Author's Notes: The final boss completely snuck up on me. Aside from the sidequests that I don't find to be terribly interesting, the Main Game trek through the Fifth Stratum in EOU is surprisingly uneventful. It isn't until the post-game when Lost Shinjuku is granted real focus, which is a contrast to the rest of the series where the Fifth Stratum has plenty of elements in the Main Game to make up for how you'll almost never return to it in the post-game.

Chapter 36: Throne of Creation

Alex's team sets out for Lost Shinjuku once again, leaving Nagato at the Archive to see them off from afar. The Archive had no shortage of rooms, giving Nagato free reign to occupy any room he wished, provided it wasn't already housing another. The room he currently inhabits boasts an adjoining balcony, from which he has an excellent view of the path towards the town's Geomagnetic Field. He stares absently at Alex's party of five before they soon disappear in a flash of light. Not long after, a knock sounds at his door; 'That's probably Rosa; I have no idea how she tracks my constant shifting so well.' Opening the door to meet his visitor, he is surprised to find Denise standing in the doorway. In her hands is a breakfast platter.

Without a word, Denise steps further into the room, much to Nagato's chagrin. Setting the platter down on the nightstand next to the bed, Denise turns to Nagato and folds her arms. "Now a growing boy should know good and well that skipping breakfast is unacceptable, especially when one is feeling depressed."

An exasperated look forms on Nagato's face, as if to suggest that he cannot fathom Denise's words. He lets out a groan, rolling his eyes all the while. "You're about as pushy as my mother was; I ain't some frail little human; a real demon can handle anything, let alone momentary bouts of sadness." After a few seconds of silence, he realizes what his boast implies, and quickly adds, "Not that I'm sad or depressed or anything."

Denise sighs at this. 'Damn teenagers; I really have my work cut out for me when my kids reach that age.' She gives Nagato a stern stare, though he doesn't seem willing to back down from his stance. "Listen here, edge master, I quite frankly don't care how much demon blood you have in you. You could be the bloody devil for all I care, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that everyone has problems growing up." She steps a bit closer and pokes Nagato's nose, causing his left eye to twitch. "You're no exception. When you have a problem, you talk to your friends about it; I have very little patience for lone wolves who underestimate just how much they need others."

Nagato's expression shifts to one of incredulity. "You dare to insinuate that I am not strong enough to support myself?"

"I dare; these past few days have proven that you go about coping in a manner that is more harmful than helpful." Her stern stare begins to ease into a look of worry. She backs away from Nagato, soon donning a smirk as she continues, "There's nothing wrong with that; often times, one has to screw up before any real progress can be made. You've lost your fire ever since the Fifth Stratum was discovered, and the rest of us have been worried."

He scoffs at this before walking over to the breakfast platter to take a bite out of one of the muffins served to him. Not even bothering to wait until he has finished sampling this morsel, he says, "You all worry too damn much."

Denise's response is to stare blankly at him and give a deadpan reply; "Don't talk with your mouth full, young man." Nagato swallows his food, if only to make it easier to growl in frustration. Denise shrugs at this. "I understand if you don't want to talk about this with Alex and Cyrus; you often get overly prideful when those two are around." Nagato denies this vehemently, which Denise dismisses with a wave. "You're my son's friend, as well as one of my own allies, so I think it's only natural that I want to see you move past this."

Nagato was reaching for another muffin as Denise said this, but stops upon her finishing her statement. His hand hovers over the muffin for a moment as his eyes betray the sadness he's been denying this entire time. "It really doesn't matter what world he comes from; Cyrus and his family just don't change." Denise motions to question this, only for Nagato to continue, "I only met my Senpai's mother a few times when I was young. Hell, it's been so long that I can't even remember her face; never learned her first name either, but I suppose that doesn't matter now." He quickly shakes his head, realizing that he's getting off track. "What matters is the kindness that she showed me; you two are a lot alike in that regard. I just never understood how that family of five could be so accepting of demons when almost no one else was." He smirks before adding, "You're like…three times as annoying though."

Denise lets out an arrogant huff and folds her arms again. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Taking a seat on his bed, Nagato picks up a few strips of bacon and says, "You really shouldn't; I'm not known for my compliments." After devouring the bacon strips in a needlessly voracious manner, he follows, "Due to some circumstances that I'd rather not get into, I lived the life of a nomad when I was fresh into my teens." His eyes direct towards the floor; Denise assumes he does so to gather his thoughts, but in reality, Nagato makes this motion to avoid betraying his emotions. 'It would be more apt to say I was a criminal on the run, but I can't tell her that.' He soon looks up and sighs, his eyes fixated on the ceiling. "I eventually ended up in Tokyo, which became my home for a short while."

"Were those times fond memories for you?"

"Living in Tokyo was pretty fun, yeah." A smile forms on his face as he begins to think back on his time in this city. "It was a pain in the ass having so many people around me, and I can count the peaceful days on just two hands, but for some reason I grew attached to the place." His smile fades away as his mind turns to Lost Shinjuku. "Seeing the Fifth Stratum, and thinking my former home might end up like that one day…I can't describe it, but it makes me feel some type of way. I can't bring myself to focus when I'm there, let alone fight properly."

Denise nods to this, donning a contemplative expression. "This is something that can't be solved in just a day, but we should work on it for the future, right?"

"What's this 'we' business? I can handle my own prob-" He is abruptly cut off as Denise flicks a finger forward and hits his forehead. Staring blankly at her, he says, "That was rude and mildly annoying."

"Perhaps you didn't hear me the first time." She then draws in close, looking Nagato directly in the eyes with a stern glare. "We are going to get you through this; we shall assist you. Am I clear?"

As much as Nagato wants to refuse Denise outright, his mind is telling him to concede. 'There aren't many fights that I can't win, but this is certainly one of them.' He closes his eyes, angling his head towards the floor as he folds his arms. "Fine, but we do this my way."

Denise smirks, in spite of Nagato being unable to see it. "We'll negotiate such terms later. For now, enjoy your breakfast, young man." She then leaves the room without giving Nagato the chance to reply. As the door closes behind her, Nagato mutters something about how troublesome she is.

The day has long since flown by Alex and his team as they continue to explore the Fifth Stratum. The hour strikes 8PM as the party reaches a closed door at the center southern edge of the twenty-first floor. This is the last area within the building of this floor that the Seekers have yet to chart on their map. Reaching this point required them to face blood red dragonflies that shift into a berserk frenzy without warning, along with crimson hornets the size of watermelons.

Alex and Cyrus push the door open, hoping that what lies inside is some means of progression, even if it is little more than a descending staircase. Much to their horror, there is nothing in here, save for a mechanism that juts from the wall opposite the entrance. Alex falls to his knees, a look of abject despair plastered onto his countenance. "This can't be…there's nowhere left to go!"

Cyrus and Lily approach the strange mechanism in search of any sign of how to operate it. Their investigation quickly leads to the discovery of a button towards the machine's center. After sharing a silent glance, the two put their hands together and press the button in unison. The machine, in response, gives off an unearthly grinding noise, one that causes everyone in the party except Cyrus and Lily to cover their ears.

Lily frowns at this before looking to Cyrus and shouting, "Maybe we should have oiled it first!"

He nods in agreement before folding his arms. "I may be used to the sound of construction from the Province of Industry, but this is quite obnoxious." The grinding sound soon lowers in volume, suggesting that the machine has settled into its sudden startup. In the distance, a sound of something heavy in motion can be heard. Turning around, Cyrus looks towards the exit and says, "We should investigate that sound."

The trek back leads the party to a door that is different from the ordinary variety Lost Shinjuku has presented thus far. Said door is part of the patrol route of the Bone Lizard that roams the western side of the twenty-first floor, but given how slow it walks, the party has plenty of time to investigate. A worn and terribly faded sign is fixed on the wall next to this strange door, with the only discernible image being some sort of indicator of a person in a wheelchair.

Lily lightly taps her fist to her open palm, as if coming to a realization. "Oh, I get it; this is an elevator!" She looks to her comrades, of which Mitsuki and Alex are staring at her with confused expressions on their faces. "I suppose you wouldn't know what that is…well, think of an elevator as an advanced lifting mechanism. It allows you to reach higher or lower floors a lot faster than you'd be able to by using stairs. In some cases, there are areas of a facility that can only be reached via private elevators."

Cyrus steps over and pushes a button above the worn sign. After a moment, the door to this elevator opens, revealing what appears to be a small empty room. "Oh bugger me; this is not how I die."

Lily sighs at this, having remembered both Cyrus and her senior's fear of heights. "Cyrus, come on; you don't really think you'll fall to your death while riding that, do you? Or are you claustrophobic?"

He shakes his head. "No, I can live with tight spaces for at least a little while."

Lucy is the first to step into the elevator, standing proudly in its center. "I for one welcome this moment of respite. This sort of easy transportation is just what I need." Alex and Mitsuki shrug and step into the elevator as well, if only because their options to progress through the stratum are now exhausted. Lily also steps into it, taking her spot in front of a wall of buttons. Seeing that Cyrus is still standing outside, Lucy looks to him and asks, "Whatever might the holdup be, Cyrus? Get in the elevator."

"I'm not getting in that deathtrap, Lucy; I'd sooner climb down the building by hand."

"Hm, I see." She then takes out her whip and, with a deft motion of her hand, wraps it around Cyrus's arm.

Before he can realize just what Lucy intends to do, he is pulled into the elevator with great force, landing squarely in Lucy's arms. He glances to the side to see Lily pressing a button, followed shortly by the elevator doors beginning to close. "Wait a minute."

Cyrus then looks up to meet Lucy's gaze, which is currently somewhere between loving and sadistically terrifying. Holding him just a bit closer, she whispers, "Have I ever told you how much I love it when you resist me?" Seeing that Cyrus isn't going to respond, she follows, "There's this feeling I get as I watch you gradually submit; I can't really describe it, but it makes my heart dance."

"I believe that's when yo-" His explanation is cut off by the elevator beginning its descent, which causes him to let out a distressed yelp as he clings to Lucy.

"Oh I could get used to this." Unfortunately, she only gets to revel in this embrace for thirty seconds. The elevator doors open, signaling that it has arrived at its destination. Cyrus is the first to disembark, doing so with the greatest of haste. His freedom is only short-lived, for there is little to this section of the twenty-second floor aside from a Treasure Chest containing a Lucky Scarab. Realizing that this means another elevator ride is in store for him, Cyrus hangs his head low and turns back the way his party came.

Staying the course eventually takes the party to an elevator that sends them to the as of yet unexplored twenty-fifth floor of Yggdrasil. Unfortunately, there is no means of exploring beyond the room the Seekers have found themselves in. Said room is quite compact, with no features to speak of. Just as they prepare to turn back, some sort of tune begins to play throughout the area. Mitsuki is the first to notice that "It sounds as if someone is singing; what a beautiful voice."

Alex holds his chin in his hand and says, "I wonder if another Guild with a Troubadour is somewhere nearby." As his question is finished, the singing voice fades away. The party searches the area for any trace of the voice's owner, but finds nothing. "A shame, that; maybe we'll hear that singer again somewhere down the line." Pulling out his worn pocket watch, he notes the time and says, "It's 1AM already; wanna head home for the night?"

To his surprise, the party members shake their heads in unison; this marks the beginning of their tireless jaunt through what they hope to be the final gauntlet of elephant patrol routes. At the end of this route is another elevator, one that leads to the twenty-third and twenty-fifth floor. The hour has struck 6AM by this point, with a sense of exhaustion having finally caught up with the Seekers. Upon seeing that this elevator leads to a non-confined portion of the twenty-fifth floor, the party collectively nods in satisfaction before deciding to suspend their exploration on this note.

Curiously, Alex's party meets with Lissa's en route to the Archive; the looks on their faces suggest that their exploration could have gone better. Everyone present is surprised when Lissa wordlessly climbs onto Cyrus' back, completely ignoring the questioning of the Alchemist. Resting her head on his shoulder, she says, "You would not believe the day I've had, love; be a dear and carry me to bed."

"You're joking, right?" No response, for Lissa has already fallen asleep. "Are you serious?" Looking to Eva, Leon, and Denise, he asks, "So what happened, exactly?"

Leon scratches at the back of his head as he explains, "We took on about four too many quests from Valerie. We had to fix some problem in the Sandy Barrens being caused by a Cruella, and then we had to fight giant crimson wasps to get angel wings. No, seriously, someone thought it was a good idea to classify the wings of a deadly hornet the size of a basketball as angel wings."

Denise makes a disgusted face as she says, "That wasn't even the worst of it. We also had to get an egg from one of the Ice Claws in Lost Shinjuku. Son! We had to procure mantis eggs! That was mortifying and nasty!"

Alex and his entire party make equally disgusted faces and shudder in unison, though their response is a result of them remembering the frigid mantis they had to face in combat after suffering a misstep during its puzzle. The conversation between the two groups continues until they reach the Archive, where everyone turns in without further delay. Their collective exhaustion proved to be far greater than they anticipated, for the next dive into Yggdrasil, at least for Alex's party, doesn't occur until noon has passed.

Their return to the twenty-fifth floor begins with a surprise meeting; Hilda and her Guild members have just finished a battle with two King Dragonflies. Adam and Hilda share a look of disappointment, although the former looks closer to being angry than he does to simply being disappointed. The Seekers hail them as they approach to catch their attention.

Hilda's frown quickly turns to a smile as she greets, "Back for another day of fun with the monsters? Or are you searching for the Chieftain?"

Shrugging his shoulder, Alex says, "A little bit of both." Looking at the corpses of the King Dragonflies, he notices that their eyes are notably undamaged. "You're hunting for Chaos Eyes, I take it?"

Adam nods, folding his arms as he says, "You've got an eye for detail Alex. We killed the bastards while they were confused, but neither dropped the Conditional."

Lily frowns at this, nodding at Adam's report. "Yeah, the same thing happened to us; we didn't get a pair of Chaos Eyes until our third encounter."

Morrison takes a moment to stretch, likely because the bag of medical supplies slung over his shoulder is starting to bother him. "I don't mind constantly fighting these Dragonflies; they're a Hell of a lot less scary than that giant gray boar."

Pointing in the distance, Lucy asks, "Do you mean that one over there?" Everyone directs their attention to a large gray boar with pink hair and four incredibly imposing ebon black tusks. As it draws closer, everyone present gets a good look at the fangs lining the mouth of this creature. "That is not a pleasant creature in the slightest."

Noticing that the beast is picking up speed, Cyrus dashes to the fore, draws his spear, and assumes a defensive stance as he activates the Light Formula. The boar crashes into the translucent wall, only to bounce backwards and leave itself open for Cyrus' counterattack. It shrugs off the elemental attack with little effort, much to Cyrus' surprise, and then attempts to charge him again. Lucy, having moved to Cyrus' flank, uses her whip to pull her comrade out of harm's way, leaving Alex with a clear shot at swinging his axe across the face of the boar. With the Frailty Curse, Warrior Song, and Triple Charge backing Alex's attack, the boar is vanquished.

After confirming everyone's safety, the party lets out a sigh of relief. Looking to the corpse of what the Monstrous Codex identifies as a Babirusa, Cyrus shakes his head and says, "I'm with Morrison on this one; I'll fight a King Dragonfly instead of this any day."

Jason, who had spent this entire time silently rummaging through his Guild's belongings, finally speaks up and informs, "Hey Hilda? Our bag's almost full…again."

She sighs at this, placing a hand on her hip as she clicks the heel of her boot to the crystalline floor to catch her party's attention. "We're heading back, boys." Turning to Jason, she follows, "We're leaving some of our offensive items behind this time." The Landsknecht simply nods in approval. Turning to face Lucy, Hilda gives a parting wave before she and her Guild leave the Yggdrasil Labyrinth through the use of an Ariadne Thread.

Alex turns his sights to the rest of the floor; pointing ahead with his axe, he shouts, "Let us move onward, comrades!" His allies have no earthly clue as to where his sudden burst of energy originates, but they shrug and follow after him regardless. Their advance leads them to the southwestern end of the floor as the hour strikes 7PM. The party gathers together to look outside of a nearby window. From what this vantage point reveals, they are now on the ground floor of the building.

Folding his arms, Cyrus nods and says, "I suppose this being the last floor of the stratum makes sense. If that claret cavern truly does exist, it would have to be entirely beneath this building, rather than being a part of it."

Alex nods in kind, slightly turning to glance at Cyrus. "Not to mention that, if it were a part of this building, someone would have noticed it as early as the twenty-first floor."

As she stares out of the window, specifically at the now completely faded asphalt that once comprised the ancient streets of Tokyo, a question comes to Mitsuki's mind. "What do you think Lord Visil has in store for us when we reach him?"

Lucy's response is the first to arrive. "I hope he explains just what it is that's so dangerous about the Labyrinth's depths. Cyrus' visions haven't been nearly enough to go on."

Agreeing with Lucy's assessment, Alex says, "We should try and reach the heart of this floor before heading back." He looks back to the path that leads to further progress and lets out a whistle. "I'm willing to bet we're close, but we have a few hours yet."

As the hour strikes 10PM, the Seekers dash through a door, with Cyrus and Alex slamming it closed just before the last frigid mantis can catch up to the party. After slashing at the door a few times, the mantis loses interest in the prey that managed to escape. Everyone sits on the floor to catch their breath. Lily looks around, grateful that she and her comrades made it through that ordeal with their lives intact.

"OK, seriously, who thought it was a good idea to base an FOE puzzle around holding a Desouler in place to block an Ice Claws? I don't care what your explanation may be; things like that don't happen in nature by accident." Her attention is suddenly caught by the large and nigh-translucent door on the far side of the room. It appears to have some sort of mechanism installed on it, one that possess a myriad of buttons and a slit that looks designed to be compatible with a card. Standing up, Lily says, "That door must lead to somewhere important."

The party rises and approaches the door as a single unit, ready to open it and explore beyond. Before they can do so, however, a voice calls out to them from the entrance they came in. "Mark well my words before you open that door." Turning around reveals the speaker to be the very Chieftain they've been searching this stratum for. A grave look is worn upon his face, one that he continues to wear as he motions to stand between the Seekers and the door. He looks over each member individually, as if studying them. "You have done well to best both the Forest Folk and my own top subordinates. I admit that, deep down, I wished for Ren and Tlachtga to be victorious in their battle against you."

In spite of the heavy tension plaguing the room, as well as the serious atmosphere permeating the environment, Alex can't help but ask, "Did you just get past that FOE puzzle with no effort?"

To his surprise, Visil nods affirmatively. "Your assumption is correct, though there is a reason why I suffered no resistance. However, that is of no matter; return with me to town and I'll see to it that everyone in Seekers receives the proper fame and fortune they deserve."

Cyrus chuckles at this offer before saying, "We came all this way to be met with an important-looking door, Lord Visil; surely it is only fair that we see what lies beyond before heading back?"

The Chieftain looks back at the door for a moment; he chuckles as he directs his gaze back to the Seekers. "Beyond this door?" He barks a laugh, one that rings hollow throughout the room. Having chosen his next words with careful precision, his voice takes on a grim tone as he says, "Why, the truth of Yggdrasil lies beyond this door." He looks to the door again and absently asks, "Will you be the ones to finally witness the secret?"

It is after asking this question in an almost nostalgic tone that Visil's voice becomes harsh. He lets out a laugh characteristic of one who has gone mad and then looks to the party. Cyrus shades his eyes at the Chieftain before asking a strange question; "And just who might you be?"

"A foolish question, Alchemist; I am Visil, Chieftain of the Radha. You wish to know the things I do, yes?" He doesn't give the party a moment to answer, instead continuing, "By all means, go through this door and find the answers you seek. However, if you're not willing to stake your lives on the truth, then I advise you all to forget about ever advancing beyond." He steps through the door, closing it behind him. In spite of he and the group being separated, his voice still rings perfectly clear as he says, "Be prepared, explorers; in exchange for your lives, I will tell you the secret of the Labyrinth."

Alex and Cyrus stare at the door in silence for a moment before the former looks to the latter and says, "Cyrus, warp us to one of those restorative springs so we can finish this."

"Right on it, Boss."

The party returns to stand before this door around the cusp of 1AM. After a short deliberation, everyone confirms that they're ready for what lies beyond. Lily takes the card provided to them from Ren and Tlachtga and holds it up to the mechanism attached to the door. The sound of a lock lifting rings throughout the now quiet room, signifying that passage is now possible. The door parts to the side, allowing the party to enter the next room.

Inside is a construct unlike anything the party has seen up to this point. In the center of this incredibly large room stands a tree, or at least part of one. A glowing organ of some sort sits at the top of the construct, entwined amidst a multitude of seemingly sentient tendrils. Just beneath this organ lies Visil, who appears to be fused with the tree. The Seekers stare up at this amalgamation in disbelief, not entirely sure how to respond to what stands before them.

Ignoring the stunned reaction of the Seekers, Visil decides to explain his world's history. "Long ago, there existed a civilization greater than our own. Its people had solved all the world's mysteries and had power to rival the gods." Lily and Cyrus exchange a brief glance upon hearing this, noting how their two worlds boast a somewhat similar history. "This power was called science. Man gained dominion over nature and life itself."

Lily and Cyrus then don incredulous expressions as they exclaim, "Are you serious?!" The former then asks, "How in the world could your people have fallen?"

"I would not expect you to understand, but humanity's technology cast a dark shadow over its future. In destroying the environment for their own personal gain, humanity, in turn, made their own habitat uninhabitable. The danger was realized too late; billions were lost in the resulting climate change. Mankind faced extinction, but there were those who refused to give up, and kept fighting."

Alex scratches his head before saying, "I'm quite frankly surprised you had billions to lose; our current population could never recover from such losses."

"We still had technology and our knowledge of nature at our disposal. The remnants of humanity established the Yggdrasil Project, with its goal lying with restoring the balance that was lost."

Thinking on this for a moment, Cyrus raises a finger and asks, "You did so to cure the planet of all the pollution humans had created?"

"That is correct. The project's lead researcher worked tirelessly, collecting data to contribute to the project, but all the while, the deaths mounted. The researcher lost his colleagues, and soon after, his wife and child. He remained resolved, continuing his research. At the end of the long road, his experiments resulted in a compound that could heal the land."

Mitsuki folds her arms and looks to Visil. "A cure like that couldn't possibly work overnight."

"Correct; a full recovery would take thousands of years. To see the Project through would take more time than mankind had left."

Looking around the room, Lucy considers the options the researcher in question could have had. "The best option available would have been to become immortal, but was that possible for your people?"

"True immortality is but a fantasy, but for the researcher, it was his only option. He took Yggdrasil's power into himself, relinquishing his humanity to forever be a part of the great World Tree…I was that man." No one in the party expresses surprise at this. "I serve as Yggdrasil's guardian; I am the only survivor of my era."

Having taken all of this information into consideration, Cyrus nods to himself and looks to Visil. "I think I understand now; you fused with the tree, but you're not the source of its power. The shining red eyes must be an indication that you're under something else's control." His focused expression wavers for a moment as he looks towards the floor. "What I don't understand is the motive; why the intent to slaughter the Forest Folk? What made them a threat?"

Visil yields no answer to these questions. Whether or not this is of his own volition, the party cannot rightfully deduce, for Visil's facial features betray no intent over another. "I bear you all no malice, but I cannot allow you leave the Labyrinth alive." It is at this moment the door leading out of this room slams shut and locks, trapping the Seekers in the room with Visil. "In dying, let your blood fertilize the land; live forever within Yggdrasil!"

Visil starts with a basic tendril swing, which fails to do any lasting damage due to Rosa's cordial effect healing Lucy shortly after. Upon taking damage from Alex's use of Power Crush, as well as Cyrus' Fire Formula, Visil ups his damage output by trashing a multitude of tendrils in a cyclone fashion. This deals incredible damage to the party, causing each of them to realize that direct healing might be required if they are to keep going.

Cyrus takes full advantage of his current poor condition, activating Wrath's Might. A gray aura overtakes him, causing his Runic Eye to don a similar gray glow as he launches a boosted Fire Formula at Visil. The power of Mitsuki's singing keeps the party healed long enough for Lily to seal all of the tendrils with the Abdomen Curse, which effectively renders Visil incapable of fighting back. It is at this moment that the party re-establishes their assault to finish the fight. Mitsuki's last minute Flame Fantasia, combined with the Fire Preludes she sang earlier, allows Alex, Lucy, and Cyrus to make the final push they need to get past Visil's sudden health regeneration.

As the final blow is delivered, a distant shattering can be heard. Soon after, Visil's body is freed from the Yggdrasil Tree and rolls to the floor where the Seekers stand. Both his body and the tree from which he fell currently show signs of deterioration, with Visil himself looking akin to an empty shell. Lucy posits, "After living off of experimental regenerative powers for so long, I suppose it's only natural that his body would immediately give way upon being separated from the source of those powers."

Alex looks over his party to confirm everyone's well-being; he is not surprised to find that, of everyone present, Cyrus was the one who took the most damage in the encounter. He motions for his allies to gather around him, which they heed without delay. "You fought well, team." He looks to Visil's corpse, which is starting to fade away. A sad expression commands Alex's countenance now. "We can't bring the Chieftain back to his people, but we can give them the truth. I'm just not sure how they'll take it."

Cyrus lightly slaps his ally's shoulder. "You needn't despair, Alex; the townsfolk are going to experience a turbulent time, yes, and will have to do so without their Chieftain for what may be the first time, but we're humans; we always tread beyond our struggles."

Mitsuki nods to this. "The people of Etria have no better example to follow than the Chieftain's. He overcame humanity to give humanity a second chance; I honestly don't think I could take a thousand years of such isolation and responsibility, let alone thousands."

Lily takes her hand and wipes her eyes before letting out a yawn. "Damn, I'm tired. Let's report to Subaltern Quinn and call it a night. I honestly don't think I'm ready to see everyone lose it in the morning, but I at least want to face that with some energy." The rest of her party shares the sentiment, and opts to warp out of the Labyrinth using an Ariadne Thread. Their next destination is Radha Hall, where truly unfortunate news must be delivered.

Author's Notes: It is only now that I realize this, and perhaps it was obvious to all of you from the start anyway, but I completely forgot to mention in Chapter 1 that I'd cover the post-game in this story. The Main Game has just been wrapped up, but we're far from being done. I appreciate you all sticking around for this long, and hope you'll indulge me for awhile yet.