Operation story: ZT-6

Operation

Story

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Characters
Arturia Ebenholz Federico Lessing Michael Viviana Cora Ewigegnade Gesatzswächter Grimmacht Imperial Caster Imperial Musician Older Noble "Witch King's Echo" "Witch King's Echo" "Witch King's Echo" Young Noble
Backgrounds
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Before operation

“

Viviana takes a great risk to visit Arturia and learns that the Güldenesgesatz remains the key to the plot. With Das Kaiserinnensfest about to begin, Viviana and Federico unsuccessfully attempt to stop the performance of the Güldenesgesatz.

”

<Background 1>
Arturia	......
Imperial Caster	Stop knocking on the window sill. Are you trying to send a secret message?
Arturia	As you can see, I am unable to play my cello because it's been Arts-locked. It is... uncomfortable. Unless you would care to join me for a chat.
Imperial Caster	Absolutely not.
Arturia	Very well then. I suppose I'll have to wait for another guest.
[Someone's footsteps approach from the hall.]
Imperial Caster	Try anything funny, and we'll bind your arms and legs with Arts.
[The caster exits the room to talk to the approaching guest.]
Imperial Caster	My apologies, but Grimmacht has forbidden anyone from meeting with Arturia.
???	Not even an Empresses' Voice?
Imperial Caster	No exceptions.
???	Then what about... Ewigegnade's envoy?
Imperial Caster	...Ewigegnade sent you?
???	Was that not clear enough?
Arturia	Now this is a surprise.
[The caster opens the door and lets the guest in.]
Arturia	To think you'd be the first to come and see me.
Viviana	This is the second time we've met, Arturia.
Arturia	Oh, more than that, I would think. How many times have we met, in the sound of music?
Viviana	I see your words are as mysterious as your music. And yourself.
Arturia	Me? Mysterious? On the contrary, I'm far more open and frank than most. So an Empresses' Voice, a paragon of law and order, has come to meet with a dangerous felon alone. Even going as far as to fake an empress's orders to do so... That must have taken quite a bit of determination.
Viviana	You knew I wasn't sent by Ewigegnade?
Arturia	There's nothing she could possibly want to ask me. But you, Viviana, your face is full of question marks. So what would you like to know, from your former enemy?
Viviana	......
Arturia	Allow me to guess... you want to know the truth behind your father's death.
Viviana	Ja.
Arturia	That said, I'm not used to answering questions.
Viviana	Do I need to offer you something in exchange?
Arturia	A trade, hm... How about you simply open yourself up to me, and allow me to search your heart?
Viviana	That's...
Arturia	Oh, pardon my impertinence. Then let's tell a story together, as usual.
Arturia	Once upon a time, there was a child who lived on top of a tower in the middle of a storm. Until the age of nine, she never left her little room in the tower.
Viviana	You know my—
Arturia	Oh, don't give me that look. Like I said, this is simply a story we're telling together. Imagine that you're a part of it, and... reach out to yourself.
Viviana	...Very well.
Arturia	Tell me, what is it about the tower that left the deepest impression on the child?
Viviana	The window. It was a small room. The window was small, too. You could reach out and touch the cold, wet clouds.
Arturia	The storms rarely abate in Sturmland, do they?
Viviana	Ja. Dark lightning often knocked at the window. My mother would hold me, telling stories and reading me poems in a soft, gentle voice.
Arturia	What about your father?
Viviana	He... One night a week, he would come to the spire where I lived, bringing me books and teaching me to play instruments.
Arturia	You looked forward to these meetings. Did you leave your room and wait for him at the top of the staircase, when it was almost time?
Viviana	When I was little. But I stopped.
Arturia	What happened?
Viviana	The skies were very dark that day. It had been a long time my father's last visit. I was out of candles, and I wanted to find some, so I went further than I usually did. I saw so many children and adults. The music combined with their laughter was louder than the thunder.
Arturia	That's when you realized that not every child had to stay in their room like you did. That they could hold their parents' hands, and dance and sing to their hearts' delight.
Viviana	...Ja.
Arturia	Did you see your father there? Did you look for him?
Viviana	I wanted to, but my mother pulled me back. She covered my ears, and tried to cover my eyes too... It hurt a bit, but I didn't dare say anything.
Arturia	She brought you back to your little room. Did you look up?
Viviana	Nein. I... I kept my eyes closed. I heard my mother crying, but I didn't dare look at her.
Arturia	Didn't dare?
Viviana	...Ja. I didn't dare go down the stairs. I didn't dare look for my father anymore. I never looked up again, even after my mother passed away, when my father sent me away from the spire.
Arturia	Why not?
Viviana	My father was a Kurfürst. He and my mother weren't married. My existence was a secret that would hurt my mother and make things difficult for my father if anyone found out.
Arturia	No, that's not what I'm asking. How did you feel?
Viviana	Me...?
Arturia	You were the one trapped in the spire. You were the one forbidden to recognize your father. You were the one who watched your mother waste away. You were the one sent away from home. When you went to Kazimierz and decided to become a knight, you held a sliver of expectation. After all, the stories of your childhood, the stories about knights, had long been your source of comfort. But you soon realized you were no more than a puppet of the General Chamber of Commerce. Even your childhood in the spire was boiled down to an exotic label. "The Leithanian." An advertisement destined to sell in the markets of both countries. You left the arena after getting on the wrong side of the KGCC. You thought you would finally have some peace and quiet, only to be summoned back to Leithanien by a letter from your father. Once again, you find your fate written by another. Illegitimate child, competition knight, Empresses' Voice. You never chose any of these identities. And it all started on that spire, at the top of those stairs.
Viviana	...You're right. It's been so many years, but sometimes I feel like I'm still there. Like I never left it.
Arturia	Once again, think back to the memory that left the deepest impression. That day, when your father took your hand and descended the seemingly endless stairs... You didn't look up.
Viviana	I couldn't. If I did, he would see the tear stains on my face, and the tears in my eyes...
Arturia	Anger. 'I already lost my mother. Why are you pushing me away like this?'
Viviana	Ja. I had... nothing. Why abandon me? I already lost my mother. Why did I have to lose my father too? Why couldn't you have waited in Marigold Alley just a little longer? Why did you write for me to come back, only to leave me again once I'd returned with hope in my heart?
Arturia does not answer. She simply gazes at Viviana, at the ripples in the lake of her eyes. If silence can be considered an expression of sound, then their emotions could resonate even without a melody. Anger, frustration, pain. The same emotions reflected in Arturia's eyes. She sighs, and awakens the dreamer from her memory with gentle words.
Arturia	That's enough storytime.
<Background 1>
Arturia	Kurfürst Werner was my friend, Viviana. Our meeting was so ordinary that it's hardly worth mentioning. He was a high noble, but also a sensitive and romantic artist. We often spoke about music. A few months ago, his envoy found me while I was traveling. He knew his days were numbered. All he wanted was to see his beloved again, through my music.
Viviana	He wanted to see Mother?
Arturia	Not just Lucinda, but you as well. Werner did reminisce about his romance with Lucinda, but he spent even more time in that little room on the spire. Those nights with you and your mother were his only comfort in those painful early days as Kurfürst. That's how I knew your story.
Viviana	So it wasn't...
Arturia	No, I did not use Arts on you. I'd already met you countless times, through Werner's mind's eye. You must hear this often, but you really are so much like your father.
Viviana	I know.
Arturia	But it was only when I saw you in person that I realized... You're more than just that flickering candle.
Viviana	More than... what?
Arturia	You're so much stronger, so much tougher than a candleflame.
Viviana	......
Arturia	Now, I've told you everything I could. Kurfürst Werner died over the copy of the Güldenesgesatz. On that matter, you know as much as I do.
Viviana	...You told me he knew his end was coming. Which means he knew how he would die.
Arturia	Correct. Protecting the Güldenesgesatz was his vow to the Twins, and his duty as Kurfürst of Sturmland. Whether it was the Movement or its loss, the responsibility and blame lie solely on Sturmland. Only by giving his life for it could he protect his loved ones and House Hochberg, all while ridding himself of a ticking time bomb.
Viviana	It was all for the Güldenesgesatz? I think... I understand.
Arturia	One last bit of advice, to thank you for your trust and sincerity. When I first saw you, I also saw the shadow behind you. But now, it's growing, filling the entire staircase outside.
Viviana	... Danke, Arturia, for the answers.
[Viviana bids the cellist goodbye and leaves the room.]
Arturia	My dear Viviana... How pitiable, how noble... Will you be swallowed by the shadow?
<Background 2>
[As the celebration approaches, the streets of Zwillingstürme are packed with people.]
Young Noble	Whew, made it.
Older Noble	You move so quickly, Herr Erich, I could hardly keep up.
Young Noble	Pardon my excitement. I thought I wouldn't be able to leave Sturmland, but the Empresses' Voice delayed the visit.
Older Noble	Kurfürsten succession ceremonies rarely take this long, not since the reign of the Witch King...
Young Noble	Stop worrying. While in Zwillingstürme, what could be more important than seeing Their Majesties? Hurry, and we may even secure a seat closer to the Twin Spires before anyone else arrives... Hey, why is that man not moving? Guten Tag!
Ebenholz	......
Young Noble	Are you here for Das Kaiserinnensfest too?
Ebenholz	I suppose so.
Young Noble	Where is your instrument, then? What are you going to do for the ensemble?
Ebenholz	The ensemble?
Young Noble	The ensemble of the Güldenesgesatz! The most important part of the ceremony, bathing in the glory of both the Golden Melody and Leithanien!
Lessing	This is my master's first time attending. I have his flute with me.
Older Noble	Ah, of course. Do forgive my nosiness. Which Kreis do you hail from?
Ebenholz	Does it matter?
Older Noble	Oh, no, I don't mean to pry, only that it's customary for those from the same Kreis to stand together.
Ebenholz	I see. Please, go ahead. We will follow.
Young Noble	Oh, very good then! I mean, danke, meine Herr. May Grimmacht's glory and Ewigegnade's blessings orbit you like the sun.
[The group march together towards the amphitheater beneath the Twin Spires.]
<Background 3>
Ebenholz	...
Lessing	Seeing the Twin Empresses' spires for the first time?
Ebenholz	The white dress of Ewigegnade, the Eternal Grace. The black blade of Grimmacht, the Austere Authority. Their two spires resemble them so very much.
Lessing	The Twin Spires are Zwillingstürme's namesake. They're the pride of Leithanien.
Ebenholz	No matter how beautiful, they're no more than two elaborate cages.
Lessing	An apt metaphor. Das Kaiserinnensfest... They say it's for all Leithanians, but only nobles are allowed to join in the ensemble at the amphitheater. It is, in effect, a performance of an Arts ritual.
Ebenholz	A ritual?
Lessing	Did you see the bridge connecting the spires? That's where the Twin Empresses play every year. The sound of the pipe organ and violin are amplified by the resonance between the buildings, spreading to every corner of Zwillingstürme.
Ebenholz	So it's some kind of... Arts.
Lessing	The old man told me that it's the work of Herkunftshorn. He turned Vedunien into a massive Arts device, with the bell tower of Weinshof at the center. And the Twin Empresses have built upon the Witch King's Arts. To avoid making the same mistake as him, they set the Twin Spires as the center of the resonance, effectively tuning the entire city and making it virtually impossible to assail the Spires from the outside. Anyone wanting to attack the Kaiserinnen will either need to destroy the entire palace area where the Spires are located, or work from within.
Ebenholz	Spoken like someone who's given some thought to planning such an attack.
Lessing	......
Ebenholz	Wait, don't tell me you actually— If we see the Gendarmerie or the Empresses' Voice, remind me to run faster than you.
Lessing	...Quiet. The celebration is about to begin. People are coming, try to blend into the crowd. Don't just stand there like earlier.
Ebenholz	What about when the ensemble begins? We didn't bring any instruments, unless your sword is a fair bit more versatile than it looks.
Lessing	If the ensemble begins.
<Background 4>
Viviana	I met that distant relative of yours. Exactly as you predicted, she offered a generous lead. Perhaps we really are trapped in some kind of illusion they created. What if the Witch King's remnants aren't trying to use the Güldenesgesatz to get to the Witch King's legacy, but to use the Witch King's powers to tamper with it? What if their goal has never truly changed?
[A caster walks past and takes notice of Viviana.]
Imperial Caster	...What are you still doing here, meine Dame? All the Empresses' Voices in Zwillingstürme have been summoned to the amphitheater.
Viviana	Ah, I was... I'll be on my way.
Imperial Caster	Hm, this cell holds a dangerous felon, and it is quite far from the amphitheater. I'll need to contact Grimmacht's...
Federico	I would not recommend that.
Imperial Caster	A Sankta?! What's a Sankta doing here? Let's catch him together, meine Dame! He may well be in league with Arturia! Nngh?!
[Viviana knocks the caster out, who slumps onto the floor.]
Viviana	...Sorry.
Federico	I was about to ask your opinion on how to handle this.
Viviana	So if I weren't here, you would have simply done it yourself?
Federico	My presence here already violates diplomatic protocol. An additional rule being broken is of little consequence, other than in terms of the subsequent clean-up. You are an Empresses' Voice. Michael has told me of your circumstances.
Viviana	I appreciate your kind gesture.
Federico	...Huh?
Viviana	It was my own decision to visit Arturia. I didn't want my father's death to be meaningless. I didn't want to keep my head down and pretend nothing had happened. I wanted to fight for something, to finally seize my own fate with my two hands.
Federico	...You chose to let Arturia perform your heart's music?
Viviana	Nein. The melody was always there, echoing in my heart. I just chose not to listen to it until now. I believe she's telling the truth that the Güldenesgesatz is at the heart of the problem.
Federico	The Imperial casters have recovered the copy of Güldenesgesatz. However, I have learned that Arturia has an accomplice with whom she was in close contact. The available evidence indicates that this person may not have been the mastermind behind the Ludwigs-Universität incident.
Viviana	Hm... then we can assume that the Witch King's remnants have already obtained the Arts recorded in the copy. The Güldenesgesatz will be performed by over ten thousand people at the amphitheater. If the Witch King's remnants are in that crowd... the consequences will be unimaginable.
Federico	I would like to share our current findings with Michael.
Viviana	Sure. He might be able to persuade Grimmacht. But that's not enough. We must take action ourselves... even without Their Majesties permission.
<Background 5>
Imperial Musician	The musicians and instruments are in position, Frau Löwenstein.
Cora	Very well. Give me a moment while I double-check the amplification Arts.
[A person approaches Cora.]
Cora	You're back, Amelie? Did you forget something? No need to be nervous. This is your first public performance as part of the orchestra. Just hold your instrument steady and focus on the melody. Pay no mind to anyone watching.
[A second person approaches Cora.]
Cora	Oh... it's you. Adjust the direction of that Arts Unit, will you? Turn it counterclockwise 15... 17 degrees. Ja, that's how it should sound. But why are you here at this hour? Is Ewigegnade still concerned about the effect on the performance?
Viviana	Frau Löwenstein... where are the other musicians?
Cora	At the amphitheater. The performance of the Güldenesgesatz will begin in ten minutes. The Reichsorchester needs a good start under the direction of the Kaiserin.
Viviana	Only ten minutes?
Cora	The Kaiserin's weather casters have forecasted the exact time of today's sunset. As per custom, the performance of the Güldenesgesatz will conclude just as the last ray fades. The rehearsal schedule has been hard, but we'll be able to rest once we get through this evening. You too, Viviana. I've been thinking... You'll need to find a long-term residence in Zwillingstürme, if you're to remain by the Kaiserin's side when this all over.
Viviana	Mm...
Cora	Would you like to stay at my place? I have a little mansion in Bachshof. I just had the walls repainted. Brandt planted some vines, which he says goes well with the walls. But to be honest, I'd like a second opinion before I commit.
Viviana	Frau Löwenstein... Cora.
Cora	Ja? What is it?
Viviana	How might one stop the performance of the Güldenesgesatz?
Cora	Why do you ask? This performance has been the most important part of Das Kaiserinnensfest for the last twenty-three years. So many people are waiting in the amphitheater in front of the Spires.
Viviana	I've almost gotten to the bottom of these tragedies. I'm sure the enemy's plan has something to do with the Güldenesgesatz. They cannot be allowed to succeed.
Cora	And how did you learn this? Have you told Ewigegnade?
Viviana	I don't know who to trust... I can't stop thinking about who killed my father.
Cora	You suspect Their Majesties? You're an Empresses' Voice, Viviana!
[The sound of a gunshot rings in the hall, causing people to flee.]
Cora	Who's there?
Viviana	A friend. He's keeping watch.
Federico	The empresses' casters are coming.
Viviana	So soon?
Federico	It will take more than ten minutes to neutralize them. The performance of the Güldenesgesatz is about to begin.
Cora	Don't fight them.
Viviana	......
Cora	I'll be with you, Viviana, no matter what you do.
Viviana	You believe me?
Cora	Do you even need to ask? Besides, I can't let you put yourself in danger. You want to stop the Reichsorchester from playing the Güldenesgesatz, right? I'll take you there.
<Background 1>
Arturia	...They've gone out.
Imperial Caster	What?
Arturia	The candles on the stairs. The room is so much darker now, don't you think?
Imperial Caster	What are you doing? Stay away from the door.
Arturia	There are less people out there now. Have they... gone after that lovely Empresses' Voice?
Imperial Caster	Frau Hochberg is suspected to have fallen under your influence. She will be taken into custody until the conclusion of the celebration. It was a mistake to allow her to meet with you.
Arturia	A mistake, you say? You knew the new Empresses' Voice was the daughter of a Kurfürst, and had the favor of Ewigegnade. Compared to working in Grimmacht's dark Spire, you clearly show more interest in its twin, the white Spire. So you let the empress's new favorite come in without the proper checks, just to curry favor with her.
Imperial Caster	Wh-What are you babbling about?!
Arturia	But you soon realized the danger. Let me guess: Viviana did something unbefitting of her status after she left, didn't she? Now you're afraid. Grimmacht and her executors will not tolerate such a gross error. You would lose any chance of promotion, perhaps even your freedom. So why did you make a second mistake, then?
Imperial Caster	Wha... music! How can this be?! Grimmacht, please... Nein, spare me! I-I can't listen...
Arturia	Too late. There are just too many instruments in Leithanien. Your Arts Units, like your souls, are laid bare before me.
Imperial Caster	Your kn-knocking...
Arturia	You dared not carry your instruments with you in my presence, so you left them outside the door. But in your haste, you forgot the protective Arts. You forgot that vibrations can be trasnmitted. The tiniest tremor of a string, and you're hearing my music.
<Background 6>
Ewigegnade	Check my crown, would you?
Grimmacht	Ja.
[Grimmacht moves to adjust the crown on Lieselotte's head.]
Ewigegnade	Your fingers are cold.
Grimmacht	Sorry. How about this? That better?
Ewigegnade	You've been clutching your sword all day. Its chill has rubbed off on you.
Grimmacht	...It's time. We should head to the bridge.
Ewigegnade	Hildegard...
Grimmacht	Ja? What is it?
Ewigegnade	Am I pretty today?
Grimmacht	... As always.
[A young Lupo runs over to Grimmacht.]
Michael	Grimmacht! ...Ewigegnade.
Ewigegnade	Your wolf cub is here.
Grimmacht	Go first Lieselotte. The people are waiting.
Ewigegnade	We've always walked out onto the bridge together.
Grimmacht	Nothing is obliged to stay the same forever. I'll find you before the performance begins.
[Lieselotte leaves.]
Grimmacht	So why are you here? I thought you preferred it down below.
Michael	I have an urgent matter to report.
Grimmacht	Bring my violin. We'll talk on the way.
Michael	Nein! Please, you must order the celebration to be halted. The Witch King's remnants are in the crowd, planning a massive attack!
Grimmacht	Proof?
Michael	...Please, just give me a little time. I'll find the proof.
Grimmacht	You didn't use to be so brash, Michael. That reckless Sankta has changed you.
Michael	Federico... the Lateran executor believes that a larger incident is in the works, and it has something to do with Arturia. We should interrogate her! What does she know about the Güldenesgesatz, who are her supporters, what are she and her accomplices planning... As long as the performance of the Güldenesgesatz can be delayed, I can—
Grimmacht	I see you believe the Celebration to be a mere festivity.
Michael	Er...
Grimmacht	The "Kaiserinnensfest" first took place twenty-three years ago, on the day we killed the Witch King. But there were no empresses, and no celebration, only soldiers fallen in battle, and a tired and frightened people. We defeated the Witch King in the early dawn, and spent the next few hours cleaning up his followers. At dusk, Lieselotte and I descended the Spire, walked down its bloody steps, and— Announced our victory with a duet. Today, the ten thousand people of the ensemble come from every Kreis, from all four corners of Leithanien. Every Leithanian, every friend of Leithanien, and every enemy of Leithanien has their eyes on the Twin Spires. On Grimmacht and Ewigegnade. And you want me to suspend, even cancel, the ensemble based on the hypothesis of a Lateran executor who has already caused his fair share of trouble in our country.
Michael	......
Grimmacht	Perhaps I expected too much of you. You should have known I would respond like this before you even spoke. And if you truly believed in your judgment, you should have acted on your own. On that account, the daughter of Werner von Hochberg is far more resolute than you.
Michael	...What?
Grimmacht	How long have you been with me, Michael?
Michael	Seven years.
Grimmacht	It's time to let you go.
Michael	What? Why would you say that?
Grimmacht	There comes a day when one must shoulder more responsibility, for the sake of Leithanien's future. Bring me my violin. It's time I went to the bridge.
<Background 4>
Cora	The orchestra is ten meters below us.
Viviana	The sun has... painted the clouds red.
Federico	Three minutes, fifty seconds until the performance begins. I will fire a blank. The noise should cause some of the musicians to scatter and interrupt the performance.
Viviana	The musicians of the Reichsorchester are all Arts masters, each one the equal of an Empresses' Voice. We would be drowned in Arts the moment you showed an intent to attack.
Federico	The equivalent of ninety-seven Empresses' Voices, then. Plus two squads of approaching casters, for a total of one hundred twenty. ...I can give you three minutes. You must secure the remaining twenty-three seconds on your own, Seniora Hochberg.
Viviana	Three minutes? But if this is the only way... Delay the casters. Leave the rest to me.
<Background fades to black>
[Viviana concentrates and casts her Arts.]
The shadows of the Twin Spires stretch as the sun sinks towards the horizon. They swallow up the shadows of the musicians, of Cora, of Viviana herself. She has never felt her power unleashed like this. She is reminded of that flickering candlelight in the spire. It was a tiny flame that only illuminated a corner of the bed. Leaving the other corners, the spiral staircase, and the night beyond the spire in total darkness. There was a time when she couldn't admit that the darkness would linger in her eyes longer than that tiny speck of candlelight.
<Background fades to normal>
Viviana	...Success. I cut off the connection between some of the musicians and their instruments.
<Background fades out and in>
Imperial Musician	What's going on? We're being affected by somebody's Arts. You... Frau Löwenstein? Are you being held hostage?
Viviana	You could say that.
Cora	...Nein. I'm sorry Amelie.
Imperial Musician	You're in league with each other?!
Cora	I made my choice, and I will not hesitate. Could you please... just put down your instrument for a while?
[An intense Arts fight breaks out between Viviana and the other casters.]
<Background 3>
Lessing	There are fluctuations of Arts energy coming from below the Twin Spires... and some commotion from where the orchestra is.
Ebenholz	The Witch King's remnants?
Lessing	Possibly. Strange. There should be Gesatzswächter in the area, but I don't see any. Why?
Ebenholz	...I see. The Kaiserinnen knew that something terrible would happen here. They're prepared to abandon the Twin Spires if necessary. They'll even abandon all the—
Young Noble	Meine Herr!
Ebenholz	...You were from Sturmland, ja?
Young Noble	Why do you look like someone spooked you? The ensemble is about to begin. Here, I have an extra flute. You can borrow it.
[The oblivious noble hands Ebenholz his spare flute.]
Ebenholz	A flute?
Young Noble	This performance is not to be missed!
Ebenholz	Nein, you can't be here. Go! Leave the amphitheater!
Young Noble	You'd like a better position? I suppose we could squeeze—
Ebenholz	I'm not—Do not you[sic] see these?
Young Noble	See what?
Ebenholz	The dice I'm holding! My Arts Unit!
Lessing	What are you doing? You'll give yourself away!
Ebenholz	Does it even matter, at this point? Look around. There must be ten thousand people here... No, we can't even worry about that now. All we can do is save as many as we can. Even just one more...
[The crowd starts cheering as the ceremony is about to begin.]
Young Noble	It's too loud here! I can't hear a word you're saying!
Ebenholz	Look at me. Look at my Arts. Do they remind you of anything? I am an Urtica. My Arts come from the same lineage as him. You should be afraid! Run!
[A firework launches into the sky as music begins to play.]
Young Noble	Amazing! Do you hear that? The Imperial musicians just played the first note! The performance of the Güldenesgesatz has begun!
Ebenholz	......
The black Arts orb rises from his hand and into the air, exploding into a reddish black shadow. It is quickly buried by even more brilliant rays of Arts.
Rays created by various Originium Arts interweave in the clouds. Both the melody and the Arts come from the people on the ground, all focused on performing the music belonging to Leithanien alone, using instruments that also serve as Arts Units. Even the buildings resonate with the Twin Spires, turning the empty space around the Kaiserinnen's towers into a true amphitheater.
The colors penetrating the clouds continue to shift with the splendid melody, as though the crowd is performing the color of the sunset in the sky. It is a feast of sight and sound, woven together by Arts. The ultimate expression of Leithanien's classical aesthetics and mastery over Arts. It is a grand spectacle visible from any corner of Zwillingstürme, and beyond. Tears begin to fill Ebenholz's eyes. He remembers standing atop the spire of Urtica, gazing down at the plate below. There were many bell towers in the Grafschaft, which sang every day at dusk. The people would leave their workshops after a long day of work, and the sound of wheels rolling over metallic roads would echo with the music filling the city. He could see the green-black wilderness, if he stood on his toes. Einwald was filled with forests, and caravans brought ripe fruit into the city whenever they were in season. Farmers often amplified their scents with Arts to attract customers. He could always smell the best fruits, even from his high perch. The maid who sympathized with him would sneak a few back from the market, as long as no other nobles were watching. The fruits were ripe and fresh, unlike the carefully selected, dried and withered food served on the long, old table. He could not remember what became of the maid. Did she go join her beloved in the south? Or did she find a new job at the instrument workshop beneath the spire? And, when he left Urtica... did he ever look back?
"Let the dark clouds scatter. let the morning sun shine; praise be to Leithanien, home of the free."
Yes, he had once loved this place from the bottom of his heart. Leithanien, the land of divine music, cradle of the Arts.
<Background 3>
Viviana	The performance has begun. It sounds so harmonious, even without the strings.
Cora	There's a theory I've heard, though I've never tried to verify it. The Güldenesgesatz contains the will of Leithanien. It represents order, harmony, and beauty. The golden melody is deeply rooted in the soul of every Leithanian, and is not so easily damaged.
Federico	That sounds like a form of Originium Arts. It shares some characteristics with our law, but works on different principles, and on a different target.
Viviana	So... the Güldenesgesatz is actually a kind of complex Arts affecting the cognition of every Leithanian who hears it? Cast by... more than ten thousand people in ensemble. So we can't disrupt the performance, but what about the enemy? What's their plan?
Federico	The enemy's plan is undoubtedly the opposite. They want the music to continue. Therefore, there is only one place they can be hiding.
Federico fires a shot.
Imperial Musician	Wh-What are you doing? I put down my cello as you asked!
Federico	Frau Hochberg and I have not prevented any musician from leaving. Your colleagues are either resisting her Arts, or chose to avoid confrontation due to Frau Löwenstein's presence. You are the only one to have stayed behind.
Imperial Musician	......
[The musician tears off their disguise.]
"Witch King's Echo"	Very astute, Sankta. We have waited far too long to hear the music that truly belongs to Leithanien.
[The remnant casts her Arts.]
Viviana	The other Witch King's remnants are amongst the musicians? Stay away from them, Cora!
Cora	......
Viviana	Are you... crying?
Cora	...Ja. I'm listening to the Güldenesgesatz.
Viviana	The Movement?
Cora	It's just so beautiful. It reminded me of how much I used to love Leithanien.

After operation

“

Arturia escapes from prison. The Güldenesgesatz is tampered with, causing the Witch King's power to engulf the amphitheater. Viviana is forced to face the painful truth. Cora is the leader of the Witch King's remnants.

”

I was fifteen when I entered the Witch King's Spire. I came from an ordinary family in Kreis Einwald. I should not have been able to become a noble's attendant, but I heard that Herkunftshorn made no distinction between nobles and commoners. This was not because he treated commoners particularly well, but because he looked down equally on all who cowered at the foot of his throne. At first, my job was to clean his instruments. But Herkunftshorn no longer played ordinary music, and those instruments had no meaning. Later, I was sent to clean the resonance pipelines at the top of the Spire. It was not a difficult job, but Herkunftshorn would not tolerate even a single speck of dust in them. My colleagues came and went. Few got to leave on their own two feet. In the end, I was the only one left, quietly cleaning at the top of the tower. And a thousand sunrises and sunsets later, the Witch King's Spire fell.
<Background 4>
[A squad of imperial casters enter the building where Arturia was held.]
Imperial Caster	Cut off the way down. Attention all squads. Find the Sankta. Do not allow her to enter the amphitheater and interrupt the performance of the Güldenesgesatz. The target is known to use unusual Arts. You have permission to kill if necessary.
Arturia	Hello. Were you looking for me?
Imperial Caster	—Barrier up! Get in formation! Catch her!
[The casters bind Arturia with an Arts barrier.]
Arturia	Hm...
Imperial Caster	Arturia Giallo. Leithanien took you in when you became a pariah in Laterano. Countless nobles honored you for your remarkable musical talent. The Kaiserinnen granted you rights equivalent to spire nobility. So return to your cell and submit to them, and they may yet allow you to live.
Arturia	That was never an option. What point is there to living if I can't play freely.
Imperial Caster	Then accept your death.
[The caster fires his Arts at Arturia but misses.]
Arturia	Your Arts have gotten stronger.
Imperial Caster	You missed your chance to break out, Sankta. The Güldenesgesatz is in progress. Do you see the scene outside? Your parlor tricks are meaningless before the golden glory of Leithanien.
Arturia	Yes, I can feel that your will is firmer than ever. But is it your will expressing that music, or has the melody convinced you that what you see is what you think?
Imperial Caster	That's irrelevant. The golden melody guides me. My will echoes along with it! You, our enemy, will melt before Leithanien's radiance—
[Arturia suddenly vanishes into thin air.]
Imperial Caster	...She's gone? An illusion? But there was no music!
Arturia	Why does everyone keep assuming that I create illusions? I warned you. When your emotions are being controlled by a melody that doesn't belong to yourself, you can easily overlook the reality before you... Like where I moved to in that "radiance."
Imperial Caster	Behind— Barrier— too late—
[The "radiant" ensemble of the Güldenesgesatz echoes through the halls from outside.]
Arturia	Now, I would like to ask you to kindly remove the Arts cast on my instrument. There, it's clean now. Danke.
Imperial Caster	How did we... lose to you?
Arturia	Normally I wouldn't stand a chance, but your souls have become stiff and inflexible due to the bindings of the Güldenesgesatz, creating innumerable weaknesses in your Arts.
Imperial Caster	But... why? With Arts like these, you could have changed your destiny, enjoyed wealth, fame, and favor beyond reckoning... What meaning is there in defying the Kaiserinnen?
Arturia	Hm, I think we have very different views on the meaning of meaning. Fame, fortune, status... All merely accessories to a soul that will eventually wither and rot with the passage of time. Kurfürst, beggar, or myself, the only difference is in the whispers of our hearts. I want to climb the tallest spire. Because of a melody, a soul, and a future. And for a promise I made to a friend.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 3>
Ten years had passed since the death of the Witch King. I was attending the funeral of an old friend. After the funeral, I saw a Sankta with her cello in the amphitheater below the Twin Spires. Others came and went, but she stood there from noon until sundown.
Arturia	According to legend, even the clouds stopped for the Witch King when he played up on his spire. I wonder... do the clouds remember what the Spire looked like back then?
I suppose not. Clouds change so quickly, after all.
Arturia	My teacher often told me of how he stood beneath the Witch King's Spire while it was still standing, playing for the sole sovereign of Leithanien. The golden-red clouds embraced the dark spire like an extravagant robe. He wanted to come back and see the spectacle again, but wasn't allowed to participate in Das Kaiserinnensfest. In fact, he could barely get permission to leave his home.
Herr Emmanuel was one of the Witch King's musicians, after all, even if just for a short while. Times were hard for him after the Witch King's demise.
Arturia	Few came to say their goodbyes, and you were the only one to truly shed tears for him.
I heard your playing at the funeral. It was very touching.
Arturia	Danke. But that doesn't bring even the slightly[sic] bit of comfort to my teacher. I asked to play for him while he was still alive, but he refused. During his days of pain and hardship, he refused to dwell on the happiness of the past, nor did he seek any change. He simply shut himself in his room, playing the Güldenesgesatz over and over again. Through that unchanging melody, he drowned himself in Leithanien's greatness. Forgetting love, forgetting hate, and forgetting himself. Yet, when faced with death, his heart was still filled with... regret.
I've heard far too much regret over these long years. My image of Herr Emmanuel remained that of the energetic old man who thanked you with a hearty laugh when you passed him his instrument. I heard that, in the end, he was too weak to even lift a bow. I thought that without the shadow of the Witch King's Spire, the skies of Leithanien would change greatly. I thought that, going from Vedunien to Zwillingstürme, from the Witch King's Spire to the Twin Empresses' Spires, the melody echoing in the dusk would be somehow different. But both then and now, we are like the clouds, unable to control where we drift.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 6>
[Arturia climbs up the stairs to the top of the Twin Spires. A caster tries to stop her, but is swiftly defeated.]
Imperial Caster	You... Why are you not going downstairs?
Arturia	I have no interest in this sort of "concert." A melody that binds the listener's will is just another form of law.
Imperial Caster	How did you know—
Arturia	As complex as your Arts are, their structure is clearly visible to those familiar with Originium Arts and music. In that sense, it's different from Laterano's law. Music should come from the unrestrained breathing of the soul, but you turned it into a cornerstone of order, all to control people's wills and wear down their emotions. True bonds between souls are growing weaker. People are increasingly unable to understand one another, unable to respect the emotions of one another, and as such do harm to one another. Such a rigid melody is not music at all.
Imperial Caster	Ugh—!
[The caster collapses.]
Arturia	We're almost at the top. I should start preparing for the next piece, before this one ends. It's almost time to make good on our promise, isn't it? As you said, this is a good place to play... or listen.
<Flashback starts here>
Is this my deepest memory?
Arturia	Yes.
Sorry.
Arturia	Why apologize? Very few have invited me to play their heart's music of their own accord. Most did whatever they could to escape. Yet you have bared your soul to me... For that, I am grateful, and overjoyed.
I just thought I could show you the death of the Witch King through my memories.
Arturia	My music simply follows the melody of your heart. It cannot decide what you recall. All I can do is feel your emotions, and recreate them.
Sounds like sculpting,then.
Arturia	You could say that. I discover and record, rather than changing one's true visage. There is only one reason we cannot enter the Witch King's Spire in your memories. Whenever you recall his death, there is a... hand that truly moves your emotions. A hand that grabbed you amidst that great flood of Arts. Whose hand was it?
<Background fades to black>
Whose hand was it? It was...
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 3>
Viviana	Look out! They're coming one after another. Federico and I will try to hold them off. You're blind, and it's too risky. Grab my hand and stay close.
Cora	...You're so much like him.
Viviana	You mean... my father?
Cora	This is just like when he grabbed me under the Witch King's Spire... He grabbed the hand of a servant he'd never met, and protected me through one wave of Arts after another.
Viviana	...You were in the Spire the night the Witch King died. You never told me that was how you met.
Cora	Ja. I had just lost my sight, and was cowering before the half-collapsed stairs. Neither the Witch King's guards nor the Twins' soldiers would have paid any heed to a humble servant. Instead, a squad from Sturmland found me. It was led by Werner, looking for his missing father and brother in the Spire. His heart must have been fraught with worry, but he couldn't ignore me shivering in a corner, and pulled me out of the ruins himself.
Viviana	...That sounds like him alright. I would have done the same.
Cora	You're both good people. Very good people. It's such a shame that...
[Cora moves closer to Viviana and raises her hands.]
Viviana	Why are you covering my ears?
Cora	No need to be afraid, Viviana. It'll pass. This will all pass.
<Background fades out and in>
[An disturbing tone rings in the amphitheater.]
Ebenholz	What's happening? The music has changed. It's... It's hideous!
Young Noble	My head... who's attacking me?! It's like someone stuffed a thousand screaming fowlbeasts into my brain! These fireworks, too! The colors! It's so crass! This is wrong. This isn't right. Am I playing it wrong? Is everyone wrong?
Ebenholz	Herr from Sturmland? Are you alright?
Young Noble	D-Don't touch me! I don't know who you are, and I don't want to know! Are you the one who played it wrong? Are you trying to break something? Everything? Ugh-—euuggh!
Ebenholz	Something went wrong with the melody? But how could everyone be wrong at the same time? And how could a simple mistake lead to something so... painful?
Lessing	Look at the Twin Empresses' Spires.
<Background 7>
Ebenholz	... It's him. Herkunftshorn. I'd recognize that anywhere. His power is eating away at the Güldenesgesatz! The Witch King's remnants... where are they?! I knew there were some left. It's time to fight, Lessing!
Lessing	...You're not affected?
Ebenholz	By a few dark clouds? After what I've had to live with in my head every day of my life? ...The Güldenesgesatz itself, though. It made me miss Urtica. Now that is deeply disturbing.
Lessing	That's the power of the Movement. It defines Leithanien and its beliefs.
Ebenholz	I don't want someone else deciding what I should miss, what I should love, and what I should praise. But I'm guessing that whoever it is that's sabotaging the performance is after more than just pranking the Kaiserinnen and the nobles outside Zwillingstürme.
Lessing	Enemy on your left.
Ebenholz	I know. Your side, too.
Lessing	Let's do this together.
[Ebenholz and Lessing jump into battle against the Witch King's remnants.]
"Witch King's Echo"	I didn't think anyone would reatin their senses.
Ebenholz	For once, I'm grateful for everything you've done to me. Pain and chaos in my brain are like old friends by now.
[The duo successfully take care of the remnants around them.]
Lessing	...Good work.
Ebenholz	You too. So why are you acting just fine while everyone else is in agony? I'm beginning to suspect that you're a Lich-sculpted wooden puppet.
Lessing	I was trained from a very young age to deal with this kind of situation.
Ebenholz	And what kind of situation would that be?
Lessing	The collapse of the Güldenesgesatz.
Ebenholz	...Please tell me you're joking.
Lessing	Do you see the golden glow rising over the edge of the amphitheater?
Ebenholz	... I've never seen so many Gesatzswächter in one place at the same time.
[Dozens of Gesatzswächter storm the streets.]
Gesatzswächter	Her Majesty's order— Surround Gnade Avenue and Macht Avenue. Do not allow the corrupted Güldenesgesatz to spread.
[The Gesatzswächter march to their positions.]
<Background fades out and in>
Viviana	So many Gesatzswächter... and Gendarmerie. The entire Zwillingstürmeshof will be on lockdown before long.
"Witch King's Echo"	Haha, it's no use! It's too late. Herkunftshorn is back! The one true king has returned to a Leithanien that rightfully belongs to him!
Viviana	Quiet, please.
[Viviana blasts her Arts at the remnant.]
Viviana	We're leaving.
Cora	Viviana...
Viviana	Cora, please, promise me... Don't say or do anything for now. I might have tried something if it were just Herr Reiner, but there are too many of them, and each one the equal of a Knight-Champion.
Cora	...
Viviana	Why do you not speak? Why should we hide now that the curtain is about to rise? Our dream, our obsession, the moment for which we have given both blood and soul is finally upon us! So why is there no joy on your face? Concertm—
[Viviana blasts more Arts at the remnant.]
Viviana	I told you to be quiet.
Cora	...... You knew. Since when?
Viviana	I visited Marigold Alley before I went to see Arturia. I wanted to see those drawings again, the images that gave me such warmth. But I didn't find anything. All the drawings, the ones with marigolds in them, the ones with clues leading to the Witch King... All gone. You took them, didn't you?
Cora	I only needed to take the ones containing the clues. But I couldn't bear to part with the marigolds either.
Viviana	...My suspicions were confirmed the moment you told me that you were there the night the Witch King died. When you cleaned the canvas back then, you left a spot untouched. The part showing you. The Witch King's remnants were after witnesses to the Witch King's death. And you were one of them. But you're different from the others. You're not an innocent victim. I... didn't want to say it. I didn't even want to ask. Why... couldn't I be selfish, just this once?
Cora	...I'm sorry. I really am sorry, Viviana.
Viviana	Why? Why do I have to lose something I only just found?
[More remnants start to appear.]
"Witch King's Echo"	We should fight together, Concertmaster. The Gesatzswächter are here. We've come so far. It would be a shame to die at their hands now.
Cora	......
The amphitheater is a scene of chaos. The tuning continues. The Ludwigs-Universität incident already proved that only the Kaiserinnen could fight Herkunftshorn's Arts. What would the Twins think of my little show of selfishness, of betrayal? I am not especially concerned.
<Background 6>
Ewigegnade	...Do you believe that the Güldenesgesatz can completely change its tone?
Grimmacht	I only care about the result.
Ewigegnade	The last person to rewrite the Güldenesgesatz was Herkunftshorn. But even he did not consider its destruction.
Grimmacht	The Movement is the foundation on which Leithanien is built. Its destruction will undermine everything. Our aesthetics, our habits and usage of Arts, the Kurfürsten system, the imperial authority... It will bring unprecedented change to Leithanien.
Ewigegnade	But change isn't necessarily bad. If it were, we would never have been born.
Grimmacht	A pair of children born of Arts, in defiance of the laws of nature.
Ewigegnade	"This is just the beginning." That's what Fremont said to Leopold. We were but infants at the time, but I know you understood what they said as well as I did. We were born with a duty. A duty to change Leithanien. Leopold was afraid of us. Which is why he had an army ready to tear us apart from behind the moment we killed Herkunftshorn. But we survived.
Grimmacht	...We may not have chosen to be born, but once we were, we had the right to live.
Ewigegnade	Twenty-three years ago, we stood here gazing at the same sunset, over an altogether different scene of chaos. You extended your hand to me before we began our long-awaited duet. You said...
Grimmacht	This sunset doesn't belong to anyone. Not to Herkunftshorn, not to Leopold, not to the Kurfürsten, nor to any other ambitious noble.
Ewigegnade	Ja. You took my hand, and we walked here together. There's no need to answer to the Kurfürsten... No need to be manipulated by anyone. Our fate is ours alone to decide. And apparently... someone else shares the same desire. Such a curious thing, the human soul. To think that even artificial children would learn human desire after gaining souls. That through a wish as simple as can be, the meek may be able to accomplish what even Herkunftshorn failed to, and redefine Leithanien.
Grimmacht	You... ......
Ewigegnade	You want to ask whether I let Cora roam free on purpose, don't you? Are you not of the same mind on this matter? Our thoughts are linked, even if it's been a long time since the two of us have watched the sunset together. Let's stay a while. It won't take long.
Grimmacht	...Very well.
Ewigegnade	What will the future look like? Would you still watch it with me, Hildegard?
<Background 7>
Gesatzswächter	Where's Cora?
Viviana	...
Gesatzswächter	Viviana?
I could hear Brandt's voice. He's fighting the remaining cultists. They won't last long. But the other is even faster. Viviana is silent, but her Arts draw closer. I feel a shadow creep over the top of my foot, as cold as a storm at night.
"Witch King's Echo"	Look out, Concertmaster! Concertmaster—
[The remnant casts her Arts to stop the attack, but it pierces her own body instead.]
"Witch King's Echo"	How... my Arts... went through... This is.. tuning? Why...
Cora	I'm sorry, Amelie. Like I said, my decision has never changed.
"Witch King's Echo"	Ha... haha... it's nothing. We've betrayed so many in our lifetimes... perhaps too many. Herkunftshorn's eternal spire... It's so close... I'll be waiting for you... on the stairs... ...Concertmaster.
Amelie must have turned to dark dust before me. This is how it is for the Witch King's followers. They don't want their bodies to linger on a land that lacks Herkunftshorn's favor.
Viviana	She's dead. Most of them are. The remaining resistance will not last long.
Cora	...And the same for me, I suppose.
Viviana	You deceived the followers of Herkunftshorn.
Cora	Ja. The Kaiserin's instruction was to become the Concertmaster of the Witch King's followers. To become a hope and a lure, and to lead them into the abyss by their own volition. It's been twenty-three years. Everything about the Witch King—the long nightmares, the deep-rooted fears, the meaningless ambition—should have been gone from this country a long time ago.
Viviana	So why is the "tuning" still going?
Cora	Because... Werner.
Viviana	Did the Kaiserin order father's death?
Cora	...I tried to persuade him. I tried so hard. I wanted him to hand over the copy of Güldenesgesatz, so I could move it elsewhere, but he was concerned that the Witch King remnants would catch on, thus nullifying the bait. I asked him if maybe Brandt could arrive at the scene earlier, and save him at the scene of the attack... but he refused. He said he was already dying, and would soon get to see Lucinda. A few more days wasn't worth dragging both you and Sturmland into it. But you'd have gotten there if only he'd held out for a few more hours... or less.
Viviana	......
Cora	He was too determined to leave, and gave up too easily. The day Werner died, I recovered the copy of the Movement and watched you return to Sturmland, walking the path paved for you, so similar to his... And I made the choice that had long been brewing in my heart.
Viviana	...The Güldenesgesatz. You're using Herkunftshorn's Arts to tune the music. You're trying to destroy it, or rather the influence it holds over all Leithanians.
Cora	They say fate is an endless spiral staircase. If so, the Güldenesgesatz is the staircase trapping Leithanien. Stairs built a thousand years ago, glorious and beautiful on the outside, yet rotted to the core on the inside. I've seen so many people trapped within. Herr Emmanuel, Gerhard, Frieda, Loris... and Brandt. All suffering the tidings of fate, helpless to change it. The Witch King's Spire fell. Yet more rose to take its place. Those beneath the spires wish to climb them, while those atop them aspire to an even higher perch. They come and go, up and down, an endless waltz of hatred and conflict. Pain, sorrow and regret, filling the souls of one generation of Leithanians after another. You too, Viviana. Once you enter the Kaiserinnen's Spires, you will only speak what they want you to. I can "see"... I have already seen how you will be forced to live a life you don't want, just like your father before you. The Güldenesgesatz never changes. Leithanien never changes. Tragedy never changes. Unless we free ourselves from the Movement of the past.
Viviana	You say you want to change our fate. But who are you to decide who gets saved, and who gets sacrificed?
Cora	I can't. It's not my place, nor is it anyone's.
Viviana	You want to destroy the old order. But where is the new order? Can you guarantee it will be better than yesterday or today?
Cora	I can't. Our future isn't for someone like me to decide.
Viviana	Those who died for the plan, and the people right before us... don't you realize the pain they're in?
Cora	I hear them. Their screams, their laments... I will never stop hearing them, not until the day I die.
Viviana	Then why do you have to be the one to change everything?
Cora	Because... I can.
Viviana	That's the only reason?
Cora	Someone has to. My life never had much meaning to begin with, except for one speck of light that never fully belonged to me. And I would do anything to keep it from going out.
Viviana	I can't condone your cruelty, arrogance, or irresponsibility. And as such, I must stop you.
Cora	Of course. Disaster has already struck, and by my hand. I've caused so much death, with even more to come.
Viviana	Just stop this.
Cora	I can't. Not after what it took to get this far.
Viviana	Do you know what it is about your actions I agree with the least? You really are... Heartless.
<Background fades out and in>
Gesatzswächter	No—! Viviana... Cora, Cora!
[Stuck fighting the remnants, Brandt is helpless to watch as...]
Cora	I know, I know. You're soft on the outside, but firm on the inside. You just can't turn your back on other people's pain. You don't want to make things difficult for Brandt either. You're always thinking of others, even now. And... I'm glad I got to die at the hands of the one I love the most.
Viviana	...I'm sorry.
Cora	Are the clouds beautiful today?
Viviana	......
Cora	No need to be afraid, Viviana. It'll pass. This will all...
She embraces me. I can feel her hand on my back, trembling. I want to hug her and comfort her like I used to. Perhaps I did. I talked so much, even though I had already begun to go numb from blood loss. I can imagine her lake-like eyes beginning to rain, her gentle complexion warped by torment. She only just learned that I've never clearly seen the faces of her father and mother. Through Werner's words, I could only imagine how they looked, how they met, and how they fell in love. After all, I went into that dark spire the day I came to Vedunien. And the day I left it, I could no longer see. Everything I know that's nice and beautiful, including Brandt, was brought to me by Werner and Lucinda. Except for one thing... except this. The day that Werner brought the girl down from the spire to me, the day that I touched her soft, timid hand, the day that I wiped away her tears... That was the day that I became certain of it. I loved this child, and not because she was their daughter. But because I saw in her something that none of us had.
<Background 7>
Cora	You deserve a better life than this, Viviana... If there really is one...
Cora finally collapses onto the ground.
Twenty-three years ago, I heard the sound of fighting from below, and gave the resonance pipeline at the top of the Spire a little push. Just a little push, something anyone could do. It created the tiniest gap in Herkunftshorn's defensive Arts. He had never imagined that a humble maidservant would have the courage to betray him. Today, I tampered with the resonance pipelines of the Twin Empresses' Spires. All I did was restore the Witch King's tuning components, according to the Arts he left behind in the copy of the Güldenesgesatz, then activate them with my own humble Arts. Life is too short. Do nothing, and you leave no trace behind, like the clouds floating past the spires. But no one should drift with the wind like that, unable to determine their own future. Many desires change. I'm just the first to extend my hand. I hope that after this, all good people, all the people I love... Will have a true future.