1. [ Prologue - Red Battle: Beginning ] Narrator: The 22nd Century. Mankind succeeds in understanding the theory of magic, and thus unlocks limitless energy. Science becomes regarded as a technology of the "Old World" and is forbidden worldwide. But then, by the power of magic, the forbidden living weapons, Gears, were created. The Gears, created for the purposes of fighting, bared their fangs against their controllers, and thus began a battle between the two with the future at stake. A.D. 2173. The Holy Order, which has been protecting mankind, now heads towards a climax with their battle against the Gears... Narrator: Guilty Gear XX Drama CD Side Red: Red Battle - Beginning. 2. [ Street Corner - The Witch Visits ] I-No: Huh... what a run-down village. Man: Don't say that, honey... this is a good village. There's lots of stores, there's no fussy police... Man: That's right, they got beaten up! Attacked by Gears... Man: Shut up, you! Hey... won't you do some good things with us? I-No: (Even the people living here are run-down...) Man: Come on, lady! What's your name? I-No: Oh, does it matter? You'd forget a woman's name soon enough anyway, right? Man: That's not true! I wouldn't forget a babe's name like yours even if I died! Come on, how about it? I'll show you a great place... Man: Bro! You mean that place? Man: It's great! Great mood too... I-No: I'm sorry! I prefer appetite over mood... especially for meat. Man: Huh? Well... I know a good roast pork pla... Man: Idiot! Don't you understand!? She's asking us along! I-No: I happen to like... squeezing helpless pigs... Man: Heheheh... now that's interesting! Man: Wh-what the! Man: A Gear?!? I-No: Yes! I saw it coming closer to this village earlier... Man: Hey... why didn't you say that earlier!? I-No: Oh, didn't I just say? I liked helpless pigs...! Man: What the hell... it's raging! Bro, let's run! I-No: Oh, don't go that way! Man: Yeaaaaargh! Man: Hey! I-No: Oh, coming after me? Hey hey... don't get wrong ideas about who your prey is! Man: You... what are you... I-No: Hmph... I'm I-No. Man: A name? I didn't ask for your name! You have power, help us out! Or else our village will get wiped out!... augh! I-No: You asked me! You said even if you went to hell you wouldn't forget my name, right?! Right!? Man: Aaaaaargh! I-No: Hmph, even a run-down scream. Pigs should scream loudly like pigs! Man: (gurgles) I-No: Well now... these are interesting times. Times that suit me... 3. [ Airship - The Final Hope of Mankind ] Officer: Ky-sama, we've reached our destination. Ky: Report. Officer: Sir! One hour ago we received a distress call requesting help from the Holy Order. Ten minutes ago we established communication... Ky: And... silence? Officer: Yes sir... the possibility of total annihilation is high. Ky: Tell me our strategy and intelligence for now. Officer: Three medium-size Gears and one large-size Gear confirmed. They're all currently in the city center. Ky: That's certainly troublesome. I'll lead the Magic Division. Magical Support Units 1 through 3 will support that Division. And... Sol: I'm off. Ky: Sol, wait!... what a man. Officer: Ky-sama... Ky: Prepare for landing. Also prepare the aviation spells. Quickly! Officer: Sir! 4. [ Street Corner - Dead Town ] Sol: So you're the large-size... how annoying. Sol: What?! Sol: These wounds... somebody already did it in... but who... I don't like this. Ky: Over there... Sacred Edge! Ky: Is that all of them? Officer: No Gear response detected... clean-up complete. Ky: There were fewer than reported... Officer: Sir! We're investigating the cause of that now. Ky: I don't care... it's probably because of the rude one anyway. Anyway... what a condition... nothing's left of the village. Ky: Even... a child as small as this... Officer: Poison gas from a T-type Gear... it's likely that it spread throughout the village. Ky: I see... just in case. Look for survivors. Officer: Sir! Sol: No 'just in case', you know. Ky: Sol! Where have you been? Sol: Hurry and withdraw. This is waste... Ky: Behave yourself! That order-belittling attitude is a danger to the whole group! Sol: Spare me... Ky: Sol! Sol: We don't have time to dawdle. Don't try to be a hero, boy! Officer: K-Ky-sama! Ky: Yes, what is it? Officer: We've found a survivor! This way... Sol: What? Ky: Send help immediately! Prepare the antidote as well... Officer: Sir! Ky: Are you okay? I-No: Unh... Sol: I don't like this... you... what the hell are you!? Ky: Learn some propriety! We have things to do before questioning her, right!? I-No: Who... are you... Ky: It's okay, please just rest now. I-No: Thank you... I-No: (So this is the Holy Order... how naive...) 5. [ Airship Captain's Room - Distress ] Officer: Ky-sama, I've brought you some tea. Ky: Thank you. Itadakimasu. Officer: Report... the ship is making steady progress heading to headquarters in Paris. We will arrive in approximately 2 hours. Ky: I see. Thank you for your report. ... is something wrong? You may leave now. Officer: Forgive me for speaking bluntly... Ky-sama, are you worrying about something? Ky: I'm just a novice captain now... so of course I have many worries. Officer: Are you talking about Sol-sama? Ky: Very sharp. Yes, that's right... like he says, I may just be trying to be a hero. Officer: ...and he said that? Ky: The Holy Order is the final hope of mankind. While commanding an organization like this, I'm letting my personal gratification get in the way. Officer: I don't think so... Ky: For example... the incident just now. After confirming the cleanup of the Gears, I should've withdrawn from the town. In case there was another distress call, we should've been able to be on our way at once. Isn't that the best way to save people? Officer: Ky-sama, I believe you are mistaken. Ky: Eh? Officer: Didn't you say so yourself, Ky-sama? The Holy Order is mankind's last hope. If all we do is destroy Gears, then we're no more than a machine. That isn't hope. If there is even only one survivor in a village attacked by Gears, the Holy Order will not abandon them. It will definitely save them. Everyone lives every day believing this. ...that is the fate given to us. Ky: A heavy fate indeed... you've taught me something important today. Thank you. Officer: If you're feeling well, perhaps you should pay a visit? The patient seems to have regained consciousness. Ky: Thank you. I will visit later. Officer: Then, please excuse me. Ky: The last hope of... mankind... 6. [ Airship Infirmary - Confrontation ] Officer: Sol-sama, where are you...? Sol: Keys. Officer: This is a first-aid room now, but... Sol: Keys! Officer: I'm sorry. Right now this room is No Visitors... Sol: (glares) Officer: Excuse me. Please... I-No: Who is it? Sol: Don't move. I-No: W-who are you? Sol: That's my line... feigning innocence. Come on! I-No: So dangerous! Sol: Hmph, didn't work. What the hell are you? I-No: Shut up... Sol: Huh? I-No: Shut up, little bastard! Want to make it personal? Sol: Yeesh... I-No: Eat this! Sol: Hmph, attacking? Now we're talking! Officer: Ky-sama! Ky: What's happening? An attack? Officer: There's a fire on ship. It's in the medical quarters! Ky: A Gear attack on this ship? Emergency response. I will head there too. Officer: Sir! Officer: Ky-sama! Ky: What is it? Officer: Earlier... Sol-sama was... Ky: Did you just say Sol? Officer: Yes sir. Ky: Sol! Sol: Che. I-No: Please help! This man suddenly... Sol: Ah? Ky: You! I don't even have words to describe you anymore. Bring the handcuffs! Officers: Sir! Sol: Ha... yeesh. Ky: Take him to the brig. Officers: Sir! Ky: Forgive me... I have no good apology... I-No: Thank you for saving me... who are you? Ky: Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I am Ky Kiske, working as Captain of the Holy Order. I-No: Oh, you're so young and yet so great! I'm I-No. Who was that wild guy earlier...? Ky: He's... Sol. A disgrace to our Order... he will be punished severely. I-No: I was so scared! Ky: I-I see... I-No: Hey... won't you let me thank you? Aren't you stiff here? Ky: Ah... um... ah, I have official business now, so please excuse me. I-No: Hmph... no backbone. The Holy Order is more boring than I thought... guess I'll crush it. 7. [ Airship Infirmary - Temptation ] Ky: Lord... what a man. Officer: About Sol-sama... is that really okay? Ky: Yes. If he keeps breaking the rules, he loses his rights. Officer: But... that woman... Ky: I know. She's not a normal person. Officer: Then... why do that to Sol-sama? Ky: If he wanted to check on I-No-san's true nature, he should've reported to me. That man doesn't even take the time to do that. Officer: That's true... she said her name was I-No, correct? What do you think, Ky-sama? Ky: She seemed a master of confrontation... she was confronting Sol for just a moment. Officer: I see... Ky: To hide one's power... she is perhaps a military runaway. To be honest, certainly desirable for our Holy Order. Post a guard by her room. If she leaves, contact me immediately. Officer: Understood. Alert: Emergency, emergency. All commanding officers please report to the bridge. Ky: What is it? Officer: From Rome, Italy, an emergency call! Ky: What's happening? Officer: Three Megadeath-class Gears, and about 200 large-class Gears. Ky: The local army? Officer: Taking care of the local citizens. I can't estimate their military strength. Ky: What has headquarters said? Officer: Reporting... they say to wait for reinforcements. Ky: I see... Officer: But then, the citizens will...! Ky: With their strength now, they can't avoid the destruction of Rome. Thus we must prioritize increasing their strength and destroying the Gears. Is that a proper evaluation? Officer: It's valid, but... Ky: Yes? Officer: Even if we offer rescue, there are consequences. Right now there is nobody looking after the refugees... if the city, crumbles, they will all... Ky: That is truth. But... Officer: But? Ky: That is not hope. We are the hope of mankind. Am I mistaken? Officer: Sir! Ky: Enter battle preparations! We will secure the safety of the citizens. Officer: How many shall we send in? Ky: This is not our official duty. Please ask for volunteers. Officer: Understood. But then... Ky: Is something wrong? Officer: No. I will ask... but... Ky: I don't care. I'll go even alone. Now then...! Officer: Ky-sama! Ky: I-No-san, excuse me. I-No: Oh, handsome Captain. What was that siren just now? Ky: This ship is headed towards Rome in order to fight Gears. I-No: I see... do your best. Ky: Ah... it's hard for me to say, but we cannot guarantee your safety. I'm sorry, but I must ask you to get off the ship. I-No: What? Ky: We'll take you to a village closeby. I-No: Very earnest... Ky: Huh? I-No: Work despite the circumstances... even if I hear that, I have no choice. Ky: That's... I-No: You realize it, right? My power. Ky: Yes. But to me, you're still a civilian. If saving you is my duty, then I must... I-No: You said Rome, right? There's over a million people there. Ky: Yes, but... I-No: Don't misunderstand. I'll do what I want. I don't like things decided for me. Ky: Forgive me... after all, we were assembled because of duty. We don't have the right to choose people. If you would like to become hope... I-No: Oh, don't get the wrong impression. I don't want to join your Order. I'll just take what I want. Ky: You mean... recompensation? Then I'll try to arrange what I can. I-No: That's okay. I don't want money. Instead... (whispers) Ky: Ah... that's...! I-No: A million... million! Ky: But... that's too... I-No: Come on. Ky: Under-stood... I-No: Then... later! Come back alive! I'll be waiting in my room... Ky: I... will do my best. I-No: How cute, turning bright red! Well... it doesn't look like this'll be boring... 8. [ Airship - The Order's Vow ] Ky: Please come in. Officer: Pardon me. Ky-sama, the unit has been formed. Ky: How many... Officer: Just about everybody. The minimum crew for the operation of the ship will remain behind. Ky: I see. And what did headquarters actually say? Officer: As I said. "Wait for reinforcements". Just... one thing more. "If you don't like that, do what you want." Ky: Commander Kliff, I see... just like him. Officer: I feel the same way. Then, please speak to the troops. Ky: Sometimes I feel angry at myself... even though I'm telling them to commit suicide... they follow me anyway. Officer: Then, why ask for volunteers? You could've just ordered everyone. Ky: Yes... if we live, I'll remember that. Officer: Please don't make that face. The soldiers will be frightened. Ky: And it would be nice if they were frightened and quit... no. Let's go. Officer: Salute the Captain! Ky: Everyone... thank you for gathering. Please hear me. In the battle between humans and Gears, we do not have the advantage. No... we are in a dangerous situation. And now, we are headed towards an unfair battle. In terms of military and logistics, it's meaningless. But then why? With technology, humans created forbidden creations, and yet still did not gain the ability to stop war. They wanted... a rational world where humans did not fight. And then... Gears were born. War came to humans who responded with machines. But... a battle between machines cannot be called a victory. Therefore, we, as humanity, have to pick what looks like the foolish road. We will save the citizens of Rome. It's because we can't let lives pass in front of us! Do we care what happens afterwards? Ky: God, by your grace, please save us! Holy Order, set forth! 9. [ Airship - The Order's Vow ] I-No: Hmph, I'm amazed. If that group isn't totally composed of idiots, the monsters'll get mowed over. Ky: Stun Edge! Ky: There's no end to them. Is everybody safe yet? Officer: It would be in another 15 minutes! But the soldiers are at their limit. Let us withdraw! We can't get wiped out here! Ky: Please begin retreating yourselves! Officer: Ky-sama! Ky: I can't leave a single person behind! That is the oath we made as a Holy Knight. And I haven't made sure that I-No-san is safe yet! Officer: Ky-sama! You must be at your limit too! You can't... Ky: Fifteen minutes! I'll be here for fifteen minutes! Ride the Lightning! Officer: Ky-sama, wait! That idiot... Physical Attack Division, follow me! Sol: Leave him to me! Officer: Sol...sama! Sol: I'll bring the boy back. Officer: Huh? Sol: What are you doing? Hurry! Officer: Sir! Physical Attack Division, Magic Division, begin retreat! Officer: ... I leave Ky-sama to you! 10. [ I-No - Monologue ] I-No: Huh! He really is naive. But how fun... this'll make for great sightseeing. 11. [ Battle of Rome - Deathmatch ] Ky: Needle Spike! Ky: I've made it this far... just five more minutes... Ride the Lightning! Ky: A large-type Gear, here...! Is I-No-san... safe... Ky: Still going! Ky: Are you my death god...? God, by your grace, please save my future! Holy Order Ougi... Spike Voltage! Sol: Trash... move aside. Sol: Move aside! Tyrant Rave! Sol: I came to pick you up. Ky: Always coming late... you never could fix that... Sol: You... Ky: As to be expected... until the very end... I could never beat you... Sol: Don't say anything! Ky: I have... a request... Sol: I said shut up! Ky: After Commander Kliff... carry on... the Holy Order... Sol: Stop it... that's your job! Ky: Please... promise me... Sol: Dammit... Ky: If it's you... you can do... Sol: Hey.... what's wrong. Hey! KYYYYYY! 12. [ Epilogue ] I-No: Kyahahaha! So he died! "Is I-No-san all right?" Hahaha! Wonderful! Narrator: AD 2173. The death of the Holy Order Captain, Ky Kiske, in the Battle of Rome. This was the turning point in the Holy War. Afterwards, mankind fought a losing battle for 10 years. Historians would later write: "The hope of mankind crumbled on this day." Narrator: Commander of the Holy Order that protects mankind, Sol Badguy. But with the attack of the Gears, mankind's hope appears to crumble. Wandering about, I-No meets a certain man. I-No: So you're the root of this evil... Narrator: Next time, Guilty Gear XX Drama CD, Side Black. Red Battle - Ending. Enjoy! 13. [ Prologue of Fear - Zappa Story: Night of the Living Doll ] Zappa: Guilty Gear XX... Drama CD... Side Red... Night of the Living Doll. 14. [ Mountain Path in Rainfall ] Zappa: The rain that day was cold enough to chill one's bones, and yet I wandered lightfooted along the path. Zappa: Oh? Do I see a person? A woman? With long black hair... standing in the rain... hair clinging to her face. "Ah, hello there? If you stand there you'll catch a cold..." Zappa: That person didn't answer, but simply raised her hand slowly and pointed forward. "Oh? What is it?" Where she pointed, there was a single house. "Oh, how nice... I'll stop there." Zappa: When I looked back, there was nobody there... Zappa: "Ahh... geez." I have no spirit sense, but some do tell me I seem to have a ghost woman with long black hair attached to me. Of course, when I tell others they tell me I have a blind Chinese ghost attached to me too so I don't believe anybody. The woman I saw then... was she an evil spirit? Of course if she was it wouldn't be strange. There certainly was a strange aura about her. But, I didn't turn back, and I headed for the house the woman pointed to. Zappa: "Excuse me? Is somebody here? I'm a traveler, so I'll just borrow a room." I didn't realize it yet then... the true self of the building I had just stepped into... the house of the dolls. 15. [ The Dollhouse ] Zappa: "It's so dark... excuse me! Is there anybody here? Nobody... hmph. I have to at least find light... light... light... Huh? What's this? My foot hit something. This is... ahhh!" What the lightning illuminated. It was... a person's foot! "F-foot! Here's a hand... and a neck... NECK!?" Finally I realized... the feet and the hands... they weren't real, but made. They were parts of dolls. More realistic than I had ever seen, lifelike dolls. Zappa: "Ha... just dolls... but such bad taste... why are they all scattered here... maybe it's a dollmaker's house? Then, maybe I did a bad thing? I did kick it after all..." Zappa: "Oh... here's completed ones... Let's see... very well done." Blonde hair and blue eyes. Certainly well done, and a certain strength to it. The scary part was that they looked human, even though they weren't... Even well-done, they didn't have souls. The moment I thought that... the doll opened its eyes, and glared at me! Zappa: Those hateful eyes, I somehow withstood. Even though they were staring at me, I didn't feel that it had a soul. Overcome by fear, I slowly lost consciousness. 16. [ Black Dog ] Zappa: "I'M SCARED OF DOGS! Huh? Where am I..." When I opened my eyes, I was in a moldy bed in a room. Why was I here? "This place's guard dog? Then there must be people living here after all, great... what's wrong, dog? Hm, he's chewing something. Huh, giving it to me?" Zappa: "Hm? This is... an arm!?" The pitch-black dog had dropped an arm... a doll's arm. The arm was mangled as if it had been chewed. "Thanks for the thought, but I don't want it... doggie?" When I realized it, that pitch-black dog was not anywhere in the room. Even though the room's door was closed... Zappa: "How strange... this house definitely is strange! I should leave... ah ta ta..." When I tried to open the door... it was then... that I heard the footsteps. "What the... these footsteps... what should I do..." I thought to hide under the bed when... ???: Return my arm... Zappa: "Kyaaaaah!" Standing there... was that doll. While black blood ran from its arm... with those soulless eyes... staring at me... "Somebody!" 17. [ Pursuit ] Zappa: At that moment... something whistled in the air past me. "S-swords?" Yes... there were swords in the air. Or rather, giant razor blades might be more accurate. Here and there, I saw red dripping off them. When I barely dodged the blades flying at me, they would change direction and fly at me again. "Th-that was dangerous..." 18. [ A Bit of Courage ] Zappa: "I'll hide here for now..." In the long hallway, I slipped into the first room. In there was... "This is... I wonder what kind of room this is... there's a huge mirror in here." I crept toward it. In the darkness, I saw my own face floating up. And then... a white shadow behind my back. "Wh-who's there?!" When I turned around, there was nothing there. Zappa: "It's still there..." The white shadow in the mirror didn't disappear. No... it gradually increased in number... The white shadows... when I realized the shadows had faces... I broke the mirror. Zappa: "What is with this room... what is... the wind sure is strong... I should close the windows... no way!" Then, I realized, finally, that the room had no windows... there shouldn't have been any wind. "What's going on..." The wind gradually became stronger. It gradually became harder to stand, and when I collapsed to my knees... the mirror... the potted plant on the table... everything in the room began coming after me. Zappa: "Somebody! Help me!" When I scrambled to my feet, I heard a fearful noise from the door. ???: Come on out... Zappa: Somebody was banging at the door. I used the furniture in the room to bar the door. The doorknob was being pulled with fearsome power. I pressed against the door with all my strength. "Why... why me?" One of the candlesticks in the room suddenly thrust into the door in front of my eyes. Shocked, I let go of the door. "Damn!" ???: So you were here... Zappa: That doll appeared in front of my eyes. Not just at the shoulder, it appeared cut up by some large blade... black blood flowing from it everywhere. "Somebody! Help me!" The doll's face looked my way. Those focus-less eyes looked my way. That's how it felt. That slashed up face... looking like it was laughing. It also looked like it was crying. The only thing I could say... was that that toothless face... wanted to kill me. I thought that I was only being afraid. But maybe, when I heard the story of the black-haired woman, I was looking forward to being afraid. Now, at that moment, I could only fear the terror of death closing in on me. Zappa: Just then... I stumbled upon some of the fragments of glass. The pain of reality opened my eyes. "Damn... what am I doing. Ghost or no ghost, I can't lose to some already-dead guy! Like I'll die here!" Zappa: At that moment, all the furniture in the room flew at me. I looked at it as if I had won. "Okay... now!" I threw myself to the floor at the last moment. As I had thought, the fragments of glass flew into the doll. I ran into the hallway then. ???: Waaaaaait... Zappa: Just then... I wasn't just running seriously... my heart seemed as if it would fly out of my throat. But the sound that chased me wouldn't go away. "Ahhh... no way! Zappa: "Where... where's the exit!" When I turned around, the building had already been engulfed by flames. From inside... I heard a slight scream... that was all. 19. [ Epilogue - Unending Fear ] Zappa: What was that house? Ghosts I had never seen, and that huge doll... They say that when one with much hatred dies, that hatred is borne in stead by a doll... But... what kind of person, what kind of hate would have that? I won't know anymore... Perhaps that doll is sleeping in the ruins of the house even now. But if that doll wasn't sleeping... if that doll, fueled by hatred, escaped that house... then even now... before sleeping... I can hear that doll's footsteps. Sometimes in the morning... I wake up and my pillow is soaked with black blood. I... have been chased by that doll... Robo Ky: Hey, human. What do you think you can sleep peacefully for! Pay me back for that house! Raou: I won't leave even a shell of your soul! 20. [ Message from Inoue Kikuko (I-No) ] Inoue Kikuko: I'm Inoue Kikuko, playing the role of I-No. Presenting Guilty Gear XX Drama CD, Red Battle - Beginning... how was it? The role I received this time was unusual for me, a bloodless villain, or rather, well, she does bad things not to strike back at something, but. She just does bad things because she likes to, and lives by her own fancies or whims, I thought. Thinking other people are insects, and not feeling loneliness at all... in some ways, you could say she's a very strong person. When I first received the script, I thought it was a very interesting story, but... I-No's lines are scary! That's what I thought. It was like that for the game too, but she sure is scary, I-No is, isn't she? At first I thought "Aah, can I really say these lines?" but well, to happen upon a role like this, I decided to challenge, or rather, to become the scary I-No as much as I could... and with those feelings, I tried my best. The next part will be even more exciting, so please look forward to it, everyone. Thank you very much.