"...jin?" I asked. He turned around and smiled.
"Welcome back…old friend." jin said. I smiled back. Fighting back the tears.
"...it's good to be back." i said. As we continued walking. I explained what happened on the ship.
"I already knew that malos was back…" jin said.
"...how?" i asked.
"He came to me. And offered me to join him…i can't deny…i was tempted." jin said with a bit of shame.
"What!? Why!? You know lora wouldn't allow that? Even if she's too old to fight alongside you any longer!" i yelled. Jin took off his mask…his core crystal was crimson red.
"Kaku…how long do you think you were in cryo sleep?" jin asked.
"My sentence was fifty years. So i've been asleep for fifty years right?" i asked. Jin sadly shook his head.
"That's what it was supposed to be…but addam…he was afraid of what would have happened if you were awakened so he refuse to tell me where you were and mythra were…fifty years…became five hundred…" jin said.
"Five hundred years?" i asked in shock. I fell to my knees. Trying not to puke as the tension turned to nauseum. Everybody i know is long dead…the people i fought for…long gone. Even if i met brighid and aegaeon again. Any memory of me is long gone. Back with…hugo. I still can't forgive myself….everything and everyone i knew has been lost to time...i still have to fight malos…i can't let his evil triumph…but what about after? What am i supposed to do after? I have no home in torna anymore. Even if i'm remembered. I doubt i'm a good memory. Is there even a place for me anymore?
"Master kaku…we'll figure out something out…you may have lost your place. But we can find a new home…lora wouldn't give up because of this. And neither will you!" haze yelled. I stood up.
"Thanks haze…needed that." i said. Haze smiled and look towards jin.
"I'm truly glad to see you again jin." haze said.
"Likewise…i'm truly glad to see all of you again…" jin said with a smile.
"I'm happy for this little reunion….but we seem to be forgetting my sister and her new driver." mythra said…shit! Forgot about rex and pyra!
"Jin! By any chance did you run into a salvager with an emerald crystal in his chest alongside mythra's other self. Or a gormotti driver with a white tiger blade. Or azurda?" i asked. Jin shook his head. "Dammit! Alright let's get searching! I only hope that kid can stay out of trouble." i said. We then explored the forest area. And striking down any local flora that saw us as it's next meal. As we continued our search for rex and the gormotti girl. Jin gave us a recap of what happened to him and lora…
Shortly after malo's defeat. And my frozen imprisonment. Amalthus became praetor of indol. Doesn't take a genius to realize that it was done by foul means…no way in hell would that nihilistic lunatic gain that position…unless he silently killed the ones his position…after that. He gathered indol's powerful army and weapons and attacked torna…they manage to repel it…but there were casualties…lora being one of them…i should have killed amalthus when i had the chance…now i understood why the idea of joining with malos was tempting for jin. While i spent five hundred years frozen. Jin spent those years as a flesh eater…alone…utterly alone. The only reason he didn't. Was lora's final words…
"I want you…to find kaku…he'll need you. He's the one you must protect now…neither of you…will be alone." those were her last words to jin…even dying…she was worried about me…
"Lora…thank you…for everything." i said.
"Kaku…" mythra said with worry. I looked at her with a confident smile.
"Let's get going. We still have a job to do…i won't let malos destroy everything lora protected." i said. Mythra nodded. After a bit more of running through the jungle. We found rex and pyra…alongside a dying azurda.
"Rex…kaku…it's good to see you both uninjured." azurda said.
"How awful…" pyra said.
"Hold on, i should have some herbs." rex said in desperation.
"Rex…i don't think that's gonna work." i said.
"It's as he says…no human medicine will suffice…weep not my boy. This is my fate…no parting is forever…kaku. As brief as it was. It warms my heart to see the fire back in your eyes. I know that you still blame yourself for what happened…but you should take pride…in the fact that you saved torna…it stands because of your actions…we will all meet again when the flow of ether wills it." azurda said as his body glowed and soon turned to nothing. Rex fell to his knees. Crying and screaming for his gramps.
"Azurda…i lost another friend today…but i promise to watch out for rex…so rest easy…and thank you." i said.
"Your welcome kaku…and rex. Didn't i tell you not to cry." a voice said. I look towards the ground and saw…a tiny azurda.
"Rex…save your tears for the dead. Azurda isn't gone…" i said. But rex was still busy with his emotional breakdown. I sighed and smacked the back of his head. Getting his attention. "Stop crying! Look down!" i yelled. Rex looked down and dried his eyes. Seeing the tiny azurda.
"Whaaaat!?" rex pyra and mythra yelled.
"Use your eyes! Don't you recognize me!?" azurda asked.
"Well. considering none of us here has seen you during your baby state…not really." i said.
"I am so confused right now." rex said.
"It seems azurda escaped death by going back to his larval state…how he did that and how it works. Don't ask me. I stopped asking questions about how blades and titans a long time ago." i said.
"Well that's quite handy! Must be nice being a titan!" rex said with his eyes closed.
"This isn't something any old titan can do! Only one so advanced as myself…erm rex? Are you angry." azruda said. His ego enhancing speech interrupted when he noticed that rex was not happy with him.
"I can understand why! Give the poor kid his tears back!" i yelled.
"When will you be back to your old self?" rex asked.
"Good question. No more than three hundred years." azurda said.
"Th-three hundred years? But i'll be long dead by then." rex said.
"You could do what i did. Go to sleep in cold storage for five hundred years. Fare warning. The culture shock will hit hard." i said.
"Nice to see you can make jokes about your…situation." azurda said.
"Yeah…but addam is lucky he's long dead….because i really want to punch that coward in the face for this!" i yelled.
"Well. considering malos has returned. Keeping us locked up for five hundred years turned out to be a good thing." mythra said.
"Yeah…still want to punch him though." i said.
"Ha! The amount of times i thought that when i was that spaz's blade." mythra said.
"Good to have a laugh. But my house was on the back of gramps. Where do i live now?" rex asked.
"Perhaps this is an opportunity to fly the nest." azurda said. I patted rex on the back.
"Guess were both homeless now. Ehh we'll think of something." i said.
"What? Like rent. That's another massive expense…but." rex said as he looked towards azurda. "But glad to see your ok gramps." rex said. Azurda giving him a thumbs up. Rex look towards us and saw the new face among our group. "Who are you?" rex asked.
"I'm an old friend of kaku and mythra…my name is jin." jin said.
"Old friend…kaku. Gramps seems to know you. How long were you in that ice box?" rex asked.
"Five hundred years." i replied.
"So…you were there in torna during the aegis war?" rex asked. I laughed.
"I was more than just there…i was the one who ended it." i said.
"Really? Wow! You must be crazy strong!" rex yelled. I chuckled at the stars in his eyes.
"Yep! Jin, mythra, and azurda will all tell you that i was a monster on the battlefield." i said.
"Kaku. i have a favor to ask…will you train me to wield pyra?" rex asked.
"Not sure how much i can teach you, i became mythra's driver just as recently as you became pyra's driver. Of course i've been a driver longer…" i said as kos-mos and haze appeared behind me. "But when it comes to the aegis…i'm just as much of a novice as you." i said. Rex looked at me with determination.
"That's not what i'm asking….i want to protect pyra. I want to make it to elysium…and do that. I need to get stronger. And who better to train me than the legendary berserker of torna?" rex asked. This kid is no warrior. But he wants to be. To protect pyra…to make it to elysium. He's no addam….but he definitely has the potential to rise even further than him….and i'll help him reach that point.
"Alright…i'll train you kid…i'm going to go easy on you. You ready for that?" i asked.
"Yeah…even if the training is hell. I will endure it." rex said. I chuckled.
"Your determined kid…i respect that…but before that. We should focus on our mission to find the lost kitty." i said.
"Oh shoot! That's right! We gotta find nia!" rex yelled. After azurda took residence in rex's diving helmet. We began our search for nia.
"There's a ripple in the ether here." pyra said.
"So a driver's fighting nearby?" i asked.
"I'm sure of it." pyra said. We all ran towards the source of the ripple and sure enough we saw nia and her blade fighting a brog. Before it could get any closer. I summoned kos-mos and had her blast the thing.
"What's new pussy cats?" i asked with a smile. Mythra looked at me with a deadpan look. I gave her a smartass smile back. Afterwards we introduced ourselves.
"So why are you guy even…well, i guess that's a stupid question." nia said.
"Seriously, it's good to see you, and you're all right." rex said.
"Right back at you. Hey, what happened to the big guy who saved us? The titan?" nia asked.
"Are you talking about me?" azurda asked as he crawled out.
"Wait? What? How?" nia asked. Utterly confused.
"He reverted back to being baby to escape dying. It's titans. don't question it." i said. Nia looked at me in fear.
"Your…not gonna kill me are you?" nia asked. Clearly afraid.
"As long as you don't betray us or run back to that bastard malos. We'll get along just fine. So what's the plan now?" i asked.
"We set up camp and rest for the night." rex said.
"I would say i got enough rest….but i know the rest of you haven't been in a five hundred cryo sleep. so sure let's go with that." i said. After setting up camp. Rex nia and pyra chatted about azurda's abilities and thanking each other saving each other's hides. While they were doing that. Jin pulled me and mythra aside.
"When we get to gormotti. We'll split up from those three for a bit. There's a boat scheduled for torna. There's something we have to do there." jin said. I looked to the ground.
"As much as i would love to see how torna's doing…you know how kaku feels…" mythra said. Jin looked at me with a smile.
"I assure you…your not hated…just come to torna…you'll be pleasantly surprised." jin said…I can't run from my fears. I have to face them.
"It's alright…if this is really important…than we'll go." i said. After turning in for the night. We arrived at gormotti…and i had to admit. This place has greatly improved since last time i was here…then again it was burnt to the ground so my expectations weren't that high. We walked by a bounty board. It had wanted poster of malos. Patroka and nia…except the mugshot of nia was way off. It had her hair. But her face looked like dromarch's. Nia was pissed at this hilariously bad mugshot. Her blade not helping saying that it was an exact likeness. Not helping kitty. Nia ripped it to shreds. Hissing like an cat.
"I don't get what your pissed about. If the wanted poster looks nothing like you. Then that's a good thing. Unless you want soldiers and bounty hunters constantly on your tail." i said. Nia looked like she was about to argue before closing her mouth.
"Good point…" nia said looking to the side. We continued onwards and saw a mor ardain driver recruitment. Some gormotti kid was trying to step up. Only for his siblings to try and stop him. They got shoved out of the way of a bigger gormotti guy. I would have kicked his ass for that. But the core crystal did that for me…jin said that not having the aptitude would hurt…he didn't say anything about blood coming out of every orifice on the head like an anime character seeing a big pair of tits. Glad i had what it took…that would have sucked hard…the kid then stepped and unlike the big prick…he had what it took. With a shiny common blade by his side and a mega lance in his hand. Congratulations kid. Your a driver.
"This is where we part ways." jin said.
"What? Why?" rex asked.
"There's…something we have to do in torna. I promise we'll be back soon." i said. After waving goodbye. We took the boat to torna…time to face my past. We arrived to auresco…and despite having too massive wars back to back…torna thrived…auresco's has more life and glamor then it did before. I looked through the garden. The palace was the same. Jin said i would be pleasantly surprised coming here…and he wasn't wrong.
In the garden was an art piece depicting me standing against amalthus's army. I didn't get it at first until i read what was under it.
"Kaku tachinowarui. The berserker of torna. The hero that stopped malos and saved torna…now a great spirit who has given us strength to face even the harshest of storms." i read out loud. I felt tears built in my eyes…for so long i thought torna hated me…that i was seen as a monster for what happened at the final battle…but now i'm here…to find out that was far from the truth…i'm not remembered as a monster…i'm seen as a hero…a pillar of strength for torna. Even years later.
"Beautiful painting isn't it?" someone from behind me asked. I turned around to see someone that looked like the tornan king. But I know that's not possible. It's most likely his descendant.
"I never thought i would meet the berserker of torna. It is a great honor to meet such a hero." the new tornan king said. Pouring me and himself a cup of tea.
"I can't believe i'm remembered as a hero…after what happened at that battle." i said. The shame and guilt emanating from my voice.
"It's true…but we would never see you as a monster…the fact you still bear the guilt for what happened to hugo and mythra show's that you truly cared for them. And wouldn't have harmed them…not on purpose." the new tornan king said. He then chuckled. "But it seems she's fine despite that." the king said. Mythra shrugged.
"I got a sister now…so that's one good thing to come from it." mythra said. I chuckled at her attempt to soften the blow.
"Quite…so i've heard from jin that your planning to go to elysium?" the new tornan king asked.
"That's rex's goal. Mine is what it was five hundred years ago. Destroy malos. And then kill his driver. Amalthus." i said.
"Amalthus…finding elysium wouldn't be necessary if not for that man." the king said. I looked at him with an raised eyebrow. "The titans are dying out because of his "cleansing" procedure. Preventing blades from continuing on their life cycle in becoming titans." the king said.
"So the nihilistic psychopath is trying to enact our destroying and doing it under everyone's noses by saying it's some "holy" thing. Not surprising considering there's no way in hell amalthus got to be praetor by fair means." i said. The king nodded.
"Yes. he assassinated his predecessor rhadallis with poison. And used a flesh eater to kill his only opponent, magister baltrich. With no one to oppose him he took the role of praetor. He ordered an attack on torna. You know how that went…and indol didn't leave empty handed. They managed to capture refugees to use for blade eater experiments among them…mikhail and milton among them…" the king said. Mythra covered her mouth with her hands in horror.
"No….milton!" mythra yelled as she began to cry. Despite the insults. She really did care for that kid. And so did i…my rage continued to bubble at that vile piece of shit pretending to be a praetor.
"For every sin committed against my home…against those i care about. I will rip off a limb. Awakening malos. His arm. Attacking torna. The other arm. Using milton and mikhail as lab rats. The leg. Trying to bring armageddon by preventing the blades from becoming titans. The other leg. And then just for myself…the head." i said.
"For alrest to heal. That man needs to die. There's no argument there. But you will have to wait for the mask to slip. Killing a praetor is a crime that will make you wanted by every kingdom except torna. Especially considering how amalthus twisted the tale of the final battle." the king said.
"Even our history this guy will twist to get what he wants!? Alright what did we do with our history." i said.
"Amalthus twisted the final battle against malos..instead of being loss of control…he twisted into an act of betrayal. Making it seem that you were really aiming to gain the power of aegises…of course having mythra as your blade will not help prove your innocence." the king said.
"Kaku didn't force me to be his blade! I chose this! As he chose me! We're partners! I was not forced to do anything!" mythra yelled.
"And whatever power malos could offer me is not worth constantly dealing with his douchebag personality and extremely punchable face." i said.
"Yes. and we tried to tell the truth…but indol has too much power…so few believed us over them…i know i can't stop your journey. But it would be best to try to avoid letting anyone in the other kingdom's finding out who you are." the king said.
"That was the plan. I was never one for giving out autographs anyway." i said. I took the final sip of my tea. "Thanks for the tea. It was lovely." i said i followed jin finally getting to what he wanted us to see…and my heart sank.
It was lora…frozen by jin's powers…there was a hole in her chest. Most likely what jin did to become a flesh eater.
"Hey lora…i found kaku. Just like i promised. He's happy to see what the people torna really remember him as…he was afraid they saw him as a monster. I told him he'd be pleasantly surprised." jin said. I don't know what was more heartbreaking. Seeing lora as a dead body in ice. Or jin talking to a frozen corpse like she's still somehow still alive. Once again. Guilt ate away at me for another reason…if i didn't lose control…i could have been there. I could have saved her..
"Lora…" i said. Fighting back the tears. I fell to my knees in front of her. "I'm sorry! If only i didn't lose control! I could have been there. You wouldn't have died! Jin wouldn't have to suffer five hundred years alone! I'm sorry jin! I'm sorry lora!" i yelled as tears streamed down my face…as the guilt and pain ate away at me once again…one of my memories as kaku frei returned.
I was in a dusty library looking for a book to kill time before my next raid on a rival gang. I found a book on the familiar ritual. I read through it.
"So my blood has the ability to make everything except other armageddon knights my servant…even death won't break that pact. If it's done on something dead. It will bring them right back from the afterlife" i said before i closed the book before throwing it away. "Too bad there's nothing but armageddon knights here! So that's a waste of braincells! Welp. time to ride." i yelled as i left the library….kaku frei didn't have any use for this info…but i do.
"Jin…can you unfreeze lora?" i asked. Jin looked at me with wide eyes. "Just trust me please?" i asked. Jin was hesitant. But he did what i asked. I approached lora. I kneeled next to her. I summoned my sword. And cut my palm.
"What the heck are you doing!?" mythra asked. I let my blood drop into the open hole in lora's chest. When my blood entered her body. A red glow surrounded her. I saw her heart regrow before the wound closed a red mark similar to my tattoo appeared on lora's right cheek going down her neck. Her eyes rapidly opened as she took a deep breath.
"No way…how in the…" mythra said utterly baffled. Lora got up and looked at us.
"Kaku…mythra…jin…i'm…alive?" lora asked. Jin quickly rushed over and hugged her. He cried as hugged her tightly… "i missed you…i missed all of you…thank you for not forgetting me." lora said with a bright smile. I'm sorry wasn't there when you needed me most…but i'm glad i could i could at least undo this mistake…lora. Jin. my closet friends. The ones who made a hero from a bandit. who showed me i could be more than an rage filled animal…welcome back.
