• Solis: So you're not going again?
• Kotori: Aaah!
• Kotori: What the... Solis!?
• Kotori: You scared me!
• Solis: Oh. I didn't mean to.
• Solis: I guess you weren't expecting to see me.
• Kotori: O-of course not!
• Kotori: Do you have any idea how late it is?
• Kotori: Wait, uh... did you... run all the way here?
• Solis: Uhm.
• Solis: Maybe a little.
• Kotori: Do you... need a glass of water?
• Solis: Guh, no.
• Kotori: You look exhausted, though...
• Solis: I'm fine, I'm fine, I was just rushing a bit.
• Solis: I hoped I'd make it in time, in case you were leaving for the celebrations in the marshes... but it looks like I didn't need to rush at all.
• Kotori: Oh...
• Kotori: No, I'm not going anywhere.

• Kotori: And if you're going to ask to go together, then I refuse.
• Solis: What!? I wasn't, no!
• Kotori: Okay then...
• Kotori: We're seriously not a thing anymore, though!
• Solis: I know. I don't give a damn about that!
• Solis: And I don't know why you think it's all I care about, somehow.
• Kotori: That's not what I meant to imply...
• Kotori: Um. It's just...
• Kotori: Why would you be in front of my place this late.
• Kotori: Please don't think I'm going to let you in, either.
• Solis: Whoa, no need to get so accusatory!
• Kotori: M-maybe you should get some self awareness, first!
• Solis: Kotori, can't I just be here as...
• Solis: ...A friend?
• Kotori: Past midnight is way too late to visit any friends.
• Kotori: And it's not like we're still...
• Kotori: ...
• Kotori: Mmmh... never mind, whatever.
• Kotori: I feel bad that you cut this much of a distance to just ignore you.
• Solis: Gee, thanks for sparing me some of your valuable time.
• Kotori: Hmph, then you'd better not waste any more of it.
• Kotori: What did you want, friend?
• Solis: Why aren't you going to the celebration party this time?
• Kotori: I don't feel like telling you.
• Solis: Is it an unspecified emergency, again?
• Kotori: ...
• Kotori: Sure. It is.
• Solis: I see.

Solis: Expose.

• Solis: So, listen...
• Solis: I took a round around Red Tulip before stopping here.
• Solis: It was peaceful, quiet, and entirely empty.
• Solis: Seems that nearly every resident has left to attend the prince's birthday celebrations.
• Kotori: Ah... yeah, they did.
• Kotori: What about it?
• Solis: Well.
• Solis: It means there's nothing here that could cause an emergency for you.
• Solis: So thanks for confirming that you lied.
• Kotori: What...! Y-you...
• Kotori: How dare you!
• Kotori: Mind your own business! This is MY area!
• Kotori: Don't be so nosey, when you're not the one in charge...
• Solis: Oh, also, let me say one more thing
• Solis: I don't think you'd be casually retiring for the night if there was an emergency, either.
• Kotori: ...!
• Solis: Yes, I am calling you a liar again.
• Solis: In case you wanted me to spell it out.
• Kotori: Ugh, fine, Solis!
• Kotori: There's no emergencies, I just... don't feel like going.
• Kotori: Isn't that fine? It's just my personal choice.

• Solis: Did you lie last year about unspecified emergencies on this same day, too?
• Solis: The year before, as well...
• Kotori: W-what?
• Kotori: Why are you keeping records, weirdo!
• Solis: You know, two's a coincidence, three's a pattern.
• Solis: And a hundred makes for a god damn overplayed scene that leaves the deepest imprint imaginable on people's memories.
• Solis: Kotori, you've been acting this way for long enough.
• Solis: It's not my fault that you give unspecified emergencies and vague excuses to everything nowadays. So yeah...
• Solis: I'm going to say that it's not weird at all to notice it.
• Kotori: ...
• Kotori: W-well, I...
• Kotori: I don't understand what you want out of me right now.
• Kotori: What's it to you, anyway... acting all stubborn like that.
• Solis: I want honesty, just for once.
• Solis: And I mean, not only about your excuse for not attending specifically.
• Solis: But... just in general.

• Solis: You know, if you're always so vague and keeping to yourself, then no one will be able to trust you anymore.
• Kotori: ...Huh...?
• Solis: At least, speaking for myself, I'm at a point where I DO need assurance that you're trustworthy.
• Solis: I want to know whether you're really worth this much trouble.
• Kotori: W-where did all of this come from...?
• Solis: Kotori...
• Solis: You dared to do something rather audacious, didn't you?
• Solis: Something that directly goes against our very basic duty as monsters.
• Solis: You were allying with a human for years in secret.
• Solis: Isn't it a given that we'd be more seriously concerned than ever before?
• Solis: Well, at least... I am.
• Kotori: ...But, I...
• Kotori: I-I thought everything was resolved with his highness.
• Solis: ...That may be, but with me, it's not.
• Solis: Since I know the full truth.
• Kotori: ...
• Solis: Do you think his highness' trust in us isn't that important, Kotori?
• Solis: You can't just deceive the prince about this kind of thing.
• Kotori: Then... are you going to tell on me?

• Solis: ...No.
• Solis: But I won't be comfortable about you anymore, unless I hear an honest explanation for your daring actions.
• Solis: If you want his highness to trust you...
• Solis: Then prove to me that you can live up to it. No more lies.
• Solis: If I see that his trust is misplaced, then of course, I'm going to want to correct that.
• Kotori: ...
• Solis: Not... that I'd do it in a way that causes you any harm, but, I mean...
• Solis: Uh...
• Solis: ...God dammit, I worded that badly, didn't I.
• Solis: Kotori, can you just assure me that I can trust you, for real?
• Solis: It's not like I want anything bad to happen to you...
• Solis: Sorry, I, uh... I didn't mean to scare you.
• Kotori: ...Scare me?
• Solis: Uh. Yeah. Sorry.
• Solis: I may have gotten a bit too serious again.
• Solis: I figured that being headstrong would get the best results, but...
• Kotori: Oh, no.
• Kotori: You're not scary at all, Solis.
• Solis: ...Wha... really?
• Kotori: Yeah... you're the last person that I could be afraid of.
• Kotori: Someone who wants the best for others isn't scary.

• Solis: Then... why do you seem so nervous? Are you really alright?
• Kotori: ...I'm okay. It's not that I'm scared.
• Kotori: I just... feel like you're really putting me on the spot.
• Kotori: But I guess it's fair for you to be suspicious of me this time around.
• Solis: You speak like you never considered it a possible consequence of your actions.
• Kotori: Haha, aaah, um... I guess not.
• Solis: Please, get some awareness about the impressions you leave on others...
• Kotori: Look, I-I just didn't have the time to think about it!
• Kotori: But, alright... a human, was it?
• Kotori: Yes, I already knew that it was wrong to help that human girl.
• Kotori: Because, to you guys, that's an enemy...
• Kotori: ...But to me, that person was my friend.

Kotori: Confess.

• Kotori: Solis, would you believe me if I told you...
• Kotori: That I planned to kill her with my own hands the moment I found her here?
• Solis: I... cannot believe that you'd be capable of killing.
• Solis: Much less... to even think of doing it.
• Kotori: Aha, I didn't think of myself that way either.
• Kotori: But it's the truth. There wasn't any other choice.
• Kotori: Do you remember... when you were questioning her and I took over your work?
• Kotori: When I saw her, I already knew that she wasn't a monster.

• Kotori: But being all alone, as a non-monster living in a sea of monsters...
• Kotori: It makes one lonely, when they're so out of place like that.
• Solis: So you sympathized with her, even though she's a human.
• Kotori: ...I pitied her a lot.
• Kotori: But ultimately, I still... wanted her death.
• Solis: Kotori, in that case...
• Solis: You do realize that we could've ended everything back then, right?
• Solis: If I had continued the questioning, surely, her cover would've been blown.
• Kotori: I know... that's exactly why I interrupted your scrutinizing questions!
• Kotori: I wanted my friend's death more than anyone else, but I also wanted to be merciful about it.
• Kotori: Well... as merciful as you can be while intending to take someone's life.
• Kotori: Because I don't believe that her crime called for suffering in death.
• Kotori: Since humans aren't killed mercifully here, I wanted to save her from that...
• Kotori: And so, later on, I'd secretly handle everything myself.
• Kotori: Quickly and painlessly.
• Kotori: But...

• Kotori: But, but, that girl is...
• Kotori: Aria, is...
• Solis: She's what?
• Kotori: Augh, man...
• Kotori: You won't get it, but...
• Kotori: Solis...

• Kotori: She is such a good girl.
• Kotori: She's got to be the goodest, bestest, nicest person in this world.
• Kotori: No, in the whole universe.
• Solis: ........Uh......?
• Kotori: She's really so good, WAY too good,
• Kotori: And frankly, it's ridiculous.
• Kotori: I swear, I'm not even exaggerating here!
• Solis: O... okay...
• Kotori: I've never been treated so well by anyone before I befriended her!
• Kotori: So, so, even though I knew I had to do it...
• Kotori: Every time I tried, I...

Try.

• Kotori: I couldn't do it.
• Kotori: There's just no way I can hurt someone like that.

• Solis: You... really tried your best to go against your nature, huh.
• Kotori: Yeah... but I failed.
• Kotori: I failed again, and again, and again.
• Kotori: And she got away again, and again.
• Kotori: But this time, I won't get any more chances to try.
• Kotori: Really, I'm such a weakling.
• Kotori: Even though I knew Aria's future here held nothing but misfortune,
• Kotori: And that, by killing her, I'd save her from an even worse misfortune,
• Kotori: I was too weak to do anything, every time I tried.
• Kotori: And it only got harder, because, as time passes...
• Kotori: Friendship only grows stronger.

Betray.

• Kotori: She truly thought of me as a friend until the end.
• Kotori: I was thinking of doing the worst to her, but she only thought the best of me.
• Kotori: Being met with such kindness broke my heart.
• Kotori: I never found enough resolve to decisively deal with her...
• Kotori: Until his highness called us to his court and demanded it.
• Kotori: Right then, I was determined that I could finally stop hesitating.
• Kotori: But... well.
• Kotori: As you saw, she's escaped my grasp yet again.

-->

• Kotori: Who knows if that has set her free,
• Kotori: Or if she's fallen into worse misfortune by now.
• Kotori: All I know, is that...

Reunite.

• Kotori: For once, I could have prevented the worst possibility,
• Kotori: But I failed and missed my chances yet again.
• Kotori: And now, there's nothing I can really do about it anymore.

Kotori: Lament.

• Kotori: I often wondered... why did her freedom have to be so costly?
• Kotori: Why did the circumstances necessitate the death of someone so harmless?
• Kotori: I really didn't like that.
• Kotori: When she disappeared from that prison cell, I wondered this same thing again.
• Kotori: Really, was there no way for you monsters and those humans to not be at each others' throats? If not for this conflict, then...
• Kotori: ...
• Solis: ...Kotori.
• Solis: It's fine if you briefly think about such hypothetical questions.
• Solis: But don't let yourself get carried away.
• Kotori: ...Yeah, you wouldn't be concerned with this kind of idea, huh.
• Kotori: I understand, though...
• Kotori: That is just the kind of reality we live in.
• Kotori: I'm not about to defy it.
• Solis: That's how we must act, indeed...
• Solis: But it's not like I can't understand where you're coming from.
• Solis: I told you about this before, right?
• Solis: That, back when we were at peace with humankind...
• Solis: I used to have human friends, too.

Solis: Recall.

• Solis: I really trusted in those friendship, but...
• Solis: In the end, all I received for it was a very calculated betrayal.
• Solis: It does not end well to trust them at all.
• Solis: Either their loyalty to their kind triumphs, and they end up betraying you...
• Solis: Or your loyalty as a monster turns you into a traitor to them.
• Solis: Kotori, this kind of friendship is simply irreconcilable with your duty.
• Kotori: ...I know...
• Solis: You either do what you should, as a monster...
• Solis: Or you go against his highness by sympathizing with a human.
• Solis: So you'd better not tread a territory that dangerous.
• Kotori: Ha... you're much better at this than I am.
• Kotori: You are a very proper monster, aren't you, Solis?
• Solis: Even though you say that...
• Solis: His highness still does trust you a lot.
• Solis: Please don't let him down.
• Kotori: Um... I won't.
• Kotori: Or at least, I'll try... even if I'm full of failures.
• Solis: I think, as long as you don't get distracted from what's right...
• Solis: Then you're a proper monster too.
• Kotori: ...Sorry, I entertained some unacceptable thoughts there, huh.
• Kotori: Well, from now on, I'll only talk business with you.

Kotori: Explain resolve.

Solis: Because...?

• Solis: Look, you don't have to face me if you're uncomfortable.
• Solis: Maybe it'll be easier for you if we talk like this.
• Kotori: Whoa...
• Solis: Now, why do I bother, huh.
• Solis: Sometimes when people go through something alone, they turn into self-contradictory idiots. They push others away, put on a fake smile and say they're fine, or start asking to be ignored...
• Solis: ...All while hoping for the total opposite of that.
• Solis: Maybe they want someone to tell them that it's not fine?
• Solis: Maybe, all this time, you were waiting for someone to reach out and say something, instead of complying with the endless requests to totally ignore you.
• Solis: As if I wouldn't be the biggest asshole in the world if I did just that.
• Solis: So, I'm... reaching out, I guess.
• Solis: If you have any kind of worries, even about the stupidest things, and you don't have anyone to tell them to...
• Solis: Then I'll listen as a friend.
• Solis: If you're willing, you can accept the offer.
• Kotori: ...Won't that be a bother to you?
• Solis: Hey, I'll decide what's a bother and what isn't for myself.
• Solis: I'll give you one hour of uninterrupted broadcast directly to my ears.
• Solis: And I'll judge only after you fully let out everything on your mind.
• Solis: That's a rare limited-time offer, you know.
• Kotori: ...
• Solis: So... what will it be, Kotori?
• Kotori: ...Ha!
• Kotori: Hahaha!

• Kotori: You never change, oh my gosh.
• Kotori: You'd never ever change, not in a hundred years, Solis!
• Kotori: That's seriously amazing.

• Kotori: I bet you were thinking about your wording all the way here, weren't you?
• Solis: H-hey, what! I wasn't!
• Solis: I wasn't... but...
• Solis: ...Okay, maybe just a little bit, but...
• Solis: Well, fine, yes I was, but not that deeply, so...
• Kotori: Hahahahaha!
• Solis: Don't laugh! It's not funny!
• Solis: I just...
• Solis: Thought that I shouldn't be too harsh and push you away instead, okay!?
• Solis: Ugh, half of what I said definitely sounds stupid though, doesn't it.
• Kotori: No, no, Solis...
• Kotori: Not half.
• Kotori: All of it does!
• Kotori: Hahahahaha!
• Solis: Oh.
• Kotori: But it sounds stupid in a very Solis-way, so it's fine.
• Solis: What does that even mean?
• Kotori: It's not an insult, so don't worry, haha!
• Kotori: Solis... you always put the wellbeing of others before your own, huh.
• Solis: W-what? That's not true at all.
• Solis: I'm... a very self-centered person.
• Kotori: Haha! In no world was that ever the case!
• Solis: I swear on it!
• Solis: In fact, I came all the way here purely for personal, selfish reasons!
• Kotori: ...But you still ended up worrying about my wellbeing?
• Solis: Uh. Well. That's just...
• Solis: Because I'd be an asshole if I didn't, plain and simple.
• Kotori: Seems like even when I do nothing, I end up roping you into my troubles.
• Solis: It's not like that, come on.
• Solis: It was me who asked you to bring this up.
• Solis: I mean... it's just my choice to do the right thing here.
• Kotori: Hahahaha, wow!
• Kotori: You really would never abandon me, even if I say it a hundred times...
• Kotori: Well... okay.
• Kotori: Maybe this once, I'll try taking you up on that offer.

• Kotori: I don't have any other options.
• Solis: Do you mean that you have no one to talk to about your worries?
• Kotori: Umm... yeah, I don't really do.

Kotori: Examine self-induced injury.

• Kotori: What I'm worried about is not an easy thing to say.
• Kotori: It is always on my mind, making me so anxious about what to do next.
• Kotori: But I know that if I try sharing it with anyone, it would be like putting a burden nobody else can understand on somebody.
• Kotori: So I've always kept it to myself.
• Kotori: Solis, you said you'd listen...
• Kotori: Would you really?
• Solis: You know that I don't go back on my words.
• Kotori: Well, I mean...
• Kotori: Even if it's something nonsensical to the very logical Solis-brain in there?
• Solis: ...Hey.
• Solis: Whether it's nonsensical or not, that's also for me to decide after hearing it.
• Solis: I'll listen to anything, no matter what.
• Solis: So don't think of it as a burden, since I'm the one who offered to listen.
• Solis: You are simply accepting an offer, so you can say whatever you want.
• Solis: So, go on... really, it's fine with me.
• Kotori: ...Alright.

Kotori: Revert.

• Kotori: Um, I'm not sure how to say this.
• Kotori: I think I have to begin with some kind of preface first.
• Kotori: Let's say... that there are two kinds of people in the world.
• Kotori: The first are those who believe in what's likely to be seen as superstition.
• Kotori: Such as omens, or gut feelings...
• Kotori: They're the kind who say, "I did this just because I felt I should have"... that sort of person.
• Kotori: And the other kind of person is like you, Solis.
• Kotori: You'd never act on unfounded ideas.
• Kotori: You don't do what's deemed unreasonable.
• Kotori: Like trusting someone's words without any tangible proof.
• Solis: Uh...
• Kotori: Oh, don't worry, that wasn't criticism!
• Solis: Then what is it, if not that?
• Kotori: Um... a warning, I guess!
• Kotori: Right now, what I am worrying about is something that will sound extremely unreasonable to you.

• Solis: Sorry if I came off this unapproachable all along.
• Solis: But as I said, I will listen to anything.
• Solis: So you can continue without any worries.
• Kotori: Alright... well.
• Kotori: I will be direct, then.
• Kotori: Solis, I believe that something terrible will happen soon.
• Kotori: Something that will change everything for the worse.
• Kotori: And I mean, way worse.
• Solis: ...How do you know that "something terrible" is coming?
• Kotori: It's a hunch.
• Solis: For a hunch, you don't seem any bit uncertain about it.
• Kotori: I... I trust my hunches very much!
• Solis: Uh, does your hunch also tell you what this terrible something is, then?
• Kotori: Yes.
• Kotori: I know what it is.
• Kotori: But... not in enough detail to do much about it.
• Solis: Alright, then...
• Solis: What is it that you think will happen exactly?

Kotori: Foretell.

• Kotori: As the festivities in the Royal Marshes are ongoing, someone will sneak in.
• Kotori: They will attempt to assassinate his highness.
• Kotori: And they could really succeed.