……It looks like you're here to see "Solomon" as well.
I'll be your guide. Follow me.
I wonder how much you've heard about that shadow.
If you ask me, I don't like him.
And the biggest reason is…… because I can’t smell anything from him.
I figure out an opponent's nature through their scent.
But as for him, he has no scent at all.
That's why…… in my case, it feels like he is a "ghost without substance,"
even when I can clearly see him standing in front of me.
……But then, my opinion doesn’t matter.
Let's put my personal opinion aside for now. I'll tell you what I know about Solomon.
Several Closers came in contact with him,
and they say Solomon showed them a mysterious vision.
According to the researchers, they speculate that
the Closers saw "an actual event from the past."
In other words, Solomon shows visions to people,
but not of events that never occurred or may happen in the future,
but of events that actually occurred in the past.
Do you know what that means?
It means that even if that shadow wasn't present at the time and place when the event occurred,
he knows what exactly happened in the past and has enough detail to form a vision.
But of course, it's only a theory for now,
but if that's what he's truly capable of, then it's certainly amazing.
Because it means that through Solomon, we can uncover mysteries of the past
that UNION couldn't figure out until now
But the problem is, Solomon cannot be controlled.
He won't answer you right away when you ask him a question.
Even if he knows everything, it would be meaningless if he doesn't provide the answer.
So, it seems like UNION is struggling to find a way to control Solomon.
……To be honest, I've come in contact with Solomon once,
because the researchers wanted to find out what would happen when Solomon and a "dimensional monster" come in contact.
I was reluctant to do it, but I'm currently under the protection of humans……
I've decided to cooperate since I thought I should at least do that much.
I've confronted Solomon in a secret room.
I've sniffed, but like I've already said, I couldn't smell anything from him.
Just when I was thinking that he's eerie,
his hand touched my head even before I realized that he moved.
And soon afterward, he showed me a vision.
He showed me…… the time when my brethren and I were just born.
Since we didn't have much intelligence at that time,
we innocently ran around and played in the lab, like actual puppies.
And there was someone who was watching us nearby.
It was…… my creator, Ash.
He murmured something while watching us.
……That's right. I was always curious to know what he said.
I do remember that he said something at that time,
but since I was too young, I couldn't understand what he was saying.
But because of the illusion that Solomon showed me, I finally found out
what Ash murmured to me and my brethren back then……
"Only one of you will survive in the end."
"I know this experiment is necessary, but it makes me feel guilty."
"Forgive me."
……That's the vision that I saw.
Ash is the one who mercilessly killed my brethren, and yet he asked for forgiveness.
I just can't believe it. I… don't want to believe it.
It can't possibly be true, and even if it is… I'm not going to forgive him.
……You'd better be careful as well.
That scentless "Solomon"
can also reveal things that you didn't want to know.
Solomon Contact Record No. XX,
Subject: Wolf Dogs / Nata
(The subject who met Solomon refused to do an interview, so the researchers had a quarrel with him for 30 minutes. We were finally able to have an interview because the other members of Wolf Dogs barely managed to calm him down. The data of the argument that took 30 minutes long was also recorded, but it won't be disclosed. Those who want to check the data must consult with Agent Simon Park.)
………Tsk. Why in the world do I have to go through this crap?
All right, then. I just have to tell you what that darn shadow showed me, right?
I'll just say this once, so you'd better listen up!
………That shadow was such a bastard.
Even if I cut him down with my knife, the blade just went through his body.
He wasn't intimidated at all, even when I was trying to stab him.
It didn't feel any response to cut him.
What's that? You want to know why I used my knife to attack that shadow?
Well, that's obvious! It's because he tried to grab my shoulder without warning!
Tsk. But since my attacks didn't work on him, I couldn't do anything.
In the end, he grabbed one of my shoulders.
It was really irritating since I almost couldn't feel anything even when his hand touched me.
Something happened shortly after that darn thing grabbed my shoulder.
The scenery around me wavered as if it was melting,
and I started seeing weird stuff.
It seemed like…… it was a battlefield.
On the streets in ruin, the dimensional monsters were running rampant
and Closers were fighting against them.
There was someone that caught my eye.
He was fighting with two knives.
But then, he didn't use kukris like me. He had knives with longer blades.
……As I kept watching him fight,
I started feeling annoyed.
Why, you ask? Well, that's obvious!
The way he used those knives in battles, was similar to mine!
And that's not all.
Our styles were similar, but his spirit was totally different from mine!
I couldn't find any desperation from his movements!
I couldn't find any anxiety from his footsteps!
I couldn't find any anger from his expression!
I could only feel… calmness!
He's acting all serene, and yet he has a similar fighting style to mine!
And yet he's… Darn it!
And yet, he was so strong!
It's obvious that I was annoyed to see that! Huh?!
So, I flung myself at him to slice him up!
But…… As my blades were about to pierce his body……
He was gone.
All that was left in that place…… was that darn shadow.
……I left the room and grabbed a researcher in white coat by his throat.
I described how the man I saw looked like and demanded the researcher to find out who he is.
Somehow, he managed to find out who that guy is right away.
……But I found out that guy had died in the war.
That idiot! I can't believe he was killed even when he was so strong!
I wanted to fight him myself… and kill him with my own hands!
Darn that shadow bastard! Why in the world did he show me that man?!
What does he expect me to do, after showing a man that I won't be able to cut up?!
(……We've confirmed that the Closer that Officer Nata mentioned about died heroically on the battlefield during the war, and his body was donated to a researcher in UNION for study as he had wished when he was alive. We've also confirmed that the last recipient of the body was Doctor Herbert West Hoffman. Under the policy of the current project, we are prohibited to inform Officer Nata about it until we're able to clarify the identity of Solomon.)
Solomon Contact Record No. XX,
Subject: Wolf Dogs / Levia
……Ah, okay. So I just have to start talking right away, right?
Then… Hello?
I'm Levia. I'm a member of Wolf Dogs.
So now, I'm going to… tell you about what happened when I met Solomon.
I just have to tell everything that I've experienced right…?
Okay. I'm a bit nervous…… but I'll muster up enough courage to share with you what happened.
With the guidance of a UNION researcher,
I went into the room where Solomon was at.
He was standing in the middle of the room.
I was told that he looks like a shadow.
But somehow, it felt like I could see the expression on his face.
It felt like he was silently smiling…
B-But of course, I'm sure I was just imagining things.
Anyway, he held out his hand to me.
So, I reached out my hand to his.
It felt strange.
It felt as if I could feel faint warmth from him.
And something happened after that.
The warmth… suddenly changed into heat.
The next thing I knew, I wasn't in the room anymore, but somewhere else.
There was a red pillar of fire that rose up underneath the dark night sky.
The streets were on fire, and the people were screaming.
And in the middle of all that tragedy… There was a gigantic figure.
It was…… "Hecatoncheir."
………That's right. You can say that he's my "father."
I've seen his remains in New Seoul before……
but it was my first time seeing him alive and well.
And it was… such a horrible sight.
Red mist flowed out of his gigantic body even when he was just standing still.
Whoever came close to that mist was burned up.
What's worse is that he didn't just stand still.
He remorselessly…… trampled on the world that humans are living in.
……He violently grabbed people and crushed them.
……His loud roar stirred up horror within people.
……His merciless steps trampled on the lands of humans.
He certainly was… the beast of destruction.
I screamed,
and the illusion disappeared afterward.
Solomon quietly patted me on the head.
……I think I understand.
It was something I truly didn't wish to see,
but something I needed to see.
I had to witness from where I've originated from,
and what I'd turn into if I ever should fail.
It was…… something I definitely had to see.
That's what Solomon showed me.
I don't think that he is a shadow that doesn't have any expression.
Because when he gently patted me on the head,
it seemed like he was smiling.
But… there's a chance that I'm just imagining it,
even so, I smiled at him too.
And I've told him,
"I know. I won't give in."
Solomon Contact Record No. XX,
Subject: Wolf Dogs / Harpy
……I'm Harpy, a member of Wolf Dogs.
I used to live a life full of adventure in the past,
but I'm sort of like a Closer right now.
Ha ha. It's nice to meet you.
So, I just have to tell you about my encounter with that silent man named Solomon, right?
If I put it shortly……
It wasn't much of a special date.
I'm not sure how it went for others.
When I went into the room he was staying at,
he was silently standing still.
I've looked around, but I couldn't find any furniture or objects.
……Oh, my? Why are you looking at me like that?
I wasn't looking for objects to steal, so please don't get any wrong ideas.
It's just a habit of mine.
I look around places to find objects, places to hide, and escape routes…
Let's get back to our subject.
He was standing still,
but he eventually stretched out his hand to me.
I tried to dodge his hand while teasing him by saying it's too early for us to show physical affection.
But I couldn't dodge his hand.
He was really agile…
His right hand eventually touched my face.
At that moment…… I recalled an old face.
……I saw myself in my younger days.
It was when I was in the Academy…
I was in class, dressed in my uniform
and was listening to the teacher while looking bored to death.
It looked like I was having a really hard time.
………Ha ha. That's right.
There are times… when a thought enters my mind.
If I stayed at the Academy,
and lived an ordinary life, I might have lived a different life.
But then,
now that I saw how bored I was back then……
Ha ha. I guess I was destined to live like this.
That's right. It's not like that child had other choices.
She was destined to run outside.
She would never be happy even if she stayed there, looking so bored.
The moment I had that thought when I saw my old self,
It only lasted for a short moment, but the scenery changed, and I saw something else.
……I saw a dimensional monster.
It was a dimensional monster who proposed to me.
His face flashed before my eyes for a moment, and that's how the vision ended.
Ha ha…… That's right.
If I didn't leave the Academy,
I would never have met him.
So…… I'm fine.
I've been through many hardships,
but I've also met good people……
So someday, I'm sure I'll be able to say
that life is wonderful……
I'm sure I'll be able to say that from the heart one day.
Solomon Contact Record No. XX,
Subject: Wolf Dogs / Tina
I'm Tina of Wolf Dogs.
I'm now going to leave a voice record regarding my encounter with Solomon.
If I were to put it shortly, let’s just say, I was not satisfied.
During the briefing,
I was told that Solomon provides answers to questions that a person he touches has,
even if it may be abstract.
So, I was hoping that I'd be able to find the answer
to the question that I had in mind for a long time.
I went to see Solomon right away.
Solomon was in a 1,080-square-foot room,
where there was no furniture or objects in sight.
When Solomon noticed my presence, he approached me.
Before his hand reached me,
I frankly told him,
"I only have one question in mind."
"Trainer mentioned about ‘a certain truth that's directly related to humanity's fate.'"
"That's what I'd like to know about."
Even before I finished my question, Solomon's hand touched my head.
At that moment, I could feel what he was thinking.
I could feel him say,
"It is a taboo that we're not authorized to read."
I was truly disappointed by his response.
But at the same time, I understood why.
I was about to turn around so that I can leave the room.
But Solomon's hand was still placed on my head.
And he said,
"I'll show you the answer to the other question you have in mind instead."
I couldn't understand what he was saying.
Because I didn't have any other questions.
But then, the scenery soon changed.
It felt as if the reality itself was being covered with textures from other reality.
Soon afterward, I saw a man.
It was Trainer, back when there was an on-going war.
The instructor's memory is kept inside me,
therefore, I knew how Trainer looked like in those days.
I was certain that it was him in his younger days.
But I've never seen him make such a look.
I've soon understood
why Trainer had that look on his face,
and why that face wasn't left in the instructor's memory.
It's because it was the moment when he heard the news of the instructor's death.
……Is that something that I was curious about?
……Or is it something that the instructor's "soul" that's left inside me is curious about?
I don't know the answer.
But there's something that I realized.
I never want to see him wearing that look on his face again.
So, I'm never going to die before Trainer does.
There are many things that I admire about the instructor,
but there's one thing that I won't follow.
I'll never let him have that look on his face……
That is all. I'll now return to my position.
Solomon Contact Record No. XX,
Subject: Wolf Dogs / Violet
…Looks like I can start talking now.
Hello, everyone. I'm Violet, a member of Wolf Dogs.
I'd like to give encouragement to everyone who is carrying out the research for the sake of mankind.
I look forward to your cooperation with Wolf Dogs.
……Hmm? Why do you look so surprised?
……You're surprised to see how relaxed I am?
Ha ha, I'm used to having interviews like this.
When Vulture Corps. was testing out prototypes of equipment in the past,
I've provided several feedbacks through interviews like this.
It would be great if the other members of Wolf Dogs get to give their own feedback like this more often.
Everyone is unique and I respect their individual characteristics,
but it's also important that they get used to interactions with others like this.
Am I their guardian……? No, of course not.
Trainer is the guardian of Wolf Dogs.
As for me, you can say that I'm their manager. Ha ha.
Let's go back to the subject.
Let me share what I've experienced when I've encountered a mysterious being called Solomon.
Hyde insisted that he’d follow me inside, but I managed to shake him off,
and entered the room where Solomon was.
Solomon was just standing there quietly.
From what I've heard, Solomon arbitrarily interprets the question anyone who comes in contact with him subconsciously has in mind
and answers the questions by showing visions of the events that happened in the past.
I also got curious. I wondered what question I subconsciously had in mind……
I approached Solomon first. And I reached out my hands.
He then held my hand.
……It certainly felt strange.
The reality crumbled before my very eyes and an illusion appeared.
Before long, I saw myself in my younger days,
and…… my biological father.
My father and I were in his CEO office.
He was showing me several photos.
They were… the photos of the battlefields that were taken during Dimensional War.
……He told me that if I want to inherit his business,
I would also have to know the dark side of it.
I used to have a vague understanding of what wars are like, but that was the day when I first understood what they were truly like.
The photos were full of desolation, destruction, and sufferings……
My younger self cried for quite a long time.
My father also looked sad.
Soon afterward, he asked me something.
He asked me if I'd like to take a different path that has nothing to do with those horrible sights.
But my younger self shook her head in tears.
And she said that
she’d like to prevent such horrible incidents from occurring again, so she’d inherited her father's business in order to make sure that her wish comes true.
And when everything is over…
She'd own a small flower shop……
to fill that horrible scenery…… full of flowers.
And that's when the illusion ended.
……I've forgotten about it for a long time.
And Solomon helped me to remember it.
I was finally able to remember……
a little personal wish of mine. Ha ha.
However… Now is not the time. There are still things that need to be done.
So, I'll just cherish my personal wish for now,
until the day when everyone in Wolf Dogs
obtain true freedom.
