How did you find me?
Seek and ye shall find.
Anyway, I think it's me that you need.
Real meat...
...real vegetables...
...rice...
Yours is a lucky dog.
He eats better than people do.
Real alcohol...
...cigarettes...
...wisdom you can't get from a terminal.
All the fruits of Avalon...
...the privilege of a solo player.
But for the best players, the game becomes its own reward.
I've checked you out.
Stunner?
The ability to analyze data...
...is one of a Bishop's most important skills.
You were a Warrior in Wizard.
When it dissolved, many people speculated as to why.
The details remain a mystery...
...but there are those who say...
...a certain Warrior ignored her orders...
...and called 'reset'.
Ash! Can you hear me ?
Shoot at the cockpit!
What's wrong, Ash? Answer me!
Someone gets soared...
...the party loses its point person and gets wiped out.
Happens all the time.
The only strange thing...
...was that it happened to the invincible Wizard.
I want to form a party with you.
The standard six members.
Three Warriors, a good Thief...
...and a Mage, if possible.
Is that all?
You're not going to ask about me?
Would you tell me?
Inside Avalon I will.
Be in Flak Tower 22...
...tomorrow at midnight.
I'd like to close.
I'm meeting someone at midnight who can take me to Class Special A.
There's no such thing, you know. Not inside Avalon.
No matter how real it seems, Avalon is just a game.
But a program you can't clear...
...isn't a game any more.
That's why it's hidden away...
...a forbidden field.
Who are you?
Bishop scouted me, too.
As a terminal manager, not as a player.
Who is 'Bishop'?
It's no use trying to track him down. He doesn't access from a branch.
He has his own terminal. He just shows up in the game.
Can you do that?
Sure you can.
With enough money and equipment, it's no problem.
Take my advice.
Keep away from him.
I can't.
Why not?
Murphy's in Special A.
So that's it...
Take Room 9. The Game Master's waiting.
Thanks.
I've input your coordinates.
I'd prefer you didn't go to Special A, though...
I'm sorry.
A good game master...
...does not intervene.
Let me ask you something...
Are you accessing from a terminal somewhere...
...or are you part of the system itself?
What does it matter? You couldn't confirm that anyway.
All right.
Begin.
Thanks for your help.
Don't thank me. This team was necessary.
Did you find out about me?
You're one of the Nine Sisters, rulers of Avalon...
...designers of the program.
I'm a Bishop.
A successor to the Apostles.
I'm not responsible for its creation.
But you're not a player. You're on their side.
Would you like to be?
I don't trust myself to join them.
There's no need to join their party.
They're just ciphers. Nothing but a mass of data.
Ash...
You know which is the better game:
One you think you can clear but can't...
...or one that looks impossible but isn't.
Finding that subtle balance...
...and maintaining it up through all the levels...
...is our side's job.
Right.
It looks like we're all here.
Let's move out.
Nice to be working with you again.
No response from up ahead.
I don 't like lt...
Ash...go up top.
Makanito, Zilwan, Badi...forward.
Shit!
It's a bloody citadel !
Of all the goddamn luck!
Settle down.
It's a Class A-strength opponent, but it has a weak point.
The cannons will get us if we attack head-on...
Ash...
...we'll get out in front and stop it.
You get behind it and aim at the grill.
Damn it, Bishop! Are you trying to wipe out your front line?!
They're Just dummies created by the program.!
Forget them!
Move! Don't wait around!
Where are you, ghost?
Stunner!
I screwed up again...
And this chance never comes twice... I'm Just not very lucky.
'Again'?
You saw her.
The ghost...
Your chance comes when she leaves the wall.
Get the ghost...
...and you open the gate to Special A.
Say hello to Murphy.
It wasn't your fault that Wizard got wiped out.
The one who ran...was me.
I wanted to tell Murphy that.
Ash!
Hurry.
The ghost won't wait for you.
Just as I thought...you're the only one who got through the gate.
Is this 'Special A'?
We call lt 'Class Real'.
Building it has taken huge amounts of very sophisticated data.
In many ways, it's still very experimental.
'In many ways'?
There 's Just one thing you have to do to complete it.
Finish off the Unreturned.
Your equipment and skill parameters are...
...returned to default.
All you have is a pistol...
...and one clip of ammunition.
There are neutral characters operating under free will.
Hurt one of them and your game is over.
There's no time limit.
The only exit from the game is completion.
If you get back safely...
...you can be one of us.
Any questions ?
Why did you send me here?
Surely the answer to that lies within you.
If there are no questions, we'll begin.
Look behind you.
He 'll be there.
Fight well, Ash.
'Avalon, faraway isle of legend...
'...of apple groves and mist...
'Avalon, when will that day come?
'Isle of faery, where heroes go...'
Why did you come?
Because of me?
Isn't that a good reason?
You know why Wizard broke up.
I thought I did. That's why I kept my mouth shut.
I let them think I called 'reset'.
So why did you come here?!
Stunner told me you were lost.
Back there, you're just another 'Unreturned'.
You wanted to go all the way.
We were too complacent. We were in your way.
None of us wanted to break up the party.
We were invincible. Everyone else envied us.
All the more reason...
...you needed a pretext to dissolve it.
But is this what you wanted?
Did you abandon us...
...to spend your life as a vegetable in a hospital bed?
Do I look like a vegetable to you? Remember, this is 'Class Real'.
Reality is nothing but an obsession that takes hold of us!
Why shouldn't I make this into my reality?
You tell yourself that, but all you're doing is running away.
I don't want to argue!
Have you noticed what color your hair is?
Where's that beautiful silver streak...
...that makes them call you 'Ash'?
Have you ever been shot?
Do you want to feel real pain in a real body?
Does it have to be this way?
When one of us dies...
...and that body doesn't vanish...
...the other one will know.
'...so many of the brave are cut down...
'...and heroes lay fallen.
'As bright, shining death approaohes...
'...the spectres appear...
'...and shroud them in darkness...
'...as black night desoends.
Ash...
Don't let appearances confuse you.
This is the world...
...where you belong.
'Avalon, the heroes set out...
'...for that isle of legend...
'Avalon, isle of spirits...
'Avalon, heaven of shadows...
'Now, with the Nine Sisters...
'...across the misty water...
'...the ship sets sail...
'...to Avalon.'