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Ever since King Yliš died, I continued to see him many more times.

His emotions and experiences remained within 'Civilight Eterna', but there were marked differences between them and my memories of him.

My impression of him was of a man always sitting at the center of the chamber of the Royal Court, his head hung low, never speaking a word while other members bickered amongst one another.

Duq'arael and Nezzsalem believed him too weak, telling him plain to his face that once more the Black Crown has erred in its choice of successor. He never responded. He merely continued to stare out the window, his gaze enraptured by the thick smoke billowing out of the furnaces outside.

Only after his death did I know that Yliš was a remarkable Caster and artisan, once dedicating his time to researching Arts that would improve the living conditions of the people, planning out all the possible ways that Kazdel could step into the Crystal Age.

He travelled for many years. Once returned, he persuaded the revenants to prepare to raise an immense furnace in the heart of the city, larger than any other.

But once the crown fell upon his head, the newly-coronated King of Sarkaz slowly slipped into silence.

The sudden burden of all-too-many emotions and memories is a pain beyond measure. Many chosen by the crown did not have time to leave behind their names, so swift was their death from madness.

But Yliš did not fall into insanity. He bore it all. It was thanks to his lucidity that he fell further and further into despair.

The Black Crown had revealed a truth to him, and to me in turn—

All that we can envision, the entire future of the Sarkaz, is most likely to be yet another loop in the cycle that is the tortured history of our race.

All that we build will end in ruin.

War will tear apart his Kazdel. War will kill him.

War will kill me.

(Roars)

He can't keep going much longer!

Come on! Take down the bastard and the witchcraft altar'll be useless!

A crossbow bolt lodges itself into the Sarkaz's chest.

He takes no heed of it, continuing his advance.

*beep beep* *beep beep*

He lowers his head, seeing that the bolt fletchings protruding from his chest have begun to shine.

The cluster bomb within the Sarkaz's flesh explodes.

A multitude of concentrated explosions, faster than even powerful witchcraft can heal.

Did it work?

Haha, he really is dead! Damn, we blew him up sky-high. All that's left are just bits of bone. This idea's amazing! We don't need to fear these monsters anymore!

Wait—

The Sarkaz's remains begin to glow.

The soldiers instinctively begin to retreat, but it is too late.

A spurt of flame and Originium dust envelop this corner of the battlefield.

My Patriarch! Your body...

It will not hinder me in battle.

The Victorians, they are fierce.

They have adapted quickly. They are on the cusp of finding means to counter our ways.

Our losses grow by the minute.

Our warriors. Will not surrender.

Our defensive line. Still stands strong.

Indeed, my liege.

It is enough.

I believe in Theresis. In Theresa.

This has not changed. Not even now.

I have talked to Theresis about Gul'dul the Citymaker many times.

The Children of Soil and Stone had long since scattered across the land. I was in no way able to replicate his deeds, what with his unique talent for commanding Gargoyles that he used to quickly lay down city walls of stone. However, I was able to learn much from his decisiveness and leadership.

A clothesmaker, a citymaker.

I jokingly told Theresis that perhaps Gul'dul and I were more alike than I thought.

His face turned rather serious all of a sudden, telling me that he would not allow me to share the same fate as that king, betrayed by those he called his closest companions.

I was never able to share all of Gul'dul's thoughts and feelings with Theresis.

Gul'dul's final emotions had embedded themselves deeply into my mind. The last thing he laid eyes on was not the Diαblo who betrayed him, but the city that he and his countless fellows had wrought together.

We knew that Gul'dul would not be the last King of Sarkaz slain by the ones they hold dearest, nor was his city the final Kazdel.

As long as there are still those who yearn to return home, Kazdel will be reborn from the ashes.

Both BM and TAA are currently clear, you can proceed down those routes! The Originium crystal clusters shouldn't reach them for the next fifteen minutes.

I9's no good, Feist, the beacon just changed color. The Originium mountain next to it is a collapse risk.

Closure, we've scouted ahead on I903! We've got wounded, looks like they're civilians.

Yep, saw it already. I'm sending a buggy to you. Make sure to meet it and get what defensive equipment and medicine you need out of it. It'll know where to go next.

Oh, right, there's also two drones headed your way.

When the fog rises, keep an eye on the signal light, green means no problems ahead. The Exemplars will provide support at I901.

I can't help but ask, Closure, but how many things are you controlling at once?

I'm still doing alright, I've got seven, eight...

A dozen of things in total, looks like. And I've got my eyes watching a few others besides.

The situation's a lot more complex than most other Rhodes Island Catastrophe support missions. Fang...

Don't worry, I'll be careful.

Closure, you should also—*bzzzzzzt*

Comms interference?

Looks like drones 176 and 178 have lost signal.

Found some supplies.

There's meds and eats. Nothing that can be used as a weapon.

You can have the food and medicine, though don't take more than you need.

You really gonna try and make demands when you ain't got a weapon... Wait, vampire?

Yep.

Don't worry, I'm not with the Royal Court, and I don't know how to use Arts to rip all your blood out of your body with a snap of my finger.

Pah, if you really are with those bastards, I'll stick my sword through your neck right here right now!

You're not here on a mission, are you? Manfred wouldn't have sent a team who didn't recognize our logo.

I know that saying this to you isn't going to change a thing, but this position's about to blow real soon.

Do you mind not getting in the way of my work?

Argh—!

That crazy Catastrophe's coming back around? Damn the Royal Court and whatever insane thing they pulled out of their behinds. I ain't staying in this blasted place!

Hey, this is 467, you guys read me? I said—

The mercenaries who attacked the camp have been dealt with.

Go, Closure. You should move to the next safe location.

Sure. My thanks, Master Assassin.

Surrendering?

If you are, then you can come along with us.

Not like I've got any other choice now.

Since the war progressed, more mercenaries have been scattered all over the battlefield. They're likely to return to old habits without the Military Commission's commands keeping them in check.

We will most likely be encountering many more attacks like this one.

Wasn't it the same deal back in the day?

...It was.

No matter if we must cross Catastrophes, or a horde of enemies...

We will do our best to allow everyone who wishes to go home, go home.

Has there been any news from the Military Commission?

I heard they just killed a Victorian duke, and that it won't be long before they bag their second and third!

*cough* *cough*... Have you had any, gah, good meds lately? I wanna heal up this busted leg of mine. Even getting rid of just one or two rocks would be good enough, to run a bit faster in battle...

You are heading to Londinium too?

Londinium? How am I supposed to make it there? Even if I wanted to go, the Regent's not going to want me.

But this war... It's going to end up at Kazdel sooner or later, right? Those Victorians and Leithanians... They're not going to let us off easy, are they?

You should probably start planning ahead too, little fella. Keep polishing that weapon of yours, and remember how to use it to kill...

...The Military Commission.

After so many years, is our city really about to—

Huff... puff... I've finally caught up with you.

Er... You're...

Uh... Your fellow professional?

I mean being a Messenger!

*sigh* So many years gone by in an instant. I've been away for too long from Kazdel, not too familiar with it nowadays. I heard that I would be able to find who I seek at these coordinates.

Would you mind telling me how to get to the former location of Babel?

Our progress on Babel's work saw heavy pushback at every turn, as expected.

I was never worried about failure, but I did not want to see those who harbored hope fall back into the cycle of despair.

I dove deeper and deeper into 'Civilight Eterna'.

Kal'tsit reminded me that this could put a strain on my body, but time was short, and I had to make use of every resource that I could.

In the end, I managed to find the Farchaser, the very first King of Sarkaz.

I saw a faint vision of a war that engulfed the sky and the earth, a crowd of people being devoured by despair, and then... what was perhaps Originium. I could not say. It looked far different from the black crystals we are familiar with, glinting with the cleanest luster.

Our King of Sarkaz, defender of the first Kazdel, offered his very blood and soul to it.

Soon after, eternal night descended. All sound and light faded from us without a trace.

The Farchaser had renounced his name and left little emotion within 'Civilight Eterna'. I believe he did so intentionally. He embraced the darkness on behalf of all Sarkaz, and buried himself within it.

What I had stepped into was a cold and desolate tomb.

I paced back and forth within, lost in thought amidst the silence.

Up until the moment that I realized that the darkness was not as desolate as I had assumed.

A tower.

Only by building a tower tall enough could we reach the darkness above.

Everything we build will collapse into ruin and be swallowed by the sands, this is true.

But our will and our desire allow us to rise back up from the dust millions upon millions of times.

We climb.

We climb.

We never stop ascending, crossing over the limits of our knowledge.

Until we transcend the darkness.

So this is why there's a tower here.

Well, somehow or the other, looks like we managed to reach the top.

How long did we spend climbing this thing? Feels like I've been climbing for ages!

Indeed, but we might need... to climb a little longer.

Hey, bunny! What are you blanking for?

I was listening.

To the dead guys with the limited vocabulary nagging away? Haven't you gotten tired of them by now?

Hmm...

Amiya knows whose voice she heard.

The King of Sarkaz is among the myriad souls.

The myriad souls wishes the King of Sarkaz will listen.

Amiya cannot help but follow this voice in delving into the depths of 'Civilight Eterna', fumbling about amidst countless fragments of space and time.

A ring chafes against the palm of her hand.

If only she could remove them, she would be privy to secrets ancient and new, and all the details of the past will flow into her brain.

Not now, Amiya.

Dr. Kal'tsit...

You are being influenced by the myriad souls. In their impatience, they are willing you to accept their choice.

I wish to understand... her emotions.

Then you must face her. We must all do so.

She's right, Amiya.;We'll do it together.

I know.

Other than the myriad souls outside, I can hear the voices of your hearts clearly. The Doctor's, Dr. Kal'tsit's, W's.

Those who dare use Arts on me to peep at my thoughts tend not to last too long.

But... Heh, since we made it this far, I bet we're pretty much thinking the same thing anyway.

Urgency, nervousness, and a brimming anticipation.

All vivid emotions that contrast with the echoes in the deathly silence.

Let's go up together. We're very close now.

Let me have a think on how we should tear down this transparent ceiling.

Perhaps...

She has already told me how.

An eye within the darkness hangs above their heads.

A rhombus.

It appears to be the only light in the darkness, as if it is the one that devoured the brilliance of all other things.

Amiya raises her head.

Every King of Sarkaz amongst the myriad souls raises their head.

Amiya stretches her hand out towards the rhombus.

Every King of Sarkaz amongst the myriad souls stretches their hand out.

These were the only words left to me by the first King of Sarkaz:

'The stone that enshrouds us like night is our suffering, and our hope.'

We came here because of hope.

At this moment, the Farchaser, the Citymaker, the Wrathful Cerulean Flame... All the Kings of Sarkaz are with me. Even Yliš takes up his staff once more.

They fight alongside me.

For the sake of our shared duty.

The duty of the Kings.

The future of the Sarkaz will be revealed here.

Heaven and earth, up and down, light and dark, past and future.

All of a sudden, they are reversed.

At the top of the tower that is also its base, at the end that is also its beginning, Amiya hears a sigh.

We have been waiting for you...

'King of Sarkaz'.