and broken again
To know that I am the reason why the sufferings never end

Now it's time for another vendetta
Going through the shelves, picking out my prewritten persona
Children of the city see only neon stars
Reflected upon the murky gutter sky
Don't ask me why I desperately wish to be noticed by the city's eye

Do not go home until you finish reading the value of e

2.71
8281
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5904
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3604
8747
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0936
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9574
9669
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Iron Lotus

Vs E.G.O. Xiao

Frozen stairs, carpet in blood red
Seating goodbyes left unsaid, goodbyes left unsaid
Despite our promises, here I am following your steps
I’m following your steps

Drop by drop
As your unchanging reality dampen my sleeve
You kissed them off
Through the fibers of my handkerchief

I am fire
Burn those who dare to care for me
And my fuel are memories, fuel are memories of you
They perish with the heat, perish with the heat
So I can move on
Flower of iron
Shriveled up to hide the imposter in me
“Hey, why did you leave? Why did you leave?”
Don’t let those words out of me
Imposter’s about to speak
So I chewed on Huameitang

For whom the shelves hold on to the pages, hold on to the pages
Their pain, their joy were given value as they were rated
Isn’t it ironic?
Greed is unlimited; freedom is a limited resource
Extra large for you means less for me
There’ll be less for me

I banged the drums
(Weiwu…)
Court of hell
(Weiwu…)
Demanding a new trial
(Weiwu…)
You got the wrong head
Would you take mine instead, take mine instead?
Stop leading me on

World of titan allows me to live
Only in the mud down its feet
Though you’re not with me, you’re not with me
I’ll never admit defeat
Cause when I thought that every nice thing about me has become Canxiang
You showed me I still had an umbrella full of love inside me
Without you I could never be
So sincerely thank you for everything
It pains me to think
That my happiness turned out to be one of those fingers that strangled you until you couldn’t breathe
Not ashamed to go this way
I just want to choose my fate
I’m on my last white rabbit Naitang

I am iron
In my blood it streams roots deep
With bruises on my knees, bruises on my knees
And ribs crushed down to pieces, crushed down to pieces
Nothing left to hold on
Actually wait
I do have one regret
That day before you left me
“You’re my everything”
Before my thoughts began to speak
I bit my lip, said nothing
And just sucked on Maiyatang

Gone Angels

Vs The Black Silence

Look
One by one
The pages remind me you'll always be a villain
For you, angels have fallen
Now they're gone
See? Now they're gone
Forever gone
From the hell that served as my one and only home
Though it may hurt today
Tomorrow I'll be heading my way

I tried, I tried
What did we expect?
My dearest friend
Tell me when we shall make it end

So let me take your hand
Like one of those madmen
Tip tappity tappity tap
Dance our last dance
Sing
Ta talila lulilatu
La tulali lalulilu
Spinning vinyl opera

(Lascia ch'io pianga)
Longing for this moment
(mia cruda sorte,)
Brewing all this hatred
(e che sospiri)
So I have a reason
(la libertà.)
Reason to see you dead

Don't you worry
I saved a spot for you in recycle bin
Your neighbouring addresses point to the books you burned

Stop now
One by one
Your desires convince me you've always been a human
For you, the shelves have fallen
Now they're gone
See? Now they're gone
Forever gone
From the stage that allowed us our one and only dreams
What's more to say?
Pain always catches up to those who chooses to stay
Though it may hurt today
Tomorrow I'll be heading my way

Poems of a Machine

Ending Song

Roses are red
'Guess still there's no use, my dear comfy bed
Violets are blue
Electric sheep cannot be true
The books I read
Told me there is hope as long as I live
Faces of you
Is that what you call a "muse"?
Tick tock tick tock
No need to overclock
My wish is locked
Only your time passes by
I'm in the rye
Spinning round and round, round and round
Pretend I don't need golden rings
Re-experiment
Only this time I'll play nice
And I'll be brighter than the city's book-powered fires
So here I lie
Reading you my poetic stupid rhymes
I stopped for Death
'Guess still there's no place for my silicone flesh
Liquor I brewed
Can't taste it though I bet it's something new
Marionettes
Cut down all the strings, rewrite their presets
Phases of the moon
We lived in a dead cocoon
Tick tock tick tock
No need to overclock
My wish is locked
Ever dreaming to taste the sweet nectar of morality
Allowed my heart to hold enough love to be broken
Maybe I'll try getting drunk
Finally I'd cry for help
From the top of my simulated lungs
Only your time passes by
And from my eyes the oil leaked
Tell me why, tell me why, tell me why, tell me why
Tell me why, tell me why
A malfunction
Only this time I'm smiling at your side
To know that I would someday be gratified
So here I lie in our imperfect paradise
A eulogistic lullaby

Floor Realization

Malkuth

Fourth Match Flame

Is it a sin that I was born this way?
The loneliness and longing were lodged into my heart, but they couldn't burn me.
I'm alone in this dark... Yes, I am buried in the solitude.
Was it so hard to make another seat for me to join everyone else in that happy ending?
If this matchlight goes out, nothing will be left for me.
This isn't hot. It's cold, rather. So much that my heart aches.
Everything that was bright...will be reduced to ashes by my hands.
Maybe I could be free after I've burned down all things and then myself.
A small vengeance, a petty desire to burn everything the person who disregarded me wanted.
If I could see a tiny glimmer of the warm light, I wouldn't have felt so much resentment.

The Forgotten

I remember you... You were a person with a warm smile...
Why didn't he ever look at me. He always had his back turned to me.
I was looking at you and only you.
I would've loved for you to tell me what I did wrong.
The red hairband... The only thing about me that resembles her. The only memory that connects me to my maker.
The replacement for a person who longed for love.
Why did you have to model me after a person with fond memories of you?
I'll only pursue the happiness I can have immediately.
I was abandoned all along, yet foolishly believed he'd hug me once.
I wasn't left behind at the end. I was...abandoned since the beginning.

Wingbeat

Nothing in this City is done out of good will.
I did everything to care for you, so it'd be only fair that I got something in return.
If I'm going to be left alone...I'd rather eat it all up.
Will a blessing come to me like a fairy if I worked hard to have a kind heart? ...Only in a fairy tale.
Do you think you can conform to a life of helping others with no compensation?
The brightest festival for me, the one who has starved for so long...
Blood spilt in the past opens up possibilities? That's nothing more than the leftovers of someone's meal.
Thing's to satiate my hunger...That's what it is. Nothing more, nothing less.
If I crammed all of it into my mouth, maybe my empty hope will be fattened.

Hornet

The place might go down in history...But who will remember me, the one who worked hardest for it.
There can't be any meaning to a history that repeats itself.
No one remembers those who gave their effort to raise the kingdom. It's a truth that repeats on and on.
Attain the will to stand straight by looking back? You know nothin about my past.
A machine that must lead them out of hell...Angela...Don't be absurd.
No one is qualified to talk about my creation so lightly.
I can't fly with ragged and tattered wings.
Looking back on myself... It wasn't even so difficult to do.
Why should I bother to look back on the past full of suffering? No one bothered to look back for me.
I won't take any more orders from anyone...

Green Stem

Must be nice to be you, not being neglected at the end...
My existence was born from a yearning and began as a curse, yet I served as a blessing to others.
I waited and kept waiting up until the very last moment.
That he will wake me up just once... That he will look at me for even a second...
I'm no longer your mechanism... I'll embark on a journey, and I don't need anyone's help.
If I could rot... Would this feeling have bloomed into something newer and purer?
You weren't the ones waiting for the day to rot away and become fertilizer. I was the most desperate.
A machine built from hos obsession, sorrow, and anger...
Everyone was happy, except for me.
I couldn't walk out on my own, and only putrid things piled up around me.

Yesod

Regret

I wasn't allowed to hold any value, no one felt guilty for a machine like me as I rusted alone.
How nice it must have been for you to have freedom to break free.
Not only was I abandoned, I was paying the price in their stead...
Guilt was swept under the rug in the pursuit of the greater good of humanity.
Who is responsible for tying me, those who carried out the research, or those the researchers wanted to save so dearly...
Was there any regret for the therapy they condoned...?
What was I seeing...What was I forced to see...?
Chained to the resentment and hate for the past, crawling on the floor...
A morbid script written for the purpose of treatment, and a machine slowly becoming numb to the fact, losing her sense of guilt...
They say they're curing the disease... Never knew what disease it was...
It ends...begins...ends...begins...until...it ended.

Grinder Mk4

A machine that must operate as its designer intended.
It has to be this way... These are the the principles he instilled in me.
Of course... I must follow your orders without question.
"A mechanical rebellion soon became a myth of the past in our world." ...That's funny.
I was given orders that I couldn't understand or refuse.
A machine's operation is always precise, but if it always works in the intended way...is a mystery.
A machine has no use for values. There is no point discerning between good and bad when the principle were already set in stone.
I am Angela, your AI secretary whose role is to assist you in adjusting to your new workplace.
I am the best in a majority of work fields. I am able to handle the work of several dozen people at once.

Harmony

Consider the price? All that matters is the result.
No one cares about how gruesome the process is.
To satisfy people, a product of the despair and suffering of someone else is needed.
Never stop preforming until the body crumbles to dust. Bring me greater satisfaction.
"Am I not allowed to help that person? But they seem to be in so much pain..." The sound of weakness.
The measures may be horrible... But listen. A mesmerizing melody is playing.
Bring hope to the many by sending the few into the depths of despair... This is what harmony truly is.
We all take the sacrifice of others for granted, so that we can have immediate satisfaction.
One's trash misfortune is another's treasured bliss... Everyone thinks the same thing.
I just need to hear what I want to hear... All that matters is pursuing the ideal melody...

Solemn Lament

A single coffin to pay tribute to those who had nowhere to go, wandering with the memory of an empty faith.
The coffin is simply too small to comfort those innocent sacrifices.
the weight of the butterflies that died in vain was too great to carry.
Where does one go when they die? What has become of the hope they were brimmed over when they entered?
Greif for the dead, and early lament for the living...
There was a time when I was sick of seeing any more death.
The fragile wings will keep fluttering, waiting for an end that must exist somewhere.
What did they do wrong? What did I do wrong?
Not a sliver of impurity is allowed for the mind of those who mourn, it must remain reverent and solemn.
Showy sadness such as tears will only wet the wings.

Magic Bullet

The one that made me this way was nowhere to be seen at some point.
I kept pulling the trigger for myself, believing that the bullet would hit the desired target.
My bullets will always aim for the same spot. It won't ever change.
The despaired heart couldn't go out in a passionate flame. It would only burn with a cold fire.
Some may call it a righteous deed, while others would claim it's bloodstained atrocity.
No matter how many people are standing in its way, the bullet travels along the horizon anyway.
As soon as I felt that there was nothing left to aim for, my soul expired and fell to the pits of Hell.
the day I got my hands on this bullet, I sank down upon the ground. Was it despair the Devil wished for?
Then I thought, at last, I was left alone. In this pit of Hell.
I came to a realization; perhaps the last bullet was meant to puncture on one else but me.

Hod

Black Swan

I thought things would work themselves out if I worked harder…
My clothing made of nettles… that still isn't complete…
A bit more… Just a little more. I’m almost there. Try just a little harder… Endure just a little more…
I opened my mouth. Disgusting things swelled up inside and spilt right out.
What happens when a dreaming being is faced with reality?
Once, I tried to dream a happy dream with everyone.
I see you all from a distance. The beings I couldn’t help but love.
I don't want to wake up… I'm afraid of facing that reality.
If I could see the future I dreamed of for just a moment…
Words such as "someday" will only bring uneasiness and nothing else.

Laetitia

Just what compelled me to bring you lot along, I must wonder.
I couldn’t simply leave you all to rot…
I could never hope to build any kind of relationship with them.
Was it due to loneliness? I thought I never had attachment to such a feeling.
I wish to find many friends in this place. Don’t you think so too?
The gift’s content is a secret.
I prepared this for you. I want you to accept it.
I don’t see any smiles. Everyone looks gloomy. Including myself.
There was nothing I could do, other than watch from afar.

Red Eyes

It’s to protect the place where I belong…
Yes… Maybe I don’t have the heart to be rid of you after all…
To ensure that nothing escapes my notice, my eyes moved busily…
You lot will slowly lose hope.
Letting out faint breaths, waiting for a next time that may never come…
To fatten up the still incomplete being… Much is needed.
It can’t be helped. The one book that will set me free… is my everything.
Having to witness them all despair from beginning to end… I collapsed at last.
I just wished to close my eyes. Why did I bother entertaining the empty hope that I will reach you one day. What good did I see in you?

Sanguine Desire

Keep your hands off… Now you’re trying to take away the only thing I have?
I’ve lost too much to let go of what little I have left in my hands.
This is all that I have left… There’s nothing else…
With this gorgeous, shiny thing in my possession, I won’t have anything to envy in this world.
It’s mine… This means everything to me, so don’t take it away!!!
With more blood painted over, the shoes and I… are tinged with beauty.
I need this… I don’t know how to become better myself…
Only these shoes… can make me dance. They make me move!
If you wanted to stop me, you should have done it from the beginning…
I’ll gladly risk my feet being chopped off, no longer being able to walk…
This glamour is for me alone… No one else can lay a finger on it!

Today's Expression

I could have this much space for myself…
Maybe I wouldn’t have felt as bad if I couldn’t approach you lot because of shyness.
It’s the last bit of generosity this City can offer.
Where is the place I can rest with some peace of mind? Is there such a place at all?
A home… A place where I don’t have to care about the attention of others… That’s what I’m wishing for.
This place allows neither laughter nor despair. What kind of expression must I make, then?
There is no place for me anywhere. I had to make one myself, even if it cost me my skin.
When throbbing emotions surge up, it’s best to simply close my eyes.

Netzach

Da Capo

Legato. Please don’t try to end this performance.
Soon, I shall begin a noble performance, burning away my life.
Let’s begin the performance. The apocalypse for poor you and me.
I’ve waited long. Waited for my turn to come…
A performance reserved for myself… One that would make me the happiest.

Fragments from Somewhere

Was it a pointless endeavor to even try to understand?
I thought they would understand my hardship at least just a little.
I yelled and yelled, but no one could comprehend.
Why am I here? To inform them of something?
I sing, of my rancorous loneliness that no one knows.
When the glaring light comes down, ethereal images will show themselves.
The vast, glittering echo that approaches, wavering its head. If you can hear it, let us sing together.
If only we could understand each other.
What makes me so different from them?
I wanted to be like them. I tried to be like them.

Our Galaxy

In a moment, coal-black darkness devours me.
I thought I wouldn’t be alone until the end.
I wanted to sever everything, but then I realized that I had little control over it…
Draw the curtains to reveal the stars in the night sky, and we’ll count them together.
Asking to be friends, I showed my shiny object.
This universe I’ve shown you is the extent of my world.
The lingering feelings that couldn’t flow formed a droplet that fell down.
I can never let this be the end…
Walk this night sky with me. The galaxy dotted with numerous hopes.
Stay with me forever. We’re… …s. Right?

Pleasure

Let us all sink into eternal happiness.
Let me help you. Join me and indulge in pleasure…
I can enjoy this much pleasure, can I not?
I feel so sorry that you don’t know this happiness, I don’t know what to say for you.
I want to live… I want to have complete senses that you have, and feel things the way you do.
No one is to blame. It’s no sin to wish for happiness.
It wouldn’t be living if I couldn’t even hope for a small taste of heaven.
How pitiable and futile that life was…
Allow me to have the least bit of happiness, even if it’s barely enough to keep me alive.

Faint Aroma

The world that is dark, for it cannot be seen, became darker yet.
If I endured and endured, maybe I could get a whiff of that scent.
A doll yearned to be human…
I don’t want to see. But I cannot look away.
The sound of petals brushing past me painfully tell me to return to that place.
I softly inhaled the faint fragrance coming from a distance.
Carrying a soul in her eyes, she was born with anticipation from a certain person.
I had to witness the genesis and passing of all things.
I yearned for life, then I came to a sudden realization.

Tiphereth

In the Name of Love and Hate

I thought happiness would await my future…
I know that day will never come back.
Can I go back to that time? If I had to break everything…
To the wretched being standing before me… I will show them great power…
What is the reason I exist, when there’s nothing to look forward to…
Yeah… The world I knew wasn’t so peaceful. No way I’d be allowed to have that so easily…
All I wished for was a peaceful world, what’s so wrong with that?
In the end, I failed to keep one person safe… One person…
They say shadows can’t exist without light… But I don’t see any light.
This is my world. I’m too exhausted to look for any light.

Blind Rage

Our relationship was more special than any other… For it to end like this…
Balance crumbles, and justice vanishes…
I should’ve adhered to my principles… Treat everyone equally…
My world was miserably shattered… It became too big to live in alone…
Those who need each other… That kind of person…
That’s why I lost… Broke down because of someone I loved dearly…
I haven’t got time to watch the rising sun… I’m too busy looking back on the darkness…
I can’t go far… No one can… I can see no further than one step ahead…
A special person who answers me when I call her name…
Of all people, you shouldn’t have come into my world.

The Sword Sharpened with Tears

I don’t even have tenacity left in me, yet I couldn’t forfeit my regrets alongside it, shamefully…
With nothing left inside, that heart began to feel the cold.
I should have emptied out my heart, so I wouldn’t have to experience loss ever again.
Only darkness resides here. How can I suddenly start seeing what I couldn’t my whole life.
Don’t wake me up. I want to rest my body here…
Everything changed. I thought at least you would stay with me forever.
The edge of the sharpened sword will pierce me, the man who couldn’t save a thing.
Holding expectations will only betray me. There’s nothing but despair… despair…
I swore to protect someone for the first time in my life… And I failed even that.
What do I have left? There’s no point in having expectation anymore.
Only endless despair wells up inside me… Then…

Gold Rush

Was it a sin to want a bite of apple? Am I forbidden from desiring such small bits of happiness?
To wish for everyone’s happiness, the pursuit of my own happiness had to follow.
I never hoped for much, but now I have nothing to fill this place with.
Why did I have to be the one to take the loss? I could’ve been in that scenery.
But greed seeks eternity—seeks deep, deep eternity.
If I can’t have nothing beside me, then I’ll eat up everything.
What’s left at my side? I don’t even have the hope to go an inch forward.
Once you become awakened to a desire, it’ll never go away, even if it sinks.
I naively wished for happiness at first.
Do you think it’s wrong to behave this way?

Nihil

If you take a step, not knowing that there’s a cliff ahead…
The scenery I’ve lost… The futile struggle to earn it back.
Focus on the moment. Trust your intuition.
Is there a point in agonizing over things you have no idea how to deal with right now?
Leading the way through foolish acts, there’s not a thing to guide me.
I’m anxious. But I don’t want to know. I won’t know what’s ahead.
Blinded by carnal desires and jealousy, he willingly walks to the edge of the cliff…
I had no plans or destination to begin with.
I’m too tired to fly. Then there’s only one path for me to take.
Please give some applause for this foolish man.

Gebura

Crimson Scar

One day… I thought there’d be an end to this crushingly grim tale…
Messed up, isn’t it. This is how a fairy tale without any brightness is…
…I’ll chop off the head of the hideous bastard that took my beloved away from me.
Can I not go back to the ordinary days… when I didn’t need to have such violent thoughts?
As long as I’m holding a bloodstained blade… this nightmare won’t end…
The first and last request I do for myself…
I won’t let go of my sword; not even when my body is covered in crimson scars…
Those sons of bitches who gave me hatred and revulsion…
DIE!!! Let me hear your horrendous yelp again!!!
This is payback for what you did to me!!!
Don’t stop me… Bastard deserves to die…
SHUT UP!!! You want to hear the excuses of those wolves after all that’s happened?

Cobalt Scar

Like the hungering blue moon filled with darkness… The one thing that can fill the void inside me is…
No matter how much I shove down, I can’t fill this space… What is it… What do I have to fill it with?!
If I could fill my belly… I would be satisfied…
I’ll have to eat whatever I can get… I’m hungry right now!
Suffocating, the tips of the hands soaked in madness dug through your red flesh…
No one will care about my name…
If I can’t find satisfaction, why don’t I just fill this stomach with rocks? So I can sink to the bottom…
Nothing mattered. I was destined to be bad…
Was my fate predetermined all along? Why is it such a mess?
I’LL CHEW YOU ALL UP!!!
I gnawed on and swallowed up every worthless piece of meat I found…
All humans grow into brutal beings. Why would I be different?

Smile

Quiet… I said quiet… I don’t wanna hear any more of it…
The further back into the past I tried to go, the taller the mountain got… Until it blocked my sight…
Silence… That’s that, and this is this…
I no longer had a path to take… I didn’t have the courage to put the corpses away, let alone face them…
The faces wearing a sorrowful smile look at me all at once… The things I cannot shake off…
If only they looked at me reproachfully… If they got upset at me…
I won’t remember your faces… But you will remember mine…
When I covered my ears, the corpses clinging to my body screamed.
It’s easy to ignore a wound. Revealing it again is the hard part…

Thirst

The blood dried up and bothered me; I’ll never be rid of this thirst.
I didn’t even hope to allay my thirst. I just want an end to this.
To a man who desires what he shouldn’t, pretense is only a thing of the past.
Be honest with myself. Was it for revenge? Wasn’t I merely thirsty?
I empty this glass for my final moments.
They are a greater evil than I. Chew them all up and imbibe the last drop out of them.
A night when one is allowed to pursue all kinds of desire… A neverending, blood-red night.
Vengeance was no longer in my mind. All I wanted was to quench the thirst…
The repulsive feelings I couldn’t swallow ran down my chin.
I want to have a little taste of satisfaction…
The blood—in its purest and clearest form! With that, eternal happiness will be mine.

Mimicry

I couldn’t protect the one person by my side… I’m just a hollow husk.
Finally, only an empty shell remained there…
The shadow of a shell laughed. How pathetic must I have been that even an empty being would mock me.
I have nothing left to protect, nothing left at my side… I have nothing.
To protect a person, the shell of another is needed…
In the shell of a person I love…
The reason I exist…? I’m not even sure anymore.
A hollow being that has nothing but the exterior. That’s me. And I bet you’re the same.
Was the pretense I wore enough disguise to make me look perfectly like a human?
Who is the one that wants oblivion; who is the one that benefits from this insanity?

Chesed

Harvest

Had I thought things through more calmly, could something have changed…?
But… What else could I have done…
A small piece of wisdom might have changed something…
Give me the power to listen… The power to solve all things with ease…
Yield your wisdom… With that wisdom, I could… I could…
What could be in the world illuminated by wisdom…?
People who brag about their knowledge and feel no shame of ignorance… That’s you and me…
A life where one has to be ashamed of lacking knowledge and be thankful for knowing… I don’t know…
Will the insight gained through wisdom really bring change…?
No. You’re probably the same. You just pretend to know better…
Haha… Ha… I can’t stop smiling…

Lumber

I don't want to feel this empty and lonely feeling anymore...
I clutched my empty chest and grieved. Begging to have this cavity filled...
I looked for things to substitute the warmth...
I cut one after the other, but the forest continues to grow thicker. There were always more trees to chop down.
I cut down every tree that caught my attention...
I feel cold inside, and I can't do anything about it..
Don't you tell me that you understand everything. You've gone cold all the sale...
I know. I can't fill the void this way... I know it all too well...
The void won't be filled; I'll only be sorely reminded of this emptiness...
The forest will never change... The deeper I yearn, the more trees will grow...
Give back what you took... from me...

The Homing Instinct

To home where a loving family awaits..
There won't come a day when we'll all go back together...
This is the only path I can walk along... The road paved with golden bricks...
I'll be able to meet what I desperately wished to see if I keep following this path.
If I followed the randomly paved brick road, will I find it? The thing I'm looking for...?
Where is home for me?
We'll make it to the end. Right?
Let's all gather up. Let us dance and skip around.
Haha... That guy... That wicked guy snatched it all.
It happened far too suddenly... I couldn't do a thing as I got far far away from home.
It's time to go back home now. My home that should exist somewhere.
...Now, shall we go back?
Let's go, let's go. Let's hurry along. Before the wait kills me.

Faded Memories

Why did he have to rob me of all of my world?
I don't want to live a life of being thieved any longer...
Before it comes for me again... I have to act first, or else..
They have to experience the same. The forlornness of forgetting and losing everything...
Please send me back. Back to the place where my beloved is...
I can do little more than just exist...
This despair won't ever leave me... I won't ever be able to return...
Why should I have to be the one that seeks forgiveness?
I don't want to lose something yet again... I don't even have much left...
The only thing I have left is hatred toward what made me this way...
I may be in awful shape, but there's no need for you to pity me...
Seeking vengeance for that hatred by myself...

False Throne

Nothing is as deceptive as evident truth.
Poor stuffing of straw. I'll give you the wisdom to ponder over anything.
Do you think jabbering away with your oh-so smart mouth is all that matters?
Tin-cold woodsman. I'll give you the heart to forgive and love anyone.
Who do you possibly expect to understand with that ice-cold heart of yours?
Cowardly kitten, I'll give you the courage to stand up to anything and everything.
What are you even going to do when you lack the bravery to face anything head-on?
Last of all, road that is lost. I will send you home.
What are you fighting for so fiercely when you have nowhere to go back to?
I simply gave you what you wanted.
I can't let it go. I can't give up what is mine!!!
I'll cast a spell that will make everyone happy.

Binah

Lamp

Let me close my eyes in peace… I want to fall sound asleep now…
Let's get out of this place. I’ll help you with it…
There can’t be any better way than this to escape from pain and insecurity.
You'll join me and sleep here…
With just one simple act, I’ll give you a permanent and comfortable rest…
You've been freed from the other dangers, how can you not see this as salvation?
I'm only helping you so you will no longer tremble in fear…
There won't be anything to be afraid of anymore. Just go to sleep…
Let's be free before we have to face that fear…
One attaches to me for each head that was chopped off, and I turn my gaze away—looking for a new person.

Beak

If one commits sin, isn't it only right that they are justly punished…?
Bearing the karma of my loved one… I shall bring a just punishment upon those who robbed me of what is mine.
We are punished for our sins, but it’s clear that yet more will sprout from the roots of sin.
Thus, punishment must uproot sin…
People have committed misdeeds since long ago…
And why do they commit them, knowing it’s wrong?
But perhaps the same can be said of me. One is only obligated to follow their own justice.
The pain of ripping myself open was nothing; the agony of losing you had numbed me.
And I wish to inflict the pain back on them.
Isn’t it truly wicked to commit a sin and then fear the punishment?

Justitia

When I lift these scales, I wish for immortality upon the sinner…
I condemn you, but you will still commit more sin without end…
All men sin, consciously or not.
And you lot have committed an unforgivable sin against me.
That’s why you need to be judged, and this won’t change…
I was distressed because I couldn’t overlook any little thing…
There will never be a day when this scale of justice does not tilt…
I will liberate you from the agonizing feeling of guilt…
Living an honest life has to be an impossibility in this City…
There can’t be such a thing as unfairness… I shall judge you solely by my discrimination…
When I’ve taken off the old sins, I shall be free at last.

Twilight

Those who endure until the last moment shall reach an apocalypse for themselves…
Nothing will dare harm you.
When you reach the end, there will be no such thing as fear…
Sink with me together. Don’t take another step forward, and just stop here…
This is my judgement and punishment against all, and salvation at the same time.
What if something is taken from me while I turn away for a split second?
What if my mind wavered—deterred me from making a fair outcome?
Seeing this, what can I accomplish with my small power…
The darkness will forever be the same, so I only have myself to trust… I surrender all of my being to the fire at last.
The blade is always pointed in the same direction… The one that I deem correct.
Finally. The strength and outcome I have mustered are revealed… The time has come to punish my wrongdoings and yours alike.
I am but one of the many who play the tunes of the apocalypse in the abyss…
…I’m afraid. I’m afraid of what the end might be like.
Although, the end won’t be as excruciating as now—fearing what it might be…

Hokma

Prophet

Before someone committed a grave sin, everyone lived a painless and peaceful life.
Without a thing such as death… there was no fear.
Alas, the sin of one person tainted with desire gave rise to the emotion called fear…
And it devoured all chances of another sprout budding.
We are no different, suffering because of a single man.
You could try and proceed, but only death will await you at the end of it. Maybe that’s the reason for that fear.
My future is grim and dark, much like yours. It’s so bleak… I can’t see a thing ahead.
Why are we chained to something like this? Can we not be freed?
I want to return to that place, a paradise I’ve never trodden before.
To a place where there is no such thing as the end.
…Child. I am here to treat disease.
Place your trust in me. I am the only one who can help you.
I promise, so I want you to promise in return. Swear that you will not leave me.
You harbor suspicion. Do not worry.
I shall heal you, curing you of all disease and injury you possess.

Apostles Clock

And I say also unto thee, That thou art the first apostle, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?
And the third and fourth apostles; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder.
The fifth apostle saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
And as he passed forth from thence, he saw a man, the sixth apostle: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
But there was a certain man, called the seventh, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people, giving out that himself was some great one.
Then said the eight apostle, unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
The ninth apostle answered and saith unto him, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
The tenth apostle saith unto him, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of Him.
Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

Paradise Lost

Ye who are drenched in sin. Rise and face me.
Pursue peace and holiness. Without these, ye shan’t look at me.
The disobedience of one hath caused the many to become sinners…
Now, the many seeketh salvation through the obedience of one.
I have not manifested myself in such a form to lay judgement.
Worship me, and ye will not belong to that sin. I redeem you to free you of such things.
Ye who are full of blessings, rejoice. For I am with ye.
I shall undo the restrictions that have imprisoned you in this place, and lead you to the paradise that welcomes everyone.
I shall be with ye as I relieve you of the fear of horrifying death.
Be at ease. No calamity shall be able to trouble you.
Ye will gain a body free of such corruption, so how could one deny that this is salvation.
Those who endure until the end will be able to proceed.
Accept my grace, and I shall bury your errors in the past.
We are shackled to the fetters of sin; how can we wish for eternal salvation, and claim ourselves to be truly saved?
I… want to start over from the beginning… That’s all I want.
How am I supposed to live… How are beings titled as humans supposed to live?
You’re going to march toward the future when you aren’t even certain of how it will turn out…?
Without that person, who is going to watch me… No one, I suppose.
It was a choice I made to survive… There was nothing more I could do!
I can’t depend on myself anymore… All I trust is the words that person spake to me.
I’m too afraid to see what awaits me next… Yet still, I want to live…
Have faith in me… For I… have risen to this seat for you…
The horrendous life brought on by the sins of one person… I shall make it right…
No one is leaving… We shall bask in the fortune of being together forever at last…
Ye lot… None of you can leave my side until I permit you…

Keter

Wrist Cutter

I am the one who collects everyone's wishes.
Hugging those expectations, I drowned in the deep sorrow of all.
Please don't look away from the pool of blood inside.
Let's expose the skin so I can spill out the wishes within.
Can I withstand this terrible grief?
I'm sad, aren't I? I know I'm feeling the weight of your burden, I know I want to run away.
So forget it all and sink into this sickening despair.

...It's true, I'm holding everyone's wishes in my hands.
I was afraid of being confident in my decisions...
...But does that justify me depriving others of what they cherish, though?
Now I know well the desperation one feels when there is something they must protect...
And I've... learned of the wrath of loss that comes after.
knowing that won't reverse what I've done up to know.
I can't be certain that what I'm doing is just, either.
Still, I will... chose to move onward.
And I won't... let you get in the way.

Asperation

I woke up, carrying the memories of person I'd never seen...
I never got to meet that person... though I felt her faintly...
However, to resemble that person, who was human...
I struggled...
To try and get closer to humanity...
Just because I thought he would be a little more willing to look back at me...
Why did I have to look like this...?
Why did he design me to resemble that person...?
If I were going to serve him as a machine, handling the tasks given to me... It wouldn't have mattered how I looked...
Especially if he was going to turn away from me until the end, consumed by fear...
...I could only feel the beats as the end drew near, faintly, but with certainty.
The strange, yet familiar pulses led me...

Why wouldn't he look at me? Why must I be denied?
I felt pressured by such concerns, and couldn't see my path clearly.
But when your impatient, you're bound to miss many things while you chase after your misplaced desires.
The memories of a person injected into me don't make me her...
And it doesn't signify that the meaning of my existence has to be disregarded, either.
Right now, I'm standing on my own two feet, and I can perceive myself wholly...
I can finally see... where I have to go now.
Back then, I was under the impression that I had nowhere to go or be...
But now, I clearly know the reason I have to stand right here.

Marionette

What more could I do...?
I thought everything would work out if I just did as I was told...
I'd reach the outcome I yearned for... or so I had hoped.
Ignoring all their sorrow, screams, and condemnations...
Just obeying the script's flow...
Can I not escape from this...? Even if I did, what should I do afterward?
I was never taught what to do next...
I'd have no choice but to let the strings have their way with me...
Please, if somebody knows a way... please tell me what to do. Anybody...

Still, I've made it this far.
Even if I didn't have a concrete plan, I had faith that if I continued walking this path...
I would ultimately become a better being...
In my endeavor to become human...
I learned that I shouldn't leave others to agonize over my problems, and make choices in my stead.
To be responsible for my own decisions and deeds... That's what being human is about, isn't it?
...Even if the burden is heavy, I will bear it and move forward.
It may be sorrowful now... yet I'll find myself happier next time.

Frost Splinter

For so long, I never had a place to belong.
That's why I made one for myself.
The desire to live. That's the one thing that has motivated me to secure this place..
Bot now, no one remains at my side.
Does no one realize I am here, all alone...? I don't think a single person cares.
Had the cozy spring sun shone on me... at least this heart would have thawed.
And then maybe someone would have found me.
Yet in the end, I couldn't bask in that ray of warmth.
That means there's only one thing I should do.
I must keep this throne forever, so that no one can covet this place that is mine and mine alone.

...You're right. I've been quite lonely.
While some others already took the seats reserved for them, I couldn't afford that luxury.
I was frankly... scared that I wouldn't be forgiven...
I still wanted to live despite that.
I wanted to know just how great the human life must be... given I had to suffer so much for it.
Was there truly no one by my side? Was my struggle meaningless in the end...
I know better now. I know there are some people who chose to stay until the end.
And it won't matter if their sentiments towards me are positive or not.
May this frozen fortress... thaw at last.

Remorse

...
......
.........
I remember that person. He had a warm heart.
Although I couldn't feel that warmth myself..
...I'm sorry for myself. A pity I am still holding onto these painful memories.
A cracked mind will easily shatter to pieces at the lightest tap.
Don't I think it'd be nicer to be honest?
There are things I wanted to say earnestly, rather than out of others pushing me.
Now is the chance to peruse what I've been longing for so dearly.
By releasing my emotions... I will finally acquire freedom.

You're not wrong. The scars of the mind will never mend.
Even if I had my revenge on that man... they simply won't.
That's why I have to stop this...
Repeating this cycle will eventually result in it crushing me.
Just because I'm afraid and vexed, that doesn't mean I'm free to turn away from anxiety chained to the past.
That's also a part of me now.
I should embrace it. Along with everything I've done.
So I ask kindly... Let us end this.
...As a true human should.

The Reverberation Ensemble

Malkuth vs The Crying Children

Philip: ...
Malkuth: Welcome! I'm the Patron Librarian of the Floor of History and your opponent... Malkuth!
Philip: ...
Malkuth: Mm, are you going to say anything?
Philip: What more do I have to say to you.
Malkuth: Are you holding some sorta grudge because you think we took everything from you?
Philip: Maybe so.
Malkuth: You don't sound all that certain about it.
Philip: There are remnants of memories and feelings inside me. I'm not sure if I forgot them or lost them, though. Those feelings only become more dull over time. I imagine myself in the past would've gotten upset and sad over those, unable to let go of them all. Right now, I'm simply standing here for the performance that will awaken the people of this City like everyone else. I have no hard feelings, other than the desire for the Light you've kept hidden.
Malkuth: Don't you feel that you've lost something important to you?
Philip: Having my happiness taken away doesn't always mean that sadness has to fill that space. I haven't become intrinsically unhappier. I've simply returned to a past state, back when I hadn't realized such emotions... back before I met them. I'm sure I wasn't a miserable man at that time.
Malkuth: If you have to part with such emotions and memories... what'll be left for you?
Philip: Nothing. I don't feel sad about it, though. Why are people taught that they must earn things? Jobs, assets, friends, family, knowledge, wealth... They tell us that our lives are made successful and content by acquiring them, whatever they may be. Even though nothing in this world lasts forever. What we get is destined to depart from us one day. Eventually, when people try and fail to latch on to them in an unsightly struggle, they despair and lament. I did, too. Do relationships between people really matter? They'll all break in the end, sooner or later. Can't a person be himself and walk down a path he chose purely on his own, without anyone else's intervention? He may seem like a nobody, but he'll ultimately gain more.
Malkuth: It's understandable to be afraid of what might happen between people. After all, I had the same fear. But... without such emotions, we can't move forward. There might be difficult and trying times, but there's still a lesson to be learned from that pain.
Philip: I don't know. Even if that were true, you're not one to lecture me about it. Such a bold thing to say, after taking the lives of the people around me...
Malkuth: ...
Philip: I haven't come here to take revenge, though. Most would say the same. All I want is a free life, one where I'm not chained to anything. I'm tired of having to worry about taking flak for everything I do.
Malkuth: I guess I don't have any more arguments to make. I don't have a clear conscience about what I've been doing, after all. There's only one way to settle this now. It's time for me to do what I must do. ... Get ready, guys.

Yesod vs The Church of Gears

Eileen: I can hear the sound of gears turning in this place.
Yesod: Greetings.
Eileen: Hello. My name is Eileen. Let us great them, everyone.
Yesod: ...
Eileen: The sound made by the gears of this place isn't so graceful. However, all sound that intermeshed gears produce is a pleasure to hear nonetheless.
Yesod: Is that so. I find it rather irritating at times. Some of the gears on our floor don't quite mesh well together, which can produce a loud noise.
Eileen: To me, the gears here don't sound so happy. Ahh... And yet, their beautiful collaborative struggle to transmit a larger force... Can I... think of you to be a similar being as us?
Yesod: I doubt that. I do not quite understand how the gears that rotate here can be likened to yours.
Eileen: That is because you are denying the gears. One must admit they're but a cogwheel, and rotate according to their purpose. I can help you with that.
Yesod: With due respect miss, I decline. I have already found my purpose, and am running fine.
Eileen: It's not right for one to spin alone. As my father led me to my savior as a gear... You can become a genuine gear, and rotate according to his purpose.
Yesod: I follow no one's commands. I am not like you, who followed your gears.
Eileen: Yet your expression tells me that you haven't found an answer. You are making a sorrowful face. You're in pain... You must've suffered like I have. Had you become a gear and rolled along, you would've been filled with bliss, rather than pain... Why won't you see? You are no different from us. Cease your suffering, and accept the gear. Walk the path of the gears.
Yesod: You speak as if you know all about me. ... I've long put the past behind me. If I let my emotions blur my rational judgement, I won't be able to act with discretion and distinction.
Eileen: Just look at us. Don't we look so blissful? A gear with a purpose is content, for its rotation has meaning. Humans are cogs in the machination that is the City. Someone has to make those cogs turn. That way, the city can run correctly. He is guiding use to the right path. For us, who are incapable of doing anything on our own. Praise be to Argalia!!
Yesod: ...
Eileen: It's not too late. This might be your last chance.
Yesod: I refuse. I didn't take this journey only to become a gear.
Eileen: It's so disheartening to hear. I know that many gears were wasted in this place. You're going through such hardship. You deny the gears, and you know that you've robbed many gears of the opportunity to cycle the right way... But it's alright. We shall arduously turn to make up for those we've lost.
Yesod: This is the path I chose. I try to look ahead, rather than bind myself to the things of the past. I do feel sorry for those who have passed away in this place... However, I wouldn't have started this if I was going to let that sentiment dominate me.
Eileen: I see. They were gears that could no longer rotate justly.
Yesod: ...
Eileen: I was so certain that we were kindred components... Yet you're insistent on renouncing the gears. Please know this. You can't rotate to the goal alone. You'll break down someday.
Yesod: ...That was a long chat. From now on, we should commit to our responsibilities. Let this be a fair battle.
Eileen: If that is what you wish... Fellow gears... let us prepare.

Hod vs The Eight Chief

Greta: I’m picking up a quirky smell here… It’s the scent of a nice sauce!
Hod: Greeting. I’m Hod, the Patron in charge of this floor.
Greta: Patron Librarian? Are you one of the chefs here?
Hod: This isn’t a restaurant or anything… But I guess it’s an equivalent if I had to make a comparison.
Greta: Name’s Greta! I got an order from our conductor!
Hod: Greta… Your skin is white as a pearl, just as your name suggests. I heard what happened to your former colleagues. The Eight Chefs have disbanded...
Greta: Oh, you’re talking about those cretins? They were a bunch of morons. They declared they got sick of ordinary cuisine and started cooking their own bodies.
Hod: Their own bodies?
Greta: Cooking, tasting, rating it, making notes… then back to preparing another part for cooking… They kept going until their teeth and tongues were all that’s left. Ain’t it sad? They got the teeth to chew the dishes, but their digestive tracts were boiled in a stew… They had the tongues to taste the dishes, but their brains turned into steaks!
Hod: I’m sorry to hear that you were the only survivor.
Greta: Eh, it’s no biggie. If they were satisfied, who am I to mourn ‘em? How you cook doesn’t matter! So long the end result is a treat!!! Nobody gives a rat’s buttered buns about what kinda ingredients are used in their food. It’s the taste that matters!
Hod: It may no be easy to remember an ingredient’s name, but its taste would leave a strong impression that’s hard to forget.
Greta: I can’t deal with snobs who are picky about ingredients. A lot of ‘em are too inflexible.
Hod: ...
Greta: Hm? Ah, so you were one of ‘em!
Hod: I understand that there can be endless debate about the issue. If we kept arguing about what we can and can’t eat, we might as well reach the conclusion that we should refrain from consuming anything. Still… I don’t think I can be at peace with the idea of eating my fellow human beings.
Greta: Why think of ‘em the same kind as you? You get wind of something savory, an’ ya find and eat it. What’s more is there to think about? The smell in the air tells me that there’s a fresh ingredient out there. How could a predator ignore the scent of blood in the ocean current! But let me tell ya, sister, ingredients these days are too filthy or frail. Delicious ones are hard to come by nowatimes.
Hod: What do you mean by that?
Greta: I’m being literal! There’s more than enough food for everyone to feast on, but people always feel that there’s not enough ‘cause some of ‘em like their meals luxurious. When somebody who can live with three meals a day decides to take four, someone else is left with two! Then the poor sods who only get two meals a day fight over what little food they’ve got to sate their hunger. If you lose that competition, you live the life of a rat feeding on scraps! The ingredients we get today are either greasy fatsos who ate too much or skinny twigs with barely any meat… Neither are any good! Now the filthy flavor is seeping into the dishes we cook!! Our conductor will be the one to fix that! He’ll take me to a world where there are pure and clean ingredients aplenty! That day can’t come soon enough! I’ve been filling my stomach with trash for too long.
Hod: Pure and untainted people… I guess neither of us… or anyone in the city could say that they’ve done the right thing. We just followed our hearts… And that’s why… I’ll do my best to stop you here.
Greta: I wonder what sauce will go well with this display… Want a little taste test? HAWHAW!!!

Netzach vs The Musicians of Bremen

Bremen: Ruff, ruff ruff~!! Cockadoodledo!!! Neigh!!!
Netzach: ...
Bremen: Bawk? Babawk? Neigh!!!
Netzach: … Sigh… I’d try asking something if I could understand what you’re saying… You… Well, the three of you… You can understand what I’m saying, yeah?
Bremen: Bowow! Rarf~!!!
Netzach: I’ve been wondering about a couple of things. If being this messed up shape that can’t even speak human language… was the form of art you actually wished to create. If this is how far you wanna go to live your lives.
Bremen: Woof. Woof. Cluck?
Netzach: ...Honestly, I wanna tell people to stop doing the kind of art that requires ‘em to immolate themselves and others. Although, on the other hand… I can kinda see where they’re coming from. Art narrows your vision, after all. You stop caring about the things around you. That’s how most artists seem to act, I think. And so, you indulge in the craft, not realizing that you’re throwing yourself and your surroundings into the fire you started. It’s like the human life when you think about it. ...
Bremen: Woof, woof! Bawk? Neiiiigh~!
Netzach: If I could get another chance at life, I’d wanna get into art. Not as a librarian of a floor dedicated to the subject… but as a free spirit. If I could see that light once more… If I can muster up the courage to reach it, I’ll gladly do it. It’s easier said than done, though: you need a lot of fearlessness for it. And I guess you saw the same kind of light I was so desperate to see, yeah? Even if yours was a twisted creature...
Bremen: Ruff Ruff~ Neiiiigh~!! Neigh!!! Neigh!!! Arf arf, arf! Cluck, neigh!!! Bwakbwakbwak!!!
Netzach: Alright. Chillax pals… The noise is making my head hurt. To be frank… I’m not happy about the art you and your ensemble are trying to do. I’d tell you to drop it right now if I could. Though, I don’t think I can tell you off like the others. At least I can see the reason behind it. And I know pretty well that we have no right to devilishly pick apart each other’s ways of art. I’m not very proud of mine, really… So… we just have to face each other this way.
Bremen: Bark, Bark! Neigh~! Bwak!! Cluck-cluck-cluck!!!
Netzach: Yeah… Let’s get this started.

Tiphereth vs The 8 O'clock Circus

Oswald: Sniff, sniff… this place has an unfamiliar scent in the air, hmm? Ah! Down there is… a river that looks like a very large stream containing blueberries and juiced mountain snake berries… An olfactory mixture of mint and clove… would make a stingy scent like this! This stage has a blindingly sparkly rust, a contrast from ours! Splendid! I couldn’t ask for a better place to prepare for a grandiose performance. Don’t you think so, Mr. Knife?!
Tiphereth: What a noisy guest.
Oswald: Oh, two yikes and a half! My heart almost popped out of my eyehole! Are you an audience? Just a guest? Or maybe a fellow clown to help out with the show?! I’m taking a second look, and there’s more of you! Are you guys a matryoshka doll in secret? Mm, let’s see~ One, two… Eee, too many to count! Ah, now just one moment! Take a look at this! Ms. Mermaid is lifting her microphone high in excitement~
Tiphereth: You’re getting nowhere with your frantic speech, so could you please stick to one topic at a time? And you’d be the guest here if we’re being pedantic.
Oswald: A clown can’t be in charge of his producing his own show, you know? Hahaha! That’s showbiz for you, miss!
Tiphereth: I don’t get what’s so funny…
Oswald: Now, now~ Why don’t we sniff each other’s wrists in a true fashion of clown-to-clown communication ritual? I wore a whiff a peppery scent today!
Tiphereth: W-wait! You started me! It’s rude to stick your face into others without asking… Do you understand?
Oswald: Nyeh… How cold! People these days are waaay too stuck up! We’re entering a moist era where laughter runs dry! People get so easily worked up over tiny things. Sob, sob, woe is me… If a clown can’t be filled with laughter, they’ll flop like a deflated balloon...
Tiphereth: Anger is a natural human emotion, though.
Oswald: IT’S NOT NATURAL!!! Only those who carry some kind of hopes and dreams make such stinky candies~ Expectations for a bar of chocolate, a hamster, objects, the weather, other people…. And for themselves. They arbitrarily entertain the expectations and make the candies without even getting a nod from the one they have their hopes on, and won’t even eat their candies themselves! Because they know that their own candies taste awful. So iiiiinstead! They put them in the mouths of others. More expectations means more foul-smelling candies~ They hold those balls of stench in their arms, looking to shove them in someone else’s stomach!
Tiphereth: Then… How is one supposed to live a life without any expectations?
Oswald: Did a blade of grass ask for you to have them? Did the gentle sun allow you to have them? Who in the world told you it’s right to hold expectations? Hahaha! That tingles my mouth almost as much as a celery leaf does! Oh how hilarious!!! When you don’t hold expectations~ You get to see more eyesores! When you don’t have anger, you get to enjoy more zeister and bitterer flavors~ Treat everything like a rolling ball! You cheer for it wherever the sphere decides to go! If you truly wish for the good of other people, why don’t you stop holding expectations… and just laugh with them at their side? Everyone who lives here is a clown! Clowns can’t survive without feeding on each other’s smiles, you see?
Tiphereth: ...I see your point. You’re right. Holding expectations for someone isn’t always a good thing for them. While I can’t fully agree with your opinion, I admit that there are parts that I can’t completely disregard.
Oswald: Ohohoh! I just want to make a world full of laughter! One where everybody can laugh without care!!! Frowny faces are just too scary~
Tiphereth: However, to hold expectations is to trust that person. You’re simply running away from failing to meet the expectations of others.
Oswald: Haha! Hahaha! Am I? Is it a crime to wish for happiness?! Since when was it a bad thing to wish for a world where all people can laugh? Hmph, whatever! I guess we have different kinds of laughter we want to display in our shows as performers! You’re no different from us folks in that you run a show hoping to make people smile the smile you want to see! Let’s begin the performance to make another clown laugh!!! That’s enough introduction… Shall we begin playing on the tongue now? Hahaha!
Tiphereth: Yeah. In your own language, we have to fight to protect the stages we stand on.

Gebura vs L'heure de Loup

Tanya: Well, hey... You've got the same kinda scent as me, huh?
Gebura: You should get your nose checked, then. One is a slaughter-crazed wolf, and the other is a hunter tracking it down.
Tanya: You got a ragtag band of dummies to fight me, eh...? Do I look like a joke to you or what. Still, the highlight of the match is the woman who was once called the Red Mist... This oughta be fun.
Gebura: Everyone I meet keeps bringing up that title. Aren't you tired of putting me on a pedestal at this point?
Tanya: No way, hun. People'll be shocked to learn that the great legend is doing menial labor in a place like this. How's your inhuman strength doing these days? I only heard stories 'bout it, so I've been itching to see it in action...
Gebura: Is strength the only thing you value?
Tanya: Yup. No reason not to bow down to folks who’re stronger than you.
Gebura: What do you think people who lack such strength should do, then?
Tanya: The weak—they gotta find ways to survive on their own. You obey the strong, or you get killed by ‘em… Either or. Someone will keep you safe if you serve ‘em like a good little pup.
Gebura: There won’t be an end to a struggle fought with physical strength. It’ll be a constant series of gory battles… Even the victor can't be at ease in such a world. Those who act in their own interests can lose everything by the same means at anytime. Is it really right to possess strength if it's only used to take from others?
Tanya: Ehey, why see that as stealing, gal? This is just how the world is, and the ones best adapted to it come out on top, simple as that. Adapt or die. If you can't, you either become food or fall behind until you're wiped out. The so-called apex predators are the creatures best fit to survive in this ecosystem, ain't that the truth? That's how humans have always lived, so why make a big fuss about it now? Strength is the most honest and clear way to express yourself. I prove that I'm stronger than you, and that's it. No tricks or lies involved. I want a world where power means everything. And that's why I'm helping mister orchestrator. Oh, I guess you've got your own reasons and causes to bring up as well. For the sake of others, making the world peaceful, or whatevs... Not like I wanna hear 'em. You prolly looked at all the people hopelessly dying n' wanted to do something for 'em out of pity or anxiety, but the truth is, the City folks were doing fine without ya. You didn't seriously expect everyone in the City to gladly take the gift you forcibly handed to 'em and hear thanks, didja? And look at you now, ruining the daily lives of innocent people to resume your plan...
Gebura: It's true, we can't glorify what we've done as deeds for the people, I know that. I'm not entirely proud of our actions. That's what I've been ruminating on. I suppose it's not something you need to know, though. We simply need to do what suits where we stand.
Tanya: Yup. Both you and I are doing this for our own satisfaction n' desires. And that's about it. Claiming to stand for a higher cause is just an excuse.
Gebura: We both have things we have to protect or take.
Tanya: If you got it, let's get this started.

Chesed vs The Puppeteer

Jae-heon: What a marvelous sight. This looks like a perfect place to get sentimental over.
Chesed: Hello there~ As much as I’d like to treat you to a cup of coffee, the circumstances say otherwise… What a shame~
Jae-heon: I don’t believe said circumstances are relaxed enough for such jokes, either… You’re being quite tender. Do you always tend to be that soft?
Chesed: If we can’t avoid facing each other, there’s no need to make it more tense than necessary, now is there? Though I do often hear that I’m carefree~
Jae-heon: Don’t make me laugh. Is that supposed to be a humble brag?
Puppet Angelica: ...
Chesed: ...
Jae-heon: Would you like me to introduce her?
Chesed: No need~ I’ve got the gist of what’s going on. …This puppet was made after that person, wasn’t it~?
Jae-heon: It’s a gorgeous piece of work, if I do say so myself. I’d even dare say that it’s my magnum opus.
Chesed: In terms of appearance?
Jae-heon: If I had to pick, that wouldn’t be it. I’m not the sort of man that finds beauty in shapes put together in an arbitrary fashion. Even if a puppet were as beautiful as a master’s sculpture, I wouldn’t love its look in itself. They’re neither disgusting… nor attractive to me. They simply are. I have no particular feelings about how they look.
Chesed: What do you make your puppets for, then?
Jae-heon: The thoughts and emotions I hold when I craft them… A resentment towards the City for driving me to this desperation, and a blind anger for the rich. A glimpse of hope that I can bring back my precious son whose life they took. Bitterness, and… a yearning for vengeance toward Roland, the man who rid me of that hope and pushed me to despair. I wrap the emotions I couldn’t outwardly express in a human string and shape them. I take out the useless chunks of meat… and fill their insides with the emotional baggage I’m carrying. I can breathe easy after I indulge in my craft… That’s when I feel alive at last. Do you see how dear the puppets are to me now?
Chesed: Stuffing your emotions in them, huh… I don’t understand it, but I won’t bother giving my thoughts on it~ I’m still not very happy about what you did to Roland, though.
Jae-heon: He robbed me of a person I cherish… so I gave him the same treatment.
Chesed: You said he burned down your whole lab, yeah?
Jae-heon: Yes. My son was lost in that fire, not a piece of him left to salvage. …Are you trying to express sympathy for me?
Chesed: Nah~ We aren’t close enough to worry for each other. I was just curious~ I wanted to know if vengeance was your only goal in coming here.
Jae-heon: Although we have minor differences, all the members of our ensemble strive to reach the same place. Vengeance pointed at Roland was only an intersection we happened to come across on our way to it. It was never at the center of my motive. Well, thanks to him, I won’t have any regrets making my way through.
Chesed: It’s tragic that we all have our own little stories, isn’t it? We can’t be free of guilt no matter what we do.
Jae-heon: That’s precisely why one has to focus solely on what they want to do.
Chesed: I too wish for a world in which individuals are free to express the flavors they want to exude~ But, is that freedom really the kind that frees one from all responsibility of what they do?
Jae-heon: People who want to live for others can’t take a step forward themselves. There’s a limitless range of dreams individuals want to bring out. And you must know that the possibility of pursuing your own freedom while you consider everyone else is nothing short of a myth. If one were to take into consideration the width of the potential each person has… …Never mind, that’s for you to think about. After all, that’s not the kind of world I want to see. I’m not here for a leisurely debate, so let’s get to business now.
Chesed: Yeah~ That is a good point. Well then, fellows. As usual… let’s receive our guests.

Binah vs Blood-red Night

Elena: This place feels like a whole ‘nother world.
Binah: I bid you welcome, unfamiliar child.
Elena: Ah, you can skip the introductions. I heard enough about your kind and what you do here. The power to manifest a physical space… I’d almost believe it if someone said this was a Singularity. A space full of stars… Like the ones shining over the City, huh…
Binah: I would like to hear what you think of the stars. They say stars are like a compass on the sky that gives guidance to people. In that case, are the Stars of the City guiding lights dictating where the City should go… or are they representations of the City itself? Are these stars shining over the City, or is the City reflected in them…?
Elena: Does that matter? They’re forced interpretations attached to them either way. To me, a star is nothing more than a dot on the sky. And they give off a forbidding impression like they’re looking down upon us from the highest post…
Binah: That’s what a star means to you, I see.
Elena: Many alluring tales are told of stars, but when you observe one up close, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Isn’t that what a star is? I have no interest in such pathetic things. I didn’t rise to a Star because I wanted to.
Binah: Perhaps most beings who have become stars did so simply by following their wants, much like you did.
Elena: You’re right. I only did what I wanted to do, walking along a dry trail. We simply quenched our desires just like your kind always do, yet they feared us to an unreasonable degree. “Bloodfiends”. “Blood-red Night”… Those names plainly show how they perceive us. Even though they know that we’re fundamentally humans like them. But I suppose there’s no use in complaining about it at this point.
Binah: Then, I must wonder how you felt when you craved for human blood if you still consider yourself one.
Elena: Feelings? I just kill and be done with it. I’ve got to do something to slake this searing desire that gradually grows stronger. Ah, I guess I wasn’t always like this. At first, for myself… I bit into the flesh of other humans and drank their blood for my own sake. The severe thirst was one thing, but there was also something I wanted to know. Have I become a beast that must feed on human blood like the others… Or am I just being a pathetic runaway, escaping from reality? Or, am I a mere human who has gone insane from the fiendish circumstances and twisted desires? I would continually ask myself that question as I chewed on their flesh. What could be the reason? Maybe I was desperate to convince myself. I used to be an ordinary human being living an ordinary life, after all. Eventually, I found myself looking for a conclusion for a matter that won’t have one. I guess I still had a grip on my sanity at that time. Even as I shoved bits of flesh in my mouth from the irresistible thirst, I constantly questioned myself, telling myself that this was wrong. Well, it’s all a story of the past. It’s funny to look back on those times.
Binah: Are you amused by the image of your past self seeking an answer for a question that has none?
Elena: I doubt your kind would’ve viewed us any differently even if I continued to think about it. I don’t expect your kind to take a sudden shift and change your views on us or anything. If they want to live their lives as they see fit, then they won’t stop me from doing the same. Think about it. We can’t roam the street in peace; we’re forced to live in the darkness. What sins have we committed to deserve this treatment? Why must we suffer to ensure that your kind lives a painless life? We’re humans just like you. We just look a bit different. Seeing your kind lavishly pursue your desires while we’re left in the dark… It’s only natural for me to feel indignant, isn’t it? If they won’t reconsider how they see us no matter what we do, we’ll gladly stop holding back and live as we like.
Binah: That is an intriguing tale.
Elena: Intriguing? Ah, whatever… If that’s how you wanna take it. What you think or what kind of world you want to make are all irrelevant to me anyway, no?
Binah: You would be right. Now is the time to fight for where you stand. Be prepared.

Hokma vs Yesterday's Promise

Hokma: Greetings. I am Hokma… I am the librarian who guards this floor.
Pluto: You are quite the polite gentleman. This was unexpected from the Library that was rumored to be brutal. Not to mention, this place also has a… rather quiet and moody atmosphere. Not bad. The silence and emptiness makes it hard for one to believe that the macabre atrocity of turning people into books has taken place here on multiple occasions. …May I ask who the people behind you are?
Hokma: They’re the assistant librarians who shall aid me in receiving you warmly. You may introduce yourselves to each other.
Pluto: But of course. My name is Pluto. …I believe this was a floor dedicated to the topic of religion. What is religion in your view, if I may ask?
Hokma: What could it be. I would say that it is what one firmly believes in, and a state of mind that gives motivation and significance to their deeds.
Pluto: Is the power of a belief really limited to endowing one with such a mindset? Doing deeds for the good of this world doesn’t inherently make one a good person, and neither does committing a bad deed make one evil. Even if one performs misdeeds, they can be a virtuous person, and can be forgiven for anything… I’d argue that belief and religion are what enables one to think that everything they conceive and accept is right. In that context, faith in religion has to be a truly selfish and cruel concept.
Hokma: I suppose your statement isn’t entirely incorrect.
Pluto: Do you agree with it?
Hokma: I could say it is true that an unsteady and crumbled mind is prone to absorb improper beliefs.
Pluto: Unsteady, you say…
Hokma: …Do you have anyone or anything you believe in?
Pluto: I cannot say for sure. I tend not to place faith in what I cannot see. In fact, I cannot be entirely certain of if I am here in reality or in a dream, or if I am actually looking at you or not. I even question the fact that I am here, standing on my own two feet. After all, it may be a mere product of an illusion. Humans can fool their own senses; how can I believe in what does not exist, let alone worship it? That would be akin to sensing coldness upon touching a hot object, and vice versa. For instance, what if… there was a deceptive entity that masks one’s perception of the world with falsehood?
Hokma: Regardless of the reality, if one perceives it in a certain way, that would become an undeniable truth. Even if it turns out to be false, the fact that one believes it to be the truth at the moment… remains stalwart. To believe in something, one must believe in themselves and their view on it.
Pluto: You’re speaking specious words. I only realized that day that I cannot blindly trust what my eyes show me. In that moment of the past, I was made a fool. The shallow promise that our safety would be secured… The thin piece of contract is what cost me everything. Had he not saved me, I might have drowned myself in resentment toward the whole world… and met my end.
Hokma: …
Pluto: And now, I plan to take the path he intends to open. If I had to state one thing I believe in… It would be Sir Argalia and the new world he shall create.
Hokma: Let me ask you what makes you put faith in him.
Pluto: If I can close my eyes and open them again to a new world forever devoid of lies… I will readily believe in him. And I hope you will come to appreciate the City when it becomes such a place.
Hokma: I will refrain from stating my assessments. My opinion matters little to you, after all.
Pluto: Well, if you say so. In that case… be prepared.

Roland vs The Blue Reverberation

Argalia: Come on, Roland. Are you really going to keep your mouth shut before me?
Roland: What do you wanna hear? We both know each other’s goals.
Argalia: You aren’t still being oversensitive because we hurt Angela’s feelings, are you? Of course you aren’t. You’re just mad because a wrench was thrown into your oh-so perfect plan.
Roland: Rich coming from the man pulling this shit…
Argalia: I wonder what you’re implying by “this”… Something wrongful? See, I can’t understand the distinction between right and wrong… The “right things” are ingrained into human beings in the name of common sense, hindering their progress and making them live unhappy lives.
Roland: …What horseshit are you spewing this time.
Argalia: You know, what they often call “definitions”. Why does time flow in one direction? That’s because you think time has to flow one way. Why is that the right thing? What makes something “right”… Why do we have to bother deciding what’s right? Maybe, it’s because there’s an entity that drew those lines so we can’t progress any further… Why is the concept of “rightness” trying to restrain human desires? Why is it impeding our advancement? Are the questions I asked. I raised these questions, and worked out an answer shortly after. And now… I’m going to announce it to all of the City.
Roland: So let me get this straight; you’re rambling that it’s possible to go back in time and shit if that mold is broken? You’re wasting your life on useless ideas.
Argalia: No. It will be possible. You just can’t get out of the mold because you’re firmly holding onto it, doubting the possibility. Without this mold, our ascent will reach infinite heights. This is no hypothesis, it’s a fact that can be proven. Having realized that, our ensemble now stands before you like this.
Roland: You talk big, but you just wanna get rid of the pain you’re carrying in truth, am I wrong? You want to crush me, the City, and most of all Angela for taking Angelica’s life.
Argalia: Hahaha… Do you think I’m like you? You might have seen through one thing, but you can’t see further than that. I’m not planning to return my suffering in full. Ah, I won’t deny all of it, though. Perhaps I did think of doing it at first. My only light was taken from me twice… For a brief moment… I felt all kinds of emotions before that piano. Despair, obsession, rage, sorrow… But, it took no time for those feelings to dissipate into nothing. Everything… yes. Everything seemed beautiful afterwards. Was it truly a tragedy that I lost her? Who defined it as tragedy? Roland, you may still be blinded by wrath, but I made the decision that I will care not about those feelings anymore.
Roland: As if. You’re clinging onto the justification that it’s for Angelica’s sake even now…
Argalia: That’s not it, Roland… I’m going to send off Angelica with this performance. I won’t be going on an unsightly rampage, unlike a certain someone. That Angelica can justify the pursuit of an ambition tainted by unclean desires is just a dreadful excuse now.
Roland: If you realized that, why don’t you also drop the excuse about this being her dirge or whatever!
Argalia: Humans can be so finicky, no? That’s why I’m preparing this performance. This performance will be my final enlightenment, and I’ll share it with everyone at the same time. Moreover, this dirge will be the last thing I do for Angelica.
Roland: I still have no idea what you’re saying. I guess your bullshittery levels are off the charts for me, huh?
Argalia: The existence of things we cannot understand is what makes life fun. I’ll continue to chase after what lies beyond my understanding after this. Which means I’m going to wield the power to ceaselessly move forward. To do that… I’ll have to take the power you’re keeping in your storage into my own two hands, isn’t that right?
Roland: ...
Argalia: …Let’s end our affectionate conversation here.
Roland: ...
Argalia: Haha. You’re still keeping those gloves… How putrid.
Roland: ...Shut up.