250. Act Four

250. Act Four

Retrocausality implied that the attack was delivered from the future. A future Jury spoke to the present one through the flavor text. None of it ever made sense to her. Why these white orbs were named Angels. Why they were hungry. And what the meaning of the pale rock was.

The only pale rock they knew of was the Nexus. All manners of questions arose suddenly with no answers in sight. But right now, they couldn’t afford to lose track of the situation at hand.

Only the clothes of countless thousands were left behind, as though they were spirited away by the snow. The dissolution caused countless to stare at the snow, and the crack in reality where an unlit sky resided on the other side.

A sight no different from the Black Forest spilled from the pale particles. When there was no more Scarlet Logic flesh to touch within its vast coverage. It sept into the ground, swallowed like a droplet of water before they began to bleed the crimson rocks underneath, creating a shallow sea of blood.

The train’s wheels shattered, screeching as its sheer mass carried over its momentum, bleeding the earth as they passed crashing spires. The world never ceased moving. It ended all around them, while the Scarlet Logic forces could no longer approach, half murdered by Frost’s heart, and the other made a victim of the snow.

It miraculously had zero effect on them. Frost reached out to touch one and was surprised to feel a warm yet cold sensation course through her, welling first in the palm of her hand, and then ending in her stomach.

This light was unfamiliar to Frost and Jury. But the triplets and Ignis stared up in awe as they returned to the dying train. The snow began to dwindle as the rift sealed itself up. It lasted for only several minutes, but it was more than enough to stave Scarlet Logic away.

Their priority now lay with the Suppressed and Aspirators, who continued to wave Frost’s heart like a banner along the front lines.

“Angel’s hair?” Ignis knew of the phenomenon but had never actually seen it herself.

“Do you mean the shavings of the Nexus?” Frost wondered, having recalled Nav mentioning that some believed Angel’s hair to originate from the Nexus.

“The Angel’s hair from the Nexus doesn’t kill things. Not that we even know if it comes from the Nexus in the first place. We’ve seen fields full of them in Spiritas. Magicalis thrive in those areas and all kinds of whacky trees you won’t find anywhere else.”

“It might have a literal meaning here. It’s right in front of us.” Res said, nodding towards Jury. “Angel’s hair. Jury’s hair. But I don’t recall your hair being able to eat things.”

“I’d love to make a joke about being eaten right now.” Cer resisted with all her strength.

“But the name was ‘Angel’s Touch’. I’m not that much of a glutton, am I?” Jury genuinely asked with a lightheartedness that summoned smiles all around her. “I wonder if maybe that’s a reference to the future me. Retrocausality implies that much.”

“... He’s talking about Raoul, isn’t he?” Frost uttered as the train began to rumble.

“Don’t forget Raoul killed more people than we can count. If this is true, then this person only fanned the flames!” Res adamantly claimed. “Look how many enemies he’s made! And we were the ones who suffered because of it!”

“Raoul’s miserable. From this to that. That to this. Star to Wayfarer. Wayfarer to Galia’s guard dog! There’s nothing he was able to do right!” Cer lamented, and in spite of her frustrations, it was harrowing to hear just how far-reaching Raoul’s actions in the past were.

They had finally caught up, but the anguish of his victims was weaponized against the triplets who did nothing wrong.

“Where was he when we just wanted someone familiar to be beside us?” Ber was not as furious. She was simply sad, even if she no longer remembered his scent, nor his warmth. “The train – the train – It’s – CHANGING!”

The train was reduced to nothing but golden particles, leaving them to skid along the ground as they gave chase towards the remainder of the train. It gradually grew into a giant hand, sprouting from the tiny section of the train like the sprout of a seed. Multiple hands then reached out, hauling the central seed as it desperately dashed towards the great spire with inconceivable speed.

< ACT IV >

To Reach a Star

Librarians

< The finale now in sight, we must clasp onto the Star who grants the promised wishes >

LEVEL : 140ORIGIN : Impuritas

HP : 8,500,000

ATT : 4,600MAG ATT : 4,600ATT DEF : 4,200MAG DEF : 4,200

MP : 4,100

RESIST : NilAGI : 280

“Through this ‘death’, perhaps it would be possible to escape from it all. To make our love acceptable, even if we had to dabble in the deep end. What was left of my family, who attended my false funeral, was made into the Pages. And on them, I wrote down my only wish.”

“In order to amend these wrongs and to remain together, we must reach that Star! Even if it means clasping just a piece of them!”