I’ve been extremely busy / tired from work and other stuff going on recently that I haven’t been able to keep up with this site all that much. I’ve got a lot of projects sitting on the back burner that I don’t see myself getting to any time soon. *sigh*

That being said, I’ve also been riding on a wave of hype over the news of .hack//G.U. Last Recode. I was a huge .hack fan back in the day and it was one of the first series that I played entirely in Japanese after I moved to Japan in 2005. G.U. especially holds a soft-spot in my heart for various reasons that I won’t get into here, but… just know that I’ve been hoping that something *good* would become of the series eventually, especially after the atrocity that was Link and Quantum. *sigh*

Anyway, a couple days ago, CC2 shared a little sample of the Drama CD “Innocent Call” that will be bundled with the special edition of the game. I meant to translate it the day it was uploaded on their site, but, alas… work / life happened and I forgot about it.

At any rate, I finally got it done tonight… So, here it is!

Note:  I use the original Japanese name for Zelkova, which is Keyaki…

■ .hack//G.U. Last Recode Drama CD “Innocent Call”
The Sealing of the Terror of Death, and A Plea Over Coffee

Keyaki: Haseo-san, I shall seal Skeith. Your Avatar should not be allowed to exist in this world. After absorbing all the other Epitaphs, Skeith has become far too powerful. It could very well bring forth the Anti-Existence…

Keyaki: I’ve been waiting for you, Haseo-san. Have you come to a decision?

Haseo: Yes. I was confused when you told me last night, but… My character, Haseo… has obtained a power so great that it can warp the very fabric of The World… In time, I’ve come to realize that. But… *guh*

Keyaki: It’s all right, Haseo-san.

Haseo: Eh?

Keyaki: The power bestowed upon you in this world is not simply the power of the Epitaph. In fact, it ought to be a sort of “key” to help you achieve your final purpose. Or at least… that’s what I believe.

Haseo: My final… purpose?

Keyaki: In any case, would you lie flat upon the table. And just like the time with your Xth form… please try to relax.

Haseo: My final… purpose. That’s right, there’s still something I must do. Purpose… That hasn’t ever changed, even from the very beginning. In order to achieve that goal, I continued to search out more power. To never lose to anyone. To become stronger than anyone else… And yet… I couldn’t have ever fathomed it. By achieving that very power, I’d have to give it up…

Keyaki: Haseo-san, the procedure is complete. You are no longer an Epitaph User. Your character, Haseo, has been returned to a regular player character.

———————————————————————————————

Waitress: Sorry for the wait. Here’s your two coffees.

Reiko Saeki (Pi): This is a rare occasion, contacting me in the real world like this.

Ryo Misaki (Haseo): I’m sorry to ask you to meet me.

Reiko: So, what did you want to talk about?

Ryo: About that… I, uh…

Reiko: *sigh* Haseo no longer has the power of the Epitaph, isn’t that right?

Ryo: How did you…?

Reiko: From Keyaki. He received a message from the Serpent of Lore regarding the necessity of sealing Haseo’s Epitaph. It was before I quit CC Corp, but… Ovan possessed a massive amount of energy within his left arm, and with just his own PC data, he laid waste upon an entire area. Even still, Haseo’s Xth form possessed far greater data– an enormous amount that should not have been possible with a single PC. I think Keyaki’s judgement was correct. There was a high probability that if you continued to use Haseo like that, the results would hardly be favorable, for both the world… or yourself.

Ryo: Saeki-san. I heard from Kuhn… er, Kasumi-san, that you started to work for NAB, the Network Analysis Bureau. NAB is an organization that oversees large-scale networks like The World, right?

Reiko: Hm?

Ryo: I want to work for them.

Reiko: What are you saying?

Ryo: No… Please, let me work for you. Please!

Reiko: Masaki-kun…