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On the top of a high-rise building near the Central Government headquarters.
Nihilister watched as the one that Liberalio called 'Father' frantically shouted orders to the Human Imposters near him while rushing forward to fight the latest monstrosity that Mother had created.
"...Are you sure you don't want to help him, Liberalio?" Nihilister glanced over at the other Heretic and said, "That's not quite a Heretic, but it's something close to it, isn't it?"
"Father will be fine." Liberalio let out a dreamy smile, watching the fight with her violet eyes. "Watch. You'll understand."
Nihilister looked doubtful. "...He's definitely going to just die- What the hell?"
That unknown Rapture, a gangly ten meter humanoid construct with a singular horn on its head, as well as sleek white metal plating over muscular limbs... Wielding a double-edged blade, it let out a shrill scream and rushed at a smaller figure in white armor.
Nihilister sighed, already seeing the result in her head.
No matter what technology that human wore, against a Rapture of that size, the sheer mass would-
*CLANG*
"What the fuck?"
Liberalio glanced over and frowned. "Language, Sister."
"...What the hell?" Nihilister thought she was seeing things, so she lowered her white hood to get a better look.
...But no. She wasn't seeing things.
The one that Liberalio called 'Father...'
At first, Nihilister thought he would just be like New Hope. A Commander who had been reinforced with cybernetics to be able to fight on par with some lower class Raptures.
But...
"...He's actually fighting back?"
"Marvelous, isn't it?" Liberalio let out a dreamy smile and said, "Father is the next step. The true bridge between us and humanity."
"What in the world are you talking about-?" Nihilister cut herself off when she realized it.
...There.
On that man's waist.
It was subtle. Barely noticeable... probably not noticeable at all to anyone that wasn't a Heretic.
Embedded in the belt he wore, that golden coin that seemed to glimmer like a caged sun...
"...Is that an artificial Rapture Core? No, a Nikke Core?"
"Neither. Both." Liberalio laughed. "And something completely new."
Gunfire echoed as the Human Imposters shot at the gangly Rapture, only for it to be stopped by a glowing hexagon shield.
But then the one Liberalio called Father-
No.
That Commander Hoopa.
He swept his hand out and turned his sword into a hazy blade that cut through the shield like it didn't exist before slashing through the Rapture, causing it to implode and then dissolve into mist.
"...Is that one even human...?" Nihilister couldn't help but voice her thoughts.
Because what that Rapture had just used was an ability that would have definitely resisted even her dragonfire.
But that Hoopa had just cleaved through it in one go and continued to cut the Rapture in half.
Liberalio smiled and said, "Shall we say hello to Father now?"
"Huh? Wait. Wait, wait, WAIT!"
Before Nihilister could react, Liberalio had already jumped off, dragging Nihilister with her.
"IF I DIE I AM FINDING A WAY TO EAT YOU FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE!"
Liberalio giggled and said, "Live a little, Sister. Father won't hurt you."
"I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT HIM YOU CRAZY-!"
===
A hidden path leading to the depths of the Ark. A crossroad that could lead either to the Forbidden Library... or if you knew the way, to another hidden passage leading to the Ultra Massive Core.
The number of people who knew this path existed could be counted on a single hand.
Burningum was one of them.
But the young woman... or rather, Nikke, who had just appeared while he was waiting, was not.
"CEO of Missilis." Burningum rested on his cane and stared at the petite young woman who had just emerged from the shadows. "What a coincidence to be meeting you here."
The woman wearing Syuen's face froze. Then she let out a smile and said, "Deputy Chief Burningum. I was just coming to ensure that the Forbidden Library was safe. You know, with the recent events and everything happening in the Ark."
It was a flimsy excuse.
It was a transparent lie.
And it was a completely out of character way of speaking for Syuen.
Burningum stared at her. Then he slowly said, "...The Central Government does not particularly care who bears the title of CEO for each manufacturer. There has already been precedent for quietly changing hands while maintaining the same persona. However, the Central Government does care when the CEOs begin to push the boundaries of where their authorities begin and end. I will not ask twice. What is your purpose for being here?"
"...Tch." The fake Syuen looked at Burningum. Then she said, "...Fine. I'll step back. Since the Central Government is adamant about this, Missilis will focus strictly on manufacturing and internal restructuring for the moment. Satisfied?"
"...Somewhat. Are you responsible for the current situation in the Ark?"
The fake Syuen looked amused. "Me? I'm working for the advancement of humanity, Deputy Chief Burningum. I might dislike the Ark and its current inhabitants. But I would not go out of my way to damage it like this." She crossed one arm over her chest and rested her chin on her hand. "...You want to protect humanity as well, right? For now at least, we're on the same side. So you don't have to worry about me." She glanced past Burningum to the path behind him. "I was just curious... but curiosity did kill the cat. This one knows that all too well." She giggled, laughing at a joke only she understood.
Burningum was quiet. Then he said, "I see. In that case, you will not mind returning first?"
"How paranoid. But of course, if you weren't, you'd be dead and the Ark would have fallen already..." The fake Syuen let out an exaggerated sigh and shrugged. "Fine, fine. I'll go. Take care, Deputy Chief~"
After leaving those words, the fake Syuen turned around and walked off, her footsteps echoing against the metal paneling underneath her.
Burningum waited for a while longer, confirming her depature. Then he frowned. "...Odd."
She was definitely not the naive and bratty Syuen that Burningum was acquainted with.
...But she was also not against the Ark or humanity. At least, not entirely.
If anything... She felt more aligned with the Ark than Commander Hoopa was. Despite her suspicious behavior, her words were sincere. That claim about wanting to protect humanity was true.
But at the same time...
'She is a tricky one.'
Something could be true but incomplete.
With Commander Hoopa, although he refrained from telling certain pieces of information, what he said was complete.
That one, the woman who stole Syuen's face...
'She is leaving information out.'
Not withholding information, but hollowing information. Taking the pieces that were true and saying only the bare minimum.
'...Still, she is not lying.'
Burningum could tell that much.
Like she said, for now, she was not the Ark's enemy.
But in that case...
Burningum frowned. "...Who is the one moving here?"
Even if that rogue AI had planned to execute this scenario, there was a piece missing. A player that Burningum couldn't account for...
'Is there someone I forgot?'
Commander Hoopa.
The current Syuen.
The rogue AI.
E.H. and Heavenly Ascension.
Doban.
...That should be all the players on the board that could have led to this.
Well, he wouldn't put it past V.T.C. to try something since Andersen was currently away. But they lacked the resources to do anything-
Burningum paused. "...V.T.C. The M.M.R... Jien."
The final piece of the puzzle.
An oddity that he had been mulling over for a decade now.
The one who should have inherited Missilis, but 'voluntarily' became a Nikke and went to M.M.R. instead, allowing Syuen to take the reins.
But now, Syuen had 'voluntarily' become a Nikke as well to account for the recent failures by Missilis.
...Then where did that leave Jien?
Burningum immediately started sprinting back towards the Central Government offices. "Of all the times for the blasted communication networks to be down...!"
If Jien didn't voluntarily become a Nikke, but endured it to save her sister.
If someone else had been puppeting her body while Jien was a Nikke and biding their time.
If that someone else now had killed Syuen and taken over HER body.
...Then that would leave a Jien whose world had crumbled... and one with access to M.M.R's resources with nothing to lose.
And the Ark to burn for letting her sister die.
===
An abandoned warehouse in the depths of the Outer Rim.
"He. Hehe. Hehehe..." Jien let out a mad laugh as she looked at the artificial Heretics created from Exotic. Running her hand through her frazzled lilac hair, she said, "Syuen. Syuen, Syuen, Syuen... they killed you too. Stole your voice, face, life. Our company, your company..."
It wasn't fair.
They did everything for the Ark.
They did everything for Missilis.
They burned up everything they had to raise its prestige, to protect humanity.
And what happened?
"They took everything. They took me. They took you. So..." Jien smiled, watching as Jackal, Viper, and Crow slowly stood up, their once human flesh replaced by black rapture armor and plating, and their faces covered by a black and red visor glowing with circuitry using crushed Rapture cores.
Jien doubled over, clutching her belly as she laughed, a mad look in her eyes. "Let's burn everything down. You girls... you wanted to do it too, right? For the ones who abandoned you in the Outer Rim. So... let's go. Together."