“What do you mean?” Yuriko asked Finan. The young man sighed and nodded for her to come closer.

His hands were flat on the Gemheart and a deep green Animus flowed from his fingers into the artefact. He had his head turned rather uncomfortably in order to talk to her so she went around the room until he was across from her.

“I am…merely about to fulfil my purpose,” he said softly. “And afterwards…well, nothing.”

“You…?” Yuriko gasped, not quite sure if what she guessed was accurate.

“Yes, perhaps what you’re thinking of is right.” He shook his head. “There isn’t much time. The invader is assimilating the plane. Thankfully, he was unable to destroy this last anchor. I don’t know how long this will take, and…” His voice broke and he gulped, “I didn’t want to spend this time with just my guards.”

He stared at her eyes now, and Yuriko, for some reason, couldn’t avert her gaze. The silence stretched for a long moment. Awkward, uncomfortable silence, though he seemed content.

“I…”

“You and your mother will finish things,” he said suddenly. “You have it in you.” He closed his eyes. “I can see the twisting of the Threads of Fate. It swirls around you but is being drawn towards the planar core. Your spy said that the Chaos Duke would be most vulnerable when he brings everything that he is into the core, but he is mistaken. The duke can leave a few minor incarnations behind, as a backup plan. If he succeeds, then he can destroy the leftover incarnations to achieve completion. But if he fails, he will still have another chance…to destroy the Chaos Duke and end his threat completely…” He opened his eyes and sighed. “While I think hunting for those incarnations could be done, I doubt that they’re all here in Rumiga. He will be weakened if he fails, and you, if you let your artefact devour his Anima, will be able to track them down. Consider it your next quest, given by your ruler.” His smile was crooked.

Yuriko shook her head, his words somehow repugnant to her Anima. She heard Damien scoff and mutter a few things that she couldn’t make out. Indignant words, she assumed.

“I think it’s almost time,” he said, his expression, wistful and longing. “I…I have a favour to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I…” His cheeks turned red and he finally looked down. “Before I go…I wish to feel…your lips against mine. Just once…please…”

Yuriko nodded solemnly. She supposed she could grant him this favour. It cost her nothing and it seemed all the world to him. She stepped closer. He had not grown taller the years they were apart. His eyes were a couple of inches below hers now. She bent her knees so that they would be level.

They closed their eyes, but of course, Yuriko could still observe everything with her perception. His lips were burning hot and dry. The kiss lasted but moments, chaste.

“Goodbye,” he murmured and she echoed him. She spun on her heels and left, but as the door closed, she saw almost all of his Animus drawn to the Gemheart, and he slumped over the artefact. He still breathed and was conscious so Yuriko continued on her way.

She absently brushed her lips with her finger before she shook her head and simply ran up the tunnels. She exited the underground and flew up the central shaft, then back up the ladder and then onto the roof.

Sadeen and Virgil, as well as the Watchtower’s Vice-Commander glanced at her entrance. Da and Vice-Com Stuart returned to observe the goings on.

“Yuri.” Mum beckoned and Yuriko fell into her embrace. Sadeen looked exhausted, with her eyes and cheeks a bit sunken. “Where have you been?”

“Over to the East. I talked to Legate Brygos and she’s requesting a pick-up. The old Imperial Pass isn’t passable, and the mountains are hostile.” Yuriko gestured towards the obsidian titans, though most of the nearby ones had already been felled. The Veil cracks continued to widen and it wasn’t Chaos droplets falling, but streams. Thankfully, Legate Segawa on the Green Swan was easily able to alter the Chaos into his Domain energy and leverage that to continue altering the flows. However, with the cracks widening, Yuriko wondered how long he could keep that up.

Sadeen glanced at the skies, then sniffed in annoyance. “I expected something like this, but it's nevertheless annoying.”

“You did?” Yuriko asked.

“This is not the first time a Chaos Lord attempted to assimilate a plane,” Sadeen shook her head, “though it's not all that common. Especially one attached to the Empire. They always begin by changing the plane’s alignment.” She looked down the tower and grunted. “If all goes well, we’ll have enough time to fight and defeat the duke before it's too late.”

“It doesn’t look like it would take all that long before the Veil breaks,” Virgil muttered.

“We must begin evacuation protocols.” Vice-Commander Stuart said while surreptitiously wiping the sweat off his brow.

“Will there be enough space inside the Chaos ships?” Yuriko wondered.

“There won’t be,” the Vice-Com muttered, “but…”

“Begin evacuating the children, and parents with kids below atavism,” Virgil said. “The rest…we must fight to keep our home.” Vice-Commander Stuart swallowed nervously, glanced between Virgil and Sadeen, then nodded. He ran back down the tower to signal the irregular Chaos ships. Most of those had brought their rescued villagers over to Faron’s Crossing, but Eastern Rumiga has far more people.

“Yuri, let’s go,” Mum said, nodding towards the Silver Tiger which had easily crossed the few longstrides between town and Watchtower.

“Mum, Da.” Yuriko interjected. “Marron, Niamh, and Rami. I…I didn’t find Kato.”

Mum and Da froze, then Virgil cursed soundly, then said, “Your brothers are in town, I’ll send someone to get them, though I suspect Marron will want to fight. Kato…I’m afraid…” He stopped and shook his head. “We must focus on what we can affect now.” His face was grim.

Sadeen, on the other hand, only sighed, “We will see what can be done.” Her battle robe’s wings unfurled and she flew over to the Silver Tiger. Yuriko exchanged glances with Virgil, then followed.

Before she could rise farther than a couple of paces, Virgil said, “Congratulations, Yuri.” He didn’t say anything else and continued to shoot at the Chaos droplets. There was a wry smile on his lips though.

“Thank you,” she managed before she hurried after her Mum. Eli’Theria would not have finished converting yet but should be ready soon enough.

Just as she alighted on the docking ramp, she felt a tremor from behind. She looked back and saw a rising tide of deep green Animus seeping out from the Watchtower. The green Animus, dark enough to almost seem black at times, spread out across the land, forming a strange fractal. Where it touched the surface, and where the Chaos droplets fell, it rose up to catch the seepage.

The light spread out farther than Yuriko could immediately see, and it even reached the walls of Haveena City, and the obsidian titan farther south.

Pillars of light burst from the ground, and from around the Watchtower. She glanced worriedly at her Da, but the beam seemed harmless. He waved at her calmly.

Where the beams touched the Veil, the cracks receded. Slightly. They stopped widening anyway, but she wasn’t sure how long the pillars would last.

“Yuri, hurry inside!” Sadeen yelled.

The docking ramp started to close so Yuriko flew back inside the ship. She felt it move, but her Anima was unable to penetrate the bulkheads at the moment. They only moved for a few seconds before stopping. Then, Sadeen beckoned for her to follow as they walked towards another hatch. This one opened into a docking tunnel, and she noticed the Green Swan was right beside the Tiger.

Once they moved inside the other Chaos ship, they were led to a meeting hall. Unlike the Tiger, the Swan didn’t have any dimensional shenanigans. No doors that could open anywhere else on the ship. Still, the spatial expansion meant that the space inside was at least three or four times larger than what the hull would suggest.

The Legate and his Tribunus were already there. Jiro Segawa had a faraway look in his eyes, and his surroundings felt oppressive. Yuriko’s Anima fluctuated in his presence, as though there was something pushing it back.

‘His Domain,’ Yuriko thought and hurriedly retracted her Anima into herself. The man continued to fight against the seeping Chaos.

As soon as they entered, Jiro Segawa asked, “Where is Iola Brygos?”

“Across the Zarek. In the village of Misttyre,” Yuriko answered quickly. “She asked to meet there, but that was before the light pillars and obsidian titans appeared.”

“Maruko, prepare to cross,” Jiro said, then looked at Sadeen, “Lady Sorceress, you and your daughter…prepare your Colossus and as soon as we rendezvous with Agminis, we sortie towards the core.” He stared at the Watchtower’s direction, “I sense the Empress’ Grace…”

“The 29th Pia’Vasi,” Sadeen said.

“Ah. Blessed is he who came in our hour of need.” Jiro bowed deeply.

Yuriko shifted uncomfortably but didn’t speak.

Sadeen continued, “There are two passages, two pillars. Each one guarded by our old foes.”

“Let the rest of the armada face the guards. We will slip by,” Jiro said grimly. “Have my battle armour prepared.”

Maruko Manuella nodded solemnly, but Yuriko thought she saw the woman roll her eyes. “It’s been ready for weeks now.” The Tribunus said dryly.

“So it is. Lady Sorceress, Knight Davar.” The Legate paused in thought. “Shall we strike the northern pillar?”

“Either would do, I presume,” Sadeen said. “Both released pillars that broke the Veil. That means either pit will lead to the core. What we’ll find there is another matter entirely. Are you prepared, Legate? For all this, there is no certainty of survival, and the Grace will not last forever.”

“Just long enough to see things through.” The Legate sighed. “I’ve not met the 29th personally, but I will not waste his sacrifice. Will you bring your Colossus here, or will you cross the Zarek with your own ship?”

“The Tiger will keep its distance,” Sadeen said, “after picking up some people from town.” She turned to Yuriko. “Come, let us see if Eli’Theria is ready.”

They returned to the Silver Tiger and went straight to Eli’Theria in the hangar. She had not fully transformed yet, so Mum went to the bridge to leave Captain Sommer some last-minute instructions.

Yuriko sat next to the Colossus and meditated. It was just about midmorning the day after she achieved Transformation and many terrible things were already happening. The scale of the Chaos Duke’s scheme made her feel small. Did she grow enough to make a difference? She didn’t know, and she was afraid to end up short. But she didn’t know what else to do. Damien had been silent on what the next steps she had to take were. She expanded her Anima, and she completed both refinements, though her Colligia was just beyond the starting stage. She assumed continuing to expand her Anima was a key. How far did it have to reach? A longstride?

Just imagining being in control of such a vast area was daunting, but then again, the fact that her Anima was now at two hundred paces…she hadn’t gotten used to it yet. And if the past was any indication, she still needed to get used to her power. And she had precious little time to do so.

Colligia to the next step, Anima to a longstride. What else must she do? ‘Damien?’

Nothing you can do in the short term. I’ll tell you once this is over.

Not very reassuring. Still, the path is never-ending and all she could do was press on.

When Eli’Theria was once again back to her former glory, Sadeen returned to the hangar, and with her was the Agminis Legate. The Silver Tiger had crossed the Zarek without Yuriko even noticing. But Iola Brygos’ presence meant one thing.

It was time to put an end to this.