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[Ayame]
... but could you please at least make an effort to be punctual? We ARE a military outfit, after all.
[Ogami]
A military-- Ayame-san, if we're a military outfit, then the outfit's missing its shirt, its shorts are inside-out, and it's wearing a lampshade in place of a standard-issue cap.
[Ayame]
Well--
[Ogami]
And military outfits don't invite ten-year old girl-slash-elder demons into their homes.
[Ayame]
-- we ARE one in name, if not in spirit, so TRY to shape up, okay?
[Ogami]
The outfit's brain is also drunk off its ass.
[Ayame]
You're stretching the metaphor too far, Ogami-kun.
[Ogami]
Yes'm.
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[Ayame]
Lt. General Yonda has something to tell you all. Please hang in there... Ogami-kun.
This is what is commonly known as "foreshadowing." Alternatively, Ayame just wants to mess with Ogami's brain; since this is Sakura Wars we're talking about here, both are equally likely.
[Yoneda]
Somehow, that abandoned mansion seems to be connected with the Hive of Darkness.
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[Sakura]
I think I can kind of see WHY. The rent must be cheap for such a broken-down house, AND it's all the way out in the boonies.
[Maria]
... Sakura, we are talking about the Hive of Darkness here.
[Sakura]
Ah, that's right... do you think they'd be in it for its unparalleled view of the countryside, then?
[Maria]
...
[Sakura]
What? I was raised in the countryside, I had to do SOMETHING to pass the time.
[Sumire]
... and thinking of land value and real estate...?
[Sakura]
That just so happened to be my dream job as a child, thank you very much!
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[Ogami]
An abandoned mansion in Fukagawa? Why would the Hive of Darkness have any connection with a place like that?
[Yoneda]
... I dunno. However, I've built one hypothesis about the Hive of Darkness's objective.
That is... sorcery.
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[Ogami]
... I'm sorry, sir, but could you PLEASE go from A to B, rather than jumping from A all the way fuck down to Gamma?
[Yoneda]
Now, now, be patient, you impotent little rascal you. It's YOUR turn to ask what the hell it is that this military brigade's up to!
[Ogami]
Fine, fine... not like I ever know what's going on ANYWAY, but.
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[Ogami]
Sorcery...? Do you mean corner fortune-telling and yin and yang? In this Imperial reign of the Taisho Era...
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[Ogami]
But... sorcery.
[Ayame]
Don't tell me that after all you've been through, and all the bizarre things you've seen, that you're actually not willing to believe in something as simple as sorcery? How do you explain the demon-driven mechanical soldiers?
[Ogami]
Really good clockwork engineering.
[Ayame]
The obvious magical disappearances and the summoning arts of the Hive of Darkness leaders?
[Ogami]
Swamp gas and firework lights.
[Ayame]
... and Iris?
[Ogami]
That--
[Ogami]
...
[Ogami]
Right, right, I see your point.
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[Ayame]
A supernatural theory that surpasses science... that is sorcery. An ancient power that lived on the underside of history...
Might the Hive of Darkness perhaps be attempting to cast sorcery within the Imperial Capital?
On the Imperial Capital itself, maybe...
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[Ogami]
If they ever have enough magic power to detonate an entire capital city, then why couldn't they use it to do something PRODUCTIVE, instead of going through with an elaborate plan? Like, they could just assassinate the leaders of our nation and then cripple our army, or something like that.
[Ayame]
You're assuming that logic and common sense actually influence the decisions that they make, Ogami-kun.
[Maria]
At least that narrows their options DOWN, somewhat. They won't do anything that'll make sense.
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[Ogami]
Why were you investigating Fukagawa?
[Ayame]
We'd received information from citizens. A few nights ago, a suspicious group had been sighted in the area surrounding the mansion.
Within that group, the figures of demon-driven mechanical soldiers had apparently been confirmed. There's a very high chance that it is the Hive of Darkness.
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[Ogami]
Who else could it BE? Does anyone else even OWN the damn things?
[Ayame]
Well...
[Kohran]
...
[Kohran]
... why th' hell is everyone lookin' at ME all of a sudden?
[Ogami]
Nothing, miss "everything I do, I do for the name of SCIENCE."
[Kohran]
Look, it was jes' that one time, a'right? How was I supposed t' know that those Wakiji parts were still bein' possessed?
[Maria]
We kind of inferred that you DID know, because you were standing back and cackling about bringing them to life instead of helping to mitigate the damage.
[Kohran]
I told ya, that was allergies! C'mon, it's not like th' parts of th' theater that DID get horribly wrecked were impossible t' repair or anythin'.
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[Ogami]
But- why at Fukagawa...?
[Yoneda]
Nowadays, Fukagawa is an industrial zone; in olden days, however, it was a famous spiritual center where many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples were concentrated.
Even if it's a useless place to us, to them, there's got to be something worthwhile in Fukagawa.
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[Ogami]
... like more buckets and crates.
[Ayame]
Ye- no.
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[Ogami]
What exactly could the Hive of Darkness's objective be?
[Yoneda]
Those guys' true purpose is... well, frankly, we got nothin'.
[Ogami]
C, commander~!?
[Yoneda]
Now wait, Ogami. We can certainly make a few guesses.
The Hive of Darkness is aiming to revive the feudal system of the shogunate, and they're also an organization that's scheming to destroy the Imperial Capital...
That they're attacking specific sites in the Imperial Capital like this might mean that there's some kind of deeper meaning somewhere.
We are lacking information here. This is an excellent opportunity to sound out the enemy's movements.
[Ogami]
I see...
[Yoneda]
Reconnaissance is not the Flower Division's official function, but...
This time, we've got a good chance of grasping the Hive of Darkness's intentions.
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[Ogami]
So you're going to be sending people without any formal training in this kind of stuff?
[Yoneda]
C'mon, at least let me finish before you start griping, will you?
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[Ogami]
I see, so we have reason to be investigating the abandoned mansion in Fukagawa, don't we.
[Yoneda]
To the very end, your objective are reconnaissance and investigation. Don't go overboard.
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[Ogami]
... so not only are you sending personnel who aren't trained in this kind of stuff, but you're also sending them in without any sort of defense against the demon-driven mechanical soldiers who have been known to lurk around the area.[/i]
[Yoneda]
Wait for it...
[Ogami]
Oh god, you're fucking this up MORE?
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[Maria]
Commander, who are the ones to be deployed to Fukagawa?
[Yoneda]
Hmm. This times, the members to be sent out for reconnaissance will be Ogami, Sumire, and Kanna. Only those three named.
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[Ogami]
Understood! Ogami and the following-- Sumire Kanzaki - Kanna Kirishima-- a total of three members will head for the abandoned mansion in Fukagawa!
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[Ogami]
Ha ha ha!
[Yoneda]
...
[Ogami]
...
[Yoneda]
...
[Ogami]
... isn't this the point where you should be laughing and going "haha, fooled you!"?
[Yoneda]
Nope, 'cause this ain't a joke, Ogami m'boy. This plan has been devised with an eye towards maximum fuckitupization!!
[Ogami]
Well, gently caress your loving insane sense of humor, sir. Also, FUCK.
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[Yoneda]
... now then, tomorrow morning, you three will depart to investigate the abandoned mansion!
[Ogami]
Yessir!
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[Maria]
Kanna!!
[Kanna]
... I got it. Can't be helped if it's an order. I'll go along with them.
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[Ogami]
(But... will it be alright, with these members?)
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[Ogami]
(Okay, fine, I know that it WON'T, but there MIGHT be a chance for me to come out of this with most of my body parts intact if I play my cards right.)
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[Ogami]
Thanks. I'm counting on you to hold the fort.
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[Ogami]
... I wasn't talking to you, Sakura-kun, I was talking to the only member of the brigade who probably won't go on a flipping insane power-mad rampage if I had over the reins of leadership to her for a day.
[Iris]
That'd be Iris, right?
[Ogami]
... Iris, I... I'm not even sure where to BEGIN replying to a statement like that.
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And with that, the pilots who were tasked with staying home turned and left Ogami stuck between the two most volatile members of the Flower Division.
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[Ogami]
Who, me?
[Kanna]
WHAT?
[Ogami]
Well, I mean, c'mon... you know what they say when two women fight a lot, and, uh.
[Kanna]
...
[Ogami]
... just, uh, forget I said anything.
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[Sumire]
Honestly, I quite agree. if it was just the Ensign and I going, then it would most certainly become an enjoyable excursion.
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[Ogami]
Oh, okay, THAT clears it up--
[Ogami]
Wait, that's even WORSE, isn't it!? I don't want to get stuck as a way for you two to take jabs at each other, for chrissakes!!
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[Ogami]
A, Ayame-san...
[Ayame]
What is with that expression? Ogami-kun.
[Ogami]
Ah... no... actually...
I can't really help but be perfectly honest, here. 
[Ogami]
I'm worried about the relationship between Sumire-kun and Kanna... in THAT sort of condition, will the mission go well at all?
[Ayame]
But, isn't it the Captain's duty to resolve any trouble between group members?
[Ogami]
Th, that's true, but... will I be able to do something like reconcile those two?
[Ayame]
Perhaps the reason the commander arranged the members like he did was because he was expecting precisely that from you?
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[Ogami]
Ayame-san, you KNOW that he just has a dastardly sense of humor.
[Ayame]
You'd be surprised at how insightful he can be after he's knocked back a few, Ogami-kun!
[Ogami]
I've heard him talk while he's drunk! HIS version of "insightful" is liable to get him arrested for dancing naked in public!
[Ayame]
Some of his greatest ideas have come about while he's cooling his heels in jail, you know.
[Ogami]
Like...?
[Ayame]
The Rolling Thunder and the superblimp, for one.
[Ogami]
Those... those don't count as "great ideas," Ayame-san.
[Ayame]
You say that NOW, but just you wait until YOU get a chance to pilot either of them, Ogami-kun.
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[Ogami]
Ah... I see... so that's how it was, huh.
Going with the classic CG because this game's version looks utterly retarded.
[Ayame]
Please hang in there! Captain-san.
[Ogami]
But even after saying that... still, it's going to be pretty difficult, huh.
T-minus fourteen hours.
[b][Ogami]
Guess I'll go on those nightly rounds... I'm worried about Sumire-kun and Kanna, anyways.
That said, Ogami went to confront the Lone Horse of the Apocalypse with a children's card game.
NEXT TIME: Once again, the nightly rounds!
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