Operation story: 14-20

Operation

Story

Previous 14-19	Next 14-21
Characters
Doctor Amiya W Kal'tsit Logos Margaret Nightingale Shining Hoederer Ines Indra Siege Morgan Fang Odda Closure Misery Nezzsalem Ermengarde "Sarkaz" Sarkaz Warrior Victorian Soldier Sudaram Sarkaz Mercenary Sarkaz Civilian "Nameless Kings of Sarkaz"
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Before operation

Summary Within the Assimilated Universe stands a great tower that touches the sky, and everyone believes that Theresa awaits them at the top. Rhodes Island carries everyone to the tower, and Logos stays behind to face the will of the myriad souls alone.
<Background 1>
W	"Uni...verse"? What's a "universe"?
Kal'tsit	No language that you are familiar with has such a word. It is a concept far wider than the land and the sky. It is all of space and time, and everything contained within them. Even the most arrogant of "gods" are unable to claim mastery over it as a whole, because the word itself signifies infinity, as well as the possibility for constant change. However, Originium is able to incorporate it in its entirety, all in finest detail, forming an "Assimilated Universe" within—
W	Okay, stop. In short, we got two things. One, for some unknown reason, we were dragged into the Originium along with the airship—not that anybody knows how tiny little rocks can have this huge place inside of them. Two, we're not dead, and we don't know how we're still alive inside this... "universe" in the Originium, right?
Kal'tsit	...A reasonably accurate summation of the matter.
W	...
[W chucks something into the water.]
W	Eh? No reaction, not even a raised eyebrow?
Amiya	W! Did you just... throw a bomb into the sea?
W	What else would I throw? I had to test the waters somehow. That bomb's as good as my hand, right? The old hag said that we got stuck inside the Originium. Maybe I could have oh-so-conveniently blown a hole—
<Background shakes>
Amiya	Look out!
[Amiya pulls W back before she falls off.]
W	—What the hell just happened?! It was like... there was something pulling on me. The yellow stuff down there is liquid Originium, right? What else could the bomb have blown up?
Logos	It would not have ignited. There is no energy present to fuel a reaction. I cannot sense any Originium within this Originium sea. ...Perhaps I should phrase it differently. As all Originium outside this realm exists in a combination with other matter, so too must it abide by the laws of the external "universe". But here, those laws are dictated by the Originium itself.
W	You're not making any more sense than the old hag.
Logos	We have entered a place that operates on its own grammar. I can sense the... language contained within this ocean of Originium. Vast, boundless, without limit. As of yet, I have been unable to thoroughly analyze it.
Kal'tsit	Stop, Logos. Do not attempt to comprehend this "language" for now. We should not... disturb it. Although it is highly likely that we are already within danger's sights, the fact that this ship is permitted to exist is proof enough that we are safe, at least for now.
Doctor	Rhodes Island? / The ship and the Originium sea...
Kal'tsit	This Rhodes Island exists because of you, Dr. {nickname}. We should have been assimilated by the Originium and become part of the ocean. Thanks to you, we were not. You have changed... No, redefined a portion of the law. Under circumstances that you yourself could not perceive, you have used this "language".
Doctor	The one I spoke earlier? I don't remember it. / Sometimes it's in my brain, sometimes it's not.
W	Hah, who would have thought you had that sort of thing in you? Don't tell me that those weird dioramas on the ship were all your dream or something? Those "heart-warming" illusions were... disgusting.
Doctor	... / I didn't like them either.
W	...Hmph.
W turns her head, pondering as she looks ahead. She has barely even glanced at you since you entered the Assimilated Universe.
W	The real question is, now that we've barged into the Originium, how do we get out? Can this haunted ship take us somewhere?
Rhodes Island sails atop the aureate sea. It resembles a mirror of purest gold more than anything else, its surface unblemished, nary a ripple in sight. A question suddenly comes to mind: are you really sailing?
Amiya	The ocean's surface seems static. Everything does, really. It's too quiet. I can't feel anything. Flowing emotions, rich memories... It's all faded away. Dr. Kal'tsit, this is inside Originium, right? I don't understand. It's already devoured so much... Cities destroyed by Catastrophe, people died of Oripathy... Shouldn't traces of all those lives be here in this sea? Why is there nothing here?
Kal'tsit	... Because this is the end. Everything sealed away by the Originium is trapped in this unchanging, undying end.
W	Oh, how wonderful! A "good" place where even the dead can't die. Not even the Laterans could think up of something so heavenly. No wonder that there's no Sarkaz aboard the ship. How could a sweet, blissful place like this have devils like us?
Amiya	No Sarkaz? You might be right. Other than you and Logos, I haven't seen a single Sarkaz since we arrived. The Sarkaz... They are closely connected with Originium, but where are they?
[The landship trembles.]
Doctor	Did the ship ram into something? / Is there something on the water?!
Logos	... "SIGHT".
[Shadows bloom into view.]
"Sarkaz"	—
Amiya	—! Those shadows are Sarkaz! They're—
[Endless shadows emerge.]
Logos	—Marching. The war eternal continues, no matter if it is on the battlefield outside, or in here. No matter if they are dead or alive.
[Fighting breaks out.]
Countless Sarkaz shadows appear above the surface of the sea. Wendigos, Diαblos, Nachzehrers, Banshees, along with many ancient clans lost to time. They grasp clubs and spears, or crossbows and greatswords. Some even bear witchcraft cannons on their backs. The water is calm, but the many shadows form a torrent, surging forward. Charge. Fight. Forever without rest.
Logos	War. The Sarkaz's war against everything, persisting through millennia, never ends. This is where the myriad souls of the Sarkaz return.
<Background shakes>
"I see cities, devastated." "I see Originium, blanketing the land."
<Background 2>
Margaret	Rhodes Island is straight ahead! Hang on!
Nightingale	(Panting heavily)
[Shining flinches.]
Shining	I—
Margaret	Shining? What's wrong?!
Shining	...The door has been opened. The distance between life and death is closer than ever now. It is something that all Sarkaz can hear.
<Background 3>
[The Lifebone shakes violently.]
Hoederer	...
Ines	We need to survive this round of impacts! The airship's been eaten up by Originium, which means the Royal Court casters are distracted! This is our only chance. There's too much damage to the vertebrae— Hoederer?
Hoederer	I can hear it...
Ines	Did the Feranmut speak to you again? What did it say?
Hoederer	No... It's something else... ...I can hear all of history's wars, happening at once.
<Background 4>
[Victorian soldiers continue fighting on the ground.]
Indra	Look, Vina! Is it just me, or did that big red thing above Londinium get even bigger?!
Siege	...
Morgan	Not just bigger, the red's darkened now. It's like the entire sky's turning into Originium...
Siege	Storm's not calming down, either. The Sighs of Kings can't cover a range that wide. The Sarkaz will destroy the entire city, and far, far more besides. Amiya... You must make it in time.
<Background 1>
Amiya	The myriad souls bar our way. Here, in this place where everything is stilled by Originium, only they continue to fight.
Everyone hears the low roars resounding above the golden sea. The Sarkaz's war will never stop. The Sarkaz's anger will never end.
W	How interesting. Looks like a bunch of long-dead Sarkaz heroes are still fighting their asses off. I guess this is what they meant by "a living hell". But why are they blocking us off...? ... Hey, that thing in front of us, the "tree" root, don't you guys think it looks like a tower?
You noticed it the moment you stepped atop the deck. It stands tall in the middle of your field of vision, uniting the golden sea with the quiet sky above, yet not fitting in with either. Is it really a tower? It is taller than anything you can imagine. Why is there a tower here in the Originium sea, where everything ends in stasis? The answer springs forth unbidden.
Amiya	...Babel.
Kal'tsit	The airship's goal was here all along.
W	She must be on top of the tower, guiding the myriad souls!
Amiya	Indeed. She is waiting for us. That tower is our only beacon in this featureless ocean. All the answers we seek are where we started. We will climb Babel and face her. And then...
<Background 1>
W	Amiya.
Amiya	Yes?
W	I'd say I'm pretty clear-headed right now. Making it all the way here... There's no way that I haven't figured out what I want to do. There's still lots of people on the outside fighting their asses off. If we weren't so quick on the draw, I think we'd be seeing a few more familiar faces here among the dead heroes. Hey, old hag, bring your little monster out to help us! It's gonna be pretty rough, the way we're headed.
Kal'tsit	I... cannot do that. Mon3tr is unable to appear here, and I do not wish to arouse any unnecessary attention.
W	—?! Grrr, another one of those reasons that you don't want to talk about?
Kal'tsit	Dr. {nickname}, I am severely limited by the environment here, but it should have no influence on you. I will need you to move the ship.
Doctor	I've never really taken the helm before. / This is the deck, not the bridge...
Kal'tsit	You need not worry. The heading of this Rhodes Island does not depend on your skill at the helm, nor on any machine or energy generator. We are within Originium. You will have noticed by now that you hold special significance to Originium. The reverse is very much the same. It is equally as irreplaceable to you.
Doctor	I thought I wasn't supposed to know this. / I thought you wouldn't tell me this.
Kal'tsit	My silence has many reasons. Frankly speaking, I still have reservations on whether or not I should be helping you retrieve this knowledge.
Doctor	Because of the things I've done in the past... I understand now. / You said that you hate me.
Kal'tsit	Hate, torment, anger. I cannot deny it. At the time, I did not only lose Theresa. I also lost someone that I once hoped I could trust.
Doctor	...Me. / You felt disappointed.
Kal'tsit	I was very disappointed... in myself. I was not completely aware of your "changes". Or rather, my preparations were insufficient to reverse the outcome. We were able to glimpse the first rays of light of our goal, but Theresa's sudden departure extinguished the flame. Once more we are plunged into deepest night. If we do not make the right choices this time, the darkness will be eternal.
Doctor	Maybe you shouldn't be trusting me again.
Kal'tsit	...No. I should trust you. I did worry that if I allowed you to regain your memories regarding Originium... it might bring about unforeseeable changes. But over and over, you showed proof to me, to Amiya, to everyone, that my worries were unfounded. The only thing I can say for certain is that we walk the same path. From Chernobog to Londinium, your experiences and your emotions have shaped who you are today. And now— You protected us, saved us from being devoured by the Originium and turned into complex flows of information. You made Rhodes Island appear, and have afforded us the opportunity to continue on in this stillness. Dr. {nickname}, show us the way out, and find the right path for yourself. The direction that our future takes, where Rhodes Island heads next... It is all up to you now.
Doctor	Alright. / ... / I knew that all along. Rhodes Island— Advance.
You feel the movement of the ship beneath your feet. Passing through the Originium sea. Passing through the army of the myriad souls. The tower gets ever closer.
<Background 1>
<Background shakes>
W	Why's the sea so choppy all of a sudden?
Kal'tsit	The myriad souls are affecting the surrounding environment. The Assimilated Universe... is no longer stable.
Doctor	It's hard to move any further. / The deceased Sarkaz are blocking our way.
Amiya	The myriad souls are angered. They... They're all looking this way.
W	Sure, let them gawk. They can watch me step on their heads! Gonna run right over them!
[The ocean roars.]
A great wave resembling a palm swats at the tiny Rhodes Island. W grins and laughs. She takes a running leap into the wave.
Amiya	W!
W disappears into the maelstrom in an instant. But in the next, her laughter rings from within the golden mist.
W	Haha! I knew it! That thing isn't part of the Originium sea! I can blow it open!
[A bomb explodes.]
W	I never thought—I would get to open up— BABEL!
[More bombs explode.]
The sounds of destruction ring out, from quiet cracking to roaring collapse. The great pillar to the sky should not have been damaged by such tiny bombs, but some of its roots peel back, hanging down towards the miniscule people aboard the ship, providing a route from the deck to the base of the tower.
Kal'tsit	Let's go! Quickly!
[The group starts running.]
You climb the fallen structures with all haste. To your surprise, the white material feels soft and pliant, almost like some sort of... cloth.
Doctor	Amiya— Up here! / I've got you.
Amiya touches the "roots" lightly. In an instant, countless hands stretch towards her. From the sea, from atop the tower, from the void.
Amiya	...
Close your eyes, Amiya. Close your eyes...
The King spurs them, the King drives them, the King enslaves them. The King rules us, the King leads us, the King inspires us.
You have arrived. You are among us.
Amiya	The myriad souls...
<Background shakes>
The Originium sea is close to boiling. The myriad souls thirst for the King of Sarkaz. The myriad souls wish to force the King of Sarkaz to stay.
Logos	Go on ahead, Amiya.
[Logos casts his Arts.]
Logos	Go and see Her Highness. Obtain the answers you seek, and overcome them.
Amiya	Logos...?
Logos	I also miss Her Highness. But we have long since bid farewell to her. When Babel still yet roamed the earth, the first circle of our fellows vowed to dedicate our lives in service of our ideals. Her Highness and I were no exception. As for the voices of the myriad souls... I will respond. I have been waiting for this moment, ever since I sang my first elegy.
The will of the myriad souls is a frothing sea, billowing furiously. Their hands clench swords. Their hands leash Feranmuts. Their hands command a thousand armies. Their heads bear identical crowns. They are the lords of the Sarkaz. They are the eternal existence of the Sarkaz.
"Nameless Kings of Sarkaz"	There are no roads that we have not walked, no hardships we have not shouldered. You have not the strength to match us. You have not the fearlessness to match us.
They examine, they interrogate. Countless fleeting emotions condense into a raging swell, enough to wash away any will of any individual. But through a hundred crashing, surging waves, then a thousand, then a million, the one before them stands firm. The young Sarkaz lifts his bone pen, pointing it towards all the nameless Kings of Sarkaz. He needs no words. His curses are his answer.

After operation

Summary Everyone walks along the path to the top of the tower that touches the sky. When they arrive at the peak, heaven and earth invert.
<Background Black>
Ever since King Yliš died, I continued to see him many more times. His emotions and experiences remained within "Civilight Eterna", but there were marked differences between them and my memories of him. My impression of him was of a man who always sitting at the center of the chamber of the Royal Court, his head hung low, never speaking a word while other members bickered amongst one another. Duq'arael and Nezzsalem believed him too weak, telling him plain to his face that once more the Black Crown has erred in its choice of successor. He never responded. He merely continued to stare out the window, his gaze enraptured by the thick smoke billowing out of the furnaces outside.
Only after his death did I know that Yliš was a remarkable Caster and artisan, once dedicating his time to researching Arts that would improve the living conditions of the people, planning out all the possible ways that Kazdel could step into the Crystal Age. He travelled for many years. Once returned, he persuaded the revenants to prepare to raise an immense furnace in the heart of the city, larger than any other.
But once the crown fell upon his head, the newly-coronated King of Sarkaz slowly slipped into silence. The sudden burden of all-too-many emotions and memories is a pain beyond measure. Many chosen by the crown did not have time to leave behind their names, so swift was their death from madness. But Yliš did not fall into insanity. He bore it all. It was thanks to his lucidity that he fell further and further into despair.
The Black Crown had revealed a truth to him, and to me in turn— All that we can envision, the entire future of the Sarkaz, is most likely to be yet another loop in the cycle that is the tortured history of our race. All that we build will end in ruin. War will tear apart his Kazdel.
War will kill him. War will kill me.
<Background 5>
[Sarkaz and Victorians continue fighting in Londinium.]
Sarkaz Warrior	(Roars)
Victorian Soldier	He can't keep going much longer! Come on! Take down the bastard and the witchcraft altar'll be useless!
<Background flashes>
A crossbow bolt lodges itself into the Sarkaz's chest. He takes no heed of it, continuing his advance. *beep beep* *beep beep* He lowers his head, seeing that the bolt fletchings protruding from his chest have begun to shine.
<Background flashes>
The cluster bomb within the Sarkaz's flesh explodes. A multitude of concentrated explosions, faster than even powerful witchcraft can heal.
Victorian Soldier	Did it work? Haha, he really is dead! Damn, we blew him up sky-high. All that's left are just bits of bone. This idea's amazing! We don't need to fear these monsters anymore! Wait—
The Sarkaz's remains begin to glow. The soldiers instinctively begin to retreat, but it is too late.
[The warrior's body explodes.]
A spurt of flame and Originium dust envelop this corner of the battlefield.
<Background 6>
Nezzsalem	...
Sudaram	My Patriarch! Your body...
Nezzsalem	It will not hinder me in battle.
Sudaram	The Victorians, they are fierce. They have adapted quickly. They are on the cusp of finding means to counter our ways. Our losses grow by the minute.
Nezzsalem	Our warriors. Will not surrender. Our defensive line. Still stands strong.
Sudaram	Indeed, my liege.
Nezzsalem	It is enough. I believe in Theresis. In Theresa. This has not changed. Not even now.
<Background Black>
I have talked to Theresis about Gul'dul the Citymaker many times. The Children of Soil and Stone had long since scattered across the land. I was in no way able to replicate his deeds, what with his unique talent for commanding Gargoyles that he used to quickly lay down city walls of stone. However, I was able to learn much from his decisiveness and leadership. A clothesmaker, a citymaker.
I jokingly told Theresis that perhaps Gul'dul and I were more alike than I thought. His face turned rather serious all of a sudden, telling me that he would not allow me to share the same fate as that king, betrayed by those he called his closest companions. I was never able to share all of Gul'dul's thoughts and feelings with Theresis.
Gul'dul's final emotions had embedded themselves deeply into my mind. The last thing he laid eyes on was not the Diαblo who betrayed him, but the city that he and his countless fellows had wrought together. We knew that Gul'dul would not be the last King of Sarkaz slain by the ones they hold dearest, nor was his city the final Kazdel. As long as there are still those who yearn to return home, Kazdel will be reborn from the ashes.
<Background 7>
Closure	Both BM and TAA are currently clear, you can proceed down those routes! The Originium crystal clusters shouldn't reach them for the next fifteen minutes. I9's no good, Feist, the beacon just changed color. The Originium mountain next to it is a collapse risk.
[Transmission comes in.]
Fang	Closure, we've scouted ahead on I903! We've got wounded, looks like they're civilians.
Closure	Yep, saw it already. I'm sending a buggy to you. Make sure to meet it and get what defensive equipment and medicine you need out of it. It'll know where to go next. Oh, right, there's also two drones headed your way. When the fog rises, keep an eye on the signal light, green means no problems ahead. The Exemplars will provide support at I901.
Fang	I can't help but ask, Closure, but how many things are you controlling at once?
Closure	I'm still doing alright, I've got seven, eight... A dozen of things in total, looks like. And I've got my eyes watching a few others besides. The situation's a lot more complex than most other Rhodes Island Catastrophe support missions. Fang...
Fang	Don't worry, I'll be careful. Closure, you should also—*bzzzzzzt*
[Transmission abruptly ends.]
Closure	Comms interference? Looks like drones 176 and 178 have lost signal. ...
[A mercenary walks into the encapment, talking on his transceiver.]
Sarkaz Mercenary	Found some supplies. There's meds and eats. Nothing that can be used as a weapon.
Closure	You can have the food and medicine, though don't take more than you need.
Sarkaz Mercenary	You really gonna try and make demands when you ain't got a weapon... Wait, vampire?
Closure	Yep. Don't worry, I'm not with the Royal Court, and I don't know how to use Arts to rip all your blood out of your body with a snap of my finger.
Sarkaz Mercenary	Pah, if you really are with those bastards, I'll stick my sword through your neck right here right now!
Closure	You're not here on a mission, are you? Manfred wouldn't have sent a team who didn't recognize our logo. I know that saying this to you isn't going to change a thing, but this position's about to blow real soon. Do you mind not getting in the way of my work?
Sarkaz Mercenary	Argh—!
[Strong winds start blowing.]
Sarkaz Mercenary	That crazy Catastrophe's coming back around? Damn the Royal Court and whatever insane thing they pulled out of their behinds. I ain't staying in this blasted place! Hey, this is 467, you guys read me? I said—
Misery	The mercenaries who attacked the camp have been dealt with. Go, Closure. You should move to the next safe location.
Closure	Sure. My thanks, Master Assassin.
Sarkaz Mercenary	...
Closure	Surrendering? If you are, then you can come along with us.
Sarkaz Mercenary	Not like I've got any other choice now.
Misery	Since the war progressed, more mercenaries have been scattered all over the battlefield. They're likely to return to old habits without the Military Commission's commands keeping them in check. We will most likely be encountering many more attacks like this one.
Closure	Wasn't it the same deal back in the day?
Misery	...It was. No matter if we must cross Catastrophes, or a horde of enemies... We will do our best to allow everyone who wishes to go home, go home.
<Background 8>
Sarkaz Civilian	Has there been any news from the Military Commission? I heard they just killed a Victorian duke, and that it won't be long before they bag their second and third! *cough* *cough*... Have you had any, gah, good meds lately? I wanna heal up this busted leg of mine. Even getting rid of just one or two rocks would be good enough, to run a bit faster in battle...
Odda	... You are heading to Londinium too?
Sarkaz Civilian	Londinium? How am I supposed to make it there? Even if I wanted to go, the Regent's not going to want me. But this war... It's going to end up at Kazdel sooner or later, right? Those Victorians and Leithanians... They're not going to let us off easy, are they? You should probably start planning ahead too, little fella. Keep polishing that weapon of yours, and remember how to use it to kill...
[The Sarkaz walks away.]
Odda	...The Military Commission. After so many years, is our city really about to—
???	Huff... puff... I've finally caught up with you.
Odda	Er... You're...
Ermengarde	Uh... Your fellow professional?
Odda	...
Ermengarde	I mean being a Messenger! *sigh* So many years gone by in an instant. I've been away for too long from Kazdel, not too familiar with it nowadays. I heard that I would be able to find who I seek at these coordinates. Would you mind telling me how to get to the former location of Babel?
<Background Black>
Our progress on Babel's work saw heavy pushback at every turn, as expected. I was never worried about failure, but I did not want to see those who harbored hope fall back into the cycle of despair. I dove deeper and deeper into "Civilight Eterna".
Kal'tsit reminded me that this could put a strain on my body, but time was short, and I had to make use of every resource that I could. In the end, I managed to find the Farchaser, the very first King of Sarkaz.
I saw a faint vision of a war that engulfed the sky and the earth, a crowd of people being devoured by despair, and then... what was perhaps Originium. I could not say. It looked far different from the black crystals we are familiar with, glinting with the cleanest luster. Our King of Sarkaz, defender of the first Kazdel, offered his very blood and soul to it. Soon after, eternal night descended. All sound and light faded from us without a trace.
The Farchaser had renounced his name and left little emotion within "Civilight Eterna". I believe he did so intentionally. He embraced the darkness on behalf of all Sarkaz, and buried himself within it. What I had stepped into was a cold and desolate tomb. I paced back and forth within, lost in thought amidst the silence.
Up until the moment that I realized that the darkness was not as desolate as I had assumed.
A tower. Only by building a tower tall enough could we reach the darkness above. Everything we build will collapse into ruin and be swallowed by the sands, this is true. But our will and our desire allow us to rise back up from the dust millions upon millions of times. We climb. We climb. We never stop ascending, crossing over the limits of our knowledge. Until we transcend the darkness.
Amiya	... So this is why there's a tower here.
W	Well, somehow or the other, looks like we managed to reach the top. How long did we spend climbing this thing? Feels like I've been climbing for ages!
Amiya	Indeed, but we might need... to climb a little longer.
W	Hey, bunny! What are you blanking for?
Amiya	I was listening.
W	To the dead guys with the limited vocabulary nagging away? Haven't you gotten tired of them by now?
Amiya	Hmm...
Amiya knows whose voice she heard. The King of Sarkaz is among the myriad souls. The myriad souls wishes the King of Sarkaz will listen. Amiya cannot help but follow this voice in delving into the depths of "Civilight Eterna", fumbling about amidst countless fragments of space and time. A ring chafes against the palm of her hand. If only she could remove them, she would be privy to secrets ancient and new, and all the details of the past will flow into her brain.
Kal'tsit	Not now, Amiya.
Amiya	Dr. Kal'tsit...
Kal'tsit	You are being influenced by the myriad souls. In their impatience, they are willing you to accept their choice.
Amiya	I wish to understand... her emotions.
Kal'tsit	Then you must face her. We must all do so.
Doctor	She's right, Amiya. / We'll do it together.
Amiya	I know. Other than the myriad souls outside, I can hear the voices of your hearts clearly. The Doctor's, Dr. Kal'tsit's, W's.
W	Those who dare use Arts on me to peep at my thoughts tend not to last too long. But... Heh, since we made it this far, I bet we're pretty much thinking the same thing anyway.
Urgency, nervousness, and a brimming anticipation. All vivid emotions that contrast with the echoes in the deathly silence.
Amiya	Let's go up together. We're very close now.
W	Let me have a think on how we should tear down this transparent ceiling.
Amiya	Perhaps... She has already told me how.
<Background fades out>
An eye within the darkness hangs above their heads. A rhombus. It appears to be the only light in the darkness, as if it is the one that devoured the brilliance of all other things.
Amiya raises her head. Every King of Sarkaz amongst the myriad souls raises their head. Amiya stretches her hand out towards the rhombus. Every King of Sarkaz amongst the myriad souls stretches their hand out.
<Background fades to white>
These were the only words left to me by the first King of Sarkaz: "The stone that enshrouds us like night is our suffering, and our hope." We came here because of hope. At this moment, the Farchaser, the Citymaker, the Wrathful Cerulean Flame... All the Kings of Sarkaz are with me. Even Yliš takes up his staff once more. They fight alongside me. For the sake of our shared duty. The duty of the Kings. The future of the Sarkaz will be revealed here.
Heaven and earth, up and down, light and dark, past and future. All of a sudden, they are reversed. At the top of the tower that is also its base, at the end that is also its beginning, Amiya hears a sigh.
???	We have been waiting for you... "King of Sarkaz".