...

.......

"Nnnn..." I grunt, covering my eyes.

The sound of Sutoria's song disappears. Honestly, I cannot hear or see anything.

The light continues to shine for a few more seconds, then dies down. Still trying to adjust my eyes, I observe my surrounding with my hearing.

The sound of wind. And...a harp?

(Wait...I know that song!)

It's the song I played at the Rebirth Festival in Terraz! The song I know, but cannot seem to remember why I know it!

I look in the direction of the harp...

And see the back of a woman playing the harp near the edge of...

(Wait... Where am I?)

I look around. A clear sky with clouds. I'm outside? But the scenery, it's like nothing I've ever scene before. The place the woman is standing is metal, a place close enough to the sky that the clouds can almost be touched. And below...more metal. Metal...in the shape of giant humanoid machines. Machines deteriorated and toppled over. Parts missing and broken.

A sea of fallen metal giants, as far as the eye can see.

A place I've never heard of in all of Orageru.

The woman stops playing her harp.

"So, you learned the truth." she says.

I look back at her. As she gets up, I can a better look at her appearance from the back. Long white hair down her back. Around 175 centimeters. Pale skin. Very pale. A slim, and questionablly frail, figure. A long dress robe decorated in white, yellow, and purple going all the way to the ground.

"Welcome to our Elysium." she states.

"Elysium? I thought I was...!?"

I try to walk over to her...

But realize that I'm not touching the ground!

"Your mind is here, but not your body. Your body is still in Pira Attis, and having a bit of trouble, isn't it? Honestly, I didn't think you'd go through with it to this degree."

"Send me back!"

"You're the one who came here. Don't worry, time flows differently here. Although I cannot keep you here for long."

I calm down, then let out a sigh.

"Well, I tried." I say.

"Indeed, and the results still never work out."

"Wish I didn't bring Yamiso into this."

"I was afr..."

"BUT, I don't regret meeting him or fighting alongside him. You were right. I don't like the thought of losing others, but something about fighting alongside others puts me more at ease."

The woman pauses, then chuckles.

"Wanting to work with others and put them above yourself. It's quite admirable, if nothing else."

I look at her, then see that my "body" is glowing. Or rather, fading.

"I'm sorry for holding you back." she says.

"In what way this time?"

She looks to the sky, reaching out towards it.

"Power. The power I receive from you. The power I need for my destiny. It's...been the power you've needed all this time."

"Huh? You mean...you've been taking rhime from me?"

"Partially, yes."

"Why you!!"

"However, I believed my fight, my destiny, was to participate in a far grander conflict. But, seeing you care about every little thing has helped me remember who I am. To a degree anyway. But that doesn't matter. If you die, I die. And we can both agree that we don't want that to happen."

My body keeps fading away.

"I need you, Oren." she says. "I need your power. But in your current predicament, you also need mine. So, how about we make a deal?"

"I say you should just give me back my share of rhime!"

"Sadly, that isn't possible. In fact, 'your' rhime is mostly mine ever since you became...my successor candidate. So here's the deal. I give you my power, and you swear to aid me in future conflicts. And you'll do as I say from now on."

?

"By giving you the power I have, I lose much of what I've been working towards for all these years. You have three choices. You let me fight your fight, and you become my puppet involuntarily. You cooperate, and I give you a share of my power at my expense but on your word. Or you die. What will it be?"

(Puppet?)

I am fading even more. As I do so, I see glimpses of Sutoria-sama coming towards me at a fast pace.

"Unlike Hunter, you have a choice." she says. "A choice...to end the cycle humanity is trapped in. This...is also my choice. My wish. A wish you'd helpe me remember. So please, trust me as I've come to trust you."

The wind begins to pick up, blowing her hair and the clouds.

"Do I really have a choice?" I ask.

"This time, yes."

I smile.

"Fine. Let's show them what real teamwork is like, Miss..."

"Call me 'Nur'. And you're right! LET'S KICK SOME BUTT!!"

KKKKKKKKKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

In a flash of light, I "return" back to the fight...

And instinctively know what to do.

(You focus on fighting. I'll provide the song.)

"COME FORTH, MY HALL!!!" I yell.

(Three years of rhime, coming up! First seal: RELEASE!!)

A large pulse of rhime disperses from my body, knocking everyone else back...

Then music starts to play. Music that somehow drowns out Sutoria-sama's song.

Konomi Suzuki's "Hikari no Metamorphosis".

At the crescendo, I disperse a pillar of light. A pillar half the size of the room.

"HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

BBBBBBBBBBBBBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAA!!!!!