Ten Navy battleships have now surrounded the island of Darkanr and were now simply waiting for the order to fire.
"Have the Navy ordered for the Buster Call yet?"
"We're still on standby."
On the island, all the townspeople were panicking, evacuating the island as quickly as they could.
"Hurray!"
"Run to the evacuation ship!"
Deep within the basement of the Tree of Knowledge rested the Runeglyph.
"So this is a Runeglyph, huh?" said an agent.
"Yeah, I heard that even if we shoot with a cannon, it won't leave a single scratch on the thing."
"I can't believe these creepy things are hidden all over the world. I don't like it."
At the same time, Spandine had contacted the Five Elder Stars while his agent kept the researchers covered.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, the evidence is clear," said Spandine. "This calls for nothing short of the death penalty; we're waiting for your order."
"It's unfortunate, seeing as they broke the law so blatantly, there's really no other option. We must enforce our own rules."
"We don't need your mock sympathy, Elder Stars!" said Professor Clover folding his arms. "Save your breath."
Spandine glared at him. "You're talking to the leaders of the world, you dam criminal! Show some respect!"
"That must be Professor Clover," said the Elder Stars. "Draknar's foremost authority on archaeology. I'm familiar with your work; you have contributed much to the world cultural heritage. It's sad to see a man of your intellect go astray."
"The history of this planet belongs to all of mankind; no matter what that history maybe, you don't have the right to forbid us from learning it," said Professor Clover stubbornly. "No one does."
"Professor," one of the archaeologists warned.
Heather had followed Professor Clover's advice and left the group, but she still continued to watch the event unfold.
"If one can read the Runeglyphs, then it is also possible that they can revive the ancient weapons and placed the world in serious peril," said the Elder Stars. "Even if you have the best of intentions, someone else could come along and use your research for evil."
"Be a good or bad, mankind has the responsibility to accept whatever their history may hold. So long as we don't succumb to fear and ignorance, we will be prepared for anything that may come."
"That's idealistic."
"Is it?" said Professor Clover raising an eyebrow. "What are you just making convenient excuses to suit your needs?"
The Five Elder Stars felt uncomfortable with that statement.
"In truth," Professor Clover continued. "There are two mysteries left unsolved. Of course, we want to read the Runeglyphs, but the reason why they were made in the first place is interesting as well. Why was their message so important that they had to inscribe it on unbreakable stone to pass on to future generations? Why were they hidden and scattered across the world? Why were they not stored in a library?
"The only logical conclusion is that they feared the message would be too easily destroyed if they had written it on paper. In other words, they had an enemy. Someone who was afraid of the information they wanted a pass on."
"What are you trying to imply, Professor Clover?" said the Five Elder Stars.
"Since the ancients have disappeared, we must assume that they were defeated by this enemy, and whoever they were, they survive through history. It may be no coincidence that roughly 800 years in the past when the Blank Century came to an end, the organisation we now call the World Government was founded.
Therefore, if this unknown enemy was indeed the World Government, in my in their best interest to erase this inconvenient piece of information and let the ancients disappear into a fabricated Blank Century. By analysing ancient manuscripts and piecing together what we could from a few Runeglyphs, we were able to find we discovered the existence of a previously unknown country.
Although the details we found out bit scarce, we believe that it was a grand and powerful kingdom. And yet, despite their strength, not a trace remains, or rather those traces were deliberately erased. But they were prepared for this possibility even as they faced the threat of extinction, and so they ketch their history in stone before their kingdom was crushed under the might of the Allied Nations now known as the World Government. Thus the reason why the Runeglyphs were made became quite clear."
"I see," said the Five Elder Stars sounding deeply troubled. "That is a bold hypothesis."
"It's true that the ancient weapons would be a threat to the world, but more so than weapons, what I believe that the World Government is afraid of is the history surrounding this lost kingdom. Its existence and ideologies are so dangerous to you that you would kill to keep them secret. Although we still don't know what makes you fear this kingdom, we do at least know its name says we have gone so far already. Perhaps you would like me to share it with you now."
Everyone was completely silent.
"Kill him!" the Elder Stars ordered.
Spandine then pulled out his pistol and shot Professor Clover.
"Professor!" Heather screamed.
"You left us no choice," said the Elder Stars regrettably.
The archaeologist then immediately ran towards Professor Clover.
"How dare you!"
"No, Professor!"
"Draknar knows too much," said the Elder Stars. "You may give the order to attack."
Immediately the agents aimed their rifles at the archaeologists.
"Don't move an inch!"
"You mustn't let anyone escape," said the Elder Stars.
Heather then ran towards Professor Clover crying, and Spandine pulled out the golden transponder snail.
"Now then with a golden Transponder Snail, interested in me by Admiral Sander," said Spandine.
"Professor," said Heather kneeling down to Professor Clover.
"Heather, you fool, I told you to run," he said. "Hurry!"
"I am both a Buster Call!" Spandine yelled and pressed down on the button. "And that's a wrap."
"He pressed something; what is that?" said an archaeologist.
Professor Clover knew what it was and looked at Heather. "Get out of here. Go!"
"No, I don't want to be alone," she said.
"You have to stop being so selfish; this isn't the time," said Professor Clover.
Also then slowly began crawling his way towards them. "Heather…"
The moment the Buster Call had been pressed, the Marines began to scramble in the battleships.
"It's the Buster Call!"
"All battleships, to your positions! Prepare to open fire!"
On the island, scholars then saw the Tree of Knowledge burst into flames, no doubt thanks to the explosion earlier.
"What? Hey, look! The Tree of Knowledge is on fire!"
"Dammit, what are you doing?" said a scholar looking at Spandine. "Are you insane?"
"Isn't it enough to take our lives?"
"Hey, it's not my fault," said Spandine. "Must have caught fire when they bond your secret basement."
"Stop this! Right now, you can't replace the documents in there! Don't you realise that?"
An agent then immediately aimed his rifle at the scholar. "Don't move!"
"Whoa, we don't need guns anymore," said Spandine. "It's time for the government agents to pull out."
"Protect the books," said Professor Clover weakly.
Half of the scholars then immediately made a run towards the Tree of Knowledge.
"Let's stop the fire, hurry!"
Once inside everything, they could save as many books as possible and douse the fire.
"Get a bucket of water over here!"
"Carry as many books outside as you can!"
Heather just watched as the Tree of Knowledge burned to the ground, and tears began to form in her eyes.
"Bring that man with you," said Spandine pointing down at Oswald.
"Get up," said one of the agents, lifting Oswald up.
"There's still some info that we have to ring out of her; he can't die yet," said Spandine as he and the rest of his men began to leave with Oswald in tow. "Just make sure he doesn't escape again."
Oswald would back at Heather. 'Please, Heather, run while you still can. You can't die here, not like this.'
Heather looked at Oswald, and a faint memory appeared in her mind, the man who bore Oswald's face laughing as he held her in his arms. Her eyes and slowly began to widen as she realised that this man was her father.
"Go, we're done for," said Professor Clover. "There's no point in staying."
They then watched as Heather slowly began making her way towards Oswald.
"Heather, don't!" Professor Clover pleaded.
Heather tried her best, but she couldn't hold back the emotions inside of her. "You're my father, aren't you?"
Oswald looked back at her and remembered when he was about to board the ship while her brother-in-law held back Heather.
"I'm holding her back, just hurry and get on!" he said.
"Daddy, no!" Heather cried as she tried to break free from her uncle's grip.
'I'm sorry, Heather, I can never call you myself your father again,' she said. 'After all these years, after all, I've done, I don't have the right and more.'
Playing with her father was the only real joyful memory she had; all the others she was being picked on by the other children in the town. Not to mention the abuse she suffered from her aunt, and now she watched as her father was being taken away again.
"Please answer me," Heather pleaded. "Are you my father?"
Spandine looked back. "Hold on, that girl, your daughter or what?"
Oswald, the tears were forming in his eyes. "No."
All the scholars looked on with heavy hearts, knowing that he was only saying this to protect his daughter.
"I'm sorry little girl, you must be confusing me with someone else," he said. 'Even if it comes to this, I don't want you to be the daughter of a criminal.'
'Oswald,' said Professor Clover.
"Ha, what a weird little brat," said Spandine, and they continued to leave. "Right, let's go."
Heather just stood there crying, remembering seen all the happy families in the town.
"It's me, it's Heather!" she cried. "I've grown since the last time, so maybe you don't recognise me! I have been waiting for you all these years! Are you sure you're really not my dad?"
Oswald couldn't hold back anymore and fell to his knees, crying.
"Just once, someday I want to hold you again and work together like a family!" Heather continued. "I studied hard to become an archaeologist so that I could go to sea with you. I can read the Runeglyphs too!"
"What did she say?" said Spandine spinning his head around.
"Heather, no!" Professor Clover yelled.
"So please, look at me!" Heather pleaded. "Let me stay with you, dad!"
"Heather," said Oswald.
"I waited so long! We're finally together! Don't leave me alone again!"
The Navy battleships fired at everything on the island, much to the shock of the islanders who hadn't evacuated.
"Oh no, now what is going on?"
"Now commencing the Buster Call, all ships fire at once! Everything on Draknar is your target; let nothing remain! The research conducted here was far more extensive than we anticipated; make sure that knowledge is not passed on. Do not allow it to leave the island. Annihilate the Devils of Draknar! Burn it to the ground in the name of justice!"
The Navy battleships continued to fire upon everything on the island, and one of the cannonballs nearly struck Spandine and his men.
"Dammit!" Spandine yelled. "What the hell? Can't you wait until we leave the island? You're going to kill us! Stop it!"
However, his screens were meaningless as the Marines kept on firing upon the island.
The scholars watched in horror as the entire Tree of Knowledge began to burn.
"The Tree of Knowledge has suffered a direct hit!"
"They're using the highest power against us," said Professor Clover. "They stage the investigation, but they were planning this from the start. Bastards!"
One of Spandine's agents then pointed at Heather. "Hey, chief. That girl said that she could read the Runeglyphs."
"Yeah, she didn't she?" said Spandine brushing the ash of his suit. "I don't know if it's true or not, though. Probably to be savoured to wipe out just in case. Do not let her leave the island; remember her face all right. We're retreating."
"I'll grab Oswald," said the agent.
"Screw it!" said Spandine as they heard more cannon fire. "The situation has changed. Just run! I'm not going to get blown up just for following some stupid order! Our number one priority is keeping me alive!"
Spandine and his men then immediately made their way back towards the ship as quickly as they could.
"Retreat! Everyone back to the ship!"
With them gone, Heather began making her way towards Oswald, ignoring the cannon fire all around her.
The scholars were trying desperately to put out the fire within the Tree of Knowledge, but it was a losing battle.
"Put out the fire on that side before it spreads!"
"Protect the library at all costs!"
Heather was now a few feet away from her father and then grabbed his hand. Her father smiled as he turned towards her with tears in his eyes, and then Heather sat down next to him.
"I've been waiting a long time to do this," she said, crying. "I'm glad."
Oswald then hugged her in his arms. "Heather."
"Daddy!" Heather cried into his shoulder.
"Heather, forgive me, please," said Professor Clover. "This is my fault for not watching over you with more care. Is it really true that you can read the Runeglyphs?"
"I had to learn since I wanted to be a scholar."
"I never knew my little girl was an archaeologist; that's amazing," Oswald smiled. "You must have studied hard while I was gone, huh? These are things that just anyone can do; I'm so proud."
Heather then began crying, hugging him tightly.
"Unfortunately, the only ones who know about this are the officials who were here earlier," said Professor Clover. "We can't afford to waste any more time. Oswald, take Heather and run! If you can sneak her onto the evacuation ship, she might still be able to leave the island!"
It was then emerging from the smoke was Saul, and it looked as if he had run all the way here.
"Heather, I've been looking all over for you," he said.
"It's Saul," said Heather.
"So you met with your dad after all," said Saul noticing Oswald.
"Saul?" Oswald stared. "Why the world are you here?"
"Guess it must be fate, I just happen to wash up here, and your little girl was the one who found me. Anyhow, we ain't got time to chat right now. You got a get off this island."
"I'll be fine, but I need you to take out Heather for me, please," Oswald pleaded.
"But why?" Heather asked. "What about you? Are you going to come with me?"
Saul looked at Oswald. "Oswald, are you?"
"I can't leave yet; there is something left to do," said Oswald.
"No, Dad, you can't leave me now!" Heather cried. "I'll stay here with you; I don't want to lose you again!"
"Heather, if you're a scholar of Draknar, you should know the history is mankind's greatest treasure," said Oswald looking at her firmly. "Now that has passed on, it will illuminate the path to your future. However, you must pass it on as well, or light will disappear with the next generation. We were trying to uncover some dark secret; we simply wanted to hear the voices of the past and protect them. Unfortunately, our research and here, but time marches on even if Draknar is destroyed. As surely as we believe in the past, we believe in the future that you will inherit."
"What does that mean?" Heather cried.
"Someday, you'll know," Oswald promised. "And you will be alone out your brother is somewhere out there." He then looked up at Saul. "Hurry! Take her and go, Saul!"
Saul picked up Heather. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Oswald nodded.
"Stop it. I want to stay with you, daddy!" Heather cried as Saul carried her away. "No!"
'I was happy to hear you call me that again,' Oswald smiled. 'Thank you, for now on, for my sake as well!' He then began yelling at the top of his voice. "You must live, Heather!"
He then began bursting into tears, as did Professor Clover as the Tree of Knowledge was burned to the ground.
Saul carried Heather in his hands and began making his way through the forest towards the shore. Heather continue to cry all the way, screaming at Saul.
Unbeknownst to him, a Marine scoffed at him through his spyglass.
"Vice-Admiral Asmund!"
"What now?" Asmund grumbled.
"It looks like… no, it's got to be…"
"So are you going to tell me or not?" said Asmund impatiently. "Spit it out already, man!"
"It's the deserter, Vice-Admiral Saul!"
"Please, Saul!" Heather begged. "You have to take me back."
"I can't; there's no way," said Saul
Heather just continued to cry into his beard.
"Don't cry Heather, you should be proud. Your papa is a wonderful man, and Draknar is a wonderful place. You've got to remember that it's your turn to pass it on, okay. Draknar was so great that it fought against the whole world."
Saul had, in fact, been a Marine Vice-Admiral and a few weeks before the planned attack on Draknar. He had been ordered to destroy several ships filled with scholars, though he wasn't particularly happy about it.
"Are you crazy," he said as they destroyed a ship containing a number of scholars. "Capturing them is enough! They aren't even pirates; they're scholars! Are you so weak that you can't lament when I blow them up? We shoot down these researchers shipped one after another, but I still can't find any sense in killing these poor folks."
"Vice-Admiral Saul!" said one of his men. "We found a survivor!"
Saul turned around and saw his men had apprehended Oswald.
"You're nothing but murderers!" he yelled.
Saul couldn't disagree with him. "Your scholars, why do you need ancient weapons?"
"You don't know a thing; you don't even know why you're killing us!" Oswald snapped.
"That's a Vice-Admiral speaking to," a Marine snapped at him.
Oswald just ignored him. "The weapons are just an excuse! Why don't you try thinking about what you're doing for once? You're just afraid of the path you know nothing about!"
He soon made his way to a Marine base was given new orders by Admiral Sander.
"This is a top-secret mission," said Sander.
"The Buster Call?" Saul stared.
"It's an all-out attack in which five Vice Admirals come and 10 battleships; I want you to take part."
"They're just scholars, right?" said Saul thinking that this was too over the top. "Why do we have to go so far? Even the ones we captured before don't seem like they care about weapons; they just want to learn more about history. If the research is so dangerous, why don't we help them, so nothing goes wrong? At least you can do is give me some proof that these folks are bad because, to me, it sounds like we're the criminals here."
"Are you questioning the Government?" said Sander narrowing his eyes. "Just follow your orders."
After that, he made his way into the brig and stood in front of Oswald's cell.
"I got some questions for you; you think we can talk?" he said.
No sooner after that, he broke Oswald free from his cell and defected from the Navy.
"This is an emergency! Vice-Admiral Saul has taken the prisoner and deserted!"
Sander was more disappointed than angry. "This won't do; he knows too much about our next operation. After them, stop Saul and Oswald at any cost! Open fire if necessary."
Saul and Oswald were making their getaway on a pair of navy ships.
"Troops will be showing up any minute now, but I'll take care of them," said Saul.
"You know, you won't be able to return to the Navy after this," Oswald pointed out.
"Fine by me, now that I've got this doubt in my heart ain't no point in staying anyway," he shrugged. "I know the law is the law, but the way they're acting this time is downright cruel. So I'm following my own sense of justice. Now you get that island and warn your friends."
"I'm not going to thank you," said Oswald, not even looking at him.
"Well, good luck to either way," said Saul and then laughed.
Saul was still carrying heavier when suddenly the Marine battleships began firing all around him, and he soon realised they were actually aiming at him.
"They're not targeting the island. They're targeting me!" he said.
He quickly shielded Heather just as a cannonball struck him in the face.
"Saul!" Heather cried.
The Marines were rather distraught that they had fired upon their former Vice-Admiral.
"Ah, you hit him!"
"I'm sorry!"
"Don't apologise; he's a criminal's accomplice now!"
"My apologies, Heather must have scared you," said Saul as he put her down. "Wait here, a sec."
He then immediately charge towards the nearest Navy battleship.
"Are you the one firing on us!" he yelled. "What if you have that poor little girl, you damn fools!"
"Vice-Admiral, please stop!" the Marines pleaded.
Saul ignored them and grabbed hold of the ship with his bare hands. "I don't know about justice anymore, but I know that I can protect my friend!"
Heather just watched terrifyingly. "Stop it, Saul! You're scaring me!"
"Hope you're ready because if you make an enemy out of me, there's going to be hell to pay!" he yelled as he lifted the battleship out of the water with nothing but pure strength.