[IC] Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

[Hero]

Aloa would not respond to Jaakuna right away, though her ear twitched lightly. She nodded quietly and turned away from the pair. "Until next time." The viera bid them both farewell, departing to the deeper parts of the village. Emiri watched her leave, looking back at Jaakuna. She walked over to him, taking his hand rather reassuringly. She wasn't really sure what to say at this point. Still, at the very least their business was done here, and it seemed that they had overstayed their welcome in Eruyt. It was funny, but only now did she really feel the somber mood throughout the village.

"Are you okay?" She asked him curiously. "Did something happen in Stigma?"

---

Grant couldn't help but lightly scoff at Wesley's response. "When has our luck ever gone our way?" He couldn't help but quip rather pessimistically. "I wouldn't be surprised if for whatever reason we have to do another challenge just to reach her, afterwards she wipes us out completely without us putting so much as a scratch on her." He grumbled on as they kept walking. Before them would be a familiar branch of left and right (well, not for him, everything looked the same to him) though Nadeline seemed confident enough that one way would lead them back, and so they continued a path upwards. "I'm honestly just relieved that after this we may never have to come back here for any reason."

Nadeline giggled a bit, waving her rapier around. "Are you saying that you're glad the adventure is almost over? This certainly beats paperwork or being stuck in the castle all day!" She lightly teased him as she poked him with her rapier. After a few seconds her grin would fade, being replaced by a rather solemn expression. "Honestly...once this is all over, we won't get to be together like this, will we?" She mimicked Grant's muttering as she sheathed her rapier. After she crossed her arms, she would continue, "That is to say...Ii just feel like it's all over before it really got a chance to start."

"I for one am glad. Personally I'm not a big fan of risking my life on a daily basis." Grant raised a hand, lazily waving Nadeline away, though he would raise an eyebrow at Wesley. "Though I have to wonder, who will wed first? You and Wesley, or Jaakuna and Emiri?"

The blonde's cheeks flushed lightly, though her grin would return with full force as she would basically skip over to Wesley, lightly grabbing his arm. "I do not believe Jaakuna to be quite ready to settle down just yet. Obviously Wesley and I will wed first." She informed them all rather cheerfully, looking up at Wesley. "I suppose I know have a reason to look forward to ending all this now!"

[AlteredTundra]

Jaakuna was surprised that Aloa wasn’t going to go to Stigma right away, but she probably had other things to attend to before she made the trip. Instead, she would bid Jaakuna and Emiri farewell as she went deeper into the village. As she did, Jaakuna heard Emiri ask if Jaakuna was alright and that if anything happened in Stigma. Instantly, Jaakuna felt a certain worry inside him. Emiri didn’t know all the details. Jaakuna wasn’t even sure if Emiri even was aware of the fact that Stigma magicite mine of Anther was hit and that both her father and mother were caught in the explosion, with the latter being killed and the former in critical condition.

Taking himself out of his deep thought, Jaakuna breathed in deeply and let it out, which was when Jaakuna noticed Emiri’s hand holding his. He smiled at her. “There was an explosion in Stigma.” Jaakuna told her, “Your parents..” Jaakuna stopped himself, not even wanting to be the one to tell her that she might become an orphan today.

---

Hearing Grant’s rather negative thoughts on the whole matter of how their luck seemed to be on the rare side, Savayna wanted to hit him for being so gloomy and on the pessimistic side, but she had to admit that there was some truth in the words that he spoke. It seemed that every time that the group, be it only two of them or all six of them, had at least one thing go wrong that would create a domino effect of a bunch of other unlucky things happening to them. That was when Grant would express his gratitude that after Ultima, he, at least, wouldn’t have any other reason to come back to Giruvegan. Savayna had to agree with that as well.

As Grant went on about his discontent with Giruvegan, Nadeline came into the conversation asking Grant that if he really was wanting for their adventure to end. Nadeline then pointed out that once they rid the world of Zodiark and anything having to do with evil, they wouldn’t be able to get together as they are right now, which she would further point out that that it really will be over before it even got a chance to even begin. That actually hit Wesley a bit hard. The fact that this might be one of the few times they would all be together really made it all so real to him. To think that after Zodiark and Shion’s group are gone, will the six of them really have any reason to still hang out as they have been? They’re all important people and each from different countries.

As Wesley pondered further on everything that Nadeline and Grant had said, the latter one would bring up that he was tired of risking his life. However, he would raise the question on who out of the group would marry first. That sparked a general intrigue among the group. Though, before Wesley could even respond, Nadeline would grab his arm, prompting him slightly grunt, but he smiled at her as she looked all giddy. Nadeline would add her opinion on who would marry first and she would state that Jaakuna would be ready to settle down, so that would only leave the option of Nadeline and Wesley.

“Um, hello!” Savayna said clearing her throat as loud as she could. “Not even going to include Grant and I, huh?” Savayna said with a slight pissy attitude.

Wesley eyes blinked as he looked at Savayna. He didn’t know that she had even thought about that. His gaze was on her, and then it shifted to Grant and back to Savayna. “Oh, I wasn’t aware that you two were--”

“We’re not, but that doesn’t mean that we couldn’t be.” Realizing what she just said, Savayna’s face was beet read. Oh dear, what have I just done?

[Hero]

An explosion? What could have possibly happened to cause such a thing? Her eyes widened as she listened to him, but he stopped when he mentioned her parents. Her grip on his hand loosened somewhat as a cold chill ran over her body. It didn't take much to put two and two together, though for just a moment, Emiri's mind went completely blank. She looked away from Jaakuna, her eyes resting on the floor instead as her heartbeat raced. Her father, her mother, gone? No, that wasn't what he said, maybe they had just gotten hurt really badly.

The thought was comforting, although in reality it was the only way she was able to maintain her sanity. She would raise her head to look at Jaakuna once more, though her nervousness was rather noticable. "Could...could we go over to Stigma, then?" She asked hesitantly. "If they're hurt, I need to see them." Her voice raised in its pitch unintentionally, and she cleared her throat. No, she had to keep her head. She had to stay optimistic. If something had happened to them, Jaakuna would tell her.

Right?

---

Nadeline couldn't help but sport a wicked grin at the red-faced blonde. She turned her gaze towards Grant, who couldn't help but roll his eyes. His niece sure had a knack for bringing confessions out of people, didn't she? Still, it took only a moment for what Savayna had said to really sink in, and it was then that Grant would stare at Savayna, somewhat shocked by her words. He wasn't the only one, as Wesley would inquire, though when his gaze met the prince's, Grant had no idea how to respond. Much to his horror, he started thinking about having his own wedding. Unfortunately, being royalty meant a big wedding, but it would have been nice to have something small, maybe just relatives, somewhere along the beach. Savayna wouldn't even have to wear a fancy dress, something simple and breezy would be nice, wouldn't it?

"How lovely, be sure to tell me the date so that I may clear my schedule~" The princess replied rather cheerfully as Grant began to daydream, though she would release her fiance from her grip as she clasped her hands together. "Three Royal weddings, I do believe Ivalice could use such good news!"

Grant would snap out of his reverie and narrow his eyes at Nadeline. "Then perhaps it would be best to focus on the task at hand." He stated, taking in a breath as he avoided Savayna's gaze, somewhat embarrassed. "No point in planning anything if the world is lost to Zodiark..."

[AlteredTundra]

“If that’s what you want, then let us make haste.” Jaakuna said, taking Emiri’s hand, leading her onto the Aegis War Bike. They wouldn’t waste any time. As soon as the engine revved up, Jaakuna put his wonderful, metallic teal bike into full speed. “Hold tight. We are going into overdrive, so there might be moments of nausea.” Jaakuna gave Emiri the public service announcement as the turbine thrusters exploded with red and orange flames, and the bike - and the two passengers on it - were thrown so fast into the wind that any normal man or woman would have fallen off. Thankfully, Jaakuna and Emiri weren’t normal. They were special. And these special people were on a first-class, possibly life-ending, trip to Stigma.

---

While Nadeline teased Savayna about her accidental slip of not being included in the wedding festivities, Wesley’s glance was towards Grant who had just spoken up about the task at hand. “Grant’s right. If we don’t make haste, these three--”

“TWO!” Savayna, still red as a cherry, said.

“Oh my bad, Savayna.” Wesley said, “two weddings won’t happen.”

“Yes, let’s go.” Savayna said, echoing both Grant and Wesley.

It was obvious that Savayna didn’t want to talk about what she had let ship. It was bad enough that Nadeline was going to keep on teasing her about it, but she didn’t even want to know what Grant was thinking. How could she get married to someone like Grant? Was he even thinking about that? Even better yet, why was Savayna still focused on that topic? Did the idea of marrying Grant, at some point, entice her? Get your head in the game, woman. There’s no time for that. Savayna shook her head, leading the charge.

“Well, I guess we follow her then ..wherever that may take us.” Wesley commented, following Savayna’s sudden burst of initiative. Or perhaps avoiding the subject that was just brought up. Regardless, he followed, and hopefully his darling fiance and his soon-to-be Uncle Grant, were not far behind.

[Hero]

Emiri was elated to hear Jaakuna say as much, and eagerly climbed on the prototype once more. At Jaakuna's warning, she nodded, and made sure to wrap her arms around him tightly. As they took off, she let out a squeal of surprise, hanging onto him tighter. He wasn't kidding when he said to hold tight. The ride temporarily would ease her mind, or at the very least distract her from the looming feeling at the pit of her stomach. Everything would be alright, she would go back home, she would see them again, she would. There was no way anything could have happened to her family. Her denial began to take a hold on her, though she would gladly oblige. She was sure they would arrive any moment now.

---

Grant couldn't hide his disappointment, though he would linger in silence. He wanted to say something, but for once, the embarrassment was just a little too much this time. Maybe it was because she protested so much that he could tell that just maybe she wanted a wedding too. Maybe, just maybe his little reverie could happen. Why couldn't it? All he had to do was make sure he would win her heart. He stole a glance at Savayna this time as she marched forward, catching her expression. He hid a small smile, though he would do as he was told and focus.

Nadeline shrugged, still giddy, though her expression fell as a shudder would hit them all at the same time. "This...this Mist..." She said slowly as they continued. They didn't have to be viera to feel it, to feel the Esper awaiting them. "...She knows we come for her." Nadeline stated, nodding. Indeed, and as they would finally reach what should have been a dead end, the group could see what looked like sand pouring down from above. Upon further inspection, Nadeline quickly realized that it was actually the Mist that they had felt. As she looked up, she let out a small gasp, taking a step backwards.

A combination of both machine and feathers descended upon the area, and what looked like an angel with her back to them upon a machine would float above the ground, stretching golden wings aloft. She would let out a sigh as she would turn around, her eyes still closed, daintily grasping her pure white dress. Her skin was colored a muted blue, and for just a moment, it was hard to believe that she was an Esper and not a goddess. "Masterpiece among the scions created by the gods, and the mastermind of the plot to rise against them. Prior to her betrayal, she was tasked with guiding souls to heaven and aiding in their reincarnation. Called the High Seraph for her angelic wings of glimmering gold, yet it was on wings of deepest black that the tainted angel Ultima rose against the gods." Nadeline began to speak softly, gripping her rapier.

"Since her fall, her heart is without light, and impossible to know." Ultima finished the passage as she opened her eyes. "You have all come a long way, it would seem. Though I admit my surprise to see that the group is not whole."

So the Espers really did communicate with one another? Grant couldn't help but narrow his eyes at Ultima. She wasn't the first Esper to converse with them, but for some reason, he felt that she was actually talking down to them much like an adult would speak to a child. "We are all that is needed to bring you down." He stated boldly.

Ultima studied each of them closely, though after a moment of silence she would let out a chuckle, letting out a small sigh as she finished. "Truly, you cannot be so foolish to believe that, can you? I don't believe you would leave behind your comrades by choice. No...Chaos's Scion must be in recovery of her memories. Chaos was truly foolish...but not as much as the arrogant Hume who would underestimate my power." She said, raising her head. "You have all come far. For some time, I have been watching the six of you. The bold Sky Pirate, the Scion of Time, the boisterous princess, the honorable prince, the valorous general, and the redeemed one. Such a long, arduous journey...and yet, you may not rest until Zodiark is slain, lest Ivalice is lost to all."

"But you will not yield without a fight, will you?" Grant asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ultima would release her dress, holding her arms in the air. "Power is the only thing that can change anything in this world. With power, anything is accomplishable and within your grasp. There is only one hume I have met that has shown me her power, the one who the Sky Pirate challenged--and failed to conquer." She told them, closing her eyes. No doubt she spoke of Shion. Still, before Nadeline could retort, Ultima would extend her wings and open her eyes. "The thrill of battle...let us see whose power will conquer who, then."

"And here we go..." Grant muttered, immediately readying his gun and making sure to fire the first shot.

[AlteredTundra]

Whether it was flying through the skies of Ivalice on his Ifrit, playing around Archadia when he was a kid, taking on monsters with the incredible powers that he was granted, or riding his Aegis War Bike such as he was doing now, Jaakuna had always, for the longest time, enjoyed the thrill of high-octane speeds. He lived that kind of life for the better part of the past couple of years. Long before meeting Wesley or Emiri or the royal children of Rozarria, Jaakuna lived for the moment. He still does, but now with purpose. He lives the moment because of the people he met along this journey. He lives for the moment because of those who count on him. He lives for the moment for the woman who was currently holding onto his body for dear life, screaming as loud as her tiny lungs would allow.

“Don’t worry, my love, we’re almost there!” Jaakuna said to Emiri, his voice as loud as it can since the wind that they had picked up was roaring in their ears.

Jaakuna wasn’t wrong. As Emiri would soon see, the sight of Stigma soon came to view. As beautiful as ever, but there was obvious signs of the explosion. Jaakuna didn’t want to believe it because he had hoped it was false, but it was true. There was smoke around the smaller parts of Stigma, but it seemed like the main city wasn’t effected like the other towns. He brought the Aegis War Bike to Stigma’s entrance, slowing the speed down to the bare minimum(15-20mph). He flew it over the entrance gate, seeing all of the people around. There were a lot of people gathered along the streets. Some holding flowers, some with their families. There was crying, some yelling, but if there was one thing that Jaakuna could tell just by looking at the scene, he would describe it as a mix of solemn and melancholy.

Jaakuna was about to say something, but his eyes looked back at Emiri, and he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to say anything that could potentially make the feeling worse. Besides, he knew if any answers were going to be given, the Royal Palace was the first place they should go. And so Jaakuna did just that. He aimed the Aegis Warbike towards the Castle where hopefully they would get some answers. Hopefully..

---

There had always been a certain amount of awe-inspired wonder whenever the espers showed themselves to the group. As noted by Nadeline many a time, they were some of the most powerful - if not also magickal - beings in all of Ivalice. The way that they had powers beyond the strongest magick-user was simply astonishing. To think that the one that would probably be on the same level as Zodiark was in front of the group was a bit overwhelming, that much Wesley(and probably Savayna) could admit when they looked at each other.

As Ultima conversed with Grant, Wesley had to admit that Grant was getting a bit arrogant. Granted, he always had been a bit on the cocky side, but to boldly go where no man has gone before and say that the four of them were all that was needed, Wesley wanted to say something about that, but he couldn’t. He was frozen still where he stood. At first he thought it was because he was standing next to Savayna, but no that wasn’t it. He couldn’t place it, but something was holding him from saying anything. Even when the conversation went on, he couldn’t speak.

Savayna noticed Wesley acting odd. “Yo, you good, Wes?” Savayna arched an eyebrow, somewhat concerned for the prince.

Wesley turned his head to Savayna, giving her a satisfactory nod. He didn’t want to alarm her. Truth be told, Wesley couldn’t exactly place it as to why he was acting odd like that. But, when Ultima said something about battle, it hit Wesley that it would begin. It would hit him even clearer when Grant wasted no time, and fired his gun at Ultima. “Wait..” Too late. The shot was fired, but it barely grazed Ultima.

“For a Hume with such big talk, you sure don’t back it up.” Ultima taunted Grant, her left arm waving forward, arrows of light flying at the group.

“Blizzard!” Savayna shouted, waving her Ice Queen sword at the arrows as a burst of ice magick shot from the tip, expanding when it neared the arrows. It collided with them, exploding in a magickal display of white and icy-blue magick.

“An admirable attempt, Ice Queen.” Ultima was somewhat impressed. “however, if you want to defeat me, The High Seraph, you will have to do much better than that.” She said smugly.

As Ultima rose three feet higher, her wings would flap rapidly, sending several, little orbs of condensed light magick the size of golf balls at the group. There were so many of them that, while one exploding on the body wouldn’t be enough to deal a lot of damage, it would, however, do so in large numbers.

Wesley, still somewhat frozen, looked at the balls coming his way. There were ten of them, all in a circle. As they neared closer to him, the fused, creating a large ball of light magick. This ball was the size of three basketballs, so it was indeed large. However, Wesley wasn’t paying attention. He saw the ball, but he wasn’t able to move.

“HASTE!” Savayna shouted, accelerating her body with Time Magick. She tackled Wesley, able to get him out of the way in the knick of time. As seem from the crater that was left from the impact of the ball that was coming his way, Wesley would have been dead if it had hit. “What is wrong with you? Get your head together!” Savayna said to Wesley, looking at him genuinely concerned. “If you don’t, we’re going to have a real problem with the Holy Bitch.” Savayna said.

“I-I” Wesley was stuttering, not sure what to say because he didn’t know himself. “I’ll be fine. I was just overwhelmed.”

“Well, get whelmed. We can’t afford to have you zone out.” Savayna said standing up, helping Wesley as well.

As Wesley got up, and unsheathed his sword, he looked at Savayna and gave her a nod. That was all the confirmation that she needed.

Wesley noticed that there was a lot of other light magick orbs surrounding them. They were frozen somehow. Or maybe they were just waiting for Ulitma to give the command. Whichever the case, this was the chance that they had to take. “We have to combust those orbs before they move.” Wesley said to the group as he and Savayna had joined them on the front lines. “Attack with all that you can!” Wesley said, concentrating his magick into his Yagyu Darkblade. Flowing into the blade, orange and red magick literally was bleeding out. “Flaraga!” Wesley shouted, unleashing a wave of non-elemental magick upon the orbs in front of them, the blast wave itself exploding a good number of the orbs in a brilliant display of white-on-warm colors of magick.

As Wesley did that, Savayna would do something similar to the orbs that surrounded the group to the left. Her sword raised. “Blizzaga!” She shouted, sending out a wave of ice magick at the orbs. Like with Wesley’s attack, they exploded. Unlike Wesley’s attack, this was similar to when Savayna’s spell met with Ultima’s arrows. In that meaning icy blue and white appeared in a brilliant display.

[Hero]

Her heart was racing in her chest, it seemed to become more notable as the bike slowed down. No matter how hard she tried, Emiri couldn't quite shake off the bad feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. Her thoughts were a clouded chaos, every possibility--both good and bad--playing out in her head. Still, her denial was a bittersweet one, as she felt herself delve in deeper and deeper. It became a sort of mantra at this point, a silent, ever looming mantra hanging over her head.

Once the bike came to a halt, Emiri could not get off any faster. Things were eerily quiet on the outside of the castle, and the pair were free to walk in. Inside, the normally bright pillars had been magically colored a solemn silver, only glowing brightly as Jaakuna and Emiri would pass. For once, Emiri was in the lead, albeit her steps were more likened into a run rather than the brisk walk she thought she had. For some reason, she knew where she needed to go. It was not a long walk in the castle, but time seemed to stretch out as Emiri would approach the castle's previous throne room. As she placed both hands upon the door, a moment's hesitation gripped her. No, she needed to know.

Emiri pushed the doors open, unwilling to stay in suspense any longer. The previous king's throne room was little more than an empty room, though today it was blanketed with various roses, the symbol of Rozarria. They were all differently colored, though as Emiri would approach the other side of the room, she could see that a majority of the white roses were cluttered around a pedestal. She should have taken note of Karolina and Lorenzo as they saw her, but Emiri's eyes could only focus on the open coffin before them. She finally stopped before it, though she managed to tear her gaze away for just a moment to look at her aunt.

Karolina looked devastated, her eyes showing clear signs of mourning and grief, though her eyes were dry from her previous weeping. She extended an arm to Emiri silently, as if preparing her for the scene. At that point, Emiri knew her mind had gone blank, but her legs seemed to move on their own as she would walk to the side of the coffin. And there Justine was, as still and perfect as a porcelain doll. For just a moment, Emiri could only look at her face. She could have been sleeping, but as Emiri reached out and touched her hand, she immediately noticed the lack of warmth.

Emiri inhaled sharply, holding that breath as the realization came crashing down upon her. Her mother was dead. She should have cried, she should have reacted, but the reality had taken such a hit on her psyche she almost wanted to laugh. It must have been some miracle of the gods that she didn't, but soon she would feel her body shaking. Her knees buckled under her and she felt herself fall on them, but as she could feel Karolina's warm embrace, she had no idea what to do. For just a moment, a small chuckle did escape, though in that moment, Lorenzo decided to speak, so it was lost.

"I'm sorry, Emelia." He stated as he shook his head, watching Karolina. Emiri's annoyance with her real name being spoken irked her somewhat, and when Karolina would release her, she would stand. Indeed, it was the very name her own mother had given her. The same one who tortured her, the source of all her misery, the one who raised her to be little more than a token. She shot a glare at Lorenzo, who seemed to catch his error. "Right, sorry, Emiri."

She did not respond. However, as she turned to her aunt, she then realized how hard Justine's death must have hit her. Karolina and Justine were always close, something Emiri herself had envied at certain points, and Karolina was in the pit of despair at the moment. Emiri extended her own arms to her, shaking her head. "Oh Karolina..." She felt very sorry for the weak woman, truly she did.

It seemed her words had broken the dam, and Karolina would dissolve into a mess of tears. Emiri would hug her tightly, letting her cry all she wanted. Lorenzo then narrowed his eyes at the brunette, and for a moment, they made eye contact. He couldn't help but notice how expressionless Emiri had become. Had Justine's death shocked her? No, that wasn't it either. It was then that Emiri would raise her eyebrows at him, but she would close her eyes as she comforted her aunt. A small gasp would escape Lorenzo as he had his own realization:

Emiri was glad her mother was dead.

Karolina managed to control herself at that point, wiping her cheeks. "Forgive me, I know...I know you must be suffering..." She apologized between sniffles.

Emiri shook her head, though she would look around. "Mama and I never did see eye to eye...but I know that losing a sister is a pain unlike no other." She told her gently. "But please, where is Papa? He is alright, yes?"

"He should be in one of the bed chambers down the hall. The hospital was filled with the injured, so Reia opened up the castle to alleviate some of the hospital's burdens," Karolina told her, taking Emiri's hand. "But I must warn you, he is not in a good condition."

Finally, the emptiness in her expression turned into one of worry. "Please, take me to him." She urged her. "I...I must see him."

The blonde haired woman nodded, keeping her hold on Emiri, and the pair would walk out. As they did, Lorenzo would follow, though he would pause beside Jaakuna. He looked like he had something to tell Jaakuna, something that needed to be said. He would look at Jaakuna, his expression serious. "...Did something happen?" He asked him slowly, a frown etched into his face. Should he tell him what he noticed? Had Jaakuna noticed?

---

The battle was on, and it seemed that Ultima was just getting started. Nadeline brandished her rapier, holding it aloft to do her own part. "Thundaga!" She called, several bolts of lightning striking the various orbs around them. As she did her part, she couldn't help but look over at Grant, who was shooting whatever orbs the group spells would miss. "You shock me, you do recall that this Esper may be just a tad more challenging than the others?" She asked him half-heartedly as she charged up another Thundaga.

Grant shrugged at her. "Do forgive me for wanting to make haste," Was his rather simple response, though the two would cut their conversation short as Ultima readied her next attack. Still, he didn't want to exactly wait until she was all ready to make his next attack, so once more he decided to get the initial strike. His bullet appeared to do some damage, as Ultima would wince slightly. However, as she raised one arm in the air, another chill seemed to occupy the air.

For a moment it looked like the Esper was glowing, but Nadeline recognized the spell before she would even cast it. "Brace yourselves!" She called, conjuring a group-wide Shell.

Grant seemed to catch on, charging up his own spell as the magicks circled his gun. "Darkga!" He called, his single bullet replaced as she spell shot out and clashed with the holy magic. It was very reminiscent of Savayna's own tactic, however, this time it would backfire. As the white and black magic would explode, its burst as complete opposites would encircle the entire arena. Ultima was surely hit, but the entire party would also suffer backlash from it. Nadeline let out a shriek as she went flying, landing hard on her side as she skidded to a halt. Despite the Shell, the two spells were easily as powerful as ever. Grant managed to come to a halt sooner, already shooting back at Ultima.

"I don't believe continuing that tradition of clashing spells worked as well for me!" Grant called out the obvious. "Though you would think Dark magicks would be more effective on a Holy Esper!"

Nadeline managed to get back on her feet. "Remember what Aloa said? Ultima is the last Esper still chained to Ivalice, Zodiark's very presence has increased her power." She said, sending a Firaga at the Esper. "She will not fall so easily like the rest."

[AlteredTundra]

It didn’t take them long until Jaakuna and Emiri had made their way into the castle. If it wasn’t just like how Stigma seemed, it was even worse. The bright colors that the castle seemed to be known for was now dimmed down to silver. It was probably to accommodate the scene of sadness that seemed to overtake Stigma as a whole.

As they made it past the foyer, Jaakuna took notice to Emiri’s rather fast brisk walk. It soon became a run. Jaakuna found himself actually having some kind of difficulty keeping up. Though he did keep up his pace, he was always a few feet away. When Emiri came into the King’s Throne Room, there was Prince Lorenzo and Lady Karolina hovering over a casket. Emiri stopped by there, and Jaakuna stopped just a foot and a half behind her. Though slight distance separated him from them, he could see tears from Karolina’s eyes. When Jaakuna peered his eyes to the person that was in the casket, it confirmed what Jaakuna had hoped not to be true. If not for Andre’s sake, then for Emiri’s sake. Even though they had their differences, which Jaakuna had been witness to a few times, Justine was still her mother, and Jaakuna just knew that, even if not now, someday in the future, it will hit her, and that’s when she’ll realize that her mom was dead.

Jaakuna wanted to say something to Emiri. He wanted to assure her that it would be alright, that her mother’s passing will be sad, sure, but she’ll be able to get past the mourning phase, and be able to look back on her life with her mother - before they moved into the castle - and realize that her mother and what she did for her, was out of some form of love. Jaakuna wanted to say something as he witnessed her and Karolina hugging. He wanted to say something, but Jaakuna didn’t. It wasn’t because of he couldn’t think of any words that would help. No, it wasn’t that. The reason he didn’t say anything was because that he saw something in Emiri’s body language. He couldn’t place it, but something was … off. It wasn’t just her body language, but Emiri wasn’t even shedding any tears or when she was comforting Lady Karolina, there wasn’t a mention of her losing her mom - just that Karolina lost a sister.

When asked about Andre, Karolina warned Emiri about his condition. Jaakuna wouldn’t be surprised if he was in a coma. An explosion like that and being pretty close like it would definitely put one in the ever-peaceful town of Comaville. Still, with Emiri knowing that, she wanted to go regardless. So, Karolina led Emiri there, and the men followed. However, Lorenzo paused his movement, and looked to Jaakuna. The blonde male began to ask him something. “You don’t need to ask.” Jaakuna said before Lorenzo was able to finish what he was going to say. “I noticed it too.” Jaakuna confirmed Lorenzo’s suspicions. “She looked … glad about Justine’s death, almost as if it brought some kind of relief to her.” Jaakuna was deeply troubled by this. He didn’t want to say it, but could it be connected to what Aloa sensed within Emiri when they went to go see her? Did Levi do something to her? It angered him, but Jaakuna kept it under control.

---

“You speak truth, Hume Princess of Rozarria. The presence of The Keeper of Precepts, I have grown stronger. It was required of me for I am his opposite. Where there is dark must always be like. As long as he is free, I will not rest until Ivalice is safe.” Ultima said, looking down upon the four that dare challenged her.

Their attempts have been futile, meaningless even. So far, Ultima has simply been testing out their strengths.

“As I watched you go around Ivalice collecting us, I have seen your strength. I am not entirely confident that you will defeat the Keeper of Precepts, but you are the best shot Ivalice has. However, while I have seen your strengths, I have also seen your weaknesses, specifically you, Redeemed Prince, and Boisterous Princess.” Ultima brought herself to the ground, the tip of the machine castle she sat upon touching the myst-covered ground. Her alluring, odd-looking eyes giving a glance to Grant and Nadeline. “You two, despite your rhetoric, have not proven to me that either of you are deserving of what has been handed to you. When I look at Zeromus’ Hume, I do not see an arrogant Hume. I see a scarred child who has lived a tormenting life. And when I look at the energetic, bubbly hume girl, I do not see that. I see the scared, naiveté underneath all of that adventurous spirit.” Ultima said, an arrogant chuckle released from her mouth. “It is my understanding, Princess of Rozarria, that you are the only one of the six of you without an Esper. Unless your intention is to somehow tame the one that cannot be tamed, I am your last shot. If true, then you will have to show me that you are worthy of being called my Hume.” Ultima said to Nadeline.

Through it all, Wesley was silent, but no longer. “High Seraph, you are mighty, that much I know to be true. And yes, you might be close - if not equal - to Zodiark’s power. And sure, you could wipe us out without a moment’s hesitation. But, I must be completely blunt here,” Wesley stepped forward, hand on Nadeline’s shoulder. He gave her a nod, and looked back at Ultima. “You are, despite your mighty power, an Esper. Just like the other eleven, you too shall fall to the very Humes you have been watching over for as long as the myths about your rebellion to the gods were revealed to us.” He said, holding his sword, aiming at Ultima. She smirked. “If it is Nadeline’s destiny to tame The High Seraph, then I, Wesley Alexander of the Kingdom of Dalmasca, her soon-to-be husband, will do all that I can to ensure that.” Wesley stood his ground against Ultima.

“Not alone you aren’t.“ Savayna stood forward after having effortlessly dealing with the final light orb that surrounded them. “Glad to see you finally got whelmed.” She smirked, looking at Ultima too. “I may not be Nadeline’s best friend or anything, but she’s tough. She might not be Zodiark tough, or even me tough, but she’s got moxy. That’s enough to take you on, Ulti!” Savayna, just like Wesley, pointed her sword at Ultima. “Do not underestimate us. Individually we may be weak, but - well, hell you’ve see what we can do together. We put most of you to shame!” Ah, there was the Savayna that everyone loved. “So, stop kidding around! Show us what you really got!” Savayna should really just shut up. Both her and Grant’s mouth will get them killed.

[Hero]

"Relieved isn't the right word," Lorenzo muttered, his tone easily mistaken for a harsher one than intended. "She's glad her mother's dead, that is the truth of it. There's this part of me that doesn't want to admit it, but its plain as day. I wanted to chalk it up to shock, to grief, hell when my own father passed away--who I didn't have the best of relations to either--I admit I didn't shed a single tear, but I felt some sort of remorse, if only because the bastard passed away. Emiri is not numb, she just doesn't care. Karolina is too much in mourning to notice, but you and I have our heads clear for the most part so we can see it. But this...I just hope she doesn't have such a reaction to Andre. I don't think I can stay civil if she doesn't.

As the group would reach the right room, Lorenzo would hang back at the door, wanting to give Emiri some space. Andre was the sole inhabitant, but there were many machines around him. He had seen better days, and Emiri grimly remembered broken bones being the least of his worries. Half his body was oddly colored, no doubt being a result of mist being forced into his body. Emiri approached her father almost timidly, afraid that even breathing in his direction could hurt him. Why him, of all people? Of course, she already knew the answer. That was the soldier's life, wasn't it? But he was here, he was alive.

"He is recovering, we know this much for sure," Karolina would offer kindly as she joined her. "I know this must be difficult, but you must stay strong." Lorenzo nodded, relieved that for the most part, Emiri was surely more affected by this. For now, however, he would keep a close watch.

I am strong. Emiri agreed with Karolina as she nodded, squeezing her hand gratefully and even giving her a smile. "I will. I'm going to fix him." Emiri told her as she released her hand, giving her father her full attention.

Karolina's eyes widened as Emiri surprised her with her comment. "Fix him?" She asked, confused. Lorenzo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, and he would stand up straight from his previous relaxed posture.

"My mother is dead. Fine. But I won't let that happen to Papa." The brunette informed her rather cooly. "I won't let anything else happen to him."

"Emiri, that's not--you're still recovering yourself!" Karolina was rather alarmed, and she looked to Lorenzo and Jaakuna for help.

The girl ignored her completely, holding her arms out towards her resting father. If she could save Simon, she could save her father. She needed to. He wasn't going to die. She didn't care if her mother was gone, but the gods be damned if she lost her father. The only one that cared, even if he was away, even if he was never there. No, she wasn't going to lose. She wasn't. She had the power. She saved Simon, she can save her father. As Karolina would place her hand on Emiri's shoulder, she jerked away, throwing Karolina a look.

"I'm fine." Emiri spat back. "I'm not the one who's dying." He's dying, he's dying, he needs me, I can save him.

---

Grant couldn't help but let out a laugh as Ultima spoke of him. Once Wesley and Savayna would say their parts, he would raise his hands. "Guilty as charged, it would seem. A curious thing, isn't it, that anytime a villain crosses over to the hero's side they suddenly get weaker?" He asked rhetorically, though he would lower his arms. "Humes truly are foolish creatures. It isn't enough that we war with one another, take what we please from the world, then have the audacity to complain that life isn't fair. But as you have said, we have come a long, long way." He smiled, raising his gun. "I'm changed man, for better for worse. Any other day I may have even agreed with you. But I can assure you, I am not the same child I once was. Zeromus was obtained by my hand--and I've only gotten stronger with the help of my allies."

Nadeline would remain quiet as she would listen to her allies. Together they really could accomplish anything. It is only by staying together that they ave come as far as they have. And yet, there was something in her, something telling her that this was her time. At that point she would reach over and take Wesley's hand from her shoulder, holding it tightly. She smiled at each one of her comrades, and she would take in a deep breath as she would turn to Ultima. "Naive doesn't even begin to describe it." She admitted wholeheartedly, letting go of Wesley's hand as she walked forward. "Gods know how many times I've been nothing but a burden, how many times I've cried and caused dissern among our group by my own foolishness, how many times have I said 'I told you so' instead of actually trying to help solve a problem. But no more."

Raising her rapier, she swiped horizontally once. "And therefore, I have decided. Ultima, I will show you the power I have--I will cfight you alone and prove myself once and for all."

A silence followed Nadeline's declaration, and Grant couldn't help but replay her words. He lowered his gun, raising an eyebrow at her. "Say, Nadeline...I believe you missed the part about all of us being strong together." He couldn't help but point out, confused. "So your response is...to fight the Esper we know is now stronger than all the others by yourself. Did that last attack cause you to hit your head?"

The princess sighed, looking back at her group. "I promise you, my sanity remains intact. And I know what I am doing. If your words ring true, if you really do believe--then let me prove it to you all."

Grant fell silent for a moment, though it seemed his mind was made. He would lower his gun and shrug, looking at Wesley and Savayna.

[AlteredTundra]

And Jaakuna thought his family was fucked up. Seriously, the Rozarria Royal Family had a lot of problems, most of them seemingly coming from the head of the family. Or would that be former head? Since Lorenzo’s father is obviously dead. Regardless, Jaakuna listened to Lorenzo’s words carefully, hearing how he, similarly to Emiri, didn’t shed a tear for his father’s death. Though he did feel remorse for his death, no tear was shed. Emiri wasn’t like that. Lorenzo pointed out it was because of the pure, simple fact that she simply didn’t care.

“What are you trying to say?” Jaakuna asked, though rhetorical, it was still a question that he was now asking himself. If she didn’t care about her mother’s death, then what would become of her in the sight of her father. As they would come into the room he was placed in, Jaakuna would soon found out.

The sight of Andre wasn’t a pretty one. His body had odd colors. Jaakuna recognized it somewhat. It had obvious signs of Myst poisoning. Even worse, he was barely conscious by the looks of it, or maybe he wasn’t even conscious. Regardless, Jaakuna clearly saw that he had seen better days. Even more so, Emiri has seen better days. Having seen her mother dead and now seeing her father in this condition, Jaakuna was becoming severely worried for his love.

When Karolina began to explain the condition, Emiri stated she could fix him. Jaakuna knew what that meant. Anyone who had half of a brain - which everyone in the room did, including the unconscious Andre did - would know that she was referring to her ability to roll bad time on someone or something. And on that note, Jaakuna was going to stop her, or at least attempt to.

“But you’re not!” Jaakuna said a little louder than intended. He stood in front of Emiri, his hands on her dainty shoulders. “As Karolina just said, you’re still recovering. Granted, your memory is back, there is still no guarantee that you will be able to use your ability in the way that you’re thinking. It nearly killed you saving my father. The only thing that saved you was your bastard of an Esper, which I’m sure he won’t hesitate to do again.” Jaakuna looked deep into her purple eyes. “Just let time help him, I beg of you.” Jaakuna told Emiri, urging her to be patient, and let Andre heal naturally.

---

“You decided? I guess I was absent, but I could have sworn we all agreed to do this together.” Savayna scratched her head, looking at Nadeline as if she had gone completely bonkers.

And that’s when Grant came in pretty much echoing what Savayna had said. “Yeah, listen to your uncle, Naddie!” Savayna said, furthering her look at Nadeline. “Even if you somehow got a buttload of strength suddenly, what are the rest of us supposed to do? Just watch you get your ass kicked. We won’t wa--” Suddenly Wesley stepped forward.

“Savayna, please.”

“What?”

“If this is her decision, then we must respect it.” Wesely gave Savayna a serious look.

“Do you want her to die!?”

“Do you - both of you - have that little faith in her strength that she would not be able to do this? Do you not realize that there must be a reason why none of the other espers chose Nadeline? Hashmaal chose me because of my family. Zeromus chose Grant because of your similar life experiences. Maeteus chose you because - well, because of how both of you seem to be a perfect fit.” Wesley said, looking to Ultima. “Or do I have it wrong, High Seraph?”

Ultima chuckled, genuinely chuckled. “Well done, Hume Prince of Dalmasca.” her hands clapped lightly. “It is true that they all chose their Humes based on either past connections or similar experiences. And what you say about the princess here holds some truth. Maybe she is the one who will tame me. Or maybe she will fall like all before her.” Ultima eyed Nadeline and the group.

“You may be right, but we will not allow that to happen.” Wesley said, “if it is your wish to take on Ultima by yourself, then we, as your fiance, as your uncle, and as your possible good friend will support you. All three of us will act as your back-up. Should you need cover, we will provide it. Should you need distractions, we will provide it. Should you need power, we will provide it.” Wesley said, eyes upon Nadeline. Those same eyes that proposed to her, the same eyes that professed their love for her. Those were the same eyes that would stand by her, even if it cost him his life.

“Yeah, I guess we have no choice, isn’t that right, Grant?” Savayna looked at Grant. She knew he was skeptical - she was too, but faith was required of them if they were going to make this happen. Savayna knew that Wesley was right: it was Nadeline’s destiny to tame Ultima.

“Whether together or individually, you all shall fall to The High Seraph.”

[Hero]

Jaakuna's words were those of someone who knew what he was talking about. As Karolina took a step back from the couple, Lorenzo would join her. She would give him a rather worried look as Jaakuna would speak to Emiri, though she noticed her husband would not take his eyes off his niece for even a moment. She looked back at Emiri, and the realization began to dawn on her as well. Lorenzo shook his head at Karolina, and the pair would gauge Emiri's reaction to Jaakuna very carefully.

Emiri didn't understand Jaakuna's concern at all. Rather, she couldn't help but get frustrated at his lack of understanding. Didn't he see how much her poor father was suffering? It was as if Jaakuna was blind! She couldn't help but scowl, her temperament immediately going south. However, before she could respond, the pain she had experienced in her head returned, and she winced, a hand to her head. Of course Jaakuna wouldn't understand. So long as his father was fine, what would he care about hers? Her power was only okay to use on his, even though it nearly cost her her life. She shook her head, showing Jaakuna a rather disgusted look as she glared at him.

However, it was Lorenzo who read Emiri's expression and deduced her thought process first, and would immediately step forward. "Whatever nasty words you have to say, you better think long and hard before you say them, young lady," He warned her, his voice uncharacteristically low. "Jaakuna is only looking out for your well being. You'd do well to remember that before you say anything you'd regret."

"Are...are you threatening me?" Emiri asked, clearly offended.

Karolina didn't like where this was going at all. She nervously touched her husband's arm. "Darling, please, Emiri is distraught. You know this can't possibly be easy on her," She told him, already feeling like a fight was about to happen. "Think of when your own father and mother passed away, I know it was not easy. Look at what even happened to Grant...everyone takes their despair in a different way."

Emiri gently took Jaakuna's hands off her shoulders, turning towards Lorenzo. "Honestly...if you have something to say, you may as well say it." She said, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Don't think you can tussle with me, little girl." He stated with a chuckle. "If you're trying to make me out as a bad guy, then fine. But I'm not going to just stand here and watch you disrespect someone who only cares about you, who just wants what's best."

"You know who else was supposed to care and supposedly wanted what was best?" Emiri asked. "My mother. And look at the result--years of abuse, and for what? She got exactly what she wanted, and now she's dead." At the end of the sentence the pain would pulse through her head harder, and she closed her eyes for a moment. "It's just too bad it didn't happen sooner."

Karolina gasped, though her own expression went from worry to mild anger. "Emiri! You may have had your differences, but I won't tolerate you speaking ill of her!" She stated, placing her hands on her hips.

It hurt. It hurt so much, what was going on? Emiri placed both her hands on the side of her head, and for a moment, everything was quiet. And then, it was just...gone. Emiri let out a slight gasp, as if she was just waking up. The realization of her words finally clarified in her head, and she put her hands to her mouth. "I...Why would I..." She shook her head again. "I'm so sorry...I just..."

Lorenzo stayed quiet, though it seemed Karolina was more forgiving. This time it was she who would put her hand on her shoulder. "I understand. Truly, I do. I know you're upset, I know that you feel helpless and powerless. But please, believe me, anger is never the answer."

Emiri stayed quiet, though behind her hands, she would smile. No...Karolina was wrong. She didn't understand. She hated her mother, she really was glad she was dead. But for now, it just wasn't worth the hassle. Wait, why was she thinking like this? Her thoughts seemed to conflict with one another, though she felt like it was just a tiny voice in her head egging her on. Her deepest, innermost feelings, the most negative things. In truth, she really did feel that way. Yeah, it was fine. Everything was fine. Papa would be fine.

---

Grant would nod in agreement. The truth of the matter was that he really did feel the same way, but there was no point in repeating what was already said. That and he was always one more for actions rather than words. Though as he watched Nadeline's face, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. Nadeline herself was on the verge of tears, clearly touched by Wesley's words. She felt like she was falling in love with him all over again, and she was more determined than ever to prove her worth. Taking in a deep breath, she wiped her own tears away and turned back to Ultima, rapier aloft. Sure, the fact that she actually challenged this Esper to a one on one was, oh I don't know, insane, but hey, she wasn't alone. And when everything was over, she was going to make sure that she would never become a burden again.

"Not today, Ultima." Nadeline announced, her determination ringing in her voice. "Today, you shall fall to the likes of Nadeline Lenore Roselia of Rozarria!"

[AlteredTundra]

As Jaakuna pleaded with Emiri to use her power, knowing full well that the results could be catastrophic. He wanted to make her see that her ability, while handy when used, should only be a last resort. Jaakuna has seen the error of his ways when he would ask her to use it for his selfish needs. He knew that always asking her to use it just because something wasn’t going their way, or a mistake needed to be fixed, wasn’t the way to go. There were other options available to them. There was always another way. She didn’t always have to use her gifts. Herbs could help her father when he regains consciousness. Hell, once Aloa gets back to Stigma, she could work her Viera voodoo magick, and possibly steer Andre in the right direction. She didn’t have to use her power like that all the time.

Karolina and Lorenzo talked to her, Lorenzo being the one to use a more confronting tactic. Of what Jaakuna knew of this man, that was very unlike him. Of course, Karolina was trying to not have any fights - or threats - being made. Emiri, for whatever reason that was unknown to Jaakuna, was seemingly egging him on, trying to engage in a fight of sorts. Jaakuna didn’t understand this. Why was she acting this way? And then, as if like a ton of bricks on a Styrofoam table, it had hit him. Levi did this. He couldn’t explain how - no wait, he could explain how. It was when she was on the ship, healing her memory. Okay, so if the how is explained, then why? Jaakuna would ponder on that in a minute, but Emiri required his attention because she was in much pain.

“Emiri, what’s wrong?” Jaakuna asked her, looking at Emiri. She wouldn’t answer. All she did was grab her head with both of her hands. For a moment, Jaakuna felt completely helpless as he couldn’t do anything to help Emiri in this state. And this, as if like a light switch, she had returned - the Emiri everyone knew had returned. Jaakuna was going to open his mouth, but then he didn’t. He didn’t have anything to say at the moment. He saw a smile behind her hands, and that was enough for him to be at ease for the moment.

Jaakuna then took a slight sigh of relief, and looked towards Lorenzo and Karolina. “I do apologize if this is the wrong time, but do either of you know what caused the explosion? Or perhaps any leads on who might’ve been behind it?” Jaakuna asked. He understood that it was probably bad timing, but ever since he got word of about the explosion, it had been bothering him. Perhaps it wasn’t his business since it was Rozarria and clearly Jaakuna was Archadian, but as Emiri’s soon-to-be husband, he felt like it was his problem too. Besides, he felt he owed it to Justine. For all of the horrible things he said to her when they first met, he had to make it up to her in some way. Finding the one who caused her death - as well as many others - was the least he could do.

---

"Bold words, Nadeline Roselia. Be careful, you might find yourself regretting them.” Ultima spoke plainly, arms raising. “This is your last chance. Do you still wish to challenge me alone?”

“Hey, Queen Bitch on the castle!” Savayna called out.

Ultima raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased with that comment.

“She already said that she was going to, right?” Savayna said, “Nadeline is a lot of things, but a liar isn’t one of them.” Savayna, to her surprise, was defending Nadeline again. Perhaps people are able to change, after all, even such people like Savayna Glacie.

“Very well,” Ultima chuckled. “Nadeline Lenore Roselia of the Kingdom of Rozarria, I, Ultima, the High Seraph, and the last remaining Esper left unclaimed on Ivalice, hereby formally accept your request for a one-on-one battle.” Ultima said.

Ultima’s mechanical castle rose from the ground, and her arms quickly came to her side. When they did that, light from the mystical clouds of Giruvegan shined down. Bolts of pure, holy magick that only the likes of Wesley could only hope to obtain, was shot down, aimed at Nadeline. The amount, though in the single digits, seem to have some kind of homing feature as all of them were coming at Nadeline - and fast.

[Hero]

Lorenzo let out a sigh, lightly patting the short brunette's head as he looked at Jaakuna. He would think very carefully for an answer to Jaakuna's question as he tried to recall what was said in the reports. He clucked his tongue as he released Emiri, and would nod to himself. "Most eyewitness accounts were...scattered, so to speak," He said as if he was trying to use his words carefully. "Most of the witnesses were...well...too close to the encounter, and if they didn't die, they'd share Andre's fate. So getting an accurate account of what exactly happened is a lot harder than you'd think."

Karolina nodded, though she would add, "One thing is for certain. Whoever caused the explosion was ill-informed in terms of effectiveness, as proper placing could have wiped Stigma clean off the map. The magicite mines near Stigma run for several miles, though the actual explosion took place in a small sector neighboring the border of Stigma. It is mostly a residential area, thus the very high number of casualties." She explained, frowning. "Although the attack would have been much more effective had they targeted the actual mine rather than the end of it."

That raised some questions in Emiri's head. "So then, was it simply a show of power?"

"Honestly, I would say it was a warning." Lorenzo stated. "A call for attention...whoever did it wanted to show what they were capable of. But the disturbing part is that the witness that caught the explosion from afar all said the same thing: It was exactly like what happened in Nabudis."

Nabudis?! Emiri gasped and looked at Jaakuna. "Then, it was deifacted Nethicite?!" She asked, surprised.

"No one knows for sure. You can see the site for yourself, really. But...I'd be careful. We all know what happened to Nabudis...it wouldn't be surprising if the area is the same." Karolina informed them.

---

"Good luck," Grant murmured as he stepped back.

Nadeline gripped her rapier as the High Seraph would rise, though she admitted she wasn't too prepared for her first attack. She could feel the magicks power in the air, though she attributed it more to their surroundings as opposed to Ultima's actual power. Perhaps a little cocky, but she needed to focus and believe she could win. Her heels clicked on the ground as she ran forward, stopping only in the middle of the arena. At the very least, if she was going to screw up and get hit, she would make sure no one else would get hurt. Of course, she knew it was time to get serious, and for the moment, would actually sheathe her rapier. Instead she would bring out what looked like a small bracelet, though she would activate it with her own power and it would burst forth and reveal its true form as the Cloud Staff.

If she was serious about defeating Ultima, it was time to give it absolutely everything she had. As the magicks threatened to converge on her, Nadeline would twirl her staff in the air and bring it down to her feet. She would twirl around, flames following her staff's tip and as she finished the circle, the flames and holy magicks would converge, prompting an explosion. Grant had to fight the urge to run in, but as the dust would settle, Nadeline was no where to be seen. Before he could form the question, the sounds of magicks being charge could be heard, and he looked up to see the princess high in the air, having charged her own spell.

"My turn!" She called as she whipped her staff forward, the sound of crackling lightning surrounding her as a small, black colored ball formed at the tip of her weapon. "Shock!" The bal would grow in size, immediately zipping forward with lightning surrounding it as it homed in on Ultima.

[AlteredTundra]

“What kind of people would do that as a warning?” Jaakuna asked, clearly uneasy about the entire thing.

When they did start telling him about what they knew, Jaakuna found himself, surprisingly, uneasy about hearing it. To cause such a large - and widespread - amount of damage just to send a warning, the people responsible must either have big plans, or are truly twisted right down to their very core. It sickened Jaakuna just thinking about it. You know it’s bad when Jaakuna Darcone became truly sickened by something or the actions of someone.

“Nabudis - such a shame what happened there.” JAakuna remember hearing stories about Nabudis from his father. It was truly horrifying, even thinking about it lit up that fiery anger inside of Jaakuna. “Prince Lorenzo, I’d hate to ask you this -especially when I understand that you have to be with your wife during this troubling time, but could you show Emiri and I where the explosion site is at?” Jaakuna understood he was probably asking a lot, especially given the circumstances, but was there really any other choice in the matter?

---

When Nadeline had effortlessly fended off Ultima’s attack, The High Seraph let out an amused sound from her mouth. She was impressed. Obviously she underestimated the Rozarria princess. She won’t make that mistake again.

As Nadeline would charge up some lightning-based spell, there was Ultima ready for whatever she had to give her. Sounds of crackling lightning made Ultima simply blink her eyes once, a veil of protection magick forming. It was just as well because, just three seconds later, Nadeline announced her attack, and a ball of black lightning came forth at the speed of - yup, you guessed it! Lightning. - it came, and Ultima did nothing. Her Protection Veil would be enough. However, there was a problem with it as Ultima noted with the arch of her eyebrow. The ball of lightning, though it didn’t get through, it seemed that her Protection Veil and the Shock spell were at a deadlock. Apparently the amount of defensive power Ultima had placed was equal - or maybe slightly less than - that of Nadeline’s Shock.

“This is most certainly unexpected.” Ultima noted, “nevertheless, you’ll have to do much better than that.” she said, hands placed in front of her. Pulses of Magick surging through the golden-white veil in front of her, and it sent forth the shock spell upward to the mist-filled clouds of Giruvegan, sounds of exploding lightning heard. What Ultima didn’t realize was that the explosion was surprisingly great that she didn’t expect there to be such a large hole in the clouds. Even more so, it seemed that the clouds were now transformed into thunder clouds. “I take that back, Nadeline Roselia. You seem far more capable than what I see before me. Because of that,” Ultima paused. Her mechanical castle spinning, a mist field generating below it almost like a jet propeller. It then started to come apart, dissolve was more like it. It dissolved into copper brown-colored fragments of mechanical steel, with Ultima’s feet landing on the ground.

“Uh, what’s she doing?” Savayna asked, looking around for answers.

“I’ve read about this in a text one time.” Wesley recalled. “And if she dissolves that which she sits upon, then true light will be seen, for The High Seraph will show her true power when her two golden feet are planted upon the same soil that the Humes she watches over walk on every day of the year.”

“In simple terms?”

“Just watch, and you’ll find out.” Wesley smirked much to Savayna’s annoyance.

“Nadeline Lenore Roselia,” Ultima called out, her dress hiking up somewhat, leaving the ground, “I realize now that I, The High Seraph, may have underestimated you. That stops now. If you truly want a fight with me in every essence of that word, then as you Humes say,” Ultima’s arms were spread out like a cross, “show me what you got!” she arrogantly smirked.

[Hero]

Lorenzo and Karolina would look at one another. Karolina nodded, and Lorenzo would let out a heavy sigh. "Asking a man to be away from his dearly beloved...you got some guts, boy!" Lorenzo declared, a spark of his usual self creeping out. He would then quickly wrap Karolina into a tight hug. "There is nothing greater in this world than the one you love, the only person in the world who understands you no matter what your inner demons!"

Karolina giggled, hugging him back. "Oh Darling! I'm so touched you still feel this way, even after all these years!"

Emiri couldn't help but laugh at the pair, though deep in her heart, if she and Jaakuna could get even half of the spirit of love these two had, she would be content. As Lorenzo would bury his wife's face in kisses, she would look at Jaakuna rather shyly, hoping he would get the message. It was then, however, that the Dream Powder would then fade from the flowers, signaling the completion of the spell. The wreath would become undone, and each flower would dissolve into Mist. She let out a small gasp of surprise as she touched her head.

Lorenzo released Karolina and would nod at the pair. "Alright then, we can get to the scene of the crime by boat, no doubt the area should be clear." He said, though he couldn't help but look at Emiri. At the very least, if Emiri decided to get moody, he could back Jaakuna up.

---

For some reason, Nadeline was calmer than she had expected. Ultima admitted that she had underestimated her, though she wasn't foolish enough to believe she would best the Esper on power alone. Still, she had decided specifically to rely on her strongest asset--her magicks--because of the fight. She had thought that she would save it for Zodiark, but Ultima was too important, too needed. Her already high magic power was further enhanced by the staff, and the fact that her Shock came out much stronger than she had expected only proved that perhaps she was a match for the Holy Esper before her.

She took in a deep breath, calming her nerves as she would prepare her next spell. She was going to bring out all the stops, every single spell she knew, even if she had yet to use them. Her magicks had evolved considerably, though she knew that she would hit her peak sooner than Ultima would. She would deal with that when it came to it, and her glyph appeared beneath her. Reaching deeper within her own power, a wnd began to pick up around her. Ultima had given her the chance to come out with a charge, and she would make her regret it. A burst of wind would blow once as she set out her spell: "Scourge!" She called, and her spell would spring to life as a glyph would appear underneath the High Seraph. From within, several demonic tentacles would shoot and surround the Esper, spraying a magical toxin around. However, Nadeline underestimated her own power and would jump backwards in an effort to avoid it, though the toxin wouldn't let her leave without sucking some of her magicks out of her.

[AlteredTundra]

“Guts huh? Funny. I’ve always been told it was stupidity.” Jaakuna laughed, but then saw how Karolina and Lorenzo were acting.

These two definitely were an odd couple, that was for damn sure. They acted like a couple of teenagers who were in the height of their love. Granted, Jaakuna didn’t mind it all that much, it still made him just shake his head. Obviously they thoguth they were still young. Granted, Karolina could pass for early twenties and Lorenzo mid-20s if he wanted to. Regardless of what age they could pass for, the fact of the matter was that Lorenzo gave the answer that Jaakuna was looking for.

“Alright, then can we make haste? I don’t want to waste any time.” Jaakuna told Lorenzo. He wasn’t sure if those who did it were still around or if there was anything Jaakuna would be able to do, but he was dedicated to at least try. Besides, he always wanted to go on a boat.

---

“Oh? What’s this?” Ultima said, her curiosity peaked when she saw a glyph below her. She recognized it. “Are you sure you can handle this spell, Nadeline Lenore Roselia?” She looked at the girl and saw the determination in her eyes. She obviously believed she could.

Ultima shrugged as she saw what was to be expected: demonic arms rising from the ground, and attempting to take Ultima with her. “You know, for any other esper, this might be trouble, like Belias, for example.” Somewhere within the Esper Domain, Belias was scowling down at Ultima. “Regardless, this will not work, young one.” Ultima snapped her beautiful fingers, the flash of white light surrounding her finger, and the tentacles were instantly purified, shunned back to the depths of hell where they originated from.

“Fuck! Try something else, blondie!” Savayna shouted to Nadeline, acting as both advice-giver and cheerleader.

"Hang in there, Nadeline! I believe in you!" WEsley joined Savayna in cheering her on.

Ultima ignored Savayna, and looked at Nadeline. Her eyes examining the girl briefly. “You are skilled, that much is certain - much more than I originally gave you credit for. And you have a never-give-in attitude, but if you wish to harm me in any way, you will need to dig deeper inside of your soul.” Ultima lifted her right arm up, palm horizontal, and open. A white silhouette appeared, long and thin. As it materialized, a spear the length of Ultima’s six foot-three-inches, vertical appeared above her. Golden like the accessories that Ultima herself wore and a shade miles lighter than her own skin, this spear had a long handle and a golden diamond-shaped jewel that had three, much smaller jewels in the center and on the left and right of it. The tip of the spear was like that of a small sword. Mist surrounded it in blue, gold, and white. “Nadeline Lenore Roselia, here is where I truly test your strength. In my right hand, I hold the Golden Lance of the Virgin. It is my greatest weapon. If you wish to defeat me, then you must reach into your own mist field. If you cannot, then you truly aren’t destined to tame me.” She said, holding her spear upward. “Now, prepare yourself!” she said, the lance glowing white - and Ultima as well - speeding gracefully and elegantly towards Nadeline with a piercing motion with the spear. It was like watching a dancer move effortlessly across the dance floor or a battle general fight with little to no problems.

[Hero]

Lorenzo would agree with Jaakuna, and would lead the pair back to his garage. Emiri couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as they walked. She had assumed they would be taking one of the usual boats down the canal, but it seemed Lorenzo deemed it necessary to use one of his toys. He would halt before one of the benches, taking off his jacket and folding it neatly. He would open a drawer and take out a pair of very simple, fingerless black gloves and slip them over his hands. She wasn't entirely sure, but they had a distinct familiar feeling for some reason. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps Lorenzo was preparing for a fight, though she admitted she had never seen him fight. As if reading her mind, he would give Emiri a thumbs up and put on a pair of sunglasses, and would lead them through a door that revealed a set of stairs.

As they would descend, Emiri could hear the sound of water. Once they reached the bottom, they would see a part of the canal running through and a small dock holding only one vehicle. Emiri raised her eyebrows in fascination as they approached the odd looking boat. What was it with boys and their toys? As the glass would open to admit passengers, Lorenzo would grin. "The Royal Carriage, believe it or not. Reia actually uses this to get around Stigma faster, built by yours truly." He would let out a rather haughty laugh.

Truly, Lorenzo's technical prowess really was something to behold. The man would offer Emiri his hand, and she would climb into the backseat, noticing immediately how small it was. If she was any taller, she imagined she would have had a tougher time squeezing in. Lorenzo would then take the driver's seat, and once Jaakuna would climb in, the glass would close above them. As Lorenzo would crack his knuckles, Emiri decided to ask, "I admit my surprise, but...why the glass?" She asked curiously.

Lorenzo would sport a rather wicked grin--one Emiri knew she had seen on Nadeline much too many times, though at least now she knew where the princess had gotten it from--and he would start the boat. The engine rumbled rather quietly, though they would slowly begin to take off. Emiri immediately noted that it really wasn't any faster than a normal boat, though as she was abut to make her comment, Lorenzo snapped his fingers. "Alright, kiddos, brace yourselves!" He said as he would press a button.

Emiri was immediately thrown back in her seat, letting out a squeal of terror. This thing was about as fast as Jaakuna's bike! She tried hard to sit up properly, but the speed wouldn't let her. They would drive through the tunnel, eventually reaching the familiar waterway they had seen when coming into Rozarria. The water splashed all around the glass, and it was then that Emiri realized why it was there. As they drove, the site of the explosion would be seen clearer. Or rather, the lack of the area--any previous building or monument had been clearly wiped clean.

The boat would then suddenly jerk to the side, Lorenzo having pulled it towards the edge. Emiri hit the side hard, and let out a gasp as she saw several Elementals hovering above the water. They were certainly not around when they had come! Lorenzo would maneuver through them, well aware that if any of them would get aggravated, they'd attack the boat. "The Mist always does attract monsters..." Emiri commented as she watched them zip through the pack. Still, it would turn out that Elementals were the least of their worries when a Sahagin would jump onto the boat. Lorenzo let out a curse as he would shift to a faster speed, but it seemed the Sahagin wasn't alone when a few more would jump in the way, covering Lorenzo's vision. He would immediately switch back down to a slower speed. At that point, Emiri knew what had to be done as she would bring herself closer to the men. "Open the glass, lest they swarm us!"" Emiri instructed Lorenzo.

Lorenzo looked back at her, but would then grin. "Great idea, Elizabeth! But I don't think it's a good idea if you fight, so!" He said, pushing a button. Once the glass was lowered, Lorenzo would stand, grabbing Emiri and plopping her onto the driver's seat. "Try not to crash us, alright?" He said as a Sahagin would make its leap at him. In one fell swoop, he would uppercut the monster, his glove glowing and promptly blasting the creature away. "Come now, fellow blonde prince! Let's show these things who's boss!"

Emiri took the wheel rather nervously, though she would have to jerk the vehicle away from an Elemental. Lorenzo would hop onto the front of the boat, charging at the monsters.

---

There was a possibility that maybe, just maybe instead of Black Magicks being more effective, they were essentially useless against the Holy Esper. Nadeline clucked her tongue in disappointment as Scourge was easily purified. Still, Ultima was right. Normal spells and the like weren't about to even put so much as a scratch on Ultima. Indeed, reaching deep within would have to be the answer. But the question that lingered in her head was, would it be enough? No, it was too late for any doubts, and as Ultima would summon her weapon, Nadeline readied herself as she gripped her staff tightly. As the rapier Wesley gave her gently hit her side, an idea popped into her head. She had read about the spell some time ago, but would it work?

Grant couldn't help but start to get just a little nervous. Nadeline's lack of experience was starting to show, but at the very least, she was quick to react and try something new. But how long was that going to last? Ultima clearly proved that she had more than a few tricks up his sleeve, but Nadeline kept surprising them all with her own intuition and knowledge. What worried him most, however, was the fact that the could tell she was casting spells she had no control of. She had gotten lucky with Shock, but nearly got caught in her own Scourge, what if the next one would backfire entirely? No, I can't start thinking like this. Grant shook his head, lightly tugging on his lower lip. Just like Wesley and Savayna, I need to believe, too.

The princess bit her lip lightly, gripping her staff as she mulled her options over. Whatever happens, I have to keep going and adjust to the situation. Only way to see if it'll work is to try it. Nadeline thought. Indeed, if Ultima would be swtiching to close combat, then her staff was no longer an option. The staff would return to its bracelet form as Nadeline would begin to cast another spell, withdrawing her rapier. She gripped it tightly as another glyph appeared beneath her, though this spell was notably quicker than any other she casted. The Cloud Staff's bracelet would turn into mist and dissolve into the glyph. The glyph would glow a pure white in response, quickly coating itself over Nadeline's weapon, and as Ultima came, the two weapons would clash. The ephemeral glow would cause the two weapons to parry, though it would fade to reveal another rapier in its place. The blade was essentially magical in property, though at least it would give Nadeline a better chance at close-quarters combat.

Nadeline whipped her weapon aside as she charged, her weapon glowing a bright blue as she would jab multiple times at Ultima. With each jab, the sword would gain hue, eventually becoming a deep colored blue, and at the final swing, several blue rays would erupt from her sword, sending themselves at the Esper. "That's...Ardor?" Grant asked, somewhat shocked at Nadeline's utility of the advanced Black Magic spell. He was slightly put off, having been expecting more, but maybe Nadeline needed time for whatever she had planned.

[AlteredTundra]

Jaakuna, while possibly deafened by the squeal of terror that came from Emiri’s mouth, he was experiencing a feeling of exhilaration. As a guy who loved to go fast, especially on vehicles, he had to admit it to himself that he was loving how fast this thing was going. He did, however, had to admit it to himself that he didn’t care for the blue. Perhaps it was just him and loving red, but that was just his personal prefernce. Regardless, seeing how Lorenzo was enjoying this a bit more than he should, perhaps there was more to the Prince than Jaakuna first thought.

“You know, Lorenzo, when we’re done here, I’ll have to show you my Aegis War Bike. It’s a prototype, but I’m sure you could appreciate it. Hell, I think it can surpass this beautiful machine in its top speed.” Jaakuna had to shout. One the engine of the boat - or the Royal Carrage as Lorenzo called - was so loud that Jaakuna barely heard himself think. And two, Emiri’s loud shrieks of absolute terror made it hard for anyone to hear anyone speak. So, thus why Jaakuna had to elevate his scream to a moderate yell.

As the three of them got out of the tunnel, which was as dark as a moonless night, they came to a part of Stigma that must have been the explosion sight. Jaakuna knew it was going to be bad just based on what he and Emiri saw when they first got to Stigma, but he never once thought it would be akin to what he saw with his very own, two emerald-colored eyes. The aspect of the mist obvious, even from far off in the distance. Jaakuna saw nothing but broken buildings and the ruins of a town. Any traces of what this town was before had thus been erased almost completely. Dirt and rubble laid in its place. If this was just a warning, Jaakuna feared the worst for the citizens of Stigma - and quite possible all of Ivalice.

His eyes going to one side to the other, trying to take in every single part of the explosion site, Jaakuna’s body was suddenly jerked. Wait no, that’s not right. It wasn’t just him, but the boat jerked. “What’s happening?” Jaakuna asked. His question soon was answered as Emiri noted the presence of mist attracts monsters like lamb to the slaughter. Jaakuna cursed himself. “And to think I thought this would be a walk in the part. I should have figured.” Jaakuna simply shrugged. There was no avoiding a fight. Well, at least he’d be able to stretch his muscles. A few seconds later, Jaakuna would get the chance to as the boat zipped past some harmless elementals. It wasn’t until Sahagins would appear that they were in for a fight.

It started out as just one, but soon several of them would come, and Emiri made the rather smart suggestion of opening the glass. Lorenzo agreed., and so did Jaakuna. The glass was opening, Lorenzo invited Jaakuna to join him in some workout exercises. Jaakuna grinned. “Try to keep up, old man.” Jaakuna smirked, stepping up from his seat, seeing Lorenzo pop one of the Sahagin’s right in the mouth with an uppercut. “Okay, I guess you know a thing or two.” Jaakuna said.

Three Sahagins came at Jaakuna, each one high than the other. Jaakuna smirked. Holding one palm out, fire expelled from it, not only overtaking all three Sahagins in red and orange flames, but it was enough to send them several yards flying like a baseball when the batter hit a homerun. “Not bad, huh babe?” Jaakuna looked to Emiri, winking at her.

---

Ultima smiled. Rather impressed with what Nadeline did, she increased her speed a bit when Nadeline would pull out another rapier. To Ultima’s impressed shock, there was something interesting happening with that rapier - something that The High Seraph foresaw, but didn’t expect to be so popular. It was something that she never expected a Hume such as Nadeline to be able to use. Ultima took extra precautions. Her power would take defensive measures, but even she couldn’t completely defend from the highest fire-elemental magick spell, Andor.

“What’s Andor?” Savayna asked both Wesley and Grant, looking to both of them.

“It is a highly powerful - if not equally dangerous - fire maigck spell,” Wesley bit his thumb, seemingly worried for Nadeline. “It requires years of practice and discipline to master and use without fear of it backfiring. Even still, it’s one of those spells that will have disastrous side-effects regardless of its user, but for Nadeline to..” Wesley stopped himself there. If Nadeline was using Andor, if she truly was using it with a clear head on her shoulders, then Wesley would remain silent. He would let her fight her battle. Just hopefully she doesn’t kill herself trying to prove her strength.

Savayna looked both and Wesley and Grant, both of them seemingly having the same look of worry on their face. If this spell was truly as bad as their faces gave hint towards, then what did that mean for Nadeline’s health?

As the group watched as Nadeline delivered jab after jab to Ultima, with the latter dodging almost every one, they couldn’t help but watch in awe. Not only was Nadeline holding her own, but based on how Ultima was dodging and blocking each jab, she was on the defensive. Whether it lasted or not, both Savayna and Wesley were smiling, with the latter replacing his worried look with a more relieved one.

As the jabs kept on coming, one would surprise Ultima. It caught her off-guard, and her stomach got the full force of it. Her eyes would somewhat widen. The force of the jab forced Ultima back about a yard and a half. She looked at Nadeline, seemingly upset that she let even one of those jabs get past her defenses. “Rather impressive, Nadeline Lenore Roselia.” Ultima was truly impressed by this girl the more she continued to fight.

When Ultima raised her arms, the spear horizontal, her eyes began to emit a bright, white-with-gold glow, and white shadows about the height of Ultima began to appear beside her - five of them, to be specific. Soon, these shadows had morphed into literal copies of Ultima, all poised to strike. Each of them - including the original Ultima - all started to float around in the sky, shooting several bullets of Holaga at Nadeline. These shots of Holaga were about the size of basketballs, but boy did they pack a massive punch.

[Hero]

"Of course!" Emiri would call out back to Jaakuna, though she would remain focused on the path ahead of them. The Elementals would glide above the water as they pleased, but it seemed like they would grow in numbers the closer they got to shore. The Mist would begin to dance in colors, and it was then Emiri shuddered. She would take in a deep breath, though it seemed the Mist affected her more than usual. She could swear the gods were toying with her as the familiar sensation of venturing closer to their destination would come with thicker Mist.

Lorenzo, on the other hand, would take full advantage of the thickened Mist. "As they say, the more Mist, the more powerful Magicks!" He called as he would punch the air, shooting out a red magic to a Sahagin that had threatened to leap onboard. As he would kick off another Sahagin off his boat, he looked around to see the site. A grim look occupied him as it was clear that the destruction of the area was much, much worse than he had thought. The reports hadn't done the devastation justice. Though for once, even he could feel the Mist sending a chill up his spine, and he looked down at Emiri.

As if on cue, a sharp pain would hit her head, and she winced. She silently cursed her sensitivity to the Mist, though for some reason, she could tell it was something else. No, something powerful was up ahead, waiting for them. Taking in a deep breath, she felt suffocated as the heat of the Mist burned in the air. What was this feeling? It was so familiar, yet she could not put her finger on it. No, she knew exactly what it was. It really was exactly like Nabudis, and what was worse, she could feel the damned deifacted nethicite even as far from it she was.

"Deifacted nethicite was definitely the cause of this," She would inform Lorenzo and Jaakuna as they fought.

Lorenzo would kick off another monster as he asked, "How can you be so sure?"

"The Mist...it burns, it toils through the air...and yet the stone thirsts," She stated, narrowing her eyes. Lorenzo couldn't help but note Emiri's reaction was much like a cat to water. "It thirsts for more power, more destruction...and..."

The blonde would fall silent as he looked ahead to what little remained of the docks. As Emiri would pull in and turn off the engine, he would hop off the boat. "And here we are, though I admit I thought there would be more monsters lurking about." He said as he stretched his arms over his head. "What a workout, eh Jaakie?"

Emiri carefully climbed out, though the pain pulsed in her head something dreadful. It was as if every sense she had was heightened tenfold, the Mist attacking her very skin. It was somewhat dizzying to say the least, though as she looked around, she felt that it was oddly quiet. It was like the Mist was whispering to her, quietly trying to draw her to somewhere. Without so much as a word, Emiri began to walk. She had no idea where her footsteps would lead her, though as she walked, there were less buildings and more open areas. It seemed she was heading towards the center of the explosion, though it took a second to realize this. The pain in her head would increase and at that point she would find it hard to breathe, yet she would continue.

She finally came to a stop, kneeling down as she would inspect something on the ground. It was half buried, but as she would dig it out, it would glow omniously. She picked it up, grasping it tightly. "This is not the Dawn or the Dusk Shard. This is...the Midlight Shard..." She mumbled, slightly confused. "This was not the work of Archadia, not at all. This stone was said to be lost in Nabudis...what is it doing here?"

---

Grant watched the fight unfold, crossing his arms. "What it really means, Savayna, is that Nadeline is going to play every card she has--even if she doesn't know what the card is." He would look at Wesley momentarily. "I can assure you that each spell she has used so far has been the very first time she has casted it. She is relying purely on the knowledge she has, rather than the practice. She reacts quickly enough, but anyone who uses even the most basic magicks know how unwise it is to use such advanced spells without proper training. I digress, however, and admit...I'm rather impressed. Since I saw Scourge, I knew that despite her inexperience, she does have the talent to control the magicks. My only wonder has to be whether or not she can keep it up..."

As Ultima would divide herself, Nadeline took a few steps backwards, mentally taking note of the positions they were in relative to her. She would take her hand and glide it from the base of the sword to its tip, and it would glow once more. As the spells would come, Nadeline sliced through the first one cleanly, and it because a rhythm as each Holaga would get cut down. Each one would promptly explode in response, forcing Nadeline to keep moving, though she was going to make sure she would keep up her aggressive offense. Her magical glyph would appear beneath her feet as she ran, and as she skidded to a halt, each Ultima would be in range for her next attack. She would draw a circle in the air in front of her, the magicks flowing from her rapier to mimic the glyph beneath her.

"Scathe!" She called, and the glyph would promptly shoot forth a non-elemental magic very reminiscent of a giant laser at her enemies.

[AlteredTundra]

One after the other after the other, the Sahagins just wouldn’t stop coming. Lorenzo was taking out a good number of them, Jaakuna was taking out a good number of them, but they just kept on coming. It didn’t matter how many blasts of red magick Lorenzo shot at them, or how many bursts of fira that Jaakuna shot at them, they just kept coming. It was like the boat was the flame that drew these moths to it. Jaakuna could do it all day, but eventually the workout would get tiresome. Even Lorenzo had to be getting annoyed, even if he didn’t seem like it.

Just as Jaakuna was about to just say that enough was enough and blast the entire group of Sahagin’s with his Sea of Flames, they were nearly at the docks. As it was with Emiri and Lorenzo, Jaakuna, too, felt the intensity of the mist within the area. He felt that unwelcomed chill from his toes all the way to his blonde hair-covered head. Whatever had happened definitely involved some things that were not meant to be toyed with.

As Emiri had made a note that Defected Nethicite was the cause of it, both Jaakuna and Lorenzo looked at her, the latter asking if she was sure. Emiri told him what she was thinking, and it sounded accurate. Mist was one those things that very few could explain, much less understand. The only people Jaakuna knew that could was Emiri, Nadeline via the Tome Proxy, and the Viera. All of which had said that the Mist was like a never-ending hunger for power and destruction. Emiri made a mention about how it burned and twisted in the air. Now that she did, Jaakuna looked around, and he could see it. Perhaps his awareness to the mist wasn’t as up there like Aloa or Emiri, but he saw traces of the mist. It empowered him, but at the same time, it gave him a familiar feeling of fear through his skinny body.

“If there are, we’ll just do away with them like we did with those fish.” Jaakuna commented confidently. He heard Lorenzo speak to him. “You call that a work out?” Jaakuna laughed, “no disrespect,, but come back to me when you have tussled with the Espers. The Sahagins might be annoying as all hell, but those Espers were no joke.” Jaakuna said, laughing.

Jaakuna heard the sound of an insulted grunt in his mind. “Yeah sorry bout that Belias. But hey, you should take it as a compliment. At least I didn’t call you weak.” Jaakuna heard another grunt, thus ending the conversation he was having with Belias. To Lorenzo, Jaakuna would appear to be talking to himself, no doubt.

Whatever, Jaakuna touched land, and he saw Emiri wander off. “Hey, Emiri!” Jaakuna called out. She didn’t answer. She just kept on walking. Jaakuna followed her until she came to a stop. She knelt down and picked up something. “What’cha have there? A seashell?” Jaakuna asked, looking at Emiri. She looked at the stone in her hand quite seriously, as if bothered by it.

When she would mention Archadia, Jaakuna couldn’t hold in his chuckle. “Yeah, that’s for damn sure. Say what you will about my homeland’s old, misguided ways. When we wanted to blast a bitch, we did it with good ole’, progressive weaponry. What happened here - well, it’s like Nabudis.” Jaakuna might have been brushing it off, but he was right. Archadia never did anything half-measure. If they wanted to wipe a place out, they would do it with little error.

Emiri kept on talking, and it was then, when she revealed what was in her hand, that Jaakuna realized the true severity of the situation. “You wanna say that again?” Jaakuna felt like he misheard her. “I could have sworn I heard you say that, what’s in your hand, was the Midnight Shard.”

---

“Isn’t that dangerous? She could get hurt! Or worse, she could die!” Savayna said, feeling genuinely worried for Nadeline.

Wesley knew she had a point, but so did Grant. “We simply will have to trust her strength, and know that she has it in her to do this.” Wesley said. Oh if only you could believe it, Wesley. Well, you do, but Ultima is quite the formidable opponent. Just use caution, Nadeline. That’s all I ask. Wesley was praying that she would be able to find that weak spot that he knew Ultima had.

Ultima watched Nadeline’s movements carefully. Blocking when needed, dodging when needed. Still, she couldn’t help but smirk a bit as Nadeline sliced through just about every single Holaga. Obviously using the same spell wouldn’t work anymore. Ultima would have to try something different. She would obviously have to up her game, perhaps use something far more powerful than simply Holaga. It couldn’t be helped, it seemed.

As Nadeline would take aim at Ultima, drawing a Scathe magickal glyph, Ultima did the same. Instead, Ultima’s wasn’t of Scathe, it was of reflect. When the blast came at Ultima, it was reflected, and shot upwards, piercing through the thunderclouds, and exploding about several feet above it. After that had been done away with, Ultima and her five copies herself, surrounded Nadeline. Each pointed their spear at Nadeline Long, thick beams of light shot at Nadeline. And even if the girl was somehow able to dodge some of them, one of them would make contact, binding the girl in nearly-unbreakable magick. When one of did do that, the other Ultima’s disappeared, leaving the original, who was above, floating.

Using her spear to control the beam, Ultima came closer to Nadeline. “You should be honored, Nadeline Lenore Roselia. Only those who have proven themselves to be worthy of fighting me get to be this close to me. As skilled as you are, and as loyal as your friends have been, you made the dire mistake of challenging me by yourself.” Ultima got close to Nadeline, looking right into her eyes. “I will admit that you impressed me greatly. You are one of the few humes who have tried to claim me that made me actually try, but you are still, far too young, and far too inexperienced to hope to defeat me on your own.” Ultima said, “I shall give you one final chance to end this foolish crusade fighting me by yourself. Let your Hume companions help you.”