Location: Library Entrance
Xiao
Fine, I don’t need to hear another word from you. If you’re so fearful of death, leave me and escape by yourself!
Miris
I wouldn’t have brought you with me if I were such a coward fearing for my life!
Xiao
There has to be some reason you’ve done this, then…
Xiao
If your reasoning is unsatisfactory, know that there will be consequences to your actions!
Miris
Your battle will be nothing more than a messy scrape if you try to keep up in your current state, ma’am! You have to have realized it yourself!
Xiao
…Step aside. I am as composed as I can be.
Miris
You can’t even best your own subordinate right now, director.
Miris
There is nothing composed about charging blindly into the fray and brandishing your sword like a madwoman…
Xiao
They’re foes that we must destroy anyway!
Xiao
In fact, I would argue that it’s better this way, as I can firmly grasp my blade with an undaunted heart, unshaken by fear.
Miris
…Even if they were opponents that warrant such a fight, wielding your blade while you’ve lost yourself will only yield a pointless and juvenile revenge.
Miris
They say anger is needed in order to face the enemy, but an excess of that emotion will ultimately hurt yourself.
Miris
Fury shouldn’t be the only motivation to bestir oneself… I thought you knew this well, director.
Miris
You’re the one who taught me that I’ll spill my own blood if I can’t see where the edge of my sword is pointed, after all…
Xiao
I have no resolve to show to those who have taken what is mine.
Xiao
They had the nerve to make an offer where we must put our lives on the line to earn it back. Such absurdity.
Xiao
Now tell me why I should treat them with any courtesy!
Miris
That’s not how Lowell would’ve reacted! So please, Xiao… Gather your senses.
Xiao
Miris… I am aware. I know that the Library didn’t snatch Lowell and Section 2 away from us.
Xiao
I am well aware that they took a fair offer and made a bet, and paid the rightful price for losing it.
Xiao
But what can I do when I simply cannot bring myself to accept that?
Xiao
Was it truly done of their own volition?
Xiao
Can anyone say with utmost certainty that no coercion was involved in their decision!
Xiao
Whenever my mind was plagued with such thoughts, I couldn’t make rational judgement…
Miris
Is it because Chun and the other Fixers are dead? Is that why you’re acting like this?
Xiao
You would be right. At first, I thought I only had to care about my own safety.
Xiao
As long as I could get my hands on Lowell’s book…
Xiao
I decided that I wouldn’t care about my surroundings, even if that meant I would have no one to rely on once everything was over.
Xiao
But, as I saw my colleagues die out one by one, my mind began to waver…
Xiao
Am I truly going down the righteous path?
Xiao
Is it truly right as a human being to think of myself, and only myself?
Xiao
When the many of those who trusted me and followed me have perished, should I overlook their deaths and keep moving forward…?
Xiao
If my selfishness is causing harm to others, shouldn’t I stop it before it’s too late? Shouldn’t I save those who still have a chance?
Xiao
If I had to make a choice, who should be putting up with the hardship? Is it you, or I?
Xiao
Miris… Answer me. I’m no longer certain what I should put first.
Miris
…I’m not one to give you an answer for that. How should I know better than you about yourself? You know I’m not in any way wiser than you.
Miris
Here’s what I can say, Xiao… None of the Fixers who followed you here were forced by anyone to do so, and I’m no different.
Miris
There can’t be any compulsion about trusting you and willingly following your lead, now can there…
Miris
Call it heartless, but as with everyone else… If it was your power that we were after, we would’ve left you once your authority faded.
Miris
You’ve stepped down from the Liu’s Section 1. You’re not in the position to pressure us anymore, and we aren’t obligated by any duty to obey you.
Xiao
What you’re saying is that I can stick to my belief and move on, the same way you kept believing in me, and acted for me.
Xiao
Like a cup of tea that maintains its good scent after half is gone, and a quarter of a day has passed…
Xiao
Don’t you… hear a sound?
Xiao
A warm and charming voice… almost as if it were out of this world…
Miris
What are you talking about? I don’t hear anything other than our own voices.
Xiao
…You’re wrong. No, maybe there is truth to what you said…
Xiao
Are you calling me selfish?
Xiao
…No, I don’t think so.
Xiao
…A human cannot live alone. No man is an island entire of itself.
Xiao
They need someone else… Yes.
Xiao
Someone whom I will keep alive. Someone who will become the reason for me to keep on living, no matter what…
Xiao
Someone can be alive because I am there with them… As that person can live thanks to me, I myself should not expire.
Xiao
A way to protect you all and myself at the same time…
Xiao
I shouldn’t die. By cherishing myself, I am cherishing the people around me…
Xiao
Therefore, what you’re saying… isn’t right. I won’t be deceived by your temptation…
Xiao
…Yes. I suppose this is what you meant when you said a selfish mind shouldn’t be viewed negatively.
Xiao
I’m sorry. I had let my own emotions overwhelm me and failed to lead you rightly.
Xiao
This will be the last time I apologize to you and everyone else.
Xiao
Miris… I’m still in the dark, and I cannot see ahead.
Xiao
I’m frankly afraid, and I might stray onto wrong paths sometimes.
Xiao
However, I trust myself to return to the proper way as I stoutly press onward. Just because I cannot see the way ahead, does not mean that a way doesn’t exist.
Location: Inside the Library
Servant Roland
…Did she manifest E.G.O just now?
Library Director Angela
That certainly resembled E.G.O, although it was incomplete like Philip’s.
Servant Roland
And she was mumbling to herself, but it sounded like she was talking to someone.
Library Director Angela
The voice we couldn’t hear, but Xiao could…
Servant Roland
…Kinda like Abnormalities.
Library Director Angela
What do you mean by that?
Servant Roland
I can hear some sort of voices whenever I borrow strength from the Abnormalities here.
Servant Roland
The other librarians can’t hear what I hear. The voice is only audible to one person.
Servant Roland
Sometimes, a voice filled with rage rings through my head, and other times I hear a sorrowful wail…
Servant Roland
And my mind gets sorta… shaken… by those voices somehow.
Servant Roland
Listening to it sometimes makes me feel something is boiling up inside me, or cooling my head down all of a sudden.
Library Director Angela
I think the voice Xiao heard is different from the ones you and Gebura hear.
Servant Roland
In what way?
Library Director Angela
The voices you hear will only say whatever they want to say, one-sidedly. I’m sure there are exceptions, but most will probably behave that way.
Library Director Angela
On the other hand, Xiao was talking with the voice. She was in a conversation with whispers that seemed to want something to happen to her.
Servant Roland
Hmm… I’m not so sure. We don’t have solid evidence to prove that the voice was different just yet.
Servant Roland
Anyhow… We’ve gotta receive her before anything. The problem is how we’re gonna deal with that figurative beast of a person…
