Fool's Memory

Here are Vill-V's Recollections.

### 1 - Surprise Preview

"You're about to witness something very exciting. The true appearance of the 4th Divine Key is nigh. Don't be stingy with your praise and applause, because this will be..."

"Read the room, Vill-V. This is neither the time nor the place for one of your speeches. Get to the point."

Despite the interruption, Vill-V betrayed no signs of displeasure. "Right, it seems like everyone is simply dying to see it. Worry not, you'll get what you came for. Do you still remember the world-famous 2nd Divine Key? Take some time and think back to that moment so that what you're about to see doesn't shock you."

"...You haven't made it an aircraft carrier, have you?"

"No—how cliché! This time, things have gotten a bit more... stellar!" An artificial satellite was projected onto the meeting room screen. "Behold! This is the vessel I've designed for the 4th Divine Key. It can operate indefinitely in this form."

"... Keep talking... a satellite, and then what?"

"For now, its sole purpose is to periodically orbit us. As for what happens next... to tell the truth, I have no aspirations to arm a space-based weapon. To be frank, its function ought to go beyond that..."

The next hour passed by slowly. The presentation concluded and the room remained silent. Only Dr. MEI, remaining calm, called over the staff. She ordered Vill-V's engineering budget cut by eighty percent.

### 2 - Endowment

The corridor snaked and extended into the distance, as if endless. Countless mirrors packed the floors and walls, creating a labyrinthine sea of mirrors. Inside seemed as though there were a million mimics copying your every move, which was utterly confusing. Perhaps this was the designer's intent.

The green-haired girl walked up the spiral staircase, her tiny body seemingly thinner among the shadows. She gazed coldly at the mirrored walls, and Mobius watched back from within the mirrors.

"The layout's changed again... Each time I visit, it's completely different. I don't get it... why do you always waste your time on such meaningless things?"

"Because everyone who visits the Helixcraft is our special guest. It's basic hospitality. Right, Mobius? Vill-V leaned out from behind a mirror, landing in front of her. "How do you like the mirror room I built for you?"

Mobius could barely contain her surprise. "I'm not interested in your innovation. Besides, these dead things... have never held any beauty of note. Are my parts ready yet?"

"Uh, here they are. It only took me a day. I spent the rest of the time rebuilding the Helixcraft."

"Excellent. As promised, I'll repay you for the material cost and the lab's—"

"Hey, hold on a second." Vill-V raised her hand, holding the parts deliberately out of Mobius' reach.

Retracting her hand, Mobius stared blankly at the girl before her. She gave no reaction. She knew doing so would only make Vill-V more excited. "What are you doing?"

"Don't be so impatient! I just want to ask you something, and if you sate my curiosity, of course I'll hand them over." She held up the materials to her eyes and peered through them at Mobius. "Just like molten glass, the inside is like liquid and its refractive properties make it good for prosthetic eyes. This is your sixteenth order. Before that, there were calcified alloys for prosthetic bones, replacement heart pumps... It's incredible, Mobius. What will you use them all for?"

"... None of your business."

"Don't jump to conclusions. If you've got some great innovation planned, I can help. Could you be planning to augment your own body? Finally turning experimentation on yourself, after honing your craft? Or perhaps you want some new legs to make yourself taller? If so, let me help you. Out of all the MOTHs... I'm your best choice for this."

"I don't have to answer you. Hand over the parts, Vill-V."

"Oh yes, speaking of which—I've got another hypothesis. All these random parts don't mean much, but if you put them together they could form a... person. Could it be that you're sick of having to find live samples, and you're planning on creating your own source material? Even if it's an android, it's just an empty shell without a soul. Or have you finally mastered soul technology, using someone's soul to..."

"—Ka-CRASH—" Vill-V's words dropped off as the Helixcraft mirrors suddenly shattered. Thousands of Mobiuses scowled across the scattered shards.

"Vill-V, put away your curiosity for now. I don't want to have to add such a noisy specimen to our lab. This... is not a question you should be asking."

### 3 - The Darkest

The Deep End. Everything is shrouded in endless darkness. Death and cold are eternal motifs here. Two voices that don't belong ring out in the distance.

"Has the experiment begun yet?"

"The sea nearby was attacked by the Legion Herrscher and Kevin is making preparations. The experiment is about to begin."

MEI was wearing a custom battlesuit that she'd never shown anyone before: the Key of Blankness. Nobody else would ever recognize this as an experiment.

"Deploying the untested Divine Key straight into battle is incredibly bold, Dr. MEI. Bold; and you're so confident. I wish I'd known this side of you earlier! We could've gotten up to some fun and really surprised people."

"This isn't over-confidence. I have a plan B. That's why I invited you here, Vill-V. If the Key of Blankness doesn't work as predicted, you'll have to open the gateway to the Deep End. That'll show the Legion Herrscher exactly how much... weight the darkness of human burial has."

"An incredible decision." The engineer summoned was stunned, then erupted into exaggerated applause. "I have absolutely no doubt that Aponia's Deep End can resolve this crisis. But, the only good lion is a de-fanged lion. The only reason those prisoners are so compliant is that this is the Deep End. I'm no tamer, but if they're all released at once and go and grow used to such freedom, how are you going to get them back in their cells?"

"You can answer that question on your own. Everything you make has a backdoor program for modifications and controls."

"..."

"I believe that the Deep End... is no exception."

### 4 - Rumors: Tour

"...No wonder Dr. Mobius always said that every visit to the Helixcraft looked a little bit different. So she was just trying to find ways to make up for the cuts to her engineering budget? Is that so..."

"So you rarely see her fumble or blowing up her workshop these days. Since Dr. MEI lifted the restrictions, she's been reluctant to do that again."

"Then... what about the 5th Divine Key? Is it really... Nirvana, like they say?"

"Sshh..." He finally raised his head, taking in his surroundings as he muttered in an extremely deep voice... "That's just gossip. Listen all you like, but don't spread it. They say the MOTHs are still looking for the perfect candidate and if they can't find one, they'd rather the 5th Divine Key never say the light of day."

"Hmm... let me think... she has so many accomplishments, and I don't know where to begin... What about the fortress that she calls the Gaia Conscience?"

"Obviously, that failed. Using the whole planet to build her own fortress...? It was doomed to fail from the beginning, just like many of her ideas. It did leave behind lots of ruins though..."

"Someone that 'primitive' couldn't manage all that either?"

"Hey... there's no evidence of her existence. Unless we can rope off an area to neutralize any MANTIS who enters, otherwise, nobody would be able to see her—but that'd be impossible. Maybe the original MOTHs crew might know something, but... well, you know how hard it is to meet any of those survivors. So... it's been 5 hours of questions already. What do you want from me?"

"5... hours?! Shoot, Dr. Mobius might have... Actually, I just wanted to ask where Vill-V is now?"

"Huh? I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while for that answer. She went out on her own magical tour again, to... If I'm not mistaken, the MU continent? Oh. Well, this might be cruel but I feel obligated to remind you that she just set off some three hours ago."

### 5 - Message Board

...

■ Expert

"Ok, that's fine. But let me warn you; you're not allowed to eat those messy things again. Every time I operate this body after you... think about someone else for once, would you?

■ Great Magician

"Haha... hypocrite! Why do you have to wear those heavy boots? I need to take care of them every time I go on stage to perform. Other people's time counts too."

■ Scholar

Replying to the Expert—

"Alright."

■ Model Five

"..."

■ Vill-V

Replying to the Expert—

"I've got bad news for you; she still ate it."

■ Expert

Replying to Vill-V—

"... Forget it. Today's topic is too important to focus on that. It's too late to use my theory on the 11th Herrscher. Any other ideas?"

■ Great Magician

"Ahaha... pretend I don't exist. I'll devote my time to the expert until it's resolved. All the best."

■ Scholar

Replying to the Expert—

"I didn't eat it."

Replying to the Great Magician—

"Same."

■ Model Five

"..."

■ Vill-V

"Haha! Sure, I'd like to join them, but... it's not our moment yet, right? But you're the expert, you've occupied this body for 3 months already. Haven't you learned anything?"

■ Expert

"No way! When did I... That's weird... you... haven't you awaken at all these past months? Did she awaken or was it... a different Vill-V..."

### 6 - The Will of the Masses

Time is running out. This hard-fought visit is coming to an end, but before that, she must come up with a lie to trick her adversary.

"... OK, let me tell the truth then. The reason why I want the Key of Blankness is because I want to mass-produce an army of Herrschers. How exciting would that be!"

"Try another one, Vill-V." The voice floating over from the stretcher was still very weak. In fact, the patient's life could be described as hanging by a thread.

"What a pain you are... Fine. Do you still remember the ark you put me in charge of? I want to use the Key of Blankness on it as an alternate power source."

"Next."

"What...? Isn't that one pretty reasonable? I can show you the blueprints."

"Vill-V, it's precisely because these reasons you've been throwing at me are so reasonable that I don't believe you. How can an unorthodox genius like yourself come up with such simple plans?"

"Your evaluation is... garbage. ... Well actually, that's just a guess seeing as how you're just like that... Dr. MEI, there's one thing I haven't been able to understand... when you used the Key of Blankness on the 10th Herrscher, why did you have to replace the core?"

"It seems that the same person's body and soul can only take one Herrscher's core at a time... ... Vill-V, you can't do that." Despite her weakness and difficulty of thinking, she still reacted quickly.

"Well... I don't wanna tell you the truth, Dr. MEI. I knew you'd be like that. Hang on, aren't you worried that... your little boyfriend is no match for me?"

"..."

"You know what I can do. There's more than just one soul inside me so... The stakes are low for us. There's only one Vill-V—that's it. But if the situation really is as I surmise... Then time is running out, right Dr. MEI?"

### 7 - At the Starry Sea's End

"... Oh, that ark has another visitor. Never knew it was this popular!"

The girl was concentrating on her sketch and didn't hear what was being said. Judging by the color palette, she was painting the vessel before her.

"Should I tell Kalpas this ship is more popular than he is? If I weren't for him, this project wouldn't be theoretically feasible."

"A spaceship... I love it." Griseo buried herself in her painting. "Kosma said that he has to leave here to work on a project."

"Wow... even you know about that? Didn't MEI say it was confidential? I guess someone else must be spreading the news out there just like I've been."

"..."

"You're curious, aren't you? And you'll have far more to paint once you board this ship."

"I want to go too."

"You're dreaming—you couldn't go even if you wanted to. Nobody told me to add a passenger seat."

"I don't want to go WITH him... but in his place. It's lonely up there, and Kosma hates being alone. ...Vill-V, please help me."

"Oh, you're being serious? ...Alright, then. I'll get serious too. The answer is no. You're just a kid. And just like your unfinished painting, you hold so much potential. Griseo, you still have a chance to become a star that lights up people's lives, instead of..."

The sound of footsteps cut Vill-V off.
"...Tsk, someone's coming again. Who could it be? And how am I gonna explain you being here?"
The girl put down her paintbrush.
"It's Kosma. He's here."

### 8 - The Watchmaker

"It's not your fault." Things can seem tricky, in Su's opinion. The girl sitting before him had never shown such an expression—never. Life is such a heavy concept, it can overwhelm anyone. "I've had the same experience before."

"Oh... have you also ruined the final hope of all mankind before?"

"..."

"I mean... have you also indirectly murdered the entire population of three cities before? No need to keep sticking up for me, Su. Those nukes were designed by me."

"..." Although similar in some regards, it seems like their experiences were not the same.

Weapons are themselves innocent, he could have said. At least you designed them to protect humanity, he could have said. The rise of the cursed Herrscher brought this upon us, he could have said. But he didn't. The only reason these two sat face-to-face right now, right here, is because they're both people who put blame on themselves.

"You know what I think, Su? Someone once said··· 'If I'd known things would turn out this way, I'd have become a watchmaker instead.'"

"Maybe so." Disagreement began to rise in Su's mind, but with the self-control of a psychiatrist, he decided to follow this train of thought and continue the conversation.

"Really? No... no... Su, this is nonsense. I made this mistake by myself, and I'll make up for it all by myself. I'm not going to be some watchmaker. If I run away depressed from everything, then I've no business calling myself a 'Flame-Chaser.'"

"Vill-V, you've come here today to..."

"Oh, I don't need you to psychoanalyze me. I just want to explain to you... why I want to do this. And... that I hope you can forgive me."

Su finally realized then that she's never showed this expression before not because she had never been depressed—but because until today, she'd never actively acted against a companion before.

"Hand over the 5th Divine Key to me, Su. I have to destroy it—whether you agree or not; no matter what happens to the MOTHs afterward. I want to repurpose it from a weapon of mass destruction to a life-sustaining flame. 'The Suspended Key; The Great Hibernation'... what an awesome name. I could have a completely different meaning though, couldn't it?"

### 9 - Dedication

"How's it coming along?"

"Quit bugging me. Fine wine takes time to settle. Ingenious inventions even more so. Of course, you know far better about the horrors of Kevin than me. There's no easy way to beat him. Right now, the only successful Kevin Killer around is Dr. MEI."

"..." He looked at Vill-V in silence, as if wondering whether to leave or not.

"But seeing as you're here, I won't let you leave disappointed. I've actually been working on a Kevin Killer in the lab. Would you mind testing it out for me?"

Some fifty seconds later, the man walked out of the testing area. "...Is it over?"

"Yes."

"Tsk, looks like another violent disassembly. I'll have to see how many of those parts you gave me can be reused."

He followed Vill-V back to the testing area he saw her let out a cry and crouch down to gather up the scattered parts off the floor. "Stop trying to add weird wings and eyes to the Kevin Killer. Those design are completely useless."

"Not entirely useless, right Kevin? Judging by the damage to these parts, you were really freaked out."

"..." He met her question with mere silence. Fortunately, Vill-V wasn't looking for any answer. She put down the parts and winked at him.

"Also, you shouldn't tell a technician that her work is 'completely useless.' How can you be sure that the only weapon I want to test is this one?"

He looked around at the testing area. It was empty, except for the two of them. "Have you prepared anything else? Where is it?"

"Relax. The party's just getting started." A roar of laughter echoed through the empty lab, and Vill-V drew closer to Kevin. "Well, this is the last card in my hand, but it still needs to be tested out. Next up, you might feel a little dissociation, but don't worry about it. Go all out!"

The doors of the testing area slowly closed shut. Just then, eight long and slender shadows like the legs of a spider reached out to envelope Kevin.

### 10 - Remnants

That is the Iron Wasteland. Failed weapons and battlesuits lie strewn at will like broken toys, destroying the original colors of nature. Mobius 'walked' through the ruins stony-faced, clutching on to her crashed ELF. She suddenly stopped, as her gaze fell onto some mechanical wreckage heaped in a corner. It was dilapidated battlesuit that still emitted a weak Honkai energy signal.

"A replica of the Key of Blankness... looks like there's an old friend of ours here." She hesitated but a few seconds before deciding to continue on, pretending that nothing had happened.

Some five hundred feet in front of her lay the second 'old friend' of hers, randomly discarded. Firearms, vehicles, broken defense bots. The weapons just lying here were enough to form an arsenal. The only problem was that all the tech was busted, scattered in a piteous pattern and covered in filth—hinting at the fate that had befallen their owners.

"Quite literal disarmament... I wonder if they made it out alive?"

Finally, after wending through almost a mile of this mech wreckage, Mobius found Vill-V lying unconscious amidst the rubble, beside a pit. She didn't look any better than all of the randomly discarded machinery seen on the way here: Her body was mutilated by scarring, and her clearly-broken arm was bent at an unholy angle.

The only good news was that she was still faintly breathing.

"How brutal... Mistaking the power of science for your own power. How is this any different from those cowardly MOTHs? If you put all your trust in something other than yourself, then you can expect a backlash once you lose control of it. Greedy human... you fail to understand such a simple truth?"

Mobius started coldly at Vill-V lying spent on the ground for what seemed like an eternity, before letting out a sigh. She gently folded Klein into the crook of her arm for ease of carrying, before grabbing onto one of Vill-V's feet.

"I'll drag you back like this. The broken parts can be salvaged for prostheses. Even in death, you're still a pain in the ass."

The jolt of being dragged made her come to, and Mobius heard a low moan from behind her.

"Let... me... go..."

"What are you blathering on about? Are you gonna crawl back yourself?"

Mobius turned her head dispassionately, and stopped in her tracks. Behind her, Vill-V was gazing at her with a completely unfamiliar look in her eyes.

"That's... who are you...?"

**Irrelevant Files**:
**Chapter 1 -** Mission Report Kv10297 • St. Fountain Tour Guide • Golden Fountain • Fountain of Blood • From Sint Fontein to St. Fountain • Unsent Letter • A Flyer • A Resident's Diary • A Scrap of Paper • Duino Elegies