PROJECT.Lovingly - Plot Overview

While Kailu is absent from the citadel in search of Ai, The Director approves an extensive initiative to exterminate Deus. By the end of the night, with the help of Reverie and Renaissance's 1st Ground Unit, there are no survivors to be seen. To make matters worse, Deus is framed for the civilian terrorism that was used to lure them out in an extensive media smear campaign. The end result of this situation is the presentation of Lily Requiem to the public in a 'Second Coming ceremony', with Renaissance claiming that Treah's strife was the catalyst for her return.

Once Kailu and Ai return, they are, to say the least, shocked to discover this. The sight of the massacre haunts them deeply. From then on, Kailu is forced to take on the role of leader of Deus, and with the help of Ai (as well as Merca, a weapons specialist who managed to survive the raid in hiding) begins to devise a plan called Operation Fullmoon, an assassination attempt against Lily Requiem during the aforementioned ceremony under the correct assumption that she is not the true goddess.

Despite their best efforts, this plan falls through when Ai fails to do her part - she is instead drawn to Lily Requiem, pushing through the crowd to reach her. This causes Kailu to panic and miss the decisive shot, sending the public into a riotous frenzy while the false goddess is escorted away.

Upon making contact with Lily Requiem, Ai recovers a surge of memories without context, and now feels that something is very wrong. As such, she decides to leave the citadel and Deus behind in order to discover the truth about her past. Kailu makes peace with this, and offers her a charm to remember him by. This draws the suspicion of The Director, who soon comes to the realization that Ai is likely to be one fractured half of the true Requiem. Though he keeps this information to himself, he sends Reverie to collect her - however, this is only a front for what he truly desires.

Putting two and two together, he surmises that Reverie is the other half, having appeared under the same circumstances. His ultimate goal involves instilling self-doubt in Reverie, taking advantage of her complex to put her in a position where she can be coerced into giving up her life to complete Requiem.

Reverie runs hot on Ai's trail through Esrivér, an abandoned oceanside town originally used for water irrigation and purification - however, she is always one step ahead of her. As a result, the Director harshly admonishes Reverie, withdrawing his approval and sending her into a bloodthirsty and self-destructive spiral.

After traveling through Esrivér, Ai reaches the Evensong Chapel, where she recovers her memories and learns that she and Reverie are Requiem. Reverie arrives shortly thereafter - however, she refuses to listen to Ai and instead attempts to kill her, viewing her as responsible for her 'father' disowning her. In a last ditch attempt to end the battle in her favor, she shoots a chandelier from the ceiling, trapping Ai as she drops an explosive. However, Ai narrowly manages to escape with her life and Reverie is left with no choice but to withdraw in order to survive.

As a result of both her failure to complete the mission in a timely manner as well as her attempts to take the target's life, Reverie is relieved of her duties as commander, falling into a deep depression and losing her will to live. In actuality, she was never intended to succeed in the first place. The Director deliberately distracted her with psychological games to lead her astray and waste her time, giving Ai the upper hand as he knew he could retrieve her regardless.

On the opposite end of the destroyed chapel, Ai discovers a destroyed Renaissance surveillance drone and accesses its internal logs, learning that the people of the Starlit Citadel have been migrated to a city called New Treah, where they can live safely with Lily Requiem. In reality, this city is an illusory projection of the Arproject, the penultimate step in gaining control of the populace. She backtracks through the abandoned citadel and finds herself in New Treah, where she attempts to put an end to The Director's machinations - however, she is utterly blindsided and captured by Renaissance.

The Director speaks to her, calling her by her true name, and explains what he intends to do. However, Kailu and a newly-reformed Deus appear at the last minute and save her, escorting her to safety. However, this happy reunion quickly turns sour as Deus also begins pressuring Ai to recomplete Requiem, seeing her as a route to their liberation. Despite their close friendship, even Kailu betrays her, grabbing her by the wrist as she attempts to leave. Disgusted and hurt, Ai rips off Kailu's charm and pulls away, running off into the night in tears.

Ai sits alone at the Treah Margin, staring at the night sky. She feels someone sit down next to her, leaning against her back - Reverie. The two have a talk about the situation, and Reverie reluctantly comes to terms with the idea of recompleting Requiem. However, Ai strongly protests this, claiming that she is an individual and deserves to live as she wishes to rather than giving into the desires and projections of others. After a long heart-to-heart, Reverie finally realizes that she is her own person and not Renaissance's proxy. She and Ai share a goodbye and head their separate ways as the night draws to a close.

Ai debates on what to do moving forward as she returns to New Treah, only to see that most of the populace has been elucidated by the Arproject. She is met by Reverie, as well as Kailu, who apologizes to her for the prior night. Though she forgives him, she tells him that he will have to work to regain her trust. The three of them decide that now is the time to finish this, and launch an all-out assault on Renaissance's HQ. Ai heads to take out the Arproject's core, whereas Reverie moves to defeat the Director - meanwhile, Kailu and the rest of Deus provide backup at the front line.

Upon reaching the heart of the establishment, Ai is shocked to discover that Lily Requiem herself is the source of the Arproject. Lily Requiem genuinely believes that the world needs her - that her people need her, and that she is responsible for saving Treah from the suffering and pain that have defined it for centuries. It seems the beginning of the end has come. However, Lily Requiem is simply too adept, evading every attack from Ai as she bombards her with an onslaught of illusory attacks conjured from her memories.

After a hopeless struggle, Ai erupts, demanding Lily Requiem to come out and fight her for real. The floor of the room shatters, and Ai falls for what feels like an eternity before landing in a pitch black room. There, Lily Requiem finally presents herself for the last battle. Delving deep into her memories, Lily Requiem attacks Ai psychologically with her own traumatic experiences throughout the journey - Kailu's betrayal, Reverie's attempts to take her life, the sight of Deus' massacre, et all. At the same time, Lily Requiem experiences these same emotions without context, due to her connection to Ai. Relentlessly questioning the source of her pain, she is left prone, which allows Ai to overcome the cognitive assault and defeat her.

In her last moments, Lily Requiem cries that she was supposed to be Treah's savior; Requiem, returned from the darkness of the past to guide her people to the light. Evidently, the truth had been kept from her - Ai tries explaining to her that she's been lied to, and that as soon as she's outlived her usefulness, she'll be thrown out and replaced. Lily Requiem completely breaks, in agony at her inability to bring love and peace to the world before fading away. Ai takes a moment to reflect on the situation, leaving conflicted - but with a new resolve, to move forward and protect Treah in Lily Requiem's memory.

At the same time, Reverie comes face to face with The Director once more. She points her gun at him - in response, he attempts to use her loyalty to control her one last time. However, she disavows him as her father, claiming him to instead be her captor. The facade melts away once and for all, leaving Reverie to take part in one final duel against The Director. She emerges victorious, with The Director lamenting that he brought about his own demise by raising her so well. Reverie backhandedly thanks him for giving her the strength to put an end to him as she leaves him to die, cold and alone at the throne of his own crumbling empire.

Due to Lily Requiem's death, the Arproject begins to dissolve. New Treah is destroyed, and the populace's cognizance is restored. The majority of them return to the citadel, unsure what else to do.

Ai, Reverie, and Kailu meet again. Ai and Kailu decide that they are the only ones left who can lead Treah. However, Reverie does not feel comfortable doing such a thing with the blood of innocent people on her hands. She states that she should leave, walking away towards the gates of the citadel. Ai is crushed, attempting to follow Reverie as she doesn't want her to be alone. However, Kailu stops her and says that the decision is hers to make. Ai is frustrated, taking a moment to consider the situation - shortly thereafter, she ends up running off anyway.

Ai meets Reverie right as she's about to leave the citadel, rather winded. She tells her to wait before properly saying goodbye to her, giving her a tight embrace - this is the first time Reverie has ever made contact with another human. Reverie then leaves to wander Treah as a missionary, making the world a better place in her own way. Treah returns to normalcy as Ai waits tirelessly for Reverie to return, standing outside the gates in anticipation every day.

In an extra scene unlocked after 100% completion, Reverie appears to return. Ai follows her into the citadel and the two walk together and chat happily. Ai is ecstatic. However, this is revealed to be a dream, as Ai awakens outside the gates having fallen asleep waiting. The screen cuts to black - "Thank you for playing." appears in the corner.