After the events of Heliord, David and Elize decide to have a chat.
"Looks like you've had quite the makeover there, Elize." Alvin said, commenting her new outfit.
"Oh, Driselle bought me these clothes for my Elympios trip." Elize said, modest as usual.
"And she and her friends at school all got matching ribbons." Teepo commented.
"Look at you being all social." Alvin comments.
"What about you? For a merchant, you look kind of shifty." Elize said.
"My partner's the nice-guy type, so I get to be the bad cop. What can I say? The role fits."
"Look at you being all social!" Teepo said to Alvin.
"I see Teepo is with you again." Jude said.
"Yeah... She locked me away for a while there..."
Elize was then holding Teepo. "My friends and I promised we'd show each other our plush dolls on this trip."
"She wants everyone to see my cuteness!"
"Not sure if I'd put it like that..." David said worryly.
Elize tried to find the right words. "Because... Teepo's adorable, isn't he?"
"Isn't he?" Teepo asked, waiting for David's answer.
"Y-yeah. Especially those...horns of his." David said nervous.
"Uh oh..." Jude muttered with his eyes widened. He knows where this is going.
"They're not horns, they're ears!" Elize corrected David.
"Renowned for my softness, yet he talks about horns?!" Teepo said offended.
"I said the exact same thing once." Jude said scratching his head.
Alvin chuckles at this. "You two really are birds of a feather."
"Sorry..." David says in his constant embarassment.
While the group helps Ludger pay off his debt, they helped Jude deal with a shady man who brought a Great Spirit fossil from this world's Celsius, and helped Leia take the first step in knowing what it means to be a true reporter. Ludger then spotted Sectonia and David.
Sectonia Episode 1: In the Eyes of the People
"Oh. Hello, Ludger." Sectonia said with a bow. "I was just thinking about something."
"Something to do with your past, I'd bet." Ludger responded.
Sectonia looked down. "Yes. I used to be a kind and just ruler of Floralia. However, when the Dimension Mirror appeared, I couldn't stop gawking about my beauty. Eventually, it took hold of me, turned me into this, and made me go on a bid of conquest like some tyrant." Sectonia held one of her hands to her head, as if it was aching in pain. "I caused so much trouble, even to the ones closest to me. By now, they all probably consider me to be dead, and I have no means of redeeming myself for my actions."
"Then take back what you've lost."
"What?"
Elle spoke up. "Ludger's right. If you can't change what happened, then you may as well start over."
"Despite all of that, you're a pure radiant soul that just wants to break free. To get the recognition you're looking for, you need to get people to look up to you." David smiled at this. "And we're here to help you achieve that! Not just me and Ludger either. Lloyd, Colette, Ramona, Jude, Rowen, everyone!"
Sectonia looked up. "Y-you're right. I need to accept the fact that I'm not alone. Everyone has their own personal struggles, and only by helping each other out when we can will we succeed in resolving them." Sectonia smiles to the group. "Thank you all. I really needed this talk."
"Anything for a friend, right?"
"You... you actually consider me a friend?"
"Of course I do. Heck, I wouldn't even be here on this journey if it weren't for you."
Sectonia smiles and nods, then looks to Ludger. "Ludger, if you need help with anything, just let me know."
Ludger nods at this, happy that Sectonia acknowledges him as a friend.
Character Episode End
After paying off another portion of Ludger's debt, Nova calls Ludger again. This time, he lets Sectonia take the call.
"Nova here with the latest and greatest! You are now free to travel as far as the Aladhi Seahaven! You guys keep making those payments, and we'll keep unlocking seahavens. Go forth, hearty travelers, and conquer the sea!"
Elle spoke up at this. "Oh! I've never been to sea before."
David gave a flat look. "Seriously? You told us you got to Trigleph on a boat."
Nova, as energetic as ever, continued the conversation. "Nonetheless, you've got to check it out! The sea is awesome! It's so big! And large! And grand!" Nova hung up at that, then Sectonia gave the GHS back to Ludger.
"At least, we're able to get to Aladhi Seahaven. Let's catch up to Julius." Sectonia said.
"Okay." Ludger responded.
The group first went to Marksburg where they crossed to the Rieze port, then took a boat to Aladhi Seahaven, where Raine was uncomrtable in the boat. Ludger asked her if there's anything wrong, but Raine tells him that everything is alright. However, Elle is skeptical to Raine's behavior, causing Raine to sigh in defeat and tell Ludger that she'll give the details later. When the group reaches Aladhi, they ran into a familiar informant, one that told the group about the Universal Core in the first place.
"Hey! You're all okay!" Jolyne said.
"It's Jolyne!" Colette said, recognizing her.
"It's good to see you guys again. I just feel horrible about what happened. I don't suppose I could bribe my way into your good graces?"
"What exactly are they?" Lloyd asked.
"Winged boots. Just a little something something to lighten your load and make you love me again."
"What are you talking about?" Leia asked, causing Jolyne to chuckle.
"A star reporter like you ought to be able to figure it out. By the way, an agent from Spirius is staying at the inn here. Toodles!" Jolyne said as she leaves.
"Maybe she should be a reporter."
"An agent from Spirius... Could he be talking about Julius?" Scott asked the group.
"Probably. Vera did say that he was spotted here, but there's really only one way to find out."
When the group got to the inn, they saw a woman in front of an injured man laying on the sofa.
"What do you want?" The woman asked. The man was groaning in pain.
"Where does it hurt? I'm a doctor." Jude said.
"And I can use my healing artes if it's alright." Raine added, but Ludger got a call on his GHS from Vera.
"We've confirmed your arrival at Aladhi Seahaven. Recover the data from the pursuit agent and return to company HQ."
"Sorry about that. Here's the data." says the woman, handed it to Ludger.
"Those people..." David said in disbelief.
"I know, but recovering the data is your top priority. Bring it to HQ immediately." Vera ended the call at that.
"Just what's so special about this data?" Scott asked.
The injured man spoke. "It's a copy of all the fractured dimension data that the former director Kresnik had collected and analyzed."
"Fractured dimension? What's that?"
"Whatever the case, they had a run-in with Julius." Ramona said.
The woman spoke. "Correct. We had him outnumbered ten to one and yet he still decimated us."
The man spoke next. "But at least we got the data off him. Get it back to HQ. It'll really help us improve our ability to detect Waymarkers."
"You guys going on ahead. Rowen and I will help these people." Elize told the group.
"Raine and I will help, too. They need all the help they can get." Zelos said.
(Bonus Scene: Sectonia)
"And I as well." Sectonia said.
"Sectonia?" David asked.
"David, to redeem myself in the eyes of the people, I must provide them with help when they need it most. Besides, if Julius finds out that the Spirius agents managed to get the data off of him, he'll be sure to come back. And when that happens, someone has to protect this place."
Alvin smirked at this. "Well, well. Look at the former queen, getting all determined."
Ludger looked down at this. He knows that Julius would never be so reckless, but at the same time, knows that Julius is hiding something about Spirius.
"I understand. Be careful." David said, acknowledging her stance.
(End Bonus Scene)
"I'll help, too." Colette offered.
"I guess it's true. Colette really is an angel." Scott commented as the rest of the group make their way to Spirius HQ.
When they reached the lobby, Vera walked up to them.
"We've been expecting you, Mr. Kresnik." Vera said. "Please deliver the item in question to the CEO himself."
"Whoa... This place is huge!" David said, looking around.
"Who are these people?" Vera asked about David and the others.
"They're my friends." Ludger said.
"I believe only Mr. Kresnik was invited."
"We're a package deal!" Elle said.
"I'm Ludger's friend and advisor." Jude introduced himself.
"And we're the acting guardians of these minors." Alvin said, referring to Leia, Elle, Genis, and Presea.
"I'm acting guardian number two!" Leia said.
Genis sighed in defeat and went along with it. "Three!"
"Four." Presea said, deadpanned.
"And I'm... Er..." Elle then picked up Rollo. "Acting guardian of this kitty!"
Vera took in the situation well, though. "One moment, please." Vera walked away, causing Alvin to talk to Leia, Genis, and Presea.
"Acting guardians two through four, huh?"
"Look who's talking!" Leia said.
"Yeah, Alvin. I may biologically still be a child, but that's just it!" Genis said, confronting him. Vera then returned.
"All of you may enter." Vera told them. "Mr. Bakur is most impressed by the loyalty you engender in others, Mr. Kresnik."
When the group got to the CEO's office, Bisley was looking at the window before turning to them.
"Why, Ludger. I've been waiting for you." Bisley told him. Ludger then handed Bisley the data. "Thank you. Any leads on your brother's whereabouts?" Ludger shook his head no. "Well, as it turns out, I have news for you of both varieties: good and bad. Which one first?"
Ludger thought about this. "Let's start with the good news."
"I would like to recruit you as an agent in our corporation." Ludger was stunned at this. "Don't act so surprised; it makes perfect sense. I've been keeping an eye on you this whole time. You never back down from difficult situations. More importantly, you have the strength to face them."
"I'm willing to bet you've done more than just keep an eye on him." Genis said.
"I thinking you've been testing him." Regal added.
Bisley justified it. "You can't get the true measure of a man by observing from a distance."
Ramona brought something up. "And the bad news?"
"Mr. Kresnik's going on the police's most-wanted list." Vera told them, making Ludger shocked.
"Wait... This doesn't have anything to do with the train hijacking incident, does it?" Scott asked.
"Ludger's going to be arrested just for that?! You can't be serious!" David said in defense.
Bisley told the group. "I'm afraid so. Your life's about to get a lot tougher. However, there is a silver lining. If you become one of my agents, I'll get the police off your back, even if I have to get pushy."
"You're speaking as though he doesn't even have a choice! This is blackmail!"
"I failed to mention that an agent's salary is considerable. You'll be killing two birds with one stone. You can avoid arrest and pay off that massive loan almost overnight-provided you show me results, of course."
"What results are we talking about?"
"No fractured dimensions."
"Fractured dimensions...? Oh yeah! Those agents in Aladhi Seahaven mentioned something about that earlier!" Sheena said.
"Surely you've noticed them."
"Worlds like ours, but not?" Ramona asked. Bisley nods and walks to one of the flowers in his office.
"Think of this flower as our prime dimension, a world where history flows in a way familiar to us. But it's not the only blossom. There are offshoots."
"When one of these appears, it disperses soul energy from the prime dimension...our dimension, in other words." Vera explains.
"Disperses? That can't be good." Scott muttered.
"What happens if we don't do anything about it?" Lloyd asks.
Bisley plucks out a flower. "Ultimately? Souls will vanish from the prime dimension." Bisley then crushes the flower. "Of course, this means humans will die out as well."
"H-hold on a minute." David said.
"This all sounds pretty far-fetched." Ramona added.
"Elympios going dry. The failure of spyrite technology." Bisley began. "What if I were to tell you those effects were caused by the loss of soul energy from the prime dimension?"
"No way... It can't be true." David said.
"Oh, but it is. Spirius has been working to save our world by eliminating its counterparts in the fractured dimensions."
"Eliminate entire worlds? That's ludicrous! How could you do something like that?" Scott said.
"That is a question for our friend Ludger here. His chromatus transformation has the power we need to infiltrate and destroy these parasitic realities."
"The power to destroy a world? That's...insane."
"Hold on a second, Bisley." David said. "You said before that you have something that might pique our interest. What, pray tell, would that be?"
Bisley took out a white key. "It just so happens to be this."
"A...key?"
"Not just any key. One of the keys to the Universal Core. As far as I can tell, you have one in your possession already." Leia then took out hers. "The keys are said to have scattered into different worlds. Yet up until a year ago, Rieze Maxia and Elympios used to be two seperate worlds. Quite a coincidence that a key would end up in both."
"So, what's that got to do with us?"
"Simple. Assist Ludger in his task, and the key is yours. No questions asked." David was deep in thought about this. Bisley then put the key back in his pocket. "Ludger, for the sake of this world, the true world, and this entire universe, you must help us." Bisley then held his hand out.
Ludger was reluctant, but considering everything stacked against him, he didn't have a choice. "Alright. I'll do it." Ludger then shook his hand.
"Don't let me down." Vera then put a pin on Ludger. "You're officially a DODA agent of Spirius."
"One last thing. What's causing these fractured dimensions?" Presea asked.
Vera responds to this. "It's not a what. It's a who."
Bisley told the group. "A Great Spirit of Canaan. Chronos." This left the group shocked.
"Wait... Chronos? As in the God of Time?!" David asked.
"Yes. As the name suggests, he has the power to control time. But there is nothing to fear. We have in our possession the power needed to oppose him." Bisley puts a hand on Ludger's shoulder. "Come to the underground training area, and I will show you how to wield it."
"Wait! What about-"
"Don't worry. The information has already been relayed to your comrades. If your group is going to be working with us, it would be best to keep them informed." Bisley says as he leaves.
(Bonus Scene: Leia)
"I have to admit, being an agent for the Spirius Corporation is kind of a big deal." Leia said, walking up to Ludger. "But, are you sure about this?"
Ludger responded. "To be honest, not really..."
"I thought so... But if the CEO says you can handle it, that's a big thumbs-up! I mean, my editor will barely let me take down a classified ad. This could be your big chance to make it big." Leia groans to herself. "What reporter uses 'big' twice in one sentence?!" Leia then smiles at Ludger, as if assuring that everything will be alright.
(Bonus Scene End)
After the talk, the group strike a conversation about Bisley.
"Bisley Bakur sure lives up to his reputation." Alvin said.
"He certainly makes an impression." David said. "Kind of like..."
Ludger finishes for him. "A boss of a sinister organization."
"I think so too! He's like the villain of Beach Brigade: Sunscreen Rangers." Elle points out, leaving Ludger confused. "Well, he's like this evil genius who makes fish-paste products from dead fish, and uses them to rule the seafood industry. But the Sunscreen Rangers will fight him to the death to defend the beach, so that they have dead fish to eat!"
"Wait... They're fighting to save...dead fish...from the seafood industry?" Scott asked, confused.
"It was a classic Elympion action series. Balan collected all the toys." Alvin said.
"I used to watch it with my daddy!" Elle said.
"And Bisley...resembles that." Scott says, even more confused than before.
"Well, regardless, he's Ludger's boss now." Ramona said. "Let's just make sure we're the ones using him and not the other way around."
"Agreed. We can't accomplish much without him." Genis says.
David was deep in thought. "But just in case, we need to be careful. I don't think Bisley was lying, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't telling us everything either."
The group make it down to the underground training facility where they meet Bisley.
"Steel yourself, agent. I wish we can ease into this, but time is of the essence. You'll have to train the hard way. Actual combat." Four electric dog-like creatures appear. The group tries to rush over, but David holds them back. "Don't interfere." However, Ludger manages to transform and dispatch them easily. "That's enough for now. Still no match for Julius, though."
"So that's a chromatus." David said, amazed.
"Where'd Ludger learn that trick?" Alvin asked.
"It's a family trait. He's one of Kresnik's descendants." Bisley told the group. "See his watch? It's a Kresnik heirloom, passed down for generations. It's the key to the transformation. Though it would seem Julius has been using yours all this time."
"That's not Ludger's. That's my daddy's." Elle mutters.
"We're talking about Kresnik the Genesis Sage, right? The one who wielded the Lance of Will?" Jude asked.
"The Sage Kresnik? Yes, I seem to recall that name from Rieze Maxian legend." Bisley told the group.
"So, the tale is different here in Elympios?" Sheena asked.
"If Kresnik wasn't a sage, what was he?" Scott asked.
Bisley answered. "A wretched plaything for the spirits. They granted- No, they cursed the Kresnik line with the chromatus. But Kresnik's curse is humanity's weapon. And you, Ludger, will master it." Bisley then walks away. "You'll be contacted when we detect a new fractured dimension. Until then, rest up."
At that moment, Ludger gets a call from Nova.
"Look, Ludger, I really hate to bring this up, but...you've been neglecting your loan payments lately. Nobody likes a financial deadbeat." The call ends there.
"So much for resting up. Well, it's back to business as usual." David tells the group as they leave.
A/N: Inspired by Jexi the Hunter and Hope the Victor