Arc 1.5 Chapter 3: Trump Card and First Name.
12/12/2030
Mare Aurum: Barracks
14:30
Stargazer's POV
It's been two days since the incident with Eli and we found a spot and an empty room, and there she can sing and practise her voice however she likes but for the most part I ready some ear plugs just in case and after that session, I promise to her I will come next week. Now I am in the barracks in Mare Aurum training with the soldiers that Nero made. This is one of the independent companies under Mare Aurum; The Military Department, where Nero's generals, Cu, Li Shuwen, Nameless, and Gawain train the recruits and right now I am also doing training with them, with Cu and Nameless keeping a watch.
Right now, I am training with what seems to be a 2nd rate wizards, aside from reinforcements, we are using hand to hand.
My opponent rushed at me with a punch while I blocked it with the back of my fist. Using my other hand to grab him, I use that to push my lower body up and try to kick him with an axe kick midair but he blocks it with his other hand. I tried to let go of his hand But he grabbed that arm and threw me, I landed with my hand and to my feet. I rush at him using a burst of speed from the legs via reinforcement. Just before I kick him in the face I hear a clap, and stops. Looking at the side, the one who claps, is Nameless as he approaches us.
"You can take a break, good job." Nameless said to my opponent as he walked away.
"You did good out there, but it seems you lacked power." Nameless said to me, and to be honest it kinda hurt but it's reasonable.
Guardian's POV
"Well I'm never much of a fighter, more of a support type, the reason why I even know hand to hand is because of self defence and even then I didn't really master it, just the basics." Fujimaru said and looking closely it makes sense, from what he told us, there's never a moment of rest from where he came from, and he needs to be ready whenever, so I guess there's no moment where he can be taught fully on how to fight. But because of his journey, he has an almost infinite stamina, even with the spar a moment ago while his opponent is out of breath, his breathing pattern never changes.
He is, at best, only an average wizard or mage from where he came from. But that is only due to his lower than average circuits, and from what I've seen he seems to not use any kind of code cast before, maybe because of his low mana reserves. But even though he is low in terms of mana, he has a tactical mind, he analyse his opponents and made use of his low mana reserves by strengthening his overall power, and using an release of mana to make a burst of speed, but his attacks itself lacks power, proven by the spar earlier where his opponent despite only using a little bit of reinforcement was able to tank his attack, his strength is above average for a normal human but against wizards he might get some difficulty.
"Why won't you use the regalia to boost your mana output to make a powerful attack?" I ask him, if he has the other half of regalia, even though its functions are split in half, its main source of mana is still directly connected to the mooncell.
"I want to try, but I'm afraid the the sudden burst of mana filling inside of me will make my body implode, and I'm have no skill in terms of handling mana inside of my body, so I have no choice but to direct that sudden filling of mana into something that can withstand it like the sword I carried, but even then I only fill it with mana at the last second of me attacking as it may cause the sword to break." I see, that's why he can only use it on the sword, but the fact that he can now directly control when to activate the regalia and when to turn it off means he has at least some sort of understanding of how to use it.
"How about your shadow servants?"
"My shadow servants are just my bonds with my servants that took the form of a shadow with no will of their own. Yes I use mana, but at best I can only do five summons a day if I can time it right as it consumes my mana, so the longer a shadow servant of mine remains active or I summon another one, my mana will immediately be depleted."
That makes sense too. But from the reports I read, it seems like he was able to summon three servants of high class, a servant from Indian mythology, Greek mythology and one unknown. But I also read he was under pressure from that and had no other choice but to use it, and in the aftermath of that battle his mana was almost depleted. One peculiar thing about it was that his eyes seemed to change, but let's worry about that for another time. I would guess that he unconsciously activated the regalia and used it to power his servants even for a tiny bit. So in theory, that means that if he can handle the usage of mana that comes from the regalia even for a minute, he might be able to summon a high tier servant or multiple servants at the same time.
"Well, there's this one thing…"
"Hmm?"
"In this one fight I got, I have no choice but to use my command seal to power my body, temporarily I seem a bit more powerful there."
"!"
That's it!
"Fujiamru, I want you to punch me right now with all you might, no reinforcement."
"U-uh sure."
Fujimaru took a punching stance and there he made a battle cry and punched me as he blocked my palm. I didn't feel any pain but I can tell he really gave it his all in that punch.
"Now do it but this time use reinforcement."
"Right!"
He once again took the same punching stance, but this time blue lines appeared in his forearm leading directly to his fist, as the said fist began to lit up like a fire of light blue mana.
"RAHH!" He punch me and I block him but this time I need to put my back down a little as I feel a shockwave course through my arm, it didn't hurt, but it shows there's a difference in power, so I wonder how much power it has when his attacks are powered by a command seal.
"Now do it again but now use a command seal to power it."
"Eh-h, but can I do it though? Last time I just instinctively used it. I don't even know how to do it."
"Then try not to think of it as a command seal, but as a mana battery."
His eyes widened before he nodded. He took a deep breath and took a punching stance. His right hand glowed red as he readied his attack.
"RAHHHH!" He yelled as the punch began to close in, my body shivered and the years of experience yelled at me to dodge. I use my other arm to grab into the arm where he would punch, reinforce my body using reinforcement and prepare for the blow.
As he closed in, the glow from his fist disappeared. My instinct stops screaming, and when the punch lands, there is no pain. He pulled back and looked at his hand where one stroke of the command seal was now gone.
"Tsk, I almost had it, so the moment I released it, it immediately went away huh…" He muttered it seems like he almost immediately understood it. I smile.
"I have decided."
"Hmm?"
"Fujimaru Ritsuka for the remainder of this month I'll train you to control your mana reserve and how you can handle the mana that came from the regalia to your body."
"E-eh"
"I have heard that next year, there will be a mission involving an underground NPC trafficking. Master Hakuno will also be part of the mission along with a few servants, this mission will take at least a month to complete as you need to destroy and apprehend all the people involved there. But this will be a long mission, you know that right? I know that you are not new with missions like this, but I know it's gonna be hard when all the servants that will accompany you already have a contract with the master, so at least you know how to defend yourself against a servant or atleast give you enough time to take them down before escaping. So will you take it on?"
I said to him as he pondered. That's right, I know that he is not new to this, but being extra safe is still a necessity, plus I have a feeling that a disaster is coming, not only that, we did beat Velber 02 but the first and the third are still out there and for all we know one of them will be coming soon.
I know that there's going to be another 14,000 years before they come, but what if they come early? The regalia is a weapon made specifically by the mooncell to combat this kind of disasters, and with the regalia being split in half, and no way of merging it back, at the very least what I want is for the two bearers of the ring to use it in combat at full mastery.
Fujimaru, upon pondering for a bit, opened his eyes with resolve and made his decision.
Stargazer's POV
"In this world, I have lost those that always help me, but I gained new ones in return, I may get replaced, hell, maybe if I get back home, I'll be forgotten by everyone here soon. But for now as someone who lives in this world, other people already accept me as if I am also a part of this world."
That's right, this is not the same as back then, where in each new world I go, I have the duty to take the lives of those more deserving to live than me, and even though it's not that long I already see the people here enjoying lives, the people here suffered enough with what happened back on earth. So as a foreigner, the best I can do is atleast to help them keep the ordinary life that they finally achieve. They finally got the chance, a second chance to live in a world where they can live normally. Yes, my true goal is to get back in Ch_dea and find the reason why I'm here in this world. But this is also my chance to redeem myself, I ended other people that are far more deserving than me to live. This time, even though it's because of my own selfishness, I want them, or at least a few of them, to keep their normal lives that I'll probably never have anymore.
"I'm going to leave this world sooner or later, I still have a duty back home after all, but for the remainder of my time here, I'll do my best to protect the people's second chance they got here in this world. So, even though you ask me, I'll be the one asking you back Nameless, please help me train, help me get the power to protect others, to have the power that lets me live."
In this world, maybe just maybe…
"That's obvious….to live!"
…I can finally find and understand why I answer that, and…
…Maybe I can find the answer, if someone like me, who selfishly takes lives that are far more deserving than me, is still okay to live.
"Then let's start then, but let me tell you, I can only help you in controlling your mana, but I'm not the best, and when it comes to your swordsmanship I'd rather have someone help you than me. But I'll guarantee you that you'll be able to use regalia on your body." Nameless said.
"Yes please."
"Then the training starts tomorrow but, what I want for you to do is before you sleep, you need to practise already, try releasing some of the regalia into your body, and if it's too much then you can release that mana from your body okay."
"E-eh, wait, what if I make a mistake! I could die, you know." I said frantically.
"Maybe." Nameless said.
"Oy!" I can't believe this guy.
And after that I began the training with Nameless.
He first taught me on how to control the mana inside my body and how to use them effectively, from reinforcing my body to move more swiftly, even using reinforcement on my five senses to enhance them. And then he teaches me how to contain the mana coming from the regalia to my body, at the end of the day I was able to keep it in, in a solid 4 seconds And at the end of each day, I would use one command seal to punch him as a mana battery.
It took me three days to finally master(the basics) it.
12/16/2030
Now I'm back in Mare Aurum. Nameless makes a request for me to take a leave from Tamamo, which she agrees to. And right now I am waiting for him, after a few minutes he comes back but he has my sword.
"Here." He tossed the sword into me and I caught it.
"Try changing its form."
Wat
"Wat?"
"Just as I said, change it's form, this came from a report that said that your sword was once a ordinary stone, the fact that it change means that you have the power to change its shape."
"But how do I even do that?"
"The Regalia."
"Huh?"
"One of the functions of regalia is complete control of all non sentient things on this world, but I would guess that because it's split in half, the control of the regalia over this world can only be worked when the user is directly touching it."
"That's an incredibly specific guess."
"Never mind that now, you were able to do it before, just try doing it again."
I just nodded and felt what I needed to do.
"Visualise, using what little mana you have in your body and if you think it's insufficient use the regalia."
I did what he told me. Gripping my sword in my hand, and activating the regalia.
I feel the sword changing in my hands, but my mana is almost empty, using the regalia to fill me with mana, and using that mana to change the shape of the sword.
I still haven't mastered the act of using my body as a connecting thread of mana from the regalia and to something else, so what I need to do is, as my mana is almost depleted, I would refill it with the use of regalia and using it to the rearrangement of the weapon. It tires my body heavily so I can't do it forever.
After doing the cycle of regalia mana to my body for about 3 times, I feel the blade complete. Opening my eyes, the two handed sword from before now changes into a 32 inch blade katana, its blade has a light blue hue colour on it while the guard design looks like the symbol of Ch_ea. And its handle is colour blue.
"A traditional katana, not bad." I heard a voice and saw Nameless, on the side.
"I just want to add, it took you an hour to change that sword."
"Really? An hour?"
"Since you're almost out, let's skip the last part and get you to rest."
"Really?"
"And as an added bonus I'll cook for you anything you like." He said with a smile
"REALLY?!"
And that's how I end the day with a satisfied stomach.
The next day after that, I was trained on how to imbue the new Katana with the mana from regalia, I first need to control how much I can put on an object to not let it break.
After that for a few days, I am training on using my command spell with a boost to attack my opponent and after training for it, the results are….
12/18/2030
16:09
Guardian's POV
It's been a whole week, since I begun training Fujimaru Ritsuka, and if there's one thing I notice is that he learns so fast, but it's not because he is a genius, he is still weak as a wizard, the only code cast he can use is a simple gandr and reinforcement. No, the reason is because of how quickly he adopts, when he fails at something, he keeps trying over and over again until ge it right. I even heard from some of the caretakers that he sometimes doesn't sleep just to train, in which I scolded him for.
And right now, I'm about to see the fruit of his effort.
"Ready Nameless?" Fujimaru said.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
I said, and he took a stance, while I did the same defensively, I reinforced my body in order to tank it. So let's see how hard it is now.
3rd Person POV
Ritsuka took a breath as he was in a punching position.
"First: Reinforce your body, and five senses" And that he did as the code cast did his work.
"Second: pour the mana to your fist and reinforce it." And as he thinks his magic circuits around his body glows and the mana accumulated from his fist begins to lit up.
"Third: use a release of mana from your feet to propel you!" And that he did and in a matter of seconds he is in front of Nameless.
Nameless seeing this, prepares himself.
Stargazer's POV
The last step, the most essential one and the most difficult. I need to time it right, or else the mana will go away.
And as I swing my fist, I activate my command seal as one stroke of it begins to glow.
Focus, don't let a second waste!
Concentrate, and just timed it right!
Three seconds before impact
Just as I was about to hit Nameless's palm, I used the command spell's mana and stored it into my hand, strengthening it.
Two seconds before impact.
I strengthen my arm and like water, the mana of mine and the command seals become one.
One second before impact.
And the moment my fist hits its target. I let out all the mana stored inside me into that punch.
Like a jet bursting the power it gained, I expelled all the magical energy built up from my fist.
That's right this is my…!
"MANA BURST!"
3rd Person POV
As Ritsuka yelled that, the sudden amount of mana let out, as red and blue mana energy remained for a bit like water droplets to emphasise its power. A crackle of what seemed like electricity cackling as if the electronic power just released.
When it hit, Nameless was blown away by the power of the hit.
"AGHHH!" Nameless cried out, as his feet tried to remain in the ground and absorb the attack.
When he finally stops, a distance of about 20 metres has been cleared.
Looking at his arms they were bloodied, and for a second he felt like his spirit's origin had been touched by the attack.
This happens because a command seal has been applied to the attack that Ritsuka gives. Command Seal is the symbol of a heroic spirit's obedience, it's powerful enough to keep a heroic spirit in bay or be forcefully act upon the command by a master, so using it as a mana to strengthen ones attack is strong enough to damage a heroic spirit, this is proven by using it to make some damage over a weaken beast 1.
However, this effect of being able to touch one's spirit origin, even for a brief moment, is only effective against heroic spirits or other entities who have a spirit origin acting as their core. So even if this attack is indeed powerful, the full potential of its abilities is regarded as useless against a wizard or some being who has no spirit origin or who has the power to tank it.
Luckily, Nameless was able to reinforce his body to a degree where he can tank it and is fully prepared for said attack. But even still it did damage to him to the point his whole left arm is now busted and broken.
"Damn, it's this much power eh, and I was fully prepared for it too." Nameless thought to himself.
"Wahhh! Nameless your arm! I am so sorry!" Ritsuka runs at him and apologises while crying looking at the damage he has done.
"Don't worry about it, it will heal." Nameless reassures Ritsuka.
"Eh? But still…"
"Don't worry, but more importantly, now you have three trump cards against your opponent, your shadow servants, mana burst, and that." Nameless said. While I wipe away my tears.
"Right."
"Now let's go get these arms healed up."
"I'll help!"
22:07
Knock knock
I heard a knock on my door after yelling to enter, they opened the door to see her.
"So it's you huh."
"Why do you sound so disappointed…" In front of me, inside of the room provided by Nero, Kishinami entered my room before sitting on my bed just after I came out of the shower.
"Sorry, if that came out wrong, I just didn't expect you, since you know, Nero probably is waiting for you."
"Surprisingly, this time Nero agreed, she's upset for sure, but she reluctantly agreed, though I promise her that I will be back in our room before 11, so I'll keep a watch on you for the meantime."
"Thanks for having a time for me then, so let's start." I said before I sat on the centre of the bed. Kishinami said that she'll help me control the regalia mana flowing through my body.
"Alright, then here's what you need to know, first what you need to do is think of yourself as a vessel." Kishinami said before I closed my eyes and did what she said. I think of myself as a bottle of wine.
"There, now use the regalia to fill your body with mana, and this is the first try, so let's see how long you can last. When the mana circulate through your body, and you feel like it already fill up your entire body and magic circuits, closed of the mana coming from the regalia and try to keep it circulating through your body and letting it stay there, don't worry, if you can no longer hold it in, you can release it through me." She said before taking my hand holding it.
Doing as she says, I open the regalia and let the mana leak out to my body, and in a matter of seconds My body is already full, I immediately close the regalia as I feel my body about to explode due to the sudden burst of mana going through me. I clench my teeth and try to keep it.
"Kkkk…!"
"There, keep it in, and try not to leak it out." Kishinami said while tightening her grip on me.
I began to breathe heavily, as I tried to keep it in. And after who knows how long, I finally let it out and it saps all my mana out. I let go of Kishinami's hand and my back hit the soft bed.
"Well thanks for the mana I guess. Now my drowsiness is gone." she said before she lay in the end as well.
"Huff huff How long? Huff huff" I ask while panting.
"15 seconds, not bad honestly." She said while relaxing on the bed.
"15 seconds only? That felt like at least 30 minutes." I said.
"Hey, that's better than mine being only 7 seconds back then."
"Really, how long can you hold it when you do it?"
"An hour."
"AN HOUR?!"
I just feel like my confidence skydrop, how am I going to reach her level of mastery.
"Hey, you're still a beginner in this kind of stuff, plus I have the regalia for almost a year now, while you only learn how to use it for a few weeks. So don't let yourself down." She said, trying to cheer me on.
"...You know what, I'll take that, I need someone to cheer me on." I said feeling tired, I guess the mana from myself also got depleted.
"Hmm, why is that?" Hakuno said before rolling over as her face is directly above my face.
"It's nothing, just talking to myself." I said.
"Okay, now I really want to know." She persisted as her face began to lean closer to mine.
"I said it's nothing." I said while pushing her forehead away using my index finger and middle finger.
"Hmmm, meanie." She pouted while I just rolled my eyes.
Sovereign's POV
I said while pouting. My drowsiness has been gone because of the sudden transfer of mana to me from Ritsuka. Looking at him he seems to finally keep up with his breathing.
"Hey Kishinami." Fujimaru called out.
"Yeah?"
"You can just call me by my first name, you know." he said while his eyes were closed.
"Eh, I mean–"
"Don't worry about it, it does not bother me at all. If anything it's weird that someone with high authority is so polite to someone like me." he said nonchalantly.
Wow, why are you so smooth right now? Looking at his face below me, I began to blush and felt my face becoming hot. Up close, he actually looks so cute.
"W-well if that's the case, you can call me by my first name too…" I said shyly, why am I so embarrassed now.
Opening his eyes widened, seemingly surprised by what I said, he sighs and closes his eyes again.
"Really? Then sure, Hakuno."
"Yelp!" I yelp outloud.
"Yelp?"
"D-don't just say my name like that so suddenly, I'm still not ready you know!"
"Hakuno, Hakuno, Hakuno '' Ritsuka said that repeatedly while I blush.
"I said stop, geez, stop being such a tease, Ritsuka."
"Ah, you said my name!" he exclaimed with a grin. While I just blush and pout at him from above.
I'm still in a position where I lay in my stomach and my face is directly above his, though for some reason, it… didn't bother me at all.
Another silence occurred, while Ritsuka kept his eyes closed, I just stared at his face, studying him while resting my chin on my arms, when I suddenly remembered why I'm here.
There's a reason why I agreed to be here. I thought back earlier today as there's something I found that honestly I already have a suspicion, but never expects to be something that actually impacted me once.
It all started when I'd have to go back from my old school, Tsukumihara Academy, to get some of the old props for the upcoming christmas party.
8:23
Location: Tsukumihara Academy.
"Wow this place never changes." I said to myself while looking at my old school at the gate.
The school itself was once the setting where masters who participated in the Moon Holy Grail War, rested. But now, it has become an actual school where teenagers and students go and attend. Entering the school grounds, I saw many students stopping and staring at me, I sweatdrop, smile and give them a wave, even to this day, I'll never get used to the attention I get when walking into places.
I entered the building and met with the head director and asked him if I could get some of the old school props, and he eagerly said yes. Walking to the old storage room, I opened it and was greeted by dust blowing my way.
"Damn It's almost a year, and they still haven't cleaned this up." I said while dusting away the dust using my hands, walking inside the room I opened some boxes to see which one has the props, And after opening some of them I finally found it. The box contains some Christmas hats, and decorations.
"Here, I finally found it." I said while closing the box, and lifting it, turning around while carrying it, I knocked off some of the boxes.
"Shit." I cuss, dropping the box of props, and cleaning it, I mean I can just leave it be, but I'm sort of a clean freak, seeing something this messy, I can't just leave it off.
I crouched and pegged the box full of picture frames when suddenly.
"Hmm?" I humm and picked up a single picture frame of class 2-B. My old Class.
" It's my old class…" I said while wearing a nostalgic smile. On the side I can see Shinji's smug smile on the middle, knowing that he's actually an 8 years old, it seems like he is trying so hard to be cool, on the side I can Rani and Rin, though the former has a stoic face, while Rin has a bored face. And there am I on the right side having a neutral face, no emotion whatsoever.
"Man, I really look so plain, huh…" I jokingly said to myself while chuckling, as I'm about to put it back on the box something caught my eye. Taking a good look, my eyes widened.
"Eh…?"
On the very end of the left side of the class photo, a male student wearing the Tsukumihara Academy Uniform, with his black messy hair and his bangs being split just above his right eye, and his Black eyes that though no emotion seems to carry warmth inside of it.
Even though the colour of the hair and eyes are different, his face is exactly the same.
"It can't be!" I said before sprinting out of the storage room and into the library. After basically, storming through the door I was met with a collective:
"SHHHHH QUIET!"
"Shhh yourself!" I yelled at the one who shushed me.
Walking towards the librarian aggressively while the said librarian whimpers, I ask her.
"Excuse me, do you have the list of student names, from before the holy grail war?" I said.
"U-uh, Y-ye–"
"Where?!"
"T-there, o-on the third shelf on 4B."
"Thanks!"
I walked through where the librarian said the book where the list of students are, and after finding it, I took it and slammed it at the nearby table, quickly skimming through it and found the student list of 2-B.
"Where, where, where.." I continue looking, it must be a coincidence right.
After reading through it my hand stopped and saw the name that I wanted to find and it confirmed it for me. There in the book a name is written that same way his was written.
Ritsuka Fujimaru.
"Fujimaru was my classmate…?" I muttered, I always knew that there might be some version of Fujimaru here in our timeline, but I never knew he was once my classmate.
And in that moment, it flashes, as if memories sealed inside me have finally been unlocked.
The moment I entered that room and began to be involved in all of this.
That person back then is…!
22:09
I reminisced about that moment, I wanted to tell him and I agreed to come here, so I could do that.
"Hey there's something I want to tell you." I said while staring at his face.
"Yeah? What?" He replied.
"Do you ever wonder if you will meet the version of you who lives in this world?"
"...no, not really, what's this about?"
"You were my Classmate." I said straightforwardly, no sugar coating it.
"Huh?" But it seems like Fujimaru doesn't get it.
"I mean that, the version of you who lived here,was once my classmate."
"Huh, really?" He said rather calmly.
I guess, with the things he already dealt with this will be nothing but normal to him.
"WAIT, I WAS YOUR CLASSMATE?!"
"YOUR REACTION IS DELAYED!" I scream back at him
Alright, I take back what I just said.
"I mean, this is the first time I've heard or it happened to me."
"Really? I thought that with all your, ehem, wacky adventures, you'd meet another version of yourself already." I am interested in the subject.
"Surprisingly no, that never happened to me."
He said. After he said that there's a long silence, feeling brave enough, I said to him,
"Actually the Fujimaru here is–"
"Snore"
But he is already asleep. Not wanting to wake him up, I get up and go to Nero's room upon opening the door, Nero is seen reading a book.
"I never thought you'd be the type to read." I said. Nero looked up from her book and smiled.
"Umu, well I myself, would also like to read some books regarding my ancestors and the previous emperor before my time." She said,
"Well it's a good thing that you actually have some hobbies." I said jokingly.
"Hmm? And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It's just a joke, a joke."
"HAHAHAH, I know, so shall we sleep now?"
"Yeah." We got into position and found a comfortable position, as we hugged each other.
"Good night my predator." Nero said before closing her eyes.
"Good night Nero." I said as I closed my eyes, but my mind went back to that moment.
That's right I never got to tell him.
Back then, when I got involved in all of this when I joined the grail war I followed someone to the wall.
When I finally caught up to him, he was lying on the floor with the life from his eyes gone.
That someone is none other than you ,Fujimaru.
That's right…
….Fujimaru Ritsuka was the person I followed back then along with Leo and a failed Master…
…On the day of just before the Moon Holy Grail War begins…
…Fujimaru Ritsuka has died as a failed master candidate.
Next Chapter: Epilogue
Welcome back!
This chapter is supposedly a part of the story last chapter, but I split it, as I want that chapter to focus on Elizabeth, and I feel like Adding the reveal and Eli's moment will be a tone clash so I split it.
Anyway, That's the reveal! The Fujimaru Ritsuka in SERAPH(At least in my story) is none other than the initial protagonist we played in the prologue of fate extra, I hope you enjoyed that reveal as it's one of the first concepts I made regarding this story when I first came up with it.
Anyway, if you like a the chapter leave a comment and tell me what you think about it, actually reading your comment helps me motivate to write this.
That's all for now, goodbye!