Star Ocean: The Awakening
Prologue------------------------------------------------------------
"Now,... Filia. Relax and enjoy... while I crush these fools between my fingers, and we shall enjoy their dying screams as a prelude to the destruction." With a wave of his hand, azure blades of energy were emitted from Indalecio's body. Claude and Dias, the two point fighters, rushed Indalecio and leapt over the waves, slashing downwards. Indalecio lifted his arms into an X formation, locking the blades together.
"This is a triumph!" The two swordsmen were flung into the air by concentrated Heraldic energy.
Celine and Leon started to chant in unison, while Ashton and Chisato rushed to defend the downed fighters. Rena screamed "Claude!" and hurried to his side.
Indalecio, momentarily pinned by the crossfire of Opera's kaleidoscope rifle and Ernest's pistol, began an incantation, "Flames from the heavens, descend and--"
Suddenly a great Heraldic emblem rose above Celine. "Explode!"
Flames engulfed Indalecio and a bright blast caused everyone to shield their eyes. The Wise Man was flung back towards the Crest of Annihilation. In his momentary weakness, Ernest pulled out a shock grenade and threw it at Indalecio.
After the explosion, a recuperated Claude struggled up and charged Indalecio. Claude vaulted and pointed his sword toward Indalecio and defiantly cried "Sword Bomber!" Indalecio glanced upwards and quickly rolled to the left, narrowly avoiding the attack. Flames licked around him as he continued to roll, but he bumped against something.
"Lucky!" A giant hammer popped out behind the girl whose feet he had just encountered. Precis's weapon found its mark, smashing into Indalecio's midsection. Enraged, he focused his mental power and shoved Precis and the hammer away from him.
As he stood back up, he heard a childish voice say "Demon's Gate". A door to another dimension arose behind him and was thrown open. Before the demon could emerge, Indalecio cast Anti. The door shattered into shards of Heraldic energy and disappeared.
"Are you telling me these humans will deny the downfall?" Indalecio scorned, his hand lowered. Strong winds pummeled Claude and the others, threatening to send them off the platform. Rena and those who were gifted in the Heraldic arts gasped at the strength of the Heraldic power rushing into the leader of the Ten Wise Men. "Your fate will never change!"
The twelve staggered away from Indalecio as a beam of light descended onto Indalecio. A celestial body slowly emerged from the clouds and alighted upon him. The woman with ocean blue hair became one with the last Wise Man. Her face was vaguely recognizable to Claude and Rena, but they were too busy to remember where they saw her...
"Said one thing right...," Claude muttered as he aimed the aquamarine blade of the Eternal Sphere at Indalecio, "we'll decide our own fate!"
Claude advanced with his blade over his head. "Dragon Howl!" He slashed in a downward arc, releasing an azure dragon that screeched in defiance and streaked towards Indalecio in a blue blaze, but he made no effort to dodge the incoming inferno.
Instead the Wise Man regarded the winged serpent with a cool gaze before it impacted; the dragon burst into a wave of sapphire plasma. Dust clouded the Crest of Annihilation and the scorched ground where Indalecio stood.
"Now!" Opera shouted, aiming her rifle and firing an armor-piercing rocket while Ernest covered her with his pistol. The missile and energy bullets crashed into the dust screen in a roar, exploding upward in a mushroom of shrapnel and smoke. As if on cue, Leon started another chant
Above the Fellpool scientist, a crimson emblem materialized. "End all things, ruler of the underworld! Destroy all life, advocate of the heavens!" Leon raised his hands, and an orb of Heraldic energy lifted towards the crest, and both shattered as he shouted "Extinction!"
Sparks that were wreathed around Leon's wrists shot into the sky. Leon's spell became evident; a glaring sphere of light came into existence over the battlefield and erupted. Born from the Fellpool's focus, a tidal wave of emerald destruction advanced onto the shield of smoke and exploded, leaving a trail of steel in its path.
Dias wondered whether Indalecio had been affected by any of the attacks. After their encounters with the previous Wise Men and their resilience to attacks, no one was leaving things to chance. From the depths of the cloud of dust, a shadow emerged. Dias raised his sword towards the apparition.
"How pathetic," the shadow intoned. Everyone readied for another assault, but before they could react, a giant Earth crest appeared on the ground between them and their nemesis. "Now, die. Earthquake!"
A golem arose from the crest, and with its huge fists pounded the ground. The entire fortress of Fienal shook with the reverberating shock waves. All twelve of the warriors tried to quickly retreat away from the golem to a safer area, but the stairs leading to the final chamber of Fienal fell away just as they came to them.
Indalecio stood behind the golem, laughing maniacally. As the stone creature vanished back into the emblem of Heraldic power, the tower swayed to the right and barely remained standing.
With renewed vigor, the entire group rushed Indalecio, beating him back towards the Crest of Annihilation. Celine cast thunderbolt, and as the powerful bolt struck Indalecio, Chisato jumped onto his back and jabbed her stun gun into his neck.
Indalecio howled and fell onto his knees. As Dias stepped in front of Indalecio with his sword raised high above his head; the others backed away from the area.
"Hawk Scream Blast!" Dias's sword was engulfed in fire, and the shape of a Hawk emerged from the inferno. The bird flew towards Indalecio and cloaked him in the blaze. Claude walked to Indalecio and lifted his sword. "This is for my father!" With that, Claude plunged the blade through Indalecio's heart.
Indalecio hacked and blood spurted out of his mouth. "Are you telling me these humans will destroy me? Then what is the significance of my existence?" Indalacio kneeled below the Crest of Annihilation, gasping for breath.
The entire party took a collective deep breath: the journey was over. But then the tower began to shake anew. Claude, Rena, and the rest could not ascertain the reason for the movement.
Ashton began desperately looking for an escape. "This tower will topple if we don't get out soon!" As if on cue, a Synard swooped into the spire from behind the Crest. On board were none other than Mayor Narl and Mirage.
Mirage quickly ran to the others. "Quickly, Rena! Put the Crest of Enchantment onto the Crest of Annihilation!" Rena did as told, and with a flash the two Crests became as one.
Indalacio struggled to speak one last time. "What fools." With that, he slumped over and spoke no more.
Unbeknownst to everyone there, Indalacio's last remaining energy began to accumulate in his memory sectors. An ancient algorithm awakened and began giving commands:
WARNING: SYSTEM OVERLOAD. MEMORY FILES ARE IN DANGER OF DESTRUCTION. TRANSFERING FILES TO BACKUP LOCATION.
This being done, the being known as Indalacio ceased to exist, though the adventurers were not aware of his final directive. They were phase-shifted out of Nede and were transported to Expel after it was brought back to this space-time continuum. The quest was finally over...or was it?