Buried Secrets

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Buried Secrets was a virtual representation of one of Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke's genetic memories, relived through the Animus EGO.

Description

With Yasuke out of commission, Naoe and Rufino tracked down the Black Crosses to a cave entrance in Wakasa.

Dialogue

Naoe and Rufino arrived at the Wakasa Cave and found the gylph door already unlocked.

• Rufino: The door is open, they must already be inside.
• Naoe: So they found all the glyphs...
• Rufino: We'll need to sneak up on them.
• Naoe: Follow my lead.

Naoe and Rufino quietly entered the cave and soon found the Templars exploring the chamber inside.

• Eamon: The glyphs on these walls...
• Nirmala: The Observatory?
• Eamon: Unclear.

Eamon took a look at the statue of a woman atop the steps.

• Eamon: Kassandra. Of course...

Nirmala took a look at the surrounding weapons and items of foreign origin, including a shield which she kicked away.

• Nirmala: Worthless trash!
• Eamon: I've seen this before... This is one of her clever tricks.
• Nirmala: What trick?
• Eamon: I've told you about Marrakesh, didn't I?

Naoe silently whispered to Rufino, unaware of where or what Marrakesh is.

• Naoe: [silently] Marrakesh?
• Nirmala: Remind me.
• Eamon: There was a vault, not unlike this one. She found it first, of course, and filled it with items from every corner of the world. She even left a battle axe imbued with their powers.
• Nirmala: Of all people, why would she leave Pieces of Eden behind?
• Eamon: Because they're hollowed-out husks, all but stripped of their original powers. You see, she leaves behind just enough so-called 'treasures' to sate the appetite of greedy fools. When in fact...
• Eamon: (grunts)

Eamon used his strength to push the statue off the steps, destroying it and revealing a hidden pedestal below. The Templar placed the keystone into the pedestal which activates and reveal an entrance below.

• Eamon: - the real treasure is hidden safely below.

Nirmala joined her mentor at the newly revealed entrance.

• Nirmala: You hadn't told me about Marrakesh; I would have remembered...
• Eamon: Don't forget it, Nirmala.

The two Black Crosses climbed down the entrance with Nirmala making sure no one was watching before going down as well. With the Templars gone, Naoe and Rufino came out of hiding and approached the steps.

• Naoe: A hidden entrance...
• Rufino: Wait. You saw what they did to Yasuke.
• Naoe: I also remember what they did to your friend Ermigo. People like them never stop unless someone steps in. Today, it's you and me, friend.

Naoe ignored Rufino's pleas and went ahead.

• Rufino: Naoe. Naoe?! (groans)

The two entered the hidden entrance and found themselves in an underground chamber, featuring more structures with the mysterious gylphs and glows.

• Naoe: This "Observatory"—what do you think it is?
• Rufino: I don't know, but putting an observatory underground is strange, if you ask me.
• Naoe: Perhaps it's a code name for something else?
• Rufino: Hm, I don't think so... Templars are usually quite literal.

The two reached a path that is seemingly blocked by a light construct.

• Rufino: This is easy! You shinobis have such an easy job.
• Naoe: Sitting at the Hideout is much more dangerous.
• Rufino: Yes, well... Tomiko lives there.
• Naoe: Good point.

The two stepped on the adjacent floor pedestals which deactivated the barrier, allowing them to move forward.

• Rufino: This place is...
• Naoe: Almost magical?

They found more light constructs that also served as a walkway. Across the the gap, they found another barrier.

• Naoe: We have to get up there—can you manage that?
• Rufino: What? All the way up there!?
• Naoe: If the old Black Cross could do it, so can you!
• Rufino: Well... Ladies first.

Rufino found what seemed to be a inactivated bridge.

• Rufino: Naoe? Could you activate this... bridge?

Naoe went back the walkway and freeran the light constructs on the left. She reached a platform and stepped on the floor pedestal, activating a light construct that allowed Rufino to cross.

• Naoe: There must be another one close by.

Once her ally had crossed, Naoe climbed onto a nearby ledge.

• Naoe: Come on, where is it...

Naoe climbed further up and found the pedestal, which deactivated the barrier and allowed Rufino to proceed.

• Rufino: You need to stand on that, uh... glowy... thing.

Naoe joined Rufino and stepped on the adjacent pedestals which brings down the last barrier. The two headed onwards and heard the two Templars, implying they are close by.

• Eamon: Hold this position.
• Nirmala: Eamon...
• Eamon: What?
• Nirmala: When was the last time you ate something?
• Eamon: Just... Stand guard here...

As the two reached upper ground, they were spotted by Nirmala, who began attacking by firing arrows. The two make use of the cave formations for cover.

• Nirmala: I see you, Assassin!
• Naoe: (frustrated) [grunts]
• Rufino: Go ahead, I'll cover you.
• Naoe: Got it.
• Rufino: Still, be careful out there. Else I am terrified of what Yasuke will do to me.

Rufino took out his teppo and started drawing the Templar's attention, allowing Naoe to proceed on.

• Nirmala: There you are.
• Naoe: You can't hold me off forever.
• Nirmala: Oh, I can't wait 'til you get here.

Nirmala made use of the precursor bow she found to rain light arrows down on Naoe. The shinobi dodged it and climbed up the ledges to get higher.

• Rufino: She's above you!
• Naoe: Stay here. She's mine!
• Rufino: Go! I'll provide cover fire!

Naoe reached a ledge where she had to switch sides while Nirmala continues to fire her arrows. Rufino helped to distract by firing his gun.

• Rufino: Get ready. Go!
  Hold on, I'm reloading!
  Get ready to move... Now!
• Nirmala: Stay still, would you?
• Naoe: Try again!
• Nirmala: [growls]

As she reached the higher ground, Nirmala fled inwards, causing Naoe to pursue her.

• Rufino: Naoe! Don't go in alone! Naoe!

As she went further in, she lost contact with Rufino.

• Naoe: Stand and fight, you coward!
• Nirmala: I killed your friend. What chance do you have?

Naoe soon reached a chamber filled with more structures and light constructs.

• Nirmala: How many more need to die before you learn?
• Naoe: Two more. Starting with you!
• Nirmala: [scoffs]

Naoe also dodged several pedestals that causes an explosion. She soon reached a parkour area and freeruns the ledges.

• Naoe: You should never have come here!
• Nirmala: You're starting to annoy me!

She soon reached an open area where Nirmala is waiting. As soon as she went down, the Templar drew her sword and naginata and attacked her.

• Nirmala: Just you and me, Assassin!
• Naoe: I'll make this quick.

Nirmala made use of the traps she set up to attack Naoe.

• Nirmala: Take that!
• Naoe: [scoffs] ...that all you got?

Naoe landed a few hits on the Templar.

• Nirmala: [grunts]
• Naoe: That was for Yasuke.

As Nirmala begin to struggle, she calls for help from Eamon.

• Nirmala: Eamon! I could use your help here!
• Naoe: He can't help you...

Naoe threw her kunai which dropped Nirmala's guard and allowing her to launch a dropkick and push her back. Her mentor Eamon soon joined her.

• Nirmala: Eamon? Have you found the Observatory?
• Eamon: It's not here.
• Nirmala: It has to be! The signs—
• Eamon: It no longer matters! It seems our purpose here is to clean up a mess after all.

Eamon drew his sword and fights Naoe alongside Nirmala.

• Naoe: What were you looking for?
• Nirmala: Nothing a dead woman will care about.

Naoe managed to hold her ground against the two.

• Nirmala: Eamon—
• Eamon: Focus!

Naoe tried to let out a yell to boost her morale.

• Naoe: [yells]
• Eamon: Don't relent, Nirmala.
• Nirmala: She's almost done.
• Eamon: Fight!
• Nirmala: She's spent—we got her!

Despite her efforts, Naoe was overwhelmed by their attacks just as Yasuke did, causing her to fall to the ground. The two Templars circled around her.

• Eamon: I did warn you not to put yourself in my way. Farewell, dear girl.

Naoe took a deep breath and closed her eyes, ready to accept her final fate as Eamon prepared to execute her. Just then, Yasuke came charging in and pushed Eamon a distance away.

• Nirmala: He—he survived!? Looks like I get the pleasure of killing you after all...

As Nirmala got behind Naoe to execute her, she was shot in the back with a pistol by Rufino.

• Yasuke: Not so fast, Templar.
• Nirmala: Don't worry, you're next.

With Nirmala distracted, Naoe whistled and stabbed her in the neck with her Hidden Blade

• Eamon: Nirmala!
• Naoe: Face it, Templar. You're simply outclassed.

Naoe took out her hidden blade, causing Nirmala to bleed out.

• Eamon: No!

Nirmala fell down to Eamon's arm, who tried to comfort her in her last moments.

• Eamon: I'm here, child...

Nirmala soon stopped breathing and passed from her wounds.

• Eamon: What have you done?!

Naoe got up on her feet with Yasuke's help, and took back her katana from him.

• Yasuke: Can you fight?
• Naoe: Can you?
• Yasuke: We can take him down together.

The now vengeful Eamon put on his helmet and picked up his sword, preparing to face both of them on his own.

• Eamon: By the Father of Understanding, I will drown you in your own blood!

The fight began between Naoe and Yasuke, and Eamon.

• Yasuke: Keep going, Naoe!
• Naoe: [effort]
• Yasuke: Together now!
• Eamon: [yells]
• Naoe: Almost there.
• Yasuke: Keep pushing!

Yasuke checked on his ally in between.

• Yasuke: Are you all right?
• Naoe: I'm fine! Don't stop!
• Eamon: [screams] No!

After a lengthy fight, Eamon was defeated and disarmed. He took out his helmet and returned to the body of his protege. He placed her hands onto her sword in a resting position and closed her eyes.

• Eamon: I am so sorry, my child... Twelve years I've sailed the world with Nirmala... She was as close to a daughter as I ever had... Now she lies, her potential... unrealized. Dead at the blade of a would-be Assassin who knows nothing of their creed, and a warrior who brushes off mortal wounds like... You are one of them, aren't you.
• Yasuke: This belongs to me. [effort]

Yasuke angrily took away the keystone from Eamon's chest. In that moment, a glass cube flew out to the ground, which Naoe picked up.

• Naoe: What's this?
• Eamon: Something she left behind.
• Yasuke: The woman from the statue.
• Naoe: Kassandra.
• Eamon: Spoke to you, did she? She does that. It is a consolation prize.
• Naoe: If this place isn't the Observatory, then what is it? What have you found back there?
• Eamon: [sighs] One of the pillars that holds up the world.
• Naoe: And you did not retrieve it?
• Eamon: Retrieve it!? Perhaps it was meant to be touched by your hands rather than mine.
• Yasuke: Good. One less bit of power for Templars to claim as their own.
• Eamon: We do not seek power for ourselves, but rather for humanity's sake. To ensure mankind's dominion over a world that was never ours to begin with!
• Naoe: This is why Templars are after the imperial regalia—because they thought they held ancient powers that would gain them control over Japan.
• Eamon: Nuno Caro was a fool. Had these objects been true Pieces of Eden, a Black Cross would have been tasked with their retrieval...
• Naoe: Templars, Black Cross—you fail all the same.
• Eamon: I pity you, Fujibayashi Naoe... You've stumbled into a war that's been waged since before recorded time. Fought across a world that's even bigger than you could imagine. And this buried place is just a glimpse of the horrible, beautiful secrets that lie just beneath the skin of the world... If you could only know what I know... you would... see...

Mortally wounded, Eamon died from his wounds.

• Rufino: What is that?

The three turned to look at an object floating above a pedestal. Curious, they approached it.

• Naoe: The pillar that holds up the world. It's... beautiful.

As Naoe reached out her hand, Yasuke stopped her.

• Yasuke: Do not touch it! I cannot explain, but something deep inside me says that there is danger here.
• Naoe: Kassandra wrote that such places were never meant for mortals. It's probably best not to touch what we do not understand.
• Yasuke: We need to leave this place.
• Naoe: Very well.

In agreement, the three left the chamber and the cave. Outside, Yasukane and Kinu were meddling with the items from the cave.

• Yasukane: He's dead. He's dead. I know it.
• Kinu: I thought he was invincible?
• Yasukane: He is! He's just... Did you see how big that sword was?

The two spotted Naoe, Yasuke and Rufino exiting the cave and quickly ran to them.

• Kinu: Miss Naoe! Miss Naoe! Miss... Hello.
• Yasukane: You are back, great samurai, sir—and completely alive, too!
• Yasuke: [laughs] Mostly alive. Thank you for helping me get here, my friends.

Yasuke took a good look at the keystone in his hand.

• Naoe: What are you thinking?

Yasuke used his strength to break it into half. The cave's entrance reacted to his actions and began closing. Yasuke threw the pieces inside before it fully closed.

• Yasukane: It'll be closed forever!
• Yasuke: Exactly. The Templars will never find it. No one will.
• Yasukane: Good thing we got most of the treasures out of there.

As the door closed, Naoe quickly realized she still had the glass cube in her possession.

• Naoe: Oh no—wait...

She took it out of her hand.

• Kinu: Oh that's pretty!
• Naoe: Maybe I should've left it in there.
• Yasuke: Hm...
• Naoe: You have an idea?
• Yasuke: What better way to keep it out of the Templars' hands than to pass it on to their mortal enemies?
• Naoe: You think we should contact the Brotherhood of Assassins. Maybe. Maybe one day we'll seek them out. Wherever they are.

Outcome

Yasuke, Naoe, and Rufino defeated the two Black Crosses, uncovered one of the pillars of the world, and sealed the cave, preventing the Templars from ever reaching it again.