End of an Era

by Jula Mathis

A moment of weakness, a night of passion, her selfish wish will lead to their world's end.

37. The Harbinger's Truth

Author's Note: Hi everyone! Welcome to Chapter 36 of End of an Era! I'm afraid this latest chapter took a lot longer to update than usual due to my work schedule; things have just gotten really hectic in the last two months that it's been difficult to find the time to write since I've been forced to do overtime over the last two months.

In this chapter, with the City of Pendrago succumbing to malevolence, Milla and her party have no choice but to abandon the city to its fate. With the help of the Lord of the Land, they are directed to a path underneath the city that has not been traveled in well over a millennium, a path once walked by the First Lord of Calamity. Yet on their way toward that path, the former Lord of Spirits begins to recall more of her past in this strange land, including a revelation that will shake her to the very core. Will the party escape out of the city, or will the ancient sewer become their grave? Find out all this and more in this exciting chapter of End of an Era!

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Chapter 36: The Harbinger's Truth

"Do you really have to marry that girl?"

"What was Father thinking?"

"How unruly, her hair looks like a lion's mane."

"Couldn't Father have at least chosen someone pretty for me to marry?"

"Endure it," the girl told herself. "For our family's sake, just put up with it. This is for Mother and Father, so that they don't have to-"

"Is she actually talking to herself?" one of the other girls overheard.

"Is she crazy, or just mentally disturbed?"

"Endure it," she continued to tell herself. "You can endure it, you can put up with anything."

Again she told herself to simply endure the words and actions of her future husband and his sisters; in another ten years, they were to be adults and then they were to be wed. She could put up with it until then right; he'll have matured by then, he would have grown on her, and no longer would she have to endure such cruelty.

"She really is crazy," one of her future sisters-in-law continued.

"She truly must be ill."

"Endure it, just endure it," she whispered to herself as their taunts continued to cackle in her ears. "Endure it. Endure it. Just endure-"

"Maybe this should fix her head a bit."

A blunt impact pushed against the top of her head, the force causing her to fall forward, her hands barely catching her fall. The words she had spoken had now become completely silent, not just absent in her voice, but in her mind as well. The rock that had struck her had now rolled in front of her, stopping just before her palms, just as a warm liquid trickled down her brow and over her eyes. Within seconds, the world around her became mute; there were no taunts, there was no assurance, there was nothing…

…but with that nothing, the beast that dwelled within Julia Leonhart awakened for the first time that very day.

She couldn't remember exactly how it started, she just remembered approaching the four kids after their latest prank. She remembers more words were exchanged, harsh words that nearly drove her to tears. She remembered their mocking faces, how they laughed as her lips curled into a frown, but it was at that point that everything went black. She couldn't remember anything that happened shortly thereafter, just what happened when her consciousness returned.

She was standing in the garden still, her breath heavy and her fists balled tightly. She remembered a certain fire burning within her, but at the same time, it felt chilly and cold. She remembered her vision slowly coming into focus, finding her oppressors now before her feet, all of them lying on the ground, their bodies hunched over or curling inward. They were now the ones in tears, their bodies covered in dirt and bruises. She remembered standing there confused, even more puzzled by the thin rivers of red that trickled down between her knuckles. Even the boy that was supposed to one day grow up to be husband was among the fallen, beneath her feet in fact, literally at her heel as its pressed into the back of his head.

"Julia, what have you done?!" her father's voice suddenly cried out.

"Oh my goodness, Aaron!" her fiancée's mother now cried, the woman rushing to the conscious child as Julia's father pulled her away.

"My apologies Lady Garrett, my daughter and the other children must have been playing rough and-," her mother tried to make an excuse on her behalf, only to quickly be silenced by the balling noblewoman.

"Your apologies; do you think apologies are going to fix what your daughter did to my children?! Your little girl, she's a monster; I should have listened to the other houses when they told me about your girl, about how she was odd, how she was different!"

"Please, Lady Garret, Julia would never-!"

"How dare you speak of my daughter in such a way!" the child's father now snarled.

The sound of his very voice was enough to startle the woman, causing her to fall to the floor where her children lay. Fear quickly overtook the noblewoman now as the girl's father continued to stand before her, the air around him smoldering, almost as if they were engulfed in flames. His teeth had become bare, his canines pronounced like daggers, his fingers balled into fists, as if they were a griffin's claw crushing the skull of its prey, and the air around him suddenly growing cold. For a moment he looked to be possessed by some unknown force, the very same force that seemed to possess his daughter, but much to the noblewoman's relief, a voice of reason had returned the man to his senses.

"Dearest, stop!" the girl's mother urged her husband.

"…oh, my apologies, my love," the man suddenly snapped back to his normal self. "I…I didn't mean…"

"Y…you're monsters, your entire house is filled with nothing but beasts!" the noblewoman cried now. "Mark my words, Sir Leonhart! No man of Elympios will ever want to marry your daughter! No one would ever accept a monster such as her!"

A monster… That was the first time she could truly recall being called such a creature. The word was supposed to be an insult, it was supposed to be demeaning, and yet…

…and yet even back then, the word was neither and insult nor a compliment. It was merely a word that described, a truth always kept in Julia Leonhart's heart…

---

The purple-haired girl in her hand was certainly resilient, much more than the pathetic spawn that roamed this barbaric land. Regardless of her resilience, she could still feel anger, she could still feel hatred, she could still feel pain. She felt a deep sadness brewing within this girl, a sadness she tried to keep at bay so desperately, like a single stone trying to hold back a flood. It would only be a matter of time before she broke, before she would give in.

"I sense your anger…," the noblewoman said as the visitor from another world curled inward from her single punch. "I sense the hatred brewing within you. Give it to me, give me your pain. Succumb to it all!"

Malevolence, no matter who you were or how determined you are, there was always a breaking point. Yet she did not have the luxury to wait for that breaking point, nor did she need it. This girl was cannon fodder in her eyes, a mere ant in her eyes. And like the many ants she had encountered thus far, she thought little of crushing her.

"So you refuse to submit? Very well, then I'll just have to take it all for myself!"

As if triggered by her words, a sudden drop of rain fell upon her head. It was enough to capture her attention for but a second, but soon many more drops began to fall. Within seconds, these few sprinkles had turned into a constant pour, the water strangely warm to the touch. As more time passed however, the water was more than just warm, it burned, similar to fire.

An inhuman howl began to scream from behind her now, the cry quickly capturing the noblewoman's attention, her eyes widening at the sight. Her minions were writhing and screaming in agony, the deluge that had fallen upon them burning to the touch. Slowly the liquid began to change shape as it fell upon them, thickening into an azure haze, similar to that of flames. Before her very eyes, this fire engulfed many of her minions, washing over them as they fell to the ground and screamed into the heavens. Once they had succumbed to the fire, the flames had dissipated, the previous forms of her pawns having returned thereafter.

With every second that passed, more and more of her soldiers would succumb to this strange storm, the intensity of the water's temperature even now beginning to sear into her flesh and bones. Turning to the sky, she found the clouds her aura had created were now clearing, as if the rain drops were gradually tearing through the malevolence she created. Even stranger though was the fact that the humans did not appear affected by this rain as the noblewoman and her servants; if anything, the rain merely acted as water, water that washed away her influence as if it were grime and mud.

"What is this?!" Julia exclaimed as more and more of her minions fell.

Before she could begin to contemplate on the matter, the sound of screeching wind suddenly sailed into the noblewoman's ear. Turning to the source, she found the former Lord of Spirits charging once more, her sword slashing forward. Having almost been caught off guard, Julia managed to barely dodge the cut, turning her body to face the savior as she took her place beside the visitor from another world.

"Sophie, are you all right?" Milla questioned as she helped her return to her feet.

"Hold on I've got you," the former Maxwell's husband hurried to their side, casting a healing arte the moment he came to their side.

"W-what's going on?" their youngest comrade questioned as several of the noblewoman's minions fell before her feet.

As if the strange shower had not already perplexed Julia, she felt the air beginning to shift rapidly from where she stood. Not willing to stand in place, the noblewoman jumped backward from where she stood; to her surprise, her jump was not very far, in fact, it was little more than a few steps backward. If anything, her entire body was now soaked in this odd rainwater, the strength that was flowing within her veins having become diluted greatly within the past few minutes. It was clear that this rain was weakening her greatly, so much so that the aura that surrounded her previously could not take shape. Again she was puzzled by what was going on, but her confusion would not last long, the voice of her nemesis echoing as she chanted the name of her latest arte.

"Cyclone!"

An explosion of air erupted now, the sudden gust throwing each of her minions backward, the noblewoman barely able to keep her ground. Amidst the slicing winds, she saw the figure of her enemy, the very one who brought her to these lands, the source of all of her anger.

"Muzét?!" the Lord of Spirits' sister exclaimed upon seeing the current Maxwell.

It was just as she expected, it was Muzét Maxwell. No longer was she clothed in revealing and unsophisticated garb, but she was now dressed in an opened turquoise trench coat and fedora hat. Underneath the coat was what appeared to be a navy blue sleeveless shirt that clung tightly to her body, almost like spandex that stopped at her mid-riff, but opened slightly in the center of her chest, similar to her previously worn garb. The lower half of her body was covered with a skirt that was the same color as her shirt, the skirt about a finger's length long, but the back part of the skirt had what looked like two tails trailing down to her ankles. Rather thick stitching set in a crisscross fashion was sewn on the sides of the skirt, the color or which was turquoise like her coat. Her feet were adorned with turquoise flat shoes lacking any laces or adornment. It was strange to see the current Maxwell dressed in Elmpyion clothes, even stranger to see her standing on her own two legs without any signs of struggle. Yet it mattered not to the noblewoman; this woman needed to die!

"Everyone, get to the cathedral!" Muzét ordered her comrades. "Gaius and the others are waiting for you there."

The cathedral?" Jude questioned. "But why-?"

"Just go, we'll hold Julia off!"

"…very well, thank you, Muzét," her younger sibling nodded.

"You've saved me the trouble of finding you," the noblewoman's attention returned to focus on the spirit. "Shall we continue where we left off in Kanbalar?"

"Didn't you hear what I said just a moment ago to my friends?" a mischievous smirk suddenly beamed on her foe's face. "I said 'we'."

Yet before she could take into consideration the meaning behind her words, the earth beneath Julia's feet began to burn. A spike of ice from within the ground suddenly launched upward now, barely missing the noblewoman as she rolled to the side. Before she could fully recover, another sharpened icicle soon followed, trailing behind her as several more rose thereafter. Julia was now forced to go on the defensive, dodging and evading the sudden glacier formations as best as she could, her eyes focused on the current Lord of Spirits as she evaded. To her surprise however, Muzét had simply stood in place as these artes took effect; though she had surmised these attacks that hindered his minions was created by her, it was now clear that it was otherwise. Someone else was casting these strange artes, but who?

"Stop running, you're only making it harder for me to hit," a second, unknown voice sailed into her ear now.

Turning to the source, Julia saw what looked like a silver-haired young woman standing on a pile of rubble. With her right hand, she was twirling her shimmering gray locks, almost as if she were looking for split ends, but with her left, she merely pointed her palm outward, making it obvious now that she had been the one eliminating her minions with these strange artes.

"Are you really going to make me do all the work?" the young girl sighed now, stomping on the earth with a single quick step, causing an earthen staff to shoot up from the rubble and into her hand. "The power of purification works wonders on hellions, but come on, at least do something, Muzét."

The moment the young girl said this, the ground began to settle. The distance between herself and her nemesis was several feet away now, with a clean path strewn between the two of them. It seemed like her ally really had become frustrated and did not want to assist any longer. No, it wasn't that she didn't wanted to assist, it seemed there was no reason for her to continue to do so. This rain, there was no doubt about, that young girl, that seraph, she was the cause of all of this.

"What the hell did you do?!" Julia seethed at the young girl.

"It's called the power of purification," the young girl replied, now admiring her nails as she spoke. "I thought all hellions knew to avoid it."

"You insolent-!"

Curling her fist once more, the noblewoman felt the fire of anger erupt within her veins burst through her once more. The cold aura of malevolence swept over her within seconds, the dark presence beginning to seep outward per her will. Unlike times of past however, her power began to subside without her input, turning into nothingness as the glow within her hand faded.

"That's weird, shouldn't you be turning into ashes now?" the seraph wondered aloud as she turned to the noblewoman.

"I don't need my powers to end this," Julia spat, reaching for the guns on her belt once more. "Just one shot, and this will be-!"

"Ice Tornado!"

Another sudden burst of air had caught her off guard, this one coupled with bits of hail and ice within. Unlike the wind arte from earlier, this one was a mere distraction, blinding and paralyzing the noblewoman for a mere moment. Once the winds had settled however, the seraph was now gone, as well as the woman she had vowed to destroy. The noblewoman cursed herself now, having allowed herself to get so easily distracted that she allowed the current Lord of Spirits ample time to prepare an arte to aid in their escape.

Yet a smirk befell Julia's face a second after; the current Maxwell had ordered her comrades to go to the cathedral. If she could head there, then-

The sharp whistle of steel coming from above had echoed from behind now. Instinct took over her in that moment, her right arm directing the gun in her hand upward, catching the enormous blade that was hammering toward her skull in mid-strike. Forcing all of her weight to her left, her body then spun, her left arm then extending outward as he left finger pulled the trigger of her other weapon in the direction of her new attacker. To her surprise, her new opponent had dodged her projectile, instead continuing his charge as he swung his sword from the side. Her body naturally ducked under this cut as she continued her spin, her right arm now extending to her opponent as she fired once again; in spite of the close range, her foe managed to dodge the attack, instead charging forth as he swung his blade once again, charging at the same time she brought her own pistol forward, the barrel stopping just below his chin as his sword stopped just before her neck.

"I didn't think the one who was the cause of all of this would be such a strong, independent woman," the blond man standing before her smirked.

"Emperor Agravain!" a company of knights coming from the direction of her new enemy call, hurrying toward them with their weapons drawn.

"Not able to fight your own battles, is that it?" Julia scoffed at the monarch standing before her.

"I intend to settle things my own way," the man replied, surprisingly easing his sword away from her neck. "Men, stand down!"

"What, but my lord-!"

"I said 'stand down'," he said, his voice demanding the utmost respect with every syllable. "Today was supposed to be momentous occasion, an emperor versus a king. However, said king has disappeared amidst all this chaos. At the very least, I will give the people what they want, the blood of a noble. If I cannot slay a king today, then perhaps I can take the heart of a Lord of Calamity."

"You certainly do sound sure of yourself," the noblewoman once again jeered.

"Of course I'm sure," a cocky smile fell upon the man's lips. "I'm sure that your heart will become mine, My Lady."

This man certainly had a way with words, and more so, he had a way with his blade. Yet he was just another obstacle in her eyes, another body amidst the many that would need to be buried. Despite his arrogance, he was strong, maybe as strong as Gaius.

Gaius… For a moment her mind ventured back toward the memories of her former betrothed. It seemed like an eternity now that just the mere thought of his name would captivate her. Yet now that same thought did but the opposite, filling her with rage for another. That mischievous smile, the feigning innocence, that harlot for a spirit that continued to get in her way, it always reverted back to Muzét Maxwell now. She was always getting in the way, but this time, Julia would not allow her to do so. She would run the spirit over, defeat her in her own games, destroy the very foundation of her existence. She would obliterate everything the Lord of Spirits stood for, she would eliminate all those that stood in her path, she would extinguish the world itself in the same manner the current Maxwell had done hers.

"My heart is not for the faint," the noblewoman replied to the emperor now. "In fact, I have crushed the hearts of many that had dared cross my path. I've destroyed them all, finding no comfort or disgust in doing so. Yours will be no exception if you continue to get in my way!"

---

"Maotelus, please save us!"

"Oh great seraphim, I beg that you show us mercy!"

Religion was a peculiar thing; there were not many who regularly practiced worshipping the deities or spirits, but when one was always down on his luck, it was often then that even the coldest of men would be forced to kneel and beg for assistance. Though Gaius believed that men should pray to the gods and not rely upon their power, he had always wondered how these beings of worship would respond to such prayers, but that sense of wonder now seemed to be replaced by disappointment as he watched the Lord of the Land sighing before her followers, her form invisible to a majority of the masses.

"Yes, yes, all is forgiven," the feline seraph sighed. "Why must humans only do this when a catastrophe is at hand?"

"There, that should do for now," the Rieze Maxian king said, having finished dressing a wound on a child's knee.

"Can someone please help us over here?" one of the clergy called. "We have more who are wounded."

"I'll be right over," Gaius assured the priest.

Gaius had always made it his duty to be the people's servant, even if those people were not his own. The people's needs take precedence over everything else, that is the basic principle of being a good ruler. Yet at the same time, Gaius knew that if your people are ever attacked, a proper monarch should lead the charge against the aggressor himself in order to ensure the people's safety. Not surprisingly, the emperor of this nation, Agravain, did just that once the chaos of malevolence interrupted their match, urging his people to head into this cathedral as he took every abled soldier with him into the source of the disarray. It seemed he had forgotten about his fight with Gaius at that moment, and to that the Rieze Maxian king found himself relieved instead of disappointed. He truly was a ruler for his people, willing to travel to hell and back if it meant ensuring the safety of the Pendrago citizens.

Yet that hell he saw, it was different than anything Gaius had ever witnessed in his battles thus far. He had lived through the chaos of war more times than even the most seasoned of soldiers, but not once had he seen anything like this. Those monsters, how they seemed to feed on the people's fear itself, growing stronger with the civilians' screams and tears. Yet their numbers also grew before his very eyes, with some of these fearful individuals transforming into the very same beasts that attacked them. This was the first in a long time since Gaius had felt uncertainty on the battlefield, a feeling of uncertainty that would have overtaken him if not for the needs of these people and his comrades.

"You truly are the people's king," the fire seraph's remark returned him to the present with her voice.

"A true ruler is a servant of the people, not the other way around," his prime minister added as he opened a crate of gels for several civilians. "Gaius has always held this belief close to his heart throughout his years of rule back home."

"If you have energy to flap your lips, Old Man, then put that energy to good use and start passing around those gels," the monarch remarked with a slight hint of snark in his voice.

"Oh ho! So says the man who's running around in circles unsure of whom to assist next," the elder man jabbed back.

"We have more coming this way!" one of the soldiers keeping watch alerted everyone. "Six to be exact!"

With the warning, the entire cathedral was now put on alert. Once again everything fell into disarray, the civilians and clergy now pushing each other over as they tried to find areas from which they could hide. The soldiers too fell victim to this disorder; some attempted to keep order by trying to round the civilians together, while others joined the ranks of the panicking mobs, abandoning their weapons entirely as they desperately sought safety. Yet despite the pandemonium, a single voice quickly echoed above others, bringing everything to order with a few words.

"Enough!" the Rieze Maxian king shouted, his voice calm and resolute. "We were only informed that six were coming; they may simply just be more civilians such as yourselves. I will take a look."

Again Gaius was putting it upon himself to serve the people, calmly walking over to where the soldier had spotted the incoming six. Despite the monarch's words, Rowen found his left hand choking the scabbard of his rapier, ready to draw it at any given moment's notice. Yet his body relaxed soon after, soothed by the words Gaius spoke next.

"It's all right," he assured everyone. "The six that approach are my comrades; they're here to help. Let them in."

"You heard the man," one of the soldiers ordered his comrades. "Let them in!"

It was no surprise that the ones coming forward were his allies. He knew that a reunion Muzét was inevitable, upon coming to these lands, but he did not expect to meet her in the chaos that erupted a short time ago, during which she said she would head straight into the center of the chaos in an effort to find their friends. If it were anyone else, he would have thought it to be a fool's errand, but to his relief, in the distance he saw Milla, Jude, Elle, and Sophie traveling with the current Maxwell. Though they seemed to be covered in ash and soot, they all seemed to be relatively unharmed with the exception of minor wounds that could easily be fixed with a few gels or healing artes.

As soon as the doors opened, he found his body suddenly being pushed backward as the body of another literally jumped into his arms, the excitement in her voice masking the worry she had felt for the past few days.

"Your majesty, you're all right!" Elle exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the monarch.

"Yes, it's good to see you to, Elle," he replied as he gently withdrew from her embrace.

"It seems like everything worked out, even if our original plan was derailed several times over," Sophie remarked upon seeing Rowen and Lailah amongst the crowd.

"Yeah, we certainly wouldn't have been able to escape Julia ourselves if you hadn't shown up, Muzét," Jude remarked.

"Oh, what would you do without me?" the Great Spirit replied in her usual whimsical tone. "Though it seems you've been able to do just fine; it seems like you've certainly made a new friend during our time apart," she added, her gaze falling upon the fire seraph beside the monarch.

"Yes, I never thought that beings similar to Great Spirits would be of greater abundance than the ones back home," Gaius said, unaware of the hint of envy in the spirit's eye.

"I may be great, but I'm not that spectacular," the Prime Lord modestly replied.

"Ugh, with all the lame puns you make, I can see why Edna couldn't be around us," Elle groaned.

"By the way, Muzét, who's your new friend?" Milla changed the subject, turning to the silver-haired girl that had just recently begun traveling with them.

"The girl's right, Lailah; Mom said one of the reasons she and Dad couldn't stay in Elysia was because of your lame puns," their new companion remarked, ignoring the former Maxwell's question. "Of course knowing her, it's a bit hard to tell when she's serious or being sarcastic."

"Elena!" the fire seraph's arms quickly wrapped around the young woman. "My, you've certainly grown since the last time we spoke!"

"Hey, careful now," the silver-haired seraph gently pushed her away. "I literally just caused a storm out there and my hair's still wet; I can't afford to have you expose it to whatever oils have been running through your hands."

"I think it's safe to assume this is another acquaintance of yours?" Rowen questioned.

"She is," Lailah nodded. "This is Elena, Mikleo and Edna's youngest child."

Upon closer inspection, the silver-haired seraph certainly did take after the other members of her family. She was shorter than her siblings, though slightly taller than Edna. Her eyes were certainly unique compared to her brother and sister, with the one of her left being violet like amethyst and the one on her right blue like sapphire. Even stranger was her hair; though it was a shade darker than her sister's silver hair, the way it was styled was unique, consisting of several drill-like swirls with two long strands that hung outward from the rest of her delicately curled tresses, which were all coiled inward and in layers.

Her clothes were also unique, consisting of a sleeveless white dress with a slit on the left side of the skirt to allow her better movement. Embroidered floral designs of roses and tulips ran throughout the surface of her clothing, as well as several ribbons of varying length that flowed freely from the fabric, with two even wrapping around her biceps lightly, with the ribbons sewn on the lower back of her dress, creating the illusion of a shawl. Her nails were also brightly colored in various shades of blue, yellow and green, her own eyes having dark blue eyeliner around them.

"It's safe to assume you've all met my parents then?" Elena questioned the foreigners now.

"We met your Mom a while back," Elle admitted, "and your sister, well, let's just say we went our own separate ways."

"I must apologize for her actions," the young seraph surprisingly bowed. "I know Mina's not the easiest to get along, but I'm sure she means well."

"The three of us encountered your brother about two weeks ago," Milla added. "However, I'm afraid we were not able to meet under more amicable terms."

"Wait a minute…," one of the soldiers interrupted the party's conversation. "Pink eyes, blonde hair with a green streak sticking out, that woman is the 'Harbinger of the End,' isn't she?"

"No, you have it all wrong," Elle tried to deny the claim. "She's-"

"Please, I mean no one any harm," the former Lord of Spirits confirmed. "My comrades and I are merely here to-"

Her words quickly came to a halt now, stopping at the sight of the cold faces she had grown accustomed to upon entering these lands. Once again the civilians became paralyzed with fear, many of them backing into corners or cowering where they stood. Several of the soldiers even attempted to step forward with their swords and spears raised, already prepared for a fight. Things were already looking dire in Gaius's eyes; though the soldiers willing to fight were low in number, this was still not an ideal battle. Even if they were to break through somehow, several of the civilians may retreat back into the chaos outside during the scuffle, or for that matter, even if the civilians didn't flee, they could be left with weakened defenses due to the injuries the Rieze Maxian king and his comrades would inflict upon these knights. Yet again, Gaius, the master of diplomacy, knew of another tactic that did not involve brandishing a sword.

"Please, let us all calm down," Gaius implored. "This woman and her comrades are my friends, they mean no-"

"Then you are here to bring about our downfall, just as Emperor Agravain dictated!" one of the civilians screamed.

"It was you who brought malevolence into our city!" another shouted.

More accusations and cries echoed throughout the confines of the cathedral, followed by several items being thrown in their direction. Despite the stones and other objects that struck him, Gaius continued to remain firm, neither denying or accepting the allegations made against him.

"Well these people certainly know how to make us feel welcome," Muzét scoffed as they continued to endure the civilians' actions.

"Ugh, now I'm going to have to paint my nails again," Elena groaned amidst everything occurring around them.

"Get out of Rolance, and don't ever come back!" one of the citizens yelled.

"Get out!" another agreed.

The two words were enough to start a chant now, the masses' voices soon echoing in unison the very same phrase. Despite his charity and his willingness to help, the very idea that he was associated with the so-called 'Harbinger of the End' was enough to make him the people's enemy once more. Even if that was the case, at least they were united and confident in their actions unlike moments before.

"…very well, we understand," was all the monarch could say. "We shall leave at once."

"Wait, your majesty, are you insane?!" Elle tried to object. "We just barely escaped everything that's going on outside, do you really think-?"

"We'll be fine, Elle," Jude assured their young comrade. "After all, we can't let these people suffer because of us."

"The people have spoken, Elle," Milla added. "As long as I am associated as 'the Harbinger of the End', I'm afraid we are truly not welcome anywhere in these lands. As a former Maxwell, it would go against everything I have and still fought for to put these people's lives at risk for our own well being."

"Well put," her elder sister agreed. "Although as the current Maxwell, I have to admit that even if it's for the greater good, it doesn't mean we have to like it."

"My apologies, Elle, but everyone is in agreement on this," Lailah took the young agent by the arm. "Even as one who fought for these people in times long past, I must agree that our friends are in the right."

"It will be fine," the former butler added. "After all, we've fought through the Land of Canaan ten years prior, so going through a monster-infested city should be a mere walk in the park in comparison."

Gaius tried his best not to scoff at the older man's statement, even he knew when defeat was imminent. Even if they were to venture outside again and reach the outskirts of the city, it would still be a perilous trek. Hellions were a different sort of beast after all, ones that often rose again after a period of time past. Even with Lailah and Elena's powers of purification, there were only so many hellions they could purify, especially without a proper vessel from his understanding. Still, he knew it was their duty to not bring any danger to these people, and so-

"Wait!" Sophie called to her comrades.

Turning to the direction of the purple-haired girl, they found a cat walking toward them. At first they thought the mere creature was simply a mere pet, but then Gaius recognized this animal was the Lord of the Land the people were praying to moments ago.

"Morgrim?" Lailah called out to the Lord of the Land.

"You had something you wanted to say to us?" the purple-haired girl asked the seraph now.

"There's another way that leads outside of the city," the feline seraph explained. "Beneath this cathedral is an ancient sewer line, one that goes underneath the city and into the Pearlotts Pasture. I cannot guarantee your safety should you decide to take this path, but I know it is certainly safer than the dangers that await you should you go through that door."

"That certainly stinks, but I suppose it is the lesser than two evils," Muzét remarked before the fire seraph could speak the same pun.

"A sewer, are you kidding me?" the silver-haired seraph gagged. "Do you know how many baths I'd have to take just to get that stench out of my-?"

"We don't have time to argue," Milla immediately took charge. "Morgrim, was it? Where is this sewer line?"

"I can lead you to the entrance, but that is as far as I can take you," the Lord of the Land replied. "Any further and my domain surrounding this church may begin to weaken."

"That's fine, we don't want any harm to come to these people," Gaius assured the seraph.

"Yes, please lead the way," Jude nodded.

---

Time stands still for no one, she was well aware of that fact after having been reborn into this world. Though time itself was a mere tool in her hands now, even it had its limits.

"I think this word can be made out to 'if'," the Forbidden Spirit continued her analysis of the photos taken from the Tintagel Ruins.

"Stupid!" a loud smacking sound echoed from within Pluto's skull. "It translates to 'in'; the rest of the sentence before that wouldn't make sense if it translates to 'if'."

Amilla could only groan at her subordinate's bickering with herself; if she could, she would hasten the flow of time for the Lord of the Underworld so that she could hurry up with her translation already, but things were different in these lands. The power of the Great Spirits was weakened here, possibly due to it being under the protection of Maotelus and his Four Lords, and as such, her ability to manipulate the flow of time was certainly limited here. No, that wasn't the truth, her powers were limited to begin with and she was made aware of that fact years ago.

---

"You have done well in learning to use my power," she remembered the conversation she shared with the Primordial Spirit of Time that day. "Perhaps now you'll begin to listen to reason."

"Reason?" she scoffed, the mana surrounding her slowly accelerating into a spiral of white light. "Yeah, I don't see the reason why I need to find those three artifacts in the present when I can just transport them from the past to now."

"Wait, what are you trying to do?!" Chronos exclaimed, immediately realizing what she was trying to do.

"I mean really, I can just summon up its previous wielder, borrow it for a quick bit, and then return it to him, right?"

"You fool!"

The swirling energy exploded now, but its power did nothing more than create a cascade of white light that blinded them momentarily. As the illumination began to fade, the new Demon King smiled as she saw the results of her incantation. Standing before her was a young man dressed in black and white armor, a ruby-colored cape, and a red headband adorning his brow, as well as what looked to be the sword in question being held in his right hand. Yet beside him was a woman in white robes and strange hat that looked like a priest's cap; Amilla though that maybe her arte was not as accurate as she had hoped at first, but at the very least, she had obtained the desired results.

"Cress, where are we?" the woman in white questioned, confused of their current surroundings.

"Is this Dhaos's Fortress?" the man surmised. "It's nothing like what I could have ever imagined."

"That's the Eternal Sword you got in your hand, right?" the Lord of Time and Space interrupted the two.

"Mint, stay back!" the knight quickly pushed his comrade behind him. "Are you one of Dhaos's minions?"

"…yeah, I don't know who this Dhaos guy is or whatever, but I need to borrow your sword for a quick bit."

Utilizing her power once again, the world around her came to a stop, including the two she had summoned to the present. Amilla could only smile over the fact that she could accomplish her new mission already by practically just lifting a finger, taking the sword from the young man's hand with no resistance. As she took the blade, she saw the Primordial Spirit simply shake his head in disapproval, as if she done everything wrong. His disapproval caused her temper to flare that instant, her hands wringing the hilt of the sword tightly as she rose into the air, chanting the weapon's name in an effort to draw out its power.

"Eternal Sword!" she cried.

She expected some sort of 'light show' at least, maybe even a few ripples in reality itself, but to her disappointment, nothing came. Perhaps she didn't utilize it correctly, causing her to raise the sword into the air again as she called its name. Again, nothing happened, the Demon's King's frustration immediately getting the better of her as her fingers tightened further on the weapon's tang.

"What the heck is wrong with this thing?!" she spat. "This is supposed to be the completed sword, right? So why-?"

"The Eternal Sword is an artifact that can manipulate time and space itself, perhaps better than my own power," Chronos explained. "However, it is also a relic that can only properly be utilized in the time from which it is supposed to exist. In other words, because you have brought it to a time period from which it is not native, its powers will not work; if anything, it is little more than a weapon if you were to wield the Eternal Sword currently in your hands."

"Well that's certainly a pain," the Demon King grumbled as she returned the sword into the young man's hand.

"It's a sort of failsafe to ensure that its power could not be abused by even beings such as ourselves," the dark-skinned Primordial Spirit continued. "For that matter, there are repercussions in using the power I myself have lent you."

As if on cue, two more beams of light suddenly began to shine down beside the two from a past era. Within seconds, these columns began to reshape themselves, forming into the bodies of two other individuals, another young man and another young woman to be exact. These two new visitors were different from the first Amilla had summoned. The young man was similar in appearance as the first one, but his hair was much longer and his armor consisting of mostly white and blue, along with a strangely shaped broadsword with a violet guard. However, the young woman was the polar opposite of the first in appearance, having short black hair, a low cut red shirt, long black stockings and gloves, and a curved sword of her own as a weapon.

"Huh, what just happened?" the new young man questioned as time itself began to move once again. "We were flying to Dycroft just a second ago, right?"

"Where the heck is this?" the young woman in dark clothes now inquired. "Huh, who are you guys?"

"We should be asking you that," the first young man replied. "First that woman tells me she wants to borrow my sword, and then you two just appear out of nowhere."

"Ugh, well this is a huge letdown," the Demon King groaned again. "I guess I should send them all back to where they came from."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible at the moment," Chronos calmly replied.

"Wait, you mean you can't take us back?!" the young woman in white exclaimed. "Then why have you-?"

With the snap of his fingers, the four had become enveloped in white light once again, their forms dissipating into the air within seconds. Once again the Primordial Spirit had an annoyed look on his face, however this time it was aimed squarely on his protegee, much to her growing annoyance.

"You tell me I can't send them back, so then why were you able to do it?" Amilla questioned.

"In actuality, I did not bring them back home; I'm afraid the arte you just used doesn't allow that," Chronos explained. "Though you are borrowing my power, it is not without its fault; for every instance you manipulate time itself, you create a 'wrinkle'; sometimes you may pull something as small as a stone into the present from the past or present, and during times you use more power, you may bring in something more substantial, such as individuals from another time or world. Unfortunately, whatever it is you bring into the present you cannot return it to their own time so easily; if anything, it is better to simply let time itself fix this wrinkle as to allow your summonings to return from whence they came."

"So what, are you going to say I messed up, created a time paradox and those people are trapped here until time sorts itself out again or something?"

"If I hadn't intervened, you may very well have. Fortunately for you, I merely transported them to a place where they can safely exist until they can be returned home."

"And what place would that be?"

"The arena in Xian Du," he calmly replied. "It may be odd, ironic even, but in times past, whenever any of your predecessors would accidentally summon those from another time or world and they wished for them to return to their own existence safely, the visitors would be transported to an arena; there they could fight to their heart's content as they would back home, but the arena's staff would be able to tend to their wounds, no matter how severe or apparently grave. In time the visitors would eventually return home once time had properly reset itself, and fortunately, they would return with no memory of what transpired when they were summoned. Of course, there have been exceptions to this occurring."

"What, someone from another time died fighting a slime in the arena?" the Lord of Time and Space sarcastically asked.

"Your prime self and the young man she has become smitten with," the Primordial Spirit's words quickly caught her attention. "Sometimes the wearies of the ancient past echo into the present; however, one of your predecessors thought instead to look forward instead of back in an attempt to forge a new path to the future.

"What do you mean?"

"It may be difficult for you two to come to an understanding in the present, but in time, memories hidden within the sands of time shall resurface once more; you need only let fate run its course until that moment, only then can you truly complete the task you have been appointed."

---

"Bored again I see," the voice of the Lord of Monsters interrupted the Demon King's reflection of the past. "If you've been asleep as long as I was, then a few years, and even centuries and millennia, become nothing more than a second's worth of time."

"Forget about me, I'm just 'letting fate run its course'," Amilla replied. "Of course for beings like us, time is nothing but a blink of an eye, but for the rest of our comrades, well, I'm sure they're getting anxious. Anyway, what do you want?"

"You may be more patient than I initially thought, but you're certainly blunt when it comes down to it," Ratatosk huffed as he leaned against the wall beside her. "It's the new kid and Symonne; they've gone missing. Just thought I'd let you know, but then again, you aren't surprised, are you?"

"'Sometimes the wearies of the ancient past echo into the present'," the Lord of Time and Space thought aloud. "So no, I'm not surprised; he'll be back before we know it; in the meantime, we'll just continue to play our waiting game until all the pieces fall into place."

"Of course, Lady Sekundes."

With that said, the Great Spirit took his leave. Once again she was alone, her idleness already getting on her nerves. If she had it her way, she would go out and push her prime counterpart toward the path she were to take, forcing her toward the one truth she failed to see during each of their encounters thus far. This era, this never-ending cycle of life and death, how she wished she could push her to see that it had to send, it truly had to end if true progress were to be made.

'Hurry up, Milla Mathis,' the former Fractured Maxwell thought to herself. 'Remember the truths you and your husband had left in the distant past, and finally, we can fulfill our roles as Savior and Destroyer.'

---

The hallways deep within the cathedral were different from the main chapel; Milla was used to simple shrines for herself back home, how many villagers simply used modified shelves or small wooden pedestals to make offerings to her. She never cared for aesthetics when she was Maxwell, but what she saw before her in her current surroundings was quite different.

Many oil paintings adorned the walls of the cathedral, pictures of what looked like former members of the clergy. Though they had a monotone expression on each of their faces, Milla couldn't help but shudder as it seemed like their eyes were watching her every movement. It also didn't help that these corridors were rather compact, with furniture that wasn't kept in the best condition. It felt more like a dungeon than the inside of a church in all honesty; for that matter, the air within made her stomach fell a bit uneasy, almost suffocating her in fact.

"It seems nothing has changed since I last ventured through here," Lailah commented, viewing her surroundings with both nostalgia and disgust as she spoke.

"Even after the actions of yourself and the Great Shepherd of Order, the clergy decided to merely seal this section of the cathedral off from both the public and their own priests," Morgrim stated as they continued forward. "Very few have walked down these halls out of superstition that they too will encounter a Medusa and be turned to stone should they look into her eyes."

"Wait, is that true?" the young agent questioned, stopping in her tracks as she did so.

"Don't worry, it's only half true," the fire seraph assured her, "the Medusa was slain by my comrades and myself centuries ago. Of course, most humans don't know the truth as to what happened within these walls, though rumors borne from the warped truth have surfaced over the years, creating urban legends in their own right."

"You mean like the Tales of Magillanica Lou Mayvin?" Elena asked. "Kinda strange that those old stories would become popular over a millennium after the First Storyteller's death."

"Funny that you should mention her," Morgrim spoke again. "I was actually acquainted with the woman when she was still alive, along with her comrades, including the First Lord of Calamity."

"Wait, you knew Velvet Crowe?!" the mentioning of the woman quickly caught Jude's attention, stopping the entire party in their tracks.

"How do you know that name?" the feline seraph questioned.

"Oh, did you go on another adventure without us, or perhaps you've already succumbed to the seven-year itch?" Muzét mischievously questioned.

"It's complicated," Milla replied in her husband's stead, "and not in the manner you're thinking, Muzét."

"Hm, now that I'm getting a closer look at the two of you, you do look like the two foreigners mentioned in Magillanica Lou Mayvin's The Truth Behind the Calamity," the Lord of the Land observed. "And the fact that you all state you come from Rieze Maxia, I have to say, this is no mere coincidence."

"So then you two have been in these lands prior to the present?" Gaius now questioned.

"Like Milla said, it's complicated," the young researcher replied. "And honestly, we only recently began remembering this fact, but even then, a lot of these memories are fuzzy at best."

"So you're assuming that my telling you of the First Lord of Calamity may trigger your memories to return?" Morgrim questioned. "Unfortunately, there is not much I can say. To be honest, back then, the Lord of Calamity and myself were on opposing sides; whereas I fought on the side of order, Velvet Crowe fought on the side of chaos."

"If that's the case, then is it safe to assume that we were brought to these lands to stop her from completing her mission back then?" Milla questioned. "Was it our failure that led to the current state of Glenwood?"

"I cannot say for sure, however, I do not think your encounter with the Lord of Calamity had to do with Glenwood's current state," the Lord of the Land replied.

"And if you wanna go by what's said in Magillanica Lou Mayvin's stories, then Velvet Crowe actually did some good in this world, despite being the Lord of Calamity," Elena interjected. "Of course, don't let anyone in the Shepherds or general public catch you saying that; as far as they're concerned, the whole world's in ruin because of her."

"And just what is it that Velvet Crowe accomplished?" Rowen inquired.

"I'm afraid I can so no more on this matter for we have reached the path to your destination and the farthest I can take you," the Lord of the Land announced as they came around one more corner. "I don't know what lies ahead, but I can say that there have been no reports of any hellions coming out from the other side of the sewer, but that doesn't mean that they're not within its grounds. Suffice to say, you should still be on your guard."

"Yes, thank you, Morgrim," the fire seraph bowed to the feline seraph.

"It seems these narrow corridors go on for quite a while," Jude observed from as far as Lailah's flames could reveal. "I think we should continue to move forward in one-by-one fashion, with each person at least three steps behind the one in front in case we run into anything."

"It seems I may not be able to utilize my sword its full advantage either," Gaius added, noting the width of the corridors compared to his blade. "However, I will still volunteer to act on point; at the very least, my sword can act as a type of spear or pike should we run into anything that will charge at us."

"Of course considering the rank odor in these walls, I'm sure anything would be running for fresh air as quickly as possible," Muzét added, her hand waving over her nose as she spoke.

"Seriously, once we're outta here, the first thing I'm gonna do is sit in a bath for at least a month," Elena was the next to comment. "I swear, I just got my hair and nails they way I wanted them to, and now look at the crap we're in, literally."

"You said it, can we just go already?!" Elle exclaimed.

"I must agree, we need to move now," the monarch began to grow impatient.

"Yes, you should get moving," Morgrim nodded. "Destiny never stops after all."

Without saying another word, the former Lord of Spirits' comrades began to tread forward. Despite her comrades' words, Milla and Jude remained in place, their attention still focused on the feline seraph. Without a doubt, the woman they had begun to remember was deemed a menace by the people of Glenwood. However, there were but a few who deemed her a hero of sorts, despite the actions she had committed. Whatever the truth was, they did not know at this point, and although they still had many questions to ask, they knew their time was short, they knew there were still so many inconsistencies regarding who she was and the world she created. Yet if there was but one thing that could shed light on their forgotten memories, it would be this.

"Tell us, in The Truth Behind the Calamity, what were my husband and I described as?" Milla inquired.

"You were physically described as a 'woman and her pet,' but I'm sure that's not what you meant," the seraph replied. "However, you were described as representatives who fought for the Harbinger of the End."

The moment the Lord of the Land spoke those words, a flash of said memory suddenly swept through both of their eyes. Once again they were standing before the Lord of Calamity, the dark-haired woman and her comrades already prepared to do battle. Words were spoken then, syllables that sounded incomprehensible to Milla and Jude in the present. Yet out of all the words that were spoken, there were but a few that were as clear as day.

"Is there any chance the two of you are the Harbinger of the End?" the Lord of Calamity asked them back then.

"No, we're not," Milla had replied.

"But the Harbinger has entrusted us with his battle…," the young researcher had explained. "The battle of judgment."

"The battle of judgment?!" the red-haired woman in the opposing party exclaimed.

"You're not saying that if we lose to you, our world will be destroyed, are you?" the dark-haired woman questioned.

"That's exactly what we're saying," the former Lord of Spirits shockingly affirmed back then.

With the memory now completed, both were in complete shock over what they had just remembered. Words could not describe the realization they recalled, the fact that they were the ones who could have brought about the end of the world.

For Milla in particular, it was crushing, heartbreaking in fact. As the former Lord of Spirits, she swore she would do everything in her power to protect the Human and Spirit Realms, and yet, back then, it was she who confirmed that if both herself and Jude were victorious in their battle against Velvet Crowe and her comrades, then she and Jude would have the world destroyed. As much as she wanted to deny this truth, she could not; though their memory was but a flash and incomplete, she knew that the words that left her mouth that day were her own and she was not being influenced by an outside force. She had said those words of her own free will that day, she had threatened to destroy the very world as they knew it, but why?

"Tell me, who was it that dictated that Sekundes will destroy the world?" the words of her Fractured self from two months ago echoed in the former Maxwell's ears once more. "Who was it that placed us in the roles of savior and destroyer?"

So was it true then? Were the tales she was told in Nia Khera growing up nothing but lies? The people of Glenwood believed that Maxwell was the one who would bring about the end of the world, that it was Maxwell that was the destroyer, not the savior. She wholeheartedly believed that this was not the case, that she was there to save the world, and she would prove these legends wrong. And yet after remembering the past, she knew she could not deny that their beliefs had merit, beliefs that were now supported by the words she had spoken back then.

"Milla, are you-?" her husband's touch returned her to reality.

"Come, we mustn't dawdle further," the former Maxwell said with her feet dragging her forward. "Onward…"

Onward, with a fragment of the truth now known, can she truly move onward? She did not know at this point, and although the truth itself was only part of the missing whole, she knew it would be the foundation for the rest of the memories they had to restore. The truth, that basis of that truth was that she, and her husband, truly were avatars for the Harbinger of the End.

---

Her stomach was churning from the atmosphere, the sweat pouring down her brow sticking desperately to her flesh as the humid air beat against her and scraped down her throat. It literally reeked of death here, with so many skeletal and rotting remains of monsters and humans alike randomly strewn throughout the moist ground. If it weren't for Lailah's flames, the world around them would be completely blanketed by darkness, and based on what they've seen thus far, Muzét would have preferred that sight over that of skeletons, aged excrement, and all the other things that reminded her of an ancient graveyard. Even if there in darkness however, it would do little to assuage the echoes coming from the city above.

"Hurry, this way!" the screams from above ground were nothing more than whispers in the ceiling.

"Mommy! Where are you?"

The current Maxwell could only bite her tongue in defeat over the predicament above; she was supposed to be the protector of the human and spirit realms, and yet with her power stolen from her, she could do little to save the people she was sworn to protect. She may as well have slaughtered the people herself as she did in Nia Khera back then, opting instead to travel underneath and play the part of a coward instead of that of a savior.

"I understand how you feel," a firm hand fell upon her shoulder. "You feel guilty about abandoning the people, and I too feel as equally responsible. However, a true warrior must know when to fight and when to retreat; if he cannot hope to claim victory against overwhelming odds, it is better that he swallow his pride and return to the battlefield once he has gained enough strength so that he can stand triumphant."

"Thank you, Gaius," the former Great Spirit tried to reply with a smile.

"Muzét, you needn't keep up your smile in times of duress," the monarch interrupted. "I can tell since our reunion that recent events have disturbed you greatly. Even Maxwell may show bouts of displeasure, anger and disgust, isn't that right, Milla?" he turned to the previous Primordial Spirit.

The elder sister expected to hear her sibling reaffirm their comrade's words, but for the first time, it seemed as if she could not. Instead, she simply looked like she was walking in a daze, almost as if she was entirely in a different world altogether. Even her husband looked to have a somewhat depressed look on his face, almost as if something was pulling at the reins of their souls. Worry immediately began to overtake Muzét at this moment, her role as a big sister taking precedence over her own failures as the current Maxwell.

"Milla, is everything all right?" the elder sibling walked over to the younger now.

"Hm? Oh, my apologies," Milla said, trying her best to regain her composure. "I-I'm just a little tired."

"Yeah, we didn't mean to worry you," her husband tried to add.

"Milla, Jude-" she could still see the unease in the two's eyes.

"Ugh!" the two seraphim began to suddenly grip their foreheads.

"What is it?" Sophie questioned.

"Hellions," Elena replied. "And they're approaching pretty fast."

"Everyone, prepare yourselves!" Lailah ordered as she readied several sheets of paper.

The unease in the Lord of Spirits and her quickly disappeared now, their attention as well as that of their comrades returning forward as the sound of footsteps quickly approached. If they were anywhere else, the party would have tried to run for cover or tried to space themselves out more evenly, but as the young researcher stated earlier, the corridors were too narrow and there were no branching paths to which they could run. Even venturing back the way they came would not guarantee their safety; whatever it was that was being drawn to them was approaching too quickly that they would catch up to them the moment they took no more than ten steps. With no other choice, they all prepared themselves for combat, opting to hold their ground from where they stood.

"Watch out, here they come!" Gaius announced as the first glimpse of the beasts appeared within the light of Lailah's embers.

There was little time to react as the cold air of malevolence rushed forward, followed by the many bats, birds, and other smaller winged creatures that it possessed. As promised, Gaius remained in front as the monsters approached, his enormous sword being used as a pike to impale as many of the hellions as he could. Within seconds however, the monarch was quickly overwhelmed by their numbers, falling to the ground as they continued to push forward. The visitor from another world and the young researcher were the next in line to try and hold their ground, rushing straight into the fray with their fists and feet leading the charge as they rushed forward. Before they could strike however a barrage of fire, ice, earth, wind and bullets pushed past them, enveloping the beasts entirely, each of them falling to the ground like leaves. Within seconds, their corpses began to dissipate from the blue flames that enveloped them, the creatures having been purified by the seraphim en masse.

Though they had somehow managed to defeat the beasts, their comrade was now laying flat on the floor, his body remaining completely still. Once again worry overtook Muzét, the current Maxwell now running over to the Rieze Maxian king as quickly as she could.

"Gaius!" she began to hurry to his side, with a healing arte at the ready.

To her relief however, the monarch got up on his own, brushing off his clothes thereafter, as if a gust of wind had just blown past him. Other than a few minor scrapes and cuts, the former Great Spirit could find no grievous wounds or injuries on his person.

"How peculiar," the monarch said as he turned to his allies, showing that he was relatively unharmed.

"Yes, it is certainly most peculiar that you could stand so easily after having been trampled," Rowen remarked while still being impressed by the king's resilience.

"It certainly is a miracle you walked away with nothing serious," Sophie added. "From what it looked like, they had knocked you to the ground and began feasting on you."

"Fortunately only the first part is true," Gaius said. "They did knock me down, but that was it."

"What do you mean?" Elle questioned.

"In other words, there's a reason why those hellions were running this way," Jude surmised. "They weren't running toward us, they were running away from something."

"But then what was it they were running away from?" the current Maxwell questioned aloud.

"It doesn't matter," Milla said, her resolve having returned. "Whatever it was that they were running from, we're going to have to avoid it if we can. However, if we must, we'll confront the creature and destroy it."

Saying nothing else, the former Lord of Spirits began to walk past each of her comrades as she always did in the past whenever her mind was set. Even though her outward actions were the same, her sister immediately the light missing from her eyes as she walked, her mind once again preoccupied by something she did not want to discuss. Knowing that she would not answer as to why if pressed at the moment, the elder sibling simply followed, their comrades also coming in tow.

"My, my, what have we gotten ourselves into this time?" the elder sibling tried to change the subject. "All this talk of seraphim, Lords of Calamity, and malevolence is most certainly complicated. Surely-"

"Keep your guard up," the younger quickly interrupted, the path before them growing wider now. "We don't know what to expect."

"A larger circumference will certainly aid us if we need to do battle once more," Gaius remarked. With this amount of space, I should be able to swing my sword freely now, especially if we run into whatever it was those hellions were running from."

Not saying another word, the party continued forward, the space within them widening further every few steps, but with that came more unsettling images. The walls and were full of marks and scratches, as if something was desperately trying to claw its way out. Aged moss was also hanging from the ceiling, the dried vegetation crackling into dust upon being touched. Yet what truly stood apart was the stains of darkness strewn randomly on the floor and walls.

Muzét could not fathom what this darkness was; at first she wanted to believe it was dark paint that was randomly thrown by a brush in different angles, but a cold aura that it gave off quickly proved otherwise. Coming close to these spots had strangely filled her with dread, amongst other emotions. She felt tears burning in her eyes, she heard whispers of screams echoing in her ears, and she tasted the bitterness of iron in her mouth.

"Ugh…"

It seemed she was not alone in experiencing these strange emotions, her sister and the seraphim also showing their discomfort. Yet it wasn't just these spots that were causing it, it was the atmosphere here itself, the air around them chilly, yet burning at the same time. With every step, it felt as if they were drawing closer to a fire, sweat already beginning to pour down her brow. Soon even their human companions began to feel the same unease, finding the normally composed Gaius even beginning to drag his feet. Before she could raise her concerns however, her foot suddenly stopped, paralyzed by a new sensation that echoed from where she stepped.

"What is this?" she questioned, leaning to the source.

She was standing in a puddle, similar in color to the stains they had encountered earlier. Curiosity quickly got the best of her as her comrades leaned in to also get a closer examination. Dipping her fingers in the source, she found the liquid to be thicker than water and sticky to the touch. The aroma of iron quickly became prevalent as she brought the substance from her fingers closer to her nose. Though the color was different than what they had seen in the past, it was clear what this substance was, as well as the other stains that had ordained their immediate vicinity.

"Blood…," Sophie spoke their shared conclusion.

"To be exact, it's hellion blood," Lailah added.

"Hellion blood?" Jude inquired. "So then, is it safe to assume-?"

Before he could speak another word, another sound suddenly began to echo from further down the corridor from which they stood, a sound similar to that of chewing. With no other path before them, each of them cautiously began to step forward, trying their best to stay on a path farthest from the source. Yet with every step, the number of bloodstains increased, growing larger, thicker, and even more wet. The sound of teeth tearing into meat then entered their ears now, followed by louder sounds of gnawing. The fire seraph had extinguished her flames now, but the act seemed to only amplify the noises they so desperately wanted to drown.

Again the cold air was overtaking the current Maxwell, her body lurching forward as her stomach churned. Yet amidst that freezing atmosphere, she also felt a strange burning mist creep onto her skin. Without needing to see, she and her comrades could tell the creature was near, literally just a breath away as the chewing sounds were nearly pressed against their ears now. The very thought paralyzed her, but the tapping of her shoulder from her comrades urged her to continue further, moving ever more cautiously as they tried to move past the creature.

Slowly, little by little, the heat of its breath dissipated, the coldness it was emitting slowly dissipating as they ventured further, inch-by-inch. Its growls that were once humming against her were now becoming distant winds, yet the chomping of its teeth remained as unsettling as ever, despite how quieter it became. Every second felt like a minute, and every minute, like an hour. Though she could barely see the silhouettes of her comrades in the darkness around her, she too could feel their unease, their fear.

Yet with the passing of time and the small distances they moved, she could no longer feel the creature's immediate presence, its gnaws now little more than whispers from where she was walking. The smell of its latest kill had dissipated into the wind now, its gnaws having vanished completely from the atmosphere. They had come away safely, unharmed, it was nothing short of a miracle to say the least. It was almost time for celebration, but even before they could take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief, fear immediately paralyzed them once more as a single sound echoed above the silence that had ordained the air.

It was the sound of Muzét's shoe entering another puddle of blood, this one much louder than the last, the single splash erupting like a wave throughout the hollowed vicinity. With that very noise, the gnawing they had previously heard had suddenly come to a stop, just as the image of two dark violet orbs suddenly appeared from within the darkness they had just walked through. Within the darkness, the two spheres began to move upward, leaving a trail of violet light that traced its path. The trail of light began to expand within seconds, its illumination burning brighter with every second, revealing pieces of the creature's form.

The beast before them was a muscular creature, its body covered in patches matted and striped gray fur. The sight of its flesh between its hair looked to be similar to that of muscle fibers, but colored a dark purple shade. Its calves as wide as that of three men, its toes sticking out of what looked like what were once leather boots, having now been torn to scraps of leather that barely latched on from its ankles. Its toes looked to be more of stumps than digits, but with elongated nails that looked to be more of hooked claws. Its arms dragged down to its knees, these limbs as thick as the largest trees, its fingers continuously curling in and out its biceps twitched almost every second. Its very torso was even wider and just as chiseled as the rest of its body, almost as if it were made from stone itself. Yet most horrifying was its very face, its canines as pronounced as daggers despite still carrying its latest prey in its mouth. Its mane was unkempt and wild, with dried blood on its very tips.

Having now recognized the party before it, its sharp ears curled inward, its eyes furrowing as the hellion corpse in its mouth dropped to the floor with a loud thud, its roar thundering in their ears as a wall of flame burst around its form, illuminating the once darkened sewer in its entirety.

"It seems we have no choice!" Milla exclaimed as she drew her sword. "Everyone, get ready!"

Upon hearing the former Maxwell's words, the creature immediately dropped on all fours and launched itself forward. Upon seeing this, the Rieze Maxian king sprung forth himself, his sword slashing forward as he jumped straight into the fray. The cut had met its mark has he had anticipated, slicing into the creature's forearm as it sprang forward. Yet the steel would venture no further than an inch into its flesh no matter how much strength Gaius exerted into his strike. Thinking him vulnerable, the monster stood once again, its other arm swinging at the monarch with all of its strength. Yet this attack was also interrupted as another's blade sliced into its wrist. This time it was the former Lord of Spirits who struck, hoping to sever its hand at the joint but to no avail. The attacks did little more than annoy the creature, its body then curling inward slightly before flinging its body outward all of its might, another screeching roar erupting from its mouth as its attackers jumped back and withdrew.

"Swords won't work!" Gaius exclaimed as the hellion cried.

"Then let's try smashing it!" the young agent charged forth now with her hammer in tow. "Hammer Toss!"

The blunt weapon quickly flew forward now in spiraling fashion, striking the beast in the nose before returning to its owner. Surprisingly, the monster took hold of its face upon being struck, the sudden strike but a preview of things to come as the young researcher and visitor from another world now charged forward. A succession of punches and kicks quickly followed, the impact of each blow pushing the creature back slightly at first, but then with a single swing of one of the fiend's monstrous arms, the two were quickly pushed back.

"It's definitely tough," Sophie remarked.

"Even blunt strikes won't work," Jude added.

"It's a fire elemental as well, so my artes would also have little to no effect," Lailah observed.

Again the creature roared, its scream paralyzing the party once more. With its latest cry, another wall of flame ignited behind it, the fire itself consuming the beast, but yielding it no harm. Much to their shock, the beast opted the charge forward while being surrounding by the inferno, its speed so swift that any attempt to dodge would be futile. Fortunately there was no need to evade however as the youngest seraph quickly cast her swiftest incantation.

"Water! Twin Flow!"

Two spiraling torrents of the translucent liquid burst from Elena's left palm as she finished words of her arte. Though generally the weakest of water seraphic artes, her incantation was enough to extinguish the hellion's flames, the impact enough to push it back several steps. However, it was little more than a minor setback as the monster stood at the ready soon after, slashing at the air with its claws out of both frustration and goading.

"This cat certainly doesn't like the rain, does it?" Rowen quipped at the fiend's reaction.

"If you can keep it busy long enough, I just might be able to cook up a storm, literally," Elena ordered her comrades.

"If it's a storm you want, then it's a storm you'll get," the current Maxwell said as she finished her latest incantation. "Ice Tornado!"

A gust of frost came forth from Muzét's hands now, the burst of cold air embroidered with shards of ice as it flew forward. Though their enemy was prepared to evade the arte, a trio of daggers had suddenly surrounded it in that moment, creating a sigil in the ground beneath its feet, preventing it from moving. It was their eldest companion who had halted the beast, but his arte would hold it for no more than two seconds, enough time for the Lord of Spirits' attack to strike, followed by that of the water seraph.

"Burning red, freezing blue, hail in tandem…," the fashionista seraph changed. "Violent Storm!"

A spiral of water emerged from within the earth now, sweeping upward from the monster's feet, engulfing it entirely within the flow. Another beastly cried echoed as the fiend succumbed to the arte, its screams quickly being drowned by the deluge of water.

"Come, let us move on!" Milla suddenly ordered her comrades.

"Wait, but what about-?" Elle tried to interject.

"Our goal since our arrival in the city has been to rescue to Gaius," Rowen reminded their youngest companion. "Let us depart while the creature is distracted."

"But-!"

"As much as I would rather not leave this hellion be, I must agree with Rowen," Lailah added. "However, Morgrim's blessing has prevented the creature from escaping into the city itself."

"I know that, but still-!"

"We have no time to argue, we must move!" Gaius ordered.

Not wasting anymore time, the party quickly began to head in the direction from which they were traveling toward. Though they had all run as swiftly as they could, Muzét still found herself trailing behind each of her comrades within seconds. She had gotten used to walking these past few days, but maintaining a constant speed while running was another matter. Already her legs were aching, her feet feeling as if they were stepping on coals as the fibers in her limbs felt like they were unraveling. Just for a moment, she thought for a mere second she could stop and let her muscles relax, but the moment she did come to a stop, she found her entire body paralyzing once again, frozen by a single loud roar that echoed from the corridor behind her.

Taking little more than a second to look back, she found a pair of violet orbs staring at her in the distance, the spheres growing little by little with every second. Without even thinking, she began moving once more, her legs pushing her forward as quickly as she could into the diminishing light and narrowing corridor in front of her. It felt as if the very fibers of her muscles were unraveling piece-by-piece with every step and second that passed, the chilling, yet burning breath of the hellion drawing every closer to her neck. Regardless of how much closer it became, Muzét could not bring herself to look back; she could continue forward, she would continue running, no matter how much it hurt, no matter how close it got.

But her will could only take her so far, her legs giving way despite her will to survive. It happened so suddenly, the knees suddenly locking, but her body continued forward ever so slightly. Her hands were barely raised quick enough to brace herself as she fell, a loud thud echoing throughout the darkening corridor as a dull aching sensation passed through her very core the moment she hit the ground. The pain passed through her quickly, but unfortunately, even with the sensation dying, the current Maxwell found herself unable to stand. With the monster's roar growing ever closer, the spirit continued to move regardless, pulling herself, crawling toward the light that was but a mere glimmer before her eye now, a glimmer that had soon faded into nothingness before her.

"No…"

Just as her last ounce of hope had died, she soon found herself suddenly being pulled from the ground, the arm of another hoisting her over her shoulder. Despite seeing nothing but black around her, it was clear who the identity of her savior was, the consolation in his tone as apparent as his determination.

"Are you all right, Muzét?" Gaius questioned, having picked her off the ground.

"Yes, but you shouldn't-!"

"Gaius, have you found Muzét?" her sister's voice echoed ahead, followed by a glimmer of Lailah's flames.

"I have her, but we must hurry!" the monarch ordered, the ground beneath their feet beginning to quake.

Without saying another word, her savior began running, carrying her over his left shoulder as his right hand dragged his sword against the ground. Within seconds they were already caught up with each of their comrades, each of them forced to line up one-by-one as their surroundings shrank once more, shrinking as their foe's presence grew closer.

"Damn it, just how long are these sewers?!" the water seraph cursed.

"I'm sensing sunlight just up ahead," Lailah announced as a speck of light suddenly began to grow ahead of them. "If we can just push a little more-!"

Another roar echoed from behind them now, the hellion's pace now almost matching theirs, the fiend's breath beating against the current Lord of Spirits' face as their eyes met. Already it was close to swipe at the Rieze Maxian king and spirit with its claws, the monarch barely able to dodge and parry its initial swipes. Though he was able to evade these two attacks, he could do nothing for the third that their enemy attempted, the beast lunging at the two as it began to leap toward them.

However, luck had played its part now, the two of them barely passing through an opened iron bar gate, its door barely wide enough to fit the two of them, but narrow enough to catch the beast by its shoulders. For a moment, it looked as if they would be able to escape now, each of them now looking back for a mere second to see what had become of the hellion. The moment they looked however, they soon saw the beast break through its confines as it stepped back and rammed through the iron bars themselves. Once again the creature was in pursuit, their pacing hastening once more as more similar gates appeared in the path up ahead.

"Man, why won't he quit?!" Elle exclaimed as they passed through the second gate. "I mean I've heard of man-eating tigers, but this is ridiculous!"

"Just a little further!" Milla announced as the view of the outside became clearer than ever before them. "If we can make it to the exit, we just might-!"

Again the sound of their foe crashing against the latest gate interrupted their conversation. This time however, there was little resistance when this iron barrier was broken through, and even less with the third they passed. It was almost as if the fiend was growing stronger with every passing second. Fear, there was no doubt about it, this creature's strength was increasing with their fear. If they were going to survive, they needed to stop being afraid and confront this beast, but to do so in this narrow sewer line would be suicide. They had to make it outside if they were going to even have a fighting chance.

"This is it!" Rowen announced as they sped through what appeared to be the final gate, the warmth of the sun having become an afterthought in that very second. "Everyone, spread out and prepare yourselves!"

As if triggered by Rowen's word, the beast sprung forth once again, launching itself forward with all of its might. Though it was a swift and strong leap, it shoulders were quickly caught by the final grates that separated the sewer from the outside. Surprisingly, the space between the bars was just barely enough to contain the creature within its grasp, the monster unable to move forward or back regardless of how much it pushed or pulled.

Another bloodcurdling roar escaped its jaws, a roar emitting both ferocity and frustration. Its cry erred each of them on the side of caution as it continued to struggle, the creature at first desperately clawing in their direction, but soon its attention then turned to trying to pry itself free. Regardless of its attempts, it was clear that neither option could be made.

"Does this mean we made it?" Elle questioned now.

"…no…," Milla shook her head. "If anything, our problems may have just begun."

Turning back to the sewer they had just escaped, they soon found several other glowing spheres began to appear from the darkness behind their foe. Within seconds, these glowing spheres overtook the darkness behind them, the spheres growing as the creatures owning hurried toward the light. At first it wasn't clear what was going on, but it soon became apparent as lesser hellions suddenly appeared from behind the first, these monsters leaping forward with their jaws hanging.

The initial fiend screamed now, the lesser ones having bit into their pursuer, their teeth clinging onto its arms, legs or whatever part of its body it could muster. More began to appear to cling onto it now, biting into any other part of its body that was still open. Within seconds, the entire body of the hellion that was now surrounded by its lesser brethren, the beast again letting out another screeching cry as more and more of these lesser beings latched onto it.

"What the?!" Jude exclaimed as he oversaw the events that were taking place. "Are they-?"

"They're devouring that creature!" Gaius finished the young researcher's words.

"I've heard of such things taking place, but I've never once witnessed it myself," Lailah added. "It is said that if a hellion consumes another, it gains their power; it's safe to assume that the hellion that was chasing us until must have devoured many of its kindred until now, resulting in its enormous stature."

"In other words, because it has grown in size tremendously, it must have also prevented other hellions from escaping into the wilderness from the sewer, but now that it is stuck in its current predicament, its prey is now consuming the hunter."

"If that's the case, we have to destroy all of them before they can fully consume the larger hellion's power!" Sophie concluded.

"Everyone, use your strongest artes!" Milla ordered each of her comrades.

"No, allow me," the current Maxwell said, standing on her own two feet once again.

"Muzét?"

Reaching into one of the larger pockets in her coat, the Lord of Spirits removed what looked like an ancient tome. Holding the grimoire in her left hand, she then pointed her right palm upward, each of her fingers extended as she began to chant the words of a spell that had been long forgotten.

"I dwell amidst the abounding light of heaven," she chanted as spheres of pure light began to circle around her. "Thou art at the gate to the underworld. Come forth, thunder of gods!"

Heeding to her plea, the velocity of the spheres hastened, causing the air around them began to rise upward as they flew toward the heavens, the illumination she had summoned multiplying exponentially as it rose into the heavens, collecting a single mass above them all. Though the light had come to rest, the winds continued to act as a storm, intensifying more and more with every inch the masses of light grew, the storm suddenly dying as the Lord of Spirits chanted the final words of her arte.

"This ends here… Indignation!"

With the incantation now finished, the body of light suddenly fell downward, falling like a mighty hammer toward the masses of hellions that had been pursuing them. A blinding flash erupted the moment the mass of illumination struck the earth, its warmth passing over them all in a single brush, the atmosphere it created gentle and calm. Within seconds, the light then dissipated, the scenery around them surprisingly unscathed, but their foes obliterated into nothingness.

With the incantation now finished and their enemies slain, a breath of relief passed through the current Maxwell's lungs now. Though the immediate danger had been quelled, Muzét couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding, of fear, emanating from her comrades, namely in one particular.

"Muzét," her sister slowly stepped forward. "That arte just now, that was-"

"That was what took out all those monsters!" Elle exclaimed. "Seriously, what was that just now?"

"It seems to be an ancient arte from one of the tomes I kept in the cave I've been living in for the last few years," Elena threw in her two cents. "Granted I could never read the stuff myself, but when Muzét touched, she suddenly knew how to cast what she swears were artes depicted within it."

The young seraph was only telling half the truth however; it's true that when the current Maxwell touched this strange book she was able to case the artes she had demonstrated as of late, but there was more to it than just learning a few new incantations, or 'spells' as they were once called when these tomes were first published.

Upon touching this book, the memories of its past owner flooded her mind, passing over her in but a flash. Though she could not recall the entirety of everything she had witnessed, there was some images she could still vaguely recall, images of a young man wielding a familiar sword, images of a man who could also manipulate time itself, images of an ancient castle that could not be accessed through normal means, and above it all, she recalled the name of the previous owner of this tome: Arche…

"Regardless of what it was, you have certainly saved us this time, Muzét," Gaius complimented.

"To think you'd actually pull through when we needed you," Elle followed up.

"The air…," the former butler interrupted now, "is it just me, or does something feel a bit…different?"

"Now that you mention it, the air feels a bit warmer, lighter in fact," Sophie observed, turning back to the city from which they had just escaped. "It's almost as if the malevolence from earlier has disappeared."

"I'm not sensing anything coming from the direction of Pendrago either," the fire seraph added.

"I assume the emperor and his men may have quelled the source of chaos," the monarch replied. "After all, if they had not done so, I think it would be more likely that we would have been attacked by hellions upon our escape."

"Say what you will about Agravain, but even I know he's the person I'd be behind if I had to pick a side in a war, not that I like picking sides to begin with," the water seraph added.

"In any case, now that we've rescued Gaius, I think we need to determine our next course of action," Lailah interrupted.

"Unfortunately we still haven't received from Leia and others regarding securing a ship to Lionel," the Rowen reported as he quickly checked his GHS. "Perhaps we should return to Elysia for now so we may gather our bearings once more. After all, the library in Elysia may have some additional information on Lionel and the regions surrounding it, correct?"

"That and I could definitely go for that bath I've been complaining about for the last few hours," Elena added.

While their comrades began to leave the scene now, the Lord of Spirits, her sister, and the young researcher remained now. No words were spoken between the two siblings, but even without uttering a single phrase, the elder knew what the younger was thinking before she finally spoke once more.

"Milla, are you-?" Jude tried to question, only to be silence by his spouse's next words.

"Muzét, the arte you used, you chanted 'Indignation', correct?" Milla questioned.

"I did," the current Maxwell nodded.

"…do you remember what it was used for in times past, what our village said it was meant for?" the younger sister asked.

"Wasn't it something like 'when Maxwell has fallen and Man is but the only hope to save these lands, they chant a prayer to the heavens, a prayer of lights that will rain down upon the Demon King, the manipulator of time itself. That light will then wash away the evilness that would seek to destroy the world, it will destroy the avatar of the harbinger of the destruction itself, and with that prayer, peace will return to the realm until Maxwell can return to the fight once more.' At least that's how I remembered it," a faint smile fell upon her lips now. "I'm sure I've butchered a few pieces of the old tale here and there since I didn't pay attention as much as-"

"Then I'm counting on you," was all the younger could say as she walked past her. "If I, no, if Jude and I should succumb to the events of the ancient past, we expect you to do the right thing, Muzét."

---

A deep sigh escaped Meizen's lips now. His legs felt a little wobbly after each time he jumped off of a Geoboard; granted they were the fastest way to get to one's destination, but he always hated the feeling like he was going to trip over his own feet after he stepped off of the normin platform. Unfortunately, he also knew that it would just be a matter of time before they'd all have to go back on again, but regardless, he also knew he should take advantage of the short time he had before they returned to the task at hand.

"We'll stop for ten minutes," the leader of the Scholars ordered her men as she stepped off of her own geoboard. "Bienfu, make sure you and the other normin rest up as well; we need all of you to be as well rested as possible if we intend on catching up to the Harbinger's party to the south."

"Yes ma'am!" the tiny seraph saluted.

As always, he quickly hurried to his master, kneeling before her as he offered his hand to take any possessions she thought was too heavy at the moment. Yet as she always did, Ana simply walked past him, patting him on the head like a dog, much to his slight annoyance.

"Really Meizen, I can take care of myself," the Head Scholar assured him as she always did.

"Ana, you know you shouldn't push yourself too hard," the earth seraph began doting. "After all, if anything were to happen to you-"

"I said I'm fine," she assured him. "You really worry too much, Meizen. Truly, if I am in need of assistance, then I would ask for it."

The earth seraph shut his tongue from speaking any further protests at this point. Perhaps he was just worrying too much as she always stated. He always was overly cautious when it came to her after all, in fact, he was always like this with every member of her family that he served, as well as a member of his own.

"…if I am in need of assistance, then I would ask for it…," he remembered the final conversation he shared with his younger sister before he left that fateful day.

"…I… I understand, Ana, I'm sorry," he found himself apologizing.

"Thank you for your understa-"

"Hellions!"

The earth seraph could only grit his teeth, the other seraphim's warning having come too late. Before he knew it, they were already surrounded by small party lizardmen. Granted they were weak, but the fact remained that for a moment, Meizen had let his guard down and had endangered the latest Diphda descendent in doing so. Not wasting time, the earth seraph began his attack, his right arm lunging at the closest beast, hooking its neck at his limb's joint before spinning his body and hurling the fiend at its next closest brethren.

"Ana, are you all right?!" Meizen quickly turned back in the direction of his master. "Ana!"

His eyes widened at the sight before him now, his master now surrounded by three hellions, each of them already lunging toward as they took to the air. Though he knew she could fight off at least one in her current predicament, there remained the other two that still charged. The distance between himself and the Head Scholar was too great however, he would be unable to leap in on time to rescue her from each of her attackers, nor would his seraphic artes be cast quick enough to subdue the beasts. He had messed up greatly this time; he should never have been willing to leave the Head Scholar be, even if it was but for a quick second. This was his mistake, and he would have to pay for it dearly.

But to his surprise, another was willing to make up for his mistake. In the blink of an eye, each of the hellions had fallen, each of them succumbing to the slash of dual set of blades or a blast of shadow artes. Again Meizen's eyes widened, this one from the complete shock and relief of the identity of his master's rescuers.

"Too easy…," the red-haired young man bragged as he sheathed his daggers.

"That wasn't even worthy of an opening act," his seraph yawned.

"You…?" the Head Scholar appeared just as shocked as Meizen. "You're that former Squire, what are you doing here?"

"Lady Ana!" the rest of her entourage hurried to her aid now. "You, get away from Lady Anastasia this instant!"

"Stand down!" Meizen ordered, quickly coming to Melrose's aid. "This young man actually saved our leader."

"You okay?" Melrose questioned the Head Scholar now, offering his hand to her from where she sat.

"I…I can assure you that I am unharmed," the young lady replied, remaining where she sat as she spoke.

"I didn't ask if you were 'unharmed', I asked if you were okay?" he repeated.

"Then yes, I am okay. Fine if I must be exact."

"…that's good to hear."

The earth seraph could only remain silent as he saw his mistress take the former Squire's hand now, the words they were exchanging becoming deaf in his ears. As he watched them, a sudden urge to rush between the two of them filled his being, but oddly, something else stopped from doing so. Another urge told him to stand down, to leave them be.

It was strange, but for a moment, Meizen thought he saw the Head Scholar's lips stretch a little as she conversed with the red-haired young man. Even more strange was the way her smile soon melted after something the former Squire had said, bopping him lightly in the head soon after. Naturally Melrose grew angered by this sudden action, but again, Meizen saw no need to step in. The way they were interacting with each other, it seemed…natural, almost fitting, as if…

…as if a memory from long ago was playing before his eyes once more.

"Geez, quit being such a crybaby, Ana," Meizen remembered 'his' voice back then.

"I'm not crying!" his mistress protested back then.

"Then why do you have tears running down your face? Really, sometimes I think- Ouch!" the girl had struck the little boy's head, causing his eyes to water. "What was that for?!"

"Now who's crying?"

"I'm not crying! You just-!"

Seeing the two of them always brought a smile to Meizen's face back then, how the two children reminded him of a simpler time, a time he never thought he'd miss and look back on with fond memories. No matter how much they argued back then, he never saw a reason to intervene; just leave them be, time was a precious commodity for them, a precious moment he wanted them to be able to look back on in the far future with a smile.

"Are you just going to leave them be?" a dark, unwelcome voice returned the earth seraph to the present. "Isn't it your duty to look out for Diphda family?"

"…I am looking out for them…," Meizen said, his lips still curled as he watched the two's continued interactions. "In fact, it seems like nothing's changed after all this time."

"'Nothing's changed'?" the word puzzled Symonne. "…I see, so that means-"

"I warned you once before, Symonne," the earth seraph's tone became serious once more. "Should you or any comrades even lift a finger to harm Ana, I swear I'll run each of you into the ground!"

"Funny you should say that," the younger seraph's word amused the illusionist. "Did that include the master you buried fifteen years ago?"

"What?!"

"I may not have set foot in this continent in Glenwood for so long, but it's amazing what you can learn just from walking the streets of any city in these lands," the dark seraph giggled. "Tell me, what exactly is the oath you took when you gained the power of purification? Is there a reason why you continue to keep that beast swelling inside of you, or do you truly idolize your uncle that much that-?"

"My reasons are my own!" Meizen hastily interrupted as he walked away.

Though he was able to walk away for now, he knew that he could neither walk away or run much longer. Eventually the truth would catch up with him, the darkness within him would eventually consume him. Meizen knew this for a fact, and it would only be a matter of time before the inevitable would occur. Regardless, before that time comes, he knew the tasks he had to complete, he knew what must be done if he were to redeem himself and fulfill the oath he had made.

---

Skit: The Perfect Gift

Elle: (stares at Morgrim) …

Morgrim (sighs) Is there something you wish of me, Child?

Elle: Aren't you one of the seraphim? But at the same time, you're also a cat, right?

Morgrim: Do not mistake me for a mere feline; I am the Lord of the Land in Pendrago. How dare you mistake me for a common housepet.

Elle: Okay… So what exactly is a "Lord of the Land"?

Lailah: A Lord of the Land is a seraph that provides protection to a particular realm of Glenwood. When humans pray and leave offerings for a Lord of the Land, it helps maintain that lord's protection; it may also bestow certain blessings with the assistance of normin.

Elle: Offerings huh? You mean like gifts?

Morgrim: In simple human terms, yes.

Elle: Protection huh? Let me see… (starts to rummage through bag) Aha! How about this? (takes out a box of Kitty Krisps) These are Pollo's favorite back home.

Lailah: Is that…pet food?

Morgrim: (hisses) How dare you! Didn't I just say I'm not some common housecat?!

Elle: So you don't want it? (takes out more items from her bag) I also have Gummy Fishies, Cat Toys, and Catnip.

Morgrim: (fidgets slightly) …I suppose a snack is but a humble offering… (begins to eat Kitty Krisps from Elle's hand) Well I must say, they are quite delicious! (eats more)

Elle: (teases Morgrim with cat toy) Come on Kitty, we don't want you to get fat now.

Morgrim: (begins to chase cat toy) Hey, get over here!

Elle: (continued to tease Morgrim with Cat Toy, petting her at the same time) Good Kitty!

Morgrim (purrs in Elle's hand as bright light emits from her and spreads to the party)

Lailah: (surprised) That's all it takes to get on this Lord's good side?! To think all those years ago we thought we could string her along with all of the gels, gald and equipment we offered, all of it a paltry sum compared to what Elle has offered. I'm so sorry everyone, I failed you all when it comes to finances…

---

Author's Note: And with that, our tale comes to a close for now.

With Milla's flashback, we get a better insight as to why Maxwell is believed to be the Harbinger of the End in Glenwood, seeing as how she and Jude fought for him in Tales of Berseria. In the cameo battle in Tales of Berseria, Milla and Jude fought Velvet's party so that they could return home, but little did they know at the time, they were transported to the past and not another world (at least in the context of this story). Of course, there's more to it than just them wanting to return home; after all, there is a bit of a time gap that wasn't explained between Velvet's first encounter with Milla and their final one in Normin Island in Tales of Berseria. What Milla and Jude were up to as they were traveling with Goldipen (the previous Sekundes) and how Maxwell will eventually become feared will be revealed in later chapters (of course, there is also that old prophecy between Maxwell and Sekundes that has existed in both Glenwood and Rieze Maxia, but Milla and Jude's presence in Desolation during the events of Tales of Berseria did trigger other reasons for the present populace to fear Maxwell).

Speaking of time travel, with Amilla's flashback, we also get a reason as to why cameo battles in the Tales series happen as well (at least in the context of this story). As we have learned, Sekundes' power may be borrowed from Chronos, but there are limitations to that power, namely that every time Sekundes manipulates time, they also inadvertently bring something to the present, whether it's something as insignificant as a rock or even an individual (in a sense, this also explains why Nova was able to see Ludger one last time in the present in my one-shot story, The Words We Never Spoke). However, don't expect to see anymore Tales characters from other games to show up because of Amilla's power; this story is supposed to focus primarily on the Tales of Xillia cast (and Sophie) after all, with the Tales of Zestria and Tales of Berseria casts playing more of minor roles.

People may be wondering what is Meizen's oath, and what exactly did happen fifteen years ago. Again, it links back to an event that happened in Glaivend Basin that other characters have alluded to, but what exactly happened back then, I'm afraid it will have to be revealed in another chapter. What I can say for now is that on that day, Meizen broke his oath and has been living with the consequences since. Also, his oath is different than that of his siblings, Mina and Elena; each of Mikleo and Edna's children do have the power of purification, but they did not inherit it from their parents (considering that seraphim cannot have a biological children). Instead, each of them have taken separate oaths which will all be revealed in time.

Regarding Muzét's new artes that she inherited, I'm guessing a lot of readers probably saw it coming that she would inherit the Indignation arte, after all, she is the current Maxwell and most Tales players know that Sekundes and Dhaos fear the Indignation arte. I went with Arche instead other characters such as Genis, Meredy and Laphicet because I thought Muzét and Arche have similar personalities (on a side note, maybe we'll even see Muzét fly around on a broom later on seeing how she lost her wings.) Regarding the chant she used for Indignation, I figured since it is based on Arche's version of the arte, I went with Morrison's version of the chant from the intro from the Game Boy Advance version of Tales of Phantasia since this is the only official release of the game in the U.S. and the playable characters don't actually have a chant for their individual artes during battle.

In any case I think I've rambled on long enough. Next time, on End of an Era: Leia and her party arrive in the region once known as Southgand. Immediately upon arriving, they encounter a local tribe who claims to be descended from a band of infamous seafarers from the Age of Asgard. Though unwilling to assist in helping them create a ship that can take them to Lionel, the party is directed to an ancient ruin where they are told they can find an ancient relic that can assist them in crossing the sea. Yet as they travel through the ancient ruins, the party is intercepted by Anastasia Diphda and the Scholars of the Crowe. A reunion between two families occurs, but it is a reunion far from joyful as it becomes a literal clash of beliefs and the elements themselves. Which side will victory smile upon, and what is this relic both sides seek? Find out all this and more in the next exciting chapter of End of an Era!