The wind howled across the Valleria Lake as clouds rolled in, dark and low like bruises in the sky. The waters churned unnaturally, as if even the lake itself sensed the vile power awakening beneath its depths. What had once been the resting place of the Liber Ark now bore an abomination—an impossible tower of black steel and shimmering crimson light that stretched into the heavens like a dagger aimed at Aidios herself.

Estelle Bright tightened her grip on her staff, eyes narrowed as she stood on the edge of the newly formed peninsula, watching the tower pulse like a beating heart.

"So it's true," she muttered. "They actually brought something back here."

"Not just brought back," came Lloyd Bannings' voice as he arrived beside her, with Rean Schwarzer following behind him.

"Some kind of amplification system or shockwave," Rean said as he looked at her ARCUS and soon looked up again "It's... augmenting the Orbal field. Subtly. Like it is affecting the people of Liberl, Crossbell and Erebonia already."

He soon stepped forward, the wind catching his coat. His expression was unreadable, but his hand drifted toward the hilt of his sword. "The reports said it was tied to three figures. A Jaeger commander, a puppetmaster, and... a cult leader."

Estelle nodded grimly. "Wraith. That's the Jaeger. Leads a rogue corps called the Ghost Vanguard. They soon appeared after the Northern War. Supposed to specialize in shock tactics, illusions, and stealth—makes Red Constellation look subtle. Seems like he held a grudge against you Rean."

Lloyd added, "And the puppetmaster must be the Wandering Marionette Troupe. Their devices were found in Rolent, Grancel, even near Bose. Remote-control orbal puppetry, emotional manipulation. They use performances to slip under the radar. Until it's too late."

Rean clenched his fist. "And the cultist?"

"'Father Malthus,'" Lloyd said softly. "High-ranking member of the DG Cult who broke off during the aftermath of the Azure-Zero project. His followers call themselves the Children of Shadows. They believe the world can only be purified through total submission to 'The Will Beyond Light.'"

Estelle huffed. "Creepy. Real deal-with-a-staff creepy."

Lloyd took a step forward, eyes focused on the tower. "Whatever they're planning, it ends today."

A tremor rippled through the ground, accompanied by an eerie hum from the tower. From its peak, a massive black ring of orbal circuitry began to rotate, gathering ambient energy.

Then the voice came.

"Children of Zemuria," it echoed from the skies, a twisted amalgamation of three voices speaking in unison. "Witness the dawn of the True Era. The Age of Strings and Shadows. Where free will is but a vestige of chaos, and only order—our order—shall remain."

From the base of the tower, three figures emerged.

First was Wraith, now clad in worn but reinforced Jaeger armor painted obsidian gray, his face hidden behind a jagged helmet with a specter's smile etched into the mask. A massive gunblade was slung across his back, and two curved daggers glinted at his hips.

To his left floated The Puppeteer, a man now dressed in a theatrical garb, half-clown and half-executioner, his eyes obscured by a harlequin mask. Dozens of orbally controlled strings floated around him like ghostly tendrils, each tethered to something unseen.

And at the center stood Father Malthus, draped in ceremonial robes of indigo and crimson, his arms spread wide in mock benediction. His eyes glowed with unnatural light.

"Ah... the heroes gather," Malthus crooned. "The Daughter of Cassius. The Liberator of Crossbell. The Awakener of the Ashen Flame. How poetic."

Rean stepped forward, his voice calm but burning with steel. "You're manipulating innocent people, twisting their minds with ancient tech and madness. This ends here."

Wraith let out a low chuckle. "You think we're manipulating them? No. We're freeing them. From their burdens. From pain. From uncertainty."

The Puppeteer raised his hand, and behind him, a battalion of humanoid puppets emerged from the shadows, eyes glowing blue. "The world is a stage, darling. We merely write a better play."

Estelle pointed her staff directly at the trio. "Yeah? Well, your play's about to get canceled."

Without another word, she surged forward—and the battle began.

Rean followed immediately, activating his Spirit Unification as a shadowy puppet lunged toward him. His blade flashed, slicing through the marionette with a burst of divine light.

Estelle activated his Boost and shot past Lloyd, intercepting Wraith mid-dash as the Jaeger launched a series of shadow clones toward the group. Their weapons clashed with a metallic scream, sparks flying.

Lloyd was soon giving them cover with his tonfas firing at the three of them from afar.

Above them all, the tower continued to pulse, its core glowing brighter with every passing second. A countdown of sorts, Tio realized. A synchronization point. Whatever was at the top of the tower—it was going to activate soon.

Rean flipped through the air, smacking two puppets aside and landing next to Estelle. "We need to take them down fast or get inside!"

"No kidding!" she grunted, parrying Wraith's curved dagger and smacking his shoulder—but the Jaeger barely flinched.

Rean landed nearby, blood trailing from a gash across his cheek. "They're stalling. Buying time. Someone needs to break through and stop the tower."

Estelle's eyes met his—and in that moment, they understood.

"I'll handle Wraith after all it seems like we have a score to settle," Rean said, stepping forward again, this time without hesitation. "No more victims."

Estelle turned to Lloyd. "You and I take the freaky puppeteer and the creepy cult guy, that way they can't activate what they are trying to send from the tower."

"Agreed." Lloyd nodded. "Let's end this."

And soon the three heroes across three countries soon looked together as if this was simply another adventure to them.

Together, they surged forward once more—toward the three figures who threatened to plunge Zemuria into darkness once again.

And above, the tower kept rising, its heartbeat echoing like war drums across the sky.