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Beasts of Slaughter

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Beasts of Slaughter
Written by Yoko Taro
Found in NieR Music Concert
Translated by /u/ilfans
Date of copy October 2, 2017
Source Full translation
Translated from Original Script Book
Discussion [Reddit post]
A story about A2, and her encounters with 2B and 9S taking place before the events of the game.

Original Video with Subtitles

Scene 1: Pearl Harbor Descent

A2 (narration): Everything that lives is designed to end.

A2 (narration): I am perpetually trapped ...

A2 (narration): ... in a never-ending spiral of life and death.

A2 (narration): Is this a curse?

A2 (narration): Or some kind of punishment?

A2 (narration): I often think about the god who blessed me with this cryptic puzzle ...

A2 (narration): ... and wonder if I'll ever have the chance to kill him.

2B (narration): She is A2. Attacker No. 2.

2B (narration): A test model for YoRHa.

A2: The first time I was deployed to the front lines was in the year 11941, on December 8th.

A2: During the 14th Machine War, in the Pearl Harbor Descent Mission.

A2: Decisive weapons created for the sole purpose of recapturing Earth from the machines.

A2: That was us ... That was "YoRHa".

2B (narration): The target of destruction was a server created by the machine lifeforms on the island of Oahu. 

2B (narration): The server was the backbone of the network encompassing the entire Pacific Ocean.

2B (narration): And the plan, if it succeeded, would greatly influence the battle.

A2: However, due to an unexpected attack from the machines, our team suffered great losses.

A2: We joined with the area's resistance members, but one ... by one ...

A2: By the time I'd reached the server room, most of my companions had been killed.

2B (narration): And within that server room, A2 came to know the truth behind their mission.

2B (narration): Every one of their battles ... had been predetermined by the Commander.

2B (narration): Their true purpose was the collection of experimental data in order to create a more finished product.

2B (narration): Within the experimental bodies of A2 and her comrades ... bombs had been placed.

(A2, in despair.)

A2: Our bodies ... contain bombs ...

A2: That'll explode ... when we stop showing signs of life ...?

A2: N-No ...

A2: This can't ...!

2B (narration): Every battle had been planned.

2B (narration): Every death had been planned.

2B (narration): And as A2 fell into despair, her friend called out to her.

2B (narration): "Number 2 ... I'll destroy this place, so ..."

2B (narration): "Please ... live on."

(A2 screams out desperately while crying.)

A2: No! Number 4!

2B (narration): It was the final attack ... a suicide attack.

2B (narration): The server room was then enveloped in a bright flash.

A2: Number 4!!

(A2 hides her face.)

2B (narration): ... The enemy server was destroyed.

2B (narration): All enemies within a 250km radius went completely silent.

2B (narration): Their influence over the entire Pacific Ocean had been rewritten.

2B (narration): And ...

(A2 slowly raises her head.)

A2: I ... survived.

A2: I lost the goal I'd been fighting for, as well as betrayed the Commander I was supposed to believe in.

A2: And yet ... my life still remained.

A2: My comrades who lost their lives ... The YoRHa members who'd been shot down ... The resistance members ... Everyone ...

A2: Number 21, Number 16 ... Number 4 ...

A2: I ... I'll ...!

2B (narration): The black box belonging to the YoRHa member known as Number 2 was still online. 

2B (narration): She was acknowledged as the holder of information for the most important, confidential YoRHa plan.

2B (narration): In order to prevent this information from leaking ... YoRHa test unit, Attacker No.2, was to be destroyed.

2B (narration): That was all.

Scene 2: Executioner

9S (narration): Attacker No. 2. A2.

9S (narration): She actually had an obedient, kind personality.

9S (narration): She hated fighting more than anything else. She thought of her friends above anyone else.

9S (narration): Her type of thinking didn't fit a soldier at all.

A2: ... However, during my first descent mission, I lost most of my comrades.

A2: The Commander had planned those battles all along.

A2: While praying to those who died ...

A2: I lost who I was.

9S (narration): For a deserter like A2, there was no where she could return to.

9S (narration): But she couldn't just throw away the life they'd given her.

A2: I destroy more machine lifeforms each day.

A2: I don't believe a day will ever come where we reach a victory over them.

A2: But ... I can never forgive them for what they did to my comrades.

A2: So I'll continue to fight ... for myself.

9S (narration): She fought, she broke, she repaired herself ... and then she repeated it.

9S (narration): That pain ... and that pain alone ... was proof that she was alive.

9S (narration): But, one day.

9S (narration): She came face to face with an enemy she'd never imagined she would see.

(2B speaks with a cold voice.)

2B: YoRHa test model, Attacker No.2. A2 ... right?

(A2 looks astonished.)

A2: You're ...

9S (narration): The opponent A2 had been met with was a new, state-of-the-art YoRHa model.

9S (narration): And her face ... was exactly the same as A2's.

(A2 speaks, overcome with surprise.)

A2: The same face ... as me ... A No.2 model ...

A2: They can't be ... Are they mass producing new YoRHa units based on my battle data ...?

2B: A2, I have orders from the Council of Humanity for your termination based on the leakage of confidential information and the failure to manage said information.

A2: Orders ... for my termination?

2B: My name is ... 2E. No.2 Type E. I was dispatched from the Bunker to carry out your termination.

2B: Kindly cease function and hand over control of your body immediately. Otherwise, I'll be forced to destroy you.

A2: Hah .... Hahahahahaha ...

(A2 begins laughing, with anger in her voice.)

A2: You were dispatched from the Bunker, were you?

A2: To terminate me? You said you were an Execution model?

A2: So they created a YoRHa unit with the same face as me, and then sent her to kill me ... 

A2: ... just so they could cover up their sins?

A2: Hah ... Hahahahaha!

2B: A2. I don't have the time to listen to your ...

A2: Shut up!

(A2 suddenly becomes enraged.)

A2: If you people really are going to try to kill me ...

A2: If you're truly going to hide the truth ...

A2: Then so be it. I won't show any mercy either.

A2: Machine lifeforms, the Bunker, the Commander, even the humans on the moon ... I'll kill them all.

9S (narration): In her hand, she gripped a sword which was meant to kill machine lifeforms.

9S (narration): In her eyes, the light of her old self was gone.

9S (narration): Suffering from her loneliness, focused only on revenge ...

9S (narration): She gazed quietly at her new "enemy".

Scene 3: Pursuer

2B (narration): Fearing a leak of confidential YoRHa information, an order was issued to terminate A2.

2B (narration): However, she was able to shake off pursuers, and survive countless battles with machines.

2B (narration): To her, everything had become an enemy, and she truly had no where she could run.

A2: Dammit! Sit still, would you!

9S: Hahah! Just throwing out random attacks like that isn't gonna work, you know.

A2: Then fight me head-on like a man!

9S: Well what do you expect? I'm a Scanner! Combat was never meant to be my forte!

A2: Geez, you talk way too much!

9S: And if you keep getting distracted like that, you're gonna show your weak point!

A2: Quit screwing around, dammit — auugh!

2B (narration): 9S managed to hack into A2.

2B (narration): He broke through her logic barriers, and ended up in her personal data.

2B (narration): All around her was nothing but white walls, closing her in.

A2: Th-This is ...?!

9S: Hacking space. I've sealed your personal data inside your head.

9S: Okay then. Let's see here ... YoRHa test model A2. Attacker No.2 ...

9S: Due to the possibility of confidential information being leaked, the Council of Humanity has ordered your termination.

A2: Heh. So you're one of the Commander's little dogs, huh.

9S: Man, you don't pull any punches.

9S: But it doesn't matter how much you shout in here, you're not gonna run away from me.

2B (narration): A black fog began to wind around A2.

2B (narration): It was a trap designed to restrict her personal data.

9S: That barrier's an installation type, but it faces inward.

9S: So no matter how much you thrash about, you're not getting out.

A2: Dammit ...!

9S: Don't you think you say that a little too much?

A2: What the hell did the Commander tell you ...?

9S: I just told you, didn't I? You deserted, so there's an order for your termination.

9S: But playing rough's not really my thing, so I'm thinking I'll send you back like this.

A2: That's all, huh ...

9S: Hm?

A2: You couldn't get more information than just that? You Scanner models are always curious, after all.

(9S's voice becomes cold.)

9S: Are you ... taunting me?

9S: I prepared that barrier so I could detain you, but ...

9S: I think I've changed my mind.

9S: I'll be destroying your personal data here, like I was ordered.

(9S holds his hand out.)

9S: I'm going to make you regret talking to me like that.

2B (narration): 9S issued a command for A2's erasure.

2B (narration): However, the black fog surrounding A2 wouldn't react beyond a certain point.

2B (narration): On the contrary, something began to happen to 9S's body instead.

2B (narration): He suddenly realized multiple black snake-like bits of data wrapping themselves around him.

9S: N-No way ... It can't be ...!

9S: A counterattack-type logic barrier?!

9S: H-How did you ...?!

(A2 speaks, as she recovers from her damage.)

A2: To put it simply ...

A2: I got it from you.

9S: From ... me?!

2B (narration): Those bits of data wrapped further around 9S, slowly eliminating any possible chances of escape.

A2: YoRHa No.9 Type S ...

A2: This is the fourth time I've met that model.

A2: You were rather difficult to fight in the beginning.

A2: But ... after fighting you so many times, I became increasingly aware of a Scanner's habits.

A2: The others before you were the same ... They fought with various patterns, but ...

A2: You always end up trying to detain me with that damn hacking.

A2: It was a pretty close call the first time, but after the second time, I learned to block it with a barrier.

A2: This program was made just for you. A form of insurance.

(9S speaks up as he suffers.)

9S: No ... No! Dammit, I have to ... release the barrier ...

(A2 responds coldly.)

A2: It's no use. That barrier was made in order to collapse your own personal data.

A2: You're not getting out of that no matter what you do. That's how you made it to be, isn't it?

(9S, still suffering, collapses.)

9S: G-Guaaaah ...!! Damn ... Dammit!!!

9S: A2!!!!

(Once his screams die out, A2 begins speaking quietly.)

A2: This is the fourth time ... I've heard you scream like that.

A2: You should pray that we don't meet again.

Scene 4: Reunited

9S (narration): We were wandering around a place known as the "Forest Kingdom".

9S (narration): Looking for the leader of the area's weirdly aggressive machine lifeforms, the "Forest King".

9S (narration): And we finally found it within a broken down castle. It was ...

9S (narration): It was almost like a baby, in appearance.

2B (narration): We were caught off guard. 

2B (narration): It couldn't even walk on its own, much less carry a weapon.

2B (narration): This thing ... was the Forest King?

2B (narration): And as if sensing our hesitation, she came ...

A2 (narration): I was only there by chance.

A2 (narration): I had been disposing of machine lifeforms in the area, and their leader only happened to be there.

A2 (narration): The machine looked so small and weak.

A2 (narration): But I didn't hesitate to run it through with my sword.

A2 (narration): Its cries of death rang from its core to my sword.

A2 (narration): This is the enemy. This is the enemy. This is ... the enemy.

A2 (narration): I repeated that over and over to myself.

2B (narration): The android that had just dropped down before us ... had the same face as me.

2B (narration): YoRHa model No.2.

2B (narration): Her eyes gazed in my direction.

2B (narration): With a look of utter resignation.

9S: 2B! That's ... an android!

9S: A YoRHa-type android!

A2 (narration): I knew exactly who they were.

A2 (narration): Because I'd already killed them countless times.

A2 (narration): And just like always, I knew the order would once again be given to terminate me.

2B (narration): I had no memories of ever encountering her before.

2B (narration): But for some reason ... I could feel a deep discomfort rise up from within me.

9S (narration): Although she was a deserter, we were ordered to kill one of our own ... A YoRHa android.

9S (narration): Doubts began to sprout in my heart.

9S (narration): Was the YoRHa unit standing before us really our "enemy"?

A2 (narration): No.9 Type S ... No. 2 Type B. The YoRHa units I should've already killed so many times before.

A2 (narration): When I met them that time ... they were completely different from how they'd been in the past.

A2 (narration): I don't know why, but ...

A2 (narration): It seemed like they saw each other as old friends.

A2 (narration): ...

A2 (narration): It could've been some kind of premonition.

A2 (narration): That this was the end ... or maybe even the beginning of something.

A2 (narration): Number 21, Number 16 ... Number 4.

A2 (narration): If I die ... I'll be joining all of you.

(A2 looks forward.)

A2 (narration): So just ... wait for me, okay?

2B (narration): We YoRHa are weapons created to fight.

9S (narration): We YoRHa are a madness created to kill.

A2 (narration): This world is full of curses.

A2 (narration): And we are all links in a chain of killing one another.

2B (narration): Even so, we have to keep fighting.

9S (narration): That's why, we have to keep killing.

A2 (narration): Even if our fates are wrong, we can't stop.

All three (narration): Because that is the meaning of our existence.