"Milton…" i asked. He looked at with a smile. I could see the tears in his eyes.

"Kaku…jin…lora…even mythra…" milton said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I missed all of you." milton said. Mythra was the first one to hug him followed by lora and jin and then me.

"Milton…what happened to you and mikhail?" i asked.

"After the battle against malos…indol attacked. Torna managed to fight them off…but me and mikhail were caught and that bastard amalthus used us along with bunch of other kids from torna for an experiment to turn us to blade eaters. Me and mikhail were rescued by the person i never thought would help us…malos. He wanted us to help him with his plans. I refused and he just let me go…but mikhail. He's fallen into the same nihilism that consumed malos and his driver." milton says with regret. Jin and lora were shocked that mikhail joined up with malos. Hell i can't believe it either.

"What about you? What are you gonna do now milton?" rex asked.

"Do you need to ask. I'm with you guys! It'll be just like 500 years ago." milton said with a smile.

"Glad to travel with you again kid." i said with a grin.

"Hey! I'm not a kid anymore! I'm over 500 years old for your information." milton said with a pout. After getting a good chuckle out of that. Nia wanted to tell vandham about her history with malos but he didn't seem to remotely care. Doesn't surprise me. As a merc he's probably fought for both sides of a conflict many times. We went with vandham to the urayan capital to meet an old friend of his who may know something to help us reach elysium. I felt we were being followed. But the scent wasn't as foul as gort. So i paid it no mind. That was until…

"Ha ha ha! Looks like all that chatter about the aegis was true!" someone yelled.

"Who're you?" rex asked. A couple of hooded figures appeared before us. No doubt a driver and blade.

"That's a heavy burden you have there. Sure you're up to it pipsqueak? See sense step aside and let the big boys take charge, c'mon yield the merchandise!" the hooded man said.

"No. Piss off!" i yelled.

"Vandham. Do you know this guy?" rex asked.

"Never seen him in my life." vandham replied. The two flipped their hoods. Revealing grey hair with an eyepatch. And blade with green hair and glasses. With a lightbulb coming out of her head alongside having a tail with a lightbulb on the end of it. So safe to say her element is electricity.

"Is this supposed to give us an idea of who you are?" i asked. The two moved like how cartoon characters would react to shock.

"You really are a bunch of rinky-dink bogus two bit no-mark drivers aren't you?" the eyepatch guy asked.

"He does realize that we have legendary drivers and blades in our group right?" nia asked.

"He's an idiot. So probably not." mythra replied.

"Behold the mighty zeke von genbu! Bringer of chaos! Mostly known as zeke and often addressed as…THE ZEKENATOR! Behold my blade pandoria!" zeke yelled as pandoria had her arms crossed. And this is my sword. The purple lightning dreamsmasher! If you want a taste come and get it!" zeke yelled while moving like a character straight out of some foreign cartoon about dudes with cool hats that have ghosts that repeatedly punch things.

"Yare yare daze. Today we met the biggest dorks in all of alrest history." i said.

"Agreed." nia and mythra said at the same time with deadpan looks.

"We're good." rex said as we all just walked by. But zeke and pandoria got into our way with the speed of a bird being chased by a determined coyote with the most rotten of luck.

"Wait! You barbarians!" zeke yelled.

"This guy…i'm tired of him already." nia said.

"You think you lowlifes can lick the three of us?" zeke asked.

"Three? Kaku are you sensing anyone?" jin asked.

"Nope…probably more of this dork's nonsense." i replied.

"Huh? Get a load of this! Our beloved mascot turters reveal yourself!" zeke yelled. He reached into his pocket buy began freaking out when he can't find his turters.

"Oh hey little guy. What are you doing out here all alone?" pyra asked the tiny turtle that she picked up. Zeke noticed and ran towards like a weeaboo with a malfunctioning lightsaber sounding like a greedy crab the whole way. and quickly snatched turters out of her hand. And ran back

"He could have just grabbed pyra. Why'd he go for his turtle instead?" rex asked.

"You never had a pet in your life have you?" i asked. Zeke quickly noticed his flop.

"Whatever, she'll be mine soon enough. Got a problem with that? Then come at me! And don't hold back!" zeke yelled and readys his sword while giving a charming smile.

"Ugh! There's only so much cringey dorkiness i can take in one day!" i yelled as i summoned my sword of the wasteland and jumped up high "gaea rage!" i yelled creating a huge cracking in the earth ending with an explosion that knocks both of them near my cliff.

"Hey. that's my move! You stole my ultimate lightning fury slash!" zeke yelled. The earth beneath him and pandoria began to crack.

"Don't care. Bye!" i yelled. The earth between gave way leading them to fall down. I shivered a bit. "Let's get out of here before the dorks find a way back up. And their act makes me vomit." i said as i began walking.

"Can't blame him…idiots." nia said.

"Indeed." dromarch said. After a lot more walking and jumping. We reached the capital of the titan. Fonsa myma. On our way we a huge warship with soldiers getting ready.

"War with mor ardain is looking more likely by the day." dromarch said.

"Looks like they've expanded the military program. That's a lot of warships." vandham said.

"These ships look different from normal ships" poppi said.

"Yeah we don't muck about with our titans much. No need for it. Urayans like things pretty natural." vandham said.

"I've seen ships like that in 's the opposite of how the ardanians use them." rex said.

"that could be one reason why they are always at each other's throats." dromarch said.

"They've been like cats and dogs for a long time." azurda said.

"Well for where i'm standing. The ardanians are worse. All that metal's just bad taste." nia said.

"Yeah, plus their soldiers are assholes who will throw you in the brig because you at the wrong place at the wrong time." i said.

"Your not letting that go are you?" lora asked.

"You really don't mor ardain do you kaku?" rex asked.

"500 years and they're still the same pricks." i said. I saw people lining up for something. "What's going on over there?" i asked.

"It's a distribution center. The government tries to ration out what little resources they have. In practice it's first come. First served." vandham said. A girl with short blue hair seem to get that last of the rations only to get pushed to the ground by a soldier.

"Come on. I'm a soldier. been busting my gut for this country. That should be going to me. Not to the likes of you!" the soldier yelled. The girl looked at him scared. My blood began to boil "uh? Don't look at me like that! Respect your elders, you snot-nosed brat!" the soldier yelled. That was the breaking point for me. I rushed up to him and punched him in the face knocking out several teeth. The ration ended up in the air. I grabbed it and handed it to the girl. "Y-you just hit a soldier!" the soldier yelled.

"I don't see any soldiers. All i see is a worthless spineless pile of ardun shit who's so pathetic that he'll bully and steal from children!" i yelled as i spat on the ground "you make me sick! You pile of puke!"

"Yikes. I forgot how scary kaku is when he's mad." milton said.

"It is understandable. Bullying children is extremely low." jin said. The soldier's blade arrives and hands him it's twin rings.

"Shut your face! You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" the soldier yelled.

"So you do have the balls to go at someone who can fight back! Fine by me!" i yelled as i summoned my sword of the wasteland and drew the aegis sword. "You won't be eating anything solid by the time i'm done with you!" i yelled. The fight was one sided. I grabbed the soldier by his throat and readied my fist. "Let's knock out the rest of those teeth shall we?" i asked as i went for a punch only for my arm to be stopped by mythra.

"Enough kaku!...your point has been made." mythra said. I put the soldier down.

"I see you bullying the weak again…and i'll break your spine. Now take your kitty and get lost!" i yelled. The soldier made a run for it. I walked back to the group. "Sorry about that." i said. Only for vandham to chuckle.

"Now i see why folks call you the berserker of torna. Only a legend like you can make a grown soldier pee himself." vandham said with a laugh. Nia sniffs the air a few times. And recoiled in disgust.

"Oh yeah. He peed himself." nia said waving her hand in front of her nose.

"Excuse me. ." the girl from earlier said as she came towards vandham.

"Oh! Well if it isn't iona. You grew a fair bit! How's grandpa cole doing?" vandham asked iona looked down with a sad look. "Ah…not too good then." vandham said.

"Who is this?" rex asked.

"Ah, this is iona. That old friend of mine takes care of her." vandham said. Pyra got on her level.

"Hi iona. Nice to meet you." pyra said with a smile. She looked at me.

"T-thank you." iona said. I came over to her and gave her headpat.

"You're welcome. If you need more food. Just ask me. I'll help you." i said with a smile. Iona smiled back.

"He'll be a great father. Don't you think mythra?" jin asked. Mythra's face went red.

"Where is that coming from!?" mythra yelled. Lora and jun chuckled at mythra. "Jerks…why am i being punished for kaku's teasing?" mythra asked.

"Because you joined in on the teasing maybe?" pyra asked.

"C'mon. Let's beat it before more soldiers show up…i don't think iona needs to see that kind of bloodbath." vandham said. We ended up at…a theater?

"Is this where we'll find this cole guy?" i asked.

"Yep. he leads the troupe here." vandham said. He walked up to a poster about a show. "Right now they're in the middle of a show. Well wanna take a quick peak?" vandham asked.

"The heroic adventures of addam. Might be interesting." dromarch said.

"Says you." i said.

"Hey. you were there with him 500 years ago. The rest of us minus lora and jin didn't. So how about it?" rex asked.

"Tora interested too." tora said as he jumped up and down.

"Let's do it! Nice and quiet though. Looks like it's pretty packed today." vandham said. We all went in. and saw a play version of the events five hundred years ago. Addam was being played by a guy in a suit of armor that looked like someone blasted it with a shotgun full of confetti. As the play went on another "knight" showed up. A suit that looked well made. The armor was all light blue the helmet had horns with a red visor…that was supposed to be…me. I was expecting this play to end with me stabbing addam in the back. But no. it was actually somewhat accurate to what really happened. Of course it wasn't some epic battle between me and addam. And the actor was overly dramatic about being trapped in the darkness. But it was accurate enough. Right down to how it was the aegis that helped me through the darkness. Mythra did help me through my sorrow and guilt. As i was watching the play i grabbed her hand.

"Thank you mythra." i said with a smile. She rests her head on my shoulder. As we watched the ending.

"May you return when the world needs you most old friend…" the actor said as the play ended. Everyone clapped.

"That wasn't what i was expecting." i said to lora and jin backstage.

"Tell me about it. That was a lot more about you then it was about addam." lora said.

"That's what he mean't lora…the problem it was accurate…too accurate." mythra said.

"She's right…everywhere besides torna amalthus rewrote the story so that kaku betrayed us…a foul lie. But this "cole" seems to know the truth." jin said.

"But…how?" lora asked.

"We're about to find out." i said. We entered the room cole was in.

"Comin in old fella!" vandham yelled as we entered. The room was filled with a bunch of junk. "Crikey! Still collecting the junk ain't ya?" vandham asked.

"That's what we call hoarding." i said.

"Watch it you bruiser! Don't make fun of a man's hobbies." cole said. As vandham explained his history with cole. I noticed something in the room…a pair of rusty gunknives…

"Hey don't touch those!" cole yelled.

"Where did you get these!? These belonged to a friend of mine." i said. Cole laughed.

"You thought of me as a friend? How sweet…it's been 500 years. Hasn't it kaku?" cole asked. The dots connected in my head quickly.

"...minoth?" i asked.

"Hold the phone. What's going on here!?" vandham asked.

"You know i'm old. You just don't know how old. You're here for a reason right?" minoth asked.

"As a matter of fact we are. To make a long story short. We're trying to get to elysium. But the old fashioned way of boat isn't going to work because mythra's old pet snake is in our way. Know a way to get to the world tree?" i asked.

"Elysium? But why? Why would you want to go there?" minoth asked.

"I don't but that kid over there wants to reach it in hoping to find a solution to the dying titan problem. If he does. Well urayan and mor ardain will stop trying to kill each other. So that's a plus for you and your troupe. As for me. My goal is still the same. Malos is back. And i'm going to shove him back in the grave. Until he learns to stay." i said.

"Very well…are you going to use that power again?" minoth asked. Lora looked at me with fear.

"I've gotten control over it…but i'll only use it if it's absolutely necessary. But enough about that. Do you know a way to the world tree?" i asked.

"There is someone you can ask. But your not going to like it…you'll have to talk to amalthus." minoth said.

"Are you out of your mind!? That narcissistic nihilistic bastard is the main reason this world is suffering in the first place!? He sees me lora and jin. He's going to have us killed on the spot!" i yelled.

"That's why you should don a deguise and leave the talking to rex. He's the more social aegis driver of you two. Despite being quite young." minoth said.

"Fair enough…social butterfly i am not. Thanks for the info old friend." i said.

"Before you go. I would like to have a word with kaku in private. If you don't mind." minoth said. Everyone except me left the room.

"That play…you wrote it didn't you?" i asked.

"I hope it didn't stir up any painful memories." minoth said.

"It did…but i'm glad you chose to use the true history instead of amalthus's bullshit version…i'm glad nobody from indol visits this theater. Amalthus would most likely have this place burned down and have your troupe killed to bury any form of the true events." i said.

"Even if people thought it just a play…you are correct. But you don't deserve to be remembered as a traitor…i remember how guilty and miserable you looked that day…like any form of life that was formally in you was gone…you are now back…and back to your normal angry self. As what happened to that soldier proves." cole said.

"Hey! That asshole pushed your granddaughter to the ground and stole her food! Prick had it coming." i said.

"I didn't say you were in the wrong. I would have done the same if i could still fight." minoth said.

"That does bring up a point. What the hell happened to you? Why are you so old? Jin's a flesh eater. And he still looks as young as he did 500 years ago. Hell milton is still young despite not being a blade originally. So why are you aging when no one else did?" i asked.

"Addam told you i was a special blade right?...i didn't become a flesh eater by eating flesh. I became by experimental technology developed by indol scientists. As you can see. It didn't give me the same perks as a normal flesh eater." minoth said.

"How much longer do you have before you pass away?" i asked.

"Not very long…when i do…please watch over iona for me." minoth asked.

"I will…i promise to watch over her." i said as i shook minoth's hand. I left the room. But soon after i left the room. I heard minoth give off a nasty cough. Everyone rushed into help him. Vandham decided to call it a day to let his sick friend rest. We would be back tomorrow. But for right now…we all need rest.