That day...
What was that thing I heard echoing inside my head?
"Live Forever'"
Trash.
A sea of trash as far as the eye can see.
This is where I belong.
There was a time when this place was the center of the world...
Or so the old-timers once told me.
But there's no sign of that anywhere now.
These days, it's a den of day laborers.
Outside, they call us things like "the trash dump of the world."
My friends, this is the last of the afternoon shipments!
Don't overlook anything of value!
Those of you who missed your quotas last month,
if you can't make up for it today, you're in for a heavy penalty!
Now, listen up and make sure to take these words to heart!
To live means...
...to work.
Never look up. Look down.
Do not look to dreams. Keep your eyes on the present.
That is the pride of Liverchester.
Our pride, which we swore to the Monument of Admonishment.
Good morning, Mr. Bruno.
Oh, today is excellent.
After all, we got garbage from the Lucia region.
And Lucia is the Linchpin of the North.
The country that had Bilin, the Player known as the Crimson Belle.
It's like a dream to be receiving parts from there.
Here, look! The Crimson Belle, Bilin!
And this Equipment! Gives me goosebumps!
What? Oh, please. I've never even thought of leaving this place.
I like touching these junk parts here.
Looking at these little guys,
it makes me think of all the places they must've seen on their way here.
It's, like, kind of awe-inspiring.
So, if I can make a so-so living picking these guys up,
that's enough for me.
Yup. This is what my days are like.
Good work.
--Next!
--What? Isn't that a bit stingy? --Next!
Quit your grumbling.
Come on, next!
Fine.
Echo Rec, huh?
I can make money doing it. I might even consider it a calling.
So, I'll be picking up trash again tomorrow.
And next week. And beyond that.
That's my life.
Well, even in a life like that, I've got a little something...
Something that gives meaning to my life that I can't tell anyone about.
My lucky day!
Oof.
Almost got it... Almost...
What?
A... A girl?!
This is definitely a girl.
So? Where did you kidnap her from?
You've got it all wrong, Sis.
She probably got transported here along with the trash today.
She certainly doesn't seem like she's from around here.
She looks kind of sophisticated or something.
What are you suddenly yelling for?
L-Look at this.
A Player?
It is! This hole is just like I saw in the books!
Man, she's got a hole in her body here!
Oh, you're awake.
How do you feel?
How do you think?! The worst!
Where am I?
This is a humble bar on the outskirts of Liverchester.
And you're on a chair in it.
What am I doing here?
He said he found you asleep in the scrap field and brought you here.
Who did?
That guy.
Mind if I ask one more thing?
Hm?
Who... am I?
A Player?
Shh! Keep your voice down!
What's the big deal?
That output jack on your hip...
No doubt about it!
You're a Player.
Huh?
So, you really don't remember anything.
That's what I keep telling you! And I can't even remember my name.
For all that, it doesn't seem to bother you much.
Can't help what I've forgotten.
Looks like I'm not much of a worrywart type.
Besides, I'm me.
You're one tough cookie.
Oh, but there are a couple things I've figured out.
I don't mind noisy settings too much.
Also...
I like your cooking quite a bit!
Glad to hear it.
Ugh! Why couldn't he have landed a blow right then?
What are you saying?
That sidestep just now was a well-executed move.
You two don't know when to shut up.
What's that?
What? A-Are you interested?
C-Calm down!
Oh, sorry.
Let's see. That big thing is an Equipment.
It's the one way that we can fight against the Earless.
Players pilot those things to fight the Earless.
The Earless?
Pardon the intrusion.
Gack! The mayor!
Who?
To put it simply, he's a real pain.
You should know better, and yet, what do we have here?
Hey!
--You didn't have to break it!
--It's the one bit of fun we get... --You didn't have to break it!
Gathering a bunch of malcontents to hold a Gig viewing party?
Can't say I approve, Swell.
It's an old monitor, so it seems to pick up these signals on its own.
It's a problem.
Well, whatever.
What?
What business do you have in this town, you damn accursed Player?
--Huh? --H-Hold on...
We saw you bring her in here.
She had a jack on her hip. No question about it.
A Player? A real one?
There's no way in hell!
There's no reason a Player would come to a town like this now.
Players bring calamity.
If you have no business, I'll ask you to leave immediately.
N-Now, now.
She may be a Player, but it seems like she doesn't remember anything.
--So, telling her to leave without warning is a bit mean...
--You numbskull! --So, telling her to leave without warning is a bit mean...
Have you forgotten the meaning of the Monument of Admonishment?!
That horrific incident those Players caused ten years ago
must never be allowed to happen again!
Don't let your emotions get the better of you, Echo.
What could you possibly have to gain by taking sides with a Player?
Now, if you get that, let that Player--
E-Even so, I don't think it makes sense to run her out of town!
--Why you little...
--Come on, Mr. Mayor. --Why you little...
You came all this way, so please have a glass.
This is a place for relaxation, after all.
--I'm not done here... --Here. On the house.
What? For real?
Thanks.
Sorry. It's getting busy, so would you two mind heading upstairs?
--Huh? --Yeah, let's do that!
--W-Wait... --Now, what should we do for fun?
What's his problem? He's such a jerk.
The mayor absolutely loathes Players.
Whew! That was nerve-wracking!
Why did you defend me back there?
Huh? Oh, but of course I did.
After all, right now, I'm...
...totally fascinated by you!
Oh, you are?
--I've been holding back this whole time, ever since we met.
--What? --I've been holding back this whole time, ever since we met.
Now, we're finally alone.
H-Hold on.
There's a lot I don't remember
and I don't really know, but I kind of feel like...
...there's a certain order to these things.
--What? --H-Here!
--No! --Look!
Look at this!
Look! Isn't it incredible?!
Look.
Huh?
Man, I'm a huge fan when it comes to Equipment and Players.
I never thought I'd get to meet a real one.
Huh? Something wrong?
No, not really.
See, in this world,
there are monsters called Earless that attack humans.
Many countries have been destroyed by them.
That sounds awful.
Generation after generation, it's the Players who've quelled them.
Without exception, their stories have been passed down as legendary heroes.
In other worlds, that means you're someone amazing!
It does?
Sure, it does!
The mayor was all critical, but you're what I aspire to.
So... I don't know how to put it, but...
I don't think you need to worry.
Thank you.
That reminds me!
This is my Equipment that I'm almost done building.
Equipment?
You mean, that huge thing we saw downstairs earlier?!
You can make something like that?!
I'm just copycatting things I've seen, though.
I pilfered parts from the scrap field a little at a time
and I've finally gotten to where it's coming together.
Ta-dah!
Um, what do you think?
It's kinda... small, or maybe...
Or maybe?
It's lame.
That can't be helped.
It can't take its Gig Form until it's been fitted with a Core Part.
It might not look like much, but it's my most prized possession.
No one around me says it's realistic,
but I've dreamt forever of seeing a Player fighting along with this guy.
This is what gives my life meaning.
Wow...
Oh, sorry.
Sis tells me this all the time, too.
She says, "When it comes to your favorite topics,
you don't know when to shut up."
Who cares?! That's being passionate.
I actually like that sort of thing.
No one's ever said anything like that to me before.
Oh! Once it's complete, want me to pilot it?
--What?! --I mean, this is something for a Player to pilot, right?
Maybe I'd be able to pilot it, too!
I-I think you probably could, but...
Then I will!
It ticked me off when I heard all that garbage downstairs,
but listening to you,
it made me think that being a Player might not be so bad.
And besides, without my memories,
that's about the only thing I can think of that I can do.
So, once you've got that thing running properly,
let's go defeat those Earless together!
That's your dream, right?
Wait...
Come on, like there's any way I'd be thinking that.
Huh?
I mean, I'm just an ordinary guy.
There's no way.
Even building Equipment is more like a hobby anyway.
It's kind of like...
Like, it's enough just to aspire.
Besides, the Earless don't show up around here.
And I don't have any plans to leave town.
I'm sure, as a Player, your life won't be easy,
but I'll be cheering for you.
Once I finish building this Equipment, I'll give it to you, too.
Uh, well, I'm sure mine will only serve to tide you over
until you find a real one, but...
What's up with that?
--Huh? --Earlier, you said something about this thing giving your life meaning .
But now, just aspiring is enough?
You have no plans to leave town?
Is there some reason that you need to deny yourself?
Oh, no, it's not anything like that...
Th-Then, come with me!
I don't especially want to stay here, so leave with me...
I told you, there's no way.
You're a Player and I'm an ordinary guy.
There's no way I could fill the role of a Player's partner.
What's with you?! Going on and on about Players...
I'm...
What? Where are you...
--I'm leaving. --Huh?! Uh, wai... What?
Why are you suddenly...
Wait, that...
Goodbye.
You two sure went at it.
You heard?
This house is run-down.
You're going?
Yeah.
He's always been an oddly old soul, you know?
This is his way, and this is how normal is.
It's all set in his mind.
Sounds stupid, right?
That's why, when I saw him argue face-to-face against the mayor earlier,
it caught me by surprise.
I had no idea he was capable of expressing his opinion like that.
There's a monument on the edge of town, right?
There's a train station at the bottom.
There's one train that comes in every morning.
If you change your mind, come on back.
And you can come just as yourself, not as a Player.
A Player...
Long ago, there used to be a Player like you here, too.
He used to sit right there at the counter and enjoy the food.
Thank you.
Also, it was delicious.
Might not be any way to fix this now.
She's leaving, Echo.
A Player...
What business do you have in this town, you damn accursed Player?
Players pilot those things to fight the Earless.
A Player? A real one?
Players bring calamity.
And you can come just as yourself, not as a Player.
...you're what I aspire to.
I wonder who I am.
She didn't even know her name...
Echo!
--Sis? --Earless!
What?
No way...
She's at the train station.
You can't...
Sis?
Go on, Echo!
Once it's complete, want me to pilot it?
...let's go defeat those Earless together!
Damn it!
You damn apparitions!
What more do you mean to take from this town?!
Do you have a death wish?!
You... I knew it!
You brought this calamity! You damn Player!
Never mind that! Hurry up and run!
What would an outsider... a Player like you know?!
This monument is our--
--Why you!
--Hey! --Why you!
That idiot!
Watch out!
What?
Echo!
Oh. This... I'm dead.
What the heck?
I'm really going to die without having done anything.
But well, if I can die surrounded by my favorite junk parts,
maybe it's all I could ask for.
Even if I'd stayed alive, I probably wouldn't have accomplished much.
And just maybe, if I die here, they'll treat me like a minor hero.
Or something...
I don't want to die.
I wanted to do so much more.
I wanted to go to all sorts of places and see all sorts of things.
I don't care if I couldn't accomplish anything or if people mocked me.
There's no point if I'm not alive!
I...
...don't want it to end here!
That's great.
I totally love that sort of attitude!
M-Mayor, look!
An Equipment...
Could it be that Player?
I see.
So, I guess that makes you guys my first audience?
I'll get you fired up!
Hey, they're coming!
They're coming, they're coming!
You guys aren't feeling it!
Hey, you're starting to feel it.
In that case...
What? Wait, wh-what...
How about we take this party to the next level?!
--Is that Echo? --So young!
Yeah, so young!
What are you two crying for?!
What?
Take this!
That's passion for you. Seriously.
Did we defeat them?
Oh, yeah. Here.
Mu.
Huh?
It's read "mu."
Mu?
Yeah.
So, would you mind if I called you Mu?
Yeah, I like it.
I swear, you raised some serious hell.
Mayor?
Once, back when the world still dreamed,
this country was overflowing with idiots like you two.
But ten years ago,
ever since that day when sound subsided from the world,
absolutely everything changed.
This country was buried in the wreckage of dreams
and even the Earless kept away.
Those left behind found their daily wages in the overflowing trash
and managed to eek out a living somehow.
Do not look to dreams! Keep your eyes on the present!
Along with such admonishments,
the hope that's continued to illuminate this once-destroyed country
was none other than this monument!
--Oh. --I thank you.
You two saved this country's pride and joy.
Oh...
My young friends, make sure to take these words to heart.
To live means...
Is this my fault?
L-Let's run.
What?
There!
Come on. Hurry!
Good grief.
Players really are good-for-nothings.
Just like you were, Jimi Stonefree.
Found you.
In time, the new buildings created by pragmatism collapse.
With the way of things, destruction becomes the reason for everything.
Instead of playing, you need but lend an ear.
There, everyone looks as though they're shadowless clay figures
and in that forest, you found each other.
With the faith of the collective unconscious.
But what is your true identity?
"Half Man" "Half Man."
Simply pray and become a Player.