It was three minutes after her cry when Juna was coherent enough for everyone to fuss over her. After that, the group exchanged information leading to the situation they were currently in. Once they were finished, Lloyd asked everyone.
"We need to assign two of you to go back with Juna. Anybody volunteered?"
"Lloyd, please. I can handle myself, as I've proven by getting here safely. I want to stay with you guys," Juna tugged on Lloyd's jacket.
Lloyd frowned. Deep inside, he knew that Juna would be safer with them rather than going back together with one or two of them. But... They intended to arrest Joachim.
"Junie... I know you're strong, but we're about to face the mastermind behind this all. We're worried about you."
Lloyd saw Juna sigh at Randy's words.
"You said you avoided the monsters around here, right? Isn't that because you know you're not strong enough?" Elie put a hand on Juna's shoulder and squeezed it. "Randy is right. This place is unsafe..."
"But I don't want to weaken you by cutting two powerful fighters out of your group," Juna shook her head again. It seemed that Juna really wanted to join them...
"What about staying with the other kidnapped people? I'm sure they can band together and wait until the police come," Joshua offered.
"But Juna said that Joachim wanted to experiment on her, didn't she? I think it really is safer for Juna with us," Tio argued.
Juna sighed for one last time. "Fine, then I'll tell you guys straight. You guys will be able to defeat that fraud doctor. Don't worry about that. And Lloyd, you said you asked Marconi about Guy's badge, and he told you that Joachim might be the murderer? I don't think so. In fact, with the information that KeA was originally in his care before suddenly being taken away and placed at the Schwarze Auction? There is a big chance that the one who took KeA from Joachim is the one or related to the one who murdered your brother."
Everyone gasped at Juna's words.
"That's..."
"Why?" Lloyd asked as he opened his notes after taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Can you elaborate?"
Randy nodded. "Your words are actually helpful."
Juna nodded before she began explaining things. "We're about to face the mastermind behind the cult incident. However, previous information established that the cult isn't responsible for KeA. Sure, that fraud doctor might have had KeA, but it isn't important. KeA being the Divine Child of the Cult isn't important. The important thing is that she was kidnapped and you guys found her. It placed weight around your relationship with KeA. Joachim might do everything he could to get her back, but he isn't the one who purposely left KeA in the auction. A third party did. So I'm very sure that you guys will face the third party soon after you defeated Joachim."
Juna took a break and sipped some water, letting everyone absorb her words.
The third party who kidnapped KeA from Joachim... they would also face them? Wait, didn't Juna say something to Randy, too? About how the SSS would face the Red Constellation in the future... was this related to that?
"I think you've said something along those lines, but not the exact words," Lloyd tried to remember as he flipped his notebook. "Ah, there it is. 'You guys will face the Red Constellation,' and 'the truth about Guy Bannings' murder will be coming to light.' Is it related to that?"
Juna nodded. "Somewhat. Remember what I said about weight? Lloyd, have you found something new about your brother?"
Shamefully, Lloyd shook his head. "No. I didn't find anything."
"Then the weight right now is currently light or nonexistent."
Weight?
"When you find new findings about Guy's murder case, slowly, the weight becomes heavier and heavier... Until it burst. That's when the truth about Guy's murder case would come to light," Juna finished her explanation.
"Um... Juna..." Elie suddenly started. "What kind of weight are you talking about?"
"I would also like to know that," Tio agreed with Elie's words.
Juna bit her lip. This was her ability to connect things, wasn't it? Did it turn into an ability to weigh something? Lloyd thought as he saw Juna glance at Estelle and Joshua.
"Umm... Estelle, Joshua, since we already know your story, may I use them as an example?"
Estelle blinked. "Sure, I would also like to know what you mean by weight. I dearly hope it wasn't body weight, ehehe..."
Joshua sighed, "Estelle... I'm pretty sure it wasn't that kind of weight."
"No, it's not your body weight," Juna laughed before she continued. "Estelle, Joshua, ever wondered why the Enforcers you guys encountered in Liberl are connected to your group members?"
Lloyd saw Estelle's mouth open in surprise and Joshua's widened eyes. Let's see... From what Estelle and Joshua told him, they faced Walter the Direwolf, Luciola the Bewitching Bell, Phantom Thief B, Renne, and Loewe the Bladelord. How did they connect with Estelle's group?
"Walter is Zin's fellow disciple in Taito. Luciola is from the same place as Scherazard. Both Phantom Thief B and Olivier/Olivert are Seekers of Beauties. And then there's Estelle and Renne. Of course, Joshua also faced Loewe, and both are connected. Why do you think that is? The answer is simple: weight. You get what I mean?" Juna turned towards the SSS.
Ah, so it was that kind of weight... Lloyd began to understand what Juna meant as he nodded at Juna's explanation.
"Huh?"
"Lloyd?"
"As expected."
What? Lloyd looked around to see that the other three SSS members were looking at him. Wait, was it only him who understood what Juna implied?
"Thank Aidios, somebody understood," Juna sighed. "Lloyd, can you help me explain?"
Lloyd nodded.
"The example Juna provided answered itself. Each of the Enforcers is connected to Estelle's group. Therefore, there is a weight behind those connections. For example, Renne posed as an innocent girl and got closer to Estelle, establishing a connection. That connection becomes the weight behind Estelle and Renne facing each other. This is the weight that Juna meant. The same could be said for the others as well. I still don't understand why it was guaranteed to happen, though..."
Juna clapped her hand as she smiled. "Perfectly explained, Lloyd!"
He let out a small laugh. "In other words, you said that Guy's case didn't have weight right now because there is no connection between it and the cult... But Marconi did say that my brother was also investigating Joachim before his death."
Juna blinked. "What? Hmm..."
Lloyd scratched his cheek. "Have I not explained this before?"
"I don't believe so," Tio answered. "When you recounted our journey here to Juna, you only said that you released Marconi, and then we jumped to the confrontation with Ernest."
"Okay then, forget anything that I said about your brother. Oh, but the explanation about the weight is still relevant, okay?" Juna decided.
Lloyd nodded. "Of course. I've written about them in my notebook."
Juna's cheek reddened when Lloyd mentioned the notebook.
"Aw shucks. But at least it really helped you, ehehe..." Juna laughed sheepishly in embarrassment.
"You know what, this doesn't solve the problem of Juna wanting to follow us..." Joshua suddenly remarked.
...
"That's right!" Estelle exclaimed.
Lloyd sighed. They were sidetracked by Juna's explanation and example. "Fine, I understand your earlier point, Juna."
"What?" Randy blinked in confusion.
"It feels like the two of them are always in a personal frequency..." Tio remarked, squinting her eyes at them in suspicion.
Even Elie looked at him with suspicious eyes!
"You guys... Juna had just demonstrated that her insight is useful if we bring her."
Juna nodded. "That's right, you guys will face that fraud. I figured he would let slip some vital information that I could quickly connect with something else. Of course, I'd retreat to a safe place if you really came to blow with him."
"Ah..."
"I see..."
"Okay, Juna. We'll bring you with us," Lloyd finally decided. "However, you will stay behind when we engage enemies, okay? We don't want you to get unnecessarily hurt."
"Thanks, Lloyd! And besides, I just came from below myself. At least I can guide you until near my prison."
"Alright. Let's go!"
"Right!"
As they walked, Juna tugged on Lloyd's sleeve again. Sensing that Juna wanted to talk privately, Lloyd assigned Elie to lead the way while he and Juna slowed their pace until they were the last in the group.
"What do you want to talk about, Juna?"
Juna had a complicated look on her face. "I... I don't want to make everyone worried. But I got out not without help."
Help? From what he understood from Juna's recount, there was nobody who helped her. "Who helped you?"
"It's not a direct help, per se," Juna raised her arms to show the makeshift protective gear she made herself. "Remember when I said I found this stack of metal sheets? I only got to see them because a yellow butterfly perched on it."
"Yellow butterfly?"
Where had Lloyd heard about it before?
"When I finally got out, I saw this yellow butterfly and started to chase it! It was sooooo pretty!"
"Colin?"
Juna nodded at his conclusion. "Yes. But I don't really care about that because I can finally bust out of the cell. However, moments later, when I arrived at an intersection, I was wondering where to go because there was a monster guarding it. I had to decide before I tried avoiding the beast. The same yellow butterfly floated past the beast and went straight, so I followed."
Lloyd was deep in thought. The yellow butterfly helped Juna find a path to reunite with them. However, the same butterfly led Colin towards the wolves... what was different?
Juna giggled. "No, Lloyd. I'm not asking you to solve it. I just want to raise your attention. You've encountered something supernaturally similar, haven't you?"
"I have?" Lloyd hummed, mind whirling. "Oh, you mean KeA's voice."
Juna nodded. "Yes. I still don't know why the butterfly led Colin to the West Highway, but it has twice helped me. The weight behind it means that Colin almost getting mauled by the wolves helped us."
Lloyd frowned at Juna's words. How could Colin almost die helping them?
"That's what I'm trying to find out, too."
"I'll think about that later. For now, let's focus on Joachim."
"Yes!"
Lloyd went back to take Elie's post as the vanguard while Juna fell into a conversation with Estelle.
The party continued their way through the Sun Fort's inner structure. Currently, they were passing the cliffs. When they were about to turn east, Juna suddenly called out. "Umm, everyone, please stop."
Everyone was confused by her request. Lloyd turned back to face the pink-haired girl. "What's wrong, Juna?"
Juna only sighed. "I feel like we're about to face someone significant soon. But it's not Joachim yet. For example, Joachim mentioned that he was giving Garcia Rossi Gnosis, but we haven't faced him at all. I suspect that he's waiting at the end of this."
Lloyd frowned. Juna's ability had never led them wrong, but he was still curious. "What made you so sure? Is it the weight again?"
"It's... kind of, but not really? I do think the weight is behind Garcia Rossi, but... it's more the connecting the dots part. I can't explain how, but see that narrow passage?"
Juna stopped them before they could walk through the passage, so everyone nodded. "A long passage where you couldn't escape? Or even a big circular area with the focus on the center? You are more inclined to face strong opponents there."
Everyone blinked.
"What?"
"Huh?"
"How come?"
Juna groaned softly. "Like I said, I can't explain, but I'm one hundred percent sure."
Lloyd didn't fully understand, but he trusted her. After scribbling Juna's quote about passages and the big circular room, he put down the notes and addressed everyone.
"Okay, I want everyone to prepare themselves. Tio, can you sense anything at the end of the passage?"
Tio reached out with her sense. In the meantime, Lloyd and Elie drank some coffee to rejuvenate themselves. Randy snacked on some food while Estelle and Joshua poured some tea from their flask.
"...There is something I picked up," Tio declared as she finished using her senses, catching everyone's attention. "It's quite a strong presence."
So, Juna was yet correct again.
Juna sighed, "No doubt about it. It's Garcia Rossi."
"The Killing Bear again, huh?" Randy commented.
"The last time we faced him, we were bailed out by Randy using his War Cry and Chief Sergei driving the boat for us to escape," Elie brought up their last encounter with the ex-Jaeger.
"I remember. But today will be different," Lloyd roused up their spirits. "We have to defeat him if we want to keep KeA safe!"
He looked at everyone in the eye. "Are you guys ready?"
One by one, everyone answered with a variation of 'yes.'
"Let's go!"
After a long time, they managed to defeat the demonized Garcia Rossi, and some words from Randy helped rouse him out of the brainwashing.
"Hmph. Look at you, talking like you're some kind of big shot... Whatever. I think... I might owe you my thanks..." the now fully conscious Garcia snorted as he panted in exhaustion.
"Joachim used Gnosis on you, didn't he?" Lloyd guessed, and Garcia nodded.
"Yeah... Direct injection, too. That bastard... I knew he was slimy from the moment I laid eyes on him. Damn it! He thinks he can do this to my men and get away with it...?!" Garcia roared in anger as he knelt on the ground, with no strength left after the SSS defeated him.
"You can rest easy. We'll apprehend him. I'm sorry to say, but I doubt you and your subordinates will be able to avoid arrest," Lloyd replied with a sigh.
"Hmph. Can't say we don't deserve it after this pathetic-ass display," Garcia snorted in amusement. "That bastard should still be in there. Hey, Son of the War God and... Lloyd, right? You guys may get on my nerves, but that bastard makes me want to punch a wall...Listen well. You will not...lose to him!"
The ex-Jaeger then fell unconscious.
After paying their respect (that man resisted demonization with his own sheer will!) Lloyd addressed everyone.
"The true mastermind behind this case is only steps away now. Considering how powerful Ernest and Garcia were, I'm afraid that this might be our toughest arrest yet. ...Everyone ready?"
"Of course!"
"Yes!"
"Always!"
"Let's wrap this case up!"
"Ready and able!"
"I'm ready!"
Lloyd nodded with a smile. "Good. We will now commence the arrest of D∴G cult high priest Joachim Guenter... Give it everything you've got!"
"Yeah!"
The group then continued their way and found themselves entering a big, bright room. All around them, there was only clear water as far as eyes could see. The only path in front of them led to a big, circular platform. Past the platform was a staircase towards the center of the place.
Was this what Juna meant when he said big circular place with a focus on the center of the room?
"What is this place...?" Lloyd asked, scanning the surroundings.
"An underground lake?"
"Feels like this ruin just gets bigger and bigger..."
Elie and Randy remarked.
Lloyd turned his attention to Juna, who looked around and nodded. "So this is the place, huh?"
Before Lloyd could ask Juna for clarification, Tio caught everyone's attention by pointing at something in the center of the room.
"Everyone, look!"
In the center of the room, past the staircase, there stood a tower-like structure with a clear glass ball on top of it. Behind it, the symbol of the cult was displayed proudly.
"That's the thing in KeDo's photo!" Randy pointed out.
"So we finally found where it was taken..."
"All I remember is a big, dark room... A light shined down from above, but it always made me a little scared."
Lloyd remembered KeA's words to him.
"She was trying to describe this place, wasn't she?" Lloyd concluded.
A burst of laughter that wasn't theirs rang.
"Haha... Indeed she was."
Everyone's attention shifted towards the source, and they were greeted by Joachim Guenter, the mastermind himself, standing below the glass ball tower.
"Figures," Lloyd heard Juna muttered silently.
"Wh-When did you show up?" Estelle demanded.
But Joachim didn't answer. He just descended the stairs.
"Welcome...to the holy ground of our origin. Ladies and gentlemen from the Special Support Section, as well as the esteemed guests from the Bracer Guild. I'm glad you could join me. Of course, I didn't forget about you, too, Juna," Joachim stopped by some distance from them before he continued. "What a smart girl to run away from me before I could dose you with Gnosis."
"You monster..." Elie dragged Juna behind her.
"Can't help it," Juna stuck her tongue out from behind Elie. "Who's the one angry enough to put a dent in the bar that I can exploit later? Certainly not me. Speaking of, are your hands okay?"
Lloyd saw Joachim's eyes twitch. So Juna was telling the truth when she said Joachim was rattled by their success.
"Joachim Guenter. I'm going to cut to the chase. Release everyone who's been brainwashed by Gnosis. Now."
Lloyd demanded.
"Of course. I wouldn't mind," Joachim nodded to himself. "I told you at the IBC, didn't I? Hand over Lady KeA, and everything will come to an end."
"Don't joke around. I've told you at the IBC, haven't I? There's no way I would hand KeA over to someone like you!" Lloyd declared determinedly.
"Yeah!"
"I'm with Lloyd."
"Of course!"
The others voiced their agreement with their leader.
Lloyd continued. "You said that you'd release Juna unharmed if we give KeA to you. I disagreed, and here we are. Juna is unharmed with us, and KeA is under Arios' protection."
Joachim bit his lip. It looked like he was holding back from lashing out.
"Oh, what a shame. You're making this conversation harder than it needs to be. Lady KeA has always been our humble organization's Divine Child. Our love. Is it so unreasonable that we would want the object of our worship back?" Joachim raised his arms dramatically.
Juna whispered quietly. "He's changing subjects. Keep prodding him, Lloyd."
Lloyd gave a subtle nod to Juna.
"Do you think we aren't aware of what happened six years ago?! You will never lay your hands on that girl ever again!"
"Better yet, tell us everything you know about KeA's identity! You know where she came from, don't you?!"
Nice one, Elie. Lloyd glanced at Juna, who had a smile on her face.
"Haha... How interesting. You're still clinging to the foolish idea that Lady KeA was born in this era..."
Huh?
"Th-this era...?" Tio voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Very well, then. Divulging this information to people who haven't achieved Wisdom would normally be prohibited, but allow me to provide enlightenment for you poor, lost souls," Joachim scoffed as he fixed the position of his glasses. "Just a month ago, Lady KeA was sleeping in that cradle you see resting at the top of the altar. She had been slumbering there for over 500 years!"
Joachim exclaimed to everyone's surprise.
"What!?"
"Five hundred years!?"
"That's not possible..."
Multiple lines of disbelief came out of everyone's mouth. Lloyd glanced at Juna from the corner of his eyes only to see that she wasn't surprised in the slightest. In fact, Juna was deep in thought.
"Surely you can't be THAT surprised. While modern technology cannot hope to achieve such wonders, it's easily done with the technology of the ancient civilization," Joachim chuckled darkly. "Five hundred years ago, there lived a group of alchemists who gathered in this land with the intent of studying artifacts. Records say that this very altar was built using their powerful tools."
Juna gasped. "Alchemist? KeA is a homunculus?"
Everyone turned their attention to Juna, even Joachim.
"You... how did you know that term?! The notes left behind by the alchemist were kept under wraps by me!" Joachim glared at Juna before his eyes widened. "You also knew about KeA's importance that you informed the SSS... I asked you again, how did you know about her!"
Juna strutted forward from behind Elie.
"The weight. Lloyd finding something in the auction has weight. Then it turned out Lloyd found KeA, a little girl. It adds more weight to her importance."
"Weight?" Joachim furrowed his eyebrows, his anger turning into a contemplative expression. "Weight..."
Joachim was deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Lloyd now understood why Juna thought KeA was important. So, it was the weight of her connection with him, after all. Admittedly, he still didn't fully understand why those weights guaranteed that KeA would be important. Only Juna understood that. But he at least grasped the concept of the weight and the apparent connection between them and what could happen in the future.
"Are you-" Joachim gasped in surprise before he shook his head. "No. It's impossible..."
What? What was he talking about? Lloyd turned to Juna again, who now pointed her finger at Joachim.
"Anyway, I can see what you're trying to do with KeA. Judging from the cult's disposition towards worshipping devil-"
"Haha, we're not quite worshipping the devil. We simply use them because they're convenient in our fight in denying the very concept of this 'goddess.'"
"Th-then..." Elie asked in disbelief. "You don't believe in the Goddess?"
Joachim nodded. "Indeed. Aidios? Goddess of the Sky? There is no such existence! She was just a fabrication of the Septian Church to control the mass!"
"Great. The first atheist I met here, and he kidnapped children and dealt drugs," Juna muttered so quietly that Lloyd couldn't hear it clearly.
"Y-You can't be serious!" Tio shouted in anger. "If that's really the truth, what compelled you to do all those horrible things to us...?! All of them... Everywhere I looked, it was nothing but screams and cries for help! And I'm supposed to accept that the lodge I was in was one of the luckier ones...?! If you aren't worshiping devils... Why...?! Why did you do all those things?!"
"Tio..."
"Tio-tot..."
"Tio, I'm sorry to say this. But this man has no empathy. I bet you he organized those kidnappings and experiments just to perfect his drugs," Juna glared at the doctor.
Joachim took one more look at Juna. "You're correct. Every ceremony served the greater purpose of enhancing Gnosis toward its prime form. The willpower and hidden potential that blossoms when one is brought to their breaking point... That kind of data was a necessity if we wanted to perfect Gnosis."
This time, it was Lloyd's turn to glare at the man. However, he was not wavering and continued.
"The reason we used children for our tests was simply because it ensured more accurate data. You see, test subjects that have yet to reach puberty are, in various aspects-"
"That's enough!" Lloyd growled in anger.
"Have you no shame?! This cruelty is just..." Elie almost broke her formation just to comfort Tio, but she left things to Juna, who embraced Tio from behind.
"Never thought I'd meet someone more screwed up than we were," Randy remarked with a sigh.
"Oh, he's more screwed up than we all thought, alright," Juna said after she released Tio from her embrace. "Those experiments, perfecting Gnosis, his insistence on getting KeA back and using the term 'Divine Child' for her... why do you think the cult did all that?"
Everyone was silent at Juna's question, even Joachim, who now paid more attention to Juna.
"You wanted to ascend KeA into godhood, am I right?"
Everyone gasped at Juna's words, including Lloyd. Ascending KeA to godhood?! How could that be?!
"Hahahahaha..." Joachim laughed. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my, oh my. Spot on, Juna. That is, indeed, what the cult and I strive for. A True Goddess!"
Juna's words were validated by Joachim himself. So Joachim really wanted to ascend KeA into godhood? Forget understanding how it could be possible. The fact that he wanted to ascend someone to godhood was insane!
"I can't believe it."
"KeA..."
Randy and Elie muttered under their breath.
"Joachim Guenter. Based on everything we've heard, you must have been the person responsible for organizing these experiments all over Zemuria, right?" This time, it was Joshua who fired the question to Joachim.
"Haha. Precisely. However, my rank within the order isn't something to brag about. After all, we're all equals under-"
"To be honest, I don't give a crap about whatever your cult believes in," Estelle cut the cultist off. "But, you must've known about that place. One of the cult's most infamous lodges: Paradise."
...So it was about Renne... Lloyd took a step back, letting Estelle and Joshua come forward.
"Oh? You know of its existence, then? That particular lodge was formed by the high-ranking officials of the order. Whenever an influential figure visited Paradise and exposed their ugliest weaknesses, they became easy to bend to the order's will. Truth be told, that lodge deviated from my research principles, which I did not appreciate," Joachim elaborated.
"Judging by Hartmann's name on your notes, I want to confirm our suspicions," Lloyd interjected. "You are blackmailing him with proof of his visit to such a place to get help for the cult, am I correct?"
"I only began to truly understand what happened there after I pored over the results of every established lodge," Joachim answered with a nod. "After that aggravating operation six years ago, we nearly lost all of our precious lodges... Fortunately, we stumbled across the perfect backer for our cause: Speaker Hartmann. Conveniently enough, he came with the nice bonus of Revache & Co."
"Everything so far is according to our suspicion..." Lloyd sighed. "And you manipulated the Crossbell Guardian Force through the same connection, didn't you?"
"How'd you even get them to take your crappy drug in the first place?!" Randy demanded. No doubt he was angry about Mireille.
"Oh, that was simple. The CGF commander is Speaker Hartmann's protege, so he effectively dances in the palm of my hand. All I had to do was pass Gnosis off as a new supplement developed at St. Ursula. How fast he believed me did come as a bit of a shock, though..."
"Tch," Randy clicked his tongue in frustration. "That shitty commander was always a dumbass."
"If I can segue back to Paradise, there was something about its demise that bugs me. Instead of being ambushed by that operation, it was decimated entirely by the society that caused the Liberl incident last year..." Joachim exhaled. "Oh, dear, just what were they thinking?"
Both Estelle and Joshua were silent. They had interacted with Ouroboros, especially Joshua, a former Enforcer. So, only those two knew why Ouroboros raided Paradise.
"Well, the destruction of Paradise only left me with one genuine regret... That being the loss of a young subject who demonstrated a remarkable level of adaptability," Joachim grumbled. He must be talking about Renne. "Oh, she was simply a marvel! Through harnessing Gnosis, she could absorb other failed subjects' personalities and manifest them in her own mind! If only we could have recovered all of that oh-so valuable data, but alas..."
"That's enough."
"We have what we came for. You can shut your disgusting mouth now."
"...Sorry, Lloyd. I think we might have cut your interrogation short," Joshua looked apologetic as he spoke to him.
Lloyd shook his head. "It's fine. Thanks to your help, I was able to draw a lot of conclusions about the case. I'm prepared to arrest him now-without hesitation."
He then turned his attention towards Joachim, raising his tonfa.
"High Priest Joachim Guenter of the D∴G cult..."
"According to Crossbell State law, you're hereby under arrest on the charges of assault, incitement of a riot, unlawful occupation of property, misuse of drugs, and child abuse!"
"Telling you is just a formality, but rest assured the search and arrest warrant have already been approved!"
"The jig is up, buddy. Don't resist."
Elie continued, and Randy finished.
"Haha... How intriguing. I have an idea. Why don't we make a wager? Which of us will be the ones to accomplish their goal...?"
Purple lights suddenly enveloped Joachim's body. The space above him crackled with red malevolent energy. Once they receded, Joachim's hair had turned white, and an orbal staff appeared out of nowhere.
Everybody took a step back in reflex.
"H-His hair...?!"
"And some sort of orbal staff...?'"
"Ah yes, this is my true hair color," Joachim said regarding his new appearance. "You see, as a result of repeated Gnosis consumption, my body has been altered somewhat. Or I've simply gone grey due to not getting a wink of sleep these past several years."
"So, that explains how you were able to accomplish all of this while working full-time at the hospital."
It was strange how he could accomplish so much with so little time. It turned out that he didn't need rest and worked all night instead. No wonder he could achieve so much in just six years alone.
"Haha. Maybe you're a better detective than I gave you credit for." Joachim then raised his staff for everyone to see. "This staff here is one of the orbal masterpieces created by the ancient alchemists of Crossbell. Its power even surpasses that of an average artifact. And it allows me to command these to my every whim!"
Joachim finished his words with a smirk as he summoned two archaisms beside him.
"Tch!" Lloyd clicked his tongue in frustration. So it came down to a confrontation anyway.
"Now, I believe it's time for our finale to get underway. If things go as planned, today will be the greatest day the world has ever seen..." Joachim raised his staff. "The day when our desire to see Lady KeA become God and take her throne is finally realized!"
"Enough with your delusion!"
"We will never lose to someone like you!"
That was the signal for their confrontation. As promised, Juna stepped back and let everyone handle the fight while she observed.
Everyone panted in exhaustion as Joachim finally fell.
"We did it!"
"Haha! Looks like we won the bet!" Randy laughed, referring to the 'wager' that Joachim proposed.
"Throw aside your weapon and get on the ground!" Elie demanded.
"Haha... I'll have to decline," Joachim stood up. "Let me tell you something. Gnosis doesn't just enhance the user's physical strength and capabilities. It also heightens their sensory receptivity, unlocking humanity's true, hidden potential. When used correctly...anything can be achieved!"
Joachim quickly raised his staff, and suddenly, the image of a big singular eye was projected above him, stunning everyone.
"What?!"
"The hell is this?!"
"He warped the space around us?! But how?!"
"This is just like...Weissman's Evil Eye!" Estelle gasped in surprise, answering everyone's question with something they didn't understand.
"That should be impossible!" Joshua was the only one who understood what Estelle said.
However, Lloyd looked back and saw Juna running towards them.
"Stop, Juna!"
"Ho... That's right. For a moment, I forgot about you, Juna," Joachim remarked. Strangely, he didn't use Evil Eye again to restrict Juna's movement. Instead, he frowned. "Hmm..."
Juna tried to touch the pink barrier surrounding Lloyd. "Ouch!" But it stung her.
"It's impossible to break, as the two of you have experienced," Joachim turned his attention back to the two Bracers. "The two of you have had quite the adventure over the last two years, haven't you? The Liber Ark and... Phantasma, was it?"
"How does he know that?! It's like he's looking into our memories!"
"No way... Is he using them to recreate Evil Eye?!"
The two gasped in surprise as they struggled under the warped space.
"Weissmann... Heh. From the looks of it, he and I would have gotten along quite well. How interesting. I wasn't expecting this amount of intel on Ouroboros... Haha. I think that's enough on them to keep me entertained for a while."
Joachim then slammed the butt of his staff on the ground.
"Since there's nothing Juna can do, it would seem I'm the victor of our bet, after all," Joachim chuckled. "I know. How about a serving of Gnosis for each and every one of you? Soon, you'll be slaving away for a greater cause. And Lady KeA will have no choice but to return to my arms."
"You bastard...!"
"T-this was your plan all along! The reason you lure us here!" Elie realized.
"Now, now, I had wanted to give a dose to Juna before she escaped. I didn't expect her to come back here, and with a surprise to boot. But anyway, there's no other use for you, isn't there?"
Juna took a step back in fright.
Lloyd gritted his teeth in frustration. "If you already have this much power, why are you so obsessed with KeA?"
He shouted, catching everyone's attention.
"Even if she was born 500 years ago, just as you say, that doesn't change the fact that she's an ordinary little girl, does it? What does someone with so much power want with a girl like KeA?"
"Did I not answer that question already? Lady KeA is destined to become God. Comparing my power to that of Lady KeA's is quite ignorant. No, rather... Should I perhaps say the comparison in and of itself doesn't make much sense...?"
"Stop talkin' in riddles, jackass," Randy retorted.
"Geez, it's like Weissmann had a twin that we didn't know about..." Estelle sighed.
"Fine then, answer me this instead," Lloyd looked at Joachim in the eye, despite the struggle he faced under Joachim's restriction spell. "Who took KeA from you?"
"..." Joachim fell silent.
"You ignored our theory about a third party taking KeA away from you. It was as if you didn't want to acknowledge that. Doesn't that mean you don't know? Another group who managed to take KeA off you... the weight now shifted in their favor, isn't it, Juna?"
Juna gasped in realization. Slowly, her face sported a grin. "I see... yes, indeed. The weight is now behind the third party. All this talk about KeA becoming the cult's new goddess? It's all weightless. Worthless."
"You-!"
"Actually, I have another question," Lloyd cut the cult priest off. "Were you the one who killed my brother, Guy Bannings?"
Joachim bit his lip before nodding to himself. "I see... So that's how it is. Two brothers, ten years apart in age... After the older brother fell in the line of duty, the younger left Crossbell, only to return years later... Haha! What an amazing development! I had no idea that you were the little brother of that nuisance!"
"...Can I take that as a 'yes,' then?"
Joachim shook his head. "I'll admit, he came close to uncovering my true identity during his investigation. Guy Bannings was such a distraction I had no choice but to ask Revache to silence him...permanently. But some other faction killed our poor detective before Revache could. Three years ago, Marconi tried to- Wait! Don't tell me..."
"It seems that your prediction was correct, Juna. The third party, possibly the one who abducted KeA from Joachim, is the one who killed my brother," Lloyd let out a smile despite the situation.
"Yeah... there's no weight behind Joachim. Not at all. And that only means one thing."
Juna confidently pointed her finger gun at Joachim.
"Joachim Guenter! Your reign of terror ends tonight!"
"Juna, you..." Joachim clenched his fist.
"Forcing your delusion on KeA, A girl as bright as sunshine itself, the light of our lives... She's grown more precious to us than you'd ever know..."
Lloyd took a deep breath...
"Lloyd?" Juna whispered.
"And we'll never let someone like you near her ever again!"
Spoiler: OST
Lloyd pushed out with all his willpower and determination.
"Haaaaaa!"
The Evil Eye broke.
"I-Impossible!" Joachim stuttered in shock.
"...We can move?!" Randy jumped in place to check his movement
"The seal is gone!" Elie flexed her fingers.
"In the end, his Evil Eye was nothing more than a pale imitation of the real thing..." Joshua looked at Joachim in pity. "As soon as he loses focus, he falters. His mastery of it was far from perfect."
"And Lloyd's burning spirit was enough to smash it to pieces!" Estelle exclaimed proudly.
"Of course..." Juna smiled in delight as she shook her head. "Overcoming the barrier with all your heart and succeed... you truly are..."
"We've seen through every masquerade you've set for us, Joachim Guenter. No matter what you may have up your sleeve, nothing is going to stop us. Surrender now," Lloyd brandished his tonfas.
Joachim stared at every one of them before he started chuckling. "Haha... I suppose you leave me no choice."
"Hey, what are you mumbling about!?"
"Hahaha! I didn't think I'd be forced to use my trump card, but here we are!"
Joachim threw aside his staff and reached for something in his pocket. He opened his palm to reveal a bottle full of red capsules.
"That can't be..."
"Allow me to enlighten you once more. What you see here is perfected Gnosis. My life's work, you could say. If we call the drugs you found 'blue Gnosis,' then the only appropriate name for this is 'red Gnosis,' right?"
"Could it be...?"
"It's the ones that turned the mafia and Ernest into monsters!"
"Hahaha! Correct!" Joachim then poured everything inside the bottle into his open mouth.
"Don't!"
"That's too big a dosage!" Joshua exclaimed.
Joachim took several steps back.
"C-C'mon, we have to make him spit them out!"
Joachim then exhaled.
"I see... I can see it! The almighty 'D'... the origin of lost power!" His body was once more enveloped in a sinister purple light.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Slowly, each part of his body turned bigger and more monstrous. It didn't stop until his body was even more gigantic than anything they had ever faced before.
The demonized Joachim then spread its arm loomingly.
"What?!"
Did he...?!
"Oi oi, you can't be serious..."
"Th-This intense pressure...!"
The SSS commented in shock at what they saw.
"J-Joshua, do you think...?"
"Definitely," Joshua nodded. "This might be worse than Weissmann fused with the Sept-Terrion..."
Lloyd turned his attention to the defenseless one within them. "Juna!"
But Juna didn't look surprised at all. Did she know what would happen?
AAAAH... HOW REFRESHING...
I FEEL IT... I HAVE REACHED THE TRUTH OF EVERYTHING...
I CAN SEE THE STATE OF THE WORLD... AND THE HIDDEN DESIGNS BEHIND IT...
"Kh... Get ahold of yourself!" Lloyd tried to reach out to him. "You're spewing nothing but lies! Truth isn't something you can seize just like that!"
HAHA. ONLY HUMANITY IS BOUND TO SUCH TRIVIAL IDEALS.
I CAN SEE EVERYTHING.
THE TRUTH BEHIND LADY KEA'S DISAPPEARANCE, THE TRUTH BEHIND YOUR BROTHER'S MURDER... AND THE TRUTH ABOUT JUNA CRAWFORD!
IT ALL TIES TO THE INEVITABLE FATE OF CROSSBELL!
The truth about Juna? Lloyd glanced at the pink-haired girl from the corner of his eyes. She seemed... distressed at Joachim's words.
"Juna?"
"Stop makin' shit up!" Randy cut him off with a roar.
THERE REMAINS NO REASON TO ALLOW YOU INSECTS TO LIVE ANY LONGER...
NOW, LAMENT OVER YOUR FRAGILE EXISTENCE AND DIE BEFORE ME!
"His demonization is nothing like Ernest's."
"Yup, that moron was just a little baby compared to this monster..." Randy clicked his tongue in frustration at Tio's observation.
"There's nothing we can do but stand our ground and fight."
Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. Get ready."
He then looked at each of his group in the eyes. "Elie, Tio, Randy, Estelle, Joshua..."
"This is it: our last stand. Don't give up, no matter what!"
"Right!"
He then turned towards Juna.
"Juna, I don't know what got you feeling so distressed, but take care to not get hit by a stray attack, okay?"
In a move that was so unfamiliar to him, Lloyd put his hand on Juna's head and patted it softly.
"..." Juna's shoulder relaxed at his words. "...Thanks, Lloyd. Now go!"
Juna ran away to a safer place while Lloyd turned his attention back to the demonized Joachim. This was it. Their last fight for today. There was no way he would lose!
The demonized Joachim roared.
"OOOOOOOHHHHH!"
"W-What's going on!?"
"He seems to have gone completely berserk... At this point, I'm not sure how much longer his body can withstand the pressure..."
"No way..." Elie trailed off.
"GYAAHHHHHHHH!"
The demonized Joachim slammed his two arms to the ground, and weird, red claws emerged from under the ground and grabbed everyone, including Juna, who was observing them from afar.
"Ah...!"
"Shit!"
"Damn it!"
"OOOOOOOHHHH!"
With that roar, the roots gripped their bodies even harder.
"Nggh!"
Oh no, Juna was suffocated!
"Damn it! If this holds up...!" Randy gritted his teeth in anger.
"We've made it this far! There's no way we can let this end now! Not until she's... Not until we can finally hold that girl in our arms and grant her the happiness she deserves!" Estelle shouted.
Estelle was doing her best for Renne... The SSS was the same!
"We're the same! You can't stop us...! We're making it back to our little girl, no matter what!" Lloyd declared in defiance. "Guy...! Please! Lend me your strength...!"
"Heehee... I may not be your brother, but I could still give you a hand."
A familiar voice entered the conversation. Despite the endeavor, everyone turned towards the voice to see a giant crimson mech landing near them. On its palm stood Renne.
"W-We saw that back at the hospital!" Elie gasped in surprise at the giant, crimson robot.
"Pater-Mater!"
"Renne!"
Joshua and Estelle shouted in happiness.
"Pitiful, but he probably deserves this," Renne observed from her place. "I'll put him out of his misery."
The purple-haired girl then jumped away and landed on a pillar. "Pater-Mater! Blast him to smithereens! Double Buster Cannon!"
Pater-Mater bowed and blasted the demon, freeing everyone from Joachim's grip.
"His arms... We're free!"
"He's almost down!" Randy observed.
"This is your last chance! He can't keep it up much longer, so hurry and finish this!" Renne encouraged everyone.
"Ghh..." Lloyd stood up, followed by everyone else.
"Haaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
With a shout to rouse his spirit, he ran towards the demon for one last round.
The demonized body of Joachim began to emit red lights.
"Hah...haha... You continue to surprise me," it said, regaining control of his cognition. "I hate to admit it, but...you made me regain control... For that...you...have my thanks..."
"Joachim... you..."
Lloyd looked at the demon in surprise.
Even Estelle gave it a pity look.
"Haha. Please...spare me your pitying looks. Though I may not live to witness it... our centuries-long ambition is finally reached..." Joachim chuckled. But there was no passion behind it, just acceptance. "She can do it... Someday, Lady KeA will...!"
"..."
"And you, Juna... If only I reached the truth sooner..." Joachim trailed off. A tinge of regret could be heard from his tone of voice.
"The truth?" Lloyd couldn't help but ask.
"I was wondering... why I couldn't read your mind... And then that impossible knowledge... and your explanation about weight... At first, I dismissed it as a coincidence. But... I should've taken you seriously... Juna Crawford... If we had you, then the cult... would surpass this point even before we got raided..."
Everyone made confused noises.
"What?" Juna looked anxious.
"Aaahhhh... Aidios is cruel. To put you in my grasp... only to never realize your worth..."
The demonized Joachim then tried to grasp something above him, something invisible, before his entire body turned into dust. No trace of him existed was left.
"..." Lloyd was silent, pondering upon Joachim's words. Did he just say Aidios, the goddess he didn't believe in, was cruel?
"Don't think so much about her words, Junie," Randy tried to cheer up the younger girl. "He's full of nonsense."
"But... I still feel sorry..." Elie looked at the floating dust in sorrow.
"Don't let it eat at you. The moment he swallowed all of those pills, his fate was sealed," Joshua reminded everyone.
"Yeah, that's true..." Estelle nodded. "Still, I would have liked to have saved him if it was possible..."
"Yeah..." Lloyd agreed with her. "He wasn't able to snap out of his delusions, even with death staring him in the face. I had hoped that he would answer for his crimes and admit his guilt. I wanted that so badly for the victims and even for himself..."
"Lloyd..."
"Don't beat yourself too much, Lloyd," Juna exhaled. "He chose this for himself. It's unfair, I know. But there's nothing we can do."
"Juna..."
"Right. We ain't the Goddess, pal! Things aren't always gonna go our way! Look, we only got this far 'cause we worked our asses off! I'm not sayin' this is the ideal outcome... but it's still pretty damn good, ain't it?" Randy piggybacked on Juna's statement and cheered Lloyd up, too.
"Randy, I..."
"During the operation against the lodges, a lot of cult members committed suicide. Guy, Arios, and Chief Sergei stepped over countless dead bodies to save me. Unfortunately, there are times when sacrifices are inevitable," even Tio contributed.
"He was responsible for his own destruction... but the consequences of his actions still have to be taken care of. Crossbell State is still in a panic, and we still don't know the status of the Gnosis victims... We don't have time to grieve yet," Elie put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder in support.
"...Thank you, everyone. Everything you said was right. Now isn't the time to feel down. Plus, we have promises to keep! To the chief and to KeA!"
Lloyd regained his spirit.
"It would appear that this is the final curtain, then," Renne giggled from her place on the pillar near Pater-Mater.
"Ah..." Estelle gasped when she realized that the one she was looking for was there.
"For your information, I never intended to help at the last moment. Heehee... Loewe's heroism must have rubbed off on me," Renne giggled again.
"Renne!" Joshua shouted as Renne jumped onto Pater-Mater's open palm.
"...I've settled all my past regrets and grievances with Crossbell. I enjoyed it, but I think my presence will cause more harm than good. So, it's about time I take my leave..."
"Renne," Estelle said as she and Joshua approached Pater-Mater.
"...Yes, Estelle?" Renne said as she looked away from the two. "I'm just...not ready to be caught yet."
Estelle's face scrunched up in a frown. "You're still on that? Listen, I've said that you're already one of us. So, sorry, Renne. You're already caught."
Spoiler: BGM
Renne gasped in surprise.
"The last time we met in the SSS building, we haven't faced each other like this, have we?" Estelle chuckled. "Finally... we're face to face. You are as adorable as we last saw you."
Renne frowned. "Compliment will do nothing to help you."
Estelle shook her head with a smile. "Renne, we know everything there is to know about you. Your past, your sorrow, your pain... But also your happiness and everything you love doing. You can't run away from us. Not anymore."
"..." Renne started sniffing.
"I-I thought... I thought you'd give up... After learning about Paradise... Once you learned about Paradise, Estelle, I was convinced you would...!" Renne said in between her sobs.
"If I was the same person I was two years ago, I might have," Estelle admitted. "But after meeting wonderful people like you and Loewe, I've become stronger than I once was. No matter what things happened in the past, good or bad...they're irreplaceable moments that make you who you are. And, with every bit of my heart, I can't help but love you."
Estelle's smile was as bright as her name.
"Ah..." Renne was left speechless.
"Honestlly, It might be better for you to return to your family here in Crossbell. But, no matter how unreasonable this may sound, we want you to be a part of our family, Renne. That's what brought us to Crossbell and what we decided once we were here."
"... I don't understand..." Renne sobbed.
"▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅" Pater-Mater suddenly let out an incomprehensible noise before it took a step forward, getting closer to both Estelle and Joshua.
"Pater-Mater?! Why are you moving?!"
"C-Could it be...?" Estelle gaped.
"So that's it... You've been worried about Renne, too," Joshua smiled.
"▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅" The gigantic mech then kneeled and put Renne on the ground.
"S-Stop, please...!" the helpless Renne could only turn away from the two Bracers who did everything to chase her. Thus, Renne did not see how Estelle moved and embraced her from behind.
"Caught you."
Renne couldn't hold her tears anymore as she cried on Estelle's embrace.
"Thank you, Pater-Mater. The adjustments made by the meister gave you the ability to move on your own, right?" Joshua turned towards the giant mech who replied with indescribable sound.
"▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅"
"Never again. I'm never letting you get away from us again," Estelle tightened her embrace on the smaller girl. "From here on out, where we go, how we live, what we do... Let's figure those things out together... But first, how about heading back to Liberl? I know Tita has been waiting for a while... for you to come home."
Renne didn't answer Estelle. She just continued crying, letting out all the pent-up emotion she buried inside her heart.
From the side, Lloyd and the other SSS member, plus Juna, looked at the scene with fond eyes.
"I'm really glad..." Elie said, sobbing herself at the reunion.
"Yes..."
"Haha... Didn't think I'd be sheddin' a tear today," Randy tried to mask his own tears with laughter but failed to do so because his cheeks were wet.
Lloyd looked at Juna, who smiled but also covered her face in embarrassment. "Was this how I looked when I cried on Estelle's shoulder?"
"Hahaha..." Lloyd chuckled at her words.
Joshua turned towards them. "Everyone... Thank you so much for everything. I really don't know what to say... I don't know how we could ever come close to repaying you."
"Don't mention it. We were only helping out a good cause. I sincerely believe that you two made this possible by never giving up and, more importantly, never giving up on her," Lloyd replied. "Joshua. Allow me to be the first one to congratulate you."
"Thank you, Lloyd. And you too, Juna. In the end, your words came true."
Juna just scratched her cheek with a sheepish grin. "Ehehe... you're welcome, Joshua."
"All of this is making the wait to see KeA that much harder," Elie smiled.
"Agreed... Zeit and the chief, too."
"Haha, then let's get a move on!" Randy ushered everyone.
Lloyd nodded.
"Special Support Section, prepare to withdraw. Our mission may be complete, but we still need to arrest the Revache members and escort the civilians to the surface. Let's move out...!"
Once they left the Sun Fort, it was already morning. Everyone involved had been waiting for them at the entrance of the Sun Fort. And so the SSS had a mini-reunion with KeA, while Juna had one with Arios. (No, Juna did not jump to tackle Arios like KeA did to Lloyd. That was a fabrication! Delete it from the report!) It turned out that the mind-controlled CGF soldiers fell unconscious after Joachim died. With the SSS tying the mafiosos and putting them inside the cells in Sun Fort, everything was resolved.
"Still, I think the hardest part is yet to come," Elie sighed.
"Indeed," Deputy Commander Baelz nodded. "We'll need to provide an explanation to the citizens and brace ourselves for potential international backlash. We must also administer the proper care to any CGF members that were affected by the brainwashing."
"The mafia members will probably have to be restrained for the time being," Noel continued.
"Not to mention, we still have to assemble the trail of evidence linked to this case. You can kiss your free time for the next month goodbye," Dudley sighed in resignation at the busy day they would have.
"Haha. Please allow the Bracer Guild to assist you in your endeavors," Arios offered his and the Bracers' help.
Juna nodded, arms still circling Arios' waist. "Yes! We'll help!"
Lloyd laughed. "Juna, your help is not optional because you're deeply involved with the case."
Everyone chuckled at his words.
"Haha..." Sergei also chuckled. "Lloyd, Elie, Tio, Randy. I'll need that report of yours at some point...but take your time. For now, have you settled all of your business?"
Lloyd and the others looked at each other before they smiled.
"Yes, sir!"
"Haha... Good work, team. I have to admit, you guys have really matured," Sergei closed his eyes. "Guy would have been proud of you."
"Chief..." Lloyd's eyes glistened with unshed tears at Sergei's words. Finally, he was one step closer to his brother.
"..." Arios looked at the scene with a nostalgic look, no doubt remembering his former partner in the CPD.
After that, Grace and Rein ran to the scene, and they posed for a photo. Grace said it would appear as the headline for Crossbell News Service.
In the wake of the D∴G cult incident, Crossbell was left in disarray. The mafia and guardsmen being controlled through an illegal drug, as well as the misconduct of many officials, including Speaker Hartmann... All of it was made public by the Crossbell Times. It was said to be the largest scandal in Crossbell's history.
Mayor MacDowell responded by dismissing the police commissioner and the Guardian Force commander. Following that, he demanded a full investigation be conducted by Deputy Commander Baelz and the chiefs of the CPD. Detective Dudley, no longer held back by corruption, was able to bring to light not only a connection between the cult and members of the Imperial Faction, but also one involving the Republican Faction. Arrests began to skyrocket. The citizens' unrest and distrust towards Crossbell politics had reached a boiling point.
During this time, IBC CEO Dieter Crois took the opportunity to declare his candidacy for mayor. He publicly pledged to heal the political system and follow the ideals of Mayor MacDowell, who had chosen not to seek reelection. Before leaving office, the mayor also announced that special elections for the seats of the arrested diet members would be held, as well. Candidates from all backgrounds are expected to vie for the spot of Speaker of the Diet.
One month after the incident, Mayor MacDowell summoned the SSS to the City Hall's reception hall to give them personal accolades for their effort in solving the incident.
Estelle and Joshua decided to return to Liberl with Renne. Though the Bracer Guild's manpower was cut, the CPD more than made up for it through political reform. Lloyd hopes that he can reduce their burden and continue to strengthen their partnership in the future.
Before leaving, Renne reminded the SSS of some difficult questions, like the truth behind what happened 500 years ago, who put KeA on the Schwarze Auction, and the identity of the killer of Guy Bannings, who might be the same person as the one who put KeA on the auction. Joachim's fixation on Juna after he consumed the red Gnosis was also still a mystery. Thankfully, while Renne didn't know the answer, the SSS still had Juna with them. Finding the truth behind those questions was Lloyd- no, the SSS's duty. Promising to reunite one day, they gave their farewells and parted.
The days returned to normal for the SSS.
As for Juna...
In the morning streets of Crossbell, a pink-haired girl was running through the street. On her hip, a wooden eastern-styled sword was hanging as she moved her legs to get to her destination. She nimbly weaved through the crowd and entered the Central Square. Near the Bell, she descended and finished with a jump to the front door of the SSS building.
Opening the door with a bang, one Juna Crawford exclaimed.
"I'm not late, am I!?"
The occupant of the room chuckled at her distress.
"No, Juna. You're not late."
"Good, I don't want to miss KeA's first day at the Sunday School," Juna sighed in relief.
KeA pouted, "Come on, Big Sis Juna. I can go alone!"
Juna theatrically gasped. "KeA, you'll never know what you'll encounter on the way there!"
"Humumumumu!" KeA pouted at Juna.
Elie and Lloyd just laughed. "I know how you feel, Juna."
"But KeA has to take the first step to be independent," Lloyd finished Elie's words.
"Anyway, stop dawdling, guys. KeDo's first day is about to start!" Randy reminded everyone.
KeA then took her steps outside. It wasn't her historic first step, nor was it any special. But it signaled a new start for her, for the SSS, and for Juna.
To a new, better Crossbell!
-Trails from Zero, finished-
A/N: I never expected something I randomly thought up after Randomguy published AnelaSI could spawn this entire series. And I even dismissed Clifford inserted to Juna at first because it's too obvious. But since I wanted more 'Juna in Crossbell' fic, I randomly wrote the first chapter with no expectation. Then it turned into 'let me at least reach Renne.' then it turned into 'since Renne is now finished might as well finish the entire game.' I still can't believe we're at that phase of the fic. Thank you for everyone who read this fic.
Now onto the chapter itself. First, Juna explained 'weight' and by weight she actually meant narrative weight, but there's no way she's gonna say that to the 'uneducated mass,' so I just settle on 'weight,' And Juna even had good examples! Just why exactly, the Enforcers the Sky Gang faced were those exact five? All of them are connected one way or another to the Sky Gang! There must be something! And that is the narrative weight behind the gang facing a facet of themselves. Zin and Walter, Schera and Luciola. Olivert and Blueblanc. Estelle and Renne, and Joshua and Loewe. The result of this? Everyone's mind cannot comprehend it. Well... except for Lloyd. The first part describes why most of the Xanadu!Zero players likes the LloydxJuna pairing. They made such a good partner in crimecrime-busting. If you noticed, Juna had lots of personal moment with Lloyd compared to the others throughout the fic. The way they remembered the yellow butterfly is even the same. Actually, I put a lot of 'Juna and Lloyd had similar kind of thought' throughout the fic, like at the top of the hospital after Juna is kidnapped. The Garcia part is a late addition, but I just couldn't miss Juna pointing out 'hey, it's about time for a boss encounter. Have you prepared yourself?' moment like JesSIca did.
And then we arrived at the heart of the matter. Joachim's exposition. Of course Juna couldn't shut her mouth when she heard alchemist. Homunculus is a classic. The document being held by Joachim is my own take on it, but surely no normal person knows the term unless it was told by somebody related to the alchemist (or Black Workshop, I guess.) And then after Joachim boasted his plan, of course Juna would realize what it was and say it out as soon as possible to prevent her allies from getting surprised (which backfired because, lol, it's someone trying to ascend another to godhood of course anyone would be surprised, even if it's coming you, Juna) But honestly, her true aim isn't to take control of the narrative, but to lessen the shock. The last declaration after the Evil Eye is something I realized when reading the script on trailsdb and 'hey, now that everyone realized there's a third party involved, wouldn't it narratively guaranteed the SSS would succeed here to face the third party later?' After that Joachim would be rattled by the words (since he somewhat understood Juna's implication, thanks Gnosis) and quickly go to the second phase.
And then we arrived at the post battle scene. Joachim, now fully conscious, had seen everything, including Trails to Azure's plot. He can't even wait for the official release smh. So Joachim knew about Juna's status as someone exempt from Aidios' Law. His last words describes his feeling well. Why did I exactly use that wording? Well, first, I think he would now know that Aidios is real. Then he realized that everything lined up perfectly for him to lose Juna, though he didn't know why (would Gnosis give him the power to see other timelines? I'm leaning on no.) So there was only regret.
After that is the epilogue, which I cut and add and modified. To a better Crossbell.
Thank you for everyone who followed me this far. If I have the chance to, I want to write Trails of a Junior Bracer in Crossbell Azure Arc, but let's just see in the future.