A/N: This chapter contains spoilers for Trails in the Sky SC.
"Me? Returning from the dead twice?" Loewe raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate on that."
"Don't you remember? The Lord of Phantasma brought you back as the Schwarzritter!" Estelle said. "You know? That crazy spiky black getup with the mask?"
"'Phantasma'? 'Schwarzritter'? I have no recollection of those events, the last thing I remember being my death," Loewe shook his head. "I am merely a phantom based on the real Leonhardt, created by this realm's master."
"If this isn't Phantasma, then what exactly is this place?" Estelle asked. "Why is a piece of Liber Ark here along with all the other crazy things?"
"The ruler of this realm is an entity beyond the reach of time and space, whose will is beyond my comprehension. If you would like a more thorough answer, your best option is to ask The Faceless if you meet him here later on." Loewe spat on the ground at the mere mention of the late Weissmann's nickname. "You may have to beat it out of him, though. He is neither as affable nor as aware of his own state as I am. All I know is that I had sensed a presence similar to this entity somewhere deep within the Ark prior to my passing. This thing is akin to a ravenous infant who treats anything within its grasp like toys, and the world its playground. I am one such toy, recreated from what it remembered of the real Leonhardt."
"I'll worry about kicking Weissmann's ass and beating the answers out of him some other time." The mere thought of the scumbag coming back made Estelle clench her teeth in anger, but there were much more urgent things at hand. "I just want to know one thing right now: have you seen Joshua?"
"Indeed, I have. He has grown much over the years. He has even bested me in combat right here in this very arena, learning and growing with every battle. That is a blessing of the living, I suppose." Loewe's fond smile turned into a sour frown. "Meanwhile, the master simply creates a new phantom every time I'm defeated with only the haziest memories of what had transpired before. I'm incapable of improving or growing, merely a copy of what I had been in life. But enough of this useless reminiscing."
Loewe raised his left hand, his eyes glowing blue. A vortex gathered around his palm, the force of the wind blowing Estelle's pigtails towards him like a flag. Bit by bit, a crystalline sword formed in his left hand. Estelle and the team reacted accordingly by spreading out and assuming battle stances.
"Let me guess: you're not gonna let us pass without a fight," Estelle said, her grip tightening around her staff.
"You have grown quite perceptive, Estelle. Alas, if you seek to reunite with Joshua, then you must best the Bladelord once more in combat; my master commands it." A green aura began to surround Loewe. "But if I must fight, I am glad to be fighting a familiar face. No doubt you have matured since our last bout, as Joshua has, but perhaps there are still lessons you need to learn."
"Bring it on, Loewe!" Estelle dashed towards him, adding more momentum in preparation for a strike. He's casting an Art! Whatever it is, I gotta stop it!
Before Estelle could close the distance, ethereal rocks floated from the ground and formed a heavy rock armor around him. Yet the bulky exterior did not slow down Loewe in the slightest as he dashed towards Estelle and blocked her strike with ease.
"Bigby! Now's the time to start spitting!" Estelle shouted as she parried a swing from Loewe's sword, the force of the enemy's blow rattling the bones in her arms all the way up to her shoulders. Not a moment too soon, a torrent of bile splashed against Loewe's rock armor, which began to sizzle as the corrosive liquid began to eat away at the rocks.
"I see you've made new friends with tricks up their sleeves," Loewe said, stabbing towards Estelle before she could recover. She barely dodged in time, earning a gash on her left arm. Ignoring the flesh wound, she let out a battle cry and swung her staff only for Loewe to block it with ease. Using the point where their weapons met as a fulcrum, Estelle pivoted to one side and swung the other end of her staff towards his torso. A violent thump sounded as staff met rock, large chunks collapsing away from Loewe's body. Another bile torrent from Bigby finished the job, eating away at the last of Loewe's rock shield.
"So you did improve. That almost hurt," Loewe said, recovering just in time to block another blow from Estelle. She simply thrust her staff forward, sliding it along the edge of his blade straight into the Bladelord's face. The reinforced end of Estelle's staff smashed into his skull with a resounding crack, yet he showed no signs of even the slightest discomfort. "That did hurt. Somewhat."
Estelle pulled away and parried a strike meant for her neck before swinging around and smashing Loewe's left leg. He dropped to one knee, grunting in what seemed to be pain. She brought her staff straight down on his head, but the blow never connected as he seized the tip in his right hand. She yelped as he tugged violently at her staff, sending her sprawling onto the ground. Loewe shot up to his feet, but instead of following up with a strike, he dashed away from her. Oh, no! He's going after the others!
"Watch out! Don't let him catch up to you!" Not wanting to spend precious seconds casting an Art that might not even stop him, Estelle chased after Loewe. "Get back here!"
Despite the added weight of her boots, Estelle caught up to Loewe easily. As soon as she was in range, she struck him squarely in the back of the head and sent him staggering forward. A thrust followed, aimed at the back of his left knee, but Loewe quickly pivoted and swatted it away.
"I see you managed to deduce my intentions. Impressive. Most impressive," Loewe smirked as he followed up with a thrust of his blade that was quickly parried by Estelle. "It appears you have indeed grown stronger. But what of your companions?"
"What about them? They've put up with horrible things…" Estelle's staff clashed with Loewe's sword for a brief second before a foot sweep sent her to the ground with a fleshy smack.
"How's this?" Loewe dashed away from a prone Estelle and pointed his sword at Sarmenti. "Let's see who among them is the weakest link."
"No!" Estelle screamed as she got back on her feet and rushed towards Loewe. The staccato clanking of sword on staff soon rang throughout the arena once more, but she was already too late.
In all his decades spent at war, before he had even heard of the Hamlet, Barristan had witnessed far too many times what horrors "mere men" were capable of. When Sarmenti had mused their opponent was but a "mere man", Barristan fought tooth and nail against his own rage to stop himself from striking the Jester or worse. As his current commander's family proverb went: "Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer". When Estelle of all people had tensed up and began distributing her strange medicine, Barristan knew Sarmenti was exactly that: overconfident.
Barristan had witnessed the battle between Estelle and this 'Loewe' fellow with awe, even though he barely understood what the two had talked about before fighting. The two of them fought with a speed and ferocity far beyond anything he had ever seen before, and he had seen a lot over the decades. He had first believed the spectacle in front of him was the true potential of humanity's fighting abilities.
Until a second Loewe appeared right next to Sarmenti. The Jester reacted instantly, rolling away and avoiding decapitation by a mere hair's breadth.
That was when he had realized Loewe was no "mere man" or even a monster. No, Loewe was something else: an apex predator combining the cunning of man and the unnatural strength of a monster. Then what does this make Estelle?
Barristan banished the thoughts from his mind. Estelle was a steadfast ally and just as human as the rest of the Hamlet. For the time being, he had orders to give and his own share of the battle to fight. "Bigby! Go help the Jester! I'll follow you!"
With a bloodcurdling roar, a transformed Bigby tackled the second Loewe before he could deliver a killing blow to Sarmenti. The Abomination slammed the doppelganger into one of the supporting columns on the arena's edge with enough force to leave an imprint. Snarling and grunting, Bigby slashed away with his claws in an attempt to tear the second Loewe to bits. Not willing to take any chances, Barristan rushed towards Bigby's position. For a powerful opponent like Loewe, they had no other choice but to divide and conquer.
"Enough!" Loewe said, kicking Bigby in the stomach. Even as the Abomination skidded back, the doppelganger leaped and stabbed down at him. Barristan dived over, blocking with his shield, but the blow nearly tore his arm off. The shockwave of pain made Barristan cry out, but he channelled his anger and alarm into his next attack. The slash at Loewe's stomach missed, though it forced him back and earned them some space. Barristan quickly retreated; his left arm hung limply at his side and felt like it had been roughly hacked apart by a burning blade. At…at least I made it in time to protect Bigby. By the Light, this hurts no matter how many times I go through it!
Bigby was already back on his feet, blocking a strike meant for Barristan by holding Loewe's blade with both his hands. Despite the size difference, Bigby's beastly form was already straining while Loewe looked perfectly relaxed. The act bought Barristan enough time to drink one of the blue balms Estelle had given him and heal his arm, the shield acting as a makeshift splint. Before Loewe could break the stalemate, Barristan smashed his mace into the doppelganger's skull with all his might. The second Loewe merely grunted in annoyance before pulling on his sword and violently yanking Bigby towards him. Is he seriously trying to —
A sickening crack reverberated throughout the arena as the doppelganger slammed his own head into Bigby's, sending the Abomination howling and grasping his skull as he reeled back. With Bigby peeling back, Barristan had no choice but to back away as well, his heater shield held in front of him in an attempt to protect himself from another onslaught. Damn it, he's only got a few scratches and bruises. I know Estelle told us to spread out, but I don't have any other choice! We need as many hands as we can to fight him!
"Sarmenti! Get over here and back us up!" Barristan ordered, his arms going numb as his shield absorbed hit after hit. For a moment, Loewe's sword got jammed as it hacked at the shield. Barristan felt a chill go up his spine as the second Loewe's murderous gaze bore into him. We can't survive this, can we?
"No! Don't listen to him! Spread out! Spread the f -" Estelle's distant warning was cut off by an ear-piercing shriek.
"Focus! You must devote yourself to our battle!" the original Loewe called out over the din of their fight. "I am already dead, so strike me down with all your might! Only then can you continue your search for Joshua!"
Sarmenti's sickle whistled past, aimed at Loewe's neck, but the swordsman managed to yank his sword back just in time —nearly taking Barristan's shield with it. "I'm here. What now?" Sarmenti said, dropping into a ready stance as Barristan caught his breath.
"Bigby and I will go for the frontal assault. On my command, unleash your finale!" Barristan and Bigby then rushed towards the second Loewe. Suddenly, the doppelganger became enveloped in a red aura as his sword cracked with red lightning.
"Feel the sting of the sword master's blade!" the second Loewe roared before slashing the air around him. In a split second, Barristan's confusion was replaced with horror as a wall of flames slammed into the three of them, knocking them down. He screamed in pain as the attack flash-heated his armor, briefly burning his skin through the garments he wore beneath his equipment. Yet he willed himself to stand back up, seeing that Bigby was doing the same despite the Abomination's own wounds. As his vision cleared, he noticed that the Loewe doppelganger was casting an Art of his own.
"Bigby! Go! Attack him while he's busy with his Arts!" Barristan ordered weakly before drinking a second healing balm. He sighed in relief as his wounds knitted back together then went to go check on Sarmenti. The Jester was laying on the ground, groaning weakly about the world spinning around him. Barristan followed Estelle's instructions and had Sarmenti drink both a green and a blue balm, healing the Jester to full health.
"Can you fight?" Barristan asked Sarmenti, who eagerly nodded. The two of them turned towards Bigby who was busy slashing away at the Loewe doppelganger with his claws. "Good. I'll go on ahead and join Bigby."
As Barristan rushed forward, he noticed the second Loewe still did not budge despite the increasing number of shallow wounds on his body. Curiously, they oozed some kind of glowing blue substance instead of blood. It took Barristan a moment to realize it was the same shade as the strange light that had saturated the Farmstead. Before Barristan could reach the second Loewe, the green glow around the doppelganger dissipated. Soon after, a ring of silver spears that rained down from the sky and emitted a blinding glow that consumed Barristan and his two comrades.
"Wh…where am I?" Bigby groaned groggily. The last thing he remembered was being on some arena seemingly made of marble, allowing his consciousness to be consumed once again by the accursed beast slumbering within. His head ached, and he deduced it must have been sustained during combat as the Beast. His vision swam as he barely made sense of his foggy surroundings. Suddenly, a bone defender stumbled into view.
"Stay back!" Bigby used his chain to whip the enemy as he backpedalled. Somebody's voice was calling out to him, but he couldn't make out what was being said. Seeing the bone defender was still trudging towards him, he let loose a torrent of bile at the enemy. Sizzling was soon heard as the bone defender frantically tried to brush off the substance. This can't be right. The undead are incapable of self-preservation.
Before Bigby could make sense of the strange spectacle unfolding in front of him, a brigand cutthroat stumbled into view. Like the bone defender, he too was waving his weapons wildly about. Is this some new dungeon? Why is there blasted fog all over the place?
Suddenly, the bone defender grunted and tackled Bigby to the ground. He raised his arms to defend himself from an axe strike, which never came. Instead, the skeleton took out something and stuffed it in Bigby's mouth. He struggled frantically to get the enemy off, his mind racing with confusion and terror at what was happening. A cool liquid poured down his throat, and the image of the bone defender dissolved and was replaced by Barristan's visage. He could see that the Man-at-Arms' armor was bubbling and melting in places. No…don't tell me that was the Art Estelle talked about! It's just like that time I was brought along to hunt the Siren!
"Go, keep up the pressure on that monster. I'll go help Sarmenti," Barristan growled as he got off of Bigby. "Don't worry about apologies. It wasn't your fault."
As Bigby stood up, he drank a blue balm just like Estelle had instructed. The aching in his head and the burns on his skin faded into nothing, just like the fog that had addled in his mind. As the Beast raged within him and threatened to take control, Bigby surveyed the battlefield for his foe.
The enemy was easy to find, as he had not moved at all from his original position when he had cast that 'Art', as Estelle had called the strange sorcery. Seeing double, Bigby blinked and shook his head furiously to clear away the last vestiges of dizziness. Yet the double vision of Loewe's doppelganger persisted.
This is the best I can manage. Bigby could already feel the Beast starting to break free from its cage as burning pain shot up all over his body, which began to contort and stretch. Before his consciousness faded, he heard one last remark from Barristan.
"Oh, shite. There's a third one now."
Estelle and the original Loewe paced around each other, each having their own share of wounds and bruises. Since both had ways to disrupt each others' Arts, healing or otherwise, the two of them forewent using them altogether. Estelle had access to healing items to compensate, but that advantage was quickly fading. While Estelle was busy keeping the original Loewe away from her companions, they were fighting a losing battle against the doppelgangers.
"You have indeed matured over the years. In time, you could even exceed your father," Loewe gasped, his voice strained with effort. "Yet you still lack focus and allow yourself to succumb to distractions."
"My friends are not distractions!" Stung by his words, Estelle dashed towards Loewe. "Why the hell are you even doing this? More of your stupid 'put humanity on trial' crap?"
"I made peace with the human spirit the day I died, but you know that already!" Loewe said, parrying her rushed strikes with ease. "I only wish to see you grow strong and reunite with Joshua, but I cannot hold back! For its sick amusement, the entity ruling this realm only wants a duel to the death!"
"Then get on with it!" Estelle swung her staff with what reserves of strength she still had, with Loewe swinging his sword in response. A burning pain appeared as a fresh cut appeared on her arm. Oh no! I got too close!
Estelle swung again, only for Loewe to casually swat her staff aside before punching her on the nose with his free hand. Her head snapped back, and an explosion of pain sent stars swarming across her vision. Blood trickled onto the ground as she stumbled around and clutched her nose amidst a string of shouted curses. Loewe simply backed out of the way and pointed his blade to the side, summoning yet another doppelganger, who rushed at her. The doppelganger's blade clashed against her staff with such force that the bones in her arms rattled painfully. Meanwhile, the original Loewe rushed past her straight towards her companions. Damn it! I should have known he'd pull this trick sooner or later!
In a desperate bid to buy herself some time, Estelle delivered a kick straight into the doppelganger's groin. The clone grunted in pain and staggered back, giving her enough breathing room to chase after the original Loewe.
She swung her staff, only for Loewe to whip around and block her strike before forcing her back on the defensive. In the meantime, the doppelganger rushed past her. Oh, no! I can't keep this up! If one of them reaches the other fight, the others are doomed!
"The mind is just as important a weapon to a warrior as what he wields in his hand!" Loewe said as he and Estelle clashed with each other. "Is your mind as fast as your staff?"
"Shut up! You're not making this easy!" Stress and frustration was evident in Estelle's voice as she alternated between parrying and striking, only to earn a few more glancing hits that stung sharply. Can't stay here. Can't get too close to the others. Doomed either way.
"Combat is not easy! If you wish to grow and advance as a Bracer, you must hone your mind just like you hone your skills with the staff!" The strain was evident in his voice as their weapons pushed against each other, with neither side showing the slightest hint of budging. "Even if I could go easy on you, do you think an inhuman creature like the master will do the same?"
Damn it, Estelle! Think! There's got to be something I can do! She looked behind Loewe's shoulder at her companions. The third Loewe had already closed the distance and was knocking Sarmenti around like a toy, and her other companions were doing no better. Barristan might as well be moving through molasses with how sluggishly he worked his mace and shield, while deep gashes were evident all over Bigby's monstrous form. The moment of distraction was enough for Loewe to push his blade several reges closer to her face. Aidios, please let me do this…
Her decision made, Estelle let her arms go weak and allowed Loewe to push further. Too far, in fact. He stumbled forward, and wind was violently pushed out of him as his sternum met Estelle's knee in a satisfying crunch. Following up with a strike straight on his spine, Estelle then darted towards her companions.
With a roar, she jumped towards the doppelganger attacking Sarmenti, who already looked a lot more roughed-up even in the scant seconds since she took her eyes off him. The doppelganger whipped around a moment too late, earning a staff strike right on top of his skull, stunning him.
"Now!" Estelle shouted, and Sarmenti stabbed and slashed at the doppelganger's neck and thighs. Huh? He's a musician! How does he know where the major arteries are?
"I have no rival, and no man can be my…" Sarmenti proclaimed before throwing his spear at the doppelganger's stomach, only for him to swat it aside like a mosquito. "…equal?"
The enemy rushed at Sarmenti, only for Estelle to block the intended killing blow in the nick of time. Just gotta focus on taking down this one first, then move on to the others.
"Your souls shall burn in the flames of hell!" the original Loewe roared as he spun his sword around before stabbing it into the ground. Ice sprouted underneath the party in a split second, creeping up their legs and freezing them in place. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the ice exploded, the frozen shards scything through anything in their path. Out of the entire team, Estelle was the only one left standing. The arena was dead silent, accentuated only by Barristan's weak moans.
"What will you do now that at least two of your friends are at death's door, Estelle?" the real Loewe said, as all three doppelgangers joined the original at his side. "Will you leave them to their fates and fight us? Or will you heal them and open yourself to the enemy, knowing full well that they will fall again?"
"I…I…" Estelle trailed off, agonizing over the decision. She was in a pretty bad shape herself, and her own balms had run out. She could always crack open the pouch on her belt, but that still left her companions unless she was willing to sacrifice its contents for their sake. She knew she didn't have long to decide, especially if whatever force controlling Loewe and his doppelgangers lost its patience. A retching cough came from behind her, followed by Barristan's weakened gasps.
"We were…not meant…to survive this. Go on…let me join my…men…" He trailed off, wheezing weakly.
"No! I won't leave you behind to die!" Estelle cried out. For the first time in a while, she wasn't sure if she would be able to fulfill that promise. She had never abandoned an ally before, but that was back home where things were decidedly less grim. For all she knew, at least one of the Loewe army would skewer her the moment she turned her back to heal her friends. With no way out of the Farmstead and the rest of the team half-dead, it wasn't like she could just take the party and retreat either.
"The clock is ticking, Estelle. You already know negotiating is not an option," Loewe said. "Whatever your decision may be, just know that I will neither praise nor blame you for it. I have faith in your ability to walk the path of your choosing unclouded by regret."
Fight or heal, Estelle? That's all it boils down to.
Fight, or heal?
Fight? Or heal?
Estelle sucked in a deep breath before unzipping the emergency pouch on her belt with one hand, the other hand firmly gripping her staff. She drank one of the healing balms, sighing in relief as her wounds quickly sealed up. Finding hope and resilience amidst adversity was Estelle's specialty, and the situation she found herself in was no different. If I finish this quickly enough, I can heal the others later. I just gotta focus on one at a time, draw them away from my friends. Then I can worry about healing them after I beat Loewe. If I'm lucky, this fight made big enough a ruckus for Joshua to find me.
"I'll stand and fight all four of you," Estelle said, tossing the bottle aside. The empty container clanked loudly across the floor in the silence. "I know I'm not in the best position to make demands, but don't attack the others. If you do, I'll make it extra painful."
"Very well, I shall humor your bravado." All four Loewes readied their swords. "Come, then! Onto the next leg of your trial!"
They're all clumped up in one place. Good. Two can play at that game. Estelle roared as she charged forward, a burning aura surrounding her body once more. To her, Loewe and his doppelgangers were nothing but barriers to be broken through on the quest to reunite with Joshua. The aura took on the familiar phoenix shape as she closed in with lightning speed, enveloping the enemy in a massive fireball. The very arena shook with the force of her attack, sending clouds of dust and smoke into the air. It took a few moments to dissipate enough to see, and by then the four Loewes were already trying to recover their footing, their outfits scorched and torn.
Time to crack some skulls. Estelle stepped towards the four figures, hefting her staff.
A sudden gust rushed past Estelle before she could make another move, followed by a white blur darting between Loewe and his doppelgangers before landing right next to her. They all collapsed to their knees, a deep gash on each of their chests. A familiar rush overwhelmed her mind as what seemed to be a bolt of lightning arced from her ARCUS to the adjacent figure, the telltale sign of a successful combat link connection. Even as she stared at Loewe and his doppelgangers, Estelle grinned widely as tears of joy welled up in her eyes. She didn't even have to turn her head to find out who the man beside her was.
Her Bracer partner. Her boyfriend. Her other half.
Joshua.
We'll hug and kiss later, though. Got a bit of a problem to deal with first.
"Took the elevator?" she asked.
"Yeah. Now go take care of your friends." Joshua tapped Estelle on the shoulder then tossed two smoke grenades at Loewe and his doppelgangers. "I got this."
"I'll see you when I'm done." Estelle tapped Joshua back before he headed into the thick smokescreen. Out of her three companions, only Barristan was moving, so she headed towards him first. Fishing out the last remaining balm she had given him earlier, she dumped its contents in his mouth.
"It's okay. You're all right now," Estelle said, her voice almost drowned out by the din of the battle between Joshua and Loewe.
"Why? Why did you come back?" Barristan asked weakly, and Estelle could see the hollow resignation in his eyes. "You should have just let him kill me."
"I don't let friends die on my watch," Estelle said before gently turning Barristan so he's resting on his side. "Get some rest and try to play dead. I'll check up on you after this is all over."
Next came Sarmenti, who was a bit closer to her than Bigby. Estelle sighed in relief when she saw he had not used a single golden balm. She took one of them, removed the mask, and poured the contents into his mouth before turning him on his side. Despite the cuts and gouges all over his body, Estelle still held out hopes that he would live. Here goes nothing.
Sarmenti woke up with a gasp, followed by a series of wretched coughs. The wounds on his body healed a little, but nowhere close enough to warrant a clean bill of health.
"Easy, easy. Just drink a blue one, okay?" Estelle tried to reassure him despite the way her brow furrowed up with concern. The din of Joshua's battle persisted, and she had a hard time telling who was actually winning. Loewe said Joshua beat him several times while stuck here. He has to be okay!
"Here's your mask. Save your breath for later," Estelle continued. "In the meantime, just play dead."
"Acting as a corpse is but child's play, but I will comply," Sarmenti said with a shrug.
Bigby looked about as roughed up as Sarmenti had been, but his fingers had also been sliced to ribbons, with wounds that went all the way down to the bone. Estelle wasted no time in administering the meds.
"Wh-what happened?" Bigby winced as he woke up. "Did the Beast finally meet its match?"
"Probably. Loewe is the hardest enemy I've ever had to fight," Estelle said as she took out a smoke grenade of her own. "The smoke won't hurt you. Just keep your head down and stay still. Loewe has bigger problems to worry about."
A thick cloud of smoke soon enveloped Estelle's companions, and she rushed out to find Joshua. His own smoke curtain was dissipating, and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of Loewe and his doppelgangers covered in even more cuts than before and struggling to react to the white blur darting between them.
"Joshua! Let's finish this!" Estelle called out as she rushed towards the battle. "Timeless Pummel! Go!"
With great speed and practiced ease, Joshua stabbed Loewe and the doppelgangers in the exact same spot he had slashed them upon his arrival before darting backwards and making room for Estelle. Next went Estelle, pivoting in between the Loewes as she smashed each of their skulls once.
After taking a brief moment to regroup, the two of them then attacked as one before the enemy could recover from their collective daze. Joshua darted between the Loewes so fast he left afterimages; it almost looked like he had summoned his own doppelgangers. Meanwhile, Estelle gave the smackdown of her life to whichever Loewe Joshua wasn't attacking. To the last Loewe standing, she delivered her mightiest blow yet. The force was enough to crack the very ground beneath them, flattening him and leaving his mangled body lying in a shallow crater.
"Estelle…Joshua…my sincerest congratulations…on your reunion…" Loewe said weakly. "Both of you…have improved so much…"
"Thank you, Loewe, but I'm sure we'll face each other again as long as this accursed realm exists," Joshua said somberly. "Goodbye for now. For what it's worth, I'm sure the real Loewe is smiling upon us along with Karin."
"That is good…isn't it? I wish you two…success and happiness…" Loewe closed his eyes. "If you do see…Weissmann…send him back to Gehenna…where he belongs."
"Goodbye again, Loewe," Estelle said, her mind flooding with a million thoughts, and her emotions were like a messy smorgasbord of bittersweet goodbye and joyful reunion. The original Loewe had died as their friend despite starting off as one of their deadliest enemies, then Phantasma brought him back as a way for Joshua to properly say goodbye, and now some other force had resurrected the poor man as nothing more than a puppet gladiator. There was also the issue of Weissmann coming back, and eventually facing whatever force had caused this mess in the first place. Not to mention all the other crap happening around the Hamlet. But whatever awaited her tomorrow and onwards, one thing was for certain: she would face them with Joshua at her side, just as it should be.
As expected, the floating rock creature appeared in the middle of the arena and enveloped them in the familiar blinding light.
Moments later, the team plus Joshua found themselves in the Farmhouse again, this time surrounding a miraculously intact fireplace. Finally able to catch a breather, Estelle turned to face Joshua and saw he had not changed a bit in the two months since she last saw him. As the rush and tension of battle wore off, emotions long suppressed began bubbling towards the surface. Her eyes blurred with tears, and she started to choke up. She quickly whipped off her gloves and gently cupped Joshua's cheeks with her bare hands.
"Joshua…my treasure…" Whatever else Estelle planned on saying was cut off by a sob, and Joshua softly brushed away the tears flowing down her cheeks. His gentle amber eyes glanced sideways, and he moved his right hand to gently trace the scars on her face.
"Estelle, who did this to you?" Joshua's voice trembled with a mess of emotions. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to prevent it."
"It's okay, Joshua. It-it wasn't your fault. I t-took c-c-care of…"
Estelle hugged Joshua tightly, feeling his heartbeat reverberating through her body and his warmth seeping through their clothes. She always wore her heart on her sleeve, and this moment was no different. Over two months of longing and worry erupted at once, and she began to weep uncontrollably.
"It's okay, Estelle. Cry as much as you want, and I'll just hold you like this," Joshua gently whispered in Estelle's ear.
Moments later, he too began to shudder and sob.
A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the fight scene and the reunion. The fight scene in particular was a bit of a tough nut to crack. It took me three drafts to make the whole thing work. Now, time for a fun fact. The bit where Estelle calls Joshua her treasure is a reference to an anime called Made in Abyss. The original line was said by Nanachi in a particularly touching scene in the last episode of the first season. Nanachi, in turn, is voiced by Brittney Karbowski who also voiced Estelle in the (mediocre) OVA adaptation of Trails in the Sky.