"I, VER FULGEN VAUGHAN, HAVE KILLED THE SUMMONED ONE!" Ver declared, holding onto the body of Wu by the tip of her sword before she stepped all the way onto the edge of the cliff. Then, Kaire turned to see this betrayal when a purple whirlpool formed underneath the Fuel Rock Prime and teleported it away. Kaire turned her head slowly to see the guarantee of her retirement slip right down through the portal, and she instantaneously activated her full power to try to grab onto it as the last drip of the Purple Fluid vanished from right beyond her grasp. "AHHHHH!' Kaire let out a heavenly-shaking scream and turned to glare at Kaire. Then, dashing through the crowds of bounty hunters and crushing the bodies of the poor fellows that were in the way, Kaire stopped a meter away from Ver as she held out Wu's struggling body in front of her. "How about this, a deal?!" Ver asked, turning slowly and dangling Wu off the edge as the crowds of bounty hunters quickly surrounded Ver and pushed her to the very edge, "You get your rock, but in exchange, you testify that I alone am responsible for killing Wu!" Kaire's expressions halted for a moment, and she cracked a laugh and bent over. The shaking of her body sending pulsing pain through her right hand. "Hahaha...and I thought you were a warrior for a moment, Ver." Kaire said, shaking her head. "I never said I am." Ver said, "I am just a bounty hunter. It's all business." "That's right." Kaire chuckled and turned around slowly as the group of bounty hunters slowly moved back once they realized what they are facing, "Fortunately, we are both scum." A purple whirlpool emerged from the ground in front of Kaire, returning the Fuel Rock Prime back to its rightful owner. Then, Kaire half turned her head to look at Ver. "Oh, and another thing." Ver continued, "Nobody touch that girl." In an instant, all of the bounty hunters backed away from Lera as Kaire looked their way. With her body trampled upon and her mind crushed, she slowly crawled towards Wu as her dark hair dragged through the mud and tears streamed down her face. "Please...let Wu go..." Ver plead, digging her nails into the ground and trying to get closer and closer to him, but instead, he shook his head and smiled to her. "It's okay, Lera." Wu said faintly, yet each of his words sounded so brutally clear to Lera as blood continuing to stream down his body and drip from his feet onto the rocks below, "Like I have said before. Nobody owns the science. I have taught you the most important things already... "From now on, you are the savior of this world." Wu said with a smile on his face as Ver pulled back the blade and dropped him off the cliff, "Thank you for all that you have done for me in this world...I am happy..." The crowds of bounty hunters pushed past Kaire and Ver before they hurried onto the edge of the cliff, and they looked down only to see the shattered corpses of Wu being splattered all over the sharp rocks down beneath before the harsh waves swept away everything. "VER!!! I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL KILL YOU!" Lera screamed, slamming her fist into the ground repeatedly until she heard the cracking of her own hands and her own blood sept through the soil. However, overcome by her anger and hatred, none of the pain from her body was even registered at this moment. Propelling herself up with the last of her Casts, Lera collapsed only after taking a single step. Holding onto her tears, she glared at Ver with a gaze as sharp as her own Sword. "Done deal." Kaire asked, "But why?" "Just...another deal." Ver explained, shrugging, "I suppose...that's the end of it all." "It is indeed." Kaire said, walking past Lera who's passed out in place as the group of defeated bounty hunters followed her back. Now that the strongest being had given her word, not a single soul nearby is willing to disobey it. As the chariot carrying Ver and Kaire lifted off the ground, all that was left behind were the unconscious Lera and the flattened forest that was once the home of the three wandering souls. By the time Lera opened her eyes again, the early summer raindrops were popping all along her face, and the gentle rhythm from this weather slowly brought her back to life. She let out a pained groan and rolled to her side. That was when she rapidly opened her eyes and scanned frantically for Wu. Was that just a nightmare? A bad dream due to all that has happened? Her hand now hurt like hell, and she felt massive bumps all over her face from the stampede of the bounty hunters. That was when she spotted the trail of blood left behind by Wu. No...It wasn't a dream that she just woke up from. It was a dream she lived that was just shattered by Ver. Leaving her Book of Casts sitting in the muddy puddle, Lera crawled towards the cliff and looked over it. The waves had already taken away any sighs of Wu's body and blood, and the aftermaths of the battle were the only reminder of Lera's failure. Sitting down by the cliffside, she watches the endless ocean, the slushing sounds of the wave filling her head with dread. Perhaps this is the end for her too. Lera wondered as she let the summer rain and the seaside wind take away her tears. A guardian alone...how is she going to accomplish anything...through the four thousand years of world history, is she the first guardian that has failed in her task? Wu often said that he is a powerless Savior, and yet just now, Lera was the one that's powerless to save him. Pressing herself up, Lera stepped all the way up until the edge, and she took a breathe in. No...she cannot let it end here. She has to keep going, no matter what. If she didn't...then what of Professor Richard? What of her mother? What of Wu? What of Ver? Wu told her that it is she that will become the Fourth savior from now, and that's what she is going to do. She will avenge him and kill Ver, and then she will go on to save this world from the impending War of the Fourth Millennium, carrying on his teachings. She turned around and slowly walked towards the damaged wave-powered machine gun left behind by Wu. She ran her fingers along the lines of Cast that Wu dug into the wooden pieces and cracked a smile. Such rudimentary and childish writing of Casts, and yet...such a powerful and refreshing way to use the Wave. Wu had opened more doors to the Wave than she had ever imagined. And now it is up to her to keep his legacy going. Like he said, science doesn't belong to anyone. Picking up the Book of Casts from the ground, she then tucked it away when she spotted a black piece of fabric half-buried in the wreckage of their living quarters. From the look of it, it was the tent that Wu and Lera shared every night. She slowly trotted over, tossing aside the pieces of broken wood, and uncovered the fabric. It was his backpack. Lera bit onto her lips, and she hugged it tightly. She didn't know how long she sat there for, but when she woke up again, the rain had already stopped. She unzipped Wu's black backpack, and it's interior was still dry. Looking down at the Book of Cast that was completely soaked, she squeezed out the water and then stuffed in her backpack. Wiping away the tracks of tears, Lera conjured up her chariot and rode away from here. The Dwellers told Lera that they will be moving West, and that's where she headed to first. Her injuries were still numerous, though she was able to store up just enough of the Wave each day to keep the chariot going. It was a whole week until she finally tracked down the Dweller's settlement by following the river which branched off towards the Western side of the Endless Woods. Then, as she saw the lights from the Dweller's settlements far out in the distance, her chariot cast ran out of power and she collapsed into one of the artificial streams dug by the Dwellers. Tia, the Dweller's chief's daughter, spotted her the next day when she checked the readings in the reservoir, and she immediately brought her back into the settlement. The next time Lera remembered anything was when she awoke a number of days later. She was kept warm in a Dweller's tent by a bowl of charcoal, and her black backpack was sat right next to her head. Lera rolled up slowly, and the rough stacks of bandage with herbal medicine peeled off her body one after another. She looked down at her naked body and slowly put on the stack of clothes before walking out of her tent. One of the children playing around immediately spotted her, and it wasn't long before Lono and Tia hurried her into their tent. "So...I found you five days ago..." Tia said quietly, her eyes eager and locking onto Lera's face, "You were so badly injured..." Lera blinked a few times and nodded. Lono glanced towards Tia slowly before turning back to Lera, "...so...Wu..." "He's gone." Lera opened her mouth and spit out those words with effort. She wanted to vomit, but there's nothing left in her stomach, "He's gone...he's gone...he's dead..." Tia cracked her voice and started to snivel as chief Lono sat still for a moment. "You can stay here as long as you need." Lono said, raising from his seat, "...We will remember him properly when you are ready." Lera nodded as Lono helped Tia walk away. Then, her cries became the loudest thing in the world right the moment she stepped foot outside. Lera let the piercing sound echo in her mind as she dug her nails into her palm. "...And today...we celebrate the life of Wu. For the man that he was, for the friend that he's been, and from the family that he is, and always will be." Lono said slowly, his fingers digging into a plaque of wood and tracing out his name before planting it into the ground, "This reservoir, and all of the reservoir in the future will be in his name, and we will remember his legend for generations to come." Lera watched as the tribe mourned from a distance, then she strapped on her backpack as Lono and Tia accompanied her onto the outskirts of the settlement. "...Just so you know, you are always welcome here." Lono said slowly, "The dwellers grief differently...so please do whatever you need to do." Lera nodded slowly and forced a smile. Then, she conjured up her chariot and headed off. When all of this started, Lita, Lera's mother, was surrounded by a group of local bounty hunters after they got a handle of the Pinnacle Research Institute's Registar. However, Ver stepped in and saved Lita. Then, she told Lera and Lita had gone back to her home. The real home. Ver also spared her at the last moment...yet, despite all of that, she killed Wu without remorse. Lera gritted her teeth and gripped her hands tightly around the chariot control, trying to crush it in her hands. She continued going faster and faster until all that she can think about is trying not to crash her chariot, and after another week of travel, she made it back towards the home town. The beautiful little farming town that's sunny all the time: the Sunshine Valley. When Lera's chariot came through, the townspeople couldn't help but stop and watch, as not many people out here are capable of such a complex Cast. It was early in the morning, and mom would have... As Lera walked through the streets, the aunty from her childhood recognized her despite her dirty face and rough-looking clothing, and the words soon spread through the entire town as Lera walked down the path towards the river. At this time in the morning, if mom's not cooking for me, then she would have been washing the fabrics by the river... As the familiar slender frames of Lita appeared at the edge of her vision, Lera sprinted forward. Hearing the rapid footsteps, Lita looked up slowly, and she covered her mouth as her tears also welled up from within.