Chapter 20: Remembering the Names Passed Down

Upon warping back to Iorys, the party is met by both Solor and Lili. The latter of the two looks ecstatic to see the party still alive, albeit not necessarily in the best of shape. Solor stands with her arms crossed, suggesting that Lili forced her to stick around the Seven Hills Plaza specifically to wait for the Seekers to return. Solor lets out a huff, poking Lili in the cheek as she says, "I told you they were gonna be fine; waiting here was such a waste."

"Don't pretend to be indifferent." She balls her hands into fists, bringing them close to her chest as she looks up to Solor. "You were worried, too!" Solor frowns at this, and takes to poking Lili's nose instead. "You know I'm right!" A weak chuckle escapes Cyrus as he apologizes for making the duo worry. Naturally, Solor denies her own worries with great fervor. "Solor aside, I'm glad you're all OK."

"You don't look injured…" The party then recounts their battle with the Hippogryph, revealing the spot of trouble they found themselves in when Sky Dive managed to strike Cyrus, Fiona, and Hayato. "Ah, so you did sustain some injuries. That said, the bulk of your weariness comes from your abuse of your Skills?" Fiona nods to this, explaining that circumstances forced the three damage dealers of the group to act without restraint. Looking to Cyrus, Solor says, "Mr. Stabdaddy over there got the worst of it; you got a frail constitution or something?"

"Actually, yes, yes I d- wait, what did you call me?"

She smirks, repeating the name. "Mr. Stabdaddy. What else am I supposed to call someone who constantly uses Optic Thrust like it's going out of style?" She snickers. "You should make that your title. Cyrus 'Stabdaddy' Coelistis, the Fencer."

"I don't think I like that name…"

"Is that right?"

"Cyrus, you really shouldn't have said that; now she's going to keep using that name."

"It's as Lili says, but I'll let you go for now. Seekers, you and Stabdaddy go get some rest."

Rather than return to Jenetta's Inn, the party makes way for the Council Hall. Here, they find Ramus, who looks delighted to see them. He quickly makes his way over, likely intending to ask about the party's encounter with the Hippogryph. Fiona presents the creature's wing paw, which serves as the party's only combat spoil. "Excellent. You have vanquished the Hippogryph. Congratulations, Seekers; you are all now recognized as Masters." He then hands the Guild's leader a bag containing 6000 ental, which causes the recipient to recoil. Ramus chuckles at this. "'Tis a small price, Cyrus; please, accept it."

Cyrus nods as he says, "Thank you, Prince Ramus; we are most grateful."

"Think nothing of it. Now, I must warn you all that the Third Stratum is shrouded in mystery; only a few Masters have braved what lies within. Have you already taken a peek?"

Fiona shakes her head. "We expended far too much energy battling the Hippogryph to chance a cursory glance of the next Stratum." She then glances at Cyrus, a smirk forming on her lips as she rests a hand on her hip. "That aside, our leader didn't feel right moving on to the next floor without first finishing our current obstacle." Looking to Ramus, she asks, "Is there anything you can tell us about the Third Stratum?"

"Certainly. By the account of the Masters who have traversed it, the land there is the twisted and warped remains of an ancient battlefield." The party reels back at the notion. "My initial reaction was similar. I imagine the Third Stratum is where many soldiers facing the Despot met their ends. Countless lives lost from both sides…all resting in a now twisted grave." He shakes his head, ridding his mind of the thought. "Please, never mind that. Be careful as you explore; be sure to stop by the Explorers Guild to speak with Lord Egar; he will assist you with the necessary paperwork."

The party bids the prince farewell, and elects to make way for the Explorers Guild immediately. Fiona sighs as they reach the entrance of the building, looking to Cyrus as she says, "I'll be counting on you, Cyrus."

"Ah yes, paperwork – your mortal enemy; my wife Leslie can relate." They step inside, with Cyrus holding his arm up to greet Egar. "Greetings, Guildmaster. Is now a bad time?"

"Not at all; I've been expecting you, members of Seekers. You are now Masters, yes?" The entire party exchanges confused glances, which causes Egar to chuckle. "None of us had any doubt of your ability to slay the Hippogryph; the paperwork was prepared in advance by order of the prince, in fact. As Masters, you have earned the right to an epithet – a Legendary Title. You are free to choose whatever name you like – Fire Slinger, Zap Queen, Stabdaddy – whatever you like." Everyone looks to Cyrus after hearing the final name. "Solor suggested it to Cyrus, didn't she?"

"Just so we're clear, Guildmaster, I will not be running with that name."

"That is fine with me. Personally, I'm still collecting myself after this one Chain Duelist Fencer decided to call himself 'The Thrusting King'." Fiona and Cyrus stare at him with blank expressions. "Yes, I responded in much the same way. Have you all chosen your intended paths?"

Fae looks to him and says, "I- I'm gonna be a Graced Poisoner, but I don't have a name in mind." She looks to Hayato, who appears to be thinking hard on his decision. "I think the prince and I will let the others go first…" She then walks over to Hayato, though she says nothing to avoid breaking his concentration.

Cyrus steps forward. "I shall walk the path of the Phantom Duelist. My title…'Runic Gale'."

Fiona is the next to step forward. "I will walk as a Chain Duelist. I should like to be called the 'Endless Tempest'."

Gwenivere takes her place between the two, smiling softly as she says, "I shall take to honing my skills as an Elemancer; you may refer to me as the 'Arcane Overlord'." Cyrus glances at her, smirking in his silence. "Not a word out of you, darling; I have waited for such a title my entire life."

Fae walks over, taking her place in-between Cyrus and Gwenivere. "Guildmaster! I'm gonna be a Graced Poisoner; call me…um, the 'Angelic Bomber'."

A few minutes pass in silence before Hayato takes his place among his comrades. "I…I have decided. I will walk as a Divine Herald. I shall be known as…the 'Spirit Walker'."

The Guildmaster nods to this. "Very well." He removes an orb from a bag and channels energy into it. In response, the orb fires beams of light into the chests of the Seekers, imbuing them with a surge of power. When the beams disperse, Egar places the orb into the bag. "It has been decided. Congratulations, Seekers; I look forward to seeing how you utilize this newfound power. Go forth, and may luck be with you during your travels." Just as the party turns to depart, a thought occurs to him. "Oh, a moment; I had almost forgotten to give you these." He then hands the party a collection of five books. "Take these to the Celestrian scholar at the tavern; he'll have more information for you there."

The party thanks Egar for his assistance and departs, at last heading to Jenetta's Inn. The innkeeper is delighted to see the party has returned to her safely. Curiously, Mr. Friedrich appears pleased as well, for he rushes over to Fae, giving a single meow as he beckons to be taken into her arms. The girl complies, allowing the cat to nuzzle his cheek against hers as he purrs. She giggles at this. "Aw, I missed you, too, Mr. Friedrich." She sets the cat onto the floor, where he wags his tail as he looks up to her. "Guess what? We're Masters now!"

Friedrich looks to Cyrus, giving a confused meow. "Are those titles?"

Cyrus nods. "That is correct, Mr. Friedrich; curiously, being granted these titles also required a ritual to unlock our inner potential."

Jenetta brings her hands together, her expression beaming as she says, "That's amazing! Congratulations, everyone~" Clarisse and Balto step downstairs, prompting Jenetta to grant the duo her attention. "Ah, Clarisse, have you heard the news?"

"They're Masters now, right? Our entire Guild is recognized?" Jenetta nods, to which Clarisse smirks as she looks to Cyrus. "Wish I could have been there for the fight with the Hippogryph." She then notices how tired the party looks. "On second thought…I take that back." She then crouches down to rub Balto's head. "Wouldn't want my precious puppy getting hurt, now would I?"

"Mistress, stop; not in front of our friends." As if to spite him, Clarisse then takes to nuzzling her cheek against his. Balto lets out a whine in response. "You should listen to your elders…"

"Would you all like a meal, or do you plan on taking a rest?"

Hayato looks to his comrades and says, "Yeah…I think we should all take a nap; I'm surprised Cyrus and Fiona can still move." He then points to Fiona specifically. "Especially you, Fiona, what with all of the teleporting you were doing. That had to have taken a lot out of you."

"Young prince, you forget that I'm used to this sort of exertion; a lingering benefit from my time as a Hoplite." She then looks to Cyrus. "Now, our leader? He doesn't usually play so many roles on the battlefield. His mind must be as taxed as his body."

Fae takes hold of Gwenivere's hand, forcefully pulling her ally along so that she may grab hold of Cyrus' in turn. "Fi-Fi's right, so off to bed you two go!" The two aren't even given a chance to protest as she leads them towards the stairs. When Fae realizes that Fiona isn't following them, she looks back and adopts the fiercest glare she can muster; unfortunately, it comes across as an adorable pout instead. "You too, Fi-Fi!" As she looks to Hayato, her expression softens into her usual smile. "Prince, can you help me get them to bed?"

"Uh…sure thing, Fae." It doesn't take long for these two to escort their comrades, though Hayato is surprised to see Fae pulling out some sort of tome. He steps closer to get a good look at it, and then realizes, "Wait, are you seriously going to read them a bedtime story?"

"Uh huh."

"Fae, they're adults; that's not gonna work."

"But everyone loves this story; it's the one about the Earthlain princess who falls in love with a Brouni knight in training, and then runs away with him."

In response to this, Gwenivere dons a wide smile as she snuggles up to Cyrus. Pulling up the covers ever so slightly, she says, "A tale of forbidden romance? I absolutely adore such stories."

Fiona has taken to resting her head on Cyrus' chest as she says, "I am fond of this story as well. My parents would take turns reading the lines of the princess and knight."

A thought then occurs to Hayato. "Wait, surely you don't expect me t-" His eyes then shift to the left to see Fae staring at him with sparkling eyes. 'It's too late; I can't back out now…' He sighs. "Very well, but know I only do this to keep my subjects happy."

Fae then wraps her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Aw, thanks, Prince!" The two work together to tell the tale, with Fiona giving in to her exhaustion roughly half-way through. Gwenivere awaits each turning page with abated breaths, enthralled by the struggles of the love-struck princess as she fights her way through courtly intrigue.

As he dozes off, Cyrus can only think to himself, 'This story strikes me as being a bit too heavy for a children's bedtime story…' He quickly forgets this as Fae's voice pulls him back into the tale; the Brouni knight has been tricked into entering a barn, which is then sealed off by the nobles opposed to his love for the princess. The barn is then set ablaze; the nobles are convinced that escape is impossible. "No, Sir Henson!" He falls asleep shortly after Sir Henson makes a narrow escape, barely avoiding a gruesome death of being crushed and burned to death; presumably, the ease of Cyrus' tension was enough for him to give in to his exhaustion.

Gwenivere, in contrast, stays awake throughout the entire story, for the lack of knowing the ending leaves her restless. When Fae and Hayato read the incredibly short epilogue detailing the happy aftermath Sir Henson and Princess Julia share, Gwenivere sighs in relief, and finally lays her head down to slumber. Fae puts the book away, and then takes Hayato by the hand as she leads him out of the room. As she closes the door, she looks to him and says, "That went well."

"Yeah, I'm surprised. I guess some adults want to go back to being kids. Aren't you tired, too?"

"Not really; I didn't do a whole lot in the fight." She smiles at him as she follows, "I'm gonna go work on new bombs for us to use; wanna help?" Hayato agrees to this, prompting Fae to take him by the hand again so that she may lead him to the garden behind the inn. Here, Jenetta has fences setup to separate the various items she's growing. Off to the side is a section of various herbs, which Fae walks over to. After searching around for a few moments, she picks a particular herb and shows it to Hayato. "This is the Passionflower. I was taught how to turn it into medicine for people with anxiety problems, but I think I've thought of a way to use it to cause monsters to panic."

"When, by chance, did you do this?"

"While you and the others were doing that quest to help Mr. Thadius make a wedding dress. I was bored."

'This girl is going to be very dangerous when she grows up.'

Fae then fidgets in place as she asks, "D- Do you think the others will be happy? Is this useful?"

"Huh? Yes, definitely so, Fae; I'm certainly impressed with you."

"R- Really?"

"Of course. You really kept it together when we were fighting the Hippogryph; oh, and that first encounter with the Prancing Parrot, back when Cyrus was unexpectedly knocked unconscious? Things would have gone a lot worse if you hadn't stepped in."

"B- But I told you before…I was acting without thinking."

"I think that makes it more impressive. I would have just panicked." He looks around the garden to see many more herbs growing in the area. "Is it really alright for you to pick these?"

"Uh huh; Ms. Jenetta gave me permission." She then points to a few different plots, all of which are marked with her own hand-writing. "She even gave me some space to grow my own; she's so nice."

"I've been meaning to ask…how come you didn't focus on being a healer?"

She frowns at this. "Being a nurse or doctor is really complicated. I get really scared when I think about how, when I grow up, I might mess up an operation and get someone badly hurt…maybe even killed." She shakes her head in an attempt to be rid of the thought; though the notion still lingers, she maintains her composure as she says, "It's so much easier to make bombs that'll keep monsters away; then you don't have to mess with injuries at all. I really like making things, too, so I'm having fun."

"I can't argue with the results. Those dark smoke bombs have saved us more times than I can count."

"Can I ask you a question, Prince?" He nods, giving her an encouraging smile. "Do you ever get scared; I mean, when you remember the Guild we're in?"

"Being an explorer means facing danger at all times, Fae. The Seekers certainly face more of it at a faster pace than others, but I can rest easy at night knowing you guys are my comrades. Cyrus can be pretty weird, and I admit to being really worried about you since you're so young, but…" he nods to himself, smiling as he says, "I put those fears to rest knowing that you all are dependable." He can see that her expression is no less distraught, even in light of his words. "Is there something specific that scares you?"

"It's…it's Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Gwen. They're like different people when we're fighting monsters."

"Huh? You think so?" She nods. "I haven't really noticed; Lady Gwenivere gets pretty scary in battle when she's upset, but she also gets like that whenever she talks about her ideals."

"I guess you have to be close to him to see it. I don't know how to explain it, but…" she takes to pushing her fingers together as she follows, "It's the way he ignores his wounds."

"Ah, I understand what you mean; it's like he doesn't recognize that he's in pain."

"It's not just that. Wouldn't you take a step back from the monster that nearly killed you? I would, but Uncle just…charges back in like nothing happened." She wraps her arms around herself, shivering. "Sometimes…sometimes I get worried that I'll have to be that way in the future. I don't think I can do that, Prince, so won't I just get in the way?" Hayato shakes his head to this. "Huh?"

"Cyrus only gets that way because he's the leader; we'd all lose morale if he didn't show confidence. Seeing him fearlessly – perhaps recklessly – continue fighting despite knowing he's liable to get injured…it's inspiring; it reminds me of the stories my mother once told me of my father during his time as a soldier." He smiles at her, patting her shoulder as he says, "You don't need to worry; he acts that way so that the rest of us don't have to."

Fae falls silent at the notion, looking towards the garden around her. "Do you think he ever gets lonely because of that?" Hayato motions to reply, only to fall silent when he realizes that he doesn't actually have a response to give. "I- I don't really like that kind of pressure…"

"I never really thought of it that way before." He takes a moment to think it over, soon coming to a realization. "Maybe that's why my mother constantly reminds father of his allies." He grabs hold of Fae's hand, causing a look of confusion to take over the girl's expression. "You've given me much to think about, and for that, I thank you; let's go work on those new bombs of yours."

"U- Um, OK!" The two work on Fae's new creation for several hours, though it can be said that Hayato spent the majority of this time having Fae explain the nuances of her craft to him. By the time the hour strikes 3PM, not only has she managed to sort her bomb supply to include the new Chaos Bomb, but she has also found a means of improving the efficacy of her Skills and how quickly she can throw them at the enemies. The remaining trio of the Chain Squad steps downstairs around this time, prompting her to run over to hug Gwenivere. "Did you all sleep well?"

Gwenivere squeezes the child in her arms. "My nap was quite wonderful, dear; thank you ever so much for the lovely bedtime story."

Fiona wipes her eyes, letting out a yawn before asking, "Did you and Hayato get any sleep?"

Fae shakes her head, as does Hayato. The former then goes on to say, "Prince Hayato helped me make a new bomb; I can make monsters panic now." In response to this news, Gwenivere holds her up and nuzzles their cheeks together. Fae giggles at this; "Stop, Aunt Gwen; that tickles!" Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Is it OK if we finish the tenth floor today? We might be able to finish before night falls, right?"

"Yes, that would be acceptable; Fiona and Milady are in much better shape now, as am I." He then takes a seat at one of the tables in the dining room. "Before that, though, we should figure out our new skill focus." When the rest of his party sits at the table in turn, he looks to Fae, Gwenivere, and Hayato. "The three of you need not change anything." He chuckles, closing his eyes as he nods. "Our Angelic Bomber has already chosen a suitable progression without guidance." She blushes at this, but says nothing, instead looking down to hide her face.

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere says, "I'll be making use of this Skill known as Clever Strike. I have also learned how to use wind magic to a greater degree in this world, allowing me to cast Levitation."

Hayato smiles at this, noting that, "This will make it easier to get the drop on our enemies."

Fiona nods, though her expression becomes solemn. "Perhaps even more crucial is that spell's ability to invalidate dangerous portions of the Labyrinth's traversable ground." As her attention falls on Cyrus, she asks, "You and I must change our focus substantially, yes?"

"Indeed. You won't need to invest so heavily in Chain Shock, at least not for awhile. I apologize for putting that much onus on you for just one battle."

"You worry too much. I'll work on improving what I have. All of that practice with Chain Burst has given me an idea of how I might be able to double up on individual Chain strikes, which would take some of the heat off the rest of you." Her expression then shifts to show concern; looking to Cyrus, she frowns as she says, "Please tell me you're not going to run Lightweight." He shakes his head, which doesn't immediately register. "Cyrus, we can't risk losing y- wait, what?"

"Lightweight is a great risk in this world; I could get away with it in Erdboden, but I'll need time to make it effective here. In the meantime, I'll focus on replacing Predict with Deft Thrust." He sighs, resting his head in his hand as his elbow is placed onto the table. "We don't handle AoEs well, which is why I need a means of baiting the enemy into focusing on me with single-target attacks."

Hayato summons a red card featuring a clock on both sides. "I can improve everyone's evasion with this new Skill – it's known as the Haste Prayer, though I admit that it takes a lot out of me, almost as much as the Elemental Prayers." He rises from his chair, taking a moment to stretch before asking, "Should we get going?" The party's preparations are brief, allowing them to return to the tenth floor with little time lost.

The sun is still high in the sky at this time, making this particular floor's temperature higher than the party would like. Soon after their exploration begins, Fae takes note of how the temperature has dropped. She looks around, but sees nothing that could be the cause. "Um, did it get colder for anyone else?"

Glancing at Cyrus as she walks, Fiona offers an explanation. "You have Cyrus to thank for that. He can channel ice magic so that the area around him is cooled."

Gwenivere adds, "He can perform the reverse to keep warm in colder climates as well."

Looking to Fae, Cyrus asks, "You're not too cold, are you?" She shakes her head. "That's good; I'd hate for you to get sick." Around 4PM, roughly an hour after the trek begins, the party arrives at a dead end in D6. A small pond suitable for fishing is here, which causes Cyrus to frown. "Bollocks to that; I didn't bring my fishing rod." Before departing from this area, he spots a guard in a shady spot, likely in an effort to escape the afternoon heat. The guard is playing with a small black insect.

This goes on for a brief moment before the guard ushers the bug back into its cage. He rises from the rock he was sitting on and looks to the Seekers. "Well, hello there. What brings you lot all the way to this spot?" When the party explains that they're filling out the rest of their map, he nods. "I can appreciate people who do their work thoroughly. What's your Guild's name?"

"We're the Seekers, Mr. Guard."

"Ah, so you're the ones I've heard about. There's a cute Fencer who always sings praises of a friend she has; claims that friend of hers is a Fencer among the Seekers." He looks to Fiona as he follows, "I figure that must be you."

"Aria brags about me? Oh, I hope she hasn't said anything embarrassing."

"Nothing that I've heard. I know this is a bit out there, but I have a request of you all." He then holds up the cage containing the beetle he was playing with earlier. "This little guy is my partner, a Giant Stag Beetle; I was wondering if you'd like to battle. If I win, you'll have to hand over a prize; the reverse applies, of course."

Fae takes hold of the cage containing the party's Emperor Beetle and places it on the ground. "Come on out, big guy; you can do it."

The Emperor Beetle strides out of his cage, looking to see Fae's beaming expression. He then looks to his opponent, who has also emerged from its cage. "For the honor of the little one." Despite the emperor's imposing form, the stag beetle stands its ground as it mounts an assault. Their struggle is brief, with locked horns and bared jaws sent forth towards vulnerable angles. For a moment, the stag beetle appears to have gained the upper hand, only for the emperor to bash his opponent away. 'I shall not be bested by such a basic attack.'

All the while, Cyrus and Fae cheer on their combatant, while the guardsman does the same for his side. Seeing an opening, the emperor lowers his head as he steps forward, allowing him to flip the stag beetle onto its back. The battle is over, prompting the emperor to take a step backwards. The guard holds a hand to the side of his helm, shocked at the results. "I'll be damned; I accept defeat." He then pulls a sheathed sword from his belongings, handing it over to Cyrus. "This was a prize from another explorer; it looks like a pretty great weapon, so I'm sure you'll make use of it."

The party thanks the guard for the reward, as well as the competition, before setting off. Fae holds onto the emperor beetle's cage, a prideful smile plastered upon her face. "Our beetle was so cool. I gotta give him a reward when we get back to the inn."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "It was most certainly an impressive victory. That parry towards the end was well-timed." Just before the party can reach the door leading back to the large room in C5, Cyrus stops, drawing his sword as he says, "Fae, secure the emperor; we have company."

"O- OK!" The emperor beetle is quickly secured, allowing Fae the freedom to focus on combat. "We'll be alright, so don't worry about us."

The opposition consists of two Popping Gels and a Spotted Hound. Cyrus is the first to act, charging in to stab his blade into the Spotted Hound before pulling back and flipping backwards. The three enemies are drawn towards him because of this, granting Fiona the chance to follow-up on Cyrus' attack with a thrust from Chain Freeze. A bolt of lightning follows, courtesy of Gwenivere, which obliterates the two Popping Gels. The Spotted Hound charges at Cyrus, slamming its head into his gut.

He is sent rolling along the ground, recovering his footing before crashing into a rock. The Spotted Hound is already charging towards him again, to which he responds with another sword thrust. Fiona follows up on this as well, though the strike fails to slay the beast. A single arrow flies in from the creature's blind spot, piercing its skull and ending its life. Fae sighs in relief, having succeeded in taking her shot. She rushes over to tend to Cyrus' injuries.

Feeling his pain fading away, Cyrus lets out a sigh. "Thank you, Fae." He chuckles, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I really screwed up that dodge just now."

"I- It's OK; you'll just get better, right?" The party proceeds forward, taking the time to map out the perilous region beyond the door. "Now I remember why we never came back…Uncle's scared of heights." Before the party can proceed through the eastern door in this large open area, a trio of monsters appears. Two Gobblers occupy the back row, while a Chiroptekong occupies the front. "That ape is a Rare Breed!"

Gwenivere responds to this threat by channeling her allies' powers to unleash Chain Blast. All three opponents are fully bound, stopping the ape from attacking at all. One of the Gobblers runs over and tries to attack Cyrus, only for him to casually step to the side and retaliate with a stab to the neck, ending the creature's life. A flash of blue light overtakes his form, signaling that Ray of Light has triggered. The Chiroptekong attempts the same approach, though Cyrus' retaliation does not end its life; Fiona does this instead, using a doubled Chain Flame before following up with Chain Burst to finish off the remaining Gobbler.

Hayato looks to Gwenivere and says, "That was easy."

"Agreed." As 6PM arrives, the party steps into the large open area where the Enemy Set consisting of three Spotted Hounds was last seen. "I am hoping we finish this quickly; Chain Blast is our only guaranteed option against those creatures." She looks to Fae and asks, "You have a bomb that inflicts Panic now, yes?" She nods, to which Gwenivere follows, "I wonder how consistent it might be."

"I haven't, um, tested it yet, but I'll do my best!"

Gwenivere then pats her on the head. "Of course, sweetie; please take your time – I would never rush you." She looks to find a nearby pillar that can be collapsed. "I think this is the first pillar that we can realistically push from any side." Looking to her comrades, she asks, "Which direction shall we choose?"

The party ultimately chooses to push the pillar so that it falls to the east. This doesn't prove to be advantageous, though the party is not put at a deficit either. Upon realizing that an Impeding Tengu awaits further in, and that there are no less than two Glaring Stingers in this expanse, the party just warps out to reconvene at Jenetta's Inn until 7PM. They return to the tenth floor with their energy restored. It takes an hour to return to the expanse, though there are no encounters along the way.

Cyrus unfurls the map and takes a long look at what has been drawn. "There is no way past that Glaring Stinger without baiting it. Our only choice may very well require us to trick the tengu into dropping a pillar on it. Then we drop our remaining pillar on the tengu itself."

Fiona says, "That still leaves one more Glaring Stinger, assuming we don't have any other FOEs lurking in here. Can we outrun it?"

"I'm honestly not sure." He glances up to take another look at the enemy assortment. It doesn't take long for him to see a glaring issue. "The second Glaring Stinger…it's on the same line, and their rotations are synced." He groans at this, falling to his rear as he begins glaring at the map. "What is the solution…" He rises to his feet, furling the map as he says, "We'll need to slay one of the Glaring Stingers." Looking to his team, he follows, "We won't attempt Chain Blast again; our Union Skills are best conserved for emergencies here."

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere asks, "What is our plan of attack?"

"We'll take the preemptive and spend a turn buffing and debuffing. I'll setup Phantom Swords while Fae will try Dark Smoke. Fiona will use Chain Plus and you, Milady, shall bolster the three of us with Amplifier. Lord Hayato, we'll need the Haste Prayer. That will mark a full assortment of buffs and Fae will round things out with Smokeblight."

Everyone nods to him, having a clear understanding of their roles. Fae's bomb explodes and causes blindness immediately, causing a smirk to form on Cyrus' face that no one else notices. The runic pattern in his left eye glows light blue as he summons four blades using ice magic. As the Glaring Stinger turns around, all it can see are the blades flying towards it. They are all dispersed just before making contact, causing the residue they leave behind to fall into the creature's eyes. Its depth perception is skewed because of this, but it has very little time to process such information.

A magic sigil in the guise of a clock forms beneath the feet of everyone in the party, marking Hayato's use of the Haste Prayer. As the hands of these clocks begin to spin, they quickly increase in speed, soon accelerating to the point that they are invisible before the sigil disappears completely. The creature blinks, only for Cyrus to disappear from sight entirely. It fails to realize that the Fencer is directly beneath it, surging his blade into its chest. Fiona charges in and delivers a follow-up through Chain Shock, to which the creature screeches in agony. A bolt of lightning follows shortly after, courtesy of Gwenivere, which Fiona follows up with another use of Chain Shock.

Fae pulls a bomb from her bag and tosses it at the creature. The two smokes interact properly as intended, lowering its elemental defense for the next assault. Gwenivere holds her staff forward, triggering a Union Skill between her, Cyrus, Fiona, and Fae. "I'll make use of Tri-Magic!" The attack certainly injures the creature, but it seems perfectly ready to continue combat. "Hm, tenacious, aren't you?" After another volley, the creature takes to lashing out with its tail. Cyrus is missed entirely, but the tail's length proves to be greater than anticipated, for Fae is knocked to the ground. "Are you alright?!"

She quickly picks herself up, but finds that her arms can't be moved. "I- I can't move my arms!"

Turning his back to the Glaring Stinger, Cyrus says, "Fiona, Gwen; I leave this to you." Though the creature has yet to recover from its blindness, it has enough awareness to try and strike Cyrus; it misses, receiving a stab to the jaw for its wasted effort. Fiona follows up with Chain Shock, plunging her blade deeper into the hole Cyrus just made. She wrenches her rapier from the beast, kicking away from it just before Gwenivere's bolt of lightning falls. Upon landing, she charges in for one more thrust, which slays the creature. Cyrus crouches before Fae and asks, "Are you alright?"

Without waiting for her answer, he slowly rolls up her sleeve to check the damage on her arm. "A minor bruise; nothing we can't treat. Is your other arm injured as well?" She shakes her head, to which he nods and pulls medical implements from her bag.

"H- Huh? What are you doing?"

"It would be unbecoming of me to have you treat your own injuries, especially when it's my fault you took that hit." He first cleans the small amount of dirt on her arm, making sure there aren't any open scrapes he might have missed. "My old man was a doctor, so I know a thing or two about medicine." His face forms a sad expression as he says this, though he continues speaking. "I can't heal people with magic, but I can at least handle this." He pulls an herb from Fae's bag and wraps it around her arm before securing it in place with a cloth. "The herb should take effect in just a moment."

True to form, Fae can feel strength returning to her arm; the numbing feeling has faded from both, but the one that was bruised no longer stings. "Thank you…" The party moves further north, taking care to weave into the path while the second Glaring Stinger isn't watching. Pointing to it, Fae says, "We can't get past this one, either." She looks over to see Cyrus slam his palm to his face. "Should we go back?" She can see Cyrus drawing his blade and summoning the blades of ice to use Phantom Swords as well. Fae sighs at this, pulling out another dark smoke bomb as she says, "I guess not."

The Glaring Stinger is vanquished, much like the first, though this time, Cyrus is the one to take damage. His injuries are minor, not nearly enough to deter him now that the party's goal is in sight. A few hours are spent trying to deal with the uncooperative tengu; the creature is quite persistent in ruining the party's attempts to drop a pillar on top of it, ultimately forcing them to drop the pillar into its path and then make a break for the area it was guarding. A door lies ahead, which the party quickly proceeds through before slamming it in the face of their pursuer. Within is a treasure chest containing 2000 ental, as well as a shortcut leading back to cliff side in B5.

Though it is quite late, the party elects to return to the Hippogryph's battleground to ascend the staircase to the next Stratum. As they make their ascent, the hour strikes 2AM. At some point, Fiona wonders aloud just how much farther the staircase stretches for, a question brought about by the darkness surrounding her and her comrades. To her surprise, they've reached the top; the darkness simply persists. The next stratum was described as a graveyard, but the party took this as a metaphor. They expected a war-torn battleground, with rusted weapons littering the landscape.

Instead, they are greeted by the sight of a decaying world, with tombstones of varying sizes scattered all about. The etchings of many are no longer legible, having faded with time and the abuse it brings. A faint stench looms on the occasional lonely breeze; there is not a creature to be seen nor heard. Hollowed out trees, grayed and decrepit, line some of the areas where graves are not dominant. Fae moves behind Cyrus, clutching at his pants leg. She is unable to look away from the desolate stratum before her, despite wanting nothing more than to bury her face so that she can see nothing.

Up ahead is the Geomagnetic Pole, which the party quickly approaches. Along the way, a sharp spike comprised of bone juts from the ground, rising high above the party members. At its peak is a pierced skull of what the party assumes was once an Earthlain. Gwenivere can only look on in disgust. "This is too much; the war with the Despot must have been unimaginable."

Crossing his arms, Hayato can only sigh at the notion. "That man slaughtered innocent villagers in his quest for Yggdrasil's power. What we see now…is probably just a fraction of the atrocities he's committed." Looking to Cyrus, he says, "Let's get going, leader; Fae shouldn't have to see this." Cyrus' only reply is a nod; he places his hand to the Geomagnetic Pole in order to register his Guild to it. They then warp back to Iorys in order to retire at Jenetta's Inn.