"The Legend of the first Great Schism dates back longer than history recalls, but Fate doesn't dare forget of the Demons that turned the tide of that war. Beasts from deep within the Void had decimated the Overworld, and with defeat imminent, the Goddess, Takera, constructed one last ploy to ensure victory for the light."

She followed, "As it's told, mere moments before she was slain, the Goddess relinquished her power, and instead cast it upon three of the most powerful Demons to ever haunt this realm. Peerless rulers of the land, sea and sky, each having dealt disastrous blows to our world; if not for her act, everything would likely have been consumed by the void."

"Past that bit, only their names are what's known for sure. Everything else is just hunches on hunches, 'cause nobody's ever actually ran in with one and lived to talk about it... 'Cept us, anyway."

Levvy smirked, but lost that competitiveness soon afterward. "Turns out, what we saw under the water that day, a silhouette easily as big as any whale... That was only the top of it; Takera forbid that I ever have to see just what all was hidden deeper down."

With that admission, she continued. "It didn't forget me, and it never forgave me; now that I've taken something from it, I can't go back out on the water, at least not without the fear that it'll eventually take something in return."

"That's correct. After Takera shattered, she'd set forth the broken shards of herself upon those Demons and freed them of the Denizen's control, ultimately leaving the trio to wreak havoc on their own. Since humanity had long since gone into hiding, they were spared. Those three alone ravaged the Void and Overworld alike, forcing any surviving Demons back to their own realm..."

Solitaire cast a glance to the stained window, then to the shard of whatever had attacked Levvy. "...Untold ages of torment, millennia of stifled rage, all culminating into a display of fury that eclipsed the Schism in its entirety. This trio, having severed their ties to both the Demonic and Aethereal natures of their identities, and now possessing the power of a shattered Takera, were reclassified into a completely new category of beings."

Lyric crossed her arms, following with a nod.

"Now, we call them Titans. Once Demons, now bearers of Takera's shards, which after combining with the latent demonic energies within them, forged a sort of proto-Affinity, called a Decree."

Somewhere, he'd heard mention of such a thing. Sure, familiarity was far from a new sensation, but this particular bout felt especially acute. Whether it was during his time in Teleo, or at the shrine, he'd known about this before: three declarations of prosperity from the Goddess, delegated to those who could destroy that same haven, should they please.

Kyoya centered his focus.

"...Foundation, Guidance, and Expanse, right?"

Eyes widened all around him.

"How... did you know that?" Lyric followed.

"I wish I knew, but I've definitely heard of them somewhere; right now, the Titans are protectors, or something, but Takera's shards are supposed to eventually lose their power, and when that happens..." He trailed off.

Solitaire picked up his end.

"They'll be reverted to their Demonic identities. Miss Asan's earlier concerns are reinforcement to this theory; being that the Sea's dominator has already begun to show signs of reversion. In that, the Denizen will regain control, and likely have them serve as the infantry for another full-scale invasion."

She gave a stern frown, continuing. "Behemoth Gobalios, Leviathan Alteal, and Meridian Zirevolt... Somehow, they slew the Defiant in this past, those destined to resolve the war themselves, forcing Takera to sacrifice herself to end the Schism. Due to that, Fate's method has grown warped and dysfunctional. Never before has she been defied; now, there's no way to predict the Schism's arrival, nor a means through which to take action."

Seemingly to let the newfound tension deflate, Solitaire adopted a long, comfortable pause. "Now, all we have is our own wit to guide us."

While silence rang out louder than the toll of any bell, it wasn't long before Lyric stepped in, at last regaining her upbeat demeanor. He was grateful.

"Which is why you're tagging along on this little journey of mine! We've gotta re-assemble the Defiant and toss a big wrench in whatever scheme the Denizen's been cooking up for the past millennia or so."

"Tch, when you say it like that, it sounds too easy." Kyoya chuckled with her, earning looks of acceptance from their peers. "Hey, you guys are a part of this thing, too. It's the whole world, or something."

"No, no," Levvy feigned ignorance, "I just didn't expect it to one-eighty that hard. We were going on about the doom and gloom, then you jump up for joy? I guess it's a good change of pace."

"A welcome one, no doubt." Added Solitaire.

The group appeared satisfied with all that had been exchanged, ultimately leaving a content ease amongst them. Lyric, in particular, seemed to be relieved as ever to have gotten a bit more to work with on her hands. He hadn't considered it until then, but she must go through a great deal of thought to have managed even this much, let alone an entire journey.

He was now more thankful than ever to have her around, as it seemed that they'd both be in much less advantageous positions without one another, at least in the scope of their respective goals.

Though, one thought persisted.

Kyoya began to wonder exactly why he could never remember any of the things Lyric, or anyone else had told him.

He wondered if this was merely the fabled Denizen's curse taking effect, or if, in reality, it were just his mind trying to make himself believe that he actually had some greater purpose in the world.

Before the Miscreant could offer that thought any more time, his partner brought him back to attention.

"We're pretty much through here, if you wanna start heading back. Ace still has some investigating on her hands, so the most we can do right now is rest up and keep ourselves ready for anything."

"She speaks the truth, even if I'd rather the subject weren't quite so extreme. I suppose I'm in no place to complain, though; especially if the journey ahead of you two proves as austere as current events would suggest."

"Well," Kyoya began, "you can rest easy knowing that we're gonna squash any problems here before we make any moves like that. It wouldn't sit right, just up and leaving you guys to handle this alone."

Solitaire cracked a smile.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were insulting our ability."

"C'mon, I lose either way, here."

"Oh, bother."

The Princess flipped her hair and stood, aiming her stare at the ominous scale. "I've just gotten a lot to think about, and I'd rather it didn't sway the focus of our pair of secret weapons. For the time being, try to maintain a low-profile, if possible..."

She trailed off. After a bout of thought, she followed, "...Should things play out in the favor of truth, I can't help but feel as though we'll see a bit of a ruckus in the near future."

"You got it, boss lady." Kyoya gave a flimsy salute, Lyric stifling laughter while Levvy offered a relieved sigh.

"I'd definitely call that grounds to see you guys off." His partner giggled. The pair offered a mutual courtesy to their providers, then proceeded towards the staircase.

Levvy called them to reverse their stride.

"Hey, hotshot?"

"What's up?"

"Let's you and I have a little punch-out, down the road. I feel like you'll give me a good time."

Kyoya turned back to the stairs, looking to the Mariner over his shoulder.

"Just don't let me forget. My memory really ain't the greatest, y'know."

Lyric scowled.

"Shocker."