Arknights (明日方舟)

Eno and Sasha, you two really love reading, huh?

Yep.

Eno's smart. He teaches me a lot of stuff.

Talulah!

Hey.

It's not often that you pay a visit to the school.

Figured I'd stop by.

It's written all over your face.

"I'm in trouble! Help me, Alina!"

Right?

Can't hide anything from you.

It's nice, just watching everyone living their lives.

Yes, it's my job to.

How are those two doing?

It won't be easy for them to fit in, but they're good kids.

They're doing a lot better than when they first got here.

I see.

Sorry about this all of a sudden.

It's no problem.

Is this Yelena's?

Yeah, I burned a hole through it during training.

She was really mad about it.

We nearly got into a duel to the death over it.

You seem upset.

Is it about Buldrokkas'tee?

He still hasn't accepted me.

The guerrillas are likely only working with us

on account of how many unarmed Infected there are here.

What happened to the always-confident Talulah?

Has it already been two years since you met Yelena?

Our lives here have gotten so much better.

Have you noticed how the kids' eyes light up when they see you?

What do you mean?

Some kids look up to "FrostNova the Fighter,"

but others want to grow up to be just like "Talulah the Hero."

Give me a break. I hate being called things like that.

It's living proof that you made the right decision.

Yeah...

That said, we can't live here forever.

We have to go south.

We can't.

There are still many Infected suffering here in the snowfields.

Of course. I'm not going to abandon them.

But if we just stay here, nothing is going to change.

We need to reach out to even more Infected,

and let them know that they're not alone.

All we're doing here is sucking the land here and exhaust—

Talulah.

Beyond the snowfield lies Ursus's overwhelming military might.

The patrol unit is nothing compared to the army.

I don't want to send my brothers to a meaningless death.

The Infected don't have long to live.

Who knows how long it'll take to unite—

That's exactly why.

There's fertile land and resources to the south.

Better land will give us a better future.

It's for the future of the Infected, and for those who come after us.

Even if we won't live long enough to see it come to fruition,

we can leave hope for the generations to come.

Let's find somewhere we can all call home.

A place where we can live like people, until the very end.

Dad?

It's time.

Let's go.

Follow your orders and evacuate!

Hurry!

Are you just going to sit there?

You darned white rabbit...

You froze me without a second thought.

That should tell you how much I trust your flames.

Dad, we've led the enemy away and evacuated the targets.

Shit... Damned Infected...

Hey, no way... Is that...?

Have you seen my father's witchcraft before?

I appreciate your help, sir.

I will be checking for survivors.

Please excuse me.

Talulah.

I recognize that your plan has merit.

But all it will do is hasten everyone's deaths.

By uniting with the Infected of the south, we'll build up more strength.

When the Empire turns its gaze to the Infected, you will bear the brunt.

I don't want them to unite under ME.

I want them to unite under a philosophy.

Philosophy?

Those are but fantasies until put into practice.

The snowfields still have mines,

and with their garrisons, we'll have resources.

If we head south, we lose all this and will simply be crushed under the armor of Ursus.

The resources here are running out.

And it's only a matter of time before we draw the Empire's gaze.

We have no future in the snowfield.

You seek a new battlefield?

No, what I'm seeking is a chance of victory.

As we are, all that await us is a slow death.

You must understand—

I...

won't be convinced by one who has never lost hope,

and only spouts empty, armchair strategy.

Talulah? Where are you going?

S-Sorry...

Stay back!

One step, and I'll shoot!

How long has it been since you ate?

Shut up. Now get lost!

You're shivering.

She's an Infected.

With my Arts—

No!

Don't use your... Arts?

It's warmer now, isnt it?

Who are you?

An Infected, just like you two.

So warm.

So that's when you met them.

It was about the only good thing to come out of it.

Hey, Alina, why don't you join our squad?

Maybe you could convince Patriot.

Haven't I told you?

My Arts would be useless in battle,

and I don't want to hurt anyone.

You don't regret leaving the village with me, do you?

I wanted to go with you.

And there was only one reason.

Do you remember what it is you wanted to do?

I've always been striving to create a future for the Infected.

That's not what you said back then.

Hey, Talulah.

Once you make a place for the Infected,

what will you do with the non-Infected?

Huh?

Will they be quarantined?

Will you infect all of them?

Well...

Conversely, if you cured us all of Oripathy,

we would no longer be Infected.

But there would still be those who remember being Infected and those who don't, right?

Yeah...

Even without Oripathy, would our lives really go back to normal?

Probably not...

We wouldn't be able to go back to our old lives.

It's only natural for the Infected to seek equality.

If these lands won't give it to us,

we'll have to take it ourselves.

You're really brave.

Don't make fun of me.

I'm not.

But you're right.

Everyone who struggles against a fate forced on them is brave.

So you think of our fate as a bad thing?

Yeah, I suppose.

But seeing how I can sit here like this and talk to you, or teach the children here,

I would say fate has been very kind to me.

Don't say that.

Fate's a jealous one.

Talking about that stuff is just tempting it to take them away.

Well, I don't really believe in fate.

What you can rely on are things you can see, things you can touch.

Like the snow piling up on the trees, the smiles on the kid's faces,

this cloak and the candlelight,

the needle and thread, too.

But, right...

If you ever lost all of this, right before your eyes,

would you still be able to fight against fate, all alone?

I would never bow my head.

That's something I learned from Patriot.

Silly, that's just the way he lives.

What you should do is forget, give up, forgive yourself, and move on.

How could anyone so easygoing ever achieve anything?

I think you've become an outstanding leader,

but compared to before, your words have become a lot shallower.

"Before"?

"If justice comes with sacrifices, can you really call it just?"

That never left my mind.

Hey, Talulah?

Do you really think that once you've eliminated all the enemies in sight, you'll have won?

That's wrong. It's only when you start fighting the enemies you can't see,

that your battle has truly begun.

A battle against the ill will and malice rooted in these lands.

Right, and you might never defeat them.

Will the fight go on in spite of that?

Maybe it's not all that different from standing up to fate.

In the end, as long as people won't lay down their blades, conflict will never end.

But it's only right to take up arms to fight discrimination and inequality.

"Our war is a war against the ego."

I read that in a book somewhere.

It's one of my favorite quotes.

What to do with a weapon is up to the person holding it.

That's why, just as you'll never lay down your sword...

You'll never lay down the needle and thread?

That's right. I have my own war to fight.

Okay, that wraps up today's lesson!

It's done.

Thanks.

She must really cherish it.

I don't think it's the right size for her, though.

It looks standard issue.

Oh...

I think we might have found one of the reasons Mr. Patriot keeps fighting.

Yeah.