Unmei Force Shattered Heroes: Shadowed Tragedy
Chapter 7: The Truth and The Shadowlord
The group entered through the doors, as they found themselves in a ruined council room, as they saw that Devola and Popola were sitting in two of the council-member chairs, before they rose up on their feet.
"Oh, look. You made it." Devola remarked with a dry tone.
"We've been waiting for so long." Popola stated.
"Why are you doing this!?" Nier demanded with frustration in his voice.
"What did you intend to do with Nier?" Link added. "You act like as if he was a focal part of your plans."
"It began thirteen hundred years ago." Devola stated.
"Humanity, finding itself on the brink of extinction, undertook a last-ditch rescue plan called Project Gestalt."
"Project… Gestalt?" Gus asked back.
"It's aptly named, Gus. It is a plan for the continuation of humanity, beyond the calamity." Richard responded back.
"What calamity is that then?" Virion asked Richard, only to get no answers from him.
"Ges… talt…?" Grimoire Weiss buzzed back, with static in his voice.
"Do you still not remember, Grimoire Weiss?" Popola asked Grimoire Weiss.
"Then let's give you a refresher." Devola stated, as she pointed her wand at Grimoire Weiss, as the group suddenly moved to defend him, only for Grimoire Weiss to flinch, as if he was struck by some mental blast.
"Weiss!" Nier exclaimed.
"Rrrrgh… My… mind… Gaggghh!" Grimoire Weiss growled, before he then stopped. "...I… I remember… Devola… Popola… You are not human. In fact… Oh, no…"
"Heh. Yeah, sometimes, the truth can be a real bitch. You wanna finish that thought for him, sister?" Devola answered back.
"Excluding the group that is led by this person called Richard, all of us, every person standing in this room, are mere shells created by the true humans." Popola declared.
"What, then that means…!?" Corrin exclaimed.
"What are you saying?" Nier asked them.
"Don't ask them, I know the answer." Sanae stated. "...You're all homunculi."
"Homunculi?" Kaine asked.
"Homunculi refers to beings who are organic, yet they are artificially made." Richard answered back. "So to speak, you FEEL human, but you're not. There is a lot of things you're missing and have different compared to a human."
"What is this…" Nier exclaimed, shocked at the news.
"So then, humans, the true humans, are extinct?" Emil responded back.
"...I'm afraid you won't like that answer. Grimoire Weiss…" Richard shook his head at Emil sadly. "...You know the answer, don't you? After all, we've been looking at it this entire time."
"No. They still live on. You know them as Shades." Grimoire Weiss told Emil. "Each Shade is a twisted remnant of what was once a human being."
"And that remnant is their souls. They are shadowy because they're a spiritual existence made physical. It doesn't end well for them." Sanae added. "Most of them become nothing more than beasts. And the others…"
"Crazy, huh? The only human in this room is the archer. The others are beings we have no knowledge of." Devola remarked. "Now let's just skip the part where you stand there with your mouths agape and just get down to business."
"Wait… wait!" Nier exclaimed.
"At least tell us, why do you need Nier?" Link asked the twins.
"We're going to be needing that shell of yours. The rightful owner has been waiting for a veery long time." Devola answered back.
"Please don't be angry with us. We are only doing our duty." Popola stated.
"Our endless existences have a single purpose: to control the lives of others in accordance to the wills of the true humans." Devola declared.
"Wait, 'shell'?" Nier remarked. "'Owner'?"
"Don't you get it clear in your head, Nier? They're going to boot you out of your body for the Shadowlord to take back." Richard responded back. "And when it does… say bye-bye to Nier, hello Shadowlord."
"...I cannot accept this. You can't do this!" Corrin exclaimed, as she drew her blade. "Wiping one's life out to fulfil the other is not the right way!"
"You have your own motives. Your own desires." Popola stated, as the twins stepped forward.
"And we have ours. I fear it really is just that simple." Devola added.
"A sentiment we would echo." Momiji spoke with a stern expression, as she reached for her blade.
"Don't speak such foolish-n-n-ness!" Grimoire Weiss argued back.
"...Sorry." Devola admitted, after turning her eyes away slightly.
"That's fine. Your motives don't matter at this point. I'm close to achieving my own goals. And if you won't step away from it… I will force you to, whether it be by death or surrender." Richard declared with a cold tone.
Suddenly, Devola teleported down onto the floor, as the group immediately fought her, only to be knocked back, as Popola created a whirl-wind of bullets that surrounded Devola like a protective barrier.
"You and us? We're the same! Tools in the hand of a master!" Devola told Nier, as she summoned dark hands to claw at the group with.
"No! I'm nothing like you!" Nier denied, as he used his own blade to parry against the hands, before Popola's whirlwind was dissipated by Richard firing a rapid burst of magic to destroy the bullet whirlwind, as Emil followed up with some purple wave shots.
"If you think that the Sealed Verses is enough to defeat us, you're sorely mistaken!" Sanae exclaimed, as she fired a ethereal star into Devola that drove her back more.
Link immediately rushed forward, as he batted the approaching bullets from Popola with his shield, stopping Devola from getting their protection, before he then sliced at Devola rapidly, cutting into her robes and skins, and leaving gashes on her body.
"Ugh!" Devola exclaimed, before she then fired off a massive burst of energy that pushed Link back, as she fired them at the group, as they distorted the surrounding area, having only a short range before they winked out of existence.
However, due to trading her melee-focused hands for the powerful yet slow projectiles, Momiji easily used her speed to dodge the bullets, and close the distance on Devola, as the next whirlwind of bullets surged towards her and Devola, as she merely endured the attack, wincing as the bullets battered at her, although it didn't make her flinch much, as she struck Devola with a down-wards slash that managed to break the barrier, and leave a massive gash on Devola's chest.
Devola staggered back, as she tried to teleport away, only for Momiji to dart forward and thrust her blade right through her, blood spurting from the exit wound, as Devola gasped for air.
"Devola!" Nier exclaimed. "Why did you-?"
"Devola? DEVOLA!" Popola stated, with grief in her voice, as she jumped down and rushed towards the downed Devola, as Momiji withdrew her blade, and retreated back before Popola could harm her.
The group immediately halted on their feet, as Popola tried to lift the bleeding Devola, who groaned back, as she weakly turned her head towards Popola.
"Heh heh… Popola, are you crying?" Devola chuckled with a faint voice.
"No! Don't die!" Popola begged with tears dripping from her eyes.
"You know, Popola, I understand now why we're twins." Devola answered back. "It's because… because we are born without souls."
"Devola, I can't stop the bleeding. Oh god, I can't stop it!" Popola panicked, as she tried to cover the wound with her bloodied hands.
"This world is too… too lonely for one without a soul. There's too much… emptiness." Devola answered back, before she raised a hand to caress Popola's cheek. "Our souls are missing… and yet somehow our tears still work. It's kinda weird. Sorry, Sis. I… love you."
Devola then slumped, as her eyes closed, as Popola was becoming increasingly in despair, as she shook her sister's body several times.
"Devola? Devola! Don't you go!" Popola cried. "No! No, I can't be alone!"
She then held Devola's fresh corpse to her side, as she let her tears flow, crying Devola's name in pure grief. This caused a variety of reactions, as a large part of the group felt sympathetic for Popola, while Momiji had a feeling of slight guilt on her face. As for Richard, his face was cold and stoic, although hints of remorse briefly appeared in his eyes.
"...This is the price you pay for crossing me." Richard answered back with a cold and cruel tone, stepping forward, as if inviting Popola to attack him. "Had you just accepted the truth and believed in my way, there would have been no fight. But instead, you're just as much of a puppet as the humans who made you. You barely have free will, and only when it doesn't come to your so-called protocol. However, I will grant you a chance to accept mercy in your broken state. You can let me kill you swiftly, to join your sister, and despair no longer about being left alone in this world… or you can die like a cornered beast, futilely struggling for a obsolete plan. Die with what shred of dignity lies in you, or die like the monsters who doomed humanity. This is your final choice, Popola."
"Stop, Richard! That's enough!" Nier exclaimed, as Richard eyed him, before Nier turned to Popola. "Popola, let's stop this now. We can't bring Devola back, but we need to stop fighting like this-"
"Stop? Stop? Now you want to stop?" Popola stated, as she trembled with rage, showing her hateful glare. "You think you have the luxury to stop? You cut down my sister like a goddamn animal and now you want me to STOP!?"
"Popola, wait! It doesn't have to-" Emil exclaimed.
"NO ONE STOPS! IT'S WAY TOO LATE TO STOP!" Popola screamed with rage, as she rose her wand with a trembling arm. "NO ONE…. STOOOOOOOOPS!"
Popola then devolved into a irrational scream of rage, as she swung her wand rapidly, firing dense rings of magical sphere projectiles at the group, as they were forced to defend against the barrage.
"Please don't do this, Popola!" Nier begged, as he dodged and blocked the attacks. "You and Devola were like parents to me!"
"Those two have watched the world wither for time immemorial." Grimoire Weiss solemnly said. "The cruelness of such a fate is difficult to imagine."
"I don't want to do this. I don't want to fight her!" Nier exclaimed.
"As much as we hate it… the only thing we can do for her, is to put her down, since she's aggrieved beyond reason right now." Gus admitted.
The group attacked Popola, as they weathered through the rapidly-firing barrages of magic, chipping away at Popola's body bit by bit, until Virion managed to put an arrow through her eye, causing her to scream in agony, as a orange sphere appeared around her, with rotating rings of glowing runes on it.
"No stopping! No stopping ever! AAAAHHHH!" Popola exclaimed with insanity in her voice, as she caused a massive pillar of energy to appear around her, as it slowly expanded, causing the room to rumble, and cause the bridge onwards to be destroyed as a result from the severe tectonic activity.
"The bridge!" Nier exclaimed.
"Blast! We're t-t-trapped!" Grimoire Weiss answered back, as the room began to collapse around them.
"Hey, you have that teleportation magic, help us get out!" Kaine shouted to Richard.
"What good will that do, if I can't see a proper landing point!?" Richard retorted back loudly, gesturing that there was no safe-spot to gap safely to. "Anyone else got ideas…!?"
"I've got an idea!" Emil exclaimed, before he then wrapped the group in a massive ball of blue light, as it floated into the air.
"Wow, never thought that you would be capable of being able to do this-" Corrin remarked, before suddenly, they were lurched to a halt, as their entire sphere was being wrapped with black lightning, originating from a insanely cackling Popola, who was floating up, as the pillar of destructive energy was growing.
"I fear we're done for… We cannot attack with us inside this." Grimoire Weiss answered back.
"But we can still break free, can't we? Surely there must be a way-" Link argued.
"...No dice, even if I tried to purge the black thunder wrapping around us, there isn't a safe spot from this attack. Popola really intends to destroy us all, herself included if necessary." Richard answered back. "Her attack has enough power to level not just the entire castle, but every area surrounding it. That's how much range her attack will have, without any counter-force."
"Then what do we do!?" Elma exclaimed with fear, before she then saw Emil react slightly. "Emil…?"
"It'll be alright." Emil stated.
"Huh?" Kaine asked back.
"You know, when I was young… I… I hated my eyes." Emil started, turning to the group. "And now that I'm older… I hate what my body has become. But there's something else there now. Something like… pride, you know? I mean… Without all of this, I couldn't have become your friend."
"Why are you saying this, Emil…?" Gus remarked, before he then realised what Emil was intending to do. "Oh no…"
"Goodbye, my friends. Thank you for everything." Emil answered back.
"Emil! No! Richard, do something! Anything to stop this!" Elma shouted to Richard.
"...It's the only way. The ultimate weapon that Emil has… is the exact counterforce required." Richard admitted with a solemn look in his eyes. "A power meant to consume all inwards… against a power meant to consume outwards… It's the balance required to stop both attacks with minimum destruction and casualties."
"You can't allow this! Emil-" Nier exclaimed, as he rushed towards Emil, only to be stopped.
"Richard's right. For so long, all I could do was destroy. But now, I have a chance to save something." Emil declared, as he stepped back.
"NO!" was the cry of Kaine and Elma, as they both tried to reach for him, only for the sphere to separate into two, with the group in one, and Emil in the other.
"Now get going, okay?" Emil told the group. "Don't worry about me. I'm gonna be fine!"
"No, you won't be!" Sanae shouted, sorrowful in seeing Emil go to his demise. "Please, come back!"
Emil then cast a spell, as a purple magic ring surged towards the group, pushing the group back away from the scene, as most of the group pressed against the surface, trying to stop themselves from being moved.
"Emil, you jackass! Get back here! EMILLL!" Kaine screamed with raw emotion.
The sphere then floated towards the entrance of the hallway, as the sphere popped upon landing, as the group rushed through the doors, and closed it behind them, trying to protect themselves from what might result.
They all heard a muffled explosion, as well as Popola's faint scream of agony, before there was silence again. Upon hearing this… Elma, Nier, Corrin collapsed on the floor, weeping loudly, Richard was still steel-faced, while the others were in silent mourning, as Momiji and Kaine laid against the walls, and slowly let their heads rest on their knees.
"Emil… I'm so sorry… I'm so, so sorry…" Elma wept.
"This should have never happened… Such a fate… was never yours…" Corrin remarked.
Virion looked at the grief-struck princess, before he then let out a melancholic sigh.
"...She's right… None of this was right… But that doesn't change what happened." Momiji answered back. "...I accept my responsibility for killing Devola, Nier. If you want someone to hate, then hate me for it. She seemed to be someone you have grown attached to."
"No, fuck that. If there's one person to blame for this…" Kaine growled with rising anger, as she stomped towards Richard. "It's YOU!"
Richard turned around, before being decked across the face by Kaine's hook, causing him to sway, before Kaine slammed a knee into his stomach, winding him, and then pinning him against the wall.
"What the fuck did you do!?" Kaine screamed at Richard. "Did you have to act like a utter piece of shit and cause all of this!?"
"I did what was necessary." Richard responded back, before getting slammed with a straight that bruised his nose. "Don't act as if you knew you had another choice. They are our enemies, and like I said, they chose to fight us, and this was the only outcome other than dying by their hands."
"Emil's dead, you bastard! How could you feel nothing about this!?" Kaine shouted back.
"...You want to disgrace his death so much… Be my guest." Richard spat back with a scowl. "Emil died for something, unlike those two damned twins. They did all of this work in vain. Emil gave his life to get us to the Shadowlord. So you can keep on smacking me until I bleed, and let the Shadowlord have his way with Yonah for a moment longer, or you can stop venting such useless things on me. But then again, you're always prone to violence. Of course you would waste your time beating the shit out of me."
Kaine growled, before she then tossed Richard into the ground, before kicking him in the ribs, causing him to tumble across the floor, as Kaine then pulled him back up, and slammed his face with repeated punches.
"Kaine, stop! Richard has a point! We need to move on and stop the Shadowlord!" Gus shouted, in a attempt to stop Kaine from abusing Richard further, as the woman turned to him. "...I know what Richard did wasn't right at all, but he's telling the truth, and he's telling us what we need to hear. Emil wouldn't want us losing our resolve from his own death. He would have wanted us to move on."
Kaine looked back at Richard, who only stared back, before she then let Richard go with a firm 'Damnit!'. Richard then slowly rose to his feet, before he then proceeded forward.
"...Richard, you better have the truth for us." Nier told Richard with a glare in his eyes.
"...I promised you that much. I won't go back on it." Richard answered back. "...The rest of you, follow behind Nier and Kaine. We need to prepare for something."
The rest of the group were left confused at Richard's orders, although they did hesitatingly follow them, lagging behind Nier and Kaine, as they proceeded through the hallway, before pushing past the doors that would lead them to the Shadowlord's chamber.
They soon entered it, as it was an emptied dance hall, with a tiled floor, bright windows covered by yellow curtains that flowed in the wind. And lying on the back end of the room, was furniture around a curtained bed, and lying on it was a girl with light-blonde hair, a white dress with blue ribbons, as she was in deep slumber on the bed.
"Yonah!" Nier exclaimed, as he and Kaine moved forward, only to be stopped when a Shade that looked much like Nier did, rose from the ground, before then letting out a burst of energy, as red butterfly-likes wings appeared from behind him, before he then landed on the ground, facing Nier and Kaine. "You! This ends here-"
Before Nier could finish his statement, suddenly a cluster of sukimas appeared around the doppleganger, as he looked around with confused sounds, before there was the sound of chain rattling, before purple chains rattled out of them, piercing through the Shade's body, eliciting cries of pain, as it was forced down.
"What the…" Kaine exclaimed, before she then turned behind him, seeing that Richard was the culprit, with a hand raised. "...You!?"
"Yes, me." Richard declared with a stoic expression.
"What, impossible! How could a mere human be able to restrain-" A sentient grimoire, like Grimoire Weiss, declared, appearing before the group, spoke with a male voice, with a different face and a black colour.
"Shut up. You're irrelevant, Grimoire Noir." Richard spoke with a chilly tone and cold eyes, as he turned his attention to the sentient Grimoire. "...Perish. Your role in this has ended."
Before Grimoire Noir could even react, several more sukimas appeared around it, before blades shot out of it with such force that it penetrated the yellow barrier around the sentient grimoire, skewering it from all angles. As it was struck, it let out a cry of agony, before exploding into a mess of pages and magic.
"You… You just did all of that. Without any preparation..." Nier remarked with surprise, at how efficient Richard's actions were. "Great, now that the Shadowlord is restrained, we can-"
"I'm not done." Richard declared, before he then created a massive barrier around him, Nier and Kaine, effectively separating them from the rest of the group, as some of them realised what Richard was doing.
"What the… Richard, what are you going!?" Gus exclaimed. "We need to-"
"I'm finishing what I started." Richard responded back, as he turned to Nier and Kaine, who were both shocked and betrayed at what Richard did. "Good, now that all of the threats have been dealt with accordingly, I can finally get to my promise with you."
"Promise? What are you fucking talking about!? We need to kill the Shadowlord!" Kaine swore. "Bring this barrier down, or I'll skewer you first!"
"You're not going to be able to threaten me at all." Richard answered back, before turning to Nier. "...Nier, I'm going to give you a choice, one far more benevolent than the one I gave Popola back then."
"...What do you want?" Nier asked. "...You brought the Shadowlord down to its knees… Yet you could have killed it with the same power you destroyed his grimoire with. Why are you doing this?"
"Because you deserve to know the truth." Richard answered back, before he then flipped his hand, as Kaine was sealed in an earth tomb, up to her neck, causing her to be restrained as well, as she swore continuously.
"Let me out, you bastard! Let me out! What the hell are you doing!?" Kaine exclaimed. "You goddamn snake, I'll fucking cut you to pieces when I get out of here!"
"Which is why you're getting restrained. I don't trust you to not interrupt me before I finish, countless times at least, so be a good girl, and stay in timeout, Kaine." Richard answered back with a glare. "Now then, you can choose to listen to me, Nier, and learn the truth about all of this, or you can fight me off the bat. I don't need to have all of my focus to talk and fight at the same time, but I prefer you actually think about what I say, rather than let your bloodlust choose for you."
Nier was silent, before he then managed to respond back. "...Tell me. I'll listen." Nier answered back, although his expression made it clear that he made this choice with great reluctance.
"Good, then that proves that you're on the right track." Richard nodded back. "Now then, how about I start with HOW Project Gestalt was conceived in the first place. Why are there no more humans in this world? That's the question I will answer."
"Tell me, how did humanity die then?" Nier asked back. "Grimoire Weiss stated that it was a black disease that consumed humanity… what was it?"
"That disease is White Chlorination Syndrome. WCS for short." Richard answered back. "Project Gestalt was the answer to it. It was a complex disease, to say the least. Those who are infected by it, either turn into far worse monsters than the Shades, which were known as Legion, salt-like creatures who wish for the destruction of humanity also, or they are calcified into pillars of salt. The Legion are long extinct, because of the success of the first phase of Project Gestalt. Ask Grimoire Weiss, if my words are lies."
"Grimoire Weiss… is Richard telling the truth?" Nier asked Grimoire Weiss.
"As much as it ills me… He is telling the full truth." Grimoire Weiss answered back. "The White Chlorination Syndrome existed long, long ago, and Project Gestalt was used so that humanity would be free from it. By separating soul and body, Gestalt and Replicant, the person who has undergone this procedure would be safe from the effects of WCS, due to the fact that trends show that only bodies with souls are capable of being infected with WCS."
"That's right. But then it raises another question: What created WCS in the first place?" Richard continued. "That's a long story. But I will tell it to you in short: There is another world. A world of fantasy not different to that of a fairy-tale. The name of that world is Midgard, a land of medieval fantasy. The world was under the threat of the Empire, an organisation who sought to destroy the sacred Seals, guarded by the Goddess of the Seal, because they believed that the destruction of the Seals would lead to a new utopia. However, the Seals existed to protect against a malevolent race of deities, only known as the Watchers."
"What the fuck does this have to do with everything right now!?" Kaine swore.
"Patience, I'm getting to that." Richard answered back. "In that land, there was a young prince by the name of Caim, deposed prince of the Union, who protected the Seals. Mortally wounded in a battle, he made a blood pact with a dragon called Angelus, and both of them were bonded for life, as Caim earned her powers to fight the Empire. As they fought, the Seals were destroyed one by one, and the current Goddess of the Seal, Furiae, perished in her duty. The Union were victorious against the Empire in the end, but the Watchers have already arrived, and they decimated the Union. With no choice left, Caim and Angelus faced the Watcher Queen themselves, as the ensuing fight brought them to another world: This world. Caim and Angelus would defeat the Queen through a duel of magic, slaying her. However, because they were threats in the eyes of this world, they were destroyed by a barrage of missiles from a nearby fighter squadron. Both rider and dragon died, falling to the ground as torn corpses. The thing is: The Queen's body didn't fade away. Oh no, it crumbled into salty ashes that blanketed this world. And from those ashes of the dead Queen… The WCS was born from the maso particles that were entwined in them. The maso particles are what allowed this world of science to harness the power of magic, the same magic you all use."
This revelation shocked Nier and Kaine, as they were unable to believe it, as well as most of the group.
"What… What do you mean!? That battle was the cause of all of this!?" Nier exclaimed with disbelief and outrage in his voice. "The WCS, the magic, the Shades, everything!?"
"Exactly." Richard answered back. "Even when the Watchers have been defeated momentarily, they still had a back-up plan, and that is to cause suffering in another world, to build up their plans anew. All of this was their own making, and none of you have realised that, because you never knew the truth before then. But that's not the end of their manipulations, but merely the start."
"The start?" Grimoire Weiss asked back.
"Do you want to know why there is no peace between the Gestalts and the Replicants?" Richard answered back. "Because of the fact that there were imperfections to the procedure. By an accident, the Replicants grew their own personality, sentience and will, making them truly owners of their body. Because of that, the Gestalts suffer from relapse, because their shells have 'rejected' them, out of the fact that their bodies are already 'occupied' so to speak. And a Gestalt that relapses, becomes a Shade, the monsters you have been fighting most of the time. And do you want to know how that imperfection came to be? Because one of the scientists, who worked in Project Gestalt, wanted a world ruled only by Replicants with their seemingly immortal bodies. It was human selfishness, amplified by the manipulations of the Watchers, that turned Replicant and Gestalt against each other. They knew that humanity was desperate after the conception of WCS, so they pried open the weaknesses, and exploited them, engineering humanity to destroy themselves, along with their legacy. Despite failing in their original world, they will succeed here if nothing is to be done. Which brings us to the Shadowlord."
"And what does the Shadowlord have to do with all of this then!?" Kaine exclaimed back.
"Grimoire Weiss, if you are so kind as to tell them the truth." Richard declared. "You cannot deny it, the answer is right before you."
"...I wished that I never had to tell you, Nier… but the Shadowlord…" Grimoire Weiss spoke with regret in his voice. "...He is your Gestalt. In fact, he is the Original Gestalt. Because he was chosen, he was able to act as a stabilising element for most of the Gestalts that still haven't relapsed yet. Before the Original Gestalt was found, the procedure was immediately a failure, as the Gestalt would immediately relapse, due to the Replicant immediately rejecting its existence. With maso and the Original Gestalt, it was possible to keep both Gestalt and Replicant stable. Or so it would seem… as the Original Gestalt's genetic data later on became corrupted, meaning that Shades made following its data would become corrupted as well, meaning that if they do not return to their Replicant selves… they will eventually relapse regardless. Only cold sleep can stave the effects."
"The Shadowlord, or Gestalt Nier, as I will put it, was born as human in 2037, with his younger sister, Gestalt Yonah, born in 2046." Richard continued. "In 2053, 50 years after the Dragon and Giant Incident, they found Grimoire Noir. Gestalt Nier used Grimoire Noir to fight off the relapsed Gestalts, the Shades, in order to protect Gestalt Yonah. However, as Gestalt Yonah made contact with Grimoire Noir, infecting herself with maso, she was struck with the Black Scrawl, a disease familiar to all of you. Grimoire Noir declared Gestalt Nier to be the Original Gestalt, having been able to use it without relapsing himself. He was subjected to the process, separating himself into the Shadowlord, and the present you, Replicant Nier. To ensure his loyalty to the project, the scientists of Project Gestalt, gave Yonah a Replicant body, your Yonah, and her Gestalt self was put into cold sleep. At first, Gestalt Nier was like you, wanting to save humanity and his sister foremost. However, after spending over thirteen centuries, awaiting for the project's success, as well as a cure for his sister, he eventually lost hope in waiting, and took your sister, so that his sister would finally be able to live once again. And that drove you here… to kill him, and take back your Yonah."
Nier was left in shock at the information, as it caused him great conflict, considering that learning the truth about the Shadowlord had caused his view of the world to change significantly. After a while, he finally mustered the strength to ask a question.
"...Then back then… you said our final goals are one and the same." Nier stated with a blank look on his face. "...What did you intend to do with the Shadowlord then? You speak as if he dies, then the Sh- the Gestalts will all be doomed."
"That's because they will be." Richard spoke fimly in response. "Nier, Kaine. I will cut this straight for you. I'm not taking sides here, and I'm telling you what I told you before: The truth. We can save humanity, but you must not kill the Shadowlord. Killing him means that all of the still sentient and humane Gestalts will relapse in no time flat. Every Gestalt will become Shades as a result. And without any untainted Gestalts, the Replicants have no base to recreate from. They will die out in a single generation. I'm not saying that you have to offer yourself to the Shadowlord, so that he can finally live with his Yonah. I'm asking you, for the sake of Replicants and Gestalts alike, don't let your hatred consume you to do something that you'll regret. I said it before firmly, and I doubt that Grimoire Weiss can refute it: Revenge is a fool's errand."
"Then what will we do then?" Nier asked back.
"Wait… If you can wait, then a third option where happiness will lie, will come before you." Richard answered back. "You know that I'm not human, so I can do things that humans cannot. With the help of my other friends… we can create shells for what Gestalts remain, and also help to create new Replicants to keep your race going. It's the perfect conclusion, and all you have to do… is stop."
Nier was silent for a moment, before he then shook his head.
"I can't." Nier answered back firmly. "...I know that you might have been mostly truthful to me all this time, but after everything that had happened… After what happened to Devola and Popola… how can I trust you? How can I be sure that you're not as bad as the Watchers that you talk about? As much as I understand the Shadowlord now… it's too late for us to turn back. We want Yonah back… and who knows if my Yonah will survive any longer. Richard, if you're in the way of me getting to Yonah… then you're my enemy. That's it."
Richard was still for a moment, before he then closed his eyes.
"...So that's how it is then." Richard answered back, as the warmth in his voice dissipated, leaving only a cold and bitter tone. "For that flimsy… no, actually, it is justifiable in your perspective, no matter which of us were in your shoes. But that doesn't change the fact that it's wrong. It's wrong for your Gestalt self, it's wrong for humanity as a whole. It's wrong for me in particular. I admit it, it's a selfish desire to save humanity by doing all of this… but you're even more selfish, consigning humanity to die, just to spend its last moments with your sister. I truly understand what you want, Nier. Thing is, I'm disappointed. Disappointed and increasingly angry. I explained the truth behind everything, I told you the future consequences of your actions, I told you the benefits of trusting me… All so that you would believe in a better path. But you'd rather cover your eyes from the real world like Kaine would, so that you can continue hating and doing as you wish. So be it then. If I cannot be persuaded by generosity and words… then I will make you listen with the only language you will ever speak: violence."
Richard then drew his blades, before undoing the earthly prison keeping Kaine sealed. "...Draw your weapon. If you want Yonah so much, Nier, and if you want to help Nier in his last moments, Kaine… then you must defeat me. But rest assured, even if you both faced me… you have little chance of winning." He declared. "...And do not waste your words on me. You chose this path, like Devola and Popola have. And now, you will face the consequences, and you will take them without hesitation."
"Richard…" Nier remarked with betrayal, although he did not hesitate to grab his blade to fight Richard.
"I'll gladly smack some sense back into that fucked-up head of yours!" Kaine roared, as she charged forward with her blades, only to find them easily parried by Richard, as he kicked her back against the wall of the barrier.
"You, smack some sense into me?" Richard responded back with a scoff. "One, it's the other way around, get that straight. And two, you couldn't even beat a spar against Momiji, and when it comes down to swordsmanship, Momiji only comes slightly superior compared to me. And after all the fighting you did, I can see the glaring holes."
Richard then fired off a barrage of wind projectiles, as it forced both Nier and Kaine to dodge, before Nier fired off a barrage of dark bolts, as Richard parried them with his own blade with swift swings, surprising Nier.
"You're not beating me with the watered-down Sealed Verses." Richard answered back. "If you want to win, how about you rely more on your blade, like you did before? Perhaps you might fare better."
"Grngh…" Nier growled, before he then brought the blade over-head, as Richard side-stepped the attack, allowing it to sail harmlessly by him, before countering with a cut to Nier's torso, causing him to grunt in pain.
"Why is Richard doing this…!? Isn't our goal supposed to be saving humanity!?" Gus exclaimed. "I understand that if he let Nier do what he is going to do, he's going to doom it, but that doesn't warrant fighting like this!"
"You misunderstand. Nier is stubborn. Just as stubborn as Richard is." Momiji shook her head. "Neither side will back down, and Richard knew that, even though he hoped otherwise. Even if he gapped Nier away, he would climb back up with bloodied hands as many times as it takes to get to the Shadowlord. Richard intends to beat the concept into his head."
"...That's why Richard's not exactly fighting seriously…" Link realised, noticing the difference between how Richard was fighting now, as he was merely avoiding and lightly countering their attacks. "...He wants them to realise that this is futile, and let them vent their own years of frustration on him… It's like when…"
"Yeah…" Sanae muttered with a sad look on her face.
Nier and Kaine clashed against Richard, as both sides were beginning to feel the effects of the battle, as Richard felt exhaustion creep onto him, as Kaine and Nier worked well to keep him constantly fighting back, and vice versa for the pair.
"...Strange, I never thought that fighting you would be far more difficult compared to fighting the Shades, or even fighting the twins." Richard admitted. "So I will admit something very clearly: I almost had a piece of mind to take your freedom away, and offer you to the Shadowlord for him to get his body back, put Kaine into slumber until the Shade in her can be extracted, and erase Emil's memories of what I was going to do. I'd even force what happened to Grimoire Weiss with Grimoire Noir to happen again. But do you want to know why I didn't want to do that?"
"...Why? Why then!?" Nier exclaimed back with fatigue in his voice.
"Because if I did so, I would be no different to the Watchers I oppose. You might think of me as cruel and uncaring, Nier and Kaine. But I had everyone's best interests in mind. You had them as well, the Shadowlord had them as well." Richard answered back. "But the sad truth is that such an ideal is foolish, and you realise it. You vilified Gestalts, as if they were like Shades, just because they were born as they were. In my world, that is a capital crime, regardless if most of them were doomed to become monsters, or are already monsters. The Shadowlord lost hope and started this entire debacle out of desperation. Even I have suffered. I let you kill all those Gestalts, because it was the only way we could get to this point. I turned an ear away from their suffering, and I let the weight of the resulting sins sink on my shoulders, keeping myself sane on the justification of 'you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs'. I let people die to achieve my goal, however idealistic it was, and that fact burns me, because it is the Watchers' plan to make everyone snap into destructive insanity. You were a pawn for them all this time, and you never knew. Devola was right, everyone in this world are unwitting pawns for their own destruction. And as a person who is outside the chess board… I will change this broken fate with my two hands. I will give all a happy ending that they deserve, an end to more than thirteen years of suffering. And you stand against that. Tell me, Nier. Is it fair that you get what you want, when you deprived countless others of their hopes and dreams? If you answer yes, then like many of the Gestalts you met have said about you and all of us… you have become the same kind of monster you swore to destroy."
"I…" Nier answered back, as he was losing his resolve.
"Don't let him get to you! You wanted your sister back, so we'll get to her!" Kaine encouraged Nier.
"Like you're in any position to talk, Kaine. You willingly chose to champion hatred and misery, just so that Shade in you would stay away from you. You think that you're brave because you chose to do the hard thing. But in fact…" Richard scowled back, as his tone grew darker. "...You chose the easy way out. Instead of choosing to be a better person, you choose to stay as you are. That kind of person is a kind that I truly despise. If you want to prove me otherwise, then how about you show me then? Show me that you actually got something other than that hatred of yours."
Kaine growled back, before the fight started anew.
"Hey, sunshine? I ain't certain about this, but I think your heart is… evolving." The Shade in Kaine remarked, during the fighting. "The hate is shrinking, the sadness is going away as well… it's just a buncha white light now. What the hell's going on here!?"
"You can't tell, Tyrann?" Kaine answered back. "You're not the only voice in my life anymore. I've experienced fear, hate… and now sympathy, love and belonging. I'm a curse, a freak. I know that, and so does this manipulative bastard. But guess what? The rest of them still accepts me, especially Nier… because he still forgives me. Even Elma, who tried to help me feel better, no matter how many times I tried to push her away. I talked with her, and I understood that she felt like she didn't belong, even though she had everything anyone could have wanted. I would have hated her, if it wasn't for the fact that she's more the kind of person to care for others over herself… and that gives me solace in her.
"Oh, come on! You're doing this for THEM!?" Tyrann exclaimed with disbelief.
"That bastard was right… This world and everyone on it, we're both tired of it. But at least I'll have a purpose I can proudly declare, even if it is for one last time!" Kaine declared with a roar.
Kaine then surged forward, before she then immediately launched a barrage of attacks, as she fired a barrage of homing magic missiles, causing Richard to instinctively protect himself, before she then rushed forward, and broke the barrier open with a cross-slash, and then kicking Richard into the air, and following up with a rising slash that cut into Richard's chest, causing it to bleed.
Richard then fell back on the ground, before Kaine then elbowed Richard against the barrier, as he staggered back, and collapsed on the ground, clutching his wounded chest.
"Nrgh…" Richard remarked, as the barrier faded away around him. "...That wasn't hatred you struck with me. You had a lot more emotion behind that attack… Resolve? Determination? Belief? Or something else…?"
"Damn fucking right it was something else." Kaine scoffed.
"...What will you do now, Nier and Kaine. Will you kill me for this, or will you spare me. Either way, you defeated me… I have no right to interfere with you now." Richard declared, before turning to the rest of the group. "The rest of you… don't be hasty… Let them make their choice."
"...Like hell we're killing you. I guess despite the shit you pulled, I just feel like killing you is just spite at this point. And your friends would be pissed if we did." Kaine growled. "So you have them to thank for the fact that I didn't lop your head off back there."
"Heh… I guess so." Richard chuckled.
"Now then, let's-" Nier started.
"Wait!" Yonah shouted, as everyone's attention was directed to her, as she was standing in front of the bed, as she staggered forward, as if she was weak from just waking up.
"Yonah! Come here-" Nier exclaimed, as he rushed over, only for her to pass by him, causing him to turn his head around.
"No… Damnit, no…!" Richard exclaimed, as he slowly tried to stand up.
"...Oh, this isn't going to end well…" Sanae stated with a grim expression.
"What do you mean? That's Yonah, isn't it?" Link answered back.
"...It's not the Yonah that Nier has… It's the Gestalt Yonah… Look." Corrin explained, pointing at the fragile girl.
Yonah then walked towards the restrained Shadowlord, stopping in front of her.
"Yonah…" The Shadowlord said, in a distorted variation of Nier's own.
"Please, just.. Just stop… I don't… want to do this anymore…" Yonah pleaded.
"No no no… I came this far… I can't let this happen…!" Richard exclaimed, as he rose to his feet, and slowly staggered forward.
"Hey, what are you doing!?" Kaine exclaimed, seeing Richard rise up.
"I don't need someone else's body. I don't want it." Yonah continued, as tears streamed down her face.
"Someone else? No, Yonah! They were ours to begin with! The other man knew it, and fought to stop them!" The Shadowlord answered back.
"There's another girl inside the body. I can hear her." Yonah answered back placing a hand over her chest. "She won't stop crying, she says she wants to see her brother."
"Yonah's been possessed!?" Nier exclaimed. "...Wait, no… That's his Yonah speaking."
"This girl loves her brother, too. Just as much as I do." Yonah said. "It's not right, you know? It's not right that she can't see him."
"Yonah, stop… Please…" The Shadowlord begged, as his head fell.
"It's you… isn't it?" Yonah said, turning to Nier, shocking Nier, as the blade fell from his hands.
"Yes, it's me… Let's go home." Nier answered back with a tearful smile on his face.
Yonah was silent, before she then slowly walked towards one of the curtains, as the Shadowlord tried to break free.
"Stop! Listen to me! Yonah, Please!" The Shadowlord cried with fear.
"Stop… Stop… I order you to STOP!" Richard shouted at Yonah, as he limped towards her. "It doesn't have to end this way!"
"...I heard what you said…" Yonah answered back. "...You want to help her get back with his brother, don't you?"
"You don't get it!" Richard shouted, as his expression turned melancholic. "There's nothing left of you! If you leave that body, then you're gone forever! You won't even have a Gestalt form to keep you together in this world! Listen to me! Your brother has spent thirteen centuries trying to save you! He endured all that time for you! If you go, then what point will all that suffering be for then!"
"I…" Yonah remarked.
"Stay… Stay just a little longer." Richard begged, as he bowed his head. "...You can just stay a little longer in the other Yonah's body… so long as she knows that her brother is by her side… Both of you can have your siblings back… We can create a new body for you… Just give us one more day... That's all I ask… Please…"
Yonah was silent, as more tears leaked from her eyes, before she then wiped it from her eyes, and then smiling sadly.
"I… I'm really sorry. I know that you are doing this for everyone's sake… It's just… I don't know what to… I'm so very sorry… brother, and you…" Yonah answered back, before the wind blew the curtains open, bathing Yonah in the sun-light, as dark Shade mist faded from her body. "No matter what, brother… Just know that… I love you."
Suddenly, a smoky Shade dissipated from Yonah, as it flew into the skies, scattering apart, before Yonah collapsed on the ground, with Gestalt Yonah's influence on her gone, as Nier and Kaine gasped. Elma gasped in horror, while Corrin turned her head away, as the rest of the group were in silent mourning.
Richard himself looked at the scene, before he then collapsed on his knees, as he placed a hand over his eyes.
"...No… Why did this happen… It was going right… Everyone's hope… was right in sight…" Richard remarked between heavy breaths, trying not to cry.
"No… NOOOOOO!" The Shadowlord screamed in despair, as a massive burst of magic emanated from him, shattering the chains as he took to the air, crying in misery and rage. "Yonah? WHY!? WHY!?"
"Kaine! Watch over Yonah for me!" Nier exclaimed, as he grabbed his blade from the ground.
"Got it!" Kaine answered back, as she rushed over and held her close.
"The Shadowlord… he's snapped!" Virion exclaimed.
"At this point, there is nothing stopping him for falling into the pit of despair." Sanae remarked. "...Right now, it's a mercy kill. For him and all of the Gestalts. Because if he goes mad and insane… the Gestalts will relapse the same under his command."
"This kind of fight… is one that I cannot fight with a strong resolve, because our opponent has suffered such a tragedy." Link admitted. "But our duty remains.."
The group immediately fought against the Shadowlord, as Richard joined the fray.
"...You? Why are you fighting the Shadowlord now!? I thought…" Nier remarked.
"...There's no point. The Shadowlord will destroy humanity himself at this point, because he's lost his one purpose now." Richard answered back. "May as well save what remains by ensuring that he doesn't live to destroy the Replicants as well."
"...You're right…" Nier answered back, before turning to the Shadowlord. "...Before I entered this room, I swore that I wouldn't sympathise with you… no matter what happened. But now after what happened… I can understand your sadness, if only slightly."
"You took her from me! I'll never forgive you!" The Shadowlord roared back in fury.
"...But even so, I swore to protect my sister and my friends." Nier answered back. "And at this point… humanity's fate rests on this battle. So I won't hesitate to end you. At least this way… you'll be with your sister."
"NNNNOOOOO!" The Shadowlord screamed. , before unleashing pillars of magic blasts on the group.
As the fighting continued, Grimoire Weiss tried to use his magic, although doing so caused his condition to deteriorate, as his speech was becoming more and more erratic and glitched.
"Weiss! Hang in there!" Elma exclaimed.
"D-Don't be si-si-silly!" Grimoire Weiss tried to answered back. "All is weeeeelll.. We-we-we-welll…."
"You're freaking me out here, Weiss!" Kaine exclaimed back.
"Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing!?" Grimoire Weiss told Nier. "To come so f-f-f-ar… D-D-Do it! Strike the k-k-k-killing blow!"
"We need to finish this fast… but the Shadowlord's desperation… it's making him far more powerful than what we can handle quickly!" Gus exclaimed.
Eventually, the fighting began to die down, as the Shadowlord's body was covered with wounds, as his movements and actions grew sluggish… however amidst the battle, Grimoire Weiss collapsed on the ground.
"Oh bother, one moment, please…" Grimoire Weiss stated, as he tried to rise back up.
"You okay?" Nier asked Grimoire Weiss, kneeling down to check on him.
"Fine! Just fine!" Grimoire Weiss stated, before his attempts failed. "...All right, no I'm not."
"Grimoire Weiss…" Corrin answered back.
"It seems some headstrong idiot has decided to push me beyond my limits… and the battering Richard gave didn't help…" Grimoire Weiss answered back, as he lifted himself up, and jumped across the floor. "I should have taken that job as a cookbook when I had the chance."
Grimoire Weiss then finally managed to get back in the air, as the group watched him slowly float up.
"Weiss, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I…" Nier apologised.
"Only joking. I hate cookbooks." Grimoire Weiss answered back.
"But…!" Nier exclaimed.
"Let's go, out of the way, I have one final task to fulfil." Grimoire Weiss said.
"And what is that?" Momiji asked back.
"Why, to stop him, of course." Grimoire Weiss answered back. "But after that, it's up to you. Then again, with all of your friends, you can certainly do it. Only you can see this battle to its conclusion, Nier. I wish you luck… my friend. And the same to the rest of you, even you, Richard."
"You can't!" Nier shouted back. "I swore I'd always fight by your side."
"Bah! You are an exceedingly stubborn lad. You know that, yes?" Grimoire Weiss scoffed. "Perhaps that's why I've so enjoyed our time together. Getting to know a few new things from our other companions. But I fear this is where our journey ends."
Grimoire Weiss then moved towards the Shadowlord. "Weiss!" Nier cried.
"Oh, and remember what I told you about using my full name?" Grimoire Weiss answered back, turning to face the group one last time, before his tone showed a warmth they never heard from him. "Well, forget it. I've grown rather fond of Weiss."
"...Weiss." Nier stated softly. "I knew you'd come around."
"Don't let it go to your head now…" Grimoire Weiss declared, before he then surrounded himself in a yellow barrier, hurtling at the Shadowlord at fast speeds. "AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!"
He then collided with the Shadowlord, exploding into a mess of pages, and a magical blast, as the Shadowlord's wings were destroyed in the explosion, as well as causing his body's glow to fade significantly.
'Now! Honour Grimoire Weiss's last wish! Take down the Shadowlord!" Richard declared with a firm tone.
The group immediately rushed the Shadowlord, who fired off a massive barrage of magical bullets at the group, causing them to become damaged, although they pressed on, as Nier managed to strike him.
"Yonah… I cannot live… in a world without you…" The Shadowlord stated with acceptance of his eventual fate, as he blasted the group back, and fired another barrage of magical bullets, as large golden orbs firing a spiral of magical bullets hurtled towards the group.
"I have something to defend!" Nier declared, as Momiji and Link protected him, by using their shields to parry the golden bullets back, at the cost of knocking them against the back wall, landing another strike, as the Shadowlord's body is losing solidity. "I have a reason to live!"
"BEGONE!" The Shadowlord roared, blasting the group back again, firing off a dense barrage of magical bullets, with every pattern he had. "Yonah… Soon I will… join you."
"Shadowlord… You…" Nier declared, as the group rushed towards the Shadowlord one final time. "This ends here…"
They then attacked the Shadowlord as one, their blows connecting, as the Shadowlord exploded in a massive burst of dark red light that shrinked away, as the last wisps of being faded away.
"Farewell… Shadowlord… May you live a better life next time." Gus declared.
Nier then rushed over to Yonah and Kaine. "Is Yonah alright?" Nier asked Kaine.
When Kaine didn't respond back, Nier's expression turned fearful.
"Oh god, no.." Nier exclaimed.
"Oh, please! The girl is fine." Grimoire Weiss's voice echoed in the room, shocking everyone.
"Weiss!? But I thought you were…!" Corrin exclaimed.
"I am as well as can be, considering I have lost my physical form." Grimorie Weiss answered back. "Doubtless my voice will be the next to go, so listen closely! Your sister is safe. Do not mourn her, and do not give up hope. Instead, you must call her back to you. "
"How?" Nier answered back.
"Use your memories. Recall the time you spent with her." Grimoire Weiss answered back. "Present her with proof that the two of you live still, and that your lives have meaning."
"I… I don't know…" Nier responded back.
"...You must try. It's the only hope you have to bring her back. If you are worried, then let me lend you a hand… It's the least I can do at this point." Richard told Nier, showing a hand out. "When you hold my hand, declare who you love most in this world, and recall her memories… And she will return."
"...Are you sure?" Nier responded back.
"I have done such a thing before. Trust me." Richard stated.
Nier looked at Richard's open hand, before taking it and closing his eyes. As he did, their hands glowed with a golden sphere of light, with runes orbiting around it. Richard poured his magic into the spell, as Nier recalled his memories of Yonah, from her birth, to the present time.
When it was done, the sphere faded away. However, not long after, Yonah's eyes opened, as they were sky-blue.
"...It worked!" Elma remarked with joy.
"Is that… you…?" Yonah asked Nier, who was overcome with emotion, as he took her hand, and helped her up, and embraced her tightly. She then noticed her body. "Is this… my… body?"
"Yes, Yonah. It's yours, and yours alone." Nier responded back, before letting go of her.
"You look… bigger than before. Like you've grown up." Yonah noticed.
"Well yeah, I guess you haven't seen me for a while." Nier answered back.
"Have I been asleep this whole time?" Yonah asked Nier.
"...Something like that." Nier lied.
"It's almost like I'm a princess from some fairy tale." Yonah admitted with a timid expression.
"Oh, Yonah… I'm so happy to have you back." Nier said, as he embraced her again.
"Me too…" Yonah answered back in agreement, as the two siblings embraced.
Kaine silently watched the entire situation, as did the rest of the group.
"...I'm so glad that they got to be together again." Elma admitted. "It's truly heartwarming for something like that to happen."
"After all of that pain and misery… everything is right again." Link stated. "A fitting end to this tale."
Sanae only watched the situation with sad eyes, as she knew what was to happen next, as Richard blinked tightly, knowing he failed his mission.
Kaine then turned to leave, as Nier noticed it.
"Kaine?" He asked her.
"You and your sister. You have a good life, okay?" Kaine told him. "And as for the rest of you… If you would do me a single favour… take care of them, won't you?"
"Wait, where are you going?" Virion asked back.
"You could stay with us, you know." Nier offered, as Kaine clenched her bandaged arm.
"Thanks, but I'll pass." Kaine responded back, shaking her head, and turning away. "You know how it is. I got my own shit to take care of."
"What do you mean?" Nier asked back.
"Personal shit, all right? Anyways, take it easy, yeah?" Kaine responded back.
"Kaine…" Nier started, before Yonah grabbed his arm.
"Hey, look!" Yonah answered back, pointing at the sunlight in the sky. "It's beautiful! For the longest time, I heard someone telling me how they wanted to see the light… And now, they can finally see it."
"Yeah…" Nier responded back, remembering Gestalt Yonah's final words. "...It must have been enlightening for them."
Momiji turned to look back at Kaine, as she noticed that there were black runes snaking across her body, as she turned to warn Richard. "...Richard-" She started.
"I know... It was inevitable." Richard spoke softly. "...Our fight isn't over yet. Because the Shadowlord is dead, the maso production has halted, meaning that starting from the Shadowlord's castle, all Gestalts will begin to relapse. It's the end of humanity, as predicted. And the first one to go… will be Kaine herself."
"We have to do something!" Gus harshly said, keeping his voice, to avoid the people outside the group hearing his words. "You can't let Kaine go out this way, Richard! She's been through too much to deserve all of this!"
"We don't have a choice to stop the relapse… But to reverse it… there is one way. But I doubt you'll like it." Richard responded back.
"What is it…?" Corrin asked back.
Richard remained silent, as Kaine continued to walk, even though the black runes were covering most of her body.
"Well, ain't that precious?" Tyrann stated.
"Heh. I'm happy for 'em." Kaine scoffed softly.
"You know, Sunshine, that Black Scrawl has almost completely taken you over." Tyrann informed Kaine.
"Yeah, I know…" Kaine answered back, her voice becoming strained.
"But goddamn, we had fun, huh? Killing and killing and more killing... What a rush!" Tyrann remarked with some maniacal joy in his voice.
"Yeah…" Kaine nodded, before she then suddenly began to convluse, much to the group's dismay. "Nrgh…!"
"Wait... No. No, no, no! It wasn't fun at all! I turned you into a killing machine! I spread evil and chaos around the world! But it all feels so empty now! Why!? I don't understand!" Tyrann panicked, with genuine regret in his voice.
Kaine panted slightly, clutching her arm, before she then answered back. "Sorry. Looks like you stayed inside me for a little too long… Sunshine." She mocked Tyrann back.
"Stop! Don't be nice to me! Don't make me feel like this!" Tyrann shouted back. "I'm gonna swallow you up, Sunshine! Gonna swallow you whole!"
Nier then noticed something was wrong, just on the same time as the group rushed over to Kaine.
"Kaine? What is it!?" Nier exclaimed.
"...She's relapsing already, Nier. The Shade that possessed her… is taking her over. Although it doesn't seem to be in control of the process, or willing to do so." Richard answered back.
"What!? Kaine, you have to fight!" Nier exclaimed, as he rushed towards her. "You have to-"
"Just shut up and listen to me!" Kaine shouted back, spinning around, as Nier saw the Black Scrawl on her.
"...Sanae, Elma… Get to Yonah. The fight will not spare her... " Richard answered back. "NOW."
The two of them rushed over to Yonah, as they erected a barrier, leaving Yonah confused and worried about what was going to happen.
"Emil is gone, alright? So there's no way anyone can stop me." Kaine panted, as she was wracked with the pain of the Shade possession. "Please… before it comes to that.."
Kaine then collapsed, as the dark Shade mist began to envelop her, as she turned around with a pleading expression.
" I want you… all of you… to kill me." Kaine spat out, as her voice distorted slightly like a Shade. "Consider it… a final request…"
Suddenly the darkness engulfed her, turning into a red sphere of light that slowly rose into the air, before exploding in red light, revealing the Shade form that she turned into during the battle in the Lost Shrine, although she seemed far more powerful than before.
She then landed on the ground, crouched down like a feral beast, with both blades in hands, and a red shield around her.
"Tyrann! I don't want to hurt my friends!" Kaine's voice pleaded from the Shade.
"Well, hell, Sunshine! It's not like I can stop it!" Tyrann retorted back. "When Gestalts go out of control, they lose their minds! Both of our memories will be completely overwritten!"
"H-Hurry…" Kaine's voice sounded.
"Kaine!" Nier cried out.
"Kaine!" Richard shouted out.
"Run… RUN!" Kaine begged, before her Shade began to act. "Ngh… ngh…"
Suddenly a cluster of magic circles reached out from the barrier, as they fired massive barrages of magic bullets at the group.
"Damnit! I have to do something!" Nier exclaimed, as the group tried to dodge or block the bullets.
"It seems that she's no less powerful than the Shadowlord… what kind of Shade possessed her?" Link remarked, before he grunted, as has blocked a dense stream of magic bullets coming his way, pattering against his shield.
"Kill… me…" Kaine begged.
"I won't!" Nier exclaimed, as if he predicted what Kaine was going to say.
"...Run…" Kaine stated. "You all defeated the Shadowlord… You rescued Yonah… But now, I can't… I can't…"
"Don't give up, Kaine! We'll find a way to bring you back!" Gus shouted to Kaine. "It was because of your help that we made it to this point, and that Nier had something to believe in! You are a important part of Nier's life now! You can't give up now… Neither of us are going to abandon you, who he loves dearly! We'll save you, that's our vow!"
As the group managed to defend against the attack, Virion immediately charged his own bpow, aiming at Kaine, before firing off a powerful piercing arrow that broke the barrier around her.
"I… I…" Kaine exclaimed.
"Weeell, there might be one way to save her…" Tyrann stated, making him known to Nier, as everyone else knew it.
"Who said that?" Nier remarked.
"...You." Momiji stated coldly.
"Finally, the Shade who was inside Kaine this entire time… has finally shown themselves." Richard scoffed. "...Tyrann, wasn't it?"
"It doesn't matter, so don't ask! Just shut up and listen." Tyrann declared. "There's a way to save Kaine's life, alright? But you're all gonna have to make a difficult decision."
"...Wait, is that why you're not telling us-" Corrin asked Richard.
"Shut up and LISTEN!" Tyrann yelled. "When the time comes, I'm going to pin Kaine down. And as soon as I do, one of you needs to stab her in the heart. Nowhere else. The heart only!"
"No, I can't!" Nier shouted back.
"...I'll do it then." Richard answered back. "Nier, there is no other choice. If you want her to live, you need to do as they say, as unbelievable as it sounds. If you can't bear the will to do that, then let me."
"Richard…" Nier stated with shock.
"That kid is right, you wanna stand around with your thumb up your ass, then let him do the dirty work!" Tyrann mocked Nier.
"The rest of you… weaken Kaine, and wait for the opportunity. When I make my move… I want you all to back as far away as you can." Richard declared.
The group silently complied, as they engaged the Shade from all angles of attack, as they didn't hold back in leaving her with more and more wounds. The Shade fought fervently, striking with shocking speed, and launching massive spreads of magic bullets with each swing of the blade.
Eventually, the Shade was damaged to the point that she collapsed on the floor, as the blades clattered to the floor.
"...The time is now." Richard declared, before he then surged forward, as he held Divine Will in his two hands. "...Gus, take care of the others."
"What do you mean, Richard?" Gus stated, before he then realised that Richard's tone was fairly grim. "...Wait-!"
Before Gus could move, Richard plunged his blade right through the Shade's chest, aiming for her heart, as time came to a halt in the entire area, everyone frozen in time. Everyone but Richard's own soul, as it was whisked to a different realm entirely.
Inside Kaine's soul…
"Very nice. Knew you had in you to make the right move." Tyrann smirked, as he was still an disembodied voice, inside the realm of white, as Kaine's body laid on the ground before Richard. "Now then, there's two ways to do it. One is to finish the job, plunge your blade right through her chest. That's what she wants, after all. Freedom from burdens. Freedom from life. Or you can be a sentimental wuss, and make her human again. And let me tell you, if you want to do that, you gotta trade your own existence for her, although I doubt that you'd be that stupid to do that for a woman that you don't even become friends with, let alone be in love with, kid."
"...Heh. You underestimate humanity, truly you do, Tyrann." Richard chuckled. "...Or should I say, Yura Masayoshi?"
"What!? How did you know that name!?" Tyrann exclaimed with genuine shock and disbelief.
"Like I told Nier and Kaine, I know a lot of things. It's funny that out of all of the people of the Old World, you're one of the few that are still standing." Richard declared, as he approached Kaine, and stroked her cheek with one hand. "Then again, you were a opportunistic murderer, taking Replicant bodies left and right to sate your murder-boner on the Gestalts. I commend you for your survivability."
"...Is that really what you have to say?" Tyrann answered back with an unamused tone. "Because if you're going to keep pissing me off, then make your choice quickly, because I could just simply let her continue!"
"There's nothing left to be said." Richard answered back, before placing his hand over Kaine's chest. "...I choose to save."
"...You'll disappear from this world. Every one of those pals of yours? And everyone else? They'll all forget you. You, and any sign that you ever existed… will be erased." Tyrann warned Richard. "Are you really going to do that, just to give him a happy ending? You know that humanity is going to be fucking dead already?"
"...But I'm not human." Richard declared, as he channeled his own power into Kaine, starting with his own magic reserves. "...You know, had it been Nier or any other Replicant… or even a normal human like Virion. You'd be right. An existence for a new existence for Kaine. You're basically shedding your entire identity to give hers back. However… I'm able to supplement the difference without trading my existence."
"...Oh?" Tyrann hummed, with a curious tone to his words.
"...I'm using my soul. I used magic to bring Yonah back. I can easily bring back Kaine with all of my magic alone… But that's not enough… I'm not here to just save her… I said it before… I'm saving humanity." Richard continued., as his magic reserves began to deplete.
"...And how does saving this one person change humanity's fate? You haven't gone off the deep end in grief after your plans got shot up, haven't you?" Tyrann retorted back.
"I'm in grief, yes. But my plans, although an outcome has been sealed off, have not failed yet." Richard answered. "...Using Kaine as a conduit to the other Gestalts… I will emulate the maso particles… and expel them by spreading them with fragments of my soul… I have calculated myself… that half of my own soul will be sufficient enough to blanket this entire world with this. I will masquerade as the Shadowlord… and bring them slowly here, where they will be sheltered… until the day comes where my friends can create the human shells for them. That is my ultimate goal."
"...Well, that's a stupid idea, and fucking naive. But you know what, if humanity's going to kick the bucket otherwise… may as well let someone try to save their asses." Tyrann scoffed. "You know, I actually feel a lot better when I was with Kaine… Perhaps she changed me."
"Maybe. Anyways, You're going to the afterlife where you belong, Masayoshi." Richard answered back, as he started to use his own soul, as particles of golden light began to fizzle from his body into the air. "Pray that Enma gives you forgiveness for this last act of atonement, because you're going to be spending a long time in Hell otherwise."
"Hell… Heh. Not like there's anywhere worse than there and here I can go." Tyrann chuckled.
"Kaine… You deserved a better life than this… And this time, I'll make this right for you… For Nier, for Elma… for everyone else who suffered in this world. This will be my final act in this world… Live happy, Kaine… Live with Nier and never be in hate or sadness again." Richard told the comatose Kaine, as his body began to lose opacity. "...And as for you Watchers… here's my act of spite to you… Your plans in this world end here… so waste away like the devils you are… and wait for the day that the Color Gods… and whatever gods of justice and equality lurk this multiverse… render upon you… your just desserts."
Richard then collapsed onto the ground, as he lost the strength to remain up, as his eyes were on Kaine.
"...Odd… The last time I died… I didn't feel this kind of pain…" Richard whispered softly and weakly. "...It was a hot aching pain… But now… Now I feel a cold and empty feeling that tugs at my body… as my body feels painfully numb… is this what it feels like to be missing a large part of your soul and physically die as a result…? I guess I'm really fucked up emotionally… I can't even fear my death like a normal person would."
Richard then slowly closed his eyes, as his spirit began to break apart into light particles.
"...Hopefully, wherever I go… I'll be able to come back… And Gus…" Richard remarked with a faint smile on his lips. "...I trust him to lead in my stead… This is… the role… he will take… after… all…"
Richard then finally melted away, as Kaine's body disappeared from the spiritual realm, leaving only the white space.
In the real world…
As time resumed, the entire group were bathed in white light, as everyone covered their eyes, as the entire room was engulfed in it.
When it was gone… Richard's group were gone without a trace, leaving only Nier, Yonah, and the unconscious Kaine, who was returned to human again. She then slowly woke up, with a quiet groan, as she looked around, before looking at herself, as her entire body was free of the Black Scrawl.
"Kaine!" Nier exclaimed, as he rushed over, with Yonah by his side.
"Are you alright?" Yonah asked Kaine as well.
"...Yonah? Nier…?" Kaine asked them, turning towards them.
"...Richard, he disappeared after he somehow turned you back… And his friends are gone as well…" Nier remarked. "Whatever happened… something changed…"
Kaine looked around, as they were the only ones inside the room. "...What the hell…?" Kaine muttered to herself, before Nier held her close.
"It's alright… everything is fine now… You wanted to get away from us, so that we didn't have to kill you…" Nier remarked with relief in his voice. "But Richard… he managed to bring you back… The offer still stands, you know? Live with us, Kaine…"
Kaine then looked towards Yonah, before a memory flashed in her head, a faint image of Richard standing over her with a sad smile.
"Live happy, Kaine… Live with Nier and never be in hate or sadness again."
As Kaine let Richard's words linger in her head, Nier let her go.
"Come on, cheer up a little-" Nier tried to persuade Kaine, before he then noticed that there was a single tear running down her cheek. "...Kaine? Are you okay?"
Kaine let out a shuddering breath, before she then blinked her tears away.
"...I'm fine. I bet that idiot must have gone off without saying goodbye to us." Kaine answered back. "Him and his band of weirdos. But somehow… I felt he left me with something…"
Kaine then looked out, with Nier and Kaine, into the bright sun above.
"...Something very special…" Kaine answered back.
The group then left the Shadowlord's castle, together as brother and sister reunited, and a woman freed from her own curse.
However, their story would not end, as it would be three years later on this world… that the final page of the story of the three would reach its proper conclusion.