Operation story: ZT-5
< ZT-5
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Characters | |
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![]() Anxious Student ![]() Enraged Student ![]() Flustered Student ![]() Frightened Student ![]() Gendarmerie ![]() Gendarmerie A ![]() Gendarmerie B ![]() Gendarmerie C ![]() "Witch King's Echo" ![]() "Witch King's Echo" ![]() "Witch King's Echo" Strange Voice From a Sculpture "Witch King's Echo" |
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Backgrounds | |
Before operation
Summary The Gendarmerie and the students all start to hallucinate. The scholar turns out to be a remnant of the Witch King, and Lessing charges into the chamber to protect Ebenholz. Federico finds Arturia, only to discover that she is not responsible for the chaos. Her target is the Gesatzswächter.
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<Background black> | |
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A standoff. It was meant to be a sudden assault. The casters of Kreis Heldenschwert would disguise themselves as musicians and infiltrated the Witch King's Spire, while the armies from Erdenherre and Sturmland would stay hidden outside through their enchantments. No one dared underestimate the Witch King's power, but the battle was nonetheless harder than anyone could have imagined. The army outside the Spire was discovered by the Einwald Imperial Guard. The first wave of casters all died at its base, while the second wave was swallowed by the endless staircase. The only ones who made it to the throne were the Twins. Grimmacht, and her sister, Ewigegnade. Black and red had always been the Urtica colors, but from the entrance to its deepest innards, the Spire was almost completely void of black tiles. | |
<Background 1> | |
[The music of a cello drifts in the air.] | |
Gesatzswächter | ...... |
Viviana | House Urtica's secret chamber lies underground, and it's very close to Sonata Spire, so we can make our way down through it. Herr Fremont has already left, and we must catch up. |
Gesatzswächter | Nein. |
Viviana | Is something the matter? |
Gesatzswächter | Go no further. The Witch King's Imperial Guard is here. You will die. |
Viviana | The Imperial Guard? What do you mean? |
Gesatzswächter | The folks from Heldenschwert never expected you people to win. They simply wanted the Sturmland armies to keep the Imperial Guard at bay while the Twins climbed the spire. In their plans, all of you were meant to die. The Witch King, the Twins, everyone. Tell your father and Ernst that the Hochbergs should not be buried here, not in this spire. |
Viviana | Herr Reiner, my father is dead. |
Gesatzswächter | I'm the reason that you're the only survivor. I'm the one... who took away your freedom... |
Viviana | Please, look at me. I'm Viviana. Did you perhaps... mistake me for my father? |
Gesatzswächter | ...... Leave now. Leave Ludwigs-Universität. Grimmacht's envoy has passed on the Kaiserin's order. As an Empresses' Voice, you have more than enough grounds to terminate your mission. And to prevent the Voices from going out of sync, Ewigegnade won't punish you for it either. |
Viviana | Do you hear the commotion around us? |
[The sounds of people ruthlessly fighting fill the university grounds.] | |
Gesatzswächter | It sounds familiar. This is practically a battlefield. My duties prevent me from escorting you out, but I can at least use my melody to forge a path through the chaos for you. |
Viviana | ...Nein. I will never forget how quiet and peaceful it was when we entered the campus. The young students' faces still had hope for what was to come. I can't let them become sacrifices to this conflict. While I'm nowhere near as strong as you or Herr Fremont, I'd like to help as many of those weaker than me as I can. |
Gesatzswächter | Herkunftshorn's secret lies ahead. Ewigegnade said that when Das Kaiserinnensfest comes to an end, you'll have another chance to choose. But once you've gazed upon the country's darkest, most hidden secret, all your other choices will immediately evaporate. |
Viviana | I expected as much. But while I long for freedom, I can't very well turn my back on people suffering right in front of me. Ironic, isn't it? |
Gesatzswächter | ...You're just like your father. |
Viviana | Ja, I know. I've... always known the kind of man he was. |
<Background 2> | |
Gendarmerie A | What's going on? Why are there so many people underground? |
Gendarmerie B | They charged inside! It's not just Sonata Spire, either; The Scholars' Spire next door, too! There are students everywhere! |
Gendarmerie A | Stop them all! Don't let them block the stairs, or we can't chase— |
[Arts suddenly fly past the Gendarmerie.] | |
Gendarmerie A | Who did that? |
Gendarmerie B | No idea, there's too much going on! I can't make anything out! |
[A member of the Echoes of Herkunftshorn appears.] | |
"Witch King's Echo" | ...... |
Gendarmerie A | W-Witch King's remnants! |
"Witch King's Echo" | Listen. Listen to the extreme chaos, as well as to the only melody that can be found within it. That is Herkunftshorn's sigh. The final sound our king left upon this land. |
<Background 3> | |
Arturia | The supreme spire, whose dark shadow on the ground causes all to shudder. Those who do not wish to be engulfed in darkness paddle their arms and climb the staircases leading up. The pitch black will hangs over the throne in silence, awaiting inquiries from other souls. Those who hide behind the curtains regret the demise of love. Those who lead the charge in others' stead ponder the meaning of heroism. Those who wade through the sea of their fallen comrades' blood lament the price of their sacrifice. ... All of them now gather at the far ends of this spiral staircase, to witness the birth of this melody. Its name— —Der Tod des Hexenkönigs.[note 1] |
<Background 2> | |
[Fighting and screams continue to echo within the university halls.] | |
Frightened Student | It's the Witch King's army! They're charging toward me! Casters pouring in through Catastrophes! Originium piercing entire cities! Help, I don't want to die... But... I might as well. Please, burn me to ashes! I don't want to be crumpled into a living ball of flesh! Urk... Nngh! |
[The student sets himself on fire with his Arts, but is immediately stopped by Michael.] | |
Michael | How could you set yourself ablaze, you idiot! |
[Michael runs off elsewhere, trying to control the situation.] | |
<Background fades in and out> | |
Michael | Nein, everyone here has gone mad! This sound... Th-The pipe organ! Are the Witch King's remnants performing? All of us are under the influence of their... illusions... Who's there on the podium? All this blood, all these... corpses? But who is it lying in the blood...? Grimmacht... Ewigegnade! |
[The shadows of the Twin Empresses flicker in front of Michael.] | |
Enraged Student | Hahaha, it's you! The wicked Twins! The rumors were true, weren't they? Your souls were cooked up by Sarkaz Arts, and your blood molded from the ambitions of traitors! You killed Leithanien's true king, and took over her throne— You two were born to destroy this country! |
Michael | You're wrong! Grimmacht may be cruel, but she's not evil! |
Enraged Student | And who are you? Another Empresses' Voice? A puppet carrying out the Twins' will? |
Michael | Nein, she wouldn't let me become one. But I'm alive because of Grimmacht. I want to help her. I want to— |
Enraged Student | Anyone who accepts a monster's reward becomes a monster themselves. Look at all this! Look at how far Leithanien has fallen because of you people! This spire... This school... Did you keep Ludwigs-Universität around only to impersonate us true Leithanians? To pretend you still had the decency to respect tradition? I've had enough. I'm sick of the Empresses' Voice showing up at our lectures. I'm sick of the salons incapable of anything other but empty praise! Our history, our knowledge, and our arts are all long dead. Murdered! So we may as well die together. I... I'll kill all of you...! |
[The enraged student punches Michael in the face.] | |
Michael | Ugh—! What are these Arts? Why can't I block them? No... Is that a fist? I... |
Michael's eyes suddenly widen. More and more people rush toward Sonata Spire by the minute, joining the fray as the music continues. Many of them set down their wands, choosing instead of use their fists, legs, and teeth. Is this still the Leithanien he knows? All the rhetorical tricks and combat tactics he learned... even Originium Arts have lost their effectiveness. Aside from cowering under his shield, there is nothing he can do. Right now, he is no different from the young boy he was when he had just left his hometown and arrived in Zwillingstürme. | |
Michael | Please, I beg you... Ewigegnade, I'll do anything... Please spare me... No... Don't hurt me... Grimmacht... Grimmacht... |
??? | Please stand. |
[The boy, who had been covering himself under his shield, gets up.] | |
Michael | Who...? |
Federico | Raise your shield, and face it to your left. |
Michael | ...Okay. |
[Federico's instructions help Michael stop an incoming blow.] | |
Federico | Help me hold this person up. |
Gendarmerie C | ...... |
Michael | A Gendarme? Who is he? |
Federico | I do not know his name, but he is one of Loris Bordin's subordinates. He was attempting to blow my head up with Arts. |
Michael | And you still saved him? |
[Artz whiz past Micha.] | |
Michael | Ugh—! |
[Federico shoves Micha aside and fires his shotgun at the wall.] | |
Federico | The third sculpture, shattered. He was merely carrying out his duties. I see no reason to harm him. These men may be under the influence of Arts, losing their reason to their most intense emotions buried deep within their hearts. Fighting them would be inefficient. I suggest instead quickly rendering them unconscious, as I have been doing. |
Michael | ...So this entire time, you've been knocking people out while making your way through the crowd? |
Federico | I have also attempted to place them in a corner to ensure that they won't be stepped on or struck in the melee. |
Michael | Danke, then, for not clubbing me the moment you saw me then. |
Federico | I do not require thanks. Micha Wolf, you may be young, but mentally you are much stronger than most adults. I believe that as long as someone is available to provide you a hint, you will never lose yourself to these illusions. That is not necessarily the case for everyone else. Although I have yet to receive confirmation, if it was Arturia's music that caused this chaos, then the abnormal behavior will continue until we end her performance. I'll leave this place to you, Micha Wolf. |
Michael | Call me Michael. |
Federico | I must continue ascending, Michael. |
<Background 3> | |
Strange Voice From a Sculpture | This sound is very familiar. The staircase outside must be as chaotic as it was twenty-three years ago? |
Arturia | Panic, anxiety, fear, rage... All these emotions, caused by that non-existent spire. The Genesis Spire standing at the heart of Leithanien. When its sound can once again be heard far and wide, what sort of music will it finally have in store for us? |
<Background 4> | |
[The Echoes of Herkunftshorn form a circle around the room.] | |
"Witch King's Echo" | Herkunftshorn, our one and only king! Your magnificence props up the Spire, and your radiance shrouds the land! Your soul shines eternal, and your Arts will never fade! All of Leithanien's wisdom and elegance gather before you! Your luminance and greatness are the pillars of her success! Lift your heads, all ye who prostrate on the land before him— Gaze upon our king's accomplishments! His glory! |
[Professor Hoffmann steps forward.] | |
Gerhard | At last... The day has finally arrived. For two decades, I've dreamt of walking up those long stairs and standing before this very throne. Fortunately, fate provided me the enchantments you left on the Güldenesgesatz. Today, very soon, your final melody will be performed. Herkunftshorn, Leithanien's most supreme ruler. Allow me to once again seek an audience. Allow me to... seek your forgiveness. |
Ebenholz | ...... |
Gerhard | Good boy, Franz. I apologize. I had no choice but to knock you out. Does your head still hurt? |
Ebenholz | ...... |
Gerhard | I would have thought you'd have plenty of questions for me. |
Ebenholz | ...Hah. |
Gerhard | Ja, that's the look. You're in pain, but unwilling to give in. Even lying in sludge, you'd still look upon your betters with scorn. |
Ebenholz | My betters? All I see is a flock of madmen putting on a show. Your ramblings are even less worth listening to than the noise in my head. |
Gerhard | You believe us insane, and that we've mistaken you for the Witch King. And so we repent and kneel before you. What a shame. Even I had hoped that you could truly become him. If only... If only our original experiment had succeeded. If only we'd found the way to perform the Voice of Mundane right from the start. Then, neither you nor the other children would have suffered so. |
Ebenholz | ...It was you? And to think I was going to... protect you... Ha... hahahaha! |
Gerhard | You're coughing up blood. |
Ebenholz | *spit* I almost wish my blood really were imbued with evil power. Then I could've at least burnt away that deceitful mask you're wearing. |
Gerhard | But I haven't told you a single lie. When we first met, you'd yet to learn to walk. All you could do was sit on your mother's lap. |
Ebenholz | Was she also...? |
Gerhard | A remnant of the Witch King? Is that what you wanted to ask? Are you worried that your birth itself was... some sort of evil ritual? |
Ebenholz | ...... |
Gerhard | Nein, quite the opposite. But you wish it were, don't you? You want your entire life to have been a conspiracy, through-and-through. That way, you'd feel comfortable despising it. But that doesn't make sense, my dear Franz. Your mother was a respectable woman. She was a descendant of the Urticas, part of the Witch King's bloodline. So to others, she was almost by definition one of his remnants. Before she died, she entrusted you to a friend, an old servant of the Witch King. And to protect you, he too was killed by the Empresses' Voice. Would you scorn them as well? Even though they truly loved you? |
Ebenholz | ...So after taking away my love, now you tell me I don't deserve to hate either? You want me to be nothing more than an empty husk. All the better to squeeze that old fart into me. Hah... Just try. The Witch King's whispers, his robes, his crown... What else is there? |
Gerhard | Don't worry, my child. When Herkunftshorn's power arrives, he will end your cruel fate and heal you of your scars and pain. |
??? | I thought I told you to let him go. |
Gerhard | So you chased us after all. It must have been hard to make it past all the enchantments outside, no? |
[Lessing steps inside the chamber.] | |
Lessing | This is my responsibility, and I don't give up. |
[Lessing brandishes his longsword.] | |
Gerhard | I'm surprised you were able to cleave through my defensive enchantments. |
Lessing | I sharpen my sword with my Arts every day. I make sure that it's as solid as my will. |
Gerhard | Your sword... It has a special enchantment that specifically targets traditional Leithanian Arts. Did the Professor teach you that? Has he always been prepared to make an enemy of Leithanien? |
Lessing | The old man's never been one to pick his enemies. And neither do I. Our enemies crawl out the shadows on their own. Just like you, Gerhard. I never expected to point my sword at someone who was once my ally. |
Gerhard | We don't have to be enemies, Lessing. The Maeyers have served the Urticas for generations. As long as you're willing to stand on our side and help Franz, there will always be a place for you by the throne. |
Lessing | The throne? All I see is a musty old chair. My grandfather, my parents... All of them have been held hostage by that chair for far too long. Why should I repeat the same mistake and bind myself to it again? |
Gerhard | Hm, well said. Those unwilling to be bound by the past will always try to seek out a different fate. Like you, and like me. |
"Witch King's Echo" | The Concertmaster has started the performance. It's almost time. No one can stop the advent of Herkunftshorn anymore. |
[Lessing unwraps the cloth around his longsword.] | |
![]() | |
Lessing | But Herkunftshorn isn't the one sitting on that throne. His name is Ebenholz. And it's my duty to bring him back with me. As long as I live, nothing will stop me from reaching that battered chair. It doesn't matter how many men you have— Come at me. |
[Lessing's sword slashes the air.] | |
<Background 1> | |
"Witch King's Echo" | Gesatzswächter...! The melody has begun. Not even you can stop its flow! |
Gesatzswächter | Perhaps not. |
[Brandt unsheathes his Sword and uses his Arts.] | |
"Witch King's Echo" | Your sword is... reverberating? It's useless, Gesatzswächter. You may be able to chain down a single man's mind, but a hundred? A thousand? Your melody will be drowned in chaos. Much like how the Gesatzswächter were unable to stop the melee at the foot of the Witch King's Spire twenty-three years ago... |
Gesatzswächter | If so, I will kill chaos itself. |
His longsword pierces not his enemy's chest, but instead the ground beneath them. | |
<Background starts shaking> | |
A golden radiance surges from the blade, drowning out even the Gesatzswächter's armor, then dashes toward the sky to form a webbing the color of the setting sun, enveloping Sonata Spire within it. All sounds within reach of his Arts are drowned out, leaving nothing but the solemn melody reverberating in the air. | |
"Witch King's Echo" | A golden curtain? Those Arts should take at least ten Gesatzswächter to cast! How did you manage it all on your own?! I... ugh! |
[The remnant succumbs and turns to dust.] | |
Gesatzswächter | The harmony of the Güldenesgesatz is inviolable. Today, no one outside Ludwigs-Universität will hear a single discordant note. I swear by my flesh, blood, and soul— Not a single remnant of the Witch King will leave this spire alive. You and your Arts must be extinguished here. |
<Background stops shaking> | |
<Background 4> | |
Gerhard | The melody's changed again. |
[Fremont walks into the chamber.] | |
Fremont | Gerhard. |
Gerhard | Took you long enough, Professor. I'm sure killing us Leithanian casters would be a simple matter for you. But as always, you're unwilling to dirty your own hands. |
Fremont | How many times do I have to tell you? Us Liches are just the keepers of the palace of knowledge. We bring our wisdom to the different races to advance the development of Arts, but we never interfere with a country's own affairs. That was the Court of the Lich King's contract with your ancestors, and it is the Liches' creed. |
Gerhard | I understand all too well. A group of Sarkaz living in Leithanien's most ancient spire, the seat of her power—No Leithanian would willingly accept that truth. I'm quite jealous of you, you know. Even against Herkunftshorn, all you did was provide the enchantment that molded those twins. You didn't need to bear the responsibility of changing history, nor did you stain your hands with... the blood of your closest friend. |
Fremont | I don't get what you're thinking at all. Years ago, you're the one tried to convince me to stop Herkunftshorn, but now you're mingling with these third-rate wannabes! |
Gerhard | Ja, because I changed. And you're the one who changed me. You had me research the Güldenesgesatz and think on Leithanien's history. And I did exactly as you asked. But the deeper I got into my research, the more I... despaired. Herkunftshorn's accomplishments were simply too dazzling. He resolved the Siracusan problem and saved Leithanien when it was on the verge of breaking apart. He crushed Corsica I and prevented us from becoming a Gaulish vassal state. Only through his presence have we thwarted every existential threat to the country, again and again. We had such a great man on the throne, and... we killed him. |
Fremont | When did I ever tell you to read up how great Herkunftshorn was? Besides, what does his "greatness" have to do with him killing so many Sarkaz and Leithanians alike, turning the country into a smoking hot mess, and plugging his ears to anyone else's opinions? I had you study the Güldenesgesatz because I wanted you to have a more open-minded outlook. Not to pour over every trivial growing pain every nation goes through. Hardships happen, then everyone goes back to their lives. But somehow you ended up caught up in this nonsense. How can you even consider this when so many have died? |
Gerhard | ...Because I can't see them, Professor. I'm not like you, a Sarkaz with control over even death itself. When we die, that's it. We become a speck of dust on this land forever. The dead can never feel my hatred. All those years ago, I was the one who persuaded them to fight. I sent them to their deaths in the Witch King's spire. If that battle had never happened, he wouldn't have died, and neither would they. |
Fremont | You idiot. And that's why you want to resurrect him? You can't possibly think that, when you do see him, he's going to praise you for this? Or even comfort you? He wasn't some kindly old grandfather who sang nursery rhymes to dumb kids! He wouldn't even spare you a glance. He'd treat you as a speck of dust dirtying his floor. |
Gerhard | Ha... Haha... You still don't understand a thing. A selfish and cowardly man like me... Everything I do... I do to seek my own forgiveness. |
[Red Arts pulse within the chamber.] | |
Fremont | That thing you're holding... The missing Güldensesgesatz?! |
Gerhard | More precisely, it's the lingering trace of Herkunftshorn's power he left in the Güldenesgesatz. |
Fremont | You want to use his Arts by force? Don't be stupid, Gerhard! You can't do it! |
Gerhard | I've come too far not to. I don't want... to regret this a second time. |
[Gerhard unleashes the hidden power inside the Güldenesgesatz copy.] | |
<Background flashes red, then fades to black> | |
A flame rises, so black and so red that it seems drenched in blood. The walls of the chamber tremble violently. Originium crystals sprout and grow from every crevice between the brick and tile, even piercing the ground's foundation. | |
<Background returns to normal> | |
Ebenholz | Ugh... Argh... |
Lessing | Ebenholz! |
[A remnant tries to stop Lessing, but he swiftly incapicitates them.] | |
Lessing | Hurry, Gerhard's going to destroy this whole school! |
Ebenholz | Witch... King... The Voice of Mundane... It's boiling in my head. It... It'll be free soon... |
Lessing | That's not the Voice of Mundane reacting. |
Ebenholz | It's... not? |
Lessing | I don't know who first got it wrong. Or maybe Gerhard has given up on summoning him through you entirely. But Herkunftshorn's power isn't originating from your mind. You aren't the key melody here! |
<Background 1> | |
[A gunshot rings across the terrace.] | |
Federico | Arturia. |
Arturia | You're a little later than expected. Is it because you were helping the Gendarmerie? You've grown soft. What happened to the executor who would stop at nothing to fulfill his mission? |
[Federico fires his shotgun at another sculpture...] | |
Federico | The fourth sculpture. You aren't playing. |
Arturia | You must be shocked, aren't you? Like I've told you, you don't need to rush to find me. Until my real audience arrives, I'm just a listener myself. |
Federico | You aren't the source of the illusions the men below are experiencing. |
Arturia | I'm a little hurt. We've been competing against each other for how long now? But you still confuse the "truth" my music draws out with the "illusions" a conman would use. Besides, haven't you noticed? The people trapped in this spire have always hated each other. They've never stopped fighting. Isn't laying the blame for this chaos entirely on mind-affecting Arts also a form of running away? |
Federico | Leithanien's affairs are not within the purview of the Notarial Hall. My primary targets are limited to you and your accomplices. Who is manipulating the sculptures to protect you? |
Arturia | An avid listener of mine. You arrived a bit too late. Just a little earlier and you could also have had a front row seat to Der Tod des Hexenkönigs[note 1]. |
[Federico destorys another sculpture...] | |
Federico | The fifth. Arturia, I'm well acquainted with every crime you have committed. Your Arts have affected a variety of regions and social classes, but you have never actively participated in political conflict. |
Arturia | Do you remember my mother's funeral? |
Federico | ...... |
Arturia | How I freed the emotions everyone had kept hidden in their hearts. It was the first time I realized how easily others fell into my melodies. But that brought me no joy. Quite the opposite. I was disappointed. Powerful emotions should give rise to more than just chaos. Emotions are meant to bolster our souls, to allow us to overcome any obstacle... even our predestined extinction. Which is why I came here in my search. |
[And another sculpture...] | |
Federico | The sixth. If you're looking to perform for the Witch King, then you will never succeed. He perished long ago. Your melody has no effect on the dead. |
Arturia | It would seem you're a little mistaken about this performance. The shadow over the throne was dispersed, and the twin heroes walked out of the spire to the adoration of the masses... While those who stayed put are still waist deep in the emotions they felt when they witnessed the mountain crumble before them. Der Tod des Hexenkönigs[note 1] isn't about the Witch King. He was never the main character of this piece. |
<Background 2> | |
<Background is surrounded by black flames> | |
Flustered Student | What happened... Why are we here? Ugh, my hand hurts! Why am I bleeding? |
Anxious Student | The stairs are shaking! Is the spire coming down? What's with the black fire burning from the ground... Help! Help! |
Michael | These are Herkunftshorn's enhancements. You've all come to your senses... We need to get out of the spire, now! |
Gendarmerie C | Ngh... guh... |
Michael | You're awake too? |
Gendarmerie C | Candlelight... Candle... Can... |
Michael | Candlelight? |
[As he spoke the words, the Candle Knight appears before him.] | |
Viviana | Here, this way. |
[The black flames rage, blocking the path.] | |
Michael | But the flames... The whole Sonata Spire is enveloped by these black flames! |
Viviana | I'll open up a path. |
Michael | With your candle's flame? |
Viviana | Pay attention to the shadow it casts on the wall. |
[The flames are engulfed by Viviana's Arts.] | |
<Background returns to normal> | |
Michael | The shadow's... tearing the black flames apart? |
Viviana | Ja... This is the true form of my Arts. You must be disappointed. They're not nearly as beautiful as you thought, right? |
Michael | No, meine Dame...[note 2] This is stunning. You don't often see Arts that can rival Herkunftshorn's undying black flames. |
Viviana | I can't defeat them. But as long as something truly exists, it casts a shadow. The most I can manage is make use of this principle to ever-so-briefly create a chance to survive. |
Michael | ...... |
Viviana | Is something the matter? |
Michael | I was just thinking that... I was your enemy until a moment ago, yet you aren't blaming me. |
Viviana | Why should I? You said you're not an Empresses' Voice. And I have yet to formally enter the Kaiserin's Spire myself. Here, you can just be you, and I can just be Viviana. We aren't carrying out the Kaiserin's orders. We're simply helping out the poor souls struggling in this music. So please take the students and make your way out as fast as you can, while they've recovered their mobility. I can still hold on a little longer. |
Michael | I can see golden light outside. The Gesatzswächter's curtain has already enveloped this place. He could destroy the spire at any moment. |
Viviana | I trust that Herr Reiner will make the appropriate decision. |
Michael | What about you, then? |
Viviana | My candleflame will extinguish sooner or later. Hopefully, it chooses the most meaningful moment to. |
[The black flames start to come back to life, separating the two.] | |
Michael | Frau Hochberg... Viviana! |
Viviana | Go, Michael. Please take care of yourself and these young students. Each of you has a future that... someone like me could never dream of. |
<Background 1> | |
Imperial Caster | This is the place. Surround the spire. |
[More casters descend from above.] | |
Gesatzswächter | Casters from the Kaiserinnen's Spires? |
[The casters step aside to reveal...] | |
Cora | That's right, Brandt. |
Gesatzswächter | Haven't I already said that— |
Cora | These are the Kaiserin's orders. |
Imperial Caster | We are to assist you in resolving the problem here. |
Gesatzswächter | Good. Use your Arts. Join me as an accompaniment. I will tighten the curtain. |
[Michael quickly rushes to stop him.] | |
Michael | No, Herr Reiner! |
Gesatzswächter | Step said, envoy of Grimmacht. Will you continue to stand in our way? Your earlier behavior alone is reason enough to suspect you of colluding with the Witch King's remnants. |
Michael | There are still innocents inside. |
Gesatzswächter | I see the students have all been evacuated, and Herr Fremont wouldn't die so easily. |
Michael | But the Sankta, and Viviana... |
Cora | Viviana is still inside? |
Michael | She's trapped by the black flames, and stayed behind to save me and the students. |
Cora | Brandt! |
Gesatzswächter | This is our best chance to eliminate the threat. |
Cora | Once the ensemble is complete, your strength will completely annihilate the spire! Viviana will perish too! |
Gesatzswächter | It was her decision to enter the battlefield. |
Cora | Werner gave his life for Leithanien. We can't let his one and only daughter follow in his footsteps! You promised Werner that you'd save her. We both did. Have you forgotten your oath? |
Gesatzswächter | ...... |
<Flashback starts here> | |
<Background 2> | |
"Gesatzswächter" | Have you forgotten your oath, Reiner? The blade and Arts of a Gesatzswächter belong only to the Güldenesgesatz and to Leithanien. It doesn't matter how Herkunftshorn treats his subjects. He is Leithanien's rightful ruler, as recognized by the Güldenesgesatz. If you choose to fight alongside House Hochberg, you will be abandoning your duties as a Gesatzswächter. One more step, and you will be making an enemy out of all of us. |
<Background 5> | |
"Hochberg" | Brandt... Why didn't you come save us? We grew up together. We were like brothers. I know you loathe the Witch King too. You despise his tyranny over Sturmland's citizens, and you hate how he turned our homeland into a battlefield and a testing ground! The Battle of the Four Emperors was years ago, and the skies above Sturmland are still filled with Catastrophe clouds formed by Originium shards. Many of our children are doomed to be born with those accursed stones. Why can't we resist? Why can't we make him pay the price? Is it because the Güldenesgesatz dictates that he's the ruler, and that we are his attendants? Nein! It isn't right for us to be born that way. If your power is merely dependent on some inviolable will, does that make your will—the Gesatzswächter's will—fundamentally a lie? It's that lie that's forcing you run away from your decision. As well as from your remorse toward the dead Hochbergs. |
<Background black> | |
Brandt Reiner— Make your decision now. | |
<Flashback ends here> | |
Gesatzswächter | ...Viviana. |
His body wobbles once, almost unnoticeably. Then, small cracks start appearing in the golden curtain. | |
<Background 3> | |
Arturia | Resonance. At last... I got you. |
[Federico yet again shoots another sculpture.] | |
Federico | The seventh. All the sculptures have been destroyed. You no longer have a means to resist. |
Arturia | Just a moment longer, my dear Federico. Do you hear that? Brandt Reiner. His soul is finally opening up to my melody. His strong will has finally broken free of his restraints, and the surge of emotions will lead him to make the decision he will regret the least. This is what I've been waiting for... The truest climax of this piece. |
[The ground trembles violently, and all of a sudden, a giant black Spire emerges from the university.] | |
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A melody, so impassioned that it approaches piercing, rings out from the strings of Arturia's cello. As though motivated by the music, black Originium flames rise from the deepest depths of the earth and tear asunder the surface mere inches away. The Witch King's musicians standing guard at the foot of the spire all walk single file into the black flames, chanting even as they are incinerated into ash. | |
"Witch King's Echo" | The very Spire that holds up the skies, the inevitable, indispensable, and eternal pillar— Now rise! |
Something bores out of the earth's flesh. It is a high spire. It bears a red tint to its blackness, a spiral shape, and a strange sharpness. The long lost Witch King's Spire stands atop the land once more. |
After operation
Summary Empress Grimmacht descends from the sky and destroys the Urticas' chamber. The scholar dies when the Witch King's powers backfire on him, and Arturia sends him on his way with her cello. Federico finally captures Arturia, only for the Empress's executor to take her away.
| |
[The school is in chaos as they witness the rise of the Witch King's Spire.] | |
---|---|
Frightened Student | Wh-What the hell is that? The Witch King's Spire...? Is that the Witch King's Spire?! The Witch King is back. That terrifying tyrant... that evil caster... He's back! |
[The frightened student flees in terror.] | |
Gendarmerie | Stop, don't turn back. Don't push— |
Enraged Student | Hahaha, where would you even run? This is the punishment that the great Herkunftshorn is laying down on us. Burn! Burn! |
Gendarmerie | What are you doing? You're attracting the flames! |
Enraged Student | It's all over anyway. Why even bother lying to ourselves anymore, pretending to have dignity? |
<Background is surrounded by black flames> | |
Gendarmerie | Put out the fire! Put it out! In formation— No, it's coming this way, the entire school is— There's no stopping it! |
<Background is consumed by the flames> | |
<Background black> | |
The black flames engulf everything in their wake. Laughter, sobbing. Nothing is spared. As the sound of thunder rips through the air, the thick layers of clouds above descend lower and lower, almost becoming one with the strange spire before them. Some of the older students remember the history books that they happen to have read, deep inside the spire. The ones that went unburned. They said that during the Battle of the Four Emperors, Herkunftshorn brought an Originium storm that ripped apart the skies above the battlefield, swallowing an entire Gaulish landship fleet at once. And now, at that very same location, there remains a terrifying rift deep in the Catastrophe clouds, the screams of the sleepless dead reverberating within. | |
<Background 1> | |
<Background is surrounded by black flames> | |
Gesatzswächter | ...... |
Imperial Caster | Herr Gesatzswächter, the curtain isn't going to hold. The students are all trying to escape. We can't stop them. Everyone has seen the spire. Sooner or later, the news will spread. Should we... |
Gesatzswächter | Nein. Lower the curtain. Concentrate all your energy on dealing with the black flames. |
[The imperial casters use their Arts in an attempt to suppress the raging flames.] | |
Michael | It's not working! |
Gesatzswächter | This assault was more than enough to decimate a vanguard of Kazimierzian campaign knights. |
Imperial Caster | Herkunftshorn's enchantments are not so easily removed. As the legend goes, the way he used Arts was fundamentally different from other casters. During the Battle of the Witch King's Spire years ago, only the Kaiserinnen were able to perform their melodies unimpeded. All other casters' Arts failed. |
Gesatzswächter | ...That spire. We must lay siege to it, and take care of the problem at its source. |
Cora | Brandt. Do you hear that? The lightning has stopped. |
Gesatzswächter | ...... |
Michael | She's here! We're saved! |
Gesatzswächter | Everyone, defend. |
<Background black> | |
The clouds being to crack. | |
<Background flashes purple> | |
There is no sound, no shaking, and no omen of any kind. A bolt of purple-black lightning simply crashes down from high above. Likewise, it is not accompanied by any kind of flashy explosion or shocking roar. It merely pierces the spire's body and crushes the seemingly impenetrable tower, layer after layer, from top to bottom. By the time the first piece of falling rubble reaches the ground, the reborn "Witch King's Spire" has already ceased to be, as though it had never existed in the first place. Finally, the earth starts trembling, as though reacting to the spire's fall. Behind the wall of Arts conjured by the Imperial casters, the crowd stands in terror with their eyes wide open. At the highest point of the ruins, they see a figure holding a sword emitting purple-black sparks of lightning. | |
<Background 1> | |
Grimmacht | Herkunftshorn's shadow will no longer be permitted to shroud Leithanian soil. Especially not that of a fake. |
<Background 3> | |
Arturia | We're certainly dealing with a fake, but... it's really quite remarkable how easily his expectations were shattered. A shame she's just like her blond twin. Their souls were molded by Arts enchantments, and I'm afraid there are few ripples that I can perform with. |
Federico | It's over. What your plans were for the Gesatzswächter is now irrelevant. You have failed. |
Arturia | Is that so? Federico, you are as impatient as ever. The climax of a piece is never its end. |
Arturia spreads her arms and falls backward into the air behind the railing. Then, the remains of a sculpture lift her up, and she quickly rises even higher. | |
Arturia | I'll be waiting for you at the end of the stairs. |
Ebenholz | What... just happened? The chamber rose... and then... |
Lessing | I grabbed you and jumped. |
Fremont | That's right. You jumped without hesitation, without even checking on your poor old grandfather. |
Lessing | There's no way anything would happen to you. |
Fremont | You heartless little runt. Grimmacht really didn't hold back with her sword. If I hadn't pulled you two out in time, you'd have been buried in the dirt alongside all those masked men. |
Ebenholz | What about Gerhard...? Is he dead? |
Fremont | He ran. But he won't get far. His body can't withstand Herkunftshorn's Arts. He will collapse in no time, like an Infected with rapidly deteriorating symptoms. |
<Background 2> | |
Gerhard | Huff... hah... *cough*... Haha... so my body... really cannot become the Genesis Horn's vessel. |
[The melody of a cello floats in the air.] | |
Gerhard | This sound... |
Arturia | Hello, Herr Scholar. |
Gerhard | You were... waiting for me? |
Arturia | Correct. I visited this school just for you. If you don't mind me asking... Would you be willing to allow my melody to accompany you, as you reach the end of your life? |
Gerhard | Danke. To a Leithanian, there is nothing more romantic than... dying to the sound of beautiful music. My only regret is that Grimmacht came too soon, and I didn't get to meet Herkunftshorn. He didn't awaken, and there was no one to answer my question. If he was truly so great, then why... why was he killed by mere men like us? And why must I carry the burden of that decision? |
Arturia | In the end, you remain tormented by regret. But Herr Scholar, you have never truly been free. Why must you feel regret over past decisions? |
Gerhard | I'm... not free? |
Arturia | Your tattered, weary heart is now laid bare before me. I can feel everything you feel. On the night of the battle at the Spire, your heart was filled with spite toward the tyrant. But aside from that... there was also doubt. |
Gerhard | Of course. The man I was about to kill, Herkunftshorn, was the rightful ruler of Leithanien. |
Arturia | Then, what planted the seeds of that emotion? |
Gerhard | You mean... what influenced me to think that? Are you implying that someone was telling me to look up to Leithanien's king? |
Arturia | I've visited many places and collected a variety of music. I found that although each of them has a unique style, they all share some commonalities in their origin. And Leithanien's in particular is the most classical of them all. This country was born... from a Movement. A melody blending together ten tribes with different cultures. When language proves to be a barrier, music is the only means to communicate. But why is that? Why would different wills produce similar experiences from the same melody? Is there some kind of... power, binding both you and us? |
Gerhard | Right. Why do conflict and crisis always repeat in an endless spiral...? Why is it so hard to change Leithanien? I know. Your music is telling me that I've always known. It's just that that power... it keeps me from finding it! The answer is in my hands. My teacher never lied to me. ...... |
[Despite being severly injured, Gerhard suddenly sprints up the staircase.] | |
Gerhard | The golden melody... Leithanien's will... All of us Leithanians are trapped! Haha... So it's true. I've never really had a choice. It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault! Thank goodness. |
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The scholar realizes that he is once again standing at the highest point of Ludwigs-Universität. This is the first time in twenty-three years that he's earnestly gazed at the sunset outside. The clouds are fluffy, and although they're completely soaked in blood, they yet maintain their original shapes. This is Leithanien's evening glow. | |
[Something falls onto the ground.] | |
Gerhard Hoffmann notices that his body and the Güldenesgesatz have fallen together on the spiral staircase, while his consciousness drifts out the window with the melody and dissolves into the clouds. He has never felt so free. | |
<Background 2> | |
[Federico arrives to witness Arturia standing beside the now-deceased Gerhard.] | |
Federico | ...... |
Arturia | Stay quiet for a moment. I want to let his emotions... linger at my fingertips for a little longer. I've heard that you call yourself an executioner. You've witnessed so many deaths, but have you ever truly touched the last bout of emotion that bursts forth at their final moments? |
Federico | An executor is more concerned with the deceased's last testament. |
Arturia | You make the living believe that their wills will be carried out even after death, while I allow their most splendid emotions to live on in music. Both of us substantiate the meaning of having lived. We just go about it in different ways. |
Federico | I am here to execute my mission and nothing more. I have no need to listen to a sinner's sophistry. |
Arturia | *sigh* We're family, and haven't seen each other for so long. Can't you at least hold a proper conversation, Federico? Who's to say I won't die tomorrow? |
Federico | You intentionally put yourself in danger. It would not be entirely surprising if you did. |
Arturia | I wouldn't find it surprising either. We're all bound to die. When we do, our bodies give nutrients back to the land and become a part of new life. This is the meaning of our flesh. It's the circle of life. But what about the meaning of our wills? When our consciousness fades, they will return to chaos. So what separates the living from the dead, one person from another, and us from the sunset and the breeze? |
[Arturia pauses for a moment.] | |
Arturia | It's our emotions, Federico. If there is meaning to our lives outside of our bodies, if there truly is something that can resist the destined chaos... Then it is only this very moment, all that I feel, and the melody transmuted from those feelings. That's why, as long as I still breathe, I can't stop playing. |
Federico | I am required to apprehend wanted criminals, but if necessary, I can also pull the trigger. |
Arturia | Oh, I don't doubt that. It'll happen one day, and there's no doubt that it will be Federico Giallo who kills Arturia Giallo. But do you think that daylight can kill the dark night, order can kill chaos, and reason can kill emotion? |
Federico | Layering metaphors cannot cover up the essential truth. You are a criminal, and I am an executor. I pursue you in order to fulfill the contract that is my duty. |
Arturia | You believe uncertainty to be a kind of emotion. That's why you're always seeking answers through rational analysis. But it's not your rationality that's led you to me again and again. It's your confusion. You saw and heard it yourself. Today, countless lives were lost in chaos. If only you'd followed my advice and given up on me, instead lending your aid to that envoy of the Empress... With your skills, and how sharp you are, you could've easily found the one hiding in the shadows, manipulating the chaos. But again and again, you choose to prioritize looking for me. |
Federico | You are where my duty lies. I will not regret my decision. |
Arturia | I know you won't. But look. Now you've caught me. So... satisfy my curiosity, Federico. Do you feel no satisfaction, right this very moment? |
Federico | ...... |
[Imperial casters suddenly surround the two Sankta.] | |
Imperial Caster | Seize her. |
Arturia | So you people came too. |
Imperial Caster | Recover the Güldenesgesatz as well. |
Federico | Arturia is my target. |
Imperial Caster | Herr Federico Giallo, Executor of the Lateran Curia's Fifth Tribunal. It's extremely likely that the Sankta before you has committed what amounts to the highest offense in Leithanien. She must come with us for our investigation. |
Federico | I thought the Gendarmerie was in charge of the upcoming inquest. |
Imperial Caster | It's the Kaiserin's orders to take Arturia. |
Federico | Does that mean that you cannot guarantee Arturia will be dealt with according to the law? |
Imperial Caster | As I said, these are the Kaiserin's orders. |
Federico | I have sent a total of twenty-seven explanatory letters, in addition to repeating my mission objective to the now-deceased officer-in-charge, Loris Bordin. |
Imperial Caster | In that case— |
[Michael catches up to the casters.] | |
Michael | Frau Jonas. Would it be possible for Herr Executor to participate in Arturia's interrogation? |
Imperial Caster | That's not part of my orders. To Leithanien, Arturia is a most dangerous criminal. No one is to be allowed anywhere near her without Her Majesty's explicit permission. |
Michael | Then I— |
Imperial Caster | That includes you. |
Michael | What? |
Imperial Caster | Let's go. |
Arturia | Will we meet again, Federico, before my consciousness fades away? |
Federico | ...... |
[The imperial casters take Arturia away.] | |
Michael | Jonas... They call her the cruelest executor in Grimmacht's Spire. How did she get here so fast? Did Grimmacht... I'll talk to her. I... Herr Executor... Don't you want to chase after them? |
Federico | If Leithanien can ensure that Arturia will never commit a crime again, my highest priority mission objective will be considered complete. However, as she said, I feel no satisfaction in this. |
<Background fades in and out> | |
[Meanwhile, Viviana is still inside the burning school, searching for more people to rescue.] | |
Viviana | ...... |
It has become much quieter outside the spire, yet the black flames continue to burn. Viviana has forgotten which floor of the spire she is on. The spiral stairs all look the same. | |
<Background darkens> | |
Her candlelight flickers a few times before finally going out. | |
[Just then, a familiar figure staggers towards her.] | |
Gendarmerie C | Frau... Droste? |
Viviana | Pym? Why are you still here? |
Gendarmerie C | Ha... Haha... I'm in pretty bad shape. At least this way I won't be a bother to the kids. |
Viviana | You were burned by the black flames. Half your body is... |
Gendarmerie C | It's fine. I'm glad I got to see you again. By seeing you, I can at least confirm that I haven't turned into some kind of monster that walks even in death. The disaster's been averted, right? The Empresses' Voice, the Gesatzswächter... they're all here, right? Are the Witch King's remains all dead, and the students safe? |
Viviana | I suppose so. |
Gendarmerie C | Hm. It's strange. I saw the captain just now. |
Viviana | Herr Loris Bordin? |
Gendarmerie C | He said I did pretty well, and did the Gendarmerie proud. Once the ceremony's over, my mother will get the Kaiserin's black-gold medal. |
Viviana | But that's only for those who've fallen... |
Gendarmerie C | It's hopeless for me, right? |
Viviana | I don't want to lie to you. |
Gendarmerie C | Meine Dame,[note 2] when I see you looking at me like that... It doesn't hurt so much anymore. Your candlelight... is so warm. When I first got to Zwillingstürme, I nearly gave up. I couldn't keep up with how exhausting the training was, day after day. Only when I saw that tiny light you held in the arena, lighting up every one of my... my... |
[Gendarmerie Pym collapses onto the ground. He stops moving.] | |
Viviana | ...... |
He did not deserve to fall into eternal slumber on these spiral stairs. If he could have just a little more light, a little more warmth. Viviana knows that she is not a lighthouse, but she is capable of that much. | |
[Viviana lights up her candle again.] | |
<Background returns to normal> | |
Viviana | Auf Wiedersehen, Pym. May this candlelight accompany you as you drift into eternal slumber. |
<Background fades in and out> | |
Gesatzswächter | Grimmacht's envoy said she's just up ahead. Step aside, Cora. Let me take care of the rubble here first. |
Cora | Let me do it. You've already... |
[Someone approaches them.] | |
Cora | Wait. These footsteps... Viviana |
Viviana | Frau Löwenstein... Herr Reiner... |
Gesatzswächter | ...Good. ...... |
Viviana | Meine Herr?[note 3] |
Cora | Let him get some rest. Raising the curtain by force took its toll on his body. |
Viviana | But... he's still standing. |
Cora | He'd never let himself collapse in front of so many. Brandt's really worn himself out, all these years. |
Viviana | Before the battle, he saw me as my father. |
Cora | That's always weighted heavily on his mind. Twenty-three years ago, House Hochberg suffered great losses at the Witch King's Spire, and because of his position as a Gesatzswächter, Brandt wasn't able to come to their aid in time. Because of that, Ernst, his closest friend and the heir to the Hochbergs, perished in battle... That's also why your father Werner had to succeed him as Kurfürst. The remorse he felt toward Ernst and Werner has been eating away at his soul all this time. And today, when forced to choose between destroying Sonata Spire and saving you, he chose you. |
Viviana | I never imagined... |
Cora | I knew he'd make that choice. I'd have done the same. I was so scared back there... I'm prepared to make any sacrifice, if necessary. But you... Not you. I'm glad we didn't lose you. |
Viviana | ...I'm one of the lucky ones. On my way here, I came across many who've passed away. I did my best, but I wasn't able to rescue everyone. |
Cora | The casters will figure out how to eliminate the black flames. The victims will be taken care of. Things will get better. They won't have suffered for nothing. This place will be completely different tomorrow. I'll make sure you get to see that for yourself, Viviana. I promise. |
<Background 1> | |
Arturia | What a beautiful sunrise. (Humming) |
Imperial Caster | Barrier. |
[The casters create a barrier that silences Arturia.] | |
Arturia | Mm... Mmm? Hm... |
Imperial Caster | We know a thing or two about your Arts, Meine Dame[note 2]. Now, neither you nor your cello are capable of making a sound. |
Arturia | — (Silent humming) |
<Background 2> | |
Lessing | You made up your mind. |
Ebenholz | The Voice of Mundane... I've been dying to have someone take it away. If you've no plans to use it as a bomb, then be my guest. |
Lessing | So you finally believe me? |
Ebenholz | I... admit I owe you an apology. And a word of thanks. If it wasn't for you, then I might not be Ebenholz right now, but some other thing. But please, spare me all this nonsense about "trust" or what have you. I'd rather not see you pounce on me and knock me out with your sword the moment I spit out the words "I trust you." |
Lessing | I wasn't planning to. For now. |
Ebenholz | ...Well, that's nice. |
[The two remain quiet for a moment.] | |
Ebenholz | Someone's playing the cello. |
Lessing | They're mourning the victims with music. |
Ebenholz | It was just like this when I first met Gerhard. He told me that... through music, the wills of the dead are carried on through us. He was so quiet and gentle. I really thought he was... I'm an idiot, aren't I? I couldn't even see through their masks. I couldn't even see... who was controlling my life. How I wish I could be more like... No matter how many obstacles he encountered, he never lost hope. He even smiled as he... |
[Ebenholz pauses, listening intently to the cello playing.] | |
Ebenholz | ... This piece... |
Lessing | What's wrong? |
Ebenholz | Who's playing the cello up there?! |
Lessing | The dormitory isn't far. Maybe a student? |
Ebenholz | That's impossible. |
Lessing | Calm down. We can't expose ourselves yet. |
Ebenholz | It's exactly the same... How could it be exactly the same?! |
[Ebenholz bursts into a sprint.] | |
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The Sky is blue and fine, | |
![]() | |
The Breeze lilts by in Song, | |
The Sky is blue and fine, | |
![]() | |
My Heart is filled with... | |
![]() | |
My Heart is filled with... | |
...Hope... | |
<Background 3> | |
Motivated Student | ...... |
[Ebenholz rushes over to the student playing the cello.] | |
Ebenholz | Where did you learn to play like that? |
Motivated Student | Huh? I'm nothing special, really. |
Ebenholz | Not your technique, you fool, your emotions! Where did you learn to play this cello piece almost exactly like he did?! |
Motivated Student | I... |
Ebenholz | No one else played like him. I checked over and over. After he died, I've been to so many places and listened to even more musicians play that same piece! Who was your teacher?! |
Motivated Student | Um... Arturia. My teacher's name is Arturia. |
Ebenholz | Is she a Sankta? A Sankta with very long hair, who dresses plainly? |
Motivated Student | Do you know her too? I saw her just today. She told me to keep practicing here, without worrying about the sounds outside. |
Ebenholz | ...Without worrying about the sounds? That Sankta... Is she a remnant of the Witch King too?! |
Motivated Student | N-No, that's impossible. She's very kind. |
Ebenholz | Where is she? I need to see her. I need to question her myself! I... Ugh! |
Lessing | Another headache? |
Ebenholz | Did you know, Lessing? He and I... Everything in our lives was given to us by others. Our pain, our joy... our despair. So if even our hope... Even our hope... I don't know if I actually want that answer. |
<Background 1> | |
Grimmacht | Have you thought it through? |
Fremont | Hohoh, what is there to think about? The school was burnt down by Herkunftshorn's embers. I could miss it all I want, but that wouldn't bring it back. I've forgotten... How long have I been in Leithanien? Five hundred years? Longer? When I first got here, there was nothing. No nomadic cities, no spires, no nobles. Hah, back then, everyone lived in the forests by the lakes. They lit fires to eat, and used rocks to shelter from the wind. |
Grimmacht | To us, a few decades are more than though for a city to rise and fall, a man to go from young to old, or a pair of close companions to have a falling out and go their separate ways. |
Fremont | That's right. It's been but an instant since this place went from Vedunien to Zwillingstürme. I wonder what the city will be called next. And when that lamb with the rotten luck and a brain full of nothing but melodies is taken care of, I'll fulfill my promise to you. After that, I think I'll take a stroll around town. |
Grimmacht | And once that's done... |
Fremont | We'll leave. Tell the nobles they can have a good night's sleep, for once. |
Grimmacht | I've already explained it to them, long ago. |
Fremont | Explained what? That Liches aren't like Vampires and don't get involved with Military Commission business, so they can rest easy that this place won't be the next Londinium? Do you really believe they simply don't understand, Grimmacht? And are you really so whimsically unaware of who stands behind those nobles that want to chase the Liches out? |
Grimmacht | ...... |
Fremont | You two can deal with the fallout afterwards. The Liches have indeed stayed here for far too long. Knowledge should never have taken the side of any one nation or race. Do you even know how many Leithanian terms our brats use in their writing these days? It's absolutely outrageous! We should've left when Herkunftshorn bought the farm. This... is just a belated farewell. |
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The white-haired Lich lifts his hand. As though having been granted permission, a large number of slender silhouettes appear beneath the setting sun. Perhaps they'd been standing there the whole time. They were simply masquerading as ordinary students and faculty. However, from this moment onwards, they are no longer concerned with how different they are from other Leithanians. The Liches all raise their hands. Countless paper-thin strands of silk extend from their bodies and into the dark clouds up above. Then, a radiance like starlight comes falling down. Looking up, many of the students see the sunset, the night, and the sunrise all at once. Within that brimming radiance, the dark flames on the earth are extinguished without a sound. Not long after, the silk-threaded shadows also disappear into the dream-like rain. Ever since, no more trace of the Liches could be found in Leithanien's spires. |