Asahi and Aletha's wounds immediately healed; they pushed themselves up, grabbed their blades, and discharged green luminescent arrows from their hands.
They pierced straight through Tear's body and formed more sparks and malfunctions on his armor.
His visor glowed a dark red; his armor heated up, and his palms glowed a lethal purple.
(00:12:10)
(00:12:09)
(00:12:08)
Asahi and Aletha felt hope rush back into them. Adrenaline pumped in every corner of their bodies. Thousands of voices erupted in their heads.
As the voices echoed in the wanderers' minds, a string of colors emerged from their souls.
Red. "Don't give up. You got this!"
Green. "All of us are counting on you two. Don't be a demon, like I was…."
Pink. "Don't stop now; we are SO close to victory."
Purple. "Buttons and Asahi, listen and don't SCREW up! I'm counting on you, hard heads!"
Cyan. "This Universe is filled with endless elements. And among them, you two are the most important."
Baby Blue. "P-Please… we are all counting on you-- For EVERYONE who has suffered in this nation."
Orange. "You two have proven your beauty and changed me as a whole. Failure is the best teacher, and we faced many problems, but even after that… we still managed to become closer."
Yellow. "You got this fece-face! Although there are many times to joke around, this is not one of them. Teach'em who's boss!"
As the storm of colors encircled Asahi and Aletha, they opened their eyes and felt encouragement run down their bodies; the lights forced into them, reinvigorating and amplifying their strength.
Tear shook his head, clutched his blades, and jolted to the wanderers, forcing roots to emerge from the floor. Asahi and Aletha grabbed their swords in one hand, and a magical essence ran through their other.
(00:10:12)
(00:10:11)
(00:10:10)
Asahi and Aletha charged at Tear. Suddenly, their legs moved faster than usual. They felt their bodies toughen and strengthen. Nourished with the soul's powers, they were showered in blessings.
All powers erupted at once.
In eight major blows… a gust of wind propelled Tear back, purple lightning bolts struck his side, and green luminescent thorns emerged from the ground and struck his neck.
Tear tried to move his blade, but the wanderers managed to strike his swords to the ground.
"Not today."
But even with that power, it wasn't enough to stop Tear, as he was seen slowly lifting back up.
(00:08:59)
(00:08:58)
(00:08:57)
The timer was nearing zero. All fifteen blows were struck against Tear, tossing him from side to side like a rag doll.
"AGH, AGH AGH!"
He forced his fist through the floor and chuckled.
"Heh…heh… heh… I see. I guess you two are stronger than I thought. No matter, that was nothing but a smidge of my ability. Face my true power."
(BOOM!)
The sky thundered from above… a barrage of flying purple meteors descended from the sky. Asahi and Aletha tilted up and clenched their fists.
They hastily grasped their blades and jolted at Tear, striking and shunning his hips, damaging and denting his armor.
They hear the tiny meteors growing closer, and instantly, eighty luminescent white strings emerge from their bodies, piercing through all the falling rocks and forcing chunks of them to rain down onto the ground like snowflakes.
Having realized that his attack backfired, Tear adjusted his suit and transformed his arm into a blaster.
"Take this!"
(00:04:27)
(00:04:26)
(00:04:25)
A massive, lethal, long-lasting purple laser beam struck through the wall and glided slowly across the Fountain, leaving an enormous trail of burn marks in its tracks.
As Tear noticed that the wanderers dodged the attack, he hastily returned to his arm, grasped his two blades, and swung at Asahi and Aletha repeatedly.
One of their devices dropped from his hands. Tear's arms appeared to be fastened to his sides.
The wanderers' legs intertwined, and their feet disappeared into the smoke.
They lost their blades and were forced to use their given powers, but suddenly, all of them vanished.
"H-Huh?"
(00:02:22)
Tear was giving his life for it, throwing aside all concerns and using every power he had. He couldn't afford to give up… not yet; he just had to endure the pain until that timer on the device reached zero.
(00:02:00)
After the wanderers and Tear struck, clashed, and battled around the ruins of The Great Fountain, a white emergence bloomed and sprouted over Asahi and Aletha.
Though shocked, he persisted in fighting, flinging his swords out of frustration.
As he stood in front of the wanderers… a gargantuan beam summoned and burst from their palms and struck barbarically through Tear's armor.
The force of the white laser pushed him so hard that his armor started to crush and deactivate.
He was hurled through the wall. Each surface of the dark armor was dented. Rocks crumbled on his body. A cloud of Dust fogged up the area, with the purple light glistening.
And yet, this was just a tiny portion of the wanderers' true power.
. . .
Silence.
They panted and sweated, breathing heavily. Slowly, they fell to their knees. Their swords slipped from clammy hands and toppled to the floor. Their eyes trembled in disbelief. Skin was caked in bruises.
(00:01:59)
The countdown was near its end. Asahi and Aletha didn't have a moment to react.
They were extremely exhausted.
Everything in their bodies felt like it was shutting down.
Yet despite this… they crawled and dragged themselves toward the device.
"C…Come…o-on… just…."
They dragged themselves over the floor and lifted the device. They saw a small pink button on the bottom of its black exterior. Their eyes widened in relief. Finally, hope surged back into them.
"Pr…ess…it…."
(00:01:05)
(00:01:04)
(00:01:03)
The device hummed, with pink sparks fuming over. Their fingers slid and skimmed over the button.
"Al…most…"
As their hands were about to press the button, their arms were slowly pushed away from it. Their hands trembled, but they were so exhausted they couldn't be angry. It felt like a needle pierced their hearts once they saw who pushed their hands.
(00:00:59)
(00:00:47)
(00:00:42)
Narcissa tremblingly muttered.
"I-I'm… sorry… I don't know what's happening to me…."
A woman with tattered bruise marks, messy brown hair, and fearful coffee-colored eyes obstructed the button's reach. Asahi wailed.
"Narcissa, w…what are you doing?!"
She trembled.
"Please… I don't know what's going on. I feel this power; something is controlling me —I don't know what. It feels peaceful. It feels like I'm finally free from the shackles of reality. I can breathe, I can move… I don't want to let go."
(Save the nation)
A sudden burst of energy erupted from Asahi and Aletha.
They swiftly pushed themselves up and pushed Narcissa away.
However, she returned to her position and blocked the wanderers from going.
Asahi clenched his fists, resisting the urge to attack Narcissa.
"Please… just move… Why are you doing this? After all I did for you, this is what you repay me…?!"
Tears flew down Narcissa's face.
"N-No… It's all wrong. When I touch this, I see the truth. Everything… all of it… I don't want to let go, I don't want to let go, I don't want to--
. . .
The world slowed down.
Their eyes lowered.
Dust gushed out from the wound like blood, and the silver blade was dragged out of her. She collapsed to the ground and dissipated into dust.
The wanderers gasped.
A dark silhouette emerged from the smoke.
The boy took slow footsteps, his legs extended, and grew.
Asahi and Aletha slowly backed away and saw the person brush his slender fingers on the ground.
His long silver hair flocked from the gusts. His eyes were a lavender and blue. His skin was blindingly pale, with a black streak extending down to his cheek.
His dark armor crumbled and crashed onto the floor, echoing over the silent walls.
A luminance enshrouded him with the outline of his appearance, rapidly growing. His silver hair grew longer, his tail flocked faster, and his claws enlarged outward.
"Don't meddle in my duty."
A click sounded from the device. A sonic boom enveloped the land, causing trees to crumble and propelling a massive shockwave that surged over the ocean.
Asahi and Aletha ducked; dirt pellets flew overhead like a flock of birds. Their hearts skipped a beat, growing weary, and they planted their arms over the grass.
They hesitated, wanting to speak but unable to muster the will to fight.
Never would they have thought that Tear, their sworn enemy, the one who destroyed the village, demolished the prized Fountain, and ambushed the city, was the kind, prudent Sadiki himself.
Ignoring the voices, they stepped forward and watched the shimmering brown dust fall to the sleek, cracked floor— Narcissa's blood.
"Huh?"
Asahi and Aletha's hearts thudded. Their hands shook, and they darted glances all around them.
Right in front of them was a floating dark figure, traced by his long silver hair, tainted in a purple; a blue swirl orbiting his chest, and last but not least, the black mist that touched his feet.
"Behold… my true… form…"
Sadiki insisted as he grasped his blade.
"Remember me?"
His eyes looked different, as if the preliminary aspects of a dark purple fog had clouded them up. Asahi squinted at him and yanked Aletha away, whispering.
"Aletha, ignore him. Just follow me! Don't even try to help Sadiki. He's far more corrupt than it seemed."
Aletha nodded with a trembling smile.
"Okay…" She mumbled.
Shaken by confusion, the wanderers refocused, gripped their blades, and dashed away from the Fountain at top speed. Meanwhile, the Destructive Device began a countdown.
"Ten…"
Asahi and Aletha were so paranoid that they had utterly forgotten it was still there; yet they continued to flee from the ruins.
"Nine…"
Adrenaline rushed through their hearts. They felt their feet slip on the muddy ground. Streams of water ran from the ground, forcing all hills to slope downwards toward The Fountain. They had no choice… but to interfere.
"Eight…"
That number… It reminded The Wanderers of the intelligent, confident genius of Akwan. They recollected all the adventures they had with him, Drimi, Belial, and Sally. Despite going through a different route, the wanderers still reached their destination.
"Seven…"
All the hearts of Pladtioa thumped as one. The wanderers felt all their faith coursing through their veins, their legs, their hearts, and finally their minds. It sparked a devastating uproar of determination.
"Six…"
The ground trembled, matching the magnitude of a 10.0 earthquake.
Despite the destruction, trees were seen to emerge from the ground as if they were thriving amid the land's own annihilation, followed by crumbling mountains rising.
Pladtioa City didn't seem to be affected either. Asahi and Aletha tried to escape, but the device increased pressure.
"Five…"
A strange, grueling sound emitted from the device. Sadiki didn't even bear to fight; he was embracing the last moments of the fight.
The wanderers stared intensely at the counter, feeling the sky crumble above them, as if it were a solid, tangible object.
"Four…"
Pulses flew about, and Asahi and Aletha felt their feet slowly rising upward. Dirt, rocks, bushes, ferns, and even the smoldering remains of the ruins of The Great Fountain seem to all be levitating to the sky.
Aletha panicked.
"W-What's happening…"
Paralyzed by fear, Asahi remained silent, unable to speak.
"Three… Two…"
Time seemed to slow down as they saw Sadiki standing on the rising platform with the wanderers.
He still grasped his blade; his dark, corrupted eyes met those of the wanderers, and swiftly, he charged.
They clutched their swords and flew toward Sadiki, clashing and jolting as the platform continued to rise with floating trees.
"One…"
(BOOM)
The speed of the calamity was so quick that not even sound could catch up to it.
A giant magenta and blue-colored laser shot up into the sky, lighting up the night into daylight, breaking clouds, and shriveling the stars.
It looked like the sky was fighting back the beacon of light, forming a wall of hundreds upon thousands of clouds and rippling the heavens like water.
The sheet of clouds neared ever so closer to Asahi and Aletha.
The beacon of light shone over the nation of Pladtioa as if it were the gleaming rays of sunlight.
Time froze, and only their eyes cooperated to take a mental picture of what was beyond that thick fleet of clouds. It certainly wasn't the stars.
Dark mist suffocated their vision. Sadiki held on to the platform, trying not to fall, and dropped his blade, coughing up dark, slimy mucus.
"This… wasn't what was described… when The Ending gave me the device."
From the pulsating, densely clouded area, a massive black pillar detached from the fog and sank into the world.
The mysterious object is outlined in black and white, with bleached luminescent lines that stretch from the bottom to the circular top.
It looked far too advanced for this world, like an alien object.
The wind from below propelled the platform, then the device, as its pulsing purple tower rose.
Asahi jolted to Aletha.
"Hold on tight…"
They clutched their hands, hunched over, grabbed onto the platform, and felt a freezing gust blow from the foggy area.
But beyond the massive wall of clouds, it looked to be industrial towers extending upside down.
As fragments of the clouds were mangled and pulverized by the immense force of power emanating from the black pillar, the platform, along with the flow of gravity, tilted.
The wanderers grew dizzy, and just as night turned to... day as they passed through the horizon of clouds, their vision flashed to darkness.