Credits[]
Official translation from Grimoire NieR: Revised Edition.
Written by Hana Kikuchi[1]
Concept by cavia/Yoko Taro[1]
Translated by Casey Loe[1]
Characters[]
The Little Mermaid ver.1.00[]
Rich light sets flowers to blaze in color.
Do these deepest of wails reach the gods?
The postman trudged across a beach shrouded in morning mist, his breath white against its slate-gray expanse. At one point, he stopped to hike his large bag higher up on his shoulder with a soft grunt.
"This isn't going to help my leg injury, that's for sure," he said before suddenly falling silent. His eyes traced the contours of a giant shadow in the fog ahead. At first, he thought he was staring at the cliff walls, but he was standing at the water's edge, and the cliffs were behind him. Whatever was in front of him was something else—something massive.
The postman closed his eyes and braced for a Shade attack; many villagers had gone missing lately, and the rumor mill placed their disappearances squarely on those vile creatures. But when none came, he opened his eyes and realized the black shadow wasn't moving. And even if it had been, no Shade was that large. It simply wasn't possible.
Stepping closer, the object revealed itself to be a massive ship. Its mast lay broken, and deep gashes marred the hull. A neat line of cannons along the bow made it clear it was a warship, or had been at one time.
Must have hit a storm and washed up here, the postman thought. But for a ship this size to run aground...
An ominous creaking slowly echoed from within the dark vessel, a sound no less terrifying for not being made by a Shade. As the postman examined the wreckage, he thought he caught a glimpse of movement through a gap in the hull and braced himself once again, silently cursing his previous sunny optimism. Remembering the old lessons, he slowly began to back away from the ship. Running wasn't an option, nor was showing his back; he must maintain eye contact at all times. He actually had serious doubts these rules would save him from anything, but followed them all the same whenever he suspected a Shade was afoot.
Not like you can run with your leg in this condition anyway, he thought grimly as he took another slow step back. But just then, he heard a strange noise that sounded like a human cough. He stopped to listen and heard it again—more clearly this time—and realized it was not merely human, but a child.
It took the postman a moment to decide on a course of action, and a full minute before he could convince his feet to start moving. Yet though his resolve was slow in coming and his fear great, he simply could not bring himself to abandon a child.
The cracks and breaks on the ship's hull spoke volumes about the ferocity of the storm it must have encountered. Walking across its length, he finally spotted a gash on the port side large enough for him to pass through. He took a deep breath, then another, and finally stepped inside. Though the interior was dark, there was just enough light seeping in from various cracks and portholes for him to stumble his way around. Seawater dripped from the deck above, while the scent of the ocean lingered in the air.
After a moment, the cough echoed out again. Following it as best he could, he walked down the corridor, opening doors and glancing at the various bric-a-brac cluttering the rooms as he searched for the voice.
There—that door at the far end of the corridor. That's where the cough is coming from.
The postman crossed the distance and peeked inside. He saw limbs so thin they looked ready to snap, and clothing that was little more than rags. And there, in the middle of it all, two quivering black eyes stared back at him.
The eyes of a little girl.
"Must it be so laborious to get one decent shred of information?" grumbled Weiss as he fluttered above the table. To the side, Nier spooned more seafood into his mouth, making only the faintest of effort to feign interest. Weiss was never hesitant about launching into random tirades, but with no reason to eat, he tended to get especially loquacious at mealtime. Long accustomed to the routine, Nier had mastered the art of making vague replies while eating.
"I say, are you listening to me?!"
"Mm."
"How much longer must we tarry in this infernal place?!"
"Eh."
"And how exactly do you intend to locate this Shade?"
"We'll figure it out."
It had been three days since the pair had first learned about a string of disappearances in Seafront. They'd begun their investigation convinced Shades had infiltrated the city, but failed to find a single piece of evidence supporting the theory. With nowhere else to turn, they now found themselves half-heartedly entertaining wild theories from the villagers about "mermaid attacks." But though they were tempted to throw up their hands and move on, people were disappearing, and that was something they couldn't ignore.
As Nier signaled the barkeep for two more bowls of noodles, Weiss exploded. "You cannot possibly intend to keep shoveling food into your endlessly gaping maw!" he cried, only quieting down when Nier explained the orders were for Kainé and Emil, who were waiting outside.
He actually could have eaten another bowl; the fish in Seafront was fresh off the boat, and every meal was fantastic. Having been trained by Yonah's kitchen "skills" to endure anything, Nier was never particular about his meals—but once he got a taste of Seafront cooking, he always wanted more. The only problem was that good food got him thinking about how much Yonah would enjoy it, which never failed to darken his mood.
As they waited for the order, Weiss took the opportunity to continue his lecture from where he'd left off, and promptly began haranguing his companion about the world's various inadequacies.
"Good morning. Are you here?"
The postman opened the door at the end of the corridor, lightly shifting the humid, salty air. A moment later, the little girl peeked out from under a half-broken table. The postman withdrew the loaf of bread from his bag, then hesitated; if he gave it to her, he'd have nothing to eat that day.
But if you don't, she won't have anything either.
With the choice clear in his mind, he set the bread on the table and raised his palms in a "go ahead" motion. He still hadn't figured out why the girl responded to everything with head tilts instead of speech, but by the second day, he was managing to communicate through various gestures. Still, no matter how hard he tried, the girl couldn't or wouldn't repeat any of the words he said back to him. More than once, he'd wondered how she'd managed to get along in the world up to this point.
The girl's gaze flashed back and forth between the postman and the bread before she grabbed it and tore off a greedy hunk.
The rest of the loaf vanished down her gullet in moments, at which point her eyes returned to the postman.
"Yeah, sorry," he said. "We've got a serious food shortage in the city right now, so I can't bring much more than that." He scratched his head and managed a thin, pained smile, but the girl just continued to stare at him. Eventually she raised her nose in the air and started sniffing. When her gaze fell to his pocket, he reached inside and produced a handful of stale crumbs.
"What, these? They're just old bread crumbs I was going to give to the seagulls, but—"
Before he could say more, the girl began eating the crumbs off his open hand so quickly she started to choke. Despite her trouble, she kept shoving them in her mouth, causing the postman to pat her on the back in an attempt to help.
"Hey, no one's going to take them from you, so just slow down and—YEOWCH!"
Before he knew it, the girl had worked her way through the crumbs and gnawed his fingers. "See what happens when you hurry?" he said with a forced chuckle as the girl stared blankly at his blood puddling on the floor.
There is definitely something wrong with her, thought the postman. He didn't even bother to wipe the blood off his hand, instead staring into the strange girl's eyes, as if they might tell him something. When the postman came to see the girl the following day, she was sitting on the table. He produced a white ribbon from his pouch, and she quickly reached out her hand to take it. "This is a ribbon," he explained, secretly pleased she was growing used to his visits. "Girls around here like to wear them."
As the postman reached out to fix the ribbon in her hair, the girl flinched for a moment before allowing herself to relax. "What's this?" he said as he examined her long locks. "Your hair's wet. Have you been outside?"
"..."
"Well, I suppose we can just make do."
While the girl explored the ribbon with her fingers, the postman used his handkerchief to dry her off as best he could. As he did, he noticed the gold light of the evening sun had found its way into the room through a tiny crack and was now shimmering off her black hair.
"I love the sun at this time of day," he murmured, turning to the crack where the light was shining through. "It's just so gentle."
Suddenly, he felt the air around him shift; when he turned back, the girl was gone. Searching the room, he eventually found her trembling and cradling her knees under the table. When he asked what was wrong, she extended one shaking finger and pointed at the beam of light.
Guess she's spent so much time in the dark that her eyes have become sensitive to light, he thought. Well, I need to start thinking of a way to get her out of here; it's not healthy for a little girl to be cooped up like this.
"Now that you mention it, I suppose it started right around the same time that shipwreck washed ashore," said the shopkeeper as she shifted her heavy frame. "Few weeks ago, see, this huge ship drifted aground at the beach. Thing was beat all to hell like it'd been caught in a storm, but when we looked inside, we didn't find a single living soul—or even a body. It was completely empty. Oh, but I've been seeing the postman down there a lot of late, so maybe ask him if you want to know more."
Nier thanked the shopkeeper by buying some natural rubber. As he left the store, Weiss floated after him, muttering to himself.
"The postman, is it? Just the word reminds me of that dreadful old woman. In fact, looking back..."
His monologue was interrupted when an excited Nier suddenly shouted out a hello. Their companion Kainé was standing at the other end of the alley, beckoning them to approach. It was very unusual to see her inside a settlement—she was sensitive about her Shade possession, and knew it led to the kind of discrimination that got people hurt. So the fact she was now standing in Seafront could only mean something either wonderful or terrible had taken place.
Nier ran toward her, trying to still the anxiety twisting in his stomach—but the first words from her mouth served only to jangle his nerves all the more.
"We gotta talk about that wreck on the beach."
As clouds began to race across the sky, Nier couldn't help but think they were in for stormy days ahead.
The wind was howling.
The shipwreck let out a chorus of mad creaks and groans with every gust. In their usual room, the postman and the little girl huddled together, her hands tightly clutching his uniform.
"I guess even you're afraid of something," he chuckled. He reached into his pocket and offered her some food, but she just shook her head.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Aren't you hungry?"
The girl shook her head. He looked closer and saw she was shivering, her body rocking in time with the low waves that raged in the distance.
"Ah, I think I see what the problem is here."
The postman suddenly rose up and began to sing. After a few notes, he started stamping out a kind of rhythm with his feet. Though terribly off-key, one could at least call it a song. But when he glanced over at the girl, she was staring at him with wide, horrified eyes.
"Uh, sorry," he said with a chuckle. "So that's called singing. You create music from way down in your stomach, and it makes you happy.
"I've always loved a good song," he continued. "I find they help me get through the hard times in life, which is why I sing whenever I can, even though I'm no good at it."
His explanation complete, the postman resumed his song, and eventually the girl joined in. Her voice was dry and harsh—more like the crinkling of a paper bag than notes—but the postman clapped his hands joyfully when he heard it all the same.
"That's great!" he cried. "You're doing so well!"
Feeling the postman's joy, the girl shyly kept singing the dreadful song until her voice echoed through the ship. But when a flash of light pierced the room, the music abruptly stopped.
"Oh, don't worry about that," said the postman. "It's not lightning or anything—just the beam from the lighthouse."
He paused a moment before continuing. "I actually know someone who used to live there. She's long gone now, but I brought plenty of letters out her way. It was exhausting work, but I miss it."
The girl cocked her head and stared at him, and he responded by smiling and ruffling her hair.
"I've always loved being alone. I delivered the letters others wrote to the folks they cared about, and that was enough for me. Lately, though, I've been thinking I'd like to become the kind of person who has someone to write letters to."
After a pause, he ventured "Say, why don't you come home with me? It might be nice to have a daughter around."
He gave her hand a gentle pull, but she twisted free, shook her head, and pointed down at the floor of the room before returning to her hoarse singing.
"Guess you prefer it here, huh?" murmured the postman as he looked down at the floor where she'd pointed. There was something strange about it, and while it was too dark to see clearly, he could make out the rippling of liquid. He extended one finger to touch it and encountered something cold and slimy. When the glow of the lighthouse pierced the room anew, he saw that his fingertip was stained the crimson red of blood.
Blinking, the postman turned his worried gaze to the girl as her guttural song echoed happily around the room.
The shipwreck was so large, it was hard to take it all in, even from atop the hill. The black hull had run aground at a strange angle, and its sides were riddled with holes. The mast had been shattered, along with everything else on the deck. Whatever storm the craft encountered must have been powerful indeed.
"So that's the ship?" Nier asked Kainé. They had come here after she explained there might be a Shade hiding in the wreck. Being possessed by a Shade herself, Kainé had a special talent for sniffing out the creatures. She also had the ability to understand their speech, although she hadn't revealed that bit to her companions.
"There's some kind of... sound or something coming from up ahead," Kainé said by way of explanation. The sensation in the left side of her body made it clear something was in the ship, but it was different from the usual sensation she experienced when Shades were near. She'd never felt anything quite like it, and when Weiss sensed her consternation, he immediately pounced.
"What an incredibly specific piece of information the hussy has graced us with!"
"Weiss!" cried Emil in protest.
Normally Kainé would retort with some quip about wiping her ass with his pages, but when she stayed silent, it was a sign to all that the next few hours were not going to be pleasant. After taking the scene in for a moment longer, Nier gritted his teeth and drew his sword.
"Right, then. Guess it's time to go see for ourselves."
A dark room.
A blood-soaked floor.
But he was gone now, so it would be okay.
The girl trembled in a corner of her room, a giant black hand crowned with claws having erupted from her arm.
Why... did things turn out like this? she wondered. Is this why he went home? Did... he leave because of this body?
I just want to be able to talk with him...
I don't want him to be afraid of me.
I don't want him to... hate me.
Thoughts of the postman filled her head as she fought against her body's urge to turn into a Shade. She realized she had to get stronger, for if he were ever to see her like this...
I want to maintain a human form.
I want to look at the sun with my own eyes.
I want to sing beautiful songs.
Pure white liquid flowed out of her eyes as she managed through sheer force of will to squeeze her black hand back into its previous human shape. When she spoke, her words emerged from between trembling lips, forming an incomprehensible garble delivered in the rusty timbre of a Shade.
"So if I can just eat more people... maybe then I can become a human."
Her throat was a desert, her hands so dry there wasn't a drop of sweat between them and the swords they gripped. The farther they made their way into the ship, the stronger her chills became.
"You okay, Kainé?" asked Nier when he saw how white her face had become. She replied by twisting the corners of her mouth into what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She was not, by any means, "okay," but saying as much wasn't going to solve anything when the real problem was still ahead.
"Kya ha ha! Oh, we're gettin' reeeal close to somethin' nasty, Sunshine!"
Tyrann's terrible laugh cackled as it always did in such times. He never had any intention of helping the party—he was just happy to watch them suffer. And yet, something was off with him today. His mockery seemed somehow flat. Hollow.
Noticing this, Kainé focused her awareness on the Shade half of her body. She was beginning to understand what was behind the chills she was experiencing: they were like a vibration too low in frequency to be heard, but that her Shade half felt. Kainé doubted any human but herself could make sense of the sensations the frequency was dredging up inside her, but if she had to put a word to it, it would have been fear.
Fear? Kainé thought as her facial muscles twitched. Me?
She shook her head to clear the troublesome thought away, then made her way over to the others, who had stopped in the darkness of the lower hull.
"This looks like the last room," said Nier quietly.
Don't go in there! Kainé wanted to scream. But the words got trapped in her parched throat before they could become sound, and a moment later, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
They entered a small, windowless cabin containing a table and a single chair as furniture. Neatly organized bookshelves and nautical maps suggested it had probably been the captain's quarters. To their surprise, a small girl stood next to the table. Her hair was black. Her skin was white. Her clothes were filthy.
And her eyes were red.
Suddenly, Kainé understood everything; she knew exactly what her chills meant.
Tyrann broke the silence first. "Oh man, this Shade is NUTS! ...I think I'm in love." Despite his bluster, even he sounded frightened.
He's right, Kainé thought. The little girl was a Shade—although one as far from typical as she had ever seen. If its feeling were a scent, it would overwhelm the nostrils. If it were a taste, it would be a hundred times richer than any meat. A typical Shade was, at most, twice the size of a human; larger ones were composites formed by smaller Shades merging together, an action which made them both larger and stronger. The Shade that had attacked Nier's village and the fucker who killed her grandmother were both composites containing the consciousness of many Shades melded into one. The larger the Shade, the stronger it was—a truth Kainé had learned from fighting them.
But the thing staring at her now was different; it was a Shade magnitudes stronger than even that fucker had been, yet it was also tiny. That could only mean it was constraining its true size with a power great enough to cancel it out—which in turn meant the remaining power Kainé was feeling was a mere fraction of its full strength.
That was what the chills had been trying to tell her. That was the vibration currently reverberating through her body. It was the friction between the powerful Shade struggling to burst free of its tiny shape, and the incredible strength holding it back. Kainé shuddered at the thought of how it would feel if that power were ever released.
"You can feel her power hangin' in the air—and she ain't even tryin' yet!" cried Tyrann, his voice quavering despite his mirth. "Kya ha ha! Things are finally heatin' up!"
There was one more thing Kainé had learned about Shades: the more of them that joined a composite, the higher the cost to their collective intelligence. She saw it when the Shades of The Aerie fused into a giant lump that wasn't able to do anything more than unleash massive amounts of magic. The more Shades that came together, the dumber they got, which was why composites of a few smaller Shades were far more dangerous than the larger, stronger ones. Yet this Shade—this tiny, frail thing—seemed to be a single, individual consciousness. It was possessed of a strength nearly beyond comprehension, and hadn't fused with anything in order to obtain it.
The room suddenly turned cold, as if the air itself sensed the looming threat. The girl stared, unblinking, while Nier and Emil stood motionless. They were all waiting around a powder keg that could blow at the slightest vibration, and none of them had any idea what to do about it.
"Hmm?" said a sudden voice from behind them. "What are all of you doing here?"
The group turned to find the postman standing in the doorway. He seemed pleased to see them, as if they were old friends who had dropped by unexpectedly during a picnic. "You should have told me you were coming! Still, I'm glad to see you, because there's something I wanted to ask you about."
He set his bag on the floor and walked over to Kainé, dropping his voice to a whisper. "So this is kind of awkward, but I was hoping maybe you could give her a little advice about... you know? That time of the month?"
Kainé couldn't believe what she was hearing. She moved her dry lips in an attempt to warn her companions, but sound failed her again. Instead, she forced herself to meet Nier's and Emil's eyes and mouthed four words at them: That thing's a Shade!
Suddenly, the girl twitched. Kainé's eyes snapped to the creature as a painful vibration struck her. The postman reached down to search for something in his bag, and then the girl exploded into blackness as countless Dark Lances burst from her body.
Nier immediately assumed a defensive stance as lances pierced the ceiling, floor, and everywhere in between. Kainé and Emil grabbed the postman and dashed for the exit. Behind them, Nier was pinned down by the attacks, and he yelled at the others to run. Thoughts from the girl came flooding into Kainé's mind.
Why do I have to be a Shade?
Someone tell me!
Why can't I be a human?
WHY ARE THEY TAKING HIM AWAY?!
"Stay sharp or get dead, Sunshine!" Tyrann hissed in a voice completely devoid of his usual playfulness. As the group scrambled into the passageway, black lances shot out all around them, moving with terrifying speed. The girl was baring her fangs in an attempt to catch them. They tried to fight off the lances as they ran, but soon found themselves overwhelmed. Kainé passed the unconscious postman to Emil so she could assist with the defense, and Emil held the postman in his mouth and headed for the exit like a shot.
"There! Go!" shouted Nier, pointing to a hole in the ship where light was pouring through. But no sooner did he say it than lances burst forth to seal the opening. Kainé leaped over Emil and tore into the Shade's fangs. She managed to roll through the hole and out of the ship, but lances closed the entrance before Emil could follow. Behind him, Nier readied a second charge, making his way through the lances as he shielded Emil. But when giant Shade fists suddenly struck from above, the impact caused Emil to drop the postman from his mouth.
"Oh no!" he cried. "I'm sorry, Mr. Postman!"
Both Emil and Nier were sent flying by the ferocity of the Shade's fists and knocked clear of the ship. They tumbled across the beach, kicking up clouds of sand before finally rolling to a stop. Beside them, Kainé looked back at the shipwreck. Black lances were protruding from every side of the vessel, stretching and writhing like giant snakes. With each second that passed, more and more came bursting forth.
The fog outside the ship had long since burned off, and the sun was so bright Nier and the others had to squint. No normal Shade could endure such intense sunlight, yet the black snakes seemed totally unaffected. Wisps of smoke from their surface were the only sign something was amiss, but new Shade flesh was being generated from within faster than it could be burned away.
"Why isn't this Shade being hurt by the sun?!" cried a forlorn Emil.
Finally, an egg-shaped form appeared from within the mass. Seemingly nourished by the serpents that surrounded it, it grew larger and larger until it finally cracked, sloughing off layers like a fruit shedding its peel until they formed two large wings. Between them, the shuddering torso of what appeared to be a young girl emerged from the center of the egg, which now appeared to be growing directly out of the ship's deck. It was jet black, and at least ten meters tall.
As wings continued to sprout from the torso, Kainé realized what was happening. When Shades are infused with excess magic that has nowhere to go, it often manifests as superfluous wings—and from end to end, this thing easily had a hundred meters' worth. Illuminated as the wings were by the sun, even Kainé had to admit the creature possessed a certain ethereal beauty.
The Shade was now twice the length of the ship, its body continuing to grow within the clouds of black smoke it emitted. The unconscious postman lay sprawled in the palm of the girl's hand. As she carefully cradled him, the expanding Shade opened its mouth and let out an explosive roar, forcing Kainé and her companions to cover their ears as the shock wave battered them.
Just when it seemed the vibrations might tear apart the land itself, the sound settled into comprehensible notes.
It was the song the postman had taught her.
As the girl's body exploded, her mind swirled with anger, confusion, and fear. She did not understand what was happening to her, nor could she handle the hatred she felt for those who had tried to steal her postman away.
It didn't matter how many people I ate! I was never satisfied! Nobody ever helped me! He's the only one who was ever kind to me! He taught me what kindness is! So I... I will become human. We'll... we'll speak the same language... and we will stay together forever!
She gently folded her hands around the postman in order to protect him.
Just a little more and I'll gain the power to become human...
"Kyaaa ha ha ha!" cackled Tyrann. "I dunno where the singin' lessons came from, but I DO know it's sure as hell tryin' to eat us!"
Somewhere between the din and the shock waves, the postman woke. For a moment, he simply blinked and tried to comprehend what was happening, but when he saw the giant face of his captor, his eyes widened in terror. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
Don't be scared. It won't be long now. Just a little longer until I can become human.
The girl's mouth twisted in a compassionate smile that filled the postman's heart with fear. Her arms began to change, black symbols racing across them as sharp thorns tore from her flesh. The thorns quickly shaped themselves into crude weapons that hovered around her, and a moment later, a multitude of massive clawed arms erupted out of her back.
"RUN!" screamed Kainé.
As she shouted her warning, the hovering weapons flew at them, while the giant arms began throwing lances created from the Shade's own body that exploded when they struck the beach.
"What kind of Shade attacks you with itself?!" cried Nier as he rolled out of danger.
"There is nothing usual about this creature," replied Weiss in a grim tone.
Even turning parts of its own body into weapons didn't seem to drain the Shade's power. As it continued the assault, Emil brought up a magical barrier to protect the party, then turned to Kainé.
"I'm gonna try attacking it!" he yelled as strands of light poured from his staff and flew toward the Shade. An instant later, a volley of magic bullets followed the light through the air, creating a booming explosion that knocked two wings off their foe. But replacement wings immediately burst out of the Shade to take their place—and more ominously still, three wings replaced the two.
"Son of a..." muttered Nier. "Is this thing immortal?!"
"I'll take it down!" Kainé yelled as she leaped in the air and unleashed a barrage of magic. "You all just get the hell out of here!"
Though the entirety of her attack was blocked by the arms on the deck, Kainé set the failure aside and infused her swords with magic to strike again. Dodging counterattacks, she lunged at the girl's body, this time ignoring the head and chest to target the hands wrapped around the postman.
"This guy's important to you, isn't he?!" yelled Kainé as she rocketed toward the postman. The girl—who had remained completely expressionless throughout her transformation—suddenly opened her eyes in horror. Just before one of Kainé's blades struck the postman, a swarm of black hands reached out to block the strike, stirring up a storm of magic and sparks. The moment it happened, Kainé jerked her swords up and away, aiming them directly at the girl's head. With all the hands protecting the postman, her attack struck true.
The girl managed to turn her head at the last second and deflect a bit of the blow, but the blades still left deep furrows along the side of her face. Black blood sprayed everywhere, and a strange scream shattered the sky. As the postman tumbled to the deck, the Shade—still clutching her wounded face—began frantically searching for him. But then, she saw Nier and Emil atop the deck, preparing to fire the largest possible barrage of Dark Lances.
"This ends... here and now!" cried Nier as the pair unleashed the full power of their magic at the girl. She shielded herself with her left arm, but the attack blew it off at the shoulder, causing her to shriek in fury. The wound wriggled and squirmed like a mass of snakes.
"Okay, it's still not dead?!" said an incredulous Nier.
The girl looked up to the sky.
I will... I will... I will become human!
Hundreds of tentacles suddenly burst out of the wound, each one shaping itself into a sword that sliced and hacked at the attackers. Kainé desperately tried to deflect the blows, but the tentacles managed to pierce her thigh and shoulder, sending her crashing back down to the deck. Meanwhile, Nier—still off-balance from expending so much magical energy—found himself pushed backward by the unending barrage. Just before he was run through, Emil shoved him out of the way, only to see a dark shadow latch on to his own left arm. Emil shrieked as it was torn from its socket, and when Nier ran to help, a flurry of tentacle swords knocked him away.
I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!
Her breathing had been reduced to the shallow panting of an animal as she clutched at her wounds. As powerful as she was, she was now quite injured, and her regeneration ability couldn't keep up with the damage.
Yet Nier and his party were faring little better, considering none of them were even strong enough to stand. Noticing this, the Shade reached out and grabbed Nier with a shimmering black hand. A helpless Emil moaned and trembled, while Kainé struggled to pull herself to her feet. But just as the Shade had lifted Nier to her mouth...
"Stop!" shouted the postman. He stumbled over to the Shade, grabbed a brittle branch, and began whacking at it as hard as he could.
"You goddamned monster!"
But you said we would live together.
"Get out of here, you man-eating freak!"
You taught me to sing.
"Let him go!"
I just wanted to be human. I just wanted to live with you.
"I hate you! I hate your kind!"
The girl suddenly stopped. She looked at her body as if seeing it for the first time. Black smoke was billowing out from the severed pieces, but it wasn't beyond her ability to heal. And yet, that just served as proof she was a Shade. Why was she so horrid? Hadn't she desired to become human above all else?
How could I end up with such a... hideous... body?
"Why don't you just die already?!" shouted the postman in a voice filled with rage and fear. The words cut her deeper than any weapon, and as her wings began to crumble into the sea, she realized she wouldn't be able to maintain her form for long. When she realized she could no longer remember what the point of living was, she let Nier slip from her hands. Looking up, she saw the evening sun shining brightly, covering the world in the golden light she and the postman had promised to see together one day.
And yet this world... This world is so full of beauty.
When Kainé leaped at the girl from behind, she did nothing to defend herself. There was a wet, disgusting sound as her severed head slid slowly off her body. Soon, her entire form disintegrated into a mist of black sand that was blown away on the gentle ocean breeze. All that remained was the shipwreck, the companions, and the sunlight reflecting off the ocean like a glittering jewel.
The Seafront tavern was a simple two-story inn, and while the beds smelled awful, it was still preferable to sleeping outdoors. In one of the rooms, Kainé slowly stood, taking care not to put too much weight on her wounded leg. It had been three days since the postman insisted on putting them up at the inn as thanks for saving the city. Normally she would have refused the offer, but the party's injuries were great enough that they didn't have a choice in the end.
Emil was snoring softly in another bed, his missing arm regenerated as far as the wrist. Kainé wasn't sure exactly how that all worked, but it seemed he was a day or so away from being back to his old self. Having emerged with less serious wounds than the others, Nier and Weiss were out helping the postman do his rounds.
Kainé began to get dressed, figuring it was high time to be on her way. As she pulled on her clothes, she noticed a piece of paper caught between her breasts. Pulling it out, she found a letter that had fallen from the body of the Shade. Messy, tightly packed letters sprawled across the page like writhing worms. She knew immediately that it had been intended for the postman, but he'd told her to destroy everything that had belonged to the creature.
"To think she was that awful monster all along..." he'd muttered to himself—at which point Kainé had noticed faint black letters running along his leg.
"The hell's this, Sunshine?" asked Tyrann as she unfolded the letter.
"A letter. That thing wrote it for the postman."
"Ha! Man, that is some grade-A chicken scratch!"
"She probably copied the letters as best she could."
"So what's it say?"
In response, Kainé gripped the letter and ripped it into pieces. Outside, bright sunlight poured over the town. The distant sea was calm, making her feel as if the battle at the shipwreck had transpired in some far and different age. The torn pieces of letter spilled out of her hand and fluttered to the ground.
On each scrap, the words thank you had been messily scrawled over and over and over again.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Grimoire NieR: Revised Edition p.275