Hi again! When writing this chapter, I said for myself, 'OMG! This chapter is really difficult to be done!' aaaannnd not this is the result.

Onmy3dsandproud: Your question's is answered here.

patrickthealmightyobserver: hmm... the plan actually happens this chapter but maybe you won't notice it. It will be explained next chapter... maybe...

Enjoy the story!

When Something Isn't as You Expected

~ Spear of Injustice ~

As the man brought silence to the room, all of them just stood still. The man finally began to speak. "What do you mean… by destroying the world?"

Gailardia changed his gaze from Khuraku to Ion, who just glared at Khuraku for a moment there. "I don't see why I have to tell you my reason. You've heard something you shouldn't have," said Ion.

"That doesn't answer my question! I… I thought we have same goal from the very beginning! And- and now you mention something about destroying the world?!" Khuraku stuttered.

"Who said we have same goal, Khuraku?" Ion said.

Khuraku was startled when he heard that. He felt the air was getting tenser and tenser. "Th- that's…"

"From the very beginning, I've never told you that we aim the same thing. We've never discussed that kind of thing."

"Then why you helped me ever since?" Khuraku asked.

"Well, that is because you've succeeded in making what I need for my own goal," said Ion.

"Don't tell me that's…" Gailardia whispered then he took a glance to Luke.

"Yes it is, count Gardios. Luke is what I need to accomplish my things here," said Ion.

"But why?! Why do you want to destroy the entire world?! Besides Daath, there are also Malkuth and Kimlasca there! Your goal will kill those innocent people!" Gailardia said aloud.

Ion didn't reply it immediately. Instead, he looked behind him for a bit and found that Arietta and her liger were still blacked out. "You also… don't even deserve to know my reason…" as he said that, he brought his staff to the front. "Stay still, Sealing Force!"

Gailardia, who was the nearest person to Ion, didn't see anything happen to him. But then, he heard a scream. It was Luke's. Gailardia turned his face and found that the arte was making its area and above it, in the middle, there was a large rock. The rock was shaped like a blade. Gailardia quickly ran to get Luke out of the area. However, as soon as Gailardia wanted to break through the border of the area, he was thrown away to the ground instead. "What the?!"

There was an invisible wall around the area that made Gailardia couldn't break through. He used his sword to break it but it didn't even crack. "What are you doing, Ion?!" Gailardia shouted angrily. "Nothing. I just want them to stay still. Though I hope they can bear staying inside that," said Ion.

"What do you mean?"

Ion just pointed his finger to Khuraku who seemed suffering. Khuraku's face showed pain. That made Gailardia questioned what happen in that area. Gailardia then also saw Luke looked suffering. He then demanded an answer from Ion but he just silent.

"This force… is giving the people in it weights and burdens. It's similar to Gravity Well but it attack more mentally," said Gnome.

"It also gives you pain on your body even though there's no scratch," Shadow added.

The six Aggregate were outside the area, leaving Luke together with Khuraku. Not long after, Luke fell to the ground and fainted. He couldn't bear the weight of the spell. Meanwhile, Khuraku was still trying to bear with it.

Gailardia couldn't see this anymore. He finally charged at Ion and swung his sword onto him. However, again, his sword was parried by a barrier around Ion. It seemed that Arietta's barrier was still functioning. "Damn!" Gailardia cursed. He stood and asked Ion again, "Why do you do this? Is this world doesn't mean anything to you?" That question made Ion startled. But then he replied, "Whatever my reason, I will achieve it. I won't let you disturb my plan."

"Then I'll have to stop you right now!" Guy said. He ran to Ion again. Ion just stood still as he thought that the result would be the same. Gailardia suddenly used his arte, "Demon Fang!" Ion was shocked as the arte was going to him. He sent a basic spell toward it and the colliding made smoke. Ion covered his eyes and mouth from the smoke. As the smoke was fading, he didn't see Gailardia in front of him. He looked left and right but he was nowhere to be found. As he searched, he heard a sound of sword behind him. He quickly turned his head and found Gailardia was trying to slash him with his sword. Ion gathered his power in his left hand and parried Gailardia's sword with it.

For the result, Gailardia's sword clashed with Ion's hand. There, Gailardia didn't want to risk anything so he jumped backward.

"You're so persistent. Why don't you leave it as is?" Ion asked.

"Well, I have to stop you from destroying this world… so my dear people will still live!" Gailardia said.

"People dear to you?"

"Correct! Isn't there someone who is important to you?! Your goal will kill them!"

"I don't have any idea about what you're talking about…"

"What?"

"Important, precious, dear… they always say that… but they actually didn't mean it. This world is full of trash, you know… that's why I will clean it," said Ion in low voice.

Gailardia didn't respond that as he was surprise with what Ion said earlier. "Do you know? When I was said to be the next Fon Master, I was so happy. I studied so hard so I won't disappoint Fon Master Evenos and the citizens. And when I finally given the title, I read my own score… Do you know what it says?" Ion smiled but his eyes weren't filled with joy.

"The score says that… I will die at the age of 12…"

Instantly, the room seemed to be full of pressure. This was… Ion's feelings toward this world. What he really thought about this world. Ion really put his hatred to the world. Gailardia wanted to argued back but he couldn't let a word out. "This world… is trash. The people… the score… all of it… are trash. Trash is supposed to be thrown away, right? If not, we're not a good child," Ion said.

"That's… but the Score is… absolute, right? You can't overturn what the Score said!" said Gailardia.

"You may speak like that easily, because you haven't heard you death Score. People always act like that. When they listen to bad part of their Score, they'll worry and curse it. I'm not an exception."

"But, Luke! What Luke will do to you? Why must you involve him?"

"Luke is… a key for everything."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Oh, right. You haven't known his Score yet," said Ion.

"I've known it! I've heard it!"

"No, you're not. That time, it was just a piece of the Score… now let me tell you his Score….

The Light of the Sacred Flame shall be moved to the Fortress Capital. There he shall be covered by Shadow, but it will not be extinguished. And then he shall move freely on the Earth kept by Gnome. Thus He shall be led by Sylph to follow the right path when he lost. His life shall be blessed by the holy water of Undine. Among his foes he shall not be burnt by the anger of Efreet and he shall save his surrounding with the holy power of Rem…

'It's exactly the same Score I heard, but what makes it different?' Gailardia thought.

And then…

'Huh?!'

The aftermath of the protection of the Aggregate Sentiences, the Light of the Sacred Flame, while being accompanied by the hymn of the pact, shall meet the final Aggregate Sentience of Sound. There, he shall bring calamity to the world, erasing the whole existences in the world.

Right after that, Arietta was slightly awaked. With small voice and all her strength, she called Ion, "Master… I...on…"

Ion glanced from the tip of his eye and saw that Arietta and her liger had already awaked. "So the time has come. I have no business with you anymore," Ion said as he walked backward to Arietta's place. "Arietta, can you stand?" he asked.

"Y-yes, Master Ion."

"Good. Now, help me get out of here. I really need you to do this," Ion said in soft voice.

Without saying anything, Arietta told her liger to get up, and then both she and Ion rode on Liger's back and escape. Seeing them ran away, Gailardia didn't even think to chase them. He was more concern about Luke and the other person there… he still couldn't break the invisible wall. "Shit! I have to break it! No matter what!" Gailardia shouted as he still attempted to break it. While he was at it, someone appeared from the opposite side, calling his name, "Gailardia!"

Gailardia stopped his work to see who it was. When he saw the person, he called back, "Colonel Jade!"

"This is?!" Jade was surprised as he saw the Sealing Force made by Ion. "Colonel, can you break it?! Luke… Luke's inside! This arte causes pain to people in it!" Gailardia explained.

"I'll try," Jade said, "O darkened storm cloud loose thy blade and run mine enemies through. Thunder Blade!" the magic attacked the invisible veil of the area but it didn't work. "This spell is so strong." Jade thought for a while then he informed Gailardia to stay back. "Please stay back. I'll try using more powerful magic against this." Knowing that, Gailardia went back. He left everything in Jade's hand. If even Jade couldn't handle it then… … he didn't know what to do again.

Jade began to open his closed fonslots and gather the fonons around him. "I, who stand in the full light of the heavens command thee, who opens the gates of hell, come forth divine lightning! Indignation!" And one hit from the spell shattered the invisible veil and the effect of the area disappeared. Gailardia quickly went to get Luke. With a bit shake, Luke woke up but he still had to regain his power. On the other hand, Jade approached Khuraku, who was not fainted but still had to regain his power like Luke. Jade stood in front of him. Khuraku saw his shadow and lifted his head to see whose that was.

"Greetings, sir," Jade said with smile.

Khuraku didn't reply anything so Jade continued, "I believe you may have the information we need. Thus, I hope to get cooperation from you in the meantime."

Without resisting, Khuraku followed what Jade said. Jade told them to move from that room for now. The Fon Master's whereabouts was unknown now. Jade didn't find it important to pursue the Fon Master and now he was willing to interrogate three scientists here. Gailardia agreed. He carried Luke on his back and started to walk, followed by Khuraku then Jade.

When they arrived, Gailardia saw that the other two scientists were sitting on the ground as they leaned to the wall, unconscious. Seeing that, Khuraku ran to them. "Enist! Qion! Are you alright?" he shook both of them. Slowly Qion regained his consciousness then Enist did too. "Khuraku, what are you doing here? What about Luke?" Qion asked. Khuraku sighed and said, "That doesn't matter anymore…"

"What do you mean?" Qion asked. Khuraku moved from his front and pointed at Jade, "Let's settle everything now," he said.

.:+:.

Gailardia laid Luke on the ground so he could rest. Meanwhile, Jade was interrogating those three.

"So, what is your purpose in doing such experiment?" asked Jade.

"… It all began when I received a certain amount of data… about 'The Caller'…" said Khuraku.

"The Caller?"

"Yes. The Caller was a boy who could communicate with Aggregate Sentience in his life. He can be called 'The Caller', 'Leader of War' or… 'The Light of the Sacred Flame'," said Khuraku.

"The Light of the Sacred Flame… is Luke in ancient ispanian, right?"

"Yes. That's why we call him that," Khuraku said as he glanced at Luke, then he came back again, "I… my goal is to meet the seventh Aggregate Sentience. So when I got that data and information about fomicry system, I couldn't hold myself to do it. We failed several times to build the replica. Then finally we made him, who was able to communicate with Aggregate Sentience so far."

"Is that even possible?" Jade asked.

"It's possible. If not, how do you think two children with no power can still alive after so many fights?" Qion said.

"Maybe that is true," Jade agreed. "I'll have my men interrogate you for further information later. For now, I trust you not to escape from me." Then Jade went to where Gailardia and Luke were.

"Khuraku, do you really want to give up this project? We've been working on it for months," said Qion.

"Yes. I… don't intend to continue it again. Or Fon Master will get his goal," he said.

"Fon Master's goal? What are you taking about?" asked Enist.

"He… has different goal from us. He just used us to make Luke, that's all. And now, we have no link to him anymore."

"Is that so…"

While the three had settled their problem, now was Gailardia's turn. Luke's power and mine had restored. Now they just have to go back to the entrance and go home. Gailardia agreed to that. He wouldn't allow Luke in danger anymore, so he didn't need Rem's protection… so he wouldn't meet the seventh Aggregate Sentience and destroy the world.

"Let's go now. We can't waste time," Jade said.

Khuraku, Enist and Qion stood up to follow Jade's saying. Luke did too and so Gailardia. However, just when they started to step, they heard a groan… from one of them. Jade turned his body to see who it was and found it was Gailardia. Gailardia seemed to be painful as he held his own neck with his hands.

Jade approached him an asked, "Gailardia! What happen?!"

"Gakh…! I- I don't know! Something, something is choking me! Akh!" Gailardia seemed trying so hard just to speak. His neck hurt so much he couldn't bear it. Jade saw something on Gailardia's neck and asked if he could see it for a while. While bearing the pain, Gailardia released his hands from his neck. It was a symbol but Jade didn't know what symbol that was.

"Oh no!" said Rem.

"That is… a curse slot!" Shadow added.

"Curse slot?!" Luke said aloud.

Everyone was shocked when they heard that. Before Jade could analyze it further however, the curse slot hurt Gailardia's neck more than before that Gailardia couldn't resist it anymore.

"Ugh! This is… when did he…! … That must be that time…! Akhh!"

As Gailardia received the pain, slowly his soul was like being pulled away to somewhere else. When he completely pulled away to another dimension, the pain subsided and Gailardia started to see what happened before him.

.:+:.

'What is this place…?' Gailardia thought.

His current situation was weird. He was flying. He saw people he knew back then when he was young. As he looked at his surrounding thoroughly, he recognized it. 'This is… my manor… in Hod!' he thought.

He saw no one in his current room, therefore he travelled to another room but still empty. He recognized that situation though. It was the same situation as his fifth birthday. Whenever he went, he met no one. Then he went back to his room. Gailardia recalled that and searched his room. He was right. His little self was alone in the bedroom, waiting someone to appear.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The door was opened, revealing a maid. When little Gailardia saw her, he cried and ran to her. 'Huwaaaa…! Where's everyone?! The manor's empty! I'm all alone!' the boy said. The maid tried to comfort him and asked him to join her. The boy nodded and walked with the maid to the main room. Before entering the room, the maid made sure the little boy didn't look like he was crying. Then they entered the room.

Gailardia followed them all along. When little Gailardia and the maid opened the door, 'Happy birthday, Gailardia!' shouted people in the room. There were mother, father, Sister Mary… then even his cousins and the servants and maid. Little Gailardia was really surprised that he was silent. 'What took you so long, Gailardia? We've waited here for years!' Mary said with a big smile. 'Now, come here, my boy. This is your birthday. Smile and have fun,' his mother said. The little boy was so happy that he ran to his family and thanked them several times. So many people congratulated him. That made him happy.

Just before little Gailardia blew the candles, there was an explosion. The cheerful event stopped in a second. It changed into panic and fear. Two knights came and reported that Kimlascan army attacked Hod. Almost everything in Hod was burnt down and destroyed. The citizens were killed with no mercy. No exception for women and children. The head of Gardios family asked them who the leader of that Kimlascan was. They said the leader was called Duke Fabre, right under order of king of Kimlasca.

Not far from their house, the ruckus could be heard. They were already nearby. The head of Gardios family, Gailardia's father, quickly order the knights to fight back. His mother helped her cousins, nephews and nieces to run, even the maids and servants. And Gailardia was taken by his sister to the furthest room in the manor. Some maids followed them to the room.

The current Gailardia could see everything clearly now. His father fought the enemies but he was outnumbered that he died after being stabbed by Duke Fabre. As the front guards lost, the Kimlascan army could invade the manor. 'Have no mercy! Kill them all! For the prosperity of Kimlasca!' the Duke said. As the order said, the Kimlascan army broke into the rooms and killed everyone on front of them. They killed his mother along with his cousins. Then the army kept running to the last room, where Mary hid Gailardia. The enemies came to the room and killed the remaining maids there. Little Gailardia was really afraid. He was also worried about his sister that he came out from where he hid. However, his decision made everything worse. Mary noticed that Gailardia came out and when she turned her body to protect Gailardia, the enemy slashed he body to death.

Gailardia was hidden under Mary's body, so he was not killed. After that, the army retreated.

Like that wasn't enough, just a day after that, the land was destroyed by an unknown cause. It left no one except the little boy, who was lying on the remaining land and was rescued by people from Grand Chokmah. Gailardia couldn't say anything after he saw all these. In addition, he felt something new but it was also old in him. He clearly memorized the man who led Hod to its destruction and who led his family to death… He was a man with red hair and green eyes.

.:+:.

At the same time, Jade, Luke and the three scientists were wondering what happened since Gailardia went silent for a moment. "Gailardia, are you alright?" asked Jade.

"Gai, are you okay?" Luke asked too.

Gailardia didn't respond. "Gai..?" luke called. Gailardia just looked at the floor. Luke tried to look at his face when suddenly Gailardia pushed Luke away, making him hit the floor.

"What?!"

Gailardia then unsheathed his sword and walked toward Luke. "What happened here?!" Enist asked. "I heard it once. Curse slot plays with one's memories and is able to control the victim from the victim's memories," said Qion. "So that count is being controlled?" Khuraku asked. "I believe so."

Luke was scared. He couldn't move his body while Gailardia was approaching him with the Jewel of Gardios in his hand.

"Luke, hang in there! Get up and run!" said Sylph.

"Why? Why I have to run? He… he's Gai," luke said with a small voice.

"No, he's not right now! He is controlled by the curse slot!" Sylph added.

"Then, we must—"

Before Luke finished his sentence, Jade shouted, "Luke, watch out!" Luke heard that and just noticed that Gailardia was swinging his sword to him. Thanks to Jade, Luke could dodge it. However, Gailardia didn't stop. Gailardia lifted his sword again and started to attack Luke. Luke dodged Gailardia's attacks but also with scratches here and there. Luke couldn't stand and run from Gailardia's sword.

Then Gnome used her power to let Luke ran, by manipulating the ground to move Luke to some distance from Gailardia. "Now, Luke! Run!" she said. That time, Luke stood and ran to the Grandfather's Saint Room, the room where they fought Ion and Arietta. Luke just ran because he was really scared. He didn't have any idea where he ran. When Luke ran, Gailardia didn't move for a while, but then he also ran to chase Luke.

"He must be stopped!" said Jade. Then he also ran to chase them.

.:+:.

In the Grandfather's Saint Room, Luke was cornered. He was so scared that his feet lost power to even stand. Luke moved backward as Gailardia moved forward until Luke hit the wall and there was no running way. Gailardia… was standing in front of Luke. He was staring at Luke with emotionless eyes.

"Gai…" Luke said with a small voice. Luke's eyes showed fear, something he never thought to show when he faced Gailardia. Never once he wore such face in front of Gailardia. Luke was always smiling.

Gailardia proceeded without saying anything. He lifted his sword and swung it. Luke defended himself using his hands. Luke closed his eyes as tighter as he could. And then….

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

After the shout ended, several things happened. First, there was a sound of weapon cutting flesh. Second, Luke wasn't hurt. Even though there was much blood on Luke's hands, it was not his. Third, Luke, who wondered why he didn't feel hurt and he slowly, opened his eyes, without moving his hands in front of him. Lastly… Luke saw what really happened to Gailardia when he fully opened his eyes… that Gailardia was… stabbed on his chest from behind.

What stabbed him was… a spear, but who?

Gailardia's eyes widened and he lost his grip for his sword. The spear disappeared and left Gailardia with a big wound at his chest, which was bleeding so much. Gailardia's body fell after the spear disappeared. Luke caught his body, still in silent. Luke put one hand to Gai's back and found something was really wet. Luke lifted his hand and saw his palm hand was covered with blood… Gai's blood. Luke trembled, his eyes widened, didn't what to say.

"This… blood… Gai… Gai… please wake up," Luke stuttered, "Gai… please, Gai… GAAAAAAAAAIIII!"