[ Subaru's mistake is kneeling down. Now, after being patted, Anko is encouraged to get more of his attention. So a second later, the little cake cat leaps, and its soft, pudgy mass lands right into the onmyouji's arms. It lets out another pleased "myuu" and melts into those arms, with no intention of leaving, no matter what Caelus says. ]
Hmm.
[ 💢 … Whatever! Caelus is going to concentrate on his task. This is for Subaru's sake, so he has to finish it properly! At the very least, Caelus can listen to Subaru's explanation (therefore, hearing his lovely voice more), and he's content with that for now. ]
I hope that I can get to eat that sometime. It sounds delicious.
It's popular enough that we might have the chance to find some, someday.
[ As a baseline, nothing scavenged is all that fresh, even packaged, but the possibility isn't zero. There are so few of them that he's certain they haven't uncovered all that there is in a city as big and porous as this. Accepting the cat into his arms, he gives it a brief moment to gloat before lifting it to his shoulder and prompting it to take a seat there. Quietly, with an admonishing boop to its nose: ]
There. Behave, if you can. [ The Okay? is implicit, but seems to do the trick. Casting a glance now to the second bucket of vines, Subaru's expression leans thoughtful. ] If anything, seeing real plant life here has shifted the scale of what's possible...
[ Though he's not certain he'd like to experience something akin to the cathedral's beckoning every time, either. ]
For now, we can place them outside. If they really are Sleep's blessing, then what sunlight we have should be fine.
[ Subaru certainly knows how to uplift both of the trash-loving creatures in this room. Caelus smiles at the thought of eating anko (the sweet dessert) someday, then Anko (the trash cake cat) myuus in agreement, obediently following the onmyouji's instructions for it. Anko settles on Subaru's shoulder, gently walking around a little on it before curling up around his neck like a warm scarf.
Why is it so loyal to Subaru, even though its master is Caelus!?
The real answer is because Caelus's Artificer magic isn't stable yet, but he doesn't know this. In the future, any more homunculi will also be as rebellious, but they'll be more obedient to him once he has become stronger. ]
All right! These are done, so let me help you carry them.
[ Since Caelus's natural strength is impressive, he can carry heavier weights, and thus makes it upon himself to do most of the lifting. He follows Subaru outside, looking around for a nice, safe place to deposit the plants. ]
Maybe I should build a small greenhouse for you here sometime.
[ In time, with more exposure to the capabilities of Artificers, Subaru might gain insight on the trash cat's case of the rebellion blues. For now... well. He does make a very cute little scarf. And it's probably fine, to attribute a little misbehaving to simply being a baby.
On the way out to the front of the trailer, Subaru shakes his head. It would be a sight to see, but he wonders if the effort will bear enough fruit, both literally and figuratively. ]
If these vines survive, it could be a valuable asset to everyone here. Although I wonder if I'm here enough to tend to them right... I couldn't ask you to put in that much more work, in that case.
[ The trailblazer may not have tapped into his full magical potential, but he's no less an architect for the settlements they've been raising around the city. He is also a light, shaking loose the dust from the disused corners, transmuting what he touches for the better. Around the front door, there's a clear space where he's stacked an upside down milk crate. He spends much of his time outdoors, so if his observations are correct, they should catch the most light there. And as he indicates where Caelus can put them, his expression briefly flickers. ]
...is it really alright? For you to be lifting so much. Your injury still isn't healed fully.
[ It's in the care with which he moves, the intermittent says of bedrest keeping him from his typical travels. ]
Don't worry. Remember? I'm stronger than I look. And please, rely on me more— I'm a Trailblazer, after all. This is part of my mission. Even then… I love helping you, Subaru.
[ It's a tiny, happy reminder that Subaru did agree that time when Caelus said the first statement about being strong, back when they first met. It's been quite a while since then… Realizing that, Caelus makes a nostalgic smile as he laughs gently. ]
Time really passes, doesn't it? It feels like yesterday that I met you, but it's been two months…
[ Heading closer to the crate, Caelus carefully puts down the haul, making sure the plants are centered properly on it. His movements are a little slower than normal, but he looks fine for the most part. As long as he doesn't push himself too much, it'll be all right.
Wanting Subaru to worry less, Caelus decides to lighten the mood. ]
I'll tell you something. Mr. Sakurazuka is heavier than these plants!
[ As the plants slot into the spot he made for them by Caelus's capable hands, Subaru is left to think about the bridge of time and distance. Almost no time has passed at all in the scale of things, but the breadth of the experience has left it feeling long in his mind's eye. It's more time than he thought he had, at any rate.
More than he sometimes knows what to do with. And still... days like this are nice, likewise tinged in the soft tones of nostalgia. ]
Yes, it does. And you've been helping me since we met.
[ More than he likely knows. More than Subaru can explain. It's no small feat for someone who's entire lineage fell to him before his age hit the double digits. But his brief reverie stalls, instinctual. Whatever thought he'd almost gotten lost in fades. ]
...Seishirou-san is? [ His head cants as if he thinks he misheard. ] How do you know that?
[ Whether or not Subaru is conscious of this, Caelus wants to say it directly either way. Perhaps all those past words of gratitude helped the onmyouji realize it, but the trailblazer will never pass up chances to remind him of his appreciative feelings. This warmth is real, and he intends to keep it that way.
As the days pass, Caelus's determination to accomplish all he strives for only grows stronger. Seeing Subaru's lightened expression, looking so adorably curious, the younger one easily renews a radiant smile. ]
Also, I'm not the only one who wants this.
[ Rather than explain, it's easier to show him through their tether. How did Caelus know? And who else wants Caelus to be here?
So once the plants are nicely secured, he straightens up and connects their hands. Two hands holding another pair, he gives them a gentle squeeze before he thinks of that day. The memories flash for Subaru. The moment Caelus yells, "Watch out!", the memories are clear. A desperate, but successful escape. The brief bonding on the rooftop. The promise. ]
[ It's strange, how common words feel as if they carry the weight of the world when Caelus says them. Having traveled many — maybe they do. When beckoned, Subaru allows his pale hands to rest in Caelus's as a means of invoking their tether's conduit. Part of him is lost on what he should expect to see following that series of statements... but the tether draws clear most things, and this is no exception.
He almost can't believe his eyes.
Or at least the imprint of sight over his own, detailing the memory. Surprise gusts through him in several shades; not least of all thanks to the incessance of the moon creatures' hunt that Seishirou had tried to hide from him, but the ensuing row, the pipe, the bat, the viscera and the howling, the unceremonious toss that lands the man of his dreams and of his nightmares across the roof of a building like a bug on a windshield. Subaru is somewhat glad he doesn't have to imagine it, because he doesn't think he could on his own. But oh, he knows. Exactly what thoughts prowled the narcotic edges of the Sakurazukamori's sterling propriety in that moment. Instinctively, he tightens his fingers.
Only the following conversation staunches the flow of his emotions. Please look after him. It lances through him with the alacrity of lightning, an anxious static blooming across the back of his neck. The connection shivers with it, shies, knotting the fibers of his heart into a daisy chain of unanswered inquiry. ...Is he always the last to know? What measures Sakurazuka Seishirou will take to close his fist around the hollow of his heart and claim it only when it's too late?
Irony. A brilliance calculated by one of the most skilled onmyouji of their time. Sumeragi Subaru has always been one step behind the Sakurazukamori.
Memories seethe through the gentle cracks, but none quite manifest. Not the Kamui wearing the face of Monou Fuuma. Not the last wish now made second-to-last. Not here, in the wake of sunlight and blessings. Something seems to burn alive on the backs of his hands, but Subaru's skin remains smooth, unbroken. ]
...I see. [ Slowly, as if his tongue is suddenly ill-fit to his mouth. But he finds the strength this time, grip fortifying. ] Thank you, Caelus. For protecting him.
[ The torrent of emotions, Caelus expected them, so he manages to brace himself when it all crashes across the two of them. He won't pretend he understands anything between these two, because he doesn't. He's even more confused after seeing Subaru's memories at the cathedral that crimson night. Because those were obviously not pleasant memories in any way, yet… what is this feeling mixed along their tether? It's complicated, so much so, that the trailblazer can't pinpoint what emotions are present and exactly how many.
But Caelus doesn't need to. He can tell enough that these two are so, so lonely. And they care so much for each other, but they somehow can't extend that properly at all. There's nothing that Caelus can really do but be there. To be right here. That's what he'll continue to do without faltering. To protect these two souls, to give them the chance he promised… Perhaps one day, this uncertain torrent of emotions will transform into something else. So he steps closer to end the remaining distance between them.
Mindful of Anko, Caelus wraps his arms around Subaru's shoulders as he embraces him tightly, squeezing with all his spirit. Perhaps finally, he did manage to repay one part of this delicate onmyouji's neverending kindness. ]
Subaru, you are incredibly loved. I hope you don't diminish that from your heart.
[ His tether flares, fades back. Subaru's grip on his composure whispers over it like warm steel and presses it low again. Just out of reach.
It's obscured not by choice, but by the gentle, undiscriminating opaqueness of his own heart.
He is... loved. Doubt scrawls itself in ink-hues over the sound of his blood as it pulses, hot with fear, in his ears. He is loved, he thinks. He thinks it, over and over. He thinks its meaning, its misunderstanding, what it signifies to be here in the aftermath of it. He no longer hopes, having what he most sought pushed into his hands in a wasting moment of utter destruction. Also a brilliance calculated by the ephemeral heart of a jealous, jealous man. Subaru is loved in ways he doesn't understand for himself; what he does understand is that Sakurazuka Seishirou means to wield Caelus against him in his vast, unerring capacity for hope. Hope enough for the stars.
Arms coming around his shoulders makes him jolt slightly, out from the thoughts he coils like a serpent's scales at the bottom of his soul. Exhaling softly, he gives himself to the strength of Caelus's embrace for a moment, his much softer grip steadied on his sides. If he can just leave it at that... it's better, he thinks.
Anko shuffles on his shoulders, prompting him to pull away slightly. Hands soft on him for a moment, Subaru pushes, the ghost of a movement. ]
We should get you back inside. I'll make you some tea.
[ The fading of the connection, the sharp hesitation, the motion of an obvious doubt, the lack of response… The nail in the coffin is stepping away, being pushed. The cruel combination of everything causes Caelus's heart to tighten, his eyes widening slightly in intense concern and loneliness. It hurts. He never thought Subaru would be this much withdrawn.
Of course, he's aware it wouldn't be easy. He was prepared for it. But this much? Was everything Caelus built from the start all just… an illusion? He thought he was going somewhere. Maybe this is his own fault. What could he have done better? He should've been more patient… Should he persist? But what if doing so will make it worse? For now, maybe he should… should follow Subaru's instructions quietly.
Even if his heart is screaming something else. He tries to smile, coming out a little awkwardly, but still sincerely. ]
… Ah, yes. All right.
[ Anko trembles again, but makes no move to leave. Seemingly knows what Caelus really wants to do, so it stays right where it is. Close, right on Subaru. Caelus follows the two inside, his hands closing into tight grips. ]
[ It ripples in his peripherals, hazy and loud, as if something detonated behind his eyes — and it had. Love and Sakurazuka and — mori, his feverish mind supplies. Even as he moves back inside with his typical pace and poise, going so far as to lift a hand to soothe at Anko's shivering, there's something he's focusing on blinking back. Whatever has rooted in his heart and blossomed violently at the mention sows possession and conflict in a way that even his tether can't properly convey.
There is something else in there with him, always. Prowling, strong, fated. His equilibrium shifts with invisible memory, with the falling reminders, and only when his actions seem to settle back in his body, the pot of water, the cup, the tea, does Subaru's tether thump uneasily back to the surface.
Sensations float over it like the colors of an oil spill, refusing to mix in the brief interlude of connection; those colors are Caelus's hurt, the spark of loneliness that might ignite it.
It's not precisely guilt and not precisely sorrow that he feels. It is... acknowledgement, tender in the recesses of his overused heart. ]
It's not your fault.
Spoiler warning for Amphoreus going onward (canon updating)
[ As Caelus observes Subaru's gestures, his head suddenly starts to pound. It comes with no warning. He squints his eyes, trying to focus his vision on the figure of the person that matters so much to him, but it's not working. His vision gradually splits, seeing the onmyouji's body fade right before his eyes. His golden eyes dim, the room spins, and the last thing he witnesses is the floor.
Caelus loses consciousness with half-open eyes, the light within them gone. The slam to the floor is not kind, and the Stellaron within his chest bursts with a golden glow, pulsing over and over. Anko lets out a distressed mewl, repeating the same cry as its trembling worsens.
"… Do you think you can try, Subaru? I wonder if you can calm it as well, if needed."
"If it comes to that, I'll try."
For you.
Physically, it doesn't seem like Caelus is breathing, but he's alive. His tether is alive, just… somewhere else. Somewhere so far away, beyond anyone's reach at this moment. Should Subaru attempt to communicate with that tether, he'll be taken along into those distant dreams. A dream of a fallen planet far beyond Earth.
Amphoreus.
The sound of book pages being turned can be heard somewhere on the horizon. A girl's voice will echo, saying, "My Darling… My Deliverer… Over here." With one turn towards the voice, her silhouette will be there, waiting. She reaches her hand out, beckoning. Subaru stands in this strange space, alone at first, but Caelus's figure soon appears. He runs past the onmyouji, seemingly unable to see him. Subaru is now a dreamwalker once more, here to witness it all as the book pages turn. ]
[ It always comes to that. His breath catches, sensitivities flaying his reservations raw.
Something flares in the comfortable confines of this place that isn't home but sometimes feels it. It nearly happens against a plane of time that isn't the one they occupy — it draws long and echoing. It reaches through and it slows the painful thump that sears through their tether, the dim flutter of gold that rolls back until it takes him. Caelus's fall rattles the walls of his home and his heart. Instantly, his emotions disappear back into the inscrutable well of his heart so that all else guiding him can resurface into the strong, fluid tether they share. Moonlight shearing bright because of the will of the sun. ]
Caelus?
[ Action, because the price of inaction comes at a cost too steep to bear. Subaru barely has time to breathe his name before one swift movement takes him to his knees at the trailblazer's side. One hand steadies on his cheek to hold his head up, the other presses down on the golden light of his Stellaron leaking from his chest. He steels, magic burning on his palm, invoked with such power that ink winds up his arms in bold, runic strokes. ]
Caelus! Can you hear me?
[ But nothing comes. Not even breathing. Only the presence of their tether gives Subaru any indication that he is alive, but in his effort to grip it and follow it through to wherever he's gone, gentleness seared by dread, it plunges him into —
Not his soul. But a dream.
He inhales quietly as Caelus, alive, goes running past him. Relief floods him, colliding with his curiosity as he wheels around to look in the direction that he takes.
[ Static. The sounds of turning pages. The sounds of soft whirring, sharp clicking. Question. "What is the prime mover of life?"
The voice that asked is distorted, so it's impossible to tell what the person is like. The voice seems everywhere at once, but always seems to be whispering right into Subaru's ears. A short laugh follows.
"The answer is… Destruction. The fear of Destruction keeps life moving forward."
The girl in the horizon makes a sad expression. But once Caelus reaches her, the girl's smile is renewed. The silhouettes of the two disappear shortly, and then a series of flashes begin.
"33,550,337 cycles. At the end of the 33,550,337th cycle, the death of a God will finally occur!"
The memories of this tragic planet are nothing but a series of recurring deaths. This is all to perfect the equation of Destruction: "Eternal Recurrence." To earn the gaze of the Aeon of Destruction. Following that, it's to birth the Lord Ravager, Irontomb, into the waking universe. In order to kill that particular God.
And so, over and over again, Subaru is subjected to witnessing the cycle of destruction. The early cycles start small— petty crimes, unfortunate murders. But as the numbers grow, the destruction worsens. Famines, pandemics… And more. Wars, genocides. The people have never stopped suffering— their tears never dry. Their voices never stop echoing. Despite everything, they've never given up. They keep standing up, moving on to continue living. They get stronger at every new cycle.
Stronger, and stronger. Destruction is the prime mover of life, just like that voice said. That voice returns again, sounding amused, clapping in the distance as if they're merely an audience. And this is all just a show.
"Oh, it appears there's an unfamiliar face here. But you're just a lost soul, aren't you? You can't do anything but watch." The voice reveals itself finally, underneath a spotlight. A strange entity stands there, staring at Subaru with a sharp, cold curiosity. It's the complete opposite of Caelus's innocent curiosity. Not the gaze of someone who wishes to connect with someone wholeheartedly, but instead, the gaze of someone who looks at the subject like a common lab rat.
To be studied, then discarded. Just like this planet, Amphoreus.
"No matter. You can't interfere, so might as well make yourself comfortable… And witness the end to this story!" ]
[ A path of destruction never starts with the grandeur of a finale. No, it starts with the blight of misunderstanding, with sins born from desperation stretched to their limit. Subaru has lived but one single lifetime and yet that knowledge touches him all the same — the debt that causes parents to take the lives of their children, the corruption that stains the houses of whole bloodlines, the will to summon a dangerous demon for vengeance. People curse their gods as a means of control, curse each other as collateral. War, famine, a planet in ruin. It all starts so very small, and he thinks no one person is ever meant to bear the cycle from start to finish.
In his one lifetime, he sees this similar path in its infancy.
To witness it millions upon millions of times... he can't look away, nor can he seem to bear it. Knowing a forest burned to the ground will rise anew from the fertile soil doesn't ease the pain of the loss, of all that died in it. It doesn't protect it from that same fate.
His heart aches with a sensation too vast for him to contain it in, cut through only by the voice that singles him out in this dream. Subaru's expression steels and he doesn't look away; he isn't afraid of whatever entity it is that greets him, taunting and sure. He knows he doesn't belong. He's no Dreamseer, no traveler of the stars. Only his thunderous, unyielding connection to Caelus keeps him here. And whatever this dream and the tether that guides him through it mean to show him, he will watch for him and not simply out of an inability to do nothing.
Even if he can only look on. Even if there's nothing his two hands can do to save the planet as its revolutions wheel on and on, towards ruin every time.
[ CYCLE 50,121. The gaze of the Aeon of Destruction has taken deep interest in the recurring annihilations. Hundreds, thousands, millions of lives massacred over, and over, and over, and over. The planet eventually dies, only to be revived and killed all over again. 50,121 times.
But it's not enough. Being able to destroy a planet isn't enough to kill a God. And so, it continues on.
The strange entity appears beside Subaru again, seated comfortably on a couch. He crosses his legs and lets out a dramatic sigh. "Lost soul, what is your name? Hmm, perhaps I'll call you…" Seconds later, multiple lights scan Subaru's body. Quick, efficient. "Aha. You will be PleiD219. You may call me Lygus."
176,200. Irontomb has learned inheritance. Rather than start from ground zero at every cycle reset, it shall inherit and execute all the necessary processes to evolve further. These petty little deaths do not matter anymore. They need to ascend further, closer and closer into divinity themselves.
7,091,231. Humans have truly ascended. They're now capable of killing demigods. Heroes are born.
11,749,992. The Black Tide. The planet has reached a critical threshold and can no longer withstand the increasing strain. Erosion, decay, corruption… All that's touched by this blight is beyond recovery. Plants, animals, oceans, earths, cities, humans… No one is safe.
Heroes rise and defend the people. No matter if they're killing their former loved ones, corrupted into mindless monsters. But they remain powerless against the Black Tide, eventually dying to it themselves.
But this is no good, either. If they die so easily, then they are weak. More. Ascend more.
19,110,218. The Era Nova. The heroes survived and made their last bastion, but at what cost? Can they still go on? No, of course they should. There's only one path forward. No matter how many die to the Black Tide, they will never entirely fall. They will reach the end of Era Nova, into the new world where they can be reborn, to be free from all of this ruination!
28,371,274. …
"They say that the heroes of this world should be as countless as the stars… Yet now, we're the only ones left standing. So, in the end, the black tide still swallowed everything…"
"… Why? Why must Amphoreus's wishes be so… cruel? We made the best choices we could, whenever we could! But in the end… the prophecy that led us… this black tide swallowing everything… Why does it look like this?"
"I… I don't know. But we haven't had any other choice… except to move forward. Not for a long time now. Even if we only see the long, long night ahead, I still believe… that through it, we'll find the dawn on the other side. Beyond these flames, a new sun will someday rise."
"That person we're waiting for… One day, they will come."
Suddenly, everything turns black. Lygus stands up, and an indescribable aura rises from him. "PleiD219, you must be here because of that Intrusion Variable. I hope you've already said your farewells, because I'm not letting that little error disrupt my progress. I'm at 99.81% to eradicate that Aeon, Nous! We are so close to witnessing true history!" ]
[ Subaru casts a long look aside, not dignifying the call sign with much else of a response. Plei... Pleiades. His name in the sky, in the strokes of his language. To cluster, to come together. To escape in a hail of doves. To always have one sister out of sight. He doesn't wonder how Lygus knows that, the stars that signify his birth. Being divested of his secrets by waves of prying light is obvious enough. His blood's thrumming and at the ready, but he keeps his composure, unwilling to come apart at the provocation.
He is likely a threat, but Subaru's attention remains transfixed on the planet. On Amphoreus. Caelus mentioned it to him in that first waking encounter. How he'd been trapped there for years, cut off from communication....
— each revolution of this planet rises to brilliance like diamond pressurized by fire only to be shattered by this force dictating its fate. It is crushed, hewn to nothingness, tamped back down to dust and glass, muted in darkness. But it lives on, each and every time. A heart that is alive will fight to remain so, even if it struggles against plague and injury and hopelessness manufactured under the guise of destiny. The voice echoes in his mind as it turns its lament into a guiding force, hoping for a sunrise that may never come. It's painful to behold, no matter the entity at his side who seems to have a hand in its orchestration —
Is the trailblazer somewhere in here? In all these years that comprise the 0.19% left?
This is not a memory, and not just a dream. Subaru feels the weight of it slowly seizing against the back of his neck. This is happening.
And, as the entity stands to face him, Subaru tenses but doesn't make the first move, attention's equilibrium shifting to him rather than the planet. He can't predict what trying to fight against someone like this will be like; even if this is a dream, the reality of it stands to harm Caelus if he's too rash. It's not a risk he's willing to take.
[ For the first time, the two survivors at the end have discovered the truth: what Lygus has been doing to them and their planet for a heinous amount of time, how their prophecies are all corrupted calculations by this man to force them to repeat this abhorrent cycle.
Cyrene, the one with the authority of Time in this world, and Phainon, the one with the Worldbearing authority. They are the key figures to renew each cycle.
"This is a moment the universe will remember. After millions of extrapolations, the experimental environment known as "Amphoreus" has finally achieved results," Lygus explains with amusement, yet his tone is cold and detached.
"So, the "results" you speak of... are this wreckage of a world?" Phainon answers with burning eyes, his voice cracking, "We all gave everything we had, returning twelve Coreflames to recreate the world... and in return... We become nothing more than sacrificial offerings at the end of everything?"
"So in your eyes, all the sacrifices are just a string of insignificant numbers?" Cyrene adds, her own tone matching Phainon's.
"Don't sell yourselves short. I'd say, rather than numbers, you're more like "fuel for the fire." And without fire, there can be no sunrise tomorrow."
"Even if that sunrise is born from annihilation?"
"Heh, curious question. Have you ever considered that, after millions of extrapolations, Amphoreus is already following a different Path from the Erudition? It has long since granted divine blessings equally to each child... The golden blood flowing in your veins... It comes from The Blemished One, whose name is "Destruction" itself. And Amphoreus's Chrysos Heirs were, from the very beginning, fuel for the Aeon to burn the universe. Amphoreus has waited for this moment for too long. At the end of the empty, cold, and lonely extrapolations — the Destruction has reached its final destination.
NeiKos496. PhiLia093. No need to feel regret. This generation of Chrysos Heirs is the most outstanding model, and you two are the final factors. For you, the Era Nova is no lie. Just step forward, embrace the black tide, and accept the Aeon's gaze. You will come to life from a string of cold numbers. Along with all those who have passed, you will run toward the real universe, fulfilling Amphoreus's long-held wish— In the name of the Lord Ravager Irontomb, unleash its fury and destroy the source of all this tragedy!
"… Or, we could always choose another option," Cyrene smiles unexpectedly, an idea coming to her thanks to Lygus's explanation. Lygus thinks he's won this. He's trying to deceive them with the idea that they have no other options but to embrace this fate. Is this why he's trying to corner them like this now?
"You're pretending, revealing the so-called truth just to deceive us, covering up another possibility…" Phainon connects, realizing it too. "Destruction is not the only outcome for the fate of Amphoreus."
"Do you two really think, as petty little "demigods," you can change the outcome written by the stars? What makes you think you're capable of doing that?"
"Hmm... A little courage and determination? Just kidding, the answer is pretty simple— But, we're not gonna tell ya ♪"
Before this scene ends, Cyrene looks over to Subaru and gives him an encouraging wink. Almost as if saying to trust her.
A flash. In a different place, Cyrene and Phainon are speaking to each other about what to do, in order to halt further progress of this madness. They've come up with the idea of creating an eternal loop, one that deceives Lygus's system into thinking they're still progressing. But the truth is, they're stalling. Stalling for a miracle. The arrival of their Hero.
And so, they begin their plan to intervene. No matter how long it takes, they'll keep praying for the arrival of that person.
"I will wait for that day. For as long as it takes. The day will come. When someone turns over this nearly eternal page… And follows in our footprints… To write an ending unlike any that ever was."
CYCLE 33,550,336. The memory of the sky alighting. It parts as a train from the heavens pierces through the clouds. The memory of a past Lygus being immediately alerted, and he knocks over something in fury.
"The Astral Express. How did they pierce the firewall? Not even the Path of Trailblaze should've been able to go through it…"
Lygus runs a scan of the descending train, seeing him. The one with a Stellaron heart. Caelus.
"What? Who… is this? No matter. I need to remove this Intrusion Variable."
And so, the start of Lygus's attempts to get rid of Caelus. First, he directly shot the train down as an assassination attempt, causing it to crash land. It was almost successful, if certain figures hadn't intervened. Too bad. Now Caelus is able to influence this world, befriending those he meets, changing their fates by simply doing this.
Stop that. Another attempt. This time Lygus directly uses Dan Heng, trying to convince him to leave Amphoreus under the guise of protection. He lies by saying he can only do this now before the threat of this world grows worse, as he won't be able to do this later on. He's manipulating Dan Heng's protective feelings for Caelus. However, it doesn't work because Dan Heng understands what Caelus would've wanted. And it's what he would've wanted as well.
Because of Lygus's failure to stop the Astral Express, both Caelus and Dan Heng finally discover the truth of this world as well. And it's time… To trail a blaze into the future!
— No. No. Error. ERROR. This time, a more direct approach. He can't allow this. He's so close. This god damned little trailblazing Receptacle needs to die. But he's unable to kill him… Too many obstacles are guarding this Intrusion Variable. Confinement… That's right, he can simply lock him up.
Surely… surely, this time!
Cyrene reappears beside Subaru, taking both of his hands into a gentle squeeze.
"Beautiful wandering dove… Let's pray for our star together." ]
[ Each exchange flares in his awareness. Each draws shape between these bright points, interconnecting in a way that seems so small until the whole picture comes into view by Cyrene and Phainon's wills. To wait through the millions of cycles on the singularity known as a miracle is an exercise in faith so profound he can't even name the emotion it fills him with. It aches with the wishes of millions, with the will of the whole planet.
To wrest it from the jaws of its endless destruction, to turn calculation into courage, to secure its sunrise...
What does it take, he wonders, watching everything unfold between a dream and reality... what does it take to rewrite fate? In defiance, in the burning constellations of hope? He doesn't know. The possibility is so vast that it arcs long into the cradle of the universe, into the fabric of time. But he's not just a spectator. He understands that much when Cyrene singles his presence out, offering him the same unerring belief that carries these cycles through to each end. That man, that entity Lygus — identified he and Caelus as the same thing. Intrusion Variable.
But as he watches the Astral Express descend through the clouds like a falling star, like a dragon, like deliverance, he thinks he understands what the moment that heralds a true miracle is like. Even without it, Caelus is still all of those things, sowing the light of his compassion no matter where he goes.
There is nothing to him that doesn't matter.
And as Cyrene approaches him again on the cusp of Lygus's desperation to contain the trailblazer, the sensation of his hands in hers so real, the soft caress of wandering dove impressing on what he supposes is his soul, he returns the gesture. His fingers tighten in hers.
He may not have the same hope that carries this planet and its heirs and the trailblazer towards that horizon they chase.
But he does have hope pressed somewhere into his faulted heart. Touched by the authority of Time —
...and by the will of the one with the Stellaron heart.
"Here, you'll hear no human voices, see no human shadows. The sun's flickering flames will scorch you, draining the color from your skin. Only when the starlit night shields you from sunlight, or when the Sun rises to melt away the morning frost, will you find relief. These present hardships will torture you forever, and no one can save you. But you have left behind the fire… the fire that will liberate them. And the fire meant to free you was illuminated long ago." —Exomyth
[ After Lygus forces Caelus into confinement, the lone trailblazer finds himself in a strange room. The Exomyth, with hundreds of numbers, unsettling red lights, monitors everywhere he looks… ]
This is… the place outside the legend? This doesn't feel the same as before. How should I get back…?
[ An unknown voice pierces the silence, repeating the words on the screens.
[ Then, the next voice. A voice that causes Caelus's skin to crawl. He almost jumps where he stands.
"Since we parted ways last time, I have modified the Exomyth into an "audience area" exclusive to you. Now, you'll be able to silently wait here for the final act of Amphoreus to begin."
Caelus's eyes widen slowly, staring at the void of this place before throwing his arms in determination. His brows furrow. ]
Let me out!
[ But Lygus, of course, doesn't comply. He only lets out a smile, wherever he is. Caelus may not see him, but he can feel that expression. It makes him furious.
"I understand your anger, but I cannot allow you to continuously influence the extrapolation's progress."
Though before Caelus can yell out, another voice comes. A voice of a person he trusts this time, instantly relieving him. Miss Herta.
"Can you hear me… little one?"
Strange Display Monitor: [Warning. Abnormal data transmission detected…] Strange Display Monitor: [Abnormal data, locked on. Unauthorized communication, confirmed. Initiating response…]
Is Herta saying… a certain Path's faction has arrived in Amphoreus, and I can ask them for help?
[ This is their cue. Cyrene looks at Subaru and then nods at him, signaling that it's their turn.
"Come, beautiful wandering dove. Let's get our raccoon out of there."
Since the two of them are hiding away from Lygus's reach, they have to do this indirectly. They have to aid Caelus to catch the attention of a certain person in Amphoreus, someone else who walks in the Path of Remembrance, in order for them to take notice of his location.
Cyrene begins, casting a spell to enhance Caelus's attunement to the Path of Remembrance. She believes Subaru will be able to cast his own personal light on the trailblazer, so that Caelus's concealed presence will stand out more. Enough to be found by his allies. ]
[ A last ditch effort as the timer ticks down on this planet that he's come to care so much about. Subaru is familiar; a force that stands to lose everything on the cusp of victory will turn to desperation. And in turn, will sow unpredictability. Witnessing the scene unfold, he tempers the brief curl of anxiety he feels at Caelus's isolation with the surge of adrenaline following the voice that manages him to reach him.
There is a way. His will, that same will that puts the stars within reach, that doesn't shy from the cosmic burn of them, the grief inherent, must be able to push through.
Even without a full grasp of what's transpiring, he feels as though he doesn't need it. What's gathering here at the gates of this planet is something that can only be done by someone like Caelus, he's certain. His reach, his influence, his ability to connect others...
Subaru can't hope to ever achieve the same. But if Cyrene chooses him so, if she calms his wings, even if only for a brief, beautiful moment in time, then he will choose too. He's never been content with the absolution of doing nothing. So, he writes it as he's always written it: not onto paper or skin but into the fabric of this dreaming reality. In the blooming ink of his will, the gate of stars he was born to. A spell that might crack the desolation of being confined, that might allow light to pour out.
A spell that says, "I am here."
They're familiar strokes. The same as those he's imparted on paper and sticky notes, onto the palm of his hand.
[ The ripples of fate flow. The moment Cyrene and Subaru reach out together with their hearts, Caelus feels the answer coming to him right away. That's right, he knows how to escape… How to call for help, and who to call…
He looks at his hands. He sees it all, especially this gentle ink that connects to a certain someone. Subaru… A familiar warmth fills him, recalling the gentle faces of the people who matter so much to him. Of the memories he's made here. Of the reasons why he's fighting so hard. This planet, Amphoreus, and a planet that he has to return to after all this, the planet Earth… He has much to accomplish. He can't stay here like this.
So, Caelus takes hold of the warmth enveloping him and calls out, raising his hands.
"I'm here. I'm right here. So, please…" ]
— Answer me!
[ And answer they did. First, it's Evernight, who reaches out to him to shatter the cage. Even she has someone dear to protect, so she will never allow the Destruction to reach that person: her other half, March 7th. Following Evernight's reach, Sunday has made an attempt as well, then eventually it's Dan Heng who has done everything he can to finally locate Caelus entirely. ]
"A pathstrider walking both the Remembrance and the Trailblaze… Come… Leave the cage of logos… The mythos of Amphoreus… waits for you to continue its story…"
"Finally… I've found you, Caelus."
[ At this point, Evernight returns into March 7th's heart, allowing her other half to reemerge. After being reunited with March 7th and Dan Heng, they are finally ready to continue their Path to Trailblaze. For the future of Amphoreus.
Dan Heng steps forward, a hand on Caelus. "You once asked what trailblazing meant to me. It has taken on thousands of wills and thousands of forms. To trailblaze to be with those who save themselves. It is to be with all living things. And to be with you. No matter the eb and flow of fate, even in the face of tempestuous seas, in the name of trailblazing, I will guard your way forward." ]
Let's go! On the Trailblaze, no one gets left behind! We'll not only Trailblaze into the future together and save the world… We'll also return to the Express together and head towards our next destination.
"Mm-hmm. After we complete this Trailblaze, let's hold hands and head home together!"
[ And so, they continue forward, guided by the light of their friends. It's almost time to finish the 33 million cycles of sadness.
The echo of friends reaches out.
"If I can defy fate... Then in the name of "Worldbearing," I promise you: Kephale will never forget this. Farewell, Caelus. This is where I fulfill my final destiny. The prophecy of the "Deliverer" means nothing to me now. It belongs in the hands of someone far more fitting. Someone like you. As the prophecy foretold: "I, Phainon, will bear the blazing sun, until the pale dawn— you, Caelus— breaks." May the name accompany you in my place in the epic you write with your own hands."
"Finally. The end of this journey. All of us. Reuniting. Beneath a vast. Endless sky. All the companions who sacrificed themselves. Their wishes. It's all here." "Tomorrow, the stars will sing of the story of the Flame-Chase Journey." "And it won't just be "you" in it. There will be "countless numbers of you." "Amphoreus will be a glorious and magnificent world of heroes in the universe's "memories." Hence, for this world we so deeply love..." "Let us write its ending." ]
"Are you ready, Caelus?"
Yes. Let's move forward. The Flame-Chase… was never about Destruction! It was about breaking free… And Trailblazing! "I" shall compose four hundred million sagas— We will rewrite the Flame-Chasers' path!
[ And now, THE FINAL BATTLE with Irontomb begins, with Subaru as a witness to the very end. However, through their tether, Subaru will constantly feel Caelus's undying fighting spirit. His courage, hope, love. As if he's reaching back to him, asking for the onmyouji's support through this battle. ]
[ These words touching upon him from some other realm that he gives himself to in its moment of need... they're sacred syllables. Spoken, written, fit together like constellate pieces of something nearly too vast to see by Subaru's eye, but felt all the same. They activate the soul's language and bridge the exile of hope from the millions of tragic cycles to the path that might lead them towards the future they hope for. Not the one dictated by a mythos calculated, but by one whose luck is not randomness, but synchronicity. Amphoreous is reaching past despair. It is breaking through — not saved by force, but by faith.
By comparison, Subaru's world is very small. It was two people. Then one. Then none. All of his soul's callings were microcosmic, devoid of this megalithic grandeur. But if he could help just one person... just one. Then it wouldn't have been in vain.
All of this breathes like an incantation through the final moments of this fight. Even if he can only watch, the scope like a flare of molten stardust, his unwavering tether is still there to remind Caelus of what awaits him. Earth, his loved ones upon it. The mystery of a goddess and her dreamer. There are still things...
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Anko. [ He repeats. ] It's a popular sweet bean paste used to fill different kinds of cakes and breads. It seemed like it would be fitting.
[ If the near-constant purring and sparkling atmosphere didn't give it away... ]
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Hmm.
[ 💢 … Whatever! Caelus is going to concentrate on his task. This is for Subaru's sake, so he has to finish it properly! At the very least, Caelus can listen to Subaru's explanation (therefore, hearing his lovely voice more), and he's content with that for now. ]
I hope that I can get to eat that sometime. It sounds delicious.
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[ As a baseline, nothing scavenged is all that fresh, even packaged, but the possibility isn't zero. There are so few of them that he's certain they haven't uncovered all that there is in a city as big and porous as this. Accepting the cat into his arms, he gives it a brief moment to gloat before lifting it to his shoulder and prompting it to take a seat there. Quietly, with an admonishing boop to its nose: ]
There. Behave, if you can. [ The Okay? is implicit, but seems to do the trick. Casting a glance now to the second bucket of vines, Subaru's expression leans thoughtful. ] If anything, seeing real plant life here has shifted the scale of what's possible...
[ Though he's not certain he'd like to experience something akin to the cathedral's beckoning every time, either. ]
For now, we can place them outside. If they really are Sleep's blessing, then what sunlight we have should be fine.
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Why is it so loyal to Subaru, even though its master is Caelus!?
The real answer is because Caelus's Artificer magic isn't stable yet, but he doesn't know this. In the future, any more homunculi will also be as rebellious, but they'll be more obedient to him once he has become stronger. ]
All right! These are done, so let me help you carry them.
[ Since Caelus's natural strength is impressive, he can carry heavier weights, and thus makes it upon himself to do most of the lifting. He follows Subaru outside, looking around for a nice, safe place to deposit the plants. ]
Maybe I should build a small greenhouse for you here sometime.
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On the way out to the front of the trailer, Subaru shakes his head. It would be a sight to see, but he wonders if the effort will bear enough fruit, both literally and figuratively. ]
If these vines survive, it could be a valuable asset to everyone here. Although I wonder if I'm here enough to tend to them right... I couldn't ask you to put in that much more work, in that case.
[ The trailblazer may not have tapped into his full magical potential, but he's no less an architect for the settlements they've been raising around the city. He is also a light, shaking loose the dust from the disused corners, transmuting what he touches for the better. Around the front door, there's a clear space where he's stacked an upside down milk crate. He spends much of his time outdoors, so if his observations are correct, they should catch the most light there. And as he indicates where Caelus can put them, his expression briefly flickers. ]
...is it really alright? For you to be lifting so much. Your injury still isn't healed fully.
[ It's in the care with which he moves, the intermittent says of bedrest keeping him from his typical travels. ]
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[ It's a tiny, happy reminder that Subaru did agree that time when Caelus said the first statement about being strong, back when they first met. It's been quite a while since then… Realizing that, Caelus makes a nostalgic smile as he laughs gently. ]
Time really passes, doesn't it? It feels like yesterday that I met you, but it's been two months…
[ Heading closer to the crate, Caelus carefully puts down the haul, making sure the plants are centered properly on it. His movements are a little slower than normal, but he looks fine for the most part. As long as he doesn't push himself too much, it'll be all right.
Wanting Subaru to worry less, Caelus decides to lighten the mood. ]
I'll tell you something. Mr. Sakurazuka is heavier than these plants!
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More than he sometimes knows what to do with. And still... days like this are nice, likewise tinged in the soft tones of nostalgia. ]
Yes, it does. And you've been helping me since we met.
[ More than he likely knows. More than Subaru can explain. It's no small feat for someone who's entire lineage fell to him before his age hit the double digits. But his brief reverie stalls, instinctual. Whatever thought he'd almost gotten lost in fades. ]
...Seishirou-san is? [ His head cants as if he thinks he misheard. ] How do you know that?
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[ Whether or not Subaru is conscious of this, Caelus wants to say it directly either way. Perhaps all those past words of gratitude helped the onmyouji realize it, but the trailblazer will never pass up chances to remind him of his appreciative feelings. This warmth is real, and he intends to keep it that way.
As the days pass, Caelus's determination to accomplish all he strives for only grows stronger. Seeing Subaru's lightened expression, looking so adorably curious, the younger one easily renews a radiant smile. ]
Also, I'm not the only one who wants this.
[ Rather than explain, it's easier to show him through their tether. How did Caelus know? And who else wants Caelus to be here?
So once the plants are nicely secured, he straightens up and connects their hands. Two hands holding another pair, he gives them a gentle squeeze before he thinks of that day. The memories flash for Subaru. The moment Caelus yells, "Watch out!", the memories are clear. A desperate, but successful escape. The brief bonding on the rooftop. The promise. ]
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[ It's strange, how common words feel as if they carry the weight of the world when Caelus says them. Having traveled many — maybe they do. When beckoned, Subaru allows his pale hands to rest in Caelus's as a means of invoking their tether's conduit. Part of him is lost on what he should expect to see following that series of statements... but the tether draws clear most things, and this is no exception.
He almost can't believe his eyes.
Or at least the imprint of sight over his own, detailing the memory. Surprise gusts through him in several shades; not least of all thanks to the incessance of the moon creatures' hunt that Seishirou had tried to hide from him, but the ensuing row, the pipe, the bat, the viscera and the howling, the unceremonious toss that lands the man of his dreams and of his nightmares across the roof of a building like a bug on a windshield. Subaru is somewhat glad he doesn't have to imagine it, because he doesn't think he could on his own. But oh, he knows. Exactly what thoughts prowled the narcotic edges of the Sakurazukamori's sterling propriety in that moment. Instinctively, he tightens his fingers.
Only the following conversation staunches the flow of his emotions. Please look after him. It lances through him with the alacrity of lightning, an anxious static blooming across the back of his neck. The connection shivers with it, shies, knotting the fibers of his heart into a daisy chain of unanswered inquiry. ...Is he always the last to know? What measures Sakurazuka Seishirou will take to close his fist around the hollow of his heart and claim it only when it's too late?
Irony. A brilliance calculated by one of the most skilled onmyouji of their time. Sumeragi Subaru has always been one step behind the Sakurazukamori.
Memories seethe through the gentle cracks, but none quite manifest. Not the Kamui wearing the face of Monou Fuuma. Not the last wish now made second-to-last. Not here, in the wake of sunlight and blessings. Something seems to burn alive on the backs of his hands, but Subaru's skin remains smooth, unbroken. ]
...I see. [ Slowly, as if his tongue is suddenly ill-fit to his mouth. But he finds the strength this time, grip fortifying. ] Thank you, Caelus. For protecting him.
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But Caelus doesn't need to. He can tell enough that these two are so, so lonely. And they care so much for each other, but they somehow can't extend that properly at all. There's nothing that Caelus can really do but be there. To be right here. That's what he'll continue to do without faltering. To protect these two souls, to give them the chance he promised… Perhaps one day, this uncertain torrent of emotions will transform into something else. So he steps closer to end the remaining distance between them.
Mindful of Anko, Caelus wraps his arms around Subaru's shoulders as he embraces him tightly, squeezing with all his spirit. Perhaps finally, he did manage to repay one part of this delicate onmyouji's neverending kindness. ]
Subaru, you are incredibly loved. I hope you don't diminish that from your heart.
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It's obscured not by choice, but by the gentle, undiscriminating opaqueness of his own heart.
He is... loved. Doubt scrawls itself in ink-hues over the sound of his blood as it pulses, hot with fear, in his ears. He is loved, he thinks. He thinks it, over and over. He thinks its meaning, its misunderstanding, what it signifies to be here in the aftermath of it. He no longer hopes, having what he most sought pushed into his hands in a wasting moment of utter destruction. Also a brilliance calculated by the ephemeral heart of a jealous, jealous man. Subaru is loved in ways he doesn't understand for himself; what he does understand is that Sakurazuka Seishirou means to wield Caelus against him in his vast, unerring capacity for hope. Hope enough for the stars.
Arms coming around his shoulders makes him jolt slightly, out from the thoughts he coils like a serpent's scales at the bottom of his soul. Exhaling softly, he gives himself to the strength of Caelus's embrace for a moment, his much softer grip steadied on his sides. If he can just leave it at that... it's better, he thinks.
Anko shuffles on his shoulders, prompting him to pull away slightly. Hands soft on him for a moment, Subaru pushes, the ghost of a movement. ]
We should get you back inside. I'll make you some tea.
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Of course, he's aware it wouldn't be easy. He was prepared for it. But this much? Was everything Caelus built from the start all just… an illusion? He thought he was going somewhere. Maybe this is his own fault. What could he have done better? He should've been more patient… Should he persist? But what if doing so will make it worse? For now, maybe he should… should follow Subaru's instructions quietly.
Even if his heart is screaming something else. He tries to smile, coming out a little awkwardly, but still sincerely. ]
… Ah, yes. All right.
[ Anko trembles again, but makes no move to leave. Seemingly knows what Caelus really wants to do, so it stays right where it is. Close, right on Subaru. Caelus follows the two inside, his hands closing into tight grips. ]
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There is something else in there with him, always. Prowling, strong, fated. His equilibrium shifts with invisible memory, with the falling reminders, and only when his actions seem to settle back in his body, the pot of water, the cup, the tea, does Subaru's tether thump uneasily back to the surface.
Sensations float over it like the colors of an oil spill, refusing to mix in the brief interlude of connection; those colors are Caelus's hurt, the spark of loneliness that might ignite it.
It's not precisely guilt and not precisely sorrow that he feels. It is... acknowledgement, tender in the recesses of his overused heart. ]
It's not your fault.
Spoiler warning for Amphoreus going onward (canon updating)
Caelus loses consciousness with half-open eyes, the light within them gone. The slam to the floor is not kind, and the Stellaron within his chest bursts with a golden glow, pulsing over and over. Anko lets out a distressed mewl, repeating the same cry as its trembling worsens.
"… Do you think you can try, Subaru? I wonder if you can calm it as well, if needed."
"If it comes to that, I'll try."
For you.
Physically, it doesn't seem like Caelus is breathing, but he's alive. His tether is alive, just… somewhere else. Somewhere so far away, beyond anyone's reach at this moment. Should Subaru attempt to communicate with that tether, he'll be taken along into those distant dreams. A dream of a fallen planet far beyond Earth.
Amphoreus.
The sound of book pages being turned can be heard somewhere on the horizon. A girl's voice will echo, saying, "My Darling… My Deliverer… Over here." With one turn towards the voice, her silhouette will be there, waiting. She reaches her hand out, beckoning. Subaru stands in this strange space, alone at first, but Caelus's figure soon appears. He runs past the onmyouji, seemingly unable to see him. Subaru is now a dreamwalker once more, here to witness it all as the book pages turn. ]
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Something flares in the comfortable confines of this place that isn't home but sometimes feels it. It nearly happens against a plane of time that isn't the one they occupy — it draws long and echoing. It reaches through and it slows the painful thump that sears through their tether, the dim flutter of gold that rolls back until it takes him. Caelus's fall rattles the walls of his home and his heart. Instantly, his emotions disappear back into the inscrutable well of his heart so that all else guiding him can resurface into the strong, fluid tether they share. Moonlight shearing bright because of the will of the sun. ]
Caelus?
[ Action, because the price of inaction comes at a cost too steep to bear. Subaru barely has time to breathe his name before one swift movement takes him to his knees at the trailblazer's side. One hand steadies on his cheek to hold his head up, the other presses down on the golden light of his Stellaron leaking from his chest. He steels, magic burning on his palm, invoked with such power that ink winds up his arms in bold, runic strokes. ]
Caelus! Can you hear me?
[ But nothing comes. Not even breathing. Only the presence of their tether gives Subaru any indication that he is alive, but in his effort to grip it and follow it through to wherever he's gone, gentleness seared by dread, it plunges him into —
Not his soul. But a dream.
He inhales quietly as Caelus, alive, goes running past him. Relief floods him, colliding with his curiosity as he wheels around to look in the direction that he takes.
Pages... paper. A tool of creation. ]
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The voice that asked is distorted, so it's impossible to tell what the person is like. The voice seems everywhere at once, but always seems to be whispering right into Subaru's ears. A short laugh follows.
"The answer is… Destruction. The fear of Destruction keeps life moving forward."
The girl in the horizon makes a sad expression. But once Caelus reaches her, the girl's smile is renewed. The silhouettes of the two disappear shortly, and then a series of flashes begin.
"33,550,337 cycles. At the end of the 33,550,337th cycle, the death of a God will finally occur!"
The memories of this tragic planet are nothing but a series of recurring deaths. This is all to perfect the equation of Destruction: "Eternal Recurrence." To earn the gaze of the Aeon of Destruction. Following that, it's to birth the Lord Ravager, Irontomb, into the waking universe. In order to kill that particular God.
And so, over and over again, Subaru is subjected to witnessing the cycle of destruction. The early cycles start small— petty crimes, unfortunate murders. But as the numbers grow, the destruction worsens. Famines, pandemics… And more. Wars, genocides. The people have never stopped suffering— their tears never dry. Their voices never stop echoing. Despite everything, they've never given up. They keep standing up, moving on to continue living. They get stronger at every new cycle.
Stronger, and stronger. Destruction is the prime mover of life, just like that voice said. That voice returns again, sounding amused, clapping in the distance as if they're merely an audience. And this is all just a show.
"Oh, it appears there's an unfamiliar face here. But you're just a lost soul, aren't you? You can't do anything but watch." The voice reveals itself finally, underneath a spotlight. A strange entity stands there, staring at Subaru with a sharp, cold curiosity. It's the complete opposite of Caelus's innocent curiosity. Not the gaze of someone who wishes to connect with someone wholeheartedly, but instead, the gaze of someone who looks at the subject like a common lab rat.
To be studied, then discarded. Just like this planet, Amphoreus.
"No matter. You can't interfere, so might as well make yourself comfortable… And witness the end to this story!" ]
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In his one lifetime, he sees this similar path in its infancy.
To witness it millions upon millions of times... he can't look away, nor can he seem to bear it. Knowing a forest burned to the ground will rise anew from the fertile soil doesn't ease the pain of the loss, of all that died in it. It doesn't protect it from that same fate.
His heart aches with a sensation too vast for him to contain it in, cut through only by the voice that singles him out in this dream. Subaru's expression steels and he doesn't look away; he isn't afraid of whatever entity it is that greets him, taunting and sure. He knows he doesn't belong. He's no Dreamseer, no traveler of the stars. Only his thunderous, unyielding connection to Caelus keeps him here. And whatever this dream and the tether that guides him through it mean to show him, he will watch for him and not simply out of an inability to do nothing.
Even if he can only look on. Even if there's nothing his two hands can do to save the planet as its revolutions wheel on and on, towards ruin every time.
And so, he waits for the end. ]
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But it's not enough. Being able to destroy a planet isn't enough to kill a God. And so, it continues on.
The strange entity appears beside Subaru again, seated comfortably on a couch. He crosses his legs and lets out a dramatic sigh. "Lost soul, what is your name? Hmm, perhaps I'll call you…" Seconds later, multiple lights scan Subaru's body. Quick, efficient. "Aha. You will be PleiD219. You may call me Lygus."
176,200. Irontomb has learned inheritance. Rather than start from ground zero at every cycle reset, it shall inherit and execute all the necessary processes to evolve further. These petty little deaths do not matter anymore. They need to ascend further, closer and closer into divinity themselves.
7,091,231. Humans have truly ascended. They're now capable of killing demigods. Heroes are born.
11,749,992. The Black Tide. The planet has reached a critical threshold and can no longer withstand the increasing strain. Erosion, decay, corruption… All that's touched by this blight is beyond recovery. Plants, animals, oceans, earths, cities, humans… No one is safe.
Heroes rise and defend the people. No matter if they're killing their former loved ones, corrupted into mindless monsters. But they remain powerless against the Black Tide, eventually dying to it themselves.
But this is no good, either. If they die so easily, then they are weak. More. Ascend more.
19,110,218. The Era Nova. The heroes survived and made their last bastion, but at what cost? Can they still go on? No, of course they should. There's only one path forward. No matter how many die to the Black Tide, they will never entirely fall. They will reach the end of Era Nova, into the new world where they can be reborn, to be free from all of this ruination!
28,371,274. …
"They say that the heroes of this world should be as countless as the stars… Yet now, we're the only ones left standing. So, in the end, the black tide still swallowed everything…"
"… Why? Why must Amphoreus's wishes be so… cruel? We made the best choices we could, whenever we could! But in the end… the prophecy that led us… this black tide swallowing everything… Why does it look like this?"
"I… I don't know. But we haven't had any other choice… except to move forward. Not for a long time now. Even if we only see the long, long night ahead, I still believe… that through it, we'll find the dawn on the other side. Beyond these flames, a new sun will someday rise."
"That person we're waiting for… One day, they will come."
Suddenly, everything turns black. Lygus stands up, and an indescribable aura rises from him. "PleiD219, you must be here because of that Intrusion Variable. I hope you've already said your farewells, because I'm not letting that little error disrupt my progress. I'm at 99.81% to eradicate that Aeon, Nous! We are so close to witnessing true history!" ]
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He is likely a threat, but Subaru's attention remains transfixed on the planet. On Amphoreus. Caelus mentioned it to him in that first waking encounter. How he'd been trapped there for years, cut off from communication....
— each revolution of this planet rises to brilliance like diamond pressurized by fire only to be shattered by this force dictating its fate. It is crushed, hewn to nothingness, tamped back down to dust and glass, muted in darkness. But it lives on, each and every time. A heart that is alive will fight to remain so, even if it struggles against plague and injury and hopelessness manufactured under the guise of destiny. The voice echoes in his mind as it turns its lament into a guiding force, hoping for a sunrise that may never come. It's painful to behold, no matter the entity at his side who seems to have a hand in its orchestration —
Is the trailblazer somewhere in here? In all these years that comprise the 0.19% left?
This is not a memory, and not just a dream. Subaru feels the weight of it slowly seizing against the back of his neck. This is happening.
And, as the entity stands to face him, Subaru tenses but doesn't make the first move, attention's equilibrium shifting to him rather than the planet. He can't predict what trying to fight against someone like this will be like; even if this is a dream, the reality of it stands to harm Caelus if he's too rash. It's not a risk he's willing to take.
No matter what it costs him. ]
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Cyrene, the one with the authority of Time in this world, and Phainon, the one with the Worldbearing authority. They are the key figures to renew each cycle.
"This is a moment the universe will remember. After millions of extrapolations, the experimental environment known as "Amphoreus" has finally achieved results," Lygus explains with amusement, yet his tone is cold and detached.
"So, the "results" you speak of... are this wreckage of a world?" Phainon answers with burning eyes, his voice cracking, "We all gave everything we had, returning twelve Coreflames to recreate the world... and in return... We become nothing more than sacrificial offerings at the end of everything?"
"So in your eyes, all the sacrifices are just a string of insignificant numbers?" Cyrene adds, her own tone matching Phainon's.
"Don't sell yourselves short. I'd say, rather than numbers, you're more like "fuel for the fire." And without fire, there can be no sunrise tomorrow."
"Even if that sunrise is born from annihilation?"
"Heh, curious question. Have you ever considered that, after millions of extrapolations, Amphoreus is already following a different Path from the Erudition? It has long since granted divine blessings equally to each child... The golden blood flowing in your veins... It comes from The Blemished One, whose name is "Destruction" itself. And Amphoreus's Chrysos Heirs were, from the very beginning, fuel for the Aeon to burn the universe. Amphoreus has waited for this moment for too long. At the end of the empty, cold, and lonely extrapolations — the Destruction has reached its final destination.
NeiKos496. PhiLia093. No need to feel regret. This generation of Chrysos Heirs is the most outstanding model, and you two are the final factors. For you, the Era Nova is no lie. Just step forward, embrace the black tide, and accept the Aeon's gaze. You will come to life from a string of cold numbers. Along with all those who have passed, you will run toward the real universe, fulfilling Amphoreus's long-held wish— In the name of the Lord Ravager Irontomb, unleash its fury and destroy the source of all this tragedy!
"… Or, we could always choose another option," Cyrene smiles unexpectedly, an idea coming to her thanks to Lygus's explanation. Lygus thinks he's won this. He's trying to deceive them with the idea that they have no other options but to embrace this fate. Is this why he's trying to corner them like this now?
"You're pretending, revealing the so-called truth just to deceive us, covering up another possibility…" Phainon connects, realizing it too. "Destruction is not the only outcome for the fate of Amphoreus."
"Do you two really think, as petty little "demigods," you can change the outcome written by the stars? What makes you think you're capable of doing that?"
"Hmm... A little courage and determination? Just kidding, the answer is pretty simple— But, we're not gonna tell ya ♪"
Before this scene ends, Cyrene looks over to Subaru and gives him an encouraging wink. Almost as if saying to trust her.
A flash. In a different place, Cyrene and Phainon are speaking to each other about what to do, in order to halt further progress of this madness. They've come up with the idea of creating an eternal loop, one that deceives Lygus's system into thinking they're still progressing. But the truth is, they're stalling. Stalling for a miracle. The arrival of their Hero.
And so, they begin their plan to intervene. No matter how long it takes, they'll keep praying for the arrival of that person.
"I will wait for that day. For as long as it takes. The day will come. When someone turns over this nearly eternal page… And follows in our footprints… To write an ending unlike any that ever was."
CYCLE 33,550,336. The memory of the sky alighting. It parts as a train from the heavens pierces through the clouds. The memory of a past Lygus being immediately alerted, and he knocks over something in fury.
"The Astral Express. How did they pierce the firewall? Not even the Path of Trailblaze should've been able to go through it…"
Lygus runs a scan of the descending train, seeing him. The one with a Stellaron heart. Caelus.
"What? Who… is this? No matter. I need to remove this Intrusion Variable."
And so, the start of Lygus's attempts to get rid of Caelus. First, he directly shot the train down as an assassination attempt, causing it to crash land. It was almost successful, if certain figures hadn't intervened. Too bad. Now Caelus is able to influence this world, befriending those he meets, changing their fates by simply doing this.
Stop that. Another attempt. This time Lygus directly uses Dan Heng, trying to convince him to leave Amphoreus under the guise of protection. He lies by saying he can only do this now before the threat of this world grows worse, as he won't be able to do this later on. He's manipulating Dan Heng's protective feelings for Caelus. However, it doesn't work because Dan Heng understands what Caelus would've wanted. And it's what he would've wanted as well.
Because of Lygus's failure to stop the Astral Express, both Caelus and Dan Heng finally discover the truth of this world as well. And it's time… To trail a blaze into the future!
— No. No. Error. ERROR. This time, a more direct approach. He can't allow this. He's so close. This god damned little trailblazing Receptacle needs to die. But he's unable to kill him… Too many obstacles are guarding this Intrusion Variable. Confinement… That's right, he can simply lock him up.
Surely… surely, this time!
Cyrene reappears beside Subaru, taking both of his hands into a gentle squeeze.
"Beautiful wandering dove… Let's pray for our star together." ]
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To wrest it from the jaws of its endless destruction, to turn calculation into courage, to secure its sunrise...
What does it take, he wonders, watching everything unfold between a dream and reality... what does it take to rewrite fate? In defiance, in the burning constellations of hope? He doesn't know. The possibility is so vast that it arcs long into the cradle of the universe, into the fabric of time. But he's not just a spectator. He understands that much when Cyrene singles his presence out, offering him the same unerring belief that carries these cycles through to each end. That man, that entity Lygus — identified he and Caelus as the same thing. Intrusion Variable.
But as he watches the Astral Express descend through the clouds like a falling star, like a dragon, like deliverance, he thinks he understands what the moment that heralds a true miracle is like. Even without it, Caelus is still all of those things, sowing the light of his compassion no matter where he goes.
There is nothing to him that doesn't matter.
And as Cyrene approaches him again on the cusp of Lygus's desperation to contain the trailblazer, the sensation of his hands in hers so real, the soft caress of wandering dove impressing on what he supposes is his soul, he returns the gesture. His fingers tighten in hers.
He may not have the same hope that carries this planet and its heirs and the trailblazer towards that horizon they chase.
But he does have hope pressed somewhere into his faulted heart. Touched by the authority of Time —
...and by the will of the one with the Stellaron heart.
What does he need to do? ]
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The sun's flickering flames will scorch you, draining the color from your skin.
Only when the starlit night shields you from sunlight,
or when the Sun rises to melt away the morning frost, will you find relief.
These present hardships will torture you forever, and no one can save you.
But you have left behind the fire… the fire that will liberate them.
And the fire meant to free you was illuminated long ago."
—Exomyth
[ After Lygus forces Caelus into confinement, the lone trailblazer finds himself in a strange room. The Exomyth, with hundreds of numbers, unsettling red lights, monitors everywhere he looks… ]
This is… the place outside the legend? This doesn't feel the same as before. How should I get back…?
[ An unknown voice pierces the silence, repeating the words on the screens.
Strange Display Monitor: [Locked onto outlier: Caelus]
Strange Display Monitor: [Executing command: Isolation]
… ]
Command… isolation?
[ Then, the next voice. A voice that causes Caelus's skin to crawl. He almost jumps where he stands.
"Since we parted ways last time, I have modified the Exomyth into an "audience area" exclusive to you. Now, you'll be able to silently wait here for the final act of Amphoreus to begin."
Caelus's eyes widen slowly, staring at the void of this place before throwing his arms in determination. His brows furrow. ]
Let me out!
[ But Lygus, of course, doesn't comply. He only lets out a smile, wherever he is. Caelus may not see him, but he can feel that expression. It makes him furious.
"I understand your anger, but I cannot allow you to continuously influence the extrapolation's progress."
Though before Caelus can yell out, another voice comes. A voice of a person he trusts this time, instantly relieving him. Miss Herta.
"Can you hear me… little one?"
Strange Display Monitor: [Warning. Abnormal data transmission detected…]
Strange Display Monitor: [Abnormal data, locked on. Unauthorized communication, confirmed. Initiating response…]
"We detected… another… Path's… influence…"
Strange Display Monitor: [Communication channel analysis completed. Terminating unauthorized communication…]
Its power… is strong… may be able… to help… Use the Path's power… Make it detect you…
Strange Display Monitor: Unauthorized communication, terminated. ]
Is Herta saying… a certain Path's faction has arrived in Amphoreus, and I can ask them for help?
[ This is their cue. Cyrene looks at Subaru and then nods at him, signaling that it's their turn.
"Come, beautiful wandering dove. Let's get our raccoon out of there."
Since the two of them are hiding away from Lygus's reach, they have to do this indirectly. They have to aid Caelus to catch the attention of a certain person in Amphoreus, someone else who walks in the Path of Remembrance, in order for them to take notice of his location.
Cyrene begins, casting a spell to enhance Caelus's attunement to the Path of Remembrance. She believes Subaru will be able to cast his own personal light on the trailblazer, so that Caelus's concealed presence will stand out more. Enough to be found by his allies. ]
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There is a way. His will, that same will that puts the stars within reach, that doesn't shy from the cosmic burn of them, the grief inherent, must be able to push through.
Even without a full grasp of what's transpiring, he feels as though he doesn't need it. What's gathering here at the gates of this planet is something that can only be done by someone like Caelus, he's certain. His reach, his influence, his ability to connect others...
Subaru can't hope to ever achieve the same. But if Cyrene chooses him so, if she calms his wings, even if only for a brief, beautiful moment in time, then he will choose too. He's never been content with the absolution of doing nothing. So, he writes it as he's always written it: not onto paper or skin but into the fabric of this dreaming reality. In the blooming ink of his will, the gate of stars he was born to. A spell that might crack the desolation of being confined, that might allow light to pour out.
A spell that says, "I am here."
They're familiar strokes. The same as those he's imparted on paper and sticky notes, onto the palm of his hand.
Ignite it. Light the way, Caelus. ]
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He looks at his hands. He sees it all, especially this gentle ink that connects to a certain someone. Subaru… A familiar warmth fills him, recalling the gentle faces of the people who matter so much to him. Of the memories he's made here. Of the reasons why he's fighting so hard. This planet, Amphoreus, and a planet that he has to return to after all this, the planet Earth… He has much to accomplish. He can't stay here like this.
So, Caelus takes hold of the warmth enveloping him and calls out, raising his hands.
"I'm here. I'm right here. So, please…" ]
— Answer me!
[ And answer they did. First, it's Evernight, who reaches out to him to shatter the cage. Even she has someone dear to protect, so she will never allow the Destruction to reach that person: her other half, March 7th. Following Evernight's reach, Sunday has made an attempt as well, then eventually it's Dan Heng who has done everything he can to finally locate Caelus entirely. ]
Come… Leave the cage of logos… The mythos of Amphoreus… waits for you to continue its story…"
[ At this point, Evernight returns into March 7th's heart, allowing her other half to reemerge. After being reunited with March 7th and Dan Heng, they are finally ready to continue their Path to Trailblaze. For the future of Amphoreus.
Dan Heng steps forward, a hand on Caelus. "You once asked what trailblazing meant to me. It has taken on thousands of wills and thousands of forms. To trailblaze to be with those who save themselves. It is to be with all living things. And to be with you. No matter the eb and flow of fate, even in the face of tempestuous seas, in the name of trailblazing, I will guard your way forward." ]
Let's go! On the Trailblaze, no one gets left behind! We'll not only Trailblaze into the future together and save the world… We'll also return to the Express together and head towards our next destination.
[ And so, they continue forward, guided by the light of their friends. It's almost time to finish the 33 million cycles of sadness.
The echo of friends reaches out.
"If I can defy fate... Then in the name of "Worldbearing," I promise you: Kephale will never forget this. Farewell, Caelus. This is where I fulfill my final destiny. The prophecy of the "Deliverer" means nothing to me now. It belongs in the hands of someone far more fitting. Someone like you. As the prophecy foretold: "I, Phainon, will bear the blazing sun, until the pale dawn— you, Caelus— breaks." May the name accompany you in my place in the epic you write with your own hands."
"Finally. The end of this journey. All of us. Reuniting. Beneath a vast. Endless sky. All the companions who sacrificed themselves. Their wishes. It's all here."
"Tomorrow, the stars will sing of the story of the Flame-Chase Journey."
"And it won't just be "you" in it. There will be "countless numbers of you."
"Amphoreus will be a glorious and magnificent world of heroes in the universe's "memories." Hence, for this world we so deeply love..."
"Let us write its ending." ]
Yes. Let's move forward. The Flame-Chase… was never about Destruction! It was about breaking free… And Trailblazing! "I" shall compose four hundred million sagas— We will rewrite the Flame-Chasers' path!
[ And now, THE FINAL BATTLE with Irontomb begins, with Subaru as a witness to the very end. However, through their tether, Subaru will constantly feel Caelus's undying fighting spirit. His courage, hope, love. As if he's reaching back to him, asking for the onmyouji's support through this battle. ]
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By comparison, Subaru's world is very small. It was two people. Then one. Then none. All of his soul's callings were microcosmic, devoid of this megalithic grandeur. But if he could help just one person... just one. Then it wouldn't have been in vain.
All of this breathes like an incantation through the final moments of this fight. Even if he can only watch, the scope like a flare of molten stardust, his unwavering tether is still there to remind Caelus of what awaits him. Earth, his loved ones upon it. The mystery of a goddess and her dreamer. There are still things...
...that he needs to do. ]
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