RE: DETERMINED

Act 4, Chapter 2 - DETERMINED To SAVE You (あなたを救うために決定) [Part 1]


Ryu blankly stared at Echidna as he walked over to the Witch, gaining a confused look from her as he now stood a few inches away from her. "E-eh, Ryu-kun, what are you-"

"Dona, I must thank you for letting me face my past, but that was simply one facet of it," Ryu said, as his eyes narrowed. "I know you can stop time with your Patience magic. You've learned a lot about Soul Magic just from the books I used to give you, didn't you?"

"I-I can, but what's the purpose of that?" Echidna asked, genuinely curious as she stared at the form of her former best friend, who turned away.

"Stopping time will ensure people can't interfere and wake me up from the trial, and I know you can easily do it, your soul hasn't passed on," Ryu replied, as Echidna sighed. She snapped her fingers, as she then looked outside of the classroom.

"I've done what you asked me, Ryu-kun. Now, what will you do?" Echidna asked as Ryu went for the door to leave the classroom.

"...You know what I must do. I must face my past… as Flugel Aicenfall. It might just be a fraction, but I need this." Ryu then left the room, as he blacked out a moment later.


Flugel woke up to the sounds of someone knocking on his door. He got up slowly, as he then looked over to the side to see his mother smiling down at him. "Wake up, Ry- I mean, Flugel. We've got a lot of stuff to do today, plus I need to restock on ingredients for breakfast."

"Coming, ma," Flugel smiled at his mother, who nodded and left the room swiftly. Lilliana Aicenfall was a nice woman, and the only family he had after the abrupt deaths of both his brother and father. Flugel sighed as he got up and prepared himself for the day, putting on some clothes in an abrupt fashion, since he wasn't feeling like 'thinking' about what to wear today. Once he had deemed himself ready, he walked over to a mirror to stare at his reflection.

Flugel Aicenfall was a tall boy for his age, being 5'9 while only being 15 years old. His hair was a pale violet color and very messy, and his eyes were gold with blue specks in them. "I swear, it's almost like I need to reality warp my hair into being neater if I want to fix it…" Flugel grumbled, as he then sighed and walked out of his room. His mother was waiting for him at the door, which she opened once she saw him.

"Come now, son. We need to get going if we want to get to the market quickly," Lilliana urged him, as he nodded obediently and followed his mother out the door. He followed her around as she bought ingredients in the markets, talked with old friends, and constantly made sure she wasn't going over the budget she had made for herself today. Eventually, once Flugel was about to get bored, his mother shifted her gaze to him and smiled. "Ryu, sweetie, why don't you ever try to make friends?"

"No one here my age is interesting, ma," Flugel replied swiftly, almost as if he had heard this question multiple times already and had the answer prepared. Which was true. His mother was obsessed with his social life and making sure he wasn't a loner.

"Mmm, I think you're just avoiding people because of that pesky Corruption of yours," Lilliana said, as she brought out an appa and threw it at Flugel, who caught it instantly. "Though I will admit that Corruption in your soul will be an issue, we should find a way to get rid of it."

"Fragmenting things isn't my forte, mother. I think you should be the one to do it, being the more experienced Soul Mage," Flugel hummed as he took a bite out of the appa's rich flesh, enjoying the fruit's flavor. "After all, we can't destroy Corruption."

"True enough, I suppose." Lilliana hummed, as Flugel's attention was grabbed, seeing a silver-haired girl being teased and picked on by a pack of bullies. He wanted to act, but his mother's hand grabbed him and pulled him back. "...You can't do anything rash, son."

"Mom, they're hurting her!" Flugel snapped back at the lavender-haired woman, who had a strictly neutral expression on her face. "I need to do something!"

"We just moved into town, Ryu. We can't act rashly. Use your own patience to stay strong," Lilliana said, as Flugel grit his teeth in frustration, knowing if he did try to act; his mother would stop him instantly with her powers. He admired his mother's strength, he really did, but it was times like this that made him hate how much stronger she was than him. His mother, knowing her son would eventually do something rash regardless of her warnings, dragged him away with Flugel's eyes gaining a faint red sheen to them. He would save this girl from these bullies one way or another. As for the Aicenfall Matriarch? Her eyes softened, as she looked back at the bullied girl. "Sorry, young one. It's merely not time."


The next time Lilliana took Flugel to the market, the boy used his Patience magic to attach one of his strings to a wall and jet off, to the Aicenfall Matriarch's apparent frustration. Once the boy was out of sight, however, she sighed. "Just as long as you don't get yourself caught, son…" She muttered, hoping the timeline of events didn't change too much from what Shinra had originally foreseen.

As for Flugel, he was jumping from building to building, eventually stopping as he crouched; watching the bullies from earlier continue to pick on the mystery girl. "Look at those ears!"

"So weird and pointy!"

"Man, I've heard of mistakes but this just takes the cake!"

Flugel's eyes narrowed as he summoned a flurry of icy spears behind him, the temperature in the surrounding area dropping rapidly, and it was noticeable as the bullies began to shiver. Flugel then drew his arms back, with the spears following his motion, and then threw the spears forward at the bullies; piercing their clothing and pinning them to a wall. When Ryu saw the mystery girl was about to look his way, he used a quick Time Stop via Patience and ran back to his mother's location, releasing the magic quickly afterward.

As for the half-elf girl from before? She looked around in confusion, wondering who her savior was.


"Alright, son, step into the Magic Circle," Lilliana said to Flugel once she had finished preparing for what she called the 'Purification Ritual'. Flugel took a deep breath and sighed, taking a step into the middle of the circle and kneeling. Magic threads grabbed at Flugel's body, restraining him and keeping him in place before a different thread appeared and stabbed right into his body. Lilliana watched silently, taking no pleasure in the sight of her son screaming in pain. Just as Flugel's soul shattered, technically killing him, more threads leaked out of the Magic Circle and grabbed at the dark purple substance attached to Flugel's red and gold soul. It forcibly tore it off, as Flugel's eyes then opened, his soul reforming and healing itself through the Magic of the Circle.

As for the Corruption? It was now split into 9 different pieces, each with a title on it.

Envy.

Greed.

Gluttony.

Sloth.

Lust.

Pride.

Wrath.

But before Flugel or Lilliana could get a better look at the final two, they noticed how each one seemingly shot off into the air. Flugel, despite being weak after what happened to his soul, instantly reached out and stopped a few from escaping. Namely Sloth, Envy, and Wrath. Lilliana bit her lip. "This is bad, I created more Fragments than I anticipated. What if-"

"Mother, calm down. I'm sure things will be fine," Flugel said as he stood up, holding the 3 Fragments of Corruption using strings of Patience. "We just need to find and contain the rest of these Fragments. Simple as that."

"Right… right…" Lilliana sighed, realizing that if her son was able to stay calm in a situation like this, then she could as well. "...We'll need to give you some downtime if we're going to be chasing down these Fragments, wherever they went." She then smiled down at her son. "How about this, we go get some red velvet cake, hm?" At her son's weak nod, she helped the boy up and led him back to his room, where he quickly fell asleep due to the exhaustion of dying and coming back to life. She gently stroked Flugel's hair, as her mind went to figure out where things went wrong. There were now 9 Corruption Fragments out in the world when originally Lilliana only wished to create 7. 7 to represent the Seven Deadly Sins. "...I suppose it's time to introduce you to her, hm? You wanted to meet her after all."


Months had passed. Flugel had made a friend in that time, that being the half-elf girl he had saved back then, who's name was Satella. They got along exceptionally, hitting it off from the moment Lilliana introduced them to each other. The Aicenfall Matriarch smiled at the duo whilst they chatted and had fun, knowing exactly what was up. Both unknowingly had feelings for the other, and she found it quite adorable. She eventually finished up her little project, having tracked down the general location of the Corruption Fragments and marking them down on a map. "Flugel!" She called out to her son, grabbing his attention as he walked over, Satella attached to him as she typically was. Poor girl was basically friendless.

"What is it, ma?" Flugel asked, as Lilliana rolled up the map in her hands and handed it over to her son. He stared right at it, before grinning slightly. "So, this is it, huh?"

"Yes. That paper should hold the locations of the other Corruption Fragments… which I'm now thinking of dubbing something else." Lilliana's expression shifted to one of deep thought for a few moments, before she shrugged it off. "Just get going, find the Fragments, and bring them back here. If they were found by others, take it back by force. We cannot let Corruption gain hold in the souls of those with weaker souls."

"Of course, ma. Gotta save the people from evil," Flugel nodded, before shifting his gaze to Satella. "I'll be gone for a while, but I promise I'll come back as soon as I can, 'Tella. In the meantime, I'm sure mom will take care of you."

"You've never broken one of your promises, so I have no reason to doubt that," Satella smiled at him, before giving him a tight hug to Flugel's slight embarrassment. "Come back to me safely, Ryu."

Flugel smiled at the usage of what Satella thought was simply his nickname, but in reality, was his old name back home. He reciprocated the hug immediately. "I will, 'Tella. I will." And with that, Flugel waved to his oldest friend and his mother, before disappearing as he used Integrity Platforms to rush off into the distance.


Flugel stared up unamusedly at the floating island above him, and then at his Mother's Map. "...Are you fucking kidding me?" He grumbled as he realized he would actually have to try to get up to that island. Especially when he heard some… rumors of a Witch living up there. He tensed up his legs, forming an Integrity Platform beneath his feet and shooting into the air, using a Patience thread to attach himself to the island and pulling to slam himself right into the floor; forming a dust cloud as he coughed.

"What are you doing?" He heard a female's voice call out, as Flugel looked up to see a young woman with white hair wearing a long black dress and black eyes staring at him in a mixture of fear, shock, and anger. "You can't just waltz here unannounced!" Flugel stared back into her eyes, causing her to step back in slight fear from the focused look in his gold-blue eyes. He then sighed, recognizing that the Authority of Greed had already settled into her soul.

"Ma'am, I'd like to talk to you. It's quite urgent." Flugel requested politely, as the woman eventually nodded and led him into her castle-like house. After serving them both some tea, Echidna sat down and looked the young man in the eyes.

"What did you want to talk about?" Echidna asked him, as Flugel put down his teacup and sighed.

"This tea is quite delicious," Flugel said in an attempt to try and build some sort of relationship or trust between them via conversation. Echidna immediately waved him off by saying it was her own blend and then demanded what he was here for. Flugel sighed. "Man, I try to be polite and this is what I get, hm? Alright, I'll get to the point. I know you've absorbed a large amount of Magic recently, from a purple energy fragment." Echidna's eyes widened, as Flugel took that as confirmation he was absolutely fine in his timing. "Hand over the Authority of Greed, and no one gets hurt."

"N-no!" Echidna denied him, soon growing afraid of the angry look that was on the man's face, but not showing it due to her will and resolve to use this power she had received for good. "I need this power!"

"Oh?" Flugel stood up, seeing Echidna as a threat as he summoned a large ice spear into his hand. "I suppose the rumors of there being a Witch up on this island are true. You're evil."

"No! I'm not!" Echidna denied again, as Flugel's eyes widened, detecting no lies in her statement. After a moment's hesitation, he sat down, dispelled the spear, and calmly asked her to explain herself. "I want to use this power to help people! I know its a dark power, I could sense it the moment it arrived here. But I know I can control it! I want to try to make the world a better place and give refuge to those who seek it!"

"Witch…" Flugel began, as Echidna winced back in fear, thinking she was about to be killed. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"E-Echidna…" The girl looked up at the young man in front of her, who stood up and sighed, turning to leave. "W-wait, where are you going? Weren't you here for-"

"The Authority of Greed has been located and its user as well," Flugel responded, as Echidna's eyes widened. "Her name is Echidna, and she is the Witch of Greed. As you are a Witch, I should most definitely be keeping an eye on you. I'll return every week to ensure your intentions haven't changed, Echidna." He turned to face her, the slightest of smiles on his face. "Using darkness for good, to shelter others within your shade. An idea I wished I could have come up with."

"You mean-"

"You want to learn, to help people? You're hungry for knowledge and power, right?" Flugel snapped his fingers, as a portal formed above Echidna, with a book dropping into her lap. "This will be the start of your journey, Echidna. I will watch your career with great interest."

With that, Flugel left Echidna's flying island. Echidna herself stared at the book in her lap, picking it up as she stared at the cover. "The Magic and History of the Lost Isles…?" She read, as she opened the book, her eyes widening as a new chapter of her life opened up in front of her. Echidna realized she had just made a friend who was willing to support her despite her being a Witch… and it brought a smile to her face.


Ryu's eyes eventually opened, as he found himself back in the room from before, with Echidna staring at him with a small frown on her face, sitting down on the teacher's desk. "...You didn't tell me that there were originally nine Authorities… nor the fact your mother was the one to make them."

"I didn't see a reason to tell you, I suppose. Why'd you pull me out of the past?" He asked, as Echidna eventually smiled in a mischievous and teasing way.

"Sheer boredom, of course, Ryu-kun," She replied as she got off the desk and walked over to him. "Your memories as Flugel are to return on their own, so why should I waste my time and energy to make sure you get to re-experience things you'll get back anyway?"

"You can be very annoying sometimes, y'know Dona?" Ryu sighed, as Echidna giggled.

"That's what I hope to be, its amusing to see you like this." Echidna then straightened up. "So, what did you learn?"

"Enough," Was Ryu's quick answer as Echidna sighed in disappointment.

"You can be so rude, Ryu-kun! You might be Flugel's origin, but you're far more rash than he ever was!" Echidna complained as she eventually pouted, causing Ryu to grin widely.

"Exactly, Dona. I'm his origin, he was just a watered-down version of me. Heck, he didn't even have Determination!" Ryu boasted, before calming down and walking around Echidna, as if measuring her before shaking his head. "While I've got to admit, time has treated you well-"

"Oh, why thank you." Echidna took the compliment from her old former friend graciously, unknowing of where Ryu was actually going with this.

"But you're still ridiculously out of shape. I bet you use your Patience magic to do all the heavy lifting for you." Ryu said, his tone and the look in his eyes accusatory, as Echidna took a step back and giggled nervously. "We're going to be working on that in the future."

"W-wait a second, back up!" Echidna begged once what was said finally registered in her mind. "What do you mean 'in the future'? I'm dead!" Ryu immediately fell into a bout of loud laughter at that.

"You most definitely are dead! But not for long." Ryu calmed down as he smiled kindly at Echidna. "Even though I currently am questioning your loyalty, as well as the weight of your promise, since you've become somewhat amoral… you're still one of my oldest friends in this world. No, in general. Aside from my family, it was you guys that were always there for me. The Witches of Sin were basically my extended family. I'm going to revive you all."

At that, Echidna faintly blushed and put a hand on her cheek in an embarrassed fashion. "You can't just say things like that, Ryu-kun. You could give a girl the wrong idea." Echidna swiftly turned to him, her blush faded as if it was never there (which in Ryu's mind was quite the high possibility due to the current amoral and almost soulless attitude of Echidna). "But you do know the world won't react kindly to someone reviving the Witches of Sin."

"I know. That's why I'm on a quest to recollect the Authorities. I can handle Corruption now. Gotta atone one way or another." Ryu replied, as Echidna hummed.

"Well then, I look forward to my resurrection. Perhaps I will delay my own plans to work with you, Ryu-kun. We are quite the deadly duo, wouldn't you say?" Echidna smirked, as did Ryu. He knew what she meant. A long time ago, he worked with Echidna to make artificial life, performing experiments that he now saw as eerily similar to the Amalgamate Experiments. With the Witch of Greed's help, he made the Artificial Lifeform known as 'Shaula'.

"I do agree on that end, Dona," Ryu replied, a faint gleam in his eyes. "So, what next?"

"What next, hm?" Echidna walked past him and returned to sitting down at the teacher's desk. "Well, this trial is officially over. I do look forward to your answer for the next question, assuming you accept the chance to take it."

"So, there was more than one trial." Ryu's eyes narrowed, as Echidna smirked his way.

"Of course. You should know personally, Ryu-kun. Nothing in life is easy." Echidna said in a semi-teasing tone. "There are three Trials in total. To set the Sanctuary free, you must pass all of them."

"...This isn't the same Sanctuary I saved long ago, Dona. This isn't the same you that I grew affectionate for." Ryu replied, as Echidna paused.

"...Ryu, things change over time. Change is natural." Echidna said, as she motioned for Ryu to take a seat next to her, which he did eventually. "I remember the time you saved me and the Sanctuary from Hector. I still feel like I owe you for that, like a debt I will never be able to repay. But to suggest I would have stayed the same Echidna after everything that happened is… just unrealistic. You should know that more than anyone."

"So what, the moment I died, you just decide to break your promise to me? You swore to use Greed for good, to save people!" Ryu retorted as Echidna silenced her old former friend with a hug.

"Ryu, it's not that I didn't care about the promise. I just lost faith. You were the anchor for a lot of us, you know? All the others missed you." Echidna eventually released him and smiled genuinely. "Soon, I just know it, soon you'll revive us. And maybe then, I'll be able to work on gaining your trust."

"You promise?" Ryu eventually asked as Echidna nodded.

"I swear on that first book you gave me." His eyes widened as he remembered how much that book meant to her… and then he smiled, seeing that the Echidna he knew wasn't 'dead'. She was just suppressed behind centuries of apathy. The world around them began to slowly warp and fade, as Echidna got up. "Looks like everything's already starting to disappear. Ryu-kun, I do wonder where your choices will take you from here. Use your powers wisely, ne?"

Ryu went for the door, instinctively knowing that the moment he stepped outside of the classroom, he would awaken in the Tomb. "Hey, Echidna… thanks. For everything. For letting me see my family one last time."

"Like I said, Ryu-kun. I have a debt to you I can never repay. This is the least I could do for you." Echidna said as Ryu smiled.

"By the way, I nearly forgot. I know you'd like for me to face the next Trial, but that's not my style. I'll be leaving that to a friend of mine." Ryu casually said. "So you better treat them right, or I'll be mad."

"I'll keep that in mind." Echidna smiled, as Ryu left the room.


When Ryu woke up, he felt the warmth of the floor beneath him and slowly stood up, wiping dirt and dust off of his face with his jacket sleeve before his eyes widened, remembering what exactly happened to get him here. "Emi!" He turned to the sleeping girl, holding her in his arms as he reached out to touch her face. He noticed how she was in pain, almost as if she was crying, which only made him more worried as he attempted to awaken the poor girl.

Her eyes eventually snapped open, as she seemed delirious and half-asleep and muttering his name. "Ryu…?" She asked, as the boy nodded. "Oh, right… I was undergoing the Trial... and…" Her eyes widened in panic, as Ryu could sense a panic attack coming along, holding her close as her teeth chattered. "I-I'm… it wasn't me! It wasn't! I'm telling you, it wasn't me!"

"Emi, it's fine, the past can't hurt you!" Ryu pleaded, as the girl continued to scream and cry into his chest.

"No, stop it! Stop it! Don't look at me like that! Stop it! It wasn't me!" Emilia continued to beg, as Ryu hugged her close.

"It's okay, Emi… it'll be okay…" Ryu muttered, growing worried for his friend.


"She's finally calmed down and is resting now," Ram reported to Ryu, who sighed in slight relief. "The aroma hypnosis will prevent any nightmares."

"Thanks for the assist, Ram. It would have been problematic if Emi was constantly plagued with nightmares." But even still… it only worried him further, as he wondered if it was truly safe for Emilia to continue the trials in this state. Would it be better for him to take the Trials himself? He knew that he wanted to give Emilia a chance to prove herself, to gain more credibility for the throne… but if this was the cost… Could he really allow this? Could he really watch his friend suffer like this, go through memories that were clearly traumatic? Ryu was conflicted, because he had experienced similar through his… forcefully shared memories back in the Capital. He wished he had the answers to this, but right now he didn't.

"Don't mention it, though it was more for Emilia-sama's sake than yours," Ram replied, as Ryu sighed slightly and leaned back in his chair. It was then that Otto decided to speak up.

"Um, may I say something?" The merchant asked, as Ryu looked at him and nodded once, allowing his hired assistant to speak. "It might be possible to get everyone outside the barrier without doing the trial and freeing the Sanctuary."

"Huh? What're you talkin' about?" Garfiel cut in, a frown on the young man's face. "There's no way in hell!"

"Just hear me out!" Otto pleaded. "I know anyone of mixed blood who touches the barrier loses consciousness. I saw it with my own eyes. So!" Otto raised a finger, a confident smile on his face. "Why don't those of us who aren't affected by the barrier carry the others through it while they're unconscious?"

"An amusing idea, but one you're better off not trying." A female's voice cut in as someone entered the room. "I would rather not become an empty shell of a soul."

Ryu looked over to the side to see what seemed to be the same strange pink-haired girl from earlier, but now she was wearing a black cloak. Not just that, but her soul was different. Not too different, but enough for him to know that this was not the same girl from before. While staring, he didn't notice Ram walking over as she placed a cup in front of him. The pink-haired maid then leaned in, whispering into his ear. "Make sure to avoid saying anything unnecessary." Ryu silently hummed in agreement, as Ram straightened up her posture again and stood up.

"Ram, get me some tea too," Garfiel requested with a faint grin, as Ram focused her attention on the blonde young man.

"It's coarse tea," Ram said in her typical bored tone.

"Don't you usually talk more humble-like?" Garfiel asked in a semi-amused tone, with Ram staring at him impassively.

"I just brewed some leaves I picked up," She explained. She then looked at Ryu. "Show your gratitude to me for making it by drinking every last drop…" She then noticed how the cup was empty, with Ryu seemingly haven drunk it while she was talking with Garfiel. "I see. Even without instructions, you know how good my tea is and didn't leave anything behind. Perhaps this was worth my time." Ram smiled slightly, as Ryu smirked in her direction.

"I heard you had brought in more people from outside, Young Gar." The pink-haired maybe-Elf girl commented. "What an interesting boy you've found."

"And you are…?" Otto decided to ask the question Ryu had but didn't feel like asking.

"I am Ryuzu Bilma," Bilma introduced herself. "It is my duty, you might say, to represent this community, though I am old and frail as you can see."

Old and frail? "Don't tell me this is one of those situations where your soul is older than your physical body…" Ryu groaned as Bilma smiled slightly from underneath her cloak.

"I see that you've encountered those like me. Yes, my actual age, my soul's age, is much older than my body." Bilma confirmed, as Ryu held his head in his hands and sighed deeply. This was fine. "I assume you are the one Ram calls 'Otuuyr', which makes you Young Ryu." Okay, that was a strange thing to say. Or maybe that was just him. Probably just him.

"So, Ryuzu-san, what makes you say my idea won't work?" Otto asked as he looked at the maybe-elf in confusion. "Something about souls?"

"Have you not heard?" Ryuzu took a seat at the table, as she stared right into Otto's eyes. "When one of mixed blood touches the barrier, it takes away their consciousness. More specifically, it repels their soul."

"Repels their soul…? Uh…" Ryu then decided to pick up where Otto was left confused.

"So, when a mixed-blood forces their way through the barrier, their soul is separated from their body and they are left as a soulless, empty husk, right?" Ryu wanted to be sure he was correct, as Ryuzu nodded. Ryu was left in his thoughts, as he knew he could technically survive without his soul for about a day due to his Determination, meaning he could leave without any risks (and that was in the case the Barrier read him as a mixed-blood). But then again, being soulless was a risk since he would slowly lose his emotions without his soul, eventually becoming a human Flowey 2.0, and he didn't want that happening. No more amoral, psychopathic, and soulless monsters, thank you very much.

"You're one to catch on quick, as expected of one whose title is the Soul Mage of Lugunica," Ryuzu commented. "But yes, that is the gist of it. When a body without a soul exits the barrier, it is, in other words, dead." Otto seemed disturbed by that statement. Just then, Garfiel screamed out in what seemed to be pain as he rubbed at his mouth.

"This tea's gross!" Garfiel complained loudly, as Ryu raised an eyebrow. Maybe it was because he had gotten used to questionable tastes or he just didn't care, but he didn't have a problem with Ram's tea. Ryu smiled slightly, taking the change of mood as a blessing as Garfiel's complaining had taken away the seriousness of the conversation.

But still… what was he going to do in this situation?

...He had to make a plan.


Ryu stood in the forests of the Sanctuary, making good use of Flugel's memories to find himself a place where he wouldn't be found. He had plenty of secret spots in the Sanctuary that he had only told Echidna about on a contract to never share since he liked having his peace and quiet in the past. Ryu raised his hand, as he performed Black Warp many times in rapid succession, waiting for something.

It was then that he felt a shift in the atmosphere as if something unsettling and unnatural had found its way to his secret hiding spot. He turned around to lay his eyes on a young woman's face, a young woman wearing nothing but a singular piece of cloth, with platinum hair and blue eyes. "Pandora," Ryu greeted her, as the woman smiled.

"Hello, Flugel… or should I say, Ryutensei? Is there anything I can do for my oldest friend?" Pandora smiled serenely, as Ryu knew her smiles were, 99.9% of the time, coming from a place of slight malice. But this time, she seemed genuinely happy, and Ryu knew why. Flugel had met Pandora once before in the past, and she was a strange one, seeing them as the embodiment of her 'fate' since she got one of his… accidental Authorities. Vanity.

"I'm calling in that favor from 400 years ago, Dora," Ryu said, as Pandora's smile widened slightly. "I want to do something, but I can't do it on my own right now. My own Reality Warping is strong, but with yours in conjunction, I believe I can-"

"If you wish to revive that blue-haired nameless girl, I'm sorry to say that nothing can bring her back. If you wish to complete that goal of yours, you will have to persevere and chase down the ones who are all in possession of her name and memories. The Gluttony Trio." Pandora seemed somewhat amused. "Or, duo, I suppose. Since you killed Batenkaitos. But I am willing to help you with anything else. Just take your time, and eventually, call upon me when you have thought of a wish. I will hear your calls, so no need to use your Warp excessively."

"Thank you, Dora. I'll make sure to do so." Ryu bit his lip, as he internally scolded himself for getting too optimistic, for believing Pandora could bring Rem back to him.

"The only thanks I want from you, Ryu-kun, is your trust. I hope one day, you might trust me." Pandora bowed her head, and then in the next moment, she wasn't there anymore. Ryu sighed, feeling angry with himself. He had wasted his time, it seemed.


Later, Ryu sat silently in Emilia's room, leaning back on a chair he had manifested and created out of Hate. He looked to the side once he noticed Emilia shifting in her sleep, as the silver-haired girl slowly opened her eyes. "Ryu-kun…?" She sleepily asked as he smiled at her slightly.

"Good morning, Emi." He calmly greeted her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Ah… morning…" She responded to his greeting as she slowly shifted from mostly asleep to half-asleep. "Were you here all night?"

"More or less," Ryu shrugged. "Wouldn't have been able to sleep too well in my own room since Otto is a pretty loud sleeper anyway, so I decided to check in on you."

"I'm… sorry about yesterday. I probably burdened you a lot." Emilia said as Ryu's expression softened. "I lost my composure at the Graveyard…"

"Don't worry about that, Emi. I'm sure we can find a way through this together." Ryu said, before noticing Emilia's hand had reached out and grabbed his. "...Uh, Emi?"

Emilia blankly stared at him before an atomic blush settled on her cheeks as she panicked. "I-it's not like that!" She exclaimed, pulling her hand back quickly as Ryu was busy trying to process exactly what was going on.

"It's fine, Emi. I don't really care or mind too much." Ryu eventually said, as he gave the now embarrassed girl a smile, who was hiding her face behind her blanket. "I do wonder… are you ready for the Trial reattempt tonight?"

"...To...night?" Emilia softly whispered, as Ryu could detect emotions of fear in her soul. Whatever her Trial of the Past was, it clearly had scared Emilia quite a bit… and Ryu didn't like that too much.

'I promise I'll find a way to help you, Emi…'


It was now night, and Ryu anxiously stood outside of the Graveyard, praying that Emilia would pass her trial. He prayed that things wouldn't end so badly again. He tapped his feet impatiently, even if he didn't know it, hoping that when Emilia came back she would come back with good news and a smile. "C'mon, Ram, join us!" He heard Garfiel say as Ryu looked to the side slightly. The maid 'hmph'd slightly and turned away as Garfiel frowned a little. "The hell? You're no fun."

"Do you like Ram or something?" Ryu eventually asked, wanting to talk to someone so his mind didn't focus on the tension 24/7. The demihuman boy turned to him and grinned slightly.

"Well, she's hot, ain't she?" Garfiel laughed, as a faint smile came to Ryu's face. "Nothin' unusual about a guy being attracted to a strong, capable girl." Being someone who had a crush on Ram in the past, he understood what he meant.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right on that end, Garfiel," Ryu replied, as he nodded in the boy's direction. "Tell me, you got any hopes and dreams for the future? Things you want to do when you leave this place?"

"Well, that came out of nowhere, didn't it?" Garfiel said, bringing a carefree grin to Ryu's face for a moment. He was naturally curious when it came to things like this. "What do I want to do when I'm outside, huh? A guy like you, who can probably come and go as he pleases, wouldn't understand how the old hag and I feel."

Ryu lost his grin instantly, as he sobered up and thought to his time back in the Underground. "...You're probably right. You've lived here all your life, so I wouldn't understand how you feel. But I have seen something like this before."

"Oh?" Garfiel grinned in his direction. "Ram's told me about how you had a little journey back in your homelands to break a barrier similar to this one."

"In the Underground, there was a Barrier keeping everyone locked down," Ryu explained, gaining the attention of all present. "It didn't discriminate, though. Unlike this barrier, the moment you walked through the Barrier keeping all in the Underground… you were trapped. If you were a human, a 'Monster', didn't matter. You existed? You're stuck."

"Then how'd'ya get out?" Garfiel asked, as Ryu momentarily went silent.

"7." Ryu said after a few seconds of tense silence, turning to face his mini-audience. "7 Human Souls were required to break the barrier. So, the King of Monsters eventually went on a quest to kill every human that fell into the Underground, killing six children in the process." He noticed the shocked, terrified, and even disgusted expressions of the people; which he could understand… but he never could blame Asgore, as he was forced into a bad situation, and Toriel left him when he needed them most; not even bothering to try and comfort him or change his mind. His Underground family wasn't perfect, he knew that. Both Asgore & Toriel were far from the ideal or perfect parents, but he loved them regardless. "As I am only half-human, I am able to absorb both human and monster souls. I was planning to absorb the human souls collected and break the barrier myself after learning of my ability, but… plans changed. The Barrier was broken, but so was my home." He turned back to the Graveyard, leaving everyone in silence as they were left to their thoughts.

It was then that Ryu heard some cries that sent ripples of dread into his soul, with the lights of the Graveyard dying out. Emilia made her way out of the Tomb, crying as Ryu felt horrible for putting his friend through that again. "No, no, not again…" Ryu rushed into the Graveyard to intercept her, as the girl immediately began to cry into his chest.

"I-I'm sorry!" She cried, as Ryu's resolve to figure out a way to help her was only strengthened. He held her close and hugged his friend, more determined to help Emilia than ever before. It didn't matter to him how the barrier around the Sanctuary broke, as long as it did break. That was Ryu's new goal.


Ryu really wanted to kill Roswaal right now. In various ways. In various painful ways. In various very painful ways. Why's that, you might ask? Oh, nothing much. Just the fact he had just admitted to being the reason a lot of bad things happened. Couple that with his Integrity magic of Truth/Lie detection, and his memories as Flugel, and well… his trust of Roswaal L. Mathers was nonexistent right now.

It was this man's fault that Rem was now…

Ryu's fist clenched tightly as he crushed a SAVE point in them, his eyes shadowed by his hair. "Is there something wrong, Ryu-kuuuun?" Roswaal asked with a faint smirk, as Ryu eventually looked up at him with Hate-covered eyes.

"Die." Ryu simply said as he summoned a massive thunderstorm above the Sanctuary, with a large bolt of Black Lightning impacting into the building and destroying it while killing all in it. Ryu's SAVE immediately brought him back to life in the past, as he still felt angry and needed to vent. Vent against the man who brought him all this pain.

"Killing him willy-nilly isn't going to make you feel better Ryu. If you want to avenge Rem, do it by beating this man at his own game," He heard Ryushi say in his mind, the calm voice of his alternate self giving Ryu the strength he needed to calm down.

"Is there something wrong, Ryu-kuuuun?" Roswaal asked with a faint smirk, as Ryu sighed.

"I'm just processing all of this… betrayal. I'll be taking my leave, Roswaal." Ryu curtly said as he turned around and left. "And by the way, don't bother telling me to not tell Emilia. I'm not gonna do it anyways. She's got enough on her plate without the realization of your manipulations, asshole." Ryu then left the room, deleting his SAVE of that moment and closing the door violently as he went.


Ryu was finding it much easier to use FILE 0 now he had a higher concentration of LV. In fact, he was now able to access the 'code' of the world. Sure, this world naturally didn't have a code, but from the moment his Determination touched the world, it adapted and became more like his own. Now, he wasn't perfect and wasn't able to edit the code, but he could edit his own. Plus, this basically meant he was nigh-omniscient as long as he kept an eye on the source code of the world.

It was then he encountered his first problem that increased his paranoia. There were extra, foreign presences at the mansion, namely Elsa's presence. The assassin that got him killed once. And her stats were higher than usual. Far higher. High enough to genuinely get a fear response from Ryu. Her stats were in the upper 80s and lower 90s, comparable to Frisk's stats at LV19. Not only that, he noticed something that made him even more worried. Her name.

'Elsa Granhiert (Black Fire Empowered)'. It read.

Black Fire. Black Fire.

The black fire of Mirakn.

...Everyone was in danger. Frederica, Petra, BB, and Rem were all endangered and he needed to find a way to stop it. "Pandora!" He called out, as the presence of the Witch of Vanity immediately entered his senses, as she appeared before him with a smile.

"Is there something you needed, Ryu-kun?" She asked in a kind, serene tone of voice as Ryu looked up at her with a determined look in his eyes.

"I need you to help me get out of the Sanctuary." He said as Pandora nodded once. 'I'm going to save you, everyone!'

"Ryu is now at the mansion of Roswaal L. Mathers. He is at the front gates, ready to fight." Pandora said, as her Authority activated and sent the boy away to his destination. "...Good luck."


RE: DETERMINED

Act 4, Chapter 2 - DETERMINED To SAVE You (あなたを救うために決定) [Part 1] - END