Every building became a candlewick. Flames reached for the skies as the stars were snuffed out. Shallow oceans of blood covered the entirety of the Floor of Civilization. Islands of bodies amassed from the discarded many.

A sight familiar to all unfolded. To the others, it was just like the City of Spades.

But to the Archivist, she remembered her world. Terror began to build in her chest as she clasped at the air where her precious book used to be. Her one tangible source of courage. Four giant, pale crystals formed in each quarter of the Floor, each emitting a low-pitched hum similar to Jury’s Retrocausality – Smite.

“Genesis Stones.” Galia was mildly amused by the finding, her feathered apparel rising like the hairs of a frightened cat. “What’s this dangerous aura? This imminent sense of impending judgement? Our merciful Arbiter, my intuition tells me that we’re redundant.”

Black holes. Great chains. Hailstorms of bullets – nothing could damage the Genesis Stones, never mind the Corrupted Frost whose DEF had exceeded over one billion. A red haze surrounded Sinder, the flaming book forever expelling its contents onto their garbs. His eyes cut through the flames like beacons of light, his wings each reaching to the utter ends of the Floor.

[What Doesn’t Kill you].

[A Million Wicks and One Light].

[Violence on Violence Action].

[World Ablaze].

All these skills were combined into a spherical amalgamation of fire. Visible heat waves warded the Beholders away, for those flames caused parts of their apparel to catch alight. For just this instance, the Apocalypse Corrupted seemingly elevated into a Paradise Lost one, for not even the Arbiter could remain within proximity of him.

“So it would seem. An Awakening plays by rules governed not by us, but by the mental state of those involved in the story. This is an eye opener.” The Arbiter, much like Galia, showed little concern over the ordeal.

However, her eyes were firmly fixed onto Sinder with both pity and wrath.

“A pity I could not learn more about you. I suppose this is for the best.” The Arbiter added, her wings retreating from the center of the city, as did the Beholders.

Pride was not something they brazenly carried. Rather, they were known to fear and respect enemies of great might. It was why Grandis was sealed off for so long. But in truth, that was only a fraction of the reason why.

Sinder’s powers grew exponentially, the Genesis stones slowly turning black as crystal card suits began to orbit him.

All [Woes] were active now, as well as his unavoidable magic. A constant buzz emitted from his chest, oscillating from high to low as a pale orb formed.

Before the Arbiter finally left, she set her sights onto the Archivist, her group, and finally, onto Jury with a conflicting smile.

“Suffering stems from attachment. Violence and language have become a theme of this fight. But believe there is more to it. Corrupted are non-sapient. They lack the capacity to consciously think of their own existence. But this one is aware. I trust you know what you must do. You’ve already let go once. It’s time to let it go for good.”

//////// < WARNING > ////////

< The Crowned Has Found Its Way >

< Violence Is the Only Answer >

< “To cleanse this world. To cleanse the impruities that brought so many people down. To erase the things that brought pain to us all… I must reduce it all to ashes. Our home was rotten from the core. It was irredeemable.” >

“Got a plan?” Jury asked the Archivist, to which she defiantly gazed up at the burning star.

“The Condition said that the only way to beat them is to show him proof! Violence is the last direction on the crossroads! Nav doesn’t know yet!” She explained, watching the pale orb grow.

“Then what do you think!?” Jury elaborated, causing the girl to wince as she felt a pain in her chest. For a split second, a vision of an impaled, black beast overlapped with Sinder.

She remembered its roars of anguish. She remembered its terrible screams that caused many to run away.

And she remembered how she stood firmly in front of it.

The Archivist fell into a lulling trance. Even though she knew her friend had lost themself, she couldn’t help but to believe they were also lucid of their actions. Much like how the Corrupted were aware, but just unable to think or speak any differently.

< “I became what I hated the most. And that was what shattered this shell of mine. What brought out these unquenchable flames. I believed that if all was gone, then the pain would finally subside. I wouldn’t ever have to hear the wails again.” >

Abrupt jets of liquid fire were fired at everyone present. Cer threw up her shield, blocking it for the group whereas the Beholders were forced to take the full brunt of the attack.

They were powerless against Sinder.

And yet this tiny wolf could stand up to challenge him.

“Irredeemable!? Wasn’t the plan to fix it!?” Cer inadvertently shouted, a blue diamond forming above her head. Likewise, a blue orb appeared in the center of her chest. It was a small light, but it carried an immeasurable sincerity that caused the flaming jets to abruptly change their course of attack.

For some reason, it felt like Sinder purposefully missed.

< “The dream we shared drove my friends to their deaths… what is the point of arguing with me? It will not change anything. I’ve already condemned this world. Because the same flaws are rife in this one. Our two worlds are one and the same.” >

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The crystal club and diamond spread behind him like wings, the other two still gyrating around him. The orb grew larger, and several more flaming jets assaulted the city, with a rain of flaming stones aimed directly at them.

“But you said it yourself. This world is our home. Why destroy something we can fix? I know we only saw more Black Forests outside of mine, but I believe there’s more to love in this world than to hate! We haven’t gotten to explore it! Together! Like you promised me and Nav!” Jury summoned a red crystal heart above her head as a red orb formed by her chest.

The same occurred for Res.

The hailstorms deviated from their path unnaturally as Sinder’s arms sunk to his side.

And he Archivist’s eyes glistened as she realized what was happening.

“… language… against violence…?”

< So it would seem. An intrinsic language of the uncivilized clashed with the language of the civil. And yet, it is civilization that parades violence. And those underneath are left with only their words… >

“And even then, people tried to take that away from us… I remember.” The Archivist’s voice shuddered. “It was a part of why I wanted to archive things… To keep a note of everything down. To collect it inside of GEN-03. The Collective Compendium of All Knowledge. My memories have overlaps, but I realize that this became of my Eternal Library. So that people later could discover the things they missed. To read the stories about how we lived…”

Jury hugged her. Her tail wrapped her neck like a giant scarf as the Archivist recalled her last moment.

And to their surprise, as the flames brimming from Sinder’s face suddenly turned to steam –

< “I followed a sense of duty, and that killed me in the end. The fact that you remember what I did to you – Anna. You were the first person whose bonds I broke. Whose gifts I shattered. Whose life I claimed. Where is your animosity? Where is your thirst for vengeance? Why… are you crying?” >

The Archivist choked on her words. She remembered her death at the hands of the one person she trusted the most.

The crystal spade expanded behind him, and the orb grew as another volley of attacks followed. Ber, grating her teeth with enough force to chew through steel, growled as a spade appeared above hers and Ignis’ head, along with the warm light.

“Is that all you can think about? Once upon a time, all I could think of was the same thing. Violence on violence. But you’re the one who brought me back to start talking to the people around me! And I’m willing to bet my damned hands and tail that Ignis would’ve been mute if we weren’t for her! Don’t underestimate people’s bonds! Listen to her!”

Ber lashed out, purposefully clashing with flames shaped like a blade, even though they were never going to reach them in the first place. Through the steams she caught a glimpse of a pair of golden eyes, and with a heart of steel, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

“She’s not crying because you betrayed her! She’s crying because of what you’ve become! Even I can’t bring myself to hate my own mother after what she’s done to me! Don’t you get it!? People… are redeemable! Take one good look at us! At me! I might not be the best wolf to live, but dammit let me try!”

< Something is resonating within Sinder >

< Amalgamation Corrupted certainly are strange >

< But this could also be a result of the Awakening Event >

< “… of all the cowards that ran at the sight of me, you were the only one who stood still and looked at me like I was still the same person.” >

< “You opened your arms to a monster that could only judge…” >

The final suit took form behind him, and the orb flashed with a brilliant light. A black hole formed at the tip of his fingers as a second sphere engulfed them all. In a way, it was like the core of a collapsing star. Within was a reflection of the void that filled their night sky as the Floor of Civilization entered complete darkness one last time.

< [The Universal Language] >

< We cannot be better >

< “And you embraced it… for all this time, you’ve only just learned how to let go.” >

“Because… I didn’t want to believe it. That you broke like that. You were always with me. Putting up with my courageless antics. I wanted to impress you. To stop being a burden. You were my courage! That diary you gave me was everything in the world, because I never knew how you felt!” Finally, the Archivist’s green club formed above her head, and the light in her chest became the one to rival Sinder’s as she desperately held back tears.

“I only know this world through my books. But I know more than anyone else that this world is worth trying to save! Because it’s the same world that you tried to! You can’t stay here anymore! Your book…”

Their lights combined into one, and at once, a powerful beam was fired from both sides. Sinder’s light was clad with darkness, whereas theirs carried the light of countless stars. It ripped through the fabric of Sinder’s dark world as the group pushed forward alongside it, as if thrusting a colossal blade.

“CAN’T STAY IN MY LIBRARY ANYMORE! My attachment… my obsession brought you into this world. It’s my fault that you’re here. It’s my fault that people twisted your diary into a prophecy. I just… wanted to understand what it meant to me. And if courage is all it is –!”

< [The Ultimate Language] >

< We can be better >

“– THEN I HAVE PLENTY OF IT!”

Sinder’s beam stood no chance. In a way, it was like he didn’t even attempt to struggle at all. The steam that formed around his face was caused by invisible tears. No one knew for certain if it was Frost or him that wept. Regardless, it did not change that the Achivst’s words had reached him.

The group soared. The fireworks of light populated the skies of the Floor of Civilization. Slowly, the buildings rearranged themselves to closely match small sections of the Nex Megalopolis rather than the city she called home.

Because this world had now become the Archivst’s home.

Vast expanses of land were left barren, promising to bear fruit later in the future.

The burning book flickered to its last page.

< “You’ve… finally moved on your own two feet.” >

< “… I wonder, if I also had a bundle of courage to hold onto, then maybe things could have been different.” >

< “Regardless… take care of this one. You’ve all become her bundles of courage.” >

< “Anna… Your dream was interesting. I think you’ve fulfilled it without realizing it.” >

< “’Wanting to save our world’…” >

< “I’ve never personally told you this, and I’ve regretted it for as long as I’ve been cuddled by you for the last 300 years.” >

< “Good job.” >

< “I’m so proud of you.” >

Crowned

HP : 0

The Archivist had reached him. She couldn’t see anything anymore. The light blinded her.

But she could have sworn she felt someone brush a hand through her hair.

It was a warm hand.

A familiar one.

The very same hand that reached out to save her.

The Archivist whimpered as she lost sensation in all of her senses.

But not without Nav’s last prompts.

< The Crowned Has Been Subjugated >

< The Floor of Civilization Resonates >

< The Floor of Civilization has Awakened >

< The Archetype of Civilization has Awakened >

< Thank you for doing your best >

< And thank you for saving Frost >