"Surprising. It turns out I'm not alone... in wanting the Pillar position."

Hikaru listened in silence, holding back the pain. What she had long understood, she could not justify, nor did she dare to agree. She was so shocked by what she had just experienced. She never wanted this. Not once had the thought crossed her mind, but how could it be? How could she have entered?! The selection room wouldn't allow anyone to enter except a Pillar candidate...

How terrified she was when she saw the door to the selection room open while Eagle was already right in front of the gate. She couldn't think straight. Her body wouldn't listen to her. She knew death would come for her if she wasn't a candidate. The decision she ultimately made was a mystery and was her foolish recklessness... Because Lantis was with her and she couldn't let that young man be destroyed further if Eagle became the Pillar... She managed to reach Eagle. However, instead of preventing him, she got dragged in as well.

"You seem surprised..." Eagle reached for something hanging from his belt. "You're pale and trembling. Are you alright?" It was now clear what the device was. Eagle pressed something, and a blue laser beam emerged from the object he took. It was a long sword. Eagle looked at her with a cold expression.

"What is your name?"

"Hikaru... Shidou."

"A beautiful name." Eagle sighed. "I have decided to become the Pillar of Cephiro. Shall we begin?"

Hikaru gasped as Eagle suddenly attacked her. "W-wait..." He raised his sword high to split her in two... "I don't want to fight you!"

"Unfortunately, this is not a place where you can say that! I won't hold back even though you're a woman!"

Eagle swung his sword. Hikaru, unprepared, was too slow to dodge. The hand she used to shield herself was struck... Hikaru was thrown backward, screaming in pain. Blood spattered into the air... she felt like her hand was burning. She tumbled several meters away, her whole body aching from the impact.

"Wait..."

"This is the selection process. It does not care whether someone is male or female... It does not care whether you are young or old, healthy or sick... This selection does not forgive weakness! Fight me or die!"

Eagle smiled victoriously. This will end quickly, he thought. Hikaru struggled to rise, but Eagle didn't give her a chance to breathe. He held her down. His hand gripped Hikaru's neck tightly, truly choking her. Blood from Hikaru's hand had already covered part of the floor... Hikaru struggled, trying to break free, but Eagle held her firmly against the ground. She couldn't breathe, her lungs felt like they were on fire...

"This is the selection process. One of us has to die, and it's going to be you!"

Eagle swung his sword, aiming directly at where Hikaru's heart was... But Eagle's sword was blocked. A mental shield enveloped Hikaru's body. Eagle was forced to release Hikaru as the air around them rapidly heated up.

Hikaru gasped. She was surprised at this newfound power, a magical defensive wall. She could create an aegis! "I don't want to fight... Let's... let's leave... this place..."

He stepped back, preparing to attack again. "Don't talk nonsense!" His laser sword struck Hikaru's shield, but the shield held firm. Eagle was thrown even further back and crashed onto the floor.

Hikaru struggled to rise, trying to stop the bleeding in her hand with her other hand. The wound was quite deep... "I don't want to fight..." Hikaru repeated. She couldn't stand firm and fell to her knees. "I'm not here to compete with you. I want to stop you, I want to bring you back... Lantis is waiting for you out there-"

"You speak his name to weaken me?!"

"He's your friend!"

"He's just an obstacle!"

Eagle advanced again. This time, Hikaru truly understood that Eagle wouldn't listen to her. She drew out her own sword and clashed with Eagle Vision. Eagle Vision overpowered her. Once again, she was thrown down, pinned to the cold floor. Hikaru couldn't move. She was terrified, Eagle becoming more relentless. Eagle groaned loudly... but tears streamed down his face at the same time.

"I don't care about him…" Eagle's breath was racing. Suddenly, his vision darkened. "I don't care… if he will kill me after this…" He couldn't speak anymore. His heart was in so much pain. He couldn't deny something… At the same time, Eagle lost his balance. The sword in Eagle's hand slipped from his grasp…

Hikaru was wide-eyed seeing Eagle's sudden strange condition. Hikaru caught him in her embrace. Eagle Vision's body slumped. "Eagle Vision?" she asked anxiously.

In the last moments, when his desire was almost fulfilled, unexpectedly his body betrayed him. Eagle groaned angrily. The attack came again and felt heavier… His consciousness faded in and out. Hikaru could be heard calling his name, but the girl's voice seemed distant. Eagle could hear his heart beating fast. He was scared. He was losing more and more sensation of the world around him… He was going to die!

"No…" Eagle forced himself to stay upright.

"E-Eagle Vision?" Hikaru laid him down with all her might. Her hands trembled intensely as she touched the young man's unmoving body, except for his gasping breaths, which seemed painful. Hikaru quickly did what she could. She removed his protective goggles and communication devices that might disturb Eagle and loosened his clothing.

"W-what's wrong with you?" Eagle's eyes were tightly shut. "Are you hurt? Eagle Vision!" Hikaru brought her hand close to Eagle's nose. "You're still breathing..." Hikaru shook his body. Eagle didn't react. "Say something! Eagle Vision! You're not dead, are you? What have I done?! Did I hurt you? Say something! WAKE UP! Do you hear me? I promised myself to get you out of here! WAKE UP!"

Was that what was on her mind? So naive. Unexpectedly, Eagle seemed to weakly smile as if about to laugh.

"You scared me so much..."

Eagle grabbed Hikaru's hand and gripped it tightly. "Killing me is what he wants," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Why are you talking like that? You two are friends..."

"Not anymore..."

"Y-you're hurt... We need to get out of here! I'll take you to a healer..."

"As if I have any hope..." Eagle thought to himself. He closed his eyes, feeling relieved, this finally would be the moment of his death.

Hikaru looked around. Everything was so white. There were no doors or windows, just towering walls of light, while the ceiling was somewhere unknown. There was no way out...

"No way... Why is it like this?" She sobbed, lamenting her helplessness. "What am I supposed to do?"

Eagle heard her. He couldn't understand why this girl crying for him. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw Hikaru's face, tears streaming down both sides of her cheeks. He had never seen a girl cry so sadly for him before.

Throughout his life, he was determined not to let anyone pity him. Finally he, who always built up courage, strength, and resilience, for the first time must acknowledge vulnerability, fear, and weakness. Before, even though he was repeatedly told to be dying from his illness, he used to believe that in weakness, anything was possible. Now he was besieged by doubt. He, who had achieved so much and wanted to make Pillar his greatest achievement, saw failure...

"Kill me now... or I will kill you later..."

Hikaru shook her head. "We will get out of this place." She wiped away her tears. "Lantis would be devastated... You must not become the Pillar... There shouldn't be a Pillar anymore..."

"Why do you keep caring about it?"

"You all can't suffer any more. No one should suffer because of the Pillar System again..." Hikaru took a deep breath. She strengthened her resolve. "You will be okay. I will find a way..."

Eagle felt a strange sensation between them. "There is no way out until one of us dies..."

"No one will die! I don't want to die! I want to go back to my friends, my world, my home... I want to see my brothers... I want to see Hikari... again."

What was she saying? Friends... world... home... family... Pain filled Eagle's heart. There were many things she loved, thought Eagle. While I have many things I want to throw away. Friends... country... home... family... myself...

Hikaru ran towards the wall and felt it. Firm. If there was no way, then she had to make a way. She drew her sword and with all her might, she swung it to crush it. She had to make even just a small crack. Her fire was so strong, striking in all directions. This was her fight, to break through the deadlock and the absence of hope... Her cries turned into angry roars. Why was her enemy so stubborn? One last attack on that dimension turned against her and brought her down, thrown her to the floor...

"This is the selection chamber... No one leaves until the Pillar is chosen..."

"Don't disturb me with your desperation! We will get out! We can definitely get out!"

The dimension rumbled and retaliated, knocking Hikaru down once again.

Eagle gathered his strength. Slowly, he rose and watched as Hikaru desperately tried to break down the dimension that trapped them. The harder Hikaru tried to destroy it, the harder the dimension fought back, injuring her. She refused to stop, and this was his chance... He still didn't want to leave this place before becoming the Pillar.

Eagle reached for something beneath his robe. A short, sharp piece of metal. With his trembling hand, he wounded one of his arms. Blood stained his sleeve and dripped onto the floor through his fingertips... It was enough to prolong his consciousness. This pain would keep him alert, he thought. Eagle groaned in pain, and Hikaru turned around in shock.

"What are you doing?"

"You shouldn't forget, our business is not finished yet." Eagle picked up his sword. "I don't have much time..." Eagle took a deep breath and straightened himself. "I have to become the Pillar... before my time runs out."

Eagle took advantage of her hesitation. Hikaru blocked Eagle's weak attack. "You're sick..." Hikaru tried to stop him, but Eagle no longer cared about anything.

"Yes! I'm always sick!" he shouted as he rebelled against his own shackles. "They keep predicting my death, but I'm the one who chooses my path to death, and I've made it this far! I won't regret it, even if I live forever in paralysis and can never rise again! I will prove it to them!" Such bitterness poured from his mouth...

"Why... Why are you acting like this... Why has your country made you like this?!"

"It's not Autozam. I want to become the Pillar... for myself... who dreamed of so much... I listened to Lantis's tales about Cephiro... He made me dream... until I made my decision! I want... to save my country by learning this system... so there can be blue skies above us... and vast land full of freedom... so that my people need not to hide deep underground anymore just to live..."

"I believe there's a way to save Autozam, and it's not the Pillar system! The Pillar system is a mistake. Too many people have died because of it. Cephiro is destroyed because of it. You've seen it!"

"Exactly! The Pillar system is humanity's greatest mistake... That's why I will end it too by putting Cephiro to sleep with me. There will be no more Pillar. The Pillar System will freeze. I will end the terrible history... so that there will be no more suffering like this!"

"You intend to sacrifice yourself-"

"I am dying-"

"You're wrong!" With a swift motion, Hikaru managed to disarm Eagle. The sword flew and landed several feet away... Eagle was stunned. "You will only become like Princess Emeraude! You won't make a difference! Nothing will change! Princess Emeraude sacrificed herself for everything she loved, but what happened to the people she left behind?! Those who loved her, those who thought of her above all... What should they do with their hearts? What should they do, those who love you and need you, who want you to stay with them? Why don't you think about them?"

"I am dying!" He faltered. What he had always denied was what he believed so strongly.

"That's not a reason for you to end your life in any way! Death should not dictate you. You have the right to live until your last moment. You deserve to be happy and to let go of all the burdens that have tormented you... You deserve it!"

Hikaru surprised Eagle. A large white flame enveloped Hikaru's body. The air around them surged, waves of energy swept through the dimension, and the walls of light slowly faded, shimmering scattered in the sky above their heads... The coldness in the room turned warm.

It was as if there was a sun right there, and Eagle was mesmerized watching it. He stood frozen in place. Tears trickled slowly as he remembered many things he thought he could leave behind, only to find he couldn't. Just this once, he wished fate would show mercy, so he could behold that beauty a little longer...

Hikaru stepped closer. She was no longer herself as her figure transformed into light, like an angel. Trembling intensely as he looked at her, Eagle had made his decision in this selection. Unconsciously, Eagle stepped back. "I concede... defeat." He fell to his knees before Hikaru. Bowed low, he surrendered...

Eagle braced himself, expecting Hikaru, whom he could no longer restrain, to kill him shortly... But he startled when Hikaru instead reached out and touched him. Eagle gazed at her hand, unbelieving... He wanted to ask why, but Hikaru silenced him with a shake of her head, then embraced him tightly and spoke directly into his ear:

"You know much about the Pillar System... except one thing. I've always wanted to convey it before it's too late. This time, I hope you'll listen to what Master Clef told us. The position of the Pillar isn't to be contested through war. Its essence was entirely a mystery. There was no law governing it. It was like us, who never knew the depths of our hearts. Were we truly the strongest, was our heart the noblest? Could we really answer that? But, you were right about one thing. That was the essence of this selection process. It didn't discriminate whether someone was male or female... It didn't discriminate if they were young or old, healthy or ill... But to me, it meant one thing: that everyone, no matter who they were or their circumstances, could be a support for this country... without necessarily to be a candidate or a Pillar. The hope of everyone was a source of strength... because it wasn't just one person's prayers that were heard by God..."

Eagle gripped his wounded arm, feeling the pain and realizing how his decisions had dragged many into despair. In his final moments, he found himself committing an unfathomable sin. "Please... just kill me..." he pleaded earnestly. "Free me..." He couldn't bear the physical weakness and emotional suffering any longer.

But, Hikaru reached for his hand, holding it tightly. His eyes welled up, and Hikaru's figure blurred in his vision then vanished altogether. Her grip was so strong on his now powerless hand. This might be the last warmth he felt... Ironically, he yearned for it deeply, to continue feeling like a truly precious human being.

"Eagle Vision... I won't let you go to a dark place without light... How could I let you give up? You who always wanted to see the sun and breathe in the free air... You must see your dream. Thus, I pray for your life..."

Hikaru looked at Eagle's face, now peaceful like someone asleep. She gently stroked his beautiful face, adorned with a subtle smile. Eagle had left her, and she didn't know if her pray would come true or remain empty. Hikaru didn't want to mind that possibility. As if Eagle could still hear her, she kept talking...

"Soon, there will surely be a way out. I will take you out, so you can meet those who are waiting for you, your friends, your loyal warriors... and Lantis too..."

Saying that name brought an instant pain to her heart. She had failed in one thing. She couldn't stop the Pillar from being chosen again. She couldn't defy her fate. Her strong determination to end this tragedy had led her straight to the position of Pillar... Hikaru held Eagle Vision tightly, desperately needing something to hold onto. Eagle Vision lay still; she had been left behind, alone in this dimension.

Her tears flowed more freely. "What should I do for Lantis? What should I do for Cephiro... for Umi and Fuu who have stood by me... for the people who trusted me to stop all of this? I've betrayed them all..."

The walls of the dimension had completely crumbled... The light had faded, marking the end of the selection process. Suddenly, a beam of light entered the selection chamber, growing brighter by the moment. It was the exit she had been searching for...

Hikaru stared at it blankly. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to remain in this darkness, unseen and unknown, not to be found or recognized by anyone. She rooted herself to the spot... She feared what she might find outside; perhaps people who now despised her... cursed her, because she was no longer the person she once was.