I reviewed the footage of Trigger and the Fairy Festival, even if the suppression itself seemed like something amazing, it just further proved how dangerous he was. The… Devil on his shoulder seems to be a manifestation of the new set of bullets he has.

Every event around him seems to be empathic in nature. He isn't just going with the flow, Trigger is quite literally working with the Abnormalities. Even Little Red Riding Hooded Mercenary started manifesting changes, same as the two other Magical Girls.

But I could see it in Trigger's eyes. The past 'works' that have been him… being him, it wasn't an active attempt from his part, even if he would like for them to happen. Little Red Riding Hooded Mercenary is an exception, he has shown investment in her change for quite some time now, but even then it seemed he was still just being himself.

Perhaps… it was proof? The proof he needed to see that Abnormalities could truly change.

But we tried that before.

Many tests were held beforehand, I have the logs, and remember the few times these kinds of attempts were made back in the Old Lab, to try and change something within the Abnormalities. All of those attempts… failed.

There was obviously more to Trigger than just his general view of things. He is… quite abnormal himself, not like Abnormalities. If so, we would have detected Enkephalin from him ages ago.

What's his secret? What am I missing?

…

No use thinking about it, at least not right now. Netzach… is better, but clearly his mind isn't all there. The reminder of what we have done to Enoch was not good for him and even then… the only way I have found to return the memories of the other Sephirah... is to stir their traumas.

Every department and its functions are linked directly to a certain problem we all had. My being the need to manipulate information to keep everyone in check after what happened to Elijah. Malkuth always wanted recognition and a high standing, to be looked up at. She was given the highest position of all the Sephirah.

This pattern keeps repeating with all of us… even the last two have some signs to a much lesser degree, but they are there.

Even if I managed to delay Netzach's… Meltdown, it is something that has to happen, or he would never understand or remember why everything is happening.

Hmmm…

Ayin, is this really what you wanted? You are a man all the same, and everyone could make mistakes. You were devoted to go this far for Carmen's dream… so I believe that this isn't just a sick joke from you.

Even then… I can see why Angela and Malkuth oppose this sick scenario, and I would not blame others if they chose to do the same.

That line, the one that once you cross it, you will never be the same. Ayin, you walked through it all for Carmen's sake and went even beyond that.

You took any action that could lead to the 'Light' and here we are. What I believe to be the final step, and with you no longer around, someone has to take up where you left off.

Angela… may have been the one you wanted to force said step, but that's not possible.

Not anymore.

"Still checking the footage?" I glanced behind me, moving away from the footage that always reached me at the end of each day.

Ryn was there, a hand on one of her hips, a worried frown clear for all to see, "You've been at it for hours now, and you haven't found anything."

That was true, but I still had to try… to see if I could find what made Trigger so different, "I still have a couple more hours, and I already finished my report for Angela." I replied tiredly, wondering when the AI would arrive for said reports.

"Hah… I already gave her the reports. She left a while ago, you were VERY enraptured with that footage." Ryn sighed before delivering the news to me…. I see.

This may not be good for my focus after all, "That's… thank you, Ryn. Perhaps I should take a moment to calm down." If I was that far gone already, then the logical choice would be to take some rest.

Ryn nodded to herself, "I'm going to take one last look at the newbie. After that, I'll go take some shut-eye… and do try to remember you aren't alone in this." She left after saying that, a small smile forming in her mouth.

Ryn is a loyal employee… and a good friend. It's quite shameful to think she had to be dragged into this mess thinking it was just another Wing job.

Suddenly I perked up, a message from Chesed of all people… he wanted to meet me? After a moment thinking about it, and seeing nothing wrong with that, I moved with calm steps towards the Welfare Department, my mind wondering what he wanted to talk about.

It took some time, I was in no hurry and Chesed never said he needed me urgently. The walls of Welfare were a calm blue and the morale was quite high, not as high as Control, but at a glance… I could see Chesed was doing a good job.

If only it was for the right reasons.

"Yesod? What are you doing here?" I threw a glance at the blond agent with green eyes, and a lazy smile on her face. Arc was an interesting Agent. Along with being the Leader of Welfare, most of her body, limbs, legs and eyes were replaced with robotic augmentations. Her eyes shone a bit more than normal one's would, the glint of reinforced glass was hard to see, and her limbs were covered by the flesh suit with eyes that moved around as if watching its surroundings. The red gloves covering her hands and letting no one see the implants behind them. Strapped on her back… or more accurately attached to it, is a giant single edged butcher's knife that was a few centimeters short of being as big as a man, with eyes that were moving from time to time. That was the E.G.O SET of the ALEPH Abnormality.

Nothing There.

An Abnormality I hope Trigger NEVER meets.

Arc… willingly did all of this to herself, which took all her money, since all the augmentations were high-grade one's. Seeing what she had done, she jumped at the first chance to take a job from L Corp, and never once seemed to complain at all. Probably because she idolized Chesed.

"Chesed asked for my presence. Do you know where he is?" Arc perked up at my words, she hummed for a moment before jabbing her thumb to the end of the hallway.

"He seemed to be in a good mood, must have something good to tell you." She said with a small shrug while keeping her eyes on me, like she didn't trust me… then again, she only trusted people from Briah. Seeing anyone else as too dishonest, not knowing Chesed was not the most honest person himself. She was allowed to believe what she wanted.

"Thank you, I'll be on my way." I said, barely suppressing a nod that wasn't necessary with this body. I walked past her at the same pace I had coming here.

Her eyes never left me until I entered the Main Room, where Chesed was waiting for me, pacing around with the cup of coffee he would rarely ever let go from. He noticed me, his single eye shone with mirth, "Yesod~, always early. I at least managed to get my thoughts organized~" He liked using that drawling and mirthful tone, it was usually faked. It was hard to tell, but I knew that was the truth.

This time… it seemed just a bit more real, "I wouldn't like to waste your time or mine, what do you need?" He nodded once at my question, his blue box shaped body making the motion awkward.

"Alright~ I've seen and heard how lively things are at Asiyah. That Trigger fella sure knows how to shake things up~" Chesed of course would notice that… it was a good thing Gebura had already told me this.

"That is true. Things have certainly… tipped off-balance." I replied with some annoyance seeping into my voice, something Chesed noticed.

"You certainly seem stressed by it~... But let's get to the point, Angela has been throwing some interesting proposals that have been accepted. While I'm not quite sure about the Abnormalities that are considered safe to be moving around, the other one helped a lot with agents. Not letting them work Abnormalities that they aren't ready for and having experienced agents watching after them seems like a good idea." He dropped his tone, going for a more formal and direct one. I paused, having a good idea of where this would go.

Chesed, at the end of the day, didn't want to see people die.

"Considering this… slight change on her, I decided to try my own petitions again. They may have a chance to go through, but I don't want to get my hopes up, though. You know the situation above, and I would like to know if you think this would work." Chesed replied… even if it almost sounded like he was begging, there was a certain answer he wanted to hear from me.

…

Someone… has to force the next step.

After a brief moment of silence, I spoke with a factual tone, "All those petitions you spoke of weren't from Angela but from her new friend, Trigger. Her actions… were biased, she still couldn't care less about what happens aside from energy gathering. All of this was a favor from her part, and for your own good, I suggest you drop this issue. Remember why we are here." Chesed didn't move for a minute. If I was less perceptive, I would have thought he suffered some kind of error within his cybernetics… but the truth was Chesed was suppressing his erratic emotions, and trying to not show how his small hope crumbled away.

"I see~ That had to be something I should have accounted for… thanks for your time, Yesod~" Chesed left soon after, steps that seemed almost hurried. Once he was out of the Main Room, I looked at the ceiling.

This… was wrong, but someone had to do the dirty work. If this suffering was needed for the Sephirah to regain their memories and find that 'Light'... with Angela and Malkuth against the plan, it was up to me to cross the line Ayin had.

One that would change me forever.

Just as it had done to him.

Perhaps it was the wrong decision, and if the others decide this was cruel and heartless, so be it.

I'll do it, because I can't let this all be for nothing.

Sighing to myself, I walked out of Welfare, carrying an invisible weight that I picked up. This was my choice, it was easy to see why Angela would so quickly take any way out from this feeling.

Sadly, I can't do the same.