Laxi's Plea

Campaign: Chaos in the Capital

Chapter 14 / 4-2

Laxi's Plea

Previous Quest

Unlit Corridors

Next Quest

To the Demon's Throne

Summary

A trap set by the Other has the party in a tight spot. Though Mascula had closed off his heart, Laxi awakens him in hopes of a resolution. With new resolve, the pair manages to activate a new mode called Eden, which they use to free the group from its predicament.

Dialogue

*pant* You okay, Euden? Wanna maybe take five? Good idea. It's still a little ways to the throne room, so we should rest up while we have the chance. This place really takes me back. I remember how Zethia and I... Huh? Z-Zethia?! Euden?! What's wrong?! Zethia passed by just now! She went into that room!

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You sure about that, boss? I mean, she's still possessed by the Other, yeah? No, it was definitely her. I know it was. But where did she... Ah! ...Zethia? Is that really you? ......  ! Dammit! I KNEW this was a trap! Not good. Everyone, out of the room now! The door won't open! Everybody back away from the miasma and... Urgh! This is a tight spot indeed... I'm feeling pretty wobbly over here, guys... Th-this is my fault... We have to...fight... This miasma appears to only affect humanoid life forms. I can still fight. Laxi! I am a combat android. I am a weapon. I protect life, bring peace, and deter war. It cannot end here. I will not let it end. I wish for peace! J-just go, Laxi... Find a way to escape... Denied. I will fight until I break. It is still possible for everyone to survive. But to do that...I need Mascula. Rendering depiction of psychological abstraction now. Wh-what are you...? I'm entering our heart...to search for Mascula.

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▷......◁ Target located. Mascula, everyone is in danger. I seek your aid. ▷I can't do it anymore. I can't go out there.◁ If you don't go now, there will be no peace. Please help. ▷I can't. I don't want to see any more death or pain.◁ ▷If not for me, all of our siblings would still be alive.◁ ▷I could be the cause of more pain and death in the future... And I can't take that. I just can't!◁ ▷Please, just...leave me.◁ Pull yourself together! ▷Laxi...?◁ I thought your heart was more advanced than mine. That you were closer to being human. I envied you. ▷You...envied me?◁ But I was mistaken. I understand our lost siblings' hearts better than you. Our previous Maestro wrote in our hearts that death was something painful and frightening. Our android siblings shared that concept of death, yet charged toward the magical field emitter regardless. Do you not understand their hearts? Their powerful yearning for peace? You must. I say it again, Mascula: Help me. Please. ▷Oh, Laxi. I'm so sorry. All I ever do is let myself get hurt, which means you end up doing all the fighting.◁ Apologies and explanations are not required. Right now, we must prioritize rescuing the others. ▷Okay, but how am I supposed to help? Even now, I still abhor fighting.◁ You can lend me your heart. Join with me now.

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There's no time. Commencing operation. All limiters released. Activating annihilation mode. ▷Laxi, no! You're doing THAT?!◁ I leave the rest to you, Mascula... Hostile targets locked. Commencing termination.

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Wait. This seems...familiar. It's the same mode she used when she went berserk that one time! So she might ATTACK us right now?! Right now, she seems to be concentrating her immense power on the fiends. But... Targets confirmed. Continuing termination. Ready yourselves! She comes for us! ▷Seizing control! Changing targets!◁ Target changed. She is refocusing her attacks on the fiends! ▷Laxi! Three fiends to your left!◁ Commencing attack. It's Mascula! He's guiding the assault! So now she can actually control who she goes after in her berserker state? Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! While welcome news for us, it does not change the fact she is outnumbered. If only we could MOVE! ▷Annihilation mode is a double-edged sword, but I see no other option!◁ ▷What?! Something is flowing into my head... No, into my heart.◁ ▷A new mode accessible from annihilation mode?! What is this for?!◁ ▷This is our only choice. Do it, Laxi!◁ Mode change initiated.

Activating Eden mode. Laxi's appearance is changing! She is absorbing all of the surrounding mana and giving it form, just like the mana kiln we found back in Lake Reeve! ▷I've never felt such power inside us! But if this continues, Laxi's body will...◁ ▷Laxi, you've got thirty seconds until our core temperature reaches critical levels, so whatever you're gonna do, do it now!◁ Initiating...enemy...destruction! Calculating remaining enemy targets... Calibrating optimum route... Operation commencing! ▷Critical temperature levels in five... four...three... Initiating forced shutdown of Eden mode!◁ Disengaged. Shifting to standard mode. By Ilia... She destroyed every last one of the fiends. ▷Sorry if I shocked you, everyone. But I'm all right now.◁ Mascula! I knew it was you! You're back! ▷I'm sorry to have worried you.◁ We're all happy to have you back, but what just happened? Your arms and legs changed... I had an idea that if Mascula was present, he could exert an artificial control over annihilation mode. ▷And once that worked, we discovered there was a second mode BEYOND annihilation mode—one we didn't even know about.◁ Which explains how you looked. Annihilation mode can't be controlled. That means mode changing from annihilation mode should be impossible. ▷It's as if he knew our hearts would one day become one. But how...?◁ Ya won't catch me lookin' that gift horse in the mouth. You were always one'a our toughest allies, and now yer even stronger! Sounds like a win in my book. Yeah, well, I don't care about any of that. Are YOU okay with this, Mascula? You've never wanted to fight, and if you're controlling Laxi's body, isn't that the same as doing it yourself? ▷Heh. You're a good friend to be worried about me, Luca.◁ ▷And you're right—I hate fighting and I don't want to do it. So I'm going to keep searching for a path where I have to battle as little as possible.◁ ▷But I'm not going to run anymore. From fighting...or myself.◁ I appreciate your conviction, Mascula. It's very reassuring. All right, everyone! It's time to hit that throne room and take down Morsayati! FOR NEW ALBERIA!