ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀɢᴀꜱɪɴ ꜱɪꜱʏᴘᴇ

1. #1Intervallo 1: Hell's Chicken!

   Keys: Samjo, Bodhisattva Chicken's Manager, Bongy, Head Chicken, Papa Bongy, Intervallo 1

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   Entry settings

   984, March.

   Intervallo 1.

   The LCB remain in District 11 after their mission in Calw and are requested to solve a case of Distortion Phenomenon by Samjo, a K Corp. employee who is representing the manager of Bodhisattva Chicken, a fried chicken restaurant that is losing its customers due to the Distortion scaring them off. The origin of this case of Distortion was the owner of the local restaurant Eunbong’s Bar & Fryers, which had found itself in direct competition with the newly opened Bodhisattva Chicken. The Sinners observe several members of K Corp.'s Security team that have raw chicken-like creatures, covering their heads and causing them to behave strangely. Samjo gets their attention by throwing a rock at them, which leads to the Sinners being forced to fight against the chicken-headed security guards. Despite this behavior upsetting the majority of the LCB, who do not see any reason to agree to such a request, Faust accepts the contract out of an interest to learn more about Distortions.

   Heathcliff becomes briefly taken over by one of the Headchicken minions of the Distortion, and the Sinners were able to glean from his experience of being connected to the entity that the restaurant owner had Distorted due to a "lost recipe". An attempt to recreate the recipe by cooking was decided upon to resolve the Distortion, and a cooking competition quickly arose from arguments between Gregor and Ryōshū.

   Several more rounds of cooking were required after both Gregor and Ryōshū failed miserably at producing edible food, with Meursault's cooking coming very near to perfection, and Outis's successfully opening the heart of the restaurant owner. As Outis's cooking passed, a portal leading to a Mirror Dungeon of the Fathoms of the restaurant owner opened, and he entered.

   Upon initial entry of the Mirror Dungeon, it is revealed that the cause of the restaurant owner's Distortion is the manager of Bodhisattva Chicken stealing his prized chicken recipe and tossing it into a concept incinerator--effectively removing all traces of its existence. The restaurant owner suffered a breakdown due to his cooking chicken being connected to childhood memories of his mother, leading to his Distortion. As the Sinners defeat him, he comes to the realization that his mother did not like chicken, and promptly un-Distorts.

   The Intervallo ends with the Sinners opening a gift box from the restaurant owner, only to find that it contains only a plush mascot of the restaurant that never went into production. Irritated, some Sinners propose to get rid of it; however, Charon shows a liking for the plush, and she kept it. Additionally, Samjo was shown in a "post-credits scene" talking to one "Chief Dongrang", informing him of the Sinners' capability; Samjo then prepares for a second meeting with the LCB.

2. #2Intervallo 2: S.E.A.

   Keys: Olga, Mika, Rain, TrashCrab, Molar Office, Molar Boatworks, Intervallo 2

   Enabled · Selective (AND ANY) · After character · Order 200 · 100%

   Entry settings

   984, May.

   Intervallo 2.

   The LCB arrive at the Backstreets of District 21, stopping by the shores of the Great Lake to wait and gather materials for the modification of Mephistopheles to become amphibious for the impending Golden Bough retrieval mission in U Corp.'s territory. Of note is the Workshop that Limbus Company chose for the modification--Molar Boatworks, featuring three Fixers who were ejected there from The Library. The Molar Boatworks Fixers utilizes technology from U Corp. to work and fuse scrap gathered from Trash Crabs in the area to modify the bus, though the large amount of raw materials needed means that the Sinners must actively hunt Trash Crabs to keep up with the modification process.

   The impending trip to the Great Lake makes Ishmael highly anxious, as she believes that the Sinners are far from ready to participate in missions on the Great Lake, even with Dante's resurrection capabilities. Dante tries to liven up the general heavy mood caused by Ishmael's anxiety by organizing a game of beach volleyball, though the plan backfires with the game ending prematurely: Heathcliff knocked the ball out of bounds due to Ishmael's incessant grumbling, leading to its destruction.

   This series of events eventually culminated in a full-out argument between Ishmael and Heathcliff, which came very near to full-out blows. Vergilius intervened at this point; although Heathcliff was able to calm down and continue participating in scrap collection quickly, Vergilius tells Dante in a later chat that Ishmael's problem cannot be resolved at this time: to be precise, there is no reason to solve it.

   After much Trash Crab hunting and scrap collection under this heavy atmosphere, the modifications to Mephistopheles is finally complete, and the Sinners go on for a stormy voyage on the Great Lake.

3. #3Intervallo 3: Miracle in district 20!

   Keys: Domino, Crayon, Santata, Dodoru, Intervallo 3

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   Entry settings

   As the journey on the Great Lake drags on after the closing of Canto V, the Sinners begin to feel the weight of tedium. Heathcliff, however, is anxious, especially after he gains the knowledge that their current destination is District 20. He explains to the other Sinners that after Ishmael's "turn", he has a mounting suspicion that his "turn" will be coming up next; this suspicion is further consolidated with Vergilius giving him "something" after his last consultation session. As a result, Heathcliff wishes to refine his looks for a certain upcoming occasion at T Corp., starting with the procurement of a suit.

   When everyone else turns in for the night, Don Quixote convinces Heathcliff and Dante to join in on a "plan" to help Heathcliff get a suit. This involves a journey through one of the doors in Mephistopheles' Backdoor to a gift factory run by short, round creatures called Gnomes. The trio initially receives a warm welcome by a manager Gnome named Dodoru, though it is quickly revealed that the Gnomes were procuring human matter as raw material in their production. The three fights through a crowd of gnomes, defeating Dodoru and rescuing a girl named Crayon from the materials sleigh. However, reinforcements quickly arrived, putting all except Dante to sleep using gas and carrying them off for processing.

   At this point, the other Sinners barge in, having noticed Dante's disappearance. It is at this point that it is made clear that the gift factory is located in The Outskirts, a significant distance from the Great Lake. The Sinners fight through the factory, arriving just on time to save Heathcliff, Don Quixote, and Crayon from becoming gifts. They then defeat the gnomes' leader, a red-skinned giant named Santata, who started the factory to take revenge for the Outskirts monsters' denial from entering the City.

   As Santata falls, his gut begins to swell alarmingly. A figure leaps out suddenly, puncturing the dead giant's abdomen and releasing an extremely malodorous, but otherwise harmless, gas. He then inquires as to the Sinners' origins, and reveals that he is Domino the Hunter of Cloud Town, where Crayon came from. The gift factory usually performed raids on another village at this time of year, so Domino went over to help; however, the Gnomes instead attacked Cloud Town, overcoming its defenses and taking all its inhabitants. Both Outskirts residents express thanks for their aid in destroying the gift factory. Though Don Quixote offers for the two to accompany them to the City, they refuse as there is little chance they could pass the paperwork for immigration, let alone integrate into City society. Faust advises for quick return to Mephistopheles as the portal back could close at any moment, and Domino gives Dante an antique carved wooden doll as a parting gift.

   Back on the bus, Vergilius leaves Dante to deal with the mess after they claimed responsibility over the incident. Don Quixote had grabbed a sackful of gifts and decorations from the factory on the way out and promptly began decorating the bus's cabins. Heathcliff agrees to show the "something" Vergilius gave him, and it was revealed to be an invitation for Heathcliff to attend a certain event (specifics were blotted over) at "Wuthering Heights". At the bottom of the letter is a handwritten note from one "Cathy", personally entreating Heathcliff's attendance.

   The Intervallo ends with Rodya and Hong Lu experimentally dressing Heathcliff up. Dante goes out on the deck for some air; Faust accompanies them, telling them to focus on the stories of those in the City for now.

4. #4Intervallo 4: Yield my Flesh, to claim their bones!

   Keys: Aeng-Du, Bamboo-Hatted Kim, Jun, Caiman, Ezra, Kurokumo Clan, Blade Lineage, Intervallo 4

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   Entry settings

   984, October.

   The fourth intervallo,

   Having exited the Great Lake some time prior, the colors begin to fade from the bus as the LCB enters the Backstreets of District 20. The Sinners are told by Vergilius to find and extract a "target" in the middle of a gang war between the Kurokumo Clan and the Blade Lineage outside the bus, where they find a wounded Blade Lineage Salsu, Aeng-du, and bring her back to the bus. Once she awakens, she explains that the Blade Linage had fled to the Library to escape from enemies, only to succumb and then find themselves in the District 20 Backstreets. She requests the Sinners help her return to the building to rescue her mentor, Bamboo-hatted Kim, who happened to reawaken in the 'Yong-jin Building', which is not far from here. After dealing with more Kurokumo Clan reinforcements, the Sinners meets an unexpected visitor by the name of Caiman, an LCCA Team Leader, who, after heavily berating them for their "careless" actions, relays extra duties to the LCB: the Sinners are to go to the Yong-jin Building to 1. Resolve the Distortion and 2. Retrieve a 'Monolith' from the same site.

   After reaching the building, they are contacted by the walkie-talkie given to them by Caiman, warning them about the growing signal from the Monolith in the building, which could "force people to Distort". As they battle their way through the building, they come across evolved instances of Peccatula, which Faust attributes to their continued collection of Golden Boughs. As the conversation regarding Peccatula continues, Dante suddenly has a "breakdown", uttering heavily obfuscated comments on the discriminatory factors between Peccatulum transformation, Distortion, and E.G.O manifestation as their clock head begins to violently overheat.

   As Dante recovers, Aeng-du goes on ahead, where she runs into the Kurokumo Clan Captain, Jun, who is guarding the door to where Kim and the Monolith are. The Sinners arrive just on time to see her being defeated by Jun, and subsequently defeat him. He confesses that the Kurokumo Clan members stationed at Yong-jin Building are tasked with guarding the 'Monolith' pending delivery to The Thumb; when Bamboo-hatted Kim and some other Blade Lineage members suddenly appeared, the anxious Kurokumo Clan members attacked them. The ensuing battle and Blade Lineage casualties caused Kim to "snap" and attack indiscriminately, forcing the Kurokumo Clan to retreat.

   An appalled Aeng-du enters the door the Kurokumo Clan had been guarding, finding that Kim has Distorted. After defeating Kim, a Mirror Dungeon of the Fathoms manifests, into which Kim flees. The Sinners follow him inside, where they uncover Kim's memories of a not dissimilar battle at S Corp., where the Blade Lineage hailed from. Aeng-du believes the Kurokumo Clan's slaughter of Kim's fellows reminded him of this incident, and Faust states that this shock, along with influences from the Monolith, was the cause of his Distortion. They eventually reach and defeat the fully distorted Kim, allowing Dante to be walked through how to safely seal the Monolith, reverting Kim's Distortion. The person on the other end reveals their name to be Ezra from The Distortion Detective, who thanks them before leaving.

   They are then met by agents of the LCA to collect the Monolith, only to ask where the former Distortion is. It turns out the Aeng-du had dragged Kim away to kill him as revenge for being responsible for the death of other Blade Lineage members, and is beginning to distort; Meursault was able to halt the Distortion process by knocking Aeng-du out, and both were then carried away by the LCA agents.

   When questioned about whether Limbus Company can handle the complications with the Thumb that this incident is sure to spark, an LCA agent replies with the cryptic message "A foe is a friend, and a friend is a foe for Limbus Company". Dante returns to the bus filled with questions, though Vergilius replies that all their questions will eventually be answered in due time. The Intervallo ends with Charon setting course for "the famous Heights" of T Corp.

5. #5Intervallo 5: Timekilling Time.

   Keys: Time Ripper, Herbert, Bumble, District 20 Yurodiviye Captain, Mai, T Corp, Intervallo 5

   Enabled · Selective (AND ANY) · After character · Order 500 · 100%

   Entry settings

   984, December.

   The fith intervallo,

   Following the chaos at the Wuthering Heights manor, the Sinners remain camped out in T Corp.'s Nest. Having begun to make a name for themselves, Don Quixote is delighted to find that they had been featured in the local newspaper for their conclusion of the mass kidnappings carried out by the Edgar Family. During, they are confronted by a T Corp. Collector who reveals they owe T Corp. a Time Tax of an entire 10,040,000,000 Ahn. No one understands either why they owe tax or what made the number so astronomically high, but eventually Vergilius intervenes and proposes going to T Corp.'s office to sort out the problem.

   The Sinners are informed that the absurdly large tax was a result of Dante's Sapling of Light ability, "Pigritia", which had generated a large physical field of slowed time and disturbed the TT4 Protocol active at the Wuthering Heights manor. Whilst Vergilius and Faust have a meeting with the T Corp. staff in order to solve the problem, Meursault is approached by a talkative T Corp employee, who suggests they use the Temporal Scale Gallows of his invention in order to pay off their debt with "time" instead of money. Unfortunately, the machine errors out and does nothing.

   When Faust and Vergilius return, they have a proposal for the Sinners. A Distortion known as the Time Ripper has been causing trouble by "killing" people's time, and if the group can help T Corp. solve the case, their debts will be forgiven. Besides the manager, only three Sinners are permitted to work on it, with Vergilius selecting Rodion, Ryōshū, and Hong Lu. The rest of the Sinners are locked in a prison cell until the case is resolved. Before they leave, Don Quixote provides the detective team with outfits and a book written by "Agatha", a famous Grade 1 Fixer from the Seven Association. As the four set off, they are accompanied by the same talkative T Corp. employee from earlier.

   The Sinners quickly warm up to their new assistant as he guides them to the killer's third victim, a factory owner named Bumble. The Sinners originally struggle to question him due to how much time he has, which allows him to condense many hours into a day and move faster than those who have less time. He is ultimately able to communicate with the detectives through a recorder. He tells them about how he was attacked by the Ripper whilst making his way through the street. During the interview he scolds his destitute factory workers and demands the impossible from them, agitating Rodion. Ryōshū mentions how the culprit must have moved faster than Bumble in order to strike him and kill his time. The detectives reach the conclusion that the culprit must despise the rich and status quo of T Corp., while also having plenty of hours to spare. The group sets off again.

   By questioning a Collector, they learn that the Yurodiviye are active in T Corp. and have been committing petty thefts whilst providing detective services to the poor. They soon encounter the Syndicate personally, when Hong Lu is killed by an explosion caused by a handful of Yurodiviye activists. The Sinners engage them in battle, although the Yurodiviye flee. Upon seeing Dante "turn back the clock" to revive Hong Lu, the assistant questions them about their ability, wondering what machinery makes such a thing possible and where all the time they're manipulating comes from.

   When the Sinners and their assistant return from the scuffle, they find that the Collector from earlier had been attacked by the Ripper, her time now killed, leaving her literally frozen in time. As they discuss the scene, Dante senses the Distortion nearby, and Ryōshū and Hong Lu run off to pursue the Yurodiviye. After another combat, Ryōshū manages to capture the activist, who eventually gives up the location of their hideout. Rodya, Hong Lu, and Ryōshū confront the Captain of the Yurodiviye and engage him in battle. Upon defeating him, they question the nature of his inventions and whether he's responsible for the time murders, but he denies any complicity and insults the detectives for being amateurs. During the interrogation, Rodya mentions her personal rapport with Sonya, as well as her familiarity and distaste for the Yurodiviye, angering Captain, who recounts the way the Yurodiviye creed has spread through every Nest, and speaks of Sonya as "the Saint". Eventually, he asks if Rodya was really an old friend of Sonya's, and upon her saying yes, he gives the detectives advice on the case.

   Outside, Rodya asks the T Corp. assistant why, despite having his duties as a T Corp. employee, he had been allowing the Yurodiviye of their district to run free instead of capturing them, wondering whether the group was so insignificant that they didn't prove to be a threat. The assistant claims that the opposite is true. He'd been wanting to see if Yurodiviye can change the world, and reveals that, in actuality, the group has managed to spread through the Nests and cause some real trouble. Rodya laments Sonya's goals coming to fruition while she remains stagnant and unchanged. She expresses determination to solve the murders and be the center of attention, berating Ryōshū and Hong Lu for joining the case for halfhearted reasons. She is then cut off by the appearance of another victim: the Yurodiviye Captain they'd been speaking to. The detectives pursue the Distortion once more, with the team splitting up in order to corner them.

   Dante, Rodya, and their assistant end up face-to-face with the Ripper, with the other two elsewhere. Rodya's mental state spirals as the Time Ripper confirms they are not bound by the Yurodiviye. The Distortion claims that they are not the one killing time, but the citizens of T Corp are, justifying their actions by explaining they are merely reaping the dying and wasted hours to share amongst the poor. The Ripper deeply detests the higher-ups of T Corp. and how they have so much time to waste, whilst the poor only have 4-10 hours to make of their day. While the culprit flees, Rodion processes these views, and the dejected detectives make their way back to the frozen body of the Yurodiviye Captain. Ryōshū deduces that the Captain knew the Ripper due to the particular look in his eyes, and upon seeing the Captain’s Yurodiviye scarf torn in half, Rodion deduces the killer to be a former Yurodiviy who'd grown frustrated at the Syndicate's methods, as the Yurodiviye believes in the need to wait for the right moment to bring about change.

   By questioning the activists once more, the group learns of a member who wanted to share the time of T Corp. equally amongst everyone, and that had quit after his brother's death. The band of detectives begins to lay down their clues. Ryōshū brings up that, while she knows her cigarettes take exactly four minutes to burn out, when checking the Clock Tower today, she noticed her cigarettes were seemingly burning in only two minutes. Rodion uses this to deduce that the Ripper slowed down the Clock Tower by two minutes in order to make everyone in the general area feel an extra sense of tedium, leaving them vulnerable to their attacks. Their assistant tells the team how they need evidence to make the arrest, so they have the duty of catching the killer in the act. When Rodya expresses concern over the Ripper potentially taking away their time, the assistant reveals that it is impossible for the Ripper to rip away the Sinners' time, due to their time being bound to Dante's, which is why his gallows did not work on Meursault earlier.

   The team devises a plan to capture the Ripper by having Hong Lu act as bait. Beforehand, the detectives return to the T Corp. office to free the rest of the Sinners and head to the Clock Tower to set the trap. At the Clock Tower, the Time Ripper appears and attacks Hong Lu, and as expected, the attack is ineffective. The waiting Sinners ambush the Ripper and defeat him in battle. A door to the Ripper's fathoms opens and the Sinners traverse through his memories.

   The fathoms reveal the Ripper was a former member of Yurodiviye who had aspirations of being an inventor. One day, his brother lent him most of his time to allow him to take a certification, but before the Ripper could return his brother the borrowed time, the brother was hit by a car he was too slowed-down to avoid. His death caused the Ripper to spiral into despair and distort. The Distortion is also revealed to be made of several different people that had been absorbed into the first Ripper. The Sinners finally defeat the Time Ripper, and then head back to the office as the LCA handles the Distortion.

   At the office, a reporter requests an interview with Dante, Rodion, Ryōshū and Hong Lu in order to get an inside scoop on the case. Subsequently, the reporter takes their photo, which Don Quixote photobombs. Afterwards it is revealed that the T Corp. assistant the group had been working with was actually the corporation's Executive Director. After revealing his name to be Herbert, he forwards a request to buy all of the Monoliths in Limbus Company's possession and reveals to Dante how they renewed his wish he'd once given up on. He mentions stars, and the connection between change and time, claiming that the only true way to stop changes and suffering is to stop time.

   Back on the bus, Rodya continues to ruminate on the case, having been greatly agitated by she had learned about herself and Sonya. Dante tries to distract her by asking where they are headed next. With this, Vergilius reveals they are going onto a WARP train, much to everyone's horror.

6. #6Intervallo 6: Murder on the WARP express.

   Keys: Cassetti, Sasha, MultiCrack Office, W Corp, Bloodfiends, Intervallo 6

   Enabled · Selective (AND ANY) · After character · Order 600 · 100%

   Entry settings

   984, December.

   The sixth Intervallo,

   The Sinners learn that their next destination will be District 16, P Corp., and that to reach it, they will be taking a WARP train. While Vergilius and Charon take a separate train due to the vergilus's status as a Color, the Sinners are hesitant on the plan, as the group is aware, through their use of Identities, of the unhappy fate the Third Class passengers face. Fortunately, they're informed they'll be taking the First Class car, allowing them to remain asleep and safe inside cryo-pods for the entire time of the ride.

   However, problems arise when Faust awakens Dante and the Sinners three days into the voyage. As it turns out, Limbus Company had been contracted by W Corp. to clear up a Distortion that has been making passengers disappear on the train they were riding. However, the nature of the WARP Train, which travels through unknown dimensions, has disconnected Faust from what she defines the "Gesellschaft", the collective of Faust from other worlds that she typically communicates with to obtain near-unlimited knowledge. After waking up the rest of the Sinners, Faust requests Dante's help in keeping her status a secret from them as they investigate.

   The LCB makes its way through the Train, fighting through waves of passengers that have been turned into strange, bloodthirsty creatures. Reflecting on the fact that passengers have been disappearing without a trace, the Sinners come to understand the culprit must be a Bloodfiend, a monstrous being that feeds on human blood by turning people into into "Bloodbags", mindless thralls that the Bloodfiend could then use as sources of nourishment, leaving nothing behind at the end of the Train's travel.

   The Sinners follow the Bloodfiend's traces, eventually coming face to face with him. The Bloodfiend, a seemingly self-proclaimed "prince" named Cassetti, welcomes them to his domain, where he has already begun founding his Bloodfiend Family, by making Sasha, one of the Fixers that were riding the Train, into his Kindred. The Sinners battle against Cassetti, fighting through his Bloodbags, his Kindred, and finally the Bloodfiend himself.

   However, the Sinners are unable to deal with Cassetti's regenerative abilities and eventually all of the others save for Faust and Don Quixote are exhausted. Sasha manages to steal the Train's master keycard from Faust, forcing her and Dante to cease the fighting. Faust manages to convince Cassetti to negotiate with them on Mephistopheles, and the Bloodfiend follows her and Dante on the bus. Once inside, Faust's connection to the Gesellschaft is restored, but before she and Dante can begin negotiations, Don Quixote arrives, and attempts to fight Cassetti again.

   Cassetti attempts to bite down on her to turn her into one of his Bloodbags, while Faust asks Dante not to tell the Sinners what is about to occur. Dante then watches as Don Quixote's running shoes, Rocinante, come undone, and a great pressure and stench of blood fill the bus. Don Quixote takes on a different appearance and demeanor, with her eyes shining a bright red. Cassetti refers to her as the "Second Kindred", recognizing her as a greater Bloodfiend than he, and he begs for her mercy for the sin of filial impiety. Don Quixote ignores his pleas, and effortlessly dissolves him and his Kindred into blood. She then asks Dante to place the shoes back on her, speaking of how it is not yet the right time. After Rocinante is back on her feet, she returns to normalcy, and falls unconscious.

   After Dante revives the Sinners, they find the master keycard has been destroyed in the scuffle, and they have no way of returning to the First Class car. Faust directs everyone into the Backdoors of Mephistopheles, and the Sinners manage to escape the Train's passage of time by traveling to another dimension, and returning to once the Train has reached its destination. Once at the station, they reunite with Vergilius and Charon. After pulling her aside, Dante asks Faust how long she'd known that Don Quixote was a Bloodfiend, with the Sinner revealing she always knew, as did Vergilius. She also admits she has become too reliant on Gesellschaft.

   While Don Quixote awakens with no memory of the event on the Train, although Dante is still startled by the thought of it, and hopes they will never have to see Don Quixote's red eyes again.

7. #7Intervallo 7: LCB Regular Check-up.

   Keys: Hohenheim, Alyssa, Marton, Johann, Intervallo 7

   Enabled · Selective (AND ANY) · After character · Order 700 · 100%

   Entry settings

   984, December.

   The 7th intervallo,

   As the Sinners relax shortly after the adventure in La Manchaland, Gregor's bones make a strange crack as he stretches, leading for him to request a vacation. That innocent request has Faust and Vergilius announce that the Sinners must perform a "regular check-up" at the Limbus Company HQ, to judge how strong they have become since joining the company. After arriving at the LCE floor through a special transportation device, the Sinners meet Hohenheim, the abrasive and detached chief researcher of the LCE, and his assistant researchers Alyssa and Marton.

   Hohenheim starts the check-up immediately, locking the Sinners away from Dante to test their reaction to emergency scenarios, before Dante is finally allowed in to guide them as they perform a few rounds of combat. Hohenheim requests an assistant, his choice landing on Heathcliff, before moving on to the true tests: these involve pairs or trios of Sinners going up against groups of Peccatula. During the tests, it is revealed that the "contract" the Sinners made with Dante had suppressed the Sinners' strength to a similar level of "mediocrity", but with "potentiality" to become either better or worse as more Golden Boughs are claimed.

   Following Yi Sang and Don Quixote's portion, after an innocent comment from Yi Sang about Don Quixote's shoes, Hohenheim decides to egg Don Quixote into taking off Rocinante. Immediately after doing so, her Bloodfiend powers reemerge, and she suddenly goes berserk, effortlessly defeating the Sinners who try to stop her, forcing Vergilius to step in to contain her. After Rocinante is placed back on, the Sinners learn that due to the nature of a Bloodfiend's illness, Don Quixote is forced to bear the collective thirst of her entire Family, which will resurface whenever Rocinante is taken off. Don Quixote struggles with this realization, having been forced into a role of responsibility she did not wish, and remaining unable to truly be herself without the limitation of Rocinante.

   In the aftermath of her suppression, the final tally of the Sinners' strength before joining the LCB is revealed, consisting of:

   Don Quixote was shown to be the strongest, while Outis came in second, followed by Ryōshū in third, Meursault in fourth, Faust in fifth, Hong Lu in sixth, Rodion in seventh, Ishmael in eighth, Heathcliff in ninth, Sinclair in tenth, and Yi Sang rounding out the list in eleventh.

   Gregor is excluded from the lineup, with Hohenheim commenting on him being an "exception". He does not elaborate further, and the other Sinners brush off Gregor's complaints.

   In the last segment of the check-up, the Sinners must deal with a Distortion. A Monolith is presented in part of the laboratory, and Hohenheim steps forward, which begins his Distortion process—what he dubs the final experiment. The Sinners thus dive into Hohenheim's fathoms, in which he appears to be still quite present to his senses, speaking to the Sinners and being able to redact part of his memories from view. The group is still able to learn that he was a former employee of Lobotomy Corporation, who heartlessly left his fellow employees to die in the collapsing building by jumping into the Company's escape pod. Fighting him reveals the truth, as his former assistant Johann, whose personality bore some similarities to Heathcliff's, forced him into said escape pod, leaving the researcher with survivor's guilt.

   Eventually, the Sinners defeat his distorted self, and Hohenheim returns to normality. The researcher deems his final experiment a failure, having believed he would remain a Distortion, but the check-up is completed, and the LCE sends the Sinners back to the bus, informing them that they will not meet each other again. As they depart, Dante realizes they never looked into what was causing Gregor's bones to crack weirdly.

8. #8Intervallo 8: Nocturnal Sweeping.

   Keys: Jia Qiu, Zingong, Werner, Qingtao, Shi Yihua, Ricardo, Zilu, Tri-axe Office, Sweeper, Wei, Jia Xichun, Intervallo 8

   Enabled · Selective (AND ANY) · After character · Order 800 · 100%

   Entry settings

   985, January.

   The 8th intervallo,

   The LCB's latest mission takes them to District 8, H Corp. or "Hongyuan", a massive construction complex that encases both Nest and Backstreets. As the group navigates the Backstreets, they are targeted by an Office seeking to assassinate Hong Lu, recognizing him as "Jia Baoyu" of the Jia Family and seeking to remove him from the upcoming Family Hierarch Evaluations, an event which will decide the next leader of the Nest. After dealing with them, the LCB runs into returning characters Saude, now a Manager, and Pilot, who are here to accompany the LCB. While the tragedy of Effie's death hangs over the conversation, the Sinners are happy to see her, and Outis is particularly commending of Saude for her promotion. Pilot introduces the Sinners to a former servant of the Jia family: a brown nosing man named Qingtao, who butters up Hong Lu with almost every word.

   Qingtao, a supposed expert on the streets, instead guides the group through dangerous alleyways. The Sinners are repeatedly jumped by hostile groups, and grow increasingly suspicious of him and his clearly inauthentic compliments. When Outis' own sycophantic attitude is compared to Qingtao's, she takes it to heart and begins to make a point of getting a grasp of the situation and Qingtao's actions.

   Qingtao eventually guides the Sinners to a shabby looking kezhan to rest for the night. Here, they once again run into Jia Xichun and Wei. Dante speaks with Hong Lu, who reassures them that he is not hiding anything and has no strong feelings about returning home, and then with Xichun, who makes a conscious effort to have a normal conversation with Dante. In the night, the groups are attacked by a group of assassins called the Heishou Pack and must fight them off, with Ryōshū only barely making it in time to save Dante's life. It is revealed that the "mastermind" of these events, Yihua of the Shi Family, had conspired with Qingtao and brought the Sinners into the kezhan with the intention of killing Hong Lu.

   Qinqtao then flees the place, while the Sinners prepare to fight the Heishou's leader, who steps forward to defend Shi Yihua. Suddenly, Ricardo and several eastern-hailing little siblings of the Middle make an appearance, having spent months tracking down the Sinners for Heathcliff's theft of the Big Brother's hair coupons. Ricardo is distracted when Shi Yihua insults his hair, resulting in a fight between him and the Heishou leader, Zilu. Zilu and Shi Yihua make their escape, however, after which Ricardo turns his attention back to the Sinners. The "kezhan" everyone had been fighting in then begins to melt, as it is revealed that Shi Yihua had set it up as a trap meant to dissolve and leave the group vulnerable to the Sweepers' nightly appearance.

   The Sinners and Middle are forced to combat the nigh-endless Sweepers, but eventually make it through their sweeping waves. It is explained that the buildings of District 8 have a tendency to shift, which results in the Middle being blasted off into the sky, as Ricardo swears he will return. The LCB, exhausted, are again confronted by Shi Yihua, who prepares to have Zilu and the rest of the Heishou Pack finish them off. Just then, another group of people arrive, led by Jia Qiu, another member of Hong Lu's family. He reveals that he had severed Qingtao's head as punishment for betraying him, and as Shi Yihua attempts to beg for his life by offering to share the secrets of the Shi family, another Heishou decapitates him. Jia Qiu leaves silently, followed by his companion Zigong.

   After the night's adventures, Jia Xichun takes the Sinners out for a celebratory meal, before requesting that they temporarily work under her with the goal of leading her to victory in the Family Hierarch Evaluation. Given that the LCB is not entirely sure what they are meant to do upon arriving in the Nest, and Hong Lu has no interest in becoming Hierarch, they agree. Afterwards, Saude and Pilot make their return, with it made clear due to Pilot's screw up in trusting Qingtao, he and Saude will have their pay docked for half a year. Saude then reveals that, by the LCA's orders, Hong Lu will be participating in the Evaluation as a candidate, much to Jia Xichun's fury

9. #9Intervallo 9: Spring Cultivation.

   Keys: Jia Xichun, Night Drifter, Hierarch, Shi Huazhen, Wang Qingshan, Shi Sijing, Xue Pan, Intervallo 9

   Enabled · Selective (AND ANY) · After character · Order 900 · 100%

   Entry settings

   985, January

   The 9th intervallo,

   The Sinners and LCB's plans to train Jia Xichun into a worthy Hierarch hits a snag when the council of Daguanyuan finally gathers. Jia Yuanchun, who has learned that Xichun never inherited the Xianhuang Anamnaworm and has not been prepared for the role as H Corp.'s Hierarchs traditionally are, attempts to oust her younger kin from power. Yuanchun calls for a vote of no confidence, repeatedly commenting on Xichun's inexperience and attempting to undermine her authority so that she might take the title and effective power of Hierarch away from her. As many members of the other families have been arrested for conspiring against Hongyuan, the council is now made up of Wang Zhao representing the Wang family, Xue Baochai representing the Xue, and Shi Huazhen representing the Shi, all of whom hold doubts and grudges towards Xichun and are easily swayed against her. The stand against Xichun is only halted once Sinclair protests and Zigong makes a timely intervention. Here, the latter reminds the council that the Hierarch has rightfully conquered her title, and requests that Xichun be given the chance to prove her worth to the families of Daguanyuan. Xichun is thus given thirty days to train, with the condition that every six days she would have to participate in a sparring match ("midterm") against other scions of the four great families.

   As Zigong and Wei are busy with working on paperwork, the duty of training Xichun falls to the Sinners, supervised by Zilu. Initially the Sinners present their own lesson plans, but Zilu finds them unsatisfactory and discards them one by one. During his turn, Sinclair excitedly explains that he'd dreamed of being a teacher growing up, but Zilu, Saude and Zigong stop him to explain he will not be taking a teaching role, and will instead join Xichun as a pupil. This kicks off a bond between them, as Sinclair explains various concepts such as those of a "bestie" and a "deskmate", to an appreciative Xichun, who had never been able to attend a normal school.

   The lessons start, and the Sinners teach classes meant to develop the three qualities necessary for a leader: "Zhi"(智), or Wisdom, "Yong"(勇), or Courage, and "Ren"(仁), or Humanity. The first bout of classes feature:

   Yi Sang, whose class discusses Mirror Technology. Yi Sang presents Xichun and Sinclair his Mirror, and although the class briefly touches on the study of Mirror Technology itself, Yi Sang instead encourages the two to look into their reflection, and consider how much they've changed. While Xichun ends up reflecting on her past, coming out of it more in touch with parts of herself she'd learned to keep hidden, Sinclair appears avoidant, commenting on how he can only see his own face.

   Don Quixote, whose class teaches Fixer history. Through excitable tales and games, Xichun and Sinclair compete to see who can correctly answer the most of Don Quixote's specific and obscure trivia questions. After the class, the two begin understanding their teacher's fascination with Fixers and their heroic deeds.

   Faust, whose class teaches engineering. Faust teaches the two about the Singularity of the old H Corp., which is what governs the room system of Hongyuan and its "Restructuring Days". Xichun pays great attention, as she aims to one day dismantle this structure and allow the people to live without fear of remaining with no room to stand on.

   Gregor, whose class discusses the history of the Smoke War, with Gregor recounting his first-hand experiences. He provides tangible information of the dynamics of war, with Xichun being deeply affected by the thought of the horrors that a grand scale conflict could cause; she resolves to protect Hongyuan from any such future. Gregor himself struggles during the class, and even at the end he remains distressed by the memories of his past.

   Hong Lu, whose class aims to teach how to better survive Hongyuan. With the help of Lin Daiyu, Hong Lu presents Xichun and Sinclair with a series of poisoned bowls, and teaches the two how to follow their intuition to recognize unseen threats.

   After the first six days of classes, Xichun faces her first midterm, which sees her sparring against Shi Huazhen. The two discuss the fate of the Shi family after the end of the Evaluations, with Huazhen lamenting how many of his family members have been arrested and locked away. Xichun hears his frustrations, and explains to him that she's been working to figure out what his family's involvement was, and that they will be freed if found innocent. Having obtained a certain understanding of the dangers of war, she comments that she will not take actions that could throw Hongyuan in further chaos. During the match, Xichun defeats Huazhen, although the latter is touched by the young Hierarch's words and resolution, and by her remembering his name.

   The second bout of classes includes:

   Ishmael, who wishes to teach the two about exploration and survival. While Ishmael had planned several, far more dangerous expeditions, all of them were rejected. Instead, she plans a class based on Jianghu Journeys (J&J), a tabletop roleplaying game. During the game, Xichun and Sinclair take the role of two adventurers, and explore the world as described by Ishmael. The class itself is soon forgotten, but the game helps Xichun, Sinclair, and even Ishmael bond with each other. Sinclair also learns the value of acting assertively to ensure people get the help they deserve.

   Meursault, whose classes attempt to teach the two to limit their superfluous emotional responses to enhance productivity. Because Rodya had once commented on Meursault's unique ability to keep a straight face, the class aims to teach Xichun and Sinclair the same skill.

   Outis, whose class focuses on intelligence acquisition, extorting information from enemies. While Xichun initially understands this to be about physical torture, which she has rebuked since the times of La Manchaland, Outis actually refers to rhetorical manipulation and influencing enemies with the power of words.

   For her second midterm, Jia Xichun faces Shi Sijing. Through some clever words, Xichun gets him to spill that his parents are currently hiding to avoid arrest for potential treason. After besting him in combat, she explains that she already knew this, and hadn't made any moves to arrest his parents because there wasn't any actual evidence against them. Shi Sijing leaves the conversation contemplative after coming to understand that Jia Xichun has no plans to make more enemies for herself by thoughtlessly arresting innocent people.

   The third bout of classes includes:

   Ryōshū, whose class focuses on child caretaking. She borrows Wang Qingshan's little brother and, in a striking contrast to her usual behavior, takes care of him with considerable care and competence. Sinclair and Xichun see another side of Ryōshū, and Xichun cements a desire to make Hongyuan a place where children can play outside without fear.

   Rodion, who aims to demonstrate how to control one's emotions. Her class takes the form of a mahjong game where the students' goal is to keep her from winning. After Rodya eggs Wei into joining their game, the two of them grow intensely competitive, taking over the class to the point that Wei takes to a full on celebratory cheer after winning.

   At her next midterm, Xichun is greeted by Wang Zhao. While Wang Zhao acknowledges that Xichun has grown since the Evaluation, and favors her over Jia Yuanchun, he does not believe that Xichun is yet capable enough for the role of Hierarch. He ultimately steps aside, leaving Wang Qingshan to be Xichun's opponent in battle. After Xichun wins, Qingshan criticizes her for giving her little brother false hope about the future of Hongyuan during Ryōshū's class. Xichun insists that she wasn't making empty promises, and that Yuanchun's lead will not make Hongyuan a better place. Wang Qingshan leaves in a hurry, conflicted.

   The final bout of classes includes:

   Heathcliff, whose class focuses on brawling. His class is initially introduced after the third midterm, but takes place in full after the fourth. There, he encourages the two students to form a backbone, and has them spar against one another. Sinclair performs surprisingly well against Xichun, and Dante remarks on the power the mark on his forehead lends him. Afterwards, Xichun and Sinclair share their experiences in leaving home with one another, and the struggles they've faced in life. The conversation is cut short after Sinclair pivots the topic towards Heathcliff's reasons for returning to Wuthering Heights, which lead the Sinner to dismiss class early.

   An unexpected lecturer: the Night Drifter, sent by Jia Yuanchun. He teaches Xichun and Sinclair his personal combat techniques, which focus on spirit and mindfulness. During, Xichun reflects on her struggle between practicality and kindness, having killed others since a young age yet also sacrificed her Heishou Pack in order to save Wei's life. The Night Drifter forms a strange impression of Sinclair and pins him down as someone who is proud, cocky, and afraid of understanding himself. He leaves the Sinner with an ominous warning that Sinclair must act when the time comes, or else risk rotting inside his shell.

   Finally, Xichun faces off against Xue Pan, who claims to be there for the fun of it. After Xichun wins in their spar, Xue Pan encourages her to kill him, suggesting that she use his death as a means of intimidating others into respecting her leadership. Xichun rejects his suggestion that she rule through fear, and Xue Pan calls her answer boring, before asking her how long she thinks it'll take for the two of them to break. While he saunters off in his usual demeanor, Jia Xichun leaves disturbed. She falls into a depression, wondering if proving her right to the role of Hierarch would even mean anything. To help her out of her slump, Sinclair suggests to Wei that he and Xichun "play hooky" and skip school for the day to recover their spirit. In the end, they visit a once rotten bog which has recovered into the form of a beautiful pond, and Jia Xichun finds her motivation to keep trying amidst the inspiring scenery.

   After returning in full spirits, one last lecturer awaits: Dante, who was unsure what to teach, discusses a mystery with their students. The group uses anonymous reports to find out which one of the Sinners had recently struck Dante over the head with a clock, to which is is revealed that Yi Sang and Sinclair were co-conspirators. It turns out they had panicked while sneaking into Dante's room while curious about whether or not Dante's fire produced heat. Afterwards, Sinclair has a short moment of honesty with Dante, where he confesses to an understanding of why he was chosen as a student alongside Xichun: as "compensation" for not yet delivering on something the company has been expecting of him. Dante reassures him that no one quite knows what the future holds.

   After thirty days have passed, Jia Xichun leaves for her exam, to prove herself to Jia Yuanchun once and for all. Back in the class pavilion, Xue Baochai, whose engagement to Hong Lu has been broken, makes a quick visit to the Sinners, where she attempts to reach out to Hong Lu and obtain his affection again, but the Sinner denies to walk back on his decisions. With a hint from Baochai, the group realizes that Xichun's trial was a trap, and that she is being taken to somewhere her life would be in danger. Wei rushes after Xichun immediately, and the Sinners make their way there through another path, fighting off the Heishou of the Si Branch that have been sent by Yuanchuan. Once there, the LCB runs into Wei again, who's become corroded and mutated by his Heishou boluses. As he has lost all sense of reason, the Sinners are forced to end his rampage through battle.

   The Sinners then finally meet with Xichun, who has been set up to fight against the Night Drifter. Despite his betrayal, it's clear that he has become genuinely fond of her and Sinclair, and does not truly desire to kill her. At his beckoning, Xichun clashes with and triumphs over her former master. He dies, never to be revived.

   Back in Daguanyuan, the motion of no confidence does not go through, as Xichun has managed to convince everyone to support her through her actions, words, and spirit. Jia Yuanchun is forced to abandon her plan to yield power of H Corp., and retreats to Q Corp. with Baochai to make further plans. From there, Jia Xichun officially starts her life as the Hierarch of Hongyuan. The Sinners, pleased with her success, stay at Danguanyuan with her for a little while before departing to their next destination.

10. #10Intervallo 10: Twinning Threads.Disabled

    Keys: Alan, Rufo, Ted, Émile Benoît, Kira, Hohenheim, Vespa, Intervallo 10

    Disabled · Selective (AND ANY) · After character · Order 1000 · 100%

    Entry settings

    Still at the Limbus Company Headquarters, the Sinners attend a funeral for Marton and the other researchers who lost their lives in the raid on HQ, guided through the etiquette by Meursault. The group reflects on how the last proper funeral they attended was at Wuthering Heights, to which it is explained that the power of the Golden Bough had formed a new series of memories for the Sinners which cleanly cut Catherine's existence out of the equation. After the cremation, a number of LCE researchers take Sinclair away to conduct research on his Sign, and the crowd begins splitting off into groups, leaving Dante with Hohenheim, Faust, Don Quixote, and Ryōshū.

    Hohenheim starts by revealing that Kira has regained consciousness following the devastating injury she received from Matthias at the House of Spiders. The five of them go to visit the former apprentice, and as Kira is unreceptive to Hohenheim's demand for her help, he threatens her until Ryōshū takes over and eventually manages to convince Kira to work with them. Kira is tasked with sharing what she knows about the doors connected to the House of Spider's Corridors, and so everyone departs for the section of the Corridor once belonging to Callisto. There, they meet Alan, a team leader at the prospective W Corp. who is hoping to learn more about the doors' whereabouts through their help. Although he initially appears friendly, a dismissive comment from Kira leads him to strike her hard in the face, to which the group's opinion of him immediately sours. Without much else to be done, they issue him a warning before continuing on with their Corridor research.

    The first door they enter leads to a Fauvist gallery of the Ring. There they run into Émile Benoît, an old acquaintance of Ryōshū and a Maestro they have no hope of defeating. In their struggle to escape, the LCB realizes that Ryōshū has lost her ability to unsheathe her sword, and they go out of their way to make sure Kira makes it out with them after she moves to protect her new allies from the Ring members. Ryōshū wonders what has happened to her sword as the five of them regroup at the base where Vergilius, Charon, Vespa, Rodion, Yi Sang, Heathcliff, Outis, Meursault, Ishmael, and the test subject, Sinclair, are. Ryōshū's ōdachi is entered for testing, and in the meanwhile, Sinclair's Sign is discussed. Unfortunately, the researchers haven't been able to figure out anything of note, and Sinclair, who does not remember his time as his future self, appears to have been told next to nothing about his performance at the House of Spiders. As the conversation shifts, Vespa and Vergilius share some insight on the workings of Shin and Mang, which Kira expresses interest in learning. Finally, Hohenheim finishes with Ryōshū's ōdachi and reveals that the scabbard has taken on its own will as a result of its old owner. Dante's initial group leaves again to continue with their door exploration, with the addition of Outis and Heathcliff.

    A particular door calls to Ryōshū, to which the group ends up in a park which leads her to reflect on her time with Saru. Although Callisto's decision to turn Saru into a blade horrified Ryōshū as a preteen, she states that she would eventually come to find appeal in the grotesqueness of art. This conversation ends with Ryōshū having a moment of confusion as she recalls shielding someone she can no longer remember from Callisto's crude artwork. Everyone then moves on to a door in the Middle Corridor, and Kira and the LCB stumble into the Middle's territory in District 21, which gives Kira some time to reflect on her father and Ryōshū the chance to recall when she'd attended an art academy as a child—where Matthias had killed her classmates for bullying his little girl, and Callisto had later collected their heads to make into an art piece for her.

    In the Thumb Corridor, they find Gregor reflecting on his recent metamorphosis in the company of Hong Lu and Moses. The two are very supportive of Gregor, who admits that he's scared of hurting his coworkers and fears that the war had never ended after all. When Dante's band finally greets Gregor's, Ryōshū recalls how Valencina was a far more bearable person during the days she was given a purpose in the war. Outis stays behind as everyone else enters another door, to which they end up in the middle of Gregor's old workplace, where he is greeted amicably by his former coworker Ted. Gregor stumbles a bit through the conversation with his former friend, but afterwards resolves himself to live on, his heart slightly lighter than before. As the Limbus Company employees continue forward again, the team runs into the remainder of the Sinners, and they all band together to begin exploring the Index Corridor. During this time Araya expresses more will through the scabbard she's possessed and Rien's basement is explored. A peculiar room connects to the basement, but it is of no interest to Ryōshū.

    At last, everyone files into the Pinky Corridor, where Ryōshū attempts to recall the time she made boxed lunches for her daughter. They encounter Rufo there, who is a Docent of the School of Fauvism. Her and Ryōshū engage in a lengthy discussion about the worth of Fauvism and Ryōshū's personal approach to aesthetic that concludes with the reveal that Ryōshū plans to found her own art movement within the Ring. Rufo engages in battle with the Sinners and loses, and right before she can succumb to her injuries, destroys the only door allowing escape from the Corridor. Ryōshū decides she must wield Arayashiki to form an exit, which Heathcliff anxiously encourages her not to due to knowing the value of the memories of those you love. Ryōshū states that the memories will only be forgotten, not lost, and Araya at last approves of her mother's decision to wield the blade and relinquish more memories from her mind.

    On their way back, the Sinners speak to Alan once more, who casually warns them of an inevitable conflict arising from the fall of L Corp. and W Corp. and the businesses that seek to replace them. When everyone manages to regroup at the base again, Hohenheim runs an inspection on Ryōshū which reveals exactly which memories she had just forsaken. They also discover that Araya has the ability to pick and choose which memories Ryōshū must lose, and Ryōshū is confident that eventually she will be able to restore everything once all of the Golden Boughs are collected.

    Afterwards, Hohenheim and Kira bid farewell to the Sinners, the LCB having finally made their way back to Mephistopheles. Kira promises to see Ryōshū again, and Hohenheim and Faust exchange their usual snide goodbyes. It's finally time to depart H Corp., which means that the LCB's next destination is revealed: District 14. Sinclair and Gregor tense up as Meursault takes in the information with the same unfeeling expression as always. At last, the bus journeys forward for a new adventure

11. #11Yea no joke, this is literally called mnestic experience. I just learned that.

    Keys: Im Gyeong-eop, Gyeong-eop, Kim Lib, Aeng-Du, Ezra, Flash Phenomenon, Bamboo-hatted Kim, Intervallo 11, Bamboo-hatted Kim.

    Enabled · Selective (AND ANY) · After character · Order 1100 · 100%

    Entry settings

    Having arrived in District 14, Dante engages in a consultation session with Faust in Mephistopheles while monitoring the rest of the Sinners with their Durante abilities. When Dante notices strange behavior from Faust, they ask if she has been cut off from the Gesellschaft again, but she refuses to answer. As the conversation progresses, Dante ponders on their power to retain memories that others have forgotten and the "aspect" they were promised the opportunity to engrave before joining.

    The other eleven Sinners have split up into three groups, with Outis, Ishmael, Sinclair, Don Quixote, Yi Sang, and Meursault working with Ezra to take down Distortions in the Backstreets. Dante and Faust join them to rendezvous at an abandoned photo studio with Aeng-du, which also leads to a reunion with Bamboo-hatted Kim, who is revealed to be a far cry from the man Aeng-du and his Distortion made him out to be. After the initial shock, Aeng-du gets to introduce the prosthetic arms she's received from the LCD's Phenomena Deciphering Team. The machinery leads Sinclair to ruminate on his family for a moment, but he quickly recovers.

    Beginning to focus on the team's primary mission, Ezra reveals that they're looking for the "Inflection Point" of their target Distortion. Their investigation begins with discovering a film roll labeled "Experiment #4", after which Meursault identifies local bodies as N Corp. Service des Clous Pinframe Team staff. These individuals deal with the Wing's information gathering and processing. As the Sinners realize these staff visited the photo studio in order to deal with a Category 3 Taboo violation, further Pinframing Staff arrive at the scene. In that moment, a sudden pop transforms the area into Fathoms resembling S Corp. while the N Corp. feathers distort into Ch'unokkun. The team fights off their foes and are transported back out of the Fathoms after the LCD explain that they're dealing with a Location-type Distortion. Bamboo-hatted Kim wanders off before this excursion, however, quickly making a puzzling impression on Heathcliff, Gregor, and Hong Lu's group before disappearing again.

    Heathcliff and Dante's groups reconvene in a photography dark room with Kim nowhere to be found. This frustrates Ezra, who accidentally admits that Kim had similarly slipped out of the LCE's recovery ward without permission during the events of Canto IX: The Unsevering. Upon being pressed, she elaborates that Kim had taken down many Automanikins who were blocking the elevators, allowing the communication systems to be restored faster. Heathcliff is reminded of his old Syndicate boss, and his defense of intuition-based action gives everyone the opportunity to put more faith in Kim's absurdity. Meanwhile, Meursault uses the dark room equipment to develop the film roll discovered earlier. He concludes that the distorted individual was a Docugrapher, tasked with photographing certain buildings for use in the production of Canned Experience. Examining a stand out set of the Docugrapher's photos leads Dante to recognize one of the subjects: the owner of the bakery where Rodya and Ryōshū are currently located.

    At the bakery, the bakery owner confirms that one of her regulars had taken a photo of her in exchange for giving her Canned Experiences. She cares far more about the Canned Experiences than the Docugrapher, prompting Meursault to describe their addictive danger and popularity with distaste. Bamboo-hatted Kim then reunites with everyone else as they examine the film Meursault had been working to develop. It initially appears to be video footage, a very frightening prospect given N Corp.'s anti-film Taboo; however, it turns out to be a set of photographs only staged to appear like frames in a video, an experiment examining where the boundaries of the Taboo actually lie.

    The LCB and LCD are suddenly confronted with another wave of Pinframing Staff. After fighting them off, the group presses into the building where they're coming from, the presumed source of the Taboo violation. Within, they encounter a bizarre projector, the Inflection Point they were looking for. A powerful Distortion emerges from the recurring Fathoms: recognized as the illusion of Im Gyeong-eop, an old friend of Kim's. The continual waves of Pinframing Staff and Ch'unokkun in addition to Im Gyeong-eop's relentless attacks grow to be too much, so the group decides to enter the Dungeon of the Fathoms to escape. Dante forces open the Dungeon with the help of Yi Sang and Kim, touching the Distortion's heart with the keywords "Photograph, Canned Experience, and Scraps". Kim tries to talk his way out of entering the Fathoms, but the others see through his attempt to avoid confronting his inner turmoil reflected in the Distortion. He is forced along as Ezra stays behind to deal with the Pinframing Staff.

    The Dungeon of the Fathoms resemble an eerie, corrupt S Corp., which Dante suggests represents the way Kim sees his homeland. The environment gives them a glimpse into Kim's memories, starting with when he met Im Gyeong-eop. In these, Kim makes many playful jabs at the stalwart Gyeong-eop, the two of which belong to different factions within the internally-divided S Corp.

    After some battles with Fathoms-created Ch'unokkun and Blade Lineage members, the Limbus Company employees arrive at a view identical to the one in Kim's old Fathoms. Kim grows somber with the memory of the Right State Councilor he was charged with protecting, who he ultimately failed before being arrested by an opposing politician named Han Ho-bae. Han Ho-bae claims that the Left State Councilor simply sent his men to protect the Right State Councilor against a threat letter, and Kim had slaughtered them mercilessly during his mission. It turns out that the Right State Councilor had survived the excursion without issue, having colluded to betray Kim for his own personal gain. Im Gyeong-eop later visits a disheveled Kim in prison and frees him, telling him to escape their homeland. She refuses to leave with him when he offers, believing that S Corp. is capable of being changed, and that one day Kim may return to cure their District of its corruption.

    At the end of the Dungeon, the group faces Kim's imaginary Im Gyeong-eop, a version of her who now carries out the will of the Royal Court due giving up on the idea S Corp. might change. After a long battle, Kim engages in a direct confrontation with Gyeong-eop, outright wishing to be defeated and die. Aeng-du jumps in and stops him, encouraging him to live on in spite of it all. Kim answers, though to another voice, finding his resolve in the supposedly one-sided conversation. He effloresces Volatile E.G.O, embracing his failures while letting go of his burdens, and ends the fight with his newfound strength. The distorted S Corp. unravels in response, revealing Fathoms resembling District 14 and the true source of the Distortion: the Docugrapher who wanted to prove their mundane photos meant something compared to the Canned Experience that kept people placated. They are beheaded by the fading and distorted recreation of Gyeong-eop as everyone returns to the real world, thus concluding the case.

    With the mission resolved, Bamboo-hatted Kim, Aeng-du, and Ezra say their farewells and depart. Shortly after, more Pinframing Staff arrive and arrest Meursault, who is referred to as the former "One Who Nails" and a member of Grand Magasin Sisyphe's Maintenance and Management Team. He is being punished for returning despite having been exiled from the District, a fact Faust is troubled to find she wasn't informed of. As Meursault is taken away, the Sinners learn there will be a retrial for the execution of his sentence

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