01 Graffiti Art
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01 Graffiti Art
Main Story
The Gray Ravens remain puzzled as to why Alpha’s combat moves were similar to Lucia’s and how she could have affected Lucia’s M.I.N.D. Upon reaching the designated meeting point, they find the stronghold overtaken by the Corrupted.
Liv detects a distress signal from a survivor who claims that the Corrupted were drawn to the stronghold because of nearby graffiti. Lee’s analysis of the graffiti leads the team to a disturbing conclusion: the graffiti has been painted with a mixture of Construct fluids and other materials. Furthermore, the enemy has created a bomb using this pressurized “paint.” This suggests that the Corrupted are learning and evolving.
The Gray Ravens are then attacked by an unknown enemy who conceals itself using Construct parts and vital fluid. Liv’s scans reveal that the enemy—known as Nozzle—is a spray-painting robot corrupted by the Punishing Virus. With Celica’s help, the team follows the paint trail left behind by Nozzle.
The squad stops at an abandoned shop to take a break. Lucia and Liv pick up a frog and sheep plushie, respectively. Lucia remarks that the frog plushie fills her with a strange feeling.
When the Gray Ravens finally confront Nozzle, it contemplates why it must choose between humans and Ascendants before engaging in combat.
Upon its defeat, Nozzle reveals that it has been “enlightened” by a being called the “Sagemachina,” which led to its curious behavior of using graffiti as a mode of self-expression. The team retrieves Nozzle’s memory data and then returns to Babylonia.
While Lucia is undergoing repairs, the Commandant questions Asimov, the chief technology officer of Babylonia, regarding the abnormalities observed during Lucia’s fight with Alpha. Asimov, however, refuses to answer, and the Commandant is forced to leave upon being summoned by President Hassen. Hassen commends the Commandant on their performance and proceeds to discuss the information uncovered by studying Nozzle’s memory data.
Hidden Story
Nozzle’s memory data tells the story of its past as an assistant robot to an old artist:
In the past, Nozzle was known by another name: Anthony. After the artist finishes his final work, Anthony questions whether it still has a purpose in this world, to which the old artist replies that its journey has only just begun. Encouraged by the artist’s words, Anthony continues to paint. Some time later, however, the outbreak of the Punishing Virus causes humans to shun machines and everything machine-related, including Anthony’s creations.
As time passes, most humans leave or go into hiding to escape the threat of the Punishing Virus. Nozzle wakes up and finds notes left behind by a traveling machine. The notes are filled with the writer’s individuality and happiness, in contrast to Nozzle’s memories of suffering caused by both fearful humans and the Virus. Nozzle then decides to paint the will of the writer—the great Sagemachina—so that all machines can awaken to a free world, like he has done just now after reading the notes. One by one, machines gather under Nozzle’s graffiti.
A group of Constructs stumbles upon Nozzle’s artwork and attempts to destroy it. Enraged, Nozzle attacks the Constructs. During its battle with the Gray Ravens, Nozzle throws a paint bomb at Lee to help him understand the meaning of its art.
Nozzle then detects a battle breaking out between a team of Constructs and a powerful Corrupted named Tifa. Nozzle approaches the site of the battle in an attempt to paint the scene. The Constructs flee, but Nozzle simply lets them go. Tifa finds its actions curious and offers Nozzle a chance to become an Ascendant like she has. As it only follows the will of the Sagemachina, Nozzle refuses Tifa’s offer and flees from her.
| ← 00 Prologue | 02 Journey of Torture → |
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