The wanderers' eyes landed on the tattered lady sprawled atop a jagged rock. Asahi darted to her side.
He was desperate to rouse her. Meanwhile, Aletha's suspicion simmered.
Could Narcissa be plotting betrayal? All the while, the device's timer pulsed on, each second a warning.
(00:29:57)
Asahi rushed to Narcissa and shook her shoulder.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and he exhaled in relief.
"Narcissa, a-are you okay?" he asked, helping her sit up.
"Narcissa, a-are you okay?"
Her round brown eyes dilated in shock. She began to hyperventilate, then hunched down to the ground. Words stumbled from her pale, dry lips.
"N-No… I could have sworn I was in my Palace? W-Where am I? Where did everyone go?!"
A wave of relief washed away her worry.
"Oh, it's you, Asahi..."
She tilted her head, then gasped in shock as she noticed Aletha standing impatiently behind him.
"W-Who is... that beautiful girl?"
Aletha's face flushed red.
"O-Oh... are you talking about me? D-Did you say... I'm beautiful?"
Aletha's gray eyes sparkled with awe, and she quickly dismissed her suspicions. As Narcissa and she introduced each other, Asahi chuckled lightly and crossed his arms, whispering to himself.
(Well... this confirms it. Narcissa's curse is gone for good. She never said 'beautiful' until now. But now's not the time...)
Sensing danger, Asahi quickly called out to the others as they shook hands.
"It's good that you introduce and trust each other, but now's not the time. Everyone else had vanished, and we searched everywhere in the forest, and that light from the vase reached us. The only place we haven't looked at…."
Asahi guided them to the edge, revealing a disk-shaped structure below, bathed in eerie purple light and forged from ancient stone and scattered rubble. Narcissa and Aletha's eyes widened in awe and dread. Asahi pressed on.
"...Is there, and the only way down there is through that cliff. We should get to that place immediately-- I sense hundreds of souls lurking there."
Narcissa and Aletha shuddered in fear and quickly followed Asahi over the cliff, skidding down the slope.
They leaped and weaved through debris strewn across the ground as they moved in the direction Asahi led.
The purple glow intensified, casting strange shadows. Asahi turned to the others and shouted.
"Over here!"
Aletha and Narcissa nodded and drew their weapons—Aletha with a sword and Narcissa with a staff.
Asahi unsheathed his sword as well. Moving cautiously, their feet skidded across stone floors as they entered the area.
They analyzed their surroundings, seeing tall, overgrown concrete walls encircling a massive stone platform, with water streams leaking like a moat around the circle.
They heaved and hurdled over a wall and approached the stone platform, seeing the device count down and unleash small purple pulses. Applause followed by a robotic-sounding voice echoed over the walls.
"Well… well… well."
Asahi, Aletha, and Narcissa froze at the center of the area. They held out their weapons, with the wanderers clutching their swords, while Narcissa emitted a bright brown luminance at the center of her staff.
Narcissa turned to the wanderers and whispered to them in a serious tone.
"I feel… a familiar presence lurking in here. I hear thousands of voices bouncing in my head, screams begging for help and escape. It's that Device. We must shut it down, now."
"D-Do you know what it is?"
(Step)
(Step)
In a rush, as the footsteps grew louder and louder, Narcissa swiftly notified.
"It's a device that I'm familiar with. This occurred elsewhere in the world. A few years ago, rumors spread that it was constructed by a faction called The Ending.
It's a destructive device, and if fully activated, it will unleash destruction in its surroundings. Well, that's what they say--" Narcissa explained quickly.
Narcissa got interrupted.
(Clap, clap, clap…)
The harsh applause rooted them to the spot. Distant voices slithered through the air, stealing the words from Asahi, Aletha, and Narcissa before they could speak.
"Wow! I'm so proud of you, Queen of Narcissa! Not only did you come here on your own, but you also took the time to explain the device. Good job… heh heh…." the robotic figure taunted.
A blurry purple line of light struck Narcissa and tossed her into the air, bashing her head against the walls. Asahi and Aletha's eyes widened in shock.
From the swirling smoke stepped a figure, bathed in a harsh, luminous spotlight. He wore sleek, shadowy armor, a menacing helmet shaped like a devil, and a cosmic purple cloak that rippled behind him.
The wanderers realized that the previous false friendly voice from a distance belonged to this menacing robotic being.
In an instant, memories of the ruined village and past clashes with this foe blazed through the wanderers' minds.
The robotic individual rubbed his hands, grabbed Narcissa by the neck, lifted her, and choked her to anger the wanderers more. He mocked them as he heard Narcissa struggle and flail her arms.
"Good job… indeed."
The robotic figure hurled her against the wall with brutal force, sending tremors through the chamber as chunks of stone crashed to the ground.
As the robotic individual slowly tilted back to the wanderers, the wanderers hastily grew alert, stepped forward, and screamed the man's name with rage.
"TEAR!"
He slowly shook his head and clenched his fists, his visor shining a bright purple.
"Oh, don't look at me with those faces. This… should have been expected."
Tear vanished in an instant, reappearing on top of a wall as if gravity were nothing to him, casually walking along it. The wanderers' hearts raced as they tried to reach Narcissa, but strewn bricks and rubble blocked the path.
With no other options, Asahi and Aletha climbed the wall, trembling as they kept their eyes fixed on Tear. At the top, they saw him slowly unsheathe a mighty technological black sword from his pocket.
"Do you realize how much pain… I have endured. Are you two TRYING to become the HEROES of your world? Pathetic. I should've expected better from you."
The wanderers stilled, then stepped forward, eyes fixed on Tear as he laughed, his grip tightening and his stance challenging them.
"Oh, don't look at me with those surprised faces. It should have been EXPECTED. After all, if you're going to be passive, then go right ahead. I know that those trapped souls will be 'thankful' later," Tear mocked.
Asahi and Aletha trembled in fear just thinking about all of their friends trapped in one place. Tear strutted his blade diagonally and threatened them with a deep voice.
"I honestly don't care if both of you die. I couldn't care less either way."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Who would need gods that abandon their Asahi and Aletha clenched their jaws, fury coursing through their veins as Tear's taunts fueled their anger.
"Who would need cowards who don't take action and 'save' their 'precious' nation. After all, you standing there makes my job a lot easier," Tear jeered.
He pointed to the timer.
(00:28:22)
"Tick-Tick."
Asahi and Aletha stepped forward, pointing their blades toward Tear's direction without remorse. Tear gasped and clutched his blade, flapping his cosmic cape in the air.
"Oh, being feisty… huh? That's unexpected. I thought you two were wise. But alas, my theory was wrong," Tear said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
His friendly tone shifted to a more threatening one.
"If one of you two DARE take even just one tiny step, you're willing to deny my offer for you to flee, and instead, challenge me.
I destroyed The Great Fountain for a REASON! You know…. I've missed battling for so long-- so don't expect mercy from me if you do choose," Tear growled.
As Tear descended off the walls and planted his strong metal boots on the ground, casting his shadow over the wanderers, he clutched his sword even tighter, sparking a purple luminance between his fingers.
"I have been STARVING for a good battle. No one dared challenge me because of my power compared to the others. Flee now, or stand there. I don't care… The timer is ticking," Tear declared.
Tear stepped forward after a moment of silence and screamed at them with frustration, anger, anticipation, speed, and aggression.
"Just do it already! Take one step; I dare you-- I triple dare you! Take one more step and 'try' to show me how much of a HERO you two really are.
Please do it! I'm waiting. Move, flee, or I will kill you both and Narcissa. This incarnation of the world doesn't matter-- It's an anomaly from the start!"
Tear screamed, his voice rupturing and echoing over every wall from the ruins. Asahi and Aletha's hearts froze.
Their blades quivered, hearts pounding, as anger crept up their spines like a living thing.
Though they wanted to save others, they couldn't help but dwell on the thought of abandoning their own world.
All the memories of the events so far have flashed through both Asahi and Aletha's minds.
. . .
From awakening in the Forest of Plados to traveling to Pladtioa city and meeting new faces.
From watching the nation's respected Fountain being demolished in front of the citizens' eyes to training with Sadki and discovering their ruined nation lying in the middle of nowhere.
A torrent of memories surged through their minds.
Meeting people from lands afar, remembering their past, fighting the Kitsune in the depths of Dreamtoe Forest, seeing the souls of their parents, battling a cursed goblin, seeing Belial transform into a demon, meeting a raven man, sparking an insurgency against the whole nation, and finally… relieving the ruler from a self-devouring curse.
These memories were the fuel that had driven Asahi and Aletha to this very moment.
And despite all of this, they hadn't found a trace of their lost sister in sight.
Yet, among all their millennia of wandering, this journey had carved itself deepest into their hearts. It had changed them, stirring something fierce and new within the wanderers.
Memories fading, the wanderers locked eyes with Tear. As the countdown ticked, they sprang forward, swinging their blades.
"Ha!"
(Cling)
Tear blocked their attack with his blade, kicked them back, then retreated to the Fountain walls.
Asahi and Aletha regained their footing and charged, while Tear shouted in excitement.
"A Challenge it is! Show me what the rulers of this world can REALLY do!"
. . .
(00:27:17)
(00:27:16)
(00:27:15)
It unfolded in a blur, so swift that they barely had time to register what was happening.
Tear struck from above, clashing brutally with the wanderers and driving them back with vicious blade swings.
As the wanderers were forced back from the continuous attacks, Tear commented.
"Oh, well, isn't that a pity, huh? I sense no power in you. Go and try, don't even ask about what I did. It was all for a good reason," Tear sneered.
Successfully distracting Asahi and Aletha, Tear unexpectedly pulled a trick from his sleeve.
"Take this!"
Tear launched coils of corruption that snaked around them, sapping strength and forcing their weapons to fall.
Echoing in the air, Tear circumnavigated the wanderers, clashing his blade, forming purple sparks in the air, and leaving trails of smoke.
"The Fountain was too much for the nation. Don't think you will win. I have slain more than you even realized," Tear declared.
He hacked his blade and pivoted his arm to Asahi's head. Aletha blocked Tear's attack and intertwined her blade with his; Tear's cape flew into the air, knocking Aletha to the ground.
As they struggled to get back up, Tear taunted the wanderers.
"Oh, these attacks. They're so familiar… to... Her. Their hacks, slashes, thrusts… and evasive maneuvers…
It's enough to make me question who I'm really serving," Tear mused.
He swung his sword toward Asahi and threw corrupting vines toward Aletha, forcing her to fall to the floor.
"Aletha!" Asahi screamed, blocking and kicking Tear away from him.
She kicked her legs up, got back on her feet, and raced back to Asahi, breathing and sweating heavily.
"I'm fine…." Aletha gasped as Asahi turned over to her.
"Okay."
(00:24:00)
(00:23:59)
(00:23:58)
The wanderers' bodies felt weighed down by the constant pressure coming from The Device.
Asahi and Aletha charged at Tear with aggression and desperation, sprinting in opposite directions, leaping into the air, and leaving trails of their strikes in the air.
As their blades skimmed only a portion of Tear's armor, he hastily vanished, leaving a purple streak extending toward the opposite end.
"Ha, don't think it will be THAT easy."
Short, his presence vanished again, and a surprise attack greeted the wanderers. They were forced back in the air, crashing toward the walls. Tear asked mockingly as Asahi and Aletha struggled to stand up.
"Oh, why so quiet? Did the spike of fear get into your bones? Heh heh… I can feel your anger emerging from your heart. It feels good; I want to grab one of you by the neck and RIP your hearts out!"
Tear caught Asahi's neck in his left hand, trying to squeeze him until he choked.
Asahi struggled like a landed fish. Tear picked him up and swung him several times on the solid stone. He dropped the boy and slammed him even more, with relentless force.
"ASAHI!" Aletha screamed. In fury, as Tear choked Asahi, she pushed upwards, hurled her blade toward Tear's legs, and kicked his knees. But her fist barely touched Tear's armor…
"Don't think that I can focus on you too…."
Aletha's eyes widened. Dread asphyxiated her. She was forced down through the concrete stone as her legs got pummeled by Tear's boots—Dust smudged out from Aletha's body.
Asahi's eyes shrank with horror.
"A-A…A…ALETHA!"
(00:18:34)
(00:18:33)
(00:18:32)
Flailing his legs, hearing Tear chuckle as Asahi slowly lost energy. The white-haired boy forced his blade through Tear's metal chest. Sparks flew out of him.
"AHH! YOU--
Tear hunched forward, dropping Asahi. He clenched his fists as a purple glow formed in his hands, unleashing rage.
"Oh, now you have done it! I wish it didn't come to this… but now I have to use it."
Dust spilled from her wound. Asahi pulled Aletha up and whispered as Tear raged.
"Sis, are you alright?"
She nodded silently. Asahi smiled.
"G-Good. Stand by me next time."
"O-Okay," Aletha replied while she reached for her sword.
The wanderers urgently pushed themselves up and jolted to Tear.
(00:15:43)
(00:15:42)
(00:15:41)
He struck his arm into the air and unleashed fifteen purple strikes from his hand. The wanderers dodged the lasers, feeling the ground tremble as they crashed down like thunderbolts.
They advanced further to Tear, steadily raising their blades.
"Stop!"
Tear shook his head. Another blade appeared from thin air. He caught it and struck a pose, tackling the wanderers. He forced five to ten strikes on their faces.
"Haha, weak. Weak. Weak!"
As they felt their bodies sinking through the solid ground, a disembodied voice suddenly spoke out to them.
"Don't lose hope…."
Dust poured from wounds on Asahi and Aletha as their bodies lay battered.
A cyan luminance arose from their bodies and ruthlessly assailed Tear directly on the chest.
Tear flew into the air and collided with the walls, forcing chunks of stone into the ground.