Chapter/Tale 7: Fractured Conflicts: Act 6
Tale 7 Act 6-3/4
Level Six: Factory Inspection to Edenia's Abyss (Burning, Churning Power Plant- Kirby and the Forgotten Land)
Kailaine's POV: Horror of the Soul
I am officially terrified of this place. Even as we traverse downwards into the ground, the lurking dread sends shivers down my spine upon seeing the number of "products" this factory carried. No wonder the others were traumatized before.
It was like there was a sentient android constantly on your tail within their domain; only when you enter will the dread toy with you for sport until it comes for the kill. I mean, none of this is humane! It's horrifying…
Eventually, we managed to reach into the Abyss a bit quicker now, thank God, and now we're heading straight for the artifact that marks it- Edenia. A massive chunk of civilization laid before us as we landed near the entrance of the city using a warp point. That shook the dread off me while we started to venture into the abandoned city.
"This is it, huh? Very astonishing," Espera observed around her, partaking in its ancient beauty. "So cool! Just imagining the amount of effort put into making the city is getting me all riled up! The details of this gate, the foreground, the sites, houses, even the endless abyssal void that makes the sky is all too mesmerizing! I feel like a freak for ruins!"
"I think a nerd would fit much better," Susie sweatdrops. "But you're not wrong there. I am rather curious as to how they managed to construct this in just a few years. Perhaps we'll discover that for ourselves. Our current priority is to seek out the location of the Re: Genesis Project, if we can even find it."
"Well, I know just the person who can help us," Niva boldly declared, leading the way until she stopped at a certain point for us to see. "He can! Consider your wish granted, Kaila!"
"No way," I silently gasped upon the marvel. "So that's what they look like… amazing! I'd never thought I'd get to see another one up close like this before!"
"I know, right. Funny how his mouth is always open after all this time. And it gets even better," Niva smirks, walking down the pathway that leads directly to the artifactual being. "Hey brother! Wake up!"
At once on her request, life was sensed from an artifactual creation when the eyelids slowly begin to open while the sound of clockwork started to pump life into the machine's body. Once fully open, it revealed sun red eyes that seemed to extend to the galaxy itself, just like Kirby's eyes. So cool.
"Ah, it's you, Niva," The ancient creation spoke. "I had sensed your arrival, but I did not expect you to arrive and in a human-like state as well. Regardless, I'm glad you're okay. Seems like the young demon beast informed you of me, haven't he?"
"He sure did, we owe him a lot right now," replied Niva. "Not without your help, of course. He probably would've returned, but he had bigger fish to fry, if you know what I mean."
"That, I know. I was hoping to recall his memories for him before the cavalry had crashed. It's a miracle that I managed to survive Dark Matter's wrath just as you did, although the price you had to pay was your original body, it seems."
"Aw, don't worry about me, dear brother," Niva assured him, now taking a serious tone. "We can always catch up later. Surely, you're aware of why we came to you, right?"
The clockwork star blinked. "Say no more. Let's discuss this inside, shall we?" His eyes shone with one flash, immediately whisking us away to a more comfortable yet unknown place.
Naiva's Endless Library Nexus (Genova Library- Evoland 2)
Awaited us was a massive lineup of shelves, each space and row of them filled with books, books, and more books. The area gave an eerie yet warm and welcoming vibe as you traverse through the hallway of shelves. Not only that, but it also contained many different materials such as paintings, murals, sculptures, displays, relics, and much more.
"Holy crap! This is amazing! A vast collection of knowledge and history right there at your fingertips!" Espera beamed, casually picking a book from a shelf. "Ooh, and I see Naiva here is a man of culture as well! Manga?! Even adult content as well?! I must be in heaven! Oh my god! He's even got Men & Women- Beneath the Sheets, written by the Lord of Spirits herself, Milla Maxwell! And in mint condition! Thank you, God!"
"Why am I not surprised?" Susie shook her head, probably in disgust, yet the large number of books made her all giddy like a child. "Then again, it's not every day you get to witness such rare and ancient material just like that! I'm more astonished by the fact that a clockwork star could contain all of this within their body. Aren't the artificial organs or specifically the layout of the star's insides the same?"
"A very good question after seeing this," Niva answered. "It's true the layout is indeed the same, but us Clockwork Stars are made differently and uniquely in our own way. Our sole purpose remains the same, but we are each designed depending on what our creators tasked each of us. Naiva here is tasked with recording the memories of the galaxy, serving as a guide for the inhabitants in case of emergencies. That's why, visually, his insides are made to resemble a library as you can see here."
"That's incredible," I commented. "The Ancients are really something else. How come they don't show themselves that often?"
"Probably because of a strife that started the Jambastion incident. The Ancients were apparently divided into two major factions: one of science and one of power. The science faction designed the structure for the creation and the power faction imbued the creations with all sorts of energy of the mystical, depending on the purpose of the creations. You can imagine that they've conjured up a whole lot of them to even keep count."
"Even so, what caused them to divide in the first place?"
"Void Termina," Susie answers. "The Destroyer of Worlds. When they caught wind of it, they sent four heroes to stop it and it was sealed within a Jamba Heart. One of the heroes was sealed out of fear for his immense power, perhaps implied to be Galacta Knight, by the power faction of the Ancients. Maybe it was for that action that got them banished by the science faction. Regardless, that sparked their desire for revenge and sought to use the destroyer to waste the other side of the Ancients and even on all life."
"And they would've gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling Star Allies," joked Espera. "But seriously, no one has ever crossed Popstar and lived to tell the tale (except for a few) once their plans get Popstar involved. It seems that planet was truly beloved by the Ancients themselves as they had received the most artifacts than any other planet. Of course, I imagine they were impartial with the handouts; every planet had at least a few artifacts for themselves while some were passed down or discovered by others."
"Maybe the Star Ring was made by them after all," I guessed. "That means there must be a way to restore it again. But I'll worry about that later. More importantly, shouldn't we find out more about what happened to this planet?"
"Already ahead of you," Niva says, eventually slowing down at some sort of sanctuary. "He's definitely here. Let's get going, girls."
Pretty soon, we trailed behind Niva as we walked up the steps leading into the sanctuary. Inside were at least seven pillars and other strange murals as well; the veins leading into it were light green as they were like veins filled with blood on the walls. In the center was a strange ball of light while a section of digital monitors circled around the light.
"Ah, so this is the sanctuary that Knaiva was talking about," concluded Espera. "Impressive, beyond amazing! I had no idea that the Ancients were capable of something like recalling memories out in the open like this, something deemed impossible to do. Surely he has a reason for bringing us here."
"Maybe he wants to show us something very important?" I guessed. On cue, my question was answered.
"Indeed, Princess Kailaine," Naiva's voice echoed. "But that's for later. It's clear as day that you wish to stop the Zenoxia Forces from activating the Re: Genesis Project by seeking my guidance. However, there lurks an impending doom that will arise should the project be activated any later."
This grabbed our attention; Espera spoke for us. "What do you mean by that? We all thought the danger was letting the machine hook up with the unstable Void Jewel; isn't that the threat?"
"It would seem that specific scenario has been completely avoided as the Void Jewel has been rid of its unstable aura in time," Naiva answers. "I believe there was someone who is now considered a defect of your greatest threat that took care of matters."
"Oh, you mean Gooey," Susie replies, realizing the person in the topic. "But that aside, can you please clarify a little bit more on the subject?"
Naiva continues with his announcement. "As I was saying, it's true the results from merging both reactants will produce a disastrous result, but only if the jewel comes into contact while still harboring unstable aura. Without the aura, the eternal curse unintentionally casted upon this planet will at last come to an end. Surely the current ruler had sought this outcome the whole time."
"Really? Seems a little too much to start a manhunt just to reclaim a gemstone," Espera shrugs. "The queen probably should've thought this out a little more, you know. Say, come to think of it, we really don't know much about Spectralinae herself other than the fact that she was getting lovey-dovey with Taranza."
That left a thought in my head. "Now that you mention it, Taranza wasn't really talking much about her in the beginning. I may not know much about him myself, and this may be just a guess, but he looks like someone who had just lost someone very dear to him, yet he still pushes on. I could be wrong, but it does seem like Queen Spectra reminds him of that very person somehow. Then again, I'm just speculating, so don't take it seriously-"
Ironically, they did take it seriously. "Wow, your intuition is as crazy accurate as ever, and to think we didn't need to go through a backstory for that," sweatdropped Susie. "But now that you mentioned it, you may be right somehow. Looking at Queen Spectra herself, she seems to resemble his childhood friend; the resemblance is uncanny yet pretty close as well."
Niva slightly disagreed. "In terms of appearance, maybe. But I don't think Taranza's friend was that sickly as Queen Spectra is right now."
"She is?" We all asked in unison.
"Perhaps a condition would be a better fit. However, I can tell that it isn't your average everyday condition; perhaps hers is terminal in the sense that it's anything but human. From the looks of it, she's suffering from periodical headaches at times. What bugs me the most is that the symptoms are the same for anyone having retrograde amnesia. I can't put my paw on it, though. At least until I'm completely sure it is."
"Be sure of what, exactly? I would've concluded she may end up having a tumor." Susie questioned. Niva's ears drooped as she gave this question more thought.
I did the same as well with my eyes shut. I remember seeing her picture during yesterday's public execution announcement along with some live footage, so the image was vividly clear to me. The more I ponder on her image, the more I became secluded in deep thought as if I was in the void of my dreams that have yet to be created.
It was at that exact moment that a lucid dream suddenly formed, in the presentation of someone who just had a vision: sudden and brief. Ironically, it was a short clip that involved Queen Spectra, showing her with the Void Jewel being used on a machine presumably to be the Re: Genesis Project. It seems all is well, but the rest of the showing displayed something ominous and black spurting out from the ground, most of it targeting Queen Spectra. Before it was covered in black, her image suddenly glitched, displaying her figure broken…
No… fractured is more like it. She looked fractured, and it revealed another figure that happened to overlap with hers. That was all I saw before being ejected back to reality with a hard gasp.
"What's wrong, Kailaine?" The girls quickly approached me with concern.
"I wish I knew that…" I thought, letting out noticeable gasps out of my breath. "Just what was that all about? A vision? Wait, didn't those two Star Children grant me this power back when I was captured? Maybe it didn't take complete effect then? Even so, what is it trying to tell me?"
"Honestly, I don't even know how to explain it," I said, picking a response. "But I just had some sort of premonition… about Spectra… she looked fractured at the end of that strange scene I just saw… what does that even mean?"
"Fractured? You know, maybe I just don't have any words to truly describe her condition, but fractured sure fits the description," Niva agrees.
"Huh, so she's basically a female Luke Fon Fabre, I see," Espera concluded, probably making a reference of some sort. "Now that I think about it more, maybe she might be having some sort of hyperresonance just like Luke did triggered by those headaches or something. But it sounds like it's more lethal to her."
"What does it all mean anyway?" Susie ponders.
"That, everyone," answers Naiva, "was a glimpse of a possible outcome of a scenario, one possible if granted Future Vision. The Star Children gifted you this ability, Kailaine, it seems."
"Yeah, but it seems different than the times I've used it before," I replied. "It felt like I peered right into her very soul itself, but it was distorting or something. Please, tell us what it is."
"…alright, I shall educate you on this matter; first, step into the center," answers Naiva, the center of the sanctuary displaying screens and chains of memories around us as we ventured into the center. Reality instantly shattered around us, subjecting us into the vast, distant space like we were there itself. A star ocean, to be exact.
"What? This is…" Susie gasped.
"This is the subjugated domain known as Star Ocean; they say that God can remember the names of every single star he made, so this space was made to reflect that fact." Naiva explains as the ball of light projecting his voice transformed itself into a humanlike figure. He wore a white robe like those in Greek times that covered his body, his hair was long and silver, his eyes were cosmic blue as his skin was also tan as Niva. Cat ears and a tail were inevitable in his reformation.
Espera was entranced, getting herself all over him with a hug. "My, so handsome! How did you do that?" Susie had to pull her away eventually.
"I know what you're thinking, but let's not get into the reason why I'm like this," the clockwork humanoid star dodged the bullet. "Looking at you, Niva."
"Aw, come on!"
Naiva sweatdrops before continuing. "Ahem, anyways… I'd figured it'd be much easier to show and tell you so you can easily scope the truth behind that mystery. So, to begin, let me explain what you just witnessed, Kailaine."
"Yeah, I'm listening." I nodded. That's when I witnessed a cruising ball of energy pass by me, displaying a noticeable crack in the essence itself. The crack then repaired itself before vanishing and not overstaying its welcome.
"Noticed that ball of energy there?" Naiva explains. "Just as you suspected, that was a soul- one that was indeed "fractured" as you described it earlier."
"Then, you mean-" I gasped; we witnessed more of them flying by us all in the Star Ocean.
"Exactly. That is what we call a Fractured Soul," Naiva stated. "A Fractured Soul is the oddity in which a person's life essence has been completed corrupted and sabotaged spiritually. Every being in existence is a soul, which makes this oddity a gruesome occurrence to be inflicted with. Granted, this is a rare occurrence, so almost no one is aware of this oddity. Unfortunately, that isn't the case anymore."
"What do you mean by that?" Niva asked.
"Many people believe that you go to heaven or hell when you die. In a way, I suppose it's true. However, that's not the case here. Once the body dies, the soul remains with it, unable to be released anywhere. The dead knows nothing at all; think of it as a state of deep sleep. Except you're six feet under. I know, the idea sounds absurd compared to what you're familiar with, and I understand that. Still, there is a valid reason for this. The body may wither, but the soul remains intact; it's completely necessary for the soul to remain on the planet to be resurrected."
The space put on a digital display of the scenario as Naiva speaks, showing the souls in the life cycle as it goes through the process.
"Resurrection? Is that even possible?"
"It's a rare occasion, but yes, it is. Fleshly bodies are like vessels that contains souls, although living beings are souls. Kill the body as much as one would like, but the soul can never perish by fleshly means; if the soul is bound to the body, it's without a doubt that a person can be raised up from the dead in perfect health. This mainly applies to humans since there were a few instances of people being resurrected and thus where it originated, but it can apply to other races. Everyone's eligible for resurrection, but the time for that isn't now, I suppose. Regardless, a system like that cannot be something that just happened without any explanation."
"Well, many should be offended by that," says Espera. "But it does make sense. I'd prefer being created over being a descendant of an ape- at least you have a better chance of coming back alive. The very thought of it makes me wanna barf. Hey, just my opinion. Or maybe people don't really take the lessons to heart these days."
"That's the most unrealistic thing I've ever heard," Susie disagreed.
"Girl, I ended up creating a world out of fiction through a video game because of my powers allowed me to do so. Starlight didn't just appear like that- I came up with everything in it. Same goes for the Clockwork Stars and so on. There's a saying I always go by: The things that were created tells a lot about the person who created it. Using that saying, it tells us there's a purpose in crafting the cycle like this. It probably ensures the dead will be given another chance at life one day. That is, if no one disrupts the cycle. Is that what you mean, Naiva?"
"My thoughts exactly. Souls are meant to inhabit bodies, with some exceptions, but let's not get into that. Of course, they cannot be removed by fleshly means. However, it is possible to do so. Simply put, what should've been an impossible occurrence has now become a universal disease- using celestial made relics. That's only because they've been used for the wrong reasons. Good things in life are meant to help others, not for uses of selfishness. The misdeeds of one person can make the entire race pay for their actions- possibly with their souls."
"Are you referring to those entities, Naiva?" Niva inferred.
"That's right. And it begins on this very planet-" The space converges itself to display another scene, one we all knew right away. "The Planet of Dreams and Miracles, Popstar."
"Why here of all places?" I asked, the area warping to the planet, suddenly looking like a painting.
"It's simple, really. This is where the first occurrence took place. Popstar was inflicted with a curse that turned the entire planet into that of a painting by a witch known as Drawcia, who desired a world of paintings. She was met with resistance by Kirby, going as far as to turn him into a ball to stop him. She eventually came face-to-face with Kirby, who managed to get her Paintbrush to aid him. But the moment she nearly fell to defeat, that's when it happened. The first event that the entity came into play. She turned into what we refer to as a Soulless Shell."
"A… Soulless Shell?" Susie slowly repeats.
"Indeed. This is the result of when beings such as her has been driven near the edge by the opposition they're confronted with, to the point where they now only seek to destroy the resisters that they'll do so by any means necessary. In other words, I guess it's like what they say when one sells their soul to the devil himself. It's likely that she may have possessed this form already, but she was the first entity to draw out her Soul Form. In terms of appearance, they are the twisted image of people's worst fears brought into reality. Sanity, morals, standards are a spectrum to something that is nothing more than a former shell of an individual."
"Jesus, that's horrible," I groaned.
"Of course, we all know how this little scenario ended. Eventually, Drawcia realized that the Paintbrush was being wielded by a strange being, one she couldn't harm herself, so she aimed her efforts to stop Kirby and the strange being, but she failed against Kirby and the one she could not harm, sinking into her own destruction. The curse has been lifted and the paintbrush drew a portal for Kirby to return to his realm before it vanished; the being controlling it returned to their realm as well. That was the last of her, but it may have been her appearance that triggered what took place afterwards- the birth of Soulless Shells."
"Is that what causes the fractures within souls?" Niva asked.
"I'm afraid so. As I said, this wasn't the only time they've risen. The Star Warriors, or rather, the Star Allies had several run-ins with enemies who've wounded up in Soulless Shells, and not just in the Gamble Galactic Galaxy, like a disease, the number of Soullesses arose in tons of other galaxies as well. In fact, those who become one have lost control over their very essence themselves. The shell takes over while the soul is tormented within. Of course, the artifacts contributed to this disaster as well. One of them being the Master Crown, a thing that even the Ancients may have regret creating. The last person who got a hold of it became a puppet; it can provide limitless power, but at the cost of your sanity. It was a good thing it was eventually destroyed in the end along with the Soulless Shell it created."
"What about the one who wore it?"
"Oh, him? Believe it or not, he survived upon defeat. Instead of vanishing along with the shell, he was warped to a dimension beyond space and time. His soul was reclaimed afterwards, and he still lives to this day. I'd deem that instance rare since almost no one survives upon defeat apart from him and another who had absorbed a Nova's power. The others? Not so fortunate. The soul is freed but the penalty will leave the soul without a body and eventually exorcised, ineligible for a second chance at life. How tragic that is."
"Well, the whole soul cycle theory does seem valid now. It was made like that so no one could take the souls away from the planet or through whatever means possible for inhumane reasons," Espera theorized. "And Soul Shells exhibit tremendous power, but the downside is being stripped of your soul. It doesn't seem like there's any alternative to save them other than by destroying the Soulless Shell along with the relic. In short, becoming a Soulless fracture you completely. Damn, that's rough."
"Yet, if that's the case, it contradicts what's going on with the queen herself. If a Fractured Soul is exorcised after the shell is destroyed with no chance of living again, then why is Spectralinae "fractured" at all in Kailaine's vision?" Susie brought up a point. "If she's never went through that, then her soul should be intact, not ruined with a crack."
"Maybe it was a warning of some sort?" Niva guessed. "Surely our Creators came up with an alternative should something like this happen to someone like Spectra. Although, it feels as if she's become an entirely different person at the same time."
"Say what?"
"Hey, there's a lot I could see from a single footage of her that most people like yourselves wouldn't notice. She's probably having some sort of inner struggle with herself or something, like an identity crisis."
A thought sprang into action once again when I thought hard about Niva's statement. Come to think of it, when I saw the fracture, it briefly flashed someone else over her. Could it be…?
"Wait a minute, Niva. You may be on to something," I added to her unintentional claim. "In my vision, she was "fractured" but her soul… I saw another figure overlap with hers like a glitch. Maybe the source of her condition may have something to do with the figure I saw within her spirit! What if… what if…?"
"Yeah?" The others urged me.
"What if someone else's soul is inside her?! It may be the cause of her fracture! A person could be fractured just by hosting a soul that isn't their own! Seems crazy, but it could be possible if the soul has been fractured from being a Soulless Shell!"
Everyone paused upon my claim, processing it at once, realizing it as their expressions shows their shock.
"Are you saying that Spectra's condition is all because another soul is resting dormant within her?!" Susie summarized. "But that's impossible! No one's soul could be resting within another whose body is still living!"
Espera adds to my claim with an answer of her own. "No, no. I think I know what she means, Susie! I've watched enough isekais and shonen to know where this may be going. It's possible if the soul was bound to her through the state of reviving as a different person, a state known as reincarnation. One of my favorite arcs in Black Clover involved souls being awakened in bodies through forbidden incantation and the souls inhabiting the bodies going on a rampage. Either way, maybe the fractured soul was reincarnated within Spectralinae instead, perhaps even the day she was born!"
"You may be on to something there," said Niva. "But how did the soul reincarnate inside Spectra anyway? Reviving entities is common, but reincarnating? Never heard of any cases like those. Although I'm sure our Creators would've prepared an alternative to this scenario should it happen. Still, once the shell's destroyed, that's it for the victim. It's not like you could possibly rewind time for a different outcome… unless… yes, it's gotta be! Naiva, that gauntlet!"
Naiva, picking up her idea, continues the sentence. "Indeed. The True Arena. Truly a mystery that eludes even me as to why they created such a thing. Perhaps that was their countermeasure for that scenario after all."
"Oh, the others did mention that several times before," I recalled. "I know it's some sort of extra challenge in the form of an arena, but what is it exactly?"
"Hmm… if I had to describe it another way, perhaps an "anomaly exclusive to Popstar" would suffice; that does seem to be the case with Popstar, that is." Popstar had resurfaced below us again, suddenly emitting a strange glow in the form of a planetary shockwave that swept the surface of Popstar. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.
"When the light hits the planet just right, it'll appear as if nothing has happened- not at first. Look," Naiva points to the center of Popstar as a massive light was concentrated at the heart of the planet. "After a disaster has been resolved, some time will pass, then the time-space continuum centered from Popstar and all who were involved will be chained to the rewinding of time itself to the beginning of the disaster. The timeline after the crisis will remain the same; it is not erased, just suppressed. However, certain strips in the disaster's history may be altered as a result. This triggers an altered reality called the EX-Dimension Wave, a reimagining of the same crisis with higher risks than rewards. The premise is the same, but key parts of the incident may be altered, such as the one who goes to stop the crisis may be someone else other than Kirby for example."
"Does that mean only the people who were involved in the crisis in some way will experience this anomaly?" Espera asked.
"Yes, indeed. Time flows different between realities so that it does not cause a tear in the space-time continuum. Maybe I should've said that it rather throws the ones involved back in time to the EX-Dimension, changing forms at will. Regardless, it's mandatory for the chosen to rerun the adventure once more in order to return to the present. Once the run has been completed, the runners will then be taken to the final test, and only then will it appear…"
The space morphed once again to reveal another strange place, one that looks like a massive colosseum. A pathway way trailing to an entrance point inside and I noticed Kirby was there, the one of the past, prepping to enter the arena, witnessing his battles against revamped variations of those enemies as he progressed through the arena.
"The True Arena! A gladiator challenge where one must battle the disaster's bosses in order to progress. The stakes are high, and it shows no mercy to weaklings; only the strong-willed have what it takes to survive and reach the end. When Kirby and friends first discovered this anomaly, they decided to go through with it for fun. It was merciless, but they managed to succeed. However, that all changed when the final challenger was brought into light. That was when the trend of those entities began to follow- starting with the one who had absorbed a Nova's power, Marx."
"He had a Soul Form as well?!" I gasped.
Susie confirms this. "Apparently so. After he crashed into a Nova, he somehow survived the explosion and the remains of the clockwork began to pool into him, giving him stronger powers in the process. It's most likely that he was fractured but managed to retain his soul even after defeat. As a jester, his ability to literally split himself in him may have likely guaranteed his survival. Who knows? He always dodges the question every time I ask him. Now he's a "good bean" with Kirby."
"Well, with someone like Kirby around, even a backstabber like him can attain friendship," I sweatdropped. "I'm pretty sure almost all of you in the Star Allies used to be enemies at this point."
"And we didn't have to say a word to you to figure that out," Susie sighed. "Your intuition is so accurate, it's very scary."
"Anyway," Espera steers back into the subject. "If I'm following this all correctly, we can assume that Popstar is indeed special, otherwise it wouldn't be going through so many disasters in the first place, so special that the Ancients would bestow this anomaly upon the defenders for another reason."
"To exterminate the Soulless Shells," Niva finishes the sentence. "We know that once the shell has been destroyed, it's over for the victim's soul initially. However, with Popstar, there's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the soul to get another life- through the True Arena. But won't the scenario play out exactly the same way as it did the first time?"
"Not exactly," answers Naiva. "Remember when I said that the anomaly "alters" strips in history through the rewind? In that sense, it applies in the True Arena. The final challenge is the one that gets altered the most. The battle will play out the same way, although it's much harder than before, but upon defeat, that is where it all changes. The antagonist will then delay the inevitable by doing something entirely different from what they did before; depending on who it is, to say the least. You can think of it as a "What-If" scenario, where it showcases another possible outcome of a specific detail of the event."
"No way…"
"In those instances, either a Soul Form will emerge or a hidden enemy that has not appeared in the main timeline will face the runners themselves. They are all referred to as Souls. Interestingly, you obtain a bit of more information about the enemy that changes the way you once perceived them before. The enemy often has experienced extreme tragedies beyond your wildest imaginations; you start to understand their real motives from their perspective. Their soul cries out, corrupted and fractured as you fight an empty shell, programmed to destroy. That is the true horror. If there was an alternative method, I'm sure the Star Allies would've exploited this as quickly as possible, but no alternative exists. And perhaps that was the key itself."
"You mean in freeing the souls?"
"Yes. In the present timeline, the Shell is incomplete, which is known as the Corrupted Shell, which slowly devours the soul within as they start to lose control; once defeated, the soul is released fractured and eventually exorcised. However, when the anomaly reignites again and begins the time rewind, the moment the scenario changes is when the Soulless Shell emerges, powerful than ever before. Fighting is the only way out, but if you were to defeat it in that alternate scenario, then history will be slightly altered as the soul in the present is released from their torment, fractured but as a reward for beating the True Arena, the soul will avoid exorcism and will be granted another chance for life again. After that, history will alter itself once more to the moment before the alteration, playing out as exactly how it went originally before resting back in the present as if it was a dream to them; they are aware that they had just relived the experience yet again."
The presentation matched Naiva's words as he continues to speak. I then saw that same soul ascend from Popstar to wander the cosmos for some time. "Then… the victim's soul is…"
"Saved from exorcism due to the Star Allies' efforts. They surely did not know this, but they unwittingly met specific conditions while they fought in the arena. By doing so, not only do they get stronger, but the victim's soul, although being unable to regain their former bodies back yet managing to avoid exorcism, is thus granted another chance of life. And that is exactly what you suspected it was."
"Reincarnation!" We all exclaimed together. "That's how!"
"Indeed. Fractured Souls will then roam free until it one day finds itself resting dormant within another person's body. It will take some years for the soul to awaken and repair itself as the only condition is that the soul's spiritual wavelength aligns exactly with another soul, but as long as there's someone who matches them, they can lay dormant within one person and can be passed down through newborns themselves until one can perfectly contain their soul. The person who receives another's soul won't feel their presence for some time until they inhibit symptoms akin to that of retrograde amnesia, just like Spectralinae is going through right now, but now it's getting severe for her, it appears."
"What happens when she reaches her limit?" I asked.
"Most likely she'll suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) once the threshold has been broken for her, questioning who she is while seeing bits and pieces of whoever's memories inside her and if possible, she may undergo physical changes to her body as a side effect, possibly bringing out an altered physical version of the Fractured Soul's original body," Espera theorized. "I can't imagine what will happen afterwards if she were to completely awaken right now."
"The only thing that could happen is what we saw in the vision," I responded. "Her being engulfed in darkness, I suppose. But there's something that I don't understand. You said there was an impending doom arising if the project wasn't set into motion soon. What is it, exactly?"
"…" The knowledgeable clockwork star said nothing but silence as the Star Ocean began to warp once again back to reality. That only made us more tense.
"Er, Naiva? What's with the silent treatment all of a sudden?" Espera started to sweat. "You're definitely creeping us out, man."
"…" Again, no response but a deadpan stare.
"Okay, this isn't funny, Naiva-san!" Niva starts to get all hissy, the cat genetics kicking in for her. "Is there something you don't want to tell us about? We know the planet is in danger, but from WHAT? Tell us already!"
"Everyone, hold on!" Susie demanded. "Think about it for just one moment, consider what took place on this planet! As we know it right now, it's become a frozen tundra due to the accident years ago, causing a domino effect as one disaster triggers another, starting with Dark Matter. An explosion occurred, accidentally creating Celsius while terminally infecting the planet's weather and brought on a crisis and a global pandemic. Everything about this planet became abnormal for too long, it's starting to become terminal!"
"Susie, just what are you getting at?" Espera questioned. "You're making it sound like some horror will emerge and cause an even bigger disaster than before. I mean, sure Dark Matter caused it, but that's about it now."
"And that's because it IS what it sounds like! Haven't you found it weird that Dark Matter had less involvement on this planet in the present compared to the other ones? Another crisis was already occurring, and they didn't even have to step in, I'm talking about the whole manhunt! The fact that we only were able to detect their presence once we sailed near this nation and nowhere else during our short time here definitely means that they have something up their sleeves. All they need to do is to let "nature take its course" for things to work in their favor, by letting their mess flood all over!"
"A chain reaction? But the only thing they did was cause Naiva to crash and-" I started to say, yet I cut my own words off upon a realization. An arrow that missed the target managed to aim for a bullseye within my mind.
"No… from a single unintentional accident… was that what they relied on? Is the danger something that could truly devastate the planet completely?"
"Most likely as a result of that single action caused by Dark Matter," replied Susie. "I've always found it weird, but remember how the Godbeast Celsius was created from that accident at the Factory? Haven't you ever wondered WHY she was born from it only to end up freezing the entire planet first thing upon birth and wreaking havoc thereafter?"
"I would think it's to exterminate humanity and all, but she would've done that a long time ago. Well, to be fair, her existence did cause the planet to freeze over for many years. It's not like that was her intention at all considering at that time she was born in a few seconds," Espera guessed.
"Maybe it was not her intention," Susie continues. "But the accident remains a deep scar on the planet, though. It can't be a coincidence for someone like her to suddenly emerge out of the planet's abyss and freeze the entire globe in a flash and make the inhabitants suffer without a reason! Her wrath has no basis whatsoever because she went berserk, and while I don't normally say this often, what if she represented the wrath of someone else?"
"Someone else? Are you implying that the true danger is the wrath of this mysterious being?" Niva tilts her head. "If so, do you have any idea who's unleashing their wrath anyway?"
Susie glances at Naiva before answering. "There's only one possible explanation for any of this. The wrath of this being… it's the impending doom that Naiva mentioned. If God is not to blame for this, then this is something stirred up only by mankind themselves- except it was Dark Matter who triggered it instead but rather they blamed the humans for that incident after having enough of being stained by their sinful history. If repentant, God may forgive their sins, but THEY won't. And Celsius was the key."
"Stained by their sins…?" I muttered to myself. Surely that's impossible, right? "THEY" won't forgive humans whereas God possibly might, but it doesn't make any sense. Who could desire such a thing? What could drive them to such ends…? What are "they" anyway…? It's impossible…
No… maybe it is possible. After all, I don't know who they are or what they are… but they have the will to desire destruction. If it's because of human sin, then the answer could possibly be clear! I think I get it now!
With a possible answer in mind, I immediately went to voice out my conclusion to the others.
"I understand now. I know why Naiva has gone quiet," I spoke; Naiva slowly turns his head a little towards my direction. "The accident made him feel guilty of what happened to everyone that time, being unable to do anything about it. But he's more worried about the impending doom that was triggered by his crash instead. There's more to it than anyone would've thought, this impending doom is a calamity of a being, one that is formed from human sin, forced to bear every sin committed by humans until it reaches its breaking point. And when it does, they will rise to inflict their wrath against the sinful until they're erased. They are not a living being initially, yet they sustain life ironically, so we should be think of this doom as a "non-living" being that can contain living beings altogether!"
The others were following my idea, eventually being able to put the pieces together for themselves, and their reactions were evident. "It can't be! You mean… the impending doom that will arise is actually-?!"
"That's right," I answered. "It can only be the planet star itself desiring the destruction of humanity in the first place! The planet is literally a living history book that records the events of a race's progression in life! Because it holds life, it's the one that bears the holes in the tragic parts of human history and at their worst as well! And the Everlasting Hail… thanks to Dark Matter, that was the last straw! The planet has lost it, so it decided to do something about during the crash!"
"Crap! That means the planet itself birthed Celsius in order to destroy humanity; it was no accident that she came to be after all!" Espera gasped, realizing this very fact. "And if I had to guess how, it's gotta be the Void Jewel or rather the Snow Elejewel they were creating back then! That's why it has to be used in order to quell the animosity on the project and also why the Godbeast herself couldn't reverse it!"
"But if all we have to do is use the jewel in that machine," Niva argued. "Then everything will be fine! I'm sure that would be the case if it wasn't for that vision Kaila had. I feel like there's something more to it than it seems…"
"That's exactly the point," Naiva finally spoke. "Sorry I kept silent, but I was hoping you'd figure this one out for yourselves, and it's exactly what you all have feared it would be. The impending doom is the will of the planet itself, something that manifested on its own and formed by the cruel, unspeakable acts committed by the wicked of the human race, eventually receiving form within the core of the planet. It has risen before during the eternal winter, but it wasn't for long that it rose and was eventually suppressed within the core yet leaving behind a devastating wreck on the area it attacked. However, it will emerge again today, becoming more disastrous than before. It can be easily suppressed with the Void Jewel…"
"The catch, Naiva?" Niva demanded.
"But there could be a chance that the will of the planet may use that chance to emerge from the abyss. It did manifest Celsius with that Jewel, after all. That's not all it's capable of. All it needs is a vessel, fractured with darkness, to bring itself about again. Ironically, the Jewel is its only weakness, but if certain conditions are set, it could spell disaster, even without the unstable aura extracted."
"A vessel?" Susie shook her head. "And just where is it gonna get one that matches those conditions?"
"…It's her," I gasped. "It's the queen! She could be its target since in my vision, she was "fractured in darkness" before it ended! What if it goes after her?!"
"Then she's in even more danger than before!" Espera exclaimed. "It'll probably make its move the moment she activates the Re: Genesis Project! She must not be the one who sets off the project; it's clear we have to warn them!"
"Good thinking, let me give the others a call and- what the-?!" Susie was about to make a call but was held by a major roadblock. "My phone's been tampered with! The service's been cut off! I know I paid for that! I'm gonna sue them later on- eh? W-what's this?"
"What's wrong, Susie?" Niva asked. The face Susie made was that of shock and fear as she showed us what appeared on her phone. There was a message written on the screen:
THE WILL IS INEVITABLE. YOUR FATE IS SEALED, SINFUL HUMANS.
"The Will… it knows!" Susie quivered, her voice shook as her weak knees collapsed to the floor. "It hacked my phone! It was listening to everything we said! We're done for!"
"WHAT?! IMPOSSIBLE!" Shouted Naiva, taken by surprise. "It's reach can extend to even here as well?! Damn it! Its rage is more malevolent than I anticipated it to be! At this rate…!"
"Spectra's life will be compromised!" I gasped. "We have to beat the Will to the others! Everyone's in danger!"
"And if we don't make it in time…?" Susie questioned. "What about seeking out the Project?"
"…then we'll prepare for the worst!" Espera shouts. "Any hesitation will get everyone killed! I'm sure the Project has already been sent up to the surface to the Central Square the moment we saw that message! We have to warn them now!"
"But we're way too deep in the Factory! We won't be able to catch up like this!" Susie argues.
"I was expecting the worst, but not like this to come," said Naiva. "In any case, I'll be able to completely warp you all out of the Factory now that I've regain some of my power, but outside is as far as I can take you all this time. I can imagine it will try to impede your advancement somehow, so proceed with haste and upmost caution. Of course, should things go south, be prepared for the worst. Sorry I couldn't do much more."
"No, outside the Factory is more than enough for us! We owe you one, Naiva!" Niva purrs, licking his cheek. "Now, send us up already!"
"Alright, I will. Oh, Kailaine, give this to Kirby, will you?" Naiva says, handing me another trophy ability, this one having chains all over in grey.
You got a new ability, Chain! Ensnare your foes and ride on them for epic combos and much more! 11/12 Abilities Collected.
"Ah, thanks, I will! Thanks for everything!" I thanked him, pocketing the item away. "Okay, let's go!"
"Understood. Initiating Warp in 3…2…1…GO!"
With those words, before we could even blink, a brief light flashed, taking us away from the Sanctuary in a flash.
…
"Good grief, how troublesome. Even if the Will gains the upper hand, it won't be easy for it to exact their wrath with resistance running around. Still, hopefully if that happens, the Star Allies should be able to conquer the amalgamation of human sin in its rawest form…"
"Well, whatever the case, should the worst-case scenario take place, the real challenge lies ahead. Perhaps I should've said something, but hesitation will prove to be their weakness at the worst moment possible had I mentioned it earlier."
"Regardless, that's about all I can advise them. If matters come to that, I'm hoping they would devise another way around the straightforward approach. Please, young warriors, find that way out. Good luck to you all."
Outside the Factory
"Let's go, girls!" Espera shouted, casting a speed spell on all of us. In that moment, we immediately dashed with incredible speed from the factory as we headed towards the square, which was a rather long distance from here.
"All right, we'll make it at this rate!" Niva shouted.
"We gotta hurry! There's no telling what it'll throw at us at this point!" Susie mentioned. "More importantly, it seems like the Queen is already at the Square with Taranza!"
"Oh man, I hope he's okay…" I gasped, picking up the pace. "We're coming, everyone!"
And so, in the end, it became an intense race against the clock as we desperately sprinted towards the square in hopes that we beat the Will to them in time. We cannot afford to lose!
Level Six Complete!
Meanwhile…
"Ay, boss. Check this out," A deep, gruff voice echoed, pointing at the TV displaying the news of the event that unfolded within the Central Square. "It's the gang of that pink kid over there."
"Oh, is that so? It seems that they managed to come out victorious against the Elites, huh? As expected of those folks of his… looks like they've got everything under control in the end. I was sure things would turn out nasty at first, considering that they unwittingly stole our thunder then."
"Ain't that the truth, boss?" The gruff voiced individual responded, munching on some snacks.
"I kinda feel bad for them, though," A younger voice pitched in. "If it were us, we'd be gone with the jewel a long time ago, I'd say 30 seconds top notch. I'm more amazed they lasted weeks without being caught until this point."
"I agree," The gruff individual concurred. "Ain't nothing we have to worry about now that everything's being settled thanks to them."
Or that's what anyone would've thought then had not another character crash in on the scene with some urgent news. You could tell he was the brains of this troupe by the way he spoke. "Boss, drop what you're doing right now!"
"But we're not doing anything."
"What's the difference?! This is urgent!" The witted brainiac fussed and panicked.
"Alright, spit it out," Requested the calm, stoic seemingly leader of the group. "What's up, Doc?"
"Apparently, I've just been doing some calculations regarding the atmosphere of this planet, and my findings were just as I feared! There's a disruption in the planet's core that's leaking out from within the center as we speak, causing a radical change within the planet itself!"
"Wouldn't that just be an earthquake or something?" The gruff character suggested.
"No, you incompetent buffoon! It's true that it's likely to happen, but that's not the issue here! This is no ordinary natural disaster, you see! There's a sudden energy ascension emerging as well, and it's not normal! Thanks to that, it will unleash the deadliest anomaly ever to exist on this planet!"
This aroused the leader's attention more. "Do tell me, what kind of energy is being harvested so suddenly for this to happen?"
"The very same that possessed you, boss! Dark Matter!" The brainiac announced, giving shock to every member in the vicinity, reminded of their unexpected encounter with that being.
The leader being taken aback. "Dark Matter?! How is that possible?!"
"Apparently, this whole incident was caused by Dark Matter themselves, which is why there's a rapid rise in that energy at all! But that's only the beginning of what's to come! Their actions have given wake to the anomaly I mentioned before, one formed from the sins of humankind dubbed "The Will"! And its surging pathway seems to be heading straight for the Central Square, seeking a vessel to inhabit to incur its wrath upon the planet!"
"The Will…? Ah, so it wasn't just a myth after all. I did hear something about an unidentified anomaly leaving wreckage at the Airports for the children to escape after they left. There were many injured but no casualties- all except for the disappearance of two individuals, however. Could they be the ones that "she" was looking for…? Hmm, who knows?"
The leader shook his head, leaving his thoughts on hold. "Well, in any case, this is a serious matter indeed. What else have you discovered?"
"At this rate, the end result is clear. How the end result will occur is incomprehensible at this point. It's without a doubt that it will succeed in its revenge if it isn't stopped in time! Something must be done about it!"
"Good grief, it can't be helped, I suppose," The leader sighed, standing up from his seat as he flip-kicked a rod to catch in his hand, one imbued with special power. "Looks like we'll have to step in after all. All right, squad! How about we give those cats some mice to chase after?"
"Hell yeah, boss! I'm in!"
"Like you even have to ask!"
"At your service, boss!"
The leader with a confident gleam in his golden eyes smirked and raised his arm to the sky. "That's what I'm talking about! Let's make some noise, men!"
"YEAH!"
"We're coming, Kirby! Just you hold on!"
This mysterious group then prepared to venture out into the beyond that would soon be shrouded in the inevitable chaos soon to come, seeking to aid the Star Allies as well.
You know, they seem quite familiar somehow, I just can't put my finger on it…
Meanwhile at Central Square…
"Of course, an apology won't be enough to soothe your pain, that I know. However, right now, I should at least explain everything that's truly going on this entire time. Eventually, you all were going to discover this anyway, so I suppose we couldn't keep it a secret for very long, that's if you're willing to hear me out."
Without a doubt, that was what everyone wanted this entire time, using nods to confirm that they want to hear the truth.
"Very well. Please listen carefully... what I'll tell you won't be so easy to grasp," Spectra began to narrate. "First, perhaps I should explain why you're seeing at my weakest right now. There's no way to soften it, so the simple truth is that I was possessed by Dark Matter themselves."
The crowd gasped upon hearing Dark Matter being involved in this spiraling of events, their shocks transferred into words to each other in the mix. Even the Elite Warriors were shocked as well.
"That can't be!" Teyren shouted. "Surely there must be some sort of mistake!"
Spectra shook her head. "No, Chancellor. That's the truth of what happened to me. My condition was getting worse that time, and in my vulnerability, they seized the opportunity to take control over my very being. I was somehow unconscious throughout all of this today and I was unable to do anything about it."
"Then how did you manage to break free? And why is that dumb spider boy getting all physical with you considering how he went up and ran that time like a coward?! I thought you wanted his head-!" Celsius started to protest.
She was immediately silenced with a chop to the head. By Spectra herself, to everyone's surprise. "OW! What was that for?!"
"That's rough, sugartits!" Marx snickered.
"Silence, Celsius!" Spectra growled. "Tazzy here is a good bean! Don't you dare disrespect the one who saved my life!"
"HE DID?!" The crowd reacted in shock. Except for the ones closest to Taranza, who maintained their deadpanned stares throughout the breakout reaction.
"Well, duh."
"Obviously."
"No big surprise there."
"Eh, what else is new?"
"Seriously, who else would be her savior?"
"We helped too, but he needed his character development, so why bother to take his spotlight?"
Spectra huffed as she cops a hug with Taranza. "That's right! This "traitor" here saved me from being their puppet! I owe him my very life! And he's no coward either! He's a very kind and caring person, even courageous enough to put himself in harm's way for my sake! It's those very things about him that I've come to appreciate more, and that's what makes him so endearing! So, wanna disrespect him now?" She gave off a menacing glare to the crowd.
The response was just as expected.
"Glad we're on the same page. Now if you still have your doubts, allow me to explain what took place this morning while I was possessed," Spectra began. "Perhaps that will shed some light on the situation we're facing right now."
"It was earlier this day, that I remember…"
Scenario 2 Cleared! Scenario 3 remains!
Proceed with Scenario 3- Zenoxia Castle Flashback?
Yes, let's go!
Hold on a moment!
Answer: Yes, let's go!
Understood. You will now enter Taranza's POV for the final part of this act! Help Taranza save Spectra from Dark Matter's grasp some time before they appeared in Central Square!
Now Saving… Save Complete!
To be continued…
End of Act 6 Part 3!