If you want to get into Class A
work a little more in Class C and B.
What cunning.
You haven't changed a bit, Ash.
Charge one clip for the Dragunov,
and two clips for the PPK.
Of course you realize that you will advance
if you gain but two or three points.
Of course you also realize that as of the next level
you will be bound by time limits.
I want the rest of the points in cash.
The risk of solo play will be greater than it has been up to now.
Are you sure you still don't want to form your own party?
Good game, Ash.
Good boy.
Yes, that's a good boy.
Ash has a good strategy.
She'll win for sure.
But this guy is faster,
almost perfect.
Outta my way!
Ash...
All the lines are busy.
Even you have to wait your turn.
In that case I withdraw my entry.
But why?
I have a request.
I cannot grant the wishes of individual players.
All must get a fair chance.
You do understand?
I need information about a Bishop, who just cleared Field-class A.
You, of course, know more than one can learn from the hall terminal.
Why is this so important to you?
He's challenging me.
But you don't want contact with the other players.
Isn't that why you play solo?
'Avalon...
'...faraway isle of legend...
'...of apple groves...
'...and mist...
'Avalon...
'When will that day come?
'Avalon...
'Isle of faery...
'...where heroes go...
'Avalon...
'A hero takes ship...
'...and sets sail...
'...to that isle of legend...
'Avalon...
'To the Nine Sisters...
'...and Avalon...
'There together...
'...on that holy isle.
'O Arthur...
'...your ship sets sail...
'...over the misty water to Avalon.'
Hey!
So it is you.
You look great.
I hear rumors about which I would rather not have known, but
seeing as I used to be in Wizard I overhear this and that.
I know I should give it a rest.
I show up at one hub or another and end up having to listen to stories which,
to tell you the truth, I really wish I hadn't heard.
Maybe it's karma.
They say that an extraordinarily talented player has appeared,
who plays solo, and that it's a woman.
I thought that maybe it was you and I was right.
Did you check?
What exactly?
From where I entered Avalon?
Nah, I found out by accident.
I think it's obvious that we had to meet,
since it looks like we'll end up in the same party.
It's good being a Fighter, 'cause you can play solo.
I'm a Scout. My job is to survey the terrain and
to eliminate traps.
I clear the road for the party.
I'm the pilot and the guide.
I have to play in a party.
Any party would do great with an excellent pilot like you, Stunner.
You finally called me what you used to in the good ol' days.
No wonder the other former members of Wizard are still bitter.
Since you are too.
The others resent us, too.
But ever belonging to that party doesn't help my career, it's the opposite.
It makes it harder.
You see Wizard was...
I don't want to hear it!
You're right.
It's in the past.
I don't have time to rehash the old days.
Ash...
No need to thank me.
No, that's not it.
Have you heard about Murphy?
I see that, probably not.
If you won't finish that, I will.
It seems he went solo too.
And...
...he got 'lost'.
Even you had to have heard about this.
About a hidden character in Class A.
Supposedly within this field resides a mysterious neutral being,
a silent little girl with sad eyes.
Some think that she is the result of a glitch in the game's software, and
they call her the Ghost.
But whatever you call her,
it's said that all who have pursued after her have been 'lost'.
That is why it is best to give up chasing after something so dangerous.
I'm sure that the news of this phenomenon have reached even you,
even though you are cut off from all sources of information.
I heard about this, special type of Class A.
This secret highest level of Class A, is called Special A.
There is no way back from it, and it's dangerous,
but you can earn a hell of a lot of points.
It's said that the Ghost is the only gate to Class SA.
That's why a player who's reached the top level and wants to enter this class,
begins the chase after the Ghost.
Just like Murphy.
Stunner!
To the right!
Divert the chopper's attention!
Copper! Cuisinart! Masher!
Concentrate your fire on the left!
My RPD's low on ammo!
It looks bad, Murphy!
We gotta Reset!
Stunner dragged us into this shit!
Everybody shut up!
Wizard's never used Reset on the battlefield.
Ash! Ash!
Here Arthur lies, King once and King to be.
Your data of Avalon?
Come on...
Come on, come on, come on...
Come on!
Come on.
Today the line for Class A is overloaded.
There will be lag.
Have you heard of the Nine Sisters?
Morgan Le Fay?
Yes.
Of the goddesses who ruled over the legendary island, Avalon.
There were nine of them.
They carried the wounded King Arthur to the edge of the world on a black boat.
All the way to Avalon.
The sorceress, Morgan.
Queen of North Galys.
Queen of the Waste Land.
Lady of the Lake.
Patroness of King Arthur.
In the North of Europe there is another story like that.
Its hero is the castaway, Odin.
Who, with the last ounce of his strength,
swam ashore the most distant island of the world.
Morgan, the sorceress, helped him.
She offered him her golden ring.
Which bore the promise of eternal youth.
So then Odin didn't even notice when Morgan,
put a royal crown on his head.
And thanks to that enchanted crown,
Odin had forgotten not only about his country,
but about the entire world.
Log me in.
Wait! Don't shoot!
I'm Jill of the Nine Sisters
It is a great honor to meet the famous Ash.
Welcome, Ash.
You too will end up with the Nine Sisters.
What do you want?
I doubt that I should be able to get information for free.
Is that so?
Then we can get right to it.
Many people would want to buy information about your equipment.
There is a rule against the sale of information about equipment.
There are many ways to earn a living in Avalon.
Tell me what you know about SA.
You're kidding?
I only know rumors.
What it really is can know only someone
who belongs to the 'real' Nine Sisters.
Does that mean that there's another 'Nine Sisters' apart from you?
I don't know.
But anything is possible.
Murphy!
Oh crap!
A time lag!
Reset!!!
I'm sorry, I made a mess of your room.
Don't worry about it.
Happens to everyone.
From Scythia to Camelot C. Scott Littleton & Linda A. Malcor
The Legend of King Arthur Richard Cavendish
The Chronicles of King Arthur Andrea Hopkins
A Kaleidoscope of Arthurian Legend Toshiyuki Takamiya
Ash...
You don't look so good.
Is that due to yesterday's Reset?
Sorry, don't get mad.
I thought that maybe you'd be interested in
how you can find the Ghost and enter Class SA.
Maybe we could eat something?
I hadn't eaten anything good in a while.
I heard from someone from a party
some of whose players have been Unreturned,
that there's only one common point:
the presence of a Bishop.
He's the one who never returns from the game,
and is the special characteristic of every party.
The Bishop?
Yes.
Every party that's ever found the Ghost had a Bishop.
So, not the Bishop but his class is the condition?
Not only that.
Many parties tried using a fake Bishop to destroy the Ghost,
and become famous.
That was their biggest mistake.
Maybe it depends on his level.
Exactly.
The ground rule for the Bishop
to be able to enter Class SA
is that he has to be at least level 12.
So?
Are you going to change class from Fighter to Bishop?
You do want to get into Class SA?
I don't have to play in a party.
Murphy also played solo and was...
...a Bishop who reached level 12.
And you?
What level are you? 12, 13?
Anyway, for you it doesn't matter.
You'd have to double your experience points.
You know all to well from watching Murphy
advancing in status takes a while.
Becoming a Bishop takes an enormous amount of time.
Not to mention, Bishops need the access fees to match.
And besides, you need a party for backup.
I don't have the time to change class.
In that case you need to find a Bishop.
It'll be difficult for you to find one because you belonged to Wizard.
In the first place,
there hardly are any high level Bishops out there.
Ash...
It won't be easy for you to enter Class SA.
Unless Murphy was still around.
Thanks.
I'll see you later.
Why are you here?
Ask, and it shall be given.
But I think it's you that needs me.
Real meat,
real vegetables.
Rice.
Your dog is very lucky.
Not even people get to eat things like that.
Real alcohol,
cigarettes.
Knowledge that can't be found on a terminal.
All this thanks to Avalon.
The privilege of the solo player.
For the best the game isn't the means, it is an end in itself.
I've checked you out, Ash.
Stunner?
The ability to analyze data
is one of the most important skills of a Bishop.
You were a Fighter in the best party, Wizard.
The party's break-up is a legend
that is still passed on among players, even now.
But to this day no one knows exactly why it happened.
Some say that direct responsibility can be attributed to a Fighter,
who, in a certain battle, ignored the commander's orders,
called for a Reset,
and disappeared.
Ash? Can you hear me?
Get on the roof and target the cockpit!
Come in!
Ash! Can you hear me?!
Ash!!!
The problem isn't the party
getting wiped out due to a member's disappearance from the battlefield.
It occurs quite often in Class A.
The problem is that it
caused the break-up of Wizard.
I'd like you to form a new party.
A six-member party, including me.
I need three Fighters, a good Scout
and, if possible, a Mage.
Is that all?
You don't want to know anything about me?
Will you tell me if I ask?
I will, but only within Avalon.
Tomorrow at midnight, enter Avalon.
Meet me at the flak tower in Field-class A.
We're closing in a minute.
I'm meeting someone at midnight in Avalon.
I'm going to try to get into Class SA.
There is no proof that Class SA actually exists in Avalon.
Avalon is just a game, regardless of how realistic it is.
But SA doesn't fit the
definition of a game.
And that's why this program is so enigmatic.
It's still Avalon but not quite.
Who are you?
I was once offered to serve as a Bishop.
But now I only serve as the program's supervisor,
not a player.
Who is the Bishop?
There's no sense in trying to figure him out, he's a man from nowhere.
It just means that he can access Avalon from his own terminal and doesn't use a hub.
Is that possible?
Theoretically, yes.
But in reality it requires very advanced equipment and unimaginable amounts of money.
Seriously, Ash...
I wouldn't have anything to do with that guy if I were you.
I must.
Why?
Murphy's in SA.
And that's the real reason?
Use room 9.
The Game Master is waiting for you.
Thank you.
I've input your coordinates.
But I don't want you to enter SA.
I'm sorry.
A good Game Master
doesn't intrude upon the player.
I would like to ask one last question.
Are you accessing from a remote terminal?
Or are you an AI that is part of the system?
Either way, you can't be sure.
You're right.
Log me in.
Thank you for putting the team together.
I would've created it even if you hadn't asked me to.
Didn't you want to ask about me?
You're one of the Nine Sisters, rulers of Avalon, is that so?
Is it true that you wrote this program?
I'm a Bishop.
A mere heir of the Apostles.
The author is someone else.
Even so, you're no different from them.
You could be scouted.
I doubt I can work well with them.
They're not in my party as such.
They're nothing more than Non-Player Characters to begin with.
Ash...
There's no use in contemplating which is the better game.
The one which appears to be easy, but in reality is not,
or the one which appears to be hard, but in reality causes little problem.
We find the delicate balance between these two games.
Constantly setting a higher standard, and trying to maintain it.
That is our job.
Well,
everyone is here.
Let's move out.
I'm happy that we'll be able to play in the same party once again.
The coast within the 100m radius is clear.
It's too quiet.
Ash... upstairs.
Makanito, Zilwan, Badi... forward.
This is bad...
This is bad! It's a Citadel!
Now we're in big trouble!
Calm down.
It's the most powerful enemy in Class A, but it's got its weak points.
Fighters, get closer to it, and its cannon will lose its advantage.
Ash...
Let the players out front slow down the tank.
Go around the back and take out the engine.
The Bishop wants to sacrifice these three in the front!
They're not real! They're just digital decoys!
Forget about them!
Hurry up. Time's almost up.
Where's the Ghost?
Stunner!
I screwed up again.
I will never get another chance like this.
'Again'?
You saw it too?
The Ghost...
You can only get the Ghost in that brief moment when it takes on human form.
If you're successful, the girl
turns into an entrance to SA.
Say hello to Murphy for me.
It's not your fault that Wizard disbanded.
That's what I wanted to tell him.
I am the one responsible.
Like before, I lost control of myself.
I brought the team to a similar end...
Ash!
Get moving.
The Ghost will not wait for you forever.
Just as I thought. Only you were able to make it through the gate.
To Class SA?
We call it Class Real.
It's taken huge amounts of data and very high spec machines to create it.
It's still only a test field, in many ways.
'In many ways'?
There is only one way to finish this game.
Terminate the Unreturned remaining in this field.
All your data and the equipment you had before you crossed the gate
were deposited.
All you can carry is one pistol
and one ammo clip.
In this class the NPCs are operating under freewill.
The moment they are harmed, the game is over.
There is no time limit.
You can get out of here,
only after you've completed the mission.
If you return in one piece
I'll let you join my party.
Any questions?
Why did you bring me here?
Because no one else dreamed of it.
Only you.
If you don't have any more questions, let's begin.
Look behind you.
National Philharmonic: Avalon
That's where you will find your target.
Good luck, 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 here?
Because I'm here?
Even if so, what's so bad about that?
Only you know why Wizard broke up.
That's why I didn't care when they blamed me for it.
And since then I only fought solo.
Then why did you want to meet?
Stunner said you were 'lost',
but you're simply nothing more than an 'Unreturned'.
He said that you wanted to win Avalon,
but what stood in your way were the proud members of Wizard.
Of course no one ever thought of disbanding the team back then.
It was winning battles one after another.
It was unbeatable.
To dissolve it you needed an excuse.
A defeat for Wizard, to bring about the break-up.
Is this what you wanted?
You wanted to abandon your friends?
And to spend the rest of your life as a vegetable in a hospital bed?
Of course you understand the meaning of Class Real.
Right?
The world is what we think it is!
Get it?
Is it wrong if I think this place is real?
You say that and yet you remain here.
So maybe you're running away?
I don't want to talk about this, okay?
Tell me, what is the natural colour of your hair?
Huh?
Whatever happened to your distinguishing mark?
Your pretty silver highlight.
Have you ever been shot by a real gun?
You wouldn't want to feel that kind of pain, would you?
We really don't have an alternative?
One of us has to die.
The one who lives will see...
...if the body disappears.
'...so many of the brave are cut down...
'...and heroes lay fallen.
'As bright, shining death approaches...
'...the spectres appear...
'...and shroud them in darkness...
'...as black night descends.
Ash...
Don't let appearances deceive you.
This is your class.
Your world.
'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.'
ripped by iNOS subtitles by necroboi
based on transcripts by Lucas Worwag and James Byrne