The Crying Children

Character	Reception of The Crying Children

	For the Reverberation Ensemble reception, see The Crying Children (Ensemble).

“	Turn a blind eye to all that hurts me. Turn a deaf ear to words that will lead me down to the wrong path. Turn a mute mouth to unnecessary evil. And last of all, act not. Make myself happy that way.	”
–Philip, Unstable Page of the Crying Children

The reception of The Crying Children is the reception of Philip, the former Fixer of Dawn Office, who has now given in to his despair and turned into a Distortion. It is a one-Act fight with seven distinct combat phases, each occurring after all enemies in the previous phase are defeated. One Floor of up to five Librarians is available for use.

Formation

Phase 1

• Unseeing Child ×1
• Unhearing Child ×1
• Unspeaking Child ×1

Phase 2

• The Crying Children ×1

Phase 3

• Unseeing Child ×2
• Unhearing Child ×2
• Unspeaking Child ×1

Phase 4

• The Crying Children ×1

Phase 5

• Unspeaking Child ×1
• Unhearing Child ×1
• Unseeing Child ×1

Phase 6

• The Crying Children ×1

Phase 7

• Unspeaking Child ×1

Overview

• All separated Children have the Passive Ability  A Precarious MindBecoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
  Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’, which adds a special combat effect to a single random die on any Page played by any remaining Child that will turn all enemies' resistances to Fatal if it is successfully defended/countered by a Librarian. This is complicated by the Unseeing Child's ability.
• The Unseeing Child's ability obscures all additional effects attached to Combat Pages.
• The Unspeaking Child's ability causes one Librarian to be inflicted with Immobilized Immobilized
  Cannot act for the duration of the Scene. every Scene until the Unspeaking Child is dead or staggered.
• The Unhearing Child's ability prevents redirecting attacks. However, Librarians can still clash using Pages with counter dice such as Repressed Flesh Repressed Flesh ( 3)
  On Use Draw 1 page
  4~7 
  4~9  Reduce Power of target’s current Defensive die by 3
  4~9  On Hit Deal 3 Stagger damage to target
  3~7  , Automated Movement Automated Movement ( 3)
  On Use Gain 2 Haste Haste X
  Boost all Speed values by X for the Scene. next Scene
  2~9  On Clash Win Add +2 Power to next die
  3~8 
  4~7 
  3~8  , or Sharp Nails Sharp Nails ( 3)
  4~8 
  5~8 
  4~9  On Hit Recover 5 Stagger Resist
  3~7  .
• Since the entire reception is done in a single act, stacking  Kizuna/Extreme FatigueAfter an ally dies, gain 1 Strength and 1 Endurance each Scene for the rest of the Act. (Stacks up to two times)
  Starts the battle with 25% less HP and  RemembranceIf an ally has died, gain 2 Strength at the end of each Scene. and sacrificing a Librarian or two to activate them can be effective.

Phase 1Phase 2Phase 3Phase 4Phase 5Phase 6Phase 7

Unseeing ChildUnhearing ChildUnspeaking Child

Unseeing Child

A manifestation of Philip's mind, split up into its ugliest traits. The Unseeing Child embodies Philip's refusal to see and accept the truth, closing his eyes out of fear that the sight of reality will hurt him. The Unseeing Child is fought both alone and as a cluster of four Unseeing Children.

Stats

	125 41 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unseeing Child
Cannot see a portion of the information of Combat Pages used by the Crying Children. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Murmur Murmur ( 1) 2~5  4~7  On Hit Inflict 1 Bind Bound X Lower all Speed values by X for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~4

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Unhearing Child

A manifestation of Philip's mind, split up into its ugliest traits. The Unhearing Child embodies Philip's refusal to hear and accept the advice of others, shielding his ears from words that could do him harm. The Unhearing Child is fought both alone and as a cluster of four Unhearing Children.

Stats

	125 41 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unhearing Child
Cannot check or redirect the Crying Children's target. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Murmur Murmur ( 1) 2~5  4~7  On Hit Inflict 1 Bind Bound X Lower all Speed values by X for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~4

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Unspeaking Child

A manifestation of Philip's mind, split up into its ugliest traits. The Unspeaking Child embodies Philip's shame at his attempts to justify his own cowardice, shutting his mouth to stop making excuses that flout all his desires and beliefs. The Unspeaking Child is fought both alone and as a cluster of four Unspeaking Children.

Because its passive ability immobilizes a random librarian, this should be staggered as soon as possible.

Stats

	125 41 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unspeaking Child
A random librarian becomes Immobilized at the start of the Scene. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Murmur Murmur ( 1) 2~5  4~7  On Hit Inflict 1 Bind Bound X Lower all Speed values by X for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~4

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

The Crying Children

The Crying Children

This enemy starts off with three Speed Dice.

Stats

	312 115 1~5
	Normal  Normal  Normal  Endured  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Shimmering
At the start of each Scene, exhaust all pages in hand and deck; add new pages to hand. Their Cost becomes 0.
 Separating Minds
Separates upon reaching 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Distorted Illusion Distorted Illusion ( 1) 3~8  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 4~8  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~4  On Hit Inflict 3 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~5

Bygone Illusion Bygone Illusion ( 1) 3~8  Reduce Power of target’s current die by 1 4~8  Reduce Power of target’s current die by 1 2~5  On Hit Inflict 3 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~5

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Unseeing ChildUnhearing ChildUnspeaking Child

Unseeing Child

Stats

	125 41 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unseeing Child
Cannot see a portion of the information of Combat Pages used by the Crying Children. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Murmur Murmur ( 1) 2~5  4~7  On Hit Inflict 1 Bind Bound X Lower all Speed values by X for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~4

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Unhearing Child

Stats

	125 41 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unhearing Child
Cannot check or redirect the Crying Children's target. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Murmur Murmur ( 1) 2~5  4~7  On Hit Inflict 1 Bind Bound X Lower all Speed values by X for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~4

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Unspeaking Child

Stats

	125 41 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unspeaking Child
A random librarian becomes Immobilized at the start of the Scene. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Murmur Murmur ( 1) 2~5  4~7  On Hit Inflict 1 Bind Bound X Lower all Speed values by X for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~4

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

The Crying Children

The Crying Children

This enemy starts off with four Speed Dice.

Stats

	253 115 1~5
	Normal  Normal  Normal  Endured  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Shimmering
At the start of each Scene, exhaust all pages in hand and deck; add new pages to hand. Their Cost becomes 0.
 Separating Minds
Separates upon reaching 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Distorted Illusion Distorted Illusion ( 1) 3~8  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 4~8  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~4  On Hit Inflict 3 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~5	Bygone Illusion Bygone Illusion ( 1) 3~8  Reduce Power of target’s current die by 1 4~8  Reduce Power of target’s current die by 1 2~5  On Hit Inflict 3 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~5	Wound of Sorrow Wound of Sorrow ( 1) 3~7  4~8  6~10  2~5
Restrain Restrain ( 1) 3~8  8~12  On Hit Inflict 2 Feeble Feeble X Offensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1., Disarm Disarm X Defensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1., and Bind Bound X Lower all Speed values by X for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~5  2~5

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Unseeing ChildUnhearing ChildUnspeaking Child

Unseeing Child

Stats

	92 32 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unseeing Child
Cannot see a portion of the information of Combat Pages used by the Crying Children. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Wing Stroke Wing Stroke ( 1) 3~5  2~4  3~6  On Hit Inflict 1 Feeble Feeble X Offensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~4  On Hit Inflict 2 Bleed Bleed X For the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Bleed stack every time the character rolls an Offensive die. (Rounded up) next Scene

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Unhearing Child

Stats

	92 32 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unhearing Child
Cannot check or redirect the Crying Children's target. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Wing Stroke Wing Stroke ( 1) 3~5  2~4  3~6  On Hit Inflict 1 Feeble Feeble X Offensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~4  On Hit Inflict 2 Bleed Bleed X For the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Bleed stack every time the character rolls an Offensive die. (Rounded up) next Scene

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Unspeaking Child

Stats

	92 32 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unspeaking Child
A random librarian becomes Immobilized at the start of the Scene. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Wing Stroke Wing Stroke ( 1) 3~5  2~4  3~6  On Hit Inflict 1 Feeble Feeble X Offensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~4  On Hit Inflict 2 Bleed Bleed X For the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Bleed stack every time the character rolls an Offensive die. (Rounded up) next Scene

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

The Crying Children

The Crying Children

This enemy starts off with five Speed Dice.

Stats

	212 115 1~5
	Normal  Normal  Normal  Endured  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Shimmering
At the start of each Scene, exhaust all pages in hand and deck; add new pages to hand. Their Cost becomes 0.
 Separating Minds
Separates upon reaching 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Distorted Illusion Distorted Illusion ( 1) 3~8  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 4~8  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~4  On Hit Inflict 3 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~5	Bygone Illusion Bygone Illusion ( 1) 3~8  Reduce Power of target’s current die by 1 4~8  Reduce Power of target’s current die by 1 2~5  On Hit Inflict 3 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~5	Wound of Sorrow Wound of Sorrow ( 1) 3~7  4~8  6~10  2~5
Restrain Restrain ( 1) 3~8  8~12  On Hit Inflict 2 Feeble Feeble X Offensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1., Disarm Disarm X Defensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1., and Bind Bound X Lower all Speed values by X for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 2~5  2~5	Inconsolable Grief Inconsolable Grief ( 5) Mass-Individual Mass Attack Targets every enemy. A successful hit destroys the target's Combat Page or action dice. Individual If the dice roll is larger than the target's current die, they take damage, and the die is destroyed. User is Staggered at the end of the Scene 4~7  5~9  8~12

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Unspeaking Child

Unspeaking Child

This enemy flees upon reaching 0 HP.

Stats

	92 32 1~4
	Endured  Endured  Endured  Normal  Normal  Normal

Passive Abilities

 Separated Minds
Unites when all Children reach 0 HP. All librarians restore 1 Light and 10 Stagger Resist afterwards.
 Unspeaking Child
A random librarian becomes Immobilized at the start of the Scene. This ability is nullified when this character is Staggered.
 A Precarious Mind
Becoming Staggered does not temporarily change the character's resistances.
Instead, one of the Children plays a page with a die carrying the following effect: ‘[On Clash Lose] All resistances of all allies change to "Fatal".’

Drops

Does not drop books.

Combat Bookshelf

Victimize Victimize ( 0) 3~6  On Hit Inflict 1 Disarm Disarm X Defensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 4~7  5~9  On Hit Inflict 1 Feeble Feeble X Offensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene 4~6  On Hit Inflict 1 Feeble Feeble X Offensive dice lose X Power for the Scene. Cannot be lower than 1. next Scene

Combat Dialogue

Has no combat dialogue.

Combat Dialogue

SeparatedWhole

Separated

When I cover my ears, I can only hear my own voice. I can pay full attention to the sounds I make. If I mistake a gentle voice for something aggressive, it’s their fault for speaking like that. Am I right? … … It’s simple. I just don’t have to look, do I? I don’t have to face that darkness. I’m not hearing anything I don’t wanna hear! … I don’t have to hear to guess what they’re saying. I bet they’re slandering me. … … …

Whole

Seeing, hearing, and speaking evil are all deeds that I can consciously prevent myself from doing. However, that alone won’t purge all evil from the world. A prudent sight capable of distinguishing good from evil is needed. In contrast to sharing joy with others, sympathizing with the sorrow of others is certain to be an unduly shallow exercise. Only I can soundly feel the pain of the sorrow I am wallowing in. Turn a blind eye to all that tries to hurt me. Turn a deaf ear to words that will lead me down the wrong path. Turn a mute mouth to unnecessary evil. And last of all, act not. Make myself happy that way. What does goodwill mean to me. No one’s going to cry on my behalf even if I’m sad. I don’t want to hear anything. I don’t want to see anything, or speak anything…

Drops

	Key Pages	Combat Pages
Unstable Book of the Crying Children	Unstable Page of the Crying Children ×0.5  ×1  ×1  ×0.5  ×1  ×1  Speed Speed Dice Slot +1 (Cannot Overlap)  Flaring Brand Inflict 1-2 Burn on hit  Plumed Escutcheon When hit, inflict 1-2 Burn to attacker  Volatile Passion If target has Burn, boost the Power of Offensive dice by +1 ×1	Fierce Charge Fierce Charge ( 2) 7~12  On Hit Inflict 3 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) ×9 Stigmatize Stigmatize ( 2) On Use Gain 1 Negative Emotion Point 3~6  On Hit Inflict 1 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 3~7  On Hit Inflict 1 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) ×6 Feather Shield Feather Shield ( 2) 3~7  On Clash Win Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 3~7  On Clash Win Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~4  ×3 Searing Sword Searing Sword ( 2) 3~7  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 3~7  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) ×3 Blazing Strike Blazing Strike ( 4) Exclusive PageUnstable Crying Children's Exclusive Page Can only be set in the deck of Unstable Page of the Crying Children. Can only be used at Emotion Level 3 and above 13~28  On Hit Inflict 10 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) ×1

Combat Pages

Combat Pages
Page	Cost	Range	Description	Obtained
Blazing Strike	4		Exclusive PageUnstable Crying Children's Exclusive Page Can only be set in the deck of Unstable Page of the Crying Children. Can only be used at Emotion Level 3 and above 13~28  On Hit Inflict 10 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down)	Unstable Book of the Crying Children
Searing Sword	2		3~7  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 3~7  On Hit Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down)	Unstable Book of the Crying Children
Feather Shield	2		3~7  On Clash Win Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 3~7  On Clash Win Inflict 2 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 2~4	Unstable Book of the Crying Children
Stigmatize	2		On Use Gain 1 Negative Emotion Point 3~6  On Hit Inflict 1 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down) 3~7  On Hit Inflict 1 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down)	Unstable Book of the Crying Children
Fierce Charge	2		7~12  On Hit Inflict 3 Burn Burn X At the start of the Scene, take X damage and subtract one third of the Burn stack. (Rounded down)	Unstable Book of the Crying Children

Each time the reception is cleared, Unstable Book of the Crying Children ×3 are rewarded.

Story

	For a transcript, see The Crying Children Episode 1.

Pre-Battle

The episode starts directly following the ending of the scene shown in the story of The 8 o'Clock Circus, as Philip has just suddenly appeared inside tent of the 8 o'Clock Circus. He is given a grand welcome by the ringmaster Oswald, who tells him of their goal to spread joy throughout the City. Philip rebukes him and is horrified and disgusted by the circus troupe's appearances. Oswald tries to have Mr. Knife and Ms. Mermaid "perform" for Philip, but he cannot stand it. Oswald blames Ms. Mermaid for irritating their guest. Philip and Oswald debate their ideals of normality before Philip suddenly remembers that the Circus was the group that held up Wedge Office and prevented them from supporting Dawn Office in the Library. Philip bitterly blames them for the deaths of Salvador and Yuna.

Oswald's apparitions torment Philip

Oswald exclaims that Philip is giving off a similar "stink" to his own, but it is not close enough yet. Despite Philip's threats, he decides to bring out Philip's "stink" by throwing him a "performance" where he is the center stage. The figures of Salvador and Yuna appear before Philip while Oswald sits down on the sidelines to watch, telling Philip that he cannot enjoy happiness and laughter until has "faced [his] biggest inner abscess and squeezed all the pus out of it." The apparition of Yuna apologizes to Philip for not answering the question he asked her (whether she could accept his declaration of love.) Philip, stunned, is only able to protest about Salvador's status as a married man (misinterpreting Yuna's ambiguous answer as a sign that she and Salvador were having an affair).

Oswald bursts out in laughter at the situation, while Philip yells at him for slandering his mentors. Instead, Oswald tells Philip that he is merely presenting the scenario that Philip strongly believed, and he is confused that Philip is attempting to reject it. He mentions that Philip has the scene on repeat in his own head, showing just how much it means to him. Oswald even begins to quote from Philip's delusion. Philip blames everyone around him for his instability. The apparitions of Salvador and Yuna criticize and insult Philip for his cowardice and refusal to accept his own faults, making excuses instead to hide from the truth. Finally, Philip cannot take it any longer and lashes out at the apparitions, wishing to be alone.

At this moment, Pluto appears before Philip and offers to help him. He offers to give Philip whatever he needs to fulfill his wishes, whether vengeance against Oswald or the rescue of his mentors. Instead, Philip asks for a way to shut out the outside world and cry by himself. Pluto agrees, telling Philip to listen to "her voice." As he does so, Oswald exclaims in joy, saying that Philip has started to smell like him. He also compliments and greets Pluto. Pluto asks Oswald whether the illusion he gave Philip was the truth. Oswald throws the question aside, saying that entertainment value matters more than the truth; Pluto muses about the Circus' ability to amplify its audiences' distorted desires regardless of their truth. Oswald briefly wonders about Pluto's stench, and whether he met "her," before inviting him to help host their show. Pluto has a counteroffer; He hands Philip an invitation to the Library before proposing for Oswald and the Circus to join him on a "far grander stage."

Back inside the Library, Roland comments on Philip's misery. Angela questions his sympathy for Philip; Roland explains that he is disillusioned rather than sympathetic. He doesn't specially value Philip's situation, but he is not happy at seeing someone fall into despair when they were almost able to escape it. Quoting his catchphrase once again, he tells Angela he is not trying to be sentimental; she understands and blames Philip for his own failure. Roland asks about Philip's transformation. Angela says that the rush of emotions pushed Philip beyond the E.G.O. line, causing him to Distort and become an Abnormality. They talk about the similarities between the creations of Distortions and Abnormalities, as well as the process of the Library's guests turning into books. Angela asks Roland what he would see on the stage of desires. Roland believes it would be his wife, as his failure to protect her would push him into despair. Angela is surprised by his forthcomingness.

At the Library's entrance, the Crying Children arrives in its separated forms. The Unseeing Child makes blind comments, unable to see its surroundings, while the Unhearing Child spews hostilities against the world. The Unspeaking Child is silent. Angela notes their appearance but is disappointed by their vulgarity, especially when they react to her. She guides them to the door and orders them to enter, annoyed.

Post-Battle

Roland tells Angela about the escape of the final Unspeaking Child, noting that Philip's cowardice did not change. Angela believes that the Library intended for Philip to escape. Roland is disgusted by the "nastily explicit" Distortion of Philip's mind; Angela wonders whether all people have such raw feelings hidden away deep inside. They wonder whether the Distortion phenomenon reveals the deepest emotions of its victims in purest form, or whether it twists the desires as they are revealed. Either way, it reveals people for who they truly are. Roland comments on the awkwardness of revealing honest feelings, while Angela stays silent.

Battle Symbols

There is one Battle Symbol automatically obtained through this reception.

Battle Symbol	Name	Slot
	Inconsolable Grief	Cheek
	Effect
	2% chance to boost Ranged dice Power by +1
	Condition
	Survive through a complete reception of the Crying Children.

Trivia

• The song played during the reception of the Crying Children is "And Then is Heard No More" by Mili. It is included in the Library Of Ruina Soundtrack.
• The background of the Crying Children's fight is a callback to the background of the fight against Philip during Act 2 of the Wedge Office reception. The background is cooled, ashen, and in disrepair, as compared to the previous reception.
• The Crying Children's face was originally intended to be blank and featureless.
• In testing phases, the reception of the Crying Children was originally eleven stages long, including two additional separated stages against two and four Children, alongside the respective fusion stages.

Gallery

• 

  Unseeing Child
• 

  Unhearing Child
• 

  Unspeaking Child
• 

  Combat background 1
• 

  Combat background 2
• 

  Stage floor 1
• 

  Stage floor 2

References

Receptions & Story
Main Story
Canard	Prologue (Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4) Rats (Story) Yun’s Office Fixers (Story) Yun’s Office Rookie (Story) Yun’s Office (Story) Brotherhood of Iron (Story) Hook Office (Story)
Urban Myth	Prologue (Episode 1) Pierre’s Bistro (Story) Streetlight Office (Story) Lulu of Streetlight (Story) General Receptions: Backstreets Butchers • Hook Office Remnants • Urban Myth-class Syndicate
Urban Legend	Prologue (Episode 1) Zwei Crewmembers (Story) Zwei Association I (Story) Zwei Association II (Story) Stray Dogs (Story) Molar Office (Story) General Receptions: Grade 8 Fixers • Grade 7 Fixers • Urban Legend-class Syndicate • Urban Legend-class Office • Axe Gang
Urban Plague	Prologue (Episode 1) The Carnival (Story) Full-Stop Office (Story) Dawn Office (Story) Gaze Office (Story) Kurokumo Clan (Story) Musicians of Bremen (Story) Wedge Office (Story) Tomerry (Story) General Receptions: Rusted Chains • Workshop-affiliated Fixers • Jeong’s Office
Urban Nightmare	Prologue (Episode 1) Sweepers (Story) Shi Association (Story) The 8 o’Clock Circus (Story) Puppets (Story) Index Proselytes (Story) Smiling Faces (Story) The Crying Children (Story) WARP Cleanup Crew (Story) General Receptions: Seven Association • Blade Lineage
Star of the City	Prologue (Episode 1) The Thumb (Story) The Thumb Ⅱ (Story) The Blue Reverberation (Story) Liu Association Section 2 (Story) Liu Association Section 2 Ⅱ (Story) Cane Office (Story) Index Proxies (Story) The Red Mist (Story) Liu Association Section 1 (Story) R Corp. (Story) 얀샋ㄷ요무 (Story) The Purple Tear (Story) Xiao (Story) R Corp. II (Story) General Receptions: Dong-hwan the Grade 1 Fixer • Night Awls • The Udjat • Mirae Life Insurance • Leaflet Workshop • Bayard
Impuritas Civitatis	Prologue (Episode 1) Hana Association (Story) Olivier (Story) The Reverberation Ensemble (Story) The Black Silence (Story) The Reverb Ensemble Distorted (Story) ??? (Story)
Other	Epilogue (cut) • A Fritter Called Jeon (Story)
Patron Librarians' Stories
History	Scorched Girl (Episode 1) Happy Teddy Bear (Episode 2) Fairy Festival (Episode 3) Queen Bee (Episode 4) Snow White's Apple (Episode 5 - Episode 6)
Tech. Sciences	Forsaken Murderer (Episode 1) All-Around Helper (Episode 2) Singing Machine (Episode 3) The Funeral of the Dead Butterflies (Episode 4) Der Freischütz (Episode 5 - Episode 6)
Literature	Today’s Shy Look (Episode 1) Red Shoes (Episode 2) Spider Bud (Episode 3) Laetitia (Episode 4) Dream of a Black Swan (Episode 5 - Episode 6)
Art	Fragment of the Universe (Episode 1) Child of the Galaxy (Episode 2) Porccubus (Episode 3) Alriune (Episode 4) The Silent Orchestra (Episode 5 - Episode 6)
Nat. Sciences	The Queen of Hatred (Episode 1) The Knight of Despair (Episode 2) The King of Greed (Episode 3) The Servant of Wrath (Episode 4) The Jester of Nihil (Episode 5 - Episode 6)
Language	Little Red Riding Hooded Mercenary (Episode 1) Big and Will be Bad Wolf (Episode 2) Mountain of Smiling Bodies (Episode 3) Nosferatu (Episode 4) Nothing There (Episode 5 - Episode 6)
Soc. Sciences	Scarecrow Searching for Wisdom (Episode 1) Warm-hearted Woodsman (Episode 2) The Road Home & Scaredy Cat (Episode 3) Ozma (Episode 4) The Adult who Tells Lies (Episode 5 - Episode 6)
Philosophy	(Episode 1) Big Bird (Episode 2) Punishing Bird (Episode 3) Judgement Bird (Episode 4) Apocalypse Bird (Episode 5 - Episode 6)
Religion	(Episode 1) Burrowing Heaven (Episode 2) The Price of Silence (Episode 3) Blue Star (Episode 4) Plague Doctor, WhiteNight, One Sin and Hundreds of Good Deeds (Episode 5 - Episode 6)
Gen. Works	Bloodbath (Episode 1) Heart of Aspiration (Episode 2) Pinocchio (Episode 3) The Snow Queen (Episode 4) Silent Girl (Keter Realization - Episode 5)
Small Stories	Small Stories 1 • Small Stories 2 • Small Stories 3 • Small Stories 4 • Small Stories 5 • Small Stories 6 • Small Stories 7 • Small Stories 8 • Small Stories 9