Crossbell Times (Azure)/Issue 7

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> **Crossbell Times - Issue 7**
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> [Breaking News] Crossbell City Raided!
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> Just as night fell, we here at the CNS heard something surprising: the sound of gunfire. Crossbell City was being raided by jaegers. Fires raged, and we were held captive.
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> Now that dawn has come, we will do our best to retell all that transpired and shed light on the many wounds our great city has suffered.
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>     The large bell that stood in Central Square, a symbol of Crossbell itself, was stolen by the raiders. Their motives for doing so are currently unknown.
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> ◆Tragedy Strikes Arc en Ciel◆
>     The raiders stormed the theater during the group's first showing of its encore performance and let loose haphazard machine gunfire. Many were injured. Amidst the turmoil, the grand chandelier was cut down and pinned Ilya Platiere beneath it. Her wounds were critical, and she was rushed to St. Ursula Medical College to receive emergency surgery. Until new information becomes available, her current status is unknown.
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> The Arc en Ciel theater is now off-limits to the public.
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> ◆Rampage of the Downtown 'Demon'◆
> A giant monster appeared downtown and destroyed several buildings. Local Crossbellans sustained both minor and major injuries. The 'demon'--believed to be associated with the raiders--roared so loudly that it could be heard from Central Square and Station Street.
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> ◆Explosion at CPD Headquarters◆
>    The militia also attacked the CPD's headquarters, destroying the security shutters and blowing up the lobby. Experts believe this to have been a preemptive attack meant to slow the police's response to the raid. In the aftermath, nearly the entire city was overtaken by the raiders. They engaged in firefights, committed arson, and demolished a trading company's office in the Harbor District.
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> ◆IBC Building Destroyed in Explosion◆
>      The IBC headquarters, one of the most cutting-edge buildings in the city, has been gutted by a series of osions. Due to the IBC's importance to both the people of Crossbell and the international economy at large, many are distressed over its destruction.
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> ◆Attackers Repelled From Orchis Tower◆
>      It is highly likely that the raiders' primary target was the heart of Crossbell's government, Orchis Tower. An estimated half of their forces attempted to seize it, and the fighting is said to have been more intense than elsewhere in the city. Luckily, A-rank bracer, Arios MacLaine, happened to be present and cooperated with the police to drive back the raiders after hours of nonstop combat. The tower's plaza remains inaccessible, but officials state all administrative functions will be restored in the next few days.
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> ◆A Message to All Crossbellans and Our Neighbors◆
> As the sun appeared over the horizon, the raiders vanished to Goddess knows where. Though the perpetrators are gone, the wounds they left behind remain. Crossbell has suffered because of a militant force who perpetrated acts of wanton violence with no clear motive or objective. We here at the Crossbell News Service cannot help but feel intense anger at this irrational chain of events.
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> I would like to take a moment to pray for the brave CGF and CPD members who lost their lives in the conflict. My deepest sympathies go out to the injured and those who otherwise experienced loss.
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> Additionally, I would like to thank everyone involved in bringing this conflict to a close. Even if it was beyond their abilities, there were those who--without hesitation-- helped to evacuate other citizens even as their homes burned around them. These brave heroes deserve the highest praise someone like me can bestow upon them.
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> Crossbell has been battered and bruised. However, I believe that we can recover. To all Crossbellans and our closest neighbors: I beg of you all, please pray for peace to return to this land of ours.
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> (Senior Writing Staff)
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