Starting this off by saying that Patty is in her original adult body. Also, there's a reason I left mention of both Durandal and Gae Bolg in the same chapter. Just sayin'. Then there's the way I ended this chapter, which only seemed proper, considering how often it is that it's Veigue who says, "Let's go!" to get his group moving. Admittedly, that was half on purpose, and half on accident. ...If that makes sense.
Just to clear up things with Supham... It's a city meant for the purpose of this fanfiction. Though, it does sound oddly like something that would come from Rebirth...
Things get worse next chapter.
"You… need the support of the Holy Rexalian Empire?" The Sheriff of Werites Beacon, Will Raynard, was at somewhat of a loss when he heard that, of all people, the captain of Seingald's knights, Leon Magnus, was requesting aid from him.
The two were each sitting on either sofa in Will's living room, facing each other in deep conversation. Will found it a bit odd that Seingald would appoint someone so young the position of captain, and that even more so, for his age, he seemed completely calm explaining why he was there. Most teenagers normally wouldn't be talking about this like it was a regular discussion.
Will watched the young captain uncertainly as he nodded. "His Majesty no longer has any control over what's going on. Ever since a fairly large group of people walked in claiming to be Council members from Supham, he's been incessantly losing more power. The throne by itself can't stop a group this large. It's affecting Seingald as a whole; making it look as though we're trying to start a war."
"So the ones trying to start a war are the ones hiding themselves, and they're using Seingald to do so." Will was starting to think he himself was feeling more uncomfortable about this situation than the captain was.
"Right. They're making us look like the villains, more or less so Kimlasca turns their attention to us, rather than them. They can continue hiding, pretending as though they never got involved with our territory. Kimlasca isn't aware they've been involved with the King. So to them, it just looks like Seingald is attacking without a reason. If those guys can keep themselves hidden, Kimlasca won't ever find out."
"By giving me this information, I would have to guess you're hoping the Holy Rexalian Empire would be able to support Seingald and get word out that they are not actually the ones trying to provoke a war."
"That is merely what His Majesty anticipates. I only come bearing his request. Personally, I don't believe this is the proper way to solve things."
The Sheriff raised an eyebrow at the ebony-haired teen's statement. "What do you mean?"
"Even if the empire supporting you decides they're willing to help Seingald, who's to say Kimlasca won't assume you're trying to help Seingald in starting their war? That you'll tell everyone Seingald isn't trying to start a war and that it's a group of shady, unknown men so they let their guards down, allowing us to attack them whenever we please?"
That thought hadn't occurred to Will. This kid was thinking much more heavily into the problem than even he had been.
"So… if you're not at all pleased with the King's decision, why did you come here in his stead?"
"…I'm one of His Majesty's most trusted. Besides, it was a good excuse to get myself out of that hellhole people refer to these days as the castle. The entire capital is about to go to war. They've already started preparations and have sent the troops out. There's a battlefield being used somewhere between Seingald and Kimlasca, and both Darilshield and Baticul sent their men out to that location already. I would never get a break from ordering the soldiers around, and hell, half or more of them aren't even mine to command. It would be a waste of my breath."
"…What about the medics?"
"What about them?"
"Are they all just cramped up in one building? Have they split apart by taking sides?"
"They're all in a state of neutrality. They care for the wounded and move on to the next of the wounded. It's not their job to patch up someone depending on their preferences. I've been informed that the battling has already begun, and injured soldiers and civilians are flocking in like packs of birds. There's apparently hardly any time to rest, so it's naturally taking its toll on the healers, as well. However, the building is in fact large enough. I'm sure the medics don't mind it all that much, though, considering the pay is above standard." He gave his voice a break for a moment before asking a question of his own. "Why are you not with the medics?"
"Ah… the medics. Well…" Will sighed slightly. "I've stayed here amidst the chaos to care for my wife and nine-year-old daughter, as well as help support the Empire. The information of a war starting has leaked almost everywhere now. However, all the details are unclear and are being thrown around; bit and pieces landing here, others landing across the ocean and some beyond."
"And half of it is inaccurate, to say the least." Leon looked rather miffed at the fact that of all the places in the entire world, as large as it was, it had to be the place he resided in that was the center of all the discussion and all the problems.
"Inaccurate, you say?"
"Quite. The people hiding under the veil of "Seingald" have been deploying few soldiers of the mass numbers available to inform people and places that they've been sent out to secure the safety of all cities, towns, villages, hamlets of sorts… Anywhere people inhabit as a functioning community. They only started leaking this sham information after they'd heard somehow, likely from a spy, of Kimlasca's plans to do that very action. For them, it was an excellent cover-up for what they were really planning to achieve. With even only those few soldiers giving out this counterfeit information, it seems to have spread to the various places not yet informed of the same plans on Kimlasca's end. Kimlasca hadn't yet sent out their troops, as they were still in the midst of planning the action when Seingald took the initiative."
The conversation came to a sudden cessation. Whoever these people behind the scenes were, they were doing an excellent job at bewildering almost every living person to gain even the slightest bit of knowledge on the matter. Will was beginning to get a headache, trying to take in all this information at once. And hell only knew how many other people were even cognizant about all this.
"There are… various Empires among us." Leon broke the sudden, almost minute long silence that they formed together whilst trying to make sense of this in their own heads. "People are going to be confused by which one is which. Others are going to use the number of Empires around to their advantage. The people now who are most likely to do that are the people who are virtually leading Seingald right now. I won't be surprised if Rexalia falls into the austere upheaval. Even if you decide to help His Majesty, you'll have to keep close watch over your own group of… citizens." Leon was already aware that the citizens were the Rexalian Empire. It just came across to him as… slightly outlandish.
"Yes. I will do my best to keep things in order here. I'll inform the chief commanding officer of these details so he can convey them to the citizens." Will nodded, almost thankful the conversation was over. It was just too much for a person to take in at once that the entire world could wind up going to war, even within days, all because of one group of an undisclosed entity.
"Then I ask for you leave." Leon stood up upon an approving nod from the Sheriff. He returned the man's nod and headed for the outside.
Will was left to wonder how on earth a person so young could deal with taking this significant a responsibility. He was most definitely not enjoying it, either.
His thoughts were replaced when he heard a soft voice coming from near the side of the room, where the door to the personal rooms was. He looked to the speaker, noticing it was his daughter, Harriet, standing close to her mother and his wife, Amelia.
"Dad…" She repeated in the same hushed tone. It wasn't much like her to be quiet. Something was upsetting her, and he had an overpowering feeling he knew what the reason was.
He stood from his place on the sofa and headed over to his family. Amelia had a very dispirited look cast on her beautiful features, and it dismayed Will to see the two people he loved most in this world looking so distraught.
"You're going to have to go out into that war, aren't you?" Amelia felt she should have known better than to ask such, but it lifted something of a burden off her chest. It was up to Will now to keep the townspeople in line and well informed, so when the time came, they could fight back against what seemed to be the world's collective enemies.
"I may or may not find myself directly involved in this war. Rest assured, I will stay with the two of you until I find out everything I can. And I do promise that by the end of all this, I will return home."
"If you're not telling the truth, I'll curse your grave." Amelia's voice was quiet; soft. It brought a light smile to Will's face that she could still be herself even among recent events. Amelia was a strong woman. She wouldn't lose out to her emotions. "That is, if you even get a grave."
"I promise you won't even have to think about getting me a grave. I'll do my very best to return to you both."
"You can't promise that…" Harriet said, almost sullenly.
"I can promise it. Amelia and I promised many things to each other before you were born. Not one of them have we never kept to each other." Amelia smiled a small smile at this. It was true, and just that reminder alone assured her it would be alright. Will would be alright, and he would return to them. She nodded at her beloved daughter in agreement to Will's statement.
"He'll come home, Harriet. It would take the entire world to keep him down from coming back home. To us."
"…I… I believe you, Mom… You, too, Dad." Harriet looked like she was on the threshold of tears, but she didn't let herself weep. The mood between her parents was enough to lift her spirits.
Will led the pair to the sofas, informing them he'd be making dinner and to take it easy.
Just a little ways from their house, Leon was contemplating where to go next. He was by far not looking forward to the trip back to Seingald. Not only did it mean he'd be jumping right back into the hectic state it was in, but he'd have to take the ship back. It could definitely wait. He was already exhausted, and heading out to sea was the last thing on his priority list. Then again, eating before heading out to sea was an even worse idea.
Oh, screw it. He'd go to the bakery. Where else better to go when you're stressed to the point of insanity? A Chocolate Cornet sounded good right about now… Not that a single soul who knew Leon personally was ever going to hear about this.
The information about the fighting having already begun wasn't off – it may have been an understatement at this point, however. The battlefield was already covered in blood, the combatants already riddled with wounds. Hasta had taken it upon himself to slaughter anyone who so much as looked at him. Aside from him being a one-man army, everything else was a full-blown, head on war.
Bloody limbs kept soldiers from fighting at their best, and the cause of this seemed to be the unfair numbers of Seingald's men. The majority of Seingald's troops were holding up fairly well – at least comparatively to Kimlasca's group. Both sides were in need of nightfall, and it felt like it wasn't arriving anytime soon.
"Seifer!"
The young pirate rushed to her friend's aid, a pair of long blonde braids flowing out behind her. She delicately lifted him into her arms, although her grip on him was one of iron.
"Patty! Get him to the medics!" The blonde looked up at the voice of a familiar comrade. Klarth stood protectively in front of the pair, Efreet beside him and ready to attack.
"It's alright, Aifread, Klarth. I can still fight…" Seifer wanted to protest, but Patty's remonstration was stronger.
"I can't let you do that. Look at yourself! How are you going to fight with wounds like this?"
"I won't go down if I have you at my side. We can still fight this battle together." For some reason, the comment stung as Seifer wrapped a protective hand around Patty's. Patty finally became conscious as to why when Seifer continued. "I didn't go down last time at your side; remember? It's true ghastly things happened after we were separated, but look at me. I'm here now, aren't I? It's going to stay that way, Aifread."
Patty couldn't find the strength to answer for a moment that felt like years, only watching Seifer as Efreet warded off attacks from their nemesis. She finally gained the strength to speak again when Klarth called out to her, telling her to hurry. "…Then here's the deal: I'm getting you to the medical unit. Once they've cared for your wounds, we'll come back out here and fight, even if it's tomorrow, or the day after. Together."
The usually excitable pirate's strategist gave her a heartfelt smile, one that she instinctively returned, all the while clinging to him as though he were leaving her forever.
Their display somehow inspired Klarth. He thought momentarily of Milard, and knowing the fact that she would be waiting for him to return, it only served to strengthen his resolve. The two behind him needed to escape right now, and he was not only going to protect them, but survive. For everyone who mattered to him.
"Go now, you two."
Seifer finally allowed Patty to bring him to his feet, the two heading off promptly to the medical units.
"Geez. What was that all about? Isn't this a battlefield?"
"Now isn't the time to worry about that, Emil." Klarth kept his eyes trained on his enemy. "Or should I say, Ratatosk Mode Emil."
"Huh. Ratatosk will do. If you want to refer me to like that, you may as well call the other me 'Wimp Mode Emil'." Ratatosk's glaring red eyes shot from Klarth to the man in black armor. "So who's this big guy?"
"…Mars Uldole. He's a steadfast follower of the Demon Kind, Dhaos."
'But why a follower of Dhaos, of all people, would be here right now makes things that much more puzzling.' Klarth questioned the man's presence here to himself, sending him a glare of his own.
"Just a follower, is he? Let's save Dhaos a bit of trouble with this substandard pawn and wipe this guy out."
"I hear you there."
Within an instant, Ratatosk's sword was clashing with Mars'. He hastily began unleashing mass amounts of Artes, knowing full well that regular attacks would do nothing against such heavy armor. The string of attacks caused sparks to fly in every direction, Ratatosk being forced to pull back to shield his eyes from them and the rest of his body from Mars' sword while he was temporarily blinded.
"For such big talk, you don't amount to much, do you?" Mars had attempted to taunt Ratatosk, but those demonic red eyes didn't waver for an instant.
"Looks who's trying to talk big now." He was staring Mars down as he spoke, free from the excessive sparks of clashing iron. "You should be feeling pretty sorry for yourself right now, going up against me."
"Should I now?" Mars, too, didn't seem fazed.
"Man, I've been around since long before your parents even thought of giving birth to you. Who do you think has more experience with this world?"
"Trying to wane my determination with your asinine jokes?"
"Call it whatever you like. You're the one who's going to regret it."
Ratatosk didn't give the armored man any chance to riposte before their weaponry blocked full view each other again. "You can laugh at my jokes in the furthest corner of hell."
"He's waking up…"
Jude watched carefully as the youngest of the wounded came to his senses. The boy looked around in a rather bemused state. He turned to the boy kneeling beside him, who actually didn't seem much older than himself.
"Uhhh… What is this place?" He tilted his head slightly, still somewhat disoriented.
Rather than receiving an answer from Jude, he heard a familiar female voice answer his inquiry. "You're with the medical units. One of your fighting companions must have seen you injured and brought you here. You were already unconscious when our units got to you."
"Ahhh~! Annie?"
"Are you alright now, Mao?" She, too, knelt beside the redheaded young teen upon reaching him. "You were terribly wounded…"
"Oh… Was I? I can't even remember…" He sat up and looked to Annie. His stare was almost blank, causing Annie to become unsure of how to react.
"Y-You don't remember? Anyone who was present when you were brought in was told you were attacked by someone completely insane…"
"I don't really remember much after being forced into a fight with some weird pink-haired guy… He was going on about a sword called Gae Bolg…That's kinda all I can remember."
"Are you really alright? If you can't remember, maybe you should take more time to rest…"
"It's alright… I'm used to not having my memory anyway because of the first time I lost it. I'll get by." The fact that he sounded so casual about it worried Annie.
"Annie, can you look after him from here? I have to attend to the others." Annie looked over at Jude and nodded. He returned the nod and stood up, looking over at Mao again. "Take care of yourself."
"Ah! Sure. Don't worry; I'll be back in action in no time!" His usual exuberant grin returned to his face. Jude returned his smile and moved on to the other wounded.
Once Jude was out of sight, Mao resumed scanning over the place. He'd never seen so many people in one building before… From what he could tell, most of the people in the same as room as himself were the injured – not the healers. It must have been all they could do to keep people safe…
"Hey, Annie… Why are there no beds, anyway?"
The question briefly surprised Annie, though when it sank in, she let out a sigh. "All the rooms with bedding are already being used. Even the waiting rooms have to be used, and the seats for those rooms are also taken. They've had to get mattresses out. You're also in one of the waiting rooms."
"This… sounds pretty bad. Can't both sides just come to an agreement or something and end all this? We don't even have an actual reason for fighting! Kimlasca came around conscripting people while claiming Seingald just up and attacked them. That just sounds way too suspicious, you know? They've gotta have a reason for attacking!"
"I understand that. However, there's nothing we healers can really do about that… We're all supposed to be impartial. It's arduous and frustrating. All we can do is continue treating people and sit around hoping everything will turn out okay…"
"Annie! We need a bit of help over here! Are you on break?"
Annie turned to the owner of the childlike voice. "I should be getting off my break right now, actually. Zelos and Loni got on their breaks shortly after this boy was brought here, and Kohak went to get Jude to cure him on her break. Are you treating right now, Rubia?"
"Yes. I just got back from respite myself. I'm going to keep doing my best for everyone." The pink-haired girl with the pink, flowing dress nodded.
"Alright. Take me to whomever it is that needs our support." She turned back to Mao. "Will you be alright on your own?"
"I'm all healed up now. Don't worry! I probably shouldn't head back into battle right away, though… I'll just walk around for a bit, I guess." Mao gave her a thumbs-up with a bright grin on his face to assure her it was alright.
"Alright. Take care, then."
As the two healers ran off, Mao stood up and looked around, wondering if there was somewhere he could go to help out somehow. It wasn't long until he noticed a small group heading toward a single room, and rather quickly. Curious about the commotion, he led himself over to the room.
"So… what did you talk to the higher-ups about? Was it just Regnam?" Yuri questioned the two younger boys as they were heading to the exit of the city. Rather than relying on answers only from the Council, they planned to find the answers themselves, by heading out to Seingald.
"…Yeah." Spada stared straight ahead, glaring as he went, as if imagining the Council members being in front of him, rather than the streets.
"W-We tried to tell them what happened with Regnam, but… they kept telling us we were just trying to damage their authority by making it seem like it was their fault… But we didn't do anything like that. We were just asking for help and trying to find out why they didn't protect our home." Ruca answered disconsolately.
"Well, you obviously weren't talking to Brute or His Highness Ioder. I doubt those guys would've ignored you. But speaking of, who were you talking with?" Considering the amount of Council members there were in this city, it made Yuri curious as to which of them rejected these two who were only asking for support for their home.
"Well, aside from several council members gettin' mad at us, sayin' we were takin' too long… we got an audience with an Alexei Dinoia." Spada felt even more incensed when he pictured the man's face.
Both Yuri and Flynn looked at each other briefly before looking back to the other two. The fact that they were ignored by Alexei didn't surprise Yuri at all, but the fact that it was Alexei they spoke to did. "No wonder you were ignored… That guy wouldn't listen to you even if you were full-grown adults who had ten times the experience in the Council as him."
"I take it you know 'im, then." Spada mumbled, though irately.
"Well, that's a good word for it."
"Wh-what if that guy decides to attack us or something…?" Ruca asked diffidently. "He seemed really mad when we tried talking to him… He might send somebody after us!"
That comment snapped Spada out of his thoughts and he gave his full attention to Ruca. "If he comes after us, I'm takin' him out."
"But… he seemed really strong… He might try to kill us or something…" Ruca looked toward the ground, his spirits despondent.
"What? You sayin' I ain't strong, too? That you ain't strong? Maybe we can't fight him in these bodies, but if he attacks us, I ain't holdin' back. 'Specially if he attacks you." The older teen seemed absolutely sure of what he was saying. It was clear that he felt no doubt at all if it came down to a fight with Alexei.
Ruca immediately looked back up at Spada. "M-Me?"
He gave his younger friend a nod. "Yeah. You. You know how it is. That guy wants to face Asura, he's gonna be dealin' with the most holy of swords, and that could only be Durandal. Didn't I tell ya? I'm gonna be the weapon that's there for ya for eternity."
Even though the ambiance around the two had lightened up, it seemed as though they almost entirely forgot about the other two with them. Not that either minded. They would let them continue like this for as long as they needed.
The silver-haired teen was a bit surprised at first, but he eased into the comment. Yes, he remembered the day Durandal had told him such. He really did remember. That, at least, was one memory of his past life that he never wanted to forget again.
"Yeah… You're right. Nobody could defeat Asura and Durandal, so nobody's gonna beat Ruca and Spada!"
With another nod, Spada smiled to Ruca and answered. "That's right. We're Ruca and Spada now, but we're still Asura and Durandal. That's what fate and eternity gave us, so we're just gonna have to live with it and work with it. Even if it's hard, we're gonna pull through, and we're gonna do it together. Just like we always have."
"Yeah!"
With that, the group fell into a comfortable silence. They walked quietly to the exit of the city, each of them going over their own thoughts.
Thankfully the Council members only really had authority here in Supham. If it had any elsewhere, something was wrong.
The thought suddenly occurred to Flynn that the issues between Seingald and Kimlasca may have had to do with the Council itself. The way it was neglecting its citizens and visitors… How Brute couldn't speak any further about Seingald… Even if his information had gotten mixed up, he must have known something if he couldn't tell them.
Flynn shook away the thoughts. He would worry about that when they reached Seingald. It was there that they would seek out every last bit of information they were looking for. Whether they would actually get all that information was indefinite right now, but it was too soon to decide what to do in that situation. They would worry about it then if they had to.
Just before the group was able to leave the city, they stopped when a girl with double-colored hair sprung up in front of them.
"Hey, hey~!"
The four gaped at the girl, none of them knowing what to say to her effervescent greeting.
"What? Did I do something wrong? I'm just saying hi!"
"But… so suddenly…" Ruca tried to form a full sentence, but he was at a loss for words.
"Hmm… Well, I actually wanted to know how to get an audience with the Council… I guess being amazing with technology isn't a good enough repute…"
"Well, you're outta luck, because the Council's way too picky." Yuri tried to continue walking, but the red and white colors of the girl's hair popped up in front of him again.
"I kind of got lost when I was going to the medical guys for the whole war that's going on. I came here to see if they'd know where it was, but they won't even let me ask that much. Talk about strict!"
"Alright; who the hell are you and why do you keep pestering us?" Yuri was far from amused with the girl's display.
"Ohhh, oops. I totally forgot to tell you that. I'm the genius technician, Pascal!" She beamed widely as she introduced herself. "I keep trying to get your attention, but you're trying to ignore me, so I just keep trying~!"
"…Self-proclaimed genius technician that harasses people. Wonderful. Now if you'll gladly excuse us."
"Waaaait~! I really wanna know what's going on around here! You all just came out of Supham. That means you've been in the city with this crazy Council."
"Uhh, yeah. And?"
Pascal quieted a conspicuous amount. "…A lot of crazy things have been happening ever since the new Council members were selected. Where are you on your way to now?"
"You're not a spy for the Council or anything, are you?"
"Do I look like I could spy on anybody?"
"Not really. You've got a point, there."
"Soooo~? Where are you headed?"
"…Seingald's capital, Darilshield."
"Oh…" Pascal stopped for a minute, seeming to think about something. "That's where all this weird stuff started, actually. I wanted to find out for myself, but my older sister kept insisting everyone was fine. I guess it's really not, considering you guys seem to be thinking the same way I am. That means I'm not the only one."
"I've told you, haven't I? Something is going on." Everyone save for Pascal almost jumped at hearing another voice, albeit a male one this time.
"Yeah, but, that was just what went on near your home. That doesn't mean there's something huge going on the world." Pascal tried to reason with the man she seemed to be traveling with.
"There was more to it than that." The man walked out from his hiding place surrounded by forest off to the side. He looked over at the group Pascal had been speaking with. "I apologize if I… startled you. I'm Veigue Lungberg."
"What were you hiding for?" Yuri raised a quizzical eyebrow at the silver-blue haired man.
"Neither of us knew who you were. For all we knew, you could have been somehow linked to the Council, be that members, a group of spies…"
"Well, I see your point. A lot better than just jumping out at the people in question." Yuri nodded in agreement.
"It's explicable that you would wait to see what the circumstances were." Flynn also agreed. "Were we somehow related to the Council, we probably wouldn't have allowed anymore visitors into this city. They've gotten quite strict, and there is already a very large accumulation of visitors here, all for the sole purpose of trying to get an audience with the Council."
"Ahhh, enough already with the Council!" Spada had finally had enough of the word. "We get it! They're the bad guys in all this. So the good guys are playing it safe to make sure they don't run into the bad guys. We get it!"
"That would be the easiest way to put it!" Pascal grinned, nodding.
"…Why are you with her, anyway?" Yuri was surprised a man so composed could even stand to be near this girl.
"We met up solely by happenstance." Veigue sighed. He didn't seem too fond of the idea himself. "We were both simply heading for the same place when we came across each other. It's rather… unfortunate, to say the least."
"Hey~! You don't have to put my company like that!" Pascal whined in discontent.
"Well… we should probably be on our way now." Flynn interrupted. "As you now know, we're heading for Seingald. We're looking directly into the matter that came up in our own audience to see what we can gather in terms of information."
"This is gonna sound totally strange and seem totally useless, buuuut… can we go with you~?"
Everyone turned to stare at Pascal. Yuri was the first to find any words to say. "Go with us?"
"Well, yeah! I mean, aren't we all looking into the same thing? The bad guys; you know? There's something weird going on and we all want answers. So why not~?"
Yuri sighed exasperatedly. "I don't really want to have to put up with you the whole time, but… I guess if Veigue's managing…"
"Barely." Veigue corrected, looking away with a rather fatigued look on his face.
"…Ouch." Pascal deadpanned.
"Er… I-I suppose it's not a problem…" Flynn hesitated with finishing the sentence. "I mean, you have a point about all of us questing for the same kind of answers. However, though similar, the answers we all seek are not exactly the same."
"But… the problems everyone's been having…" Ruca started, feeling a bit nervous when everyone turned to him. "…are all somehow related to their homes and other citizens, right? So, in the end… it might prevent people from getting hurt if we can get the answers we're looking for, or anything similar. We all want the same thing in the end! We want… to stop these guys. Because we know they're wrong! Maybe if we can get a lot of people together who want the same thing as us, we can do something about this…"
"…Ruca… You… really want us to do that? That's gonna take time, y'know. And a lotta travelin'." Spada warned him.
"Yeah, but… I think in the end, it might actually really be worth it."
"And what if we end up goin' to war with our enemies?"
"W-Well…"
"Are you really up for it?"
Ruca was silent for a whole minute before he finally got the courage to respond again. "If we have to go to war to make things better again… to restore Regnam and all those other places… if that's what we have to do, I'll do it."
"…Alright. I'm gonna trust what you say, Ruca. I never had any doubts as to what Asura ever thought. So I'm not gonna doubt you now, either."
"Thanks, Spada. If we have to fight, I'll do my best."
"Count me in, then! I'll be there right beside ya."
Yuri grinned at the two. "Well then. Since we're all excited now, let's get going."
"Huh? I thought you were against this?" Spada lifted an eyebrow at him.
"Well, I was, but… Ruca has a point. We're all going after the same thing. May as well. In the end, we'll probably end up doing this anyway, whether we realize it at the time or not." It seemed everyone in their current group was used to that feeling. It gave them an encouraging atmosphere. Their chances of success now felt higher than when they each first started out.
"Then is this plan settled?" Veigue queried, looking to each person in turn.
Everyone nodded, a variety of positive responses coming from each.
"Then… let's go."