Harran/Story

Spoilers!*"Your greatest villain Drake shall warn you, SPOILERS AHEAD!"*The following article or section contain **spoilers!** Viewer discretion is advised.

Overview**Story**VoicelinesGallery

## Behind the Scenes

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Song Ha-rim

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Natalie Van Sistine

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Sayaka Ohara

## Profile

As a member of Inherit, Harran also wanders the surface, fighting off Raptures, but for her own interests rather than something grand like "duty to humanity". Harran's belief is one of survival of the fittest; the strong can live as they please, whilst the weak can only try to curry favor from the strong. Fancying herself a "predator", Harran stalks the lands in search of things to further her beauty, being incredibly absorbed in polishing her own radiance. In fact, one way to curry her favor is to acknowledge and exult her beauty, and follow her orders with little complaint.

A number of Harran's brews, be it food or cosmetic, seem to be derived from ancient texts of witchcraft.

### Nikke Backstory

A charming necromancer from Inherit who relishes her role as an apex predator on the surface. She uses a large scythe and mechanical crows to fight.

## Story

### Main Story

#### Chapter 19

Harran and the rest of Inherit incapacitate Counters in order to claim the Vapaus located inside a weapons refinery. Taking an interest in the protagonist, she decides to save him after her commander Johan tosses him outside for the Raptures. She formally introduces herself as a Nikke working for Eden, a paradise on the surface where humans and Nikkes coexist as equals. She offers to escort him to Eden, and despite reservations regarding Johan and the state of Counters, he decides to follow rather than risk it as a lone human.

Harran is strong enough to easily dispatch the Raptures by herself, leading the protagonist to wonder if Johan is a strong as she is. Harran believes the beating he gave the protagonist earlier is proof enough, explaining that Johan traded the weaknesses of flesh for cybernetics and augmentations. She continues that Johan is nigh-obsessed with reclaiming the surface, and subjecting himself to cybernetic surgery was merely another means to his end-goal.

Harran then takes the conversation unto a different tack, poking at the protagonist's motives for Vapaus. She ponders what he'd do if a Heretic went on to threaten the Ark because he chose to use Vapaus to free Nikkes rather than kill Heretics. He answers that he'd risk it all, even his own life. Harran clicks her tongue, regarding the value of human life as nonexistent.

Arriving at another desolate ruin, Harran tells the protagonist they've arrived at their destination. Obviously, it's not Eden, but Harran's intent is to give a test to the protagonist to prove himself worthy of paradise. Turns out the earlier conversation was an attempt to decipher the protagonist's character, but found his response about giving his life to be...insufficiently enlightening. As such, she intends to run him through a trial, one that will push him to the limits of life, and perhaps beyond it, should he be found wanting. As a Rapture alarm wails through the ruins, Harran readies for combat, intending for her first test to be one of the protagonist's skills as a commander.

The Raptures dead, Harran commends the protagonist on passing the first test. For her next test, she spreads particles around the area that revive the fallen Raptures, looking over them for some nebulous criteria. Noting that perhaps the test will be *too* difficult like this, Harran has her crows fling more particles around, slowing the Raptures' movements. The protagonist is less-than-happy to try and fight Raptures by himself, but Harran wants him to prove his self-sufficiency. Eden is a paradise where humans and Nikkes coexist, it has no room for parasites who would sit safely in the back and leave everything to the Nikkes, even if it's just a Rapture teetering on the brink of death.

The protagonist levels a gun at the Raptures, all too aware that any weapon a normal human can use would be ineffective against Raptures, even ones close to destruction. In a moment of foresight, Harran leaves a bunch of items she packed for such an occasion, and lets the Raptures loose as she departs to observe the test from afar.

The next four hours, Harran watches the protagonist use the various tools to narrowly survive the Rapture attacks. Bemoaning how long this is taking, Harran decides to go make some essences and check back later.

Another five hours later, and Harran has finished making her essences, impressed to see the protagonist still persevering. But that impressed feeling soon passes, and seeing the protagonist continue to struggle against such "paltry" foes, Harran leaves to make some witch's brew.

The morning after the trial's commencement. Both the Raptures and the protagonist stare each other down. Neither side is in any shape or bearing any tools for an offensive. Harran sneers at this stalemate, offering some of the brew she made to her crow.

The trial finally concludes at noon. Neither the protagonist nor the Raptures are moving, still as the grave. The Raptures give one last cry as Harran executes them, their role carried out satisfactorily. Noting the protagonist's immobility, she ponders how even willpower falters before the flesh's limits, and readies to end the man mercifully before noticing he's passed out while standing up, of all things. Given how he managed to survive, Harran considers the trial passed.

The protagonist comes to some time later, having been watched over by Harran. She congratulates him for passing the test, and ushers him off to Eden.

#### Chapter 20

Harran and Inherit join the protagonist and Counters in the mission to eliminate the Heretic Nihilister. The two squads...eventually...learn to cooperate, but due to the intervention of the Heretic Liberalio, they fail to eliminate Nihilister.

### Character Story

#### Episode 1 - The Laws of Nature

The protagonist awakens to the wind's rustle, the fire's crackle, and the cawing of crows. Bolting upright, he finds himself in the presence of Harran, who briefly jests that had he died, his corpse would've made a fine meal for her crow.

Based on what she tells the protagonist, Harran was scavenging the surface when she found the man facedown in the dirt, presumably on a mission going by the equipment he's carrying. The sight makes Harran's gaze harden, the Pilgrim muttering that nothing's changed.

The Inherit Pilgrim redirects the conversation, subtly demanding the protagonist thank her for the rescue. He does so, and after a moment to talking about how precious her time is, Harran tries to shoo the protagonist on his way, only for him to plead for her protection. Harran's gaze hardens again as she lays down the law of nature; either learn to survive on your own, die, or degrade yourself begging others for succor. As such, she demands some form of compensation in exchange for saving him, and more if he wants her escort.

The protagonist asks Harran what she wants, which she claims is just a few errands she needs to run, and so long as he loyally follows and serves, she *might* take him back to the Ark. Given how it may take upwards of a month to gather all the things she needs, the protagonist considers going about his way, only for his attempts to contact Counters to fail. After considering the idea that he's stuck in a communications deadzone, the protagonist looks around and spies Raptures, far too many for him to even consider sneaking by.

Looking towards the glaring Harran, the protagonist pleads for her assistance. She gestures to some luggage nearby, and he picks them up before following his newfound protector elsewhere.

#### Episode 2 - The Red Lizard

Following Harran through the desert, the protagonist trudges for hours on end with the Pilgrim's luggage in tow. Harran herself is impressed that the protagonist has yet to utter one complaint this entire trip, but they both know he needs to remain in her good graces if he wants to stay alive out here. Harran tells the protagonist they're nearly at their destination, and elaborates that since the desert weather has done a number on her hair, she's hunting ingredients to make conditioner. Ignoring the protagonist's bewilderment, Harran urges him to keep moving.

Wordlessly, the protagonist follows Harran to where she claims the ingredients are located. Seeing only rocks and sand, and remarking as such, Harran sighs at the man's lack of lateral thinking. She elaborates that her conditioner is made with the tail of a red lizard, peacock feathers, moonlight butterfly wings, and blue cactus thorns. It sounds like occult witchcraft to the protagonist, but Harran quickly shuts down any backtalk, ordering him to retrieve the ingredients. She tells him to check under the rocks for lizards, and hops on a boulder to relax as her crow hides the man's presence from Raptures.

The protagonist didn't think lizard catching would be easy, and given how it took him the whole night to fill a bucket with lizards, it certainly wasn't. Harran compliments him on the haul, noting that there will be enough leftover for other recipes. The Pilgrim is about to carry on to the next ingredient, but a loud rumbling reports from the protagonist's stomach. Admitting that she put him through a lot, Harran has the protagonist rest while she whips up some food for him using the lizards. The protagonist is understandably reserved about eating lizards, but the alternative is Harran not giving him *any* food, so lizards will have to do.

With a recipe whose ingredients sound more like potion reagents, Harran's pot bubbles ominously as she splashes lizard tails in. She hands a bowl of soup to the protagonist, with a lizard tail still wriggling inside. Briefly reconsidering his choices, then re-reconsidering displeasing Harran *and* going hungry, the protagonist takes a tentative sip. The protagonist jolts as the soup...tastes good? Additional sips prove that wasn't a fluke, this strange purple soup made with *lizard tails* of all things is delicious, and he tells Harran such. The Pilgrim preens at the compliment, claiming an apex predator like her eats for taste, not just survival, and will treat her guests to the same.

After narrowly dodging another bullet regarding presentation, the protagonist asks if this is an original recipe. Harran dubs this "Witch Soup", a product of her studying ancient texts from witches of antiquity. The protagonist is somewhat skeptical, but Harran asserts that these witches' records were the key to her survival, and the compass leading to many of her creations. She questions if the protagonist can say witchcraft is a fiction, when the proof is right in hands and has entered his mouth. She laughs off his bemusement, and tells him to simply eat. Watching the protagonist feast on the soup with gusto, Harran can help but notice how...nice..it feels to have a follower like this...

#### Episode 3 - Accustomed

With the red lizard quota met, the next stretch of time has been spent collecting the other ingredients. From scrambling up trees for peacock nests to carefully extracting thorns from poisonous (but not really) cacti. Amidst the time spent with Harran, the protagonist realizes he hasn't contacted the Outpost in days. He tries to use his CombiLink to contact Counters, but there's still no signal.

Noticing Harran's subtle requests every time she complains, the protagonist gives her exactly what she needs each time, a feat that impresses the Pilgrim by how someone besides her crow could bring her this much satisfaction. She hands him a butterfly night so he can snag the last ingredient, and with the promise of Witch Soup for dinner, the protagonist swings the net, his mind awash with thoughts of going back to the Ark.

Another night, another feast of Witch Soup. Harran praises the protagonist for his hard work, but the man is too caught up in thoughts to really respond. After Harran prompts him to speak his mind, he asks the big question. If Harran has all the ingredients she needs for conditioner, and he's stayed on her good side this whole time, shouldn't she take him back to the Ark as they agreed?

Harran's eyes become all too icy as she wonders where this came from. She thought that with how he'd never touched his CombiLink the past few days, he'd given up on going back. Her words are filled with unspoken accusations, implying he's only ever thought about how to escape from her. Harran seemingly accepts bringing the protagonist back to the Ark, after one last ingredient is retrieved. A Star Flower for a recipe just for him, and she'll take him back to the Ark.

#### Episode 4 - Star Flower

Atop a building, Harran points to a building on the other side of the crevasse, where the Star Flower awaits. The protagonist looks over the gap between him and the flower. It's vast enough to require a full-power jump to cross, and if he bungles it, then it's a 10-story drop to a pit teeming with Raptures. The protagonist tries to go to ground and climb the buildings instead, but Harran shuts that down by telling him her crow won't be able to go with him, meaning he'd have to sneak by all those ground-based Raptures himself.

The protagonist wonders if Harran really *will* take him back to the Ark after he gets the flower, a deal Harran asserts she will abide. To her, going back on your word, betraying others, lying for your own benefit? Those are what *humans* do. It's what they did to witches, and what they do now to Nikkes. Tiring of this dithering, Harran gives an ultimatum; either the protagonist gets the flower in 30 minutes and gets to go back to the Ark, or he doesn't, and becomes her follower for eternity.

Harran steps back to watch, and the protagonist ponders how much of a running start he needs to make the jump. With about 5-10 steps back, he has just enough strength to make it across. Plucking a Star Flower, the protagonist sets up another running start, but slips a little before the jump, barely managing to grab a rail on the building. Harran looks down on the protagonist and asks if he can pull himself up. Seeing that he cannot, Harran asks the man if he wants her to save him, though warning him that would mean forfeiting the trial, and any hope of going back to the Ark. In response to her choices, the protagonist refuses to die, nor will he plead to her for salvation. Harran steps back from the rail, declaring that if he's going to leave her, it'd be much better if he just died.

As Harran repeats her choices of life or death, the protagonist thinks to himself. Dying here is unacceptable, but so is continuing to live on the surface like this. With trembling arms, he tries to pull himself up, but he's lost too much strength dangling for so long. Harran watches her follower in disbelief, wondering what could *possibly* drive someone to go back to that viper's nest called the Ark? The protagonist proclaims he has something he must do there, but slips as he apologizes to Harran. In that moment, Harran grabs his hand and throws him onto the rooftop.

The protagonist hands the Star Flower over, thanking Harran for saving his life, and also apologizing for having to leave her. With a slight flush, Harran bemoans what she was thinking when she chose the protagonist as her follower, but a deal's a deal. She will safely escort him back to the Ark, as promised

#### Episode 5 - Behold, A Witch

Raptures prowl the road ahead, but Harran nudges the protagonist forth anyway, to where an elevator will lead him back to the Ark. The protagonist is uncertain about his chances with the Raptures, but Harran categorically refuses to be anywhere near the Ark, so the protagonist decides to try his luck. The Pilgrim is taken aback by this seemingly reckless action, expecting him to beg her for help, but this same foolhardy determination is what drew her in, so she supposes she can lend some aid.

Pulling out a bottle, Harran sprays the conditioner made from the protagonist's ingredients into her hair. Bidding the protagonist step back and watch, Harran recalls her crow, deactivating its presence concealment, and brandishes her scythe in a confident flourish. Stepping into the fray, every swing of the scythe brings death upon swathes of Raptures, and Harran's figure dancing among the lights of their cores is nigh-enchanting.

The last Rapture falls, and the crow takes to the air once more. Harran fishes for compliments from the protagonist, and while he doesn't say a word, the look on his face tells all. Harran urges the protagonist forward now that the path is clear, fighting her blush at his praise with a threat to keep him with her forever.

The protagonist strides towards the elevator, and has...second thoughts. Looking back, he's unprepared for Harran to rush in and kiss him. With one last "threat" to keep him forever should she find him lost again, the witch of Inherit vanishes in a flock of crows. The protagonist looks at the pile of feathers left behind, takes one, and heads back to the Ark.

## References

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