Atoy Muzazi could feel his heart hammering in his chest.

He did not know why. He did not understand why. He'd just left the battlefield, hadn't he? Running through these hallways by himself, what use did he have for anxiety? He forced it down, steeled himself, and kept running.

He should not have left Ionir Yggdrasil. He felt that strongly. It wasn't as if he understood what the Fell Beast's intentions were, but it was clearly his ally. He should have stayed and finished the fight before moving on, but Yggdrasil had insisted. Muzazi glanced down at the vine wrapped around Luminescence's blade. The vibration of the metal seemed to have stopped now that he'd achieved some distance from Gretchen Hail -- he tore free the vine.

Now that he knew that Hail had planted traps within his sword, though, the safest thing to do would be to discard it. Even if it meant going unarmed, that was better than wielding a weapon that could betray you. But no -- he couldn't do that. He couldn't abandon Luminescence like that.

Why not?

Muzazi skidded to a halt, looking down at the sword in his hand. Yes. When you got down to it, this was just a sword, wasn't it? An inanimate object. Why was he so attached to the thing? Why did he refuse so ardently to leave it behind?

Because it's yours, his own thoughts answered. It's the only thing you still have. Even Marie abandoned you in the end. There's no way you can throw it away. You can't throw it away. Don't even think about it.

Right. Muzazi nodded. That made sense.

At any rate, he didn't have time to worry about such things. Gretchen had said that Baltay Kojirough was waiting for him -- and judging by the fact that he hadn't seen her yet, it was a good bet that the Supreme Heir was with him.

Was she somehow involved in this conspiracy? Muzazi found it hard to believe for a young girl of her disposition, but he'd been wrong before. Memories of Dragan Hadrien, shooting him in the back atop the Heart Building, came to mind.

He'd know the truth soon for himself. He was right outside the room that held it now, after all.

The hallway stretched on before him, the closed doors to Baltay's quarters like a vault at the end. The monitors covering the walls had been deactivated, leaving only an endless black void on either side. The ambient sounds, too, had ceased -- leaving only the tiniest ringing of the ears in anticipation of noise.

Atoy Muzazi took a deep breath, and walked forward.

As he did, he saw that he was not alone. In the black reflection of the deactivated monitors, he saw another figure walking behind him -- a figure in war-robes, wearing a familiar helmet. Of course. Nigen Rush.

Muzazi stopped, and Rush did the same.

"This is where you've been leading me, isn't it?" Muzazi murmured. "This ability of yours, this specter… you wanted me here, doing this, at this moment."

Nigen Rush said nothing.

"I don't know… when your ability latched onto me," Muzazi went on. "No matter how hard I try, I can't think of when that might have been -- Panacea, maybe? Perhaps I can't remember because of your ability, though. I already know my memories are compromised. Once we're done here, will you repair that?"

Nigen Rush said nothing.

Muzazi looked ahead, to the cold doors that lead to fruition. He swallowed, throat dry. "This is vengeance, isn't it?"

Nigen Rush said nothing.

"Baltay Kojirough killed you… but not the way the story goes. Not in a way that you could forgive. So you sent this ability out before you died, until it could find someone who'd be able to get revenge for you. That's what you think I am. Maybe because we're similar. You want me to kill him for you. That's right… isn't it?"

Nigen Rush said nothing.

Muzazi snorted. "Well, you don't need to say anything. I understand the way things are."

He stepped forward, and placed a hand over the door panel.

If you go in there, Nigen Rush warned. You'll die.

"If I die," Muzazi answered firmly. "That just means I was insufficient."

The doors slid open, revealing the chamber beyond. A huge room, closer in size to the Supreme Heir's quarters than Muzazi's, packed with all the facilities required to live a life. A kitchen, a training area, a bedroom, all spread out in an open plan. At the very center of the room, a jacuzzi of some sort was built into the floor, deactivated and cold.

Muzazi wasn't interested in that, though. His eyes were fixed on the opposite side of the room.

Baltay Kojirough stood there, hands clasped behind his back, looking out the wall-length window at the debris field outside. Skeletons of cruisers and the remains of shattered fighters drifted past as the Child Garden made its way through the final resting place of the Great Chain.

"Do you ever wonder," Baltay asked, without looking at him. "How many people die in battles like this?"

Muzazi's gaze flicked throughout the room. He spotted what he was looking for instantly -- the Supreme Heir, off in the corner closest to Kojirough, clasping her arm anxiously. It seemed she wasn't part of this, at least as appearances went.

"Are you listening?" Baltay asked, looking over his shoulder. His eyes were dull and dark, like someone who'd gone a night without sleep -- like someone who'd gone every night without sleep.

"I wouldn't know," Muzazi said truthfully. "I'm not familiar with that battle."

Baltay chuckled mirthlessly. "Liar," he spat, turning around. His hand gripped his sheathed sword with such strength that the knuckles turned white. "But it doesn't matter. I don't wonder about it either. There's no point. But it feels like I should. Sometimes, it's awful to realize you just don't care about some things. They were weak, so they died. It's sad that that's the way of things, but it is the way of things. Right?"

Muzazi narrowed his eyes. "What about Gustavo Mordecai? Edward Grace? Mariana pan Helios? Morgan Nacht? Were they just weak too?"

"Yes," Baltay said without blinking, taking a step forward. "They put themselves in positions where I could kill them, so they died. There's nothing else to it."

The eyes that looked down at Muzazi were utterly empty, eerily tranquil in their icy blue. They were like Mariana pan Helios’ -- the eyes of a corpse, no, perhaps even emptier than that. Despite their brightness, they seemed like pits, waiting to swallow Muzazi up as he looked deeper and deeper…

Oh, Muzazi realized. The man is mad.

He went to take another step forward, but the Heir's shrill voice cut through the tension. "Mr. Muzazi!" she shouted. "Don't! He's way too strong!"

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Baltay's eyes flicked over to her, and there was a murderous glint to the blue there. "Can you stop talking, please?"

That hushed her as surely as a hand over the mouth.

"Can you believe it?" Baltay asked, waving a limp hand in the Heir's direction. "We're doing all this for her, and she goes and says something like that? It's just… man."

Baltay's demeanour seemed to have changed entirely, and the contrast was bizarre. It was like he was some kind of morose drunk, rambling about injustices in a quiet monotone. The only part of him that seemed focused was that hand gripping his sword.

Muzazi did not understand the situation. It would be unwise to strike before he did. "How exactly are you doing this for her?" he demanded. "All this murder, all this betrayal? How?"

Baltay's gaze was still fixed on the Heir, and it was almost as if he hadn't even heard Muzazi.

"If I were like you," he muttered, looking at the young girl. "I'd kill myself. I really do mean that. The idea of being so helpless -- it's unbearable to me. I can't imagine how it is for you. That's why I want to help you."

The Supreme Heir, off in the corner, trembled violently, those cruel words as painful as any blade.

"Watch your tongue," Muzazi snarled, drawing Luminescence back.

Baltay smiled softly at the Heir. "The Kingmakers tested the Fusion Tools well. Gretchen's assured me. The next generation of Fusion Tools will be perfect -- capable of being used even by people without Aether, so long as they are prepared properly. Isn't that great, Aclima? You can finally be strong. You'll be Supreme yet."

Muzazi took a cautious step forward, slowly closing the distance between them, even as he was very much aware that Baltay would spot it.

"Ionir Yggdrasil has betrayed you," Muzazi spat. "The next generation of Fusion Tools? Your master craftswoman might be dead already, sir. There won't be a next generation."

Baltay blinked. "That so?" he sighed, turning back to Muzazi, Cogitant-blue eyes glinting in the light. "Sorry to get your hopes up, then, Aclima. Looks like you'll keep being weak after all."

He took a step forward, and Muzazi found himself stepping back, surrendering the space he'd just taken. What was going on? Baltay Kojirough had gone so far for this scheme -- supplying the Kingmakers, sending the Blades after them, killing his own men -- and after being told it had failed, he just shrugged it off?

It was like Baltay could read Muzazi's mind. He smiled as he strolled forward, as careless as could be.

"It's fine that things didn't work out there," he said, drawing Leviathan from its sheath. "It's absolutely fine. For a while now, anyway, my real target has been you." A strange smirk twisted his face. "Atoy Muzazi."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You. I killed Gustavo Mordecai to open up a slot for you. I had Gretchen test you to see if you were ready. I sent you after the Kingmakers to make sure. And now… I am sure."

Muzazi gulped. "Sure of what…?"

Baltay's smirk curled into a grin. "Sure it'll be a fair fight this time."

He lunged -- with such fluid ferocity that it took all Muzazi had just to parry the blow. Sparks rained down as metal kissed metal three times, the last blow sending Muzazi skidding back across the floor from the sheer force. Baltay, still standing in the same spot, tossed his sword from hand to hand, breathing heavily.

"That's good," he said. "That's very very good. Fantastic, even. I tried to kill you three times right there, and I couldn't do it. I couldn't even cut you. You really are the best."

Muzazi's eyes narrowed. That sword of Baltay's, Leviathan… Muzazi had heard about it. When? It was made of a toxic substance, so even the slightest scratch could kill the opponent. If that wasn't bad enough, Baltay Kojirough's precognition meant he would predict any steps Muzazi took to defend or avoid. This was bad.

"I have no wish to fight you, Kojirough," Muzazi said gruffly -- not truly expecting a response.

He was surprised.

Baltay's grin dropped, and his grip on his sword tightened greatly. His stare became a glare, eyes holding a deep repugnant anger that Muzazi couldn't comprehend. Hand shaking with rage, he pointed Leviathan at Muzazi.

"Don't you talk to me like that," he growled. "Don't you do that again. We're fighting. We're fighting now."

Something truly was wrong with Baltay Kojirough. Everything he said seemed to be growing less and less coherent as time went on, as if the man were losing hold of his own mind. Even with the hysterical tone to his voice, however, Muzazi could see from his footwork and stance that his combat skill was unblunted.

Muzazi took a deep breath, holding his sword up. "Let's do this, Luminescence," he muttered.

"Don't fail me, Leviathan," Baltay snarled.

What happened next could not even be called a fight. It consisted of another three clashes, but each of them was so fast you'd be forgiven if you thought it were just one. There was just the scream of metal, the thud of heavy footsteps, and finally…

…shattering.

Whether it was through strength or skill, Baltay Kojirough had hit the perfect spot. At the touch of his blade, Luminescence broke once more into incoherent pieces, cascading down to the floor like pieces of glass. Muzazi could only watch in horror, the hilt still held in his hands, a headache slowly crawling into the back of his skull.

Baltay did not take advantage of his unarmed opponent. Instead, he stared down at the wreckage of the ground, disgust pulling at his features.

"Slow…" he muttered to the man who'd become a blur. "No, no… still way too slow… this isn't right… no, this isn't right at all…"

Muzazi leapt back without even realising why.

It was a good thing he did. Baltay swung at the spot he'd just been standing with a horizontal slice that would have easily cut him in half. There was no more rage in Baltay's expression, though -- just a kind of calm inquisitiveness, like a scientist testing a hypothesis.

"Your instincts are fine, though," he muttered to himself. "Was it the sword? Are you feeling better now? Still, still, this isn't a proper duel at all… dammit… no, no…"

Muzazi clutched the hilt of Luminescence in one hand, and put the other to his temple. His head was killing him, like an insect was crawling through his brain. Bright spots lingered at the edge of his vision. Something was wrong with him, clearly, clearly.

Still, at Baltay's careless words, he couldn't help but feel white hot rage.

"A proper duel?" Muzazi said sternly. "Is that what you wanted, then? Someone to replace Nigen Rush, the man you murdered?"

Baltay looked up at him, blinking in surprise.

"You didn't kill him in a duel, did you?" Muzazi demanded. "You poisoned him, perhaps, or stabbed him in the back -- but you could never beat him. The victory tasted like ash in your mouth. And now you want to get rid of the last trace of him -- the ability that resides in me. That's right, isn't it, you fraud?!"

Slowly, deathly slowly, Baltay cocked his head. A strange light twinkled in his eyes.

"Replace…?" he whispered, voice echoing throughout the room. "Murdered…? Ability…?" He said each word as if Muzazi had just invented them.

And then he laughed.

The sound that bounced off the walls of the massive room was not one of aggression, hostility, or malice. Even as Baltay Kojirough threw his head back and laughed and laughed and laughed, Muzazi couldn't sense a trace of enmity from him. No, this sound -- this high-pitched, unhinged sound -- was the laughter of a man who was deranged.

This was the sound of a man who had broken himself.

Baltay Kojirough stared, unblinking, and spoke.

"Replace Nigen?" he laughed. "Murdered Nigen? Nigen's ability? You really don't remember yet, do you?"

He opened his mouth to continue, and Muzazi spoke without realising -- interrupting him with a low whisper. "Don't…"

Baltay ignored him, spoke, and broke the world.

"You are Nigen Rush."