No one's POV
Finn: What's going on?
Finn asked the familia members who'd come first as he arrived from northwest of where the monsters had descended to the outer edge of the Labyrinth District. They were on the roof of a building that could look out over the whole area surrounding the plaza.
Arcus: The evacuation of the townsfolk is still not complete! Adventurers from other factions are fighting the monsters—and so is the Lightning Flash...
As he heard the report, he saw the boy and gargoyle struggling against each other.
Finn(mind): You again, huh...Sora Yatagami?
Finn's pupils narrowed as he watched the stern in the swordsman's face from the side.
As he thought, he tried to get a grasp on the situation: the swarm of monsters attacking, the residents of Daedalus Street falling into fear and scrambling to escape, the Guild members and other lower-tier adventurers trying to direct the evacuation. Ganesha Familia was prioritizing the lives of people as they made their way through the city. The top-tier adventurers were desperately fighting against the monsters and struggling to combat the strength of their enemy. There'd already been several casualties.
And Lightning Flash was clashing with a gargoyle while protecting a half-elf Guild member.
Finn:...Take your positions. Ground troops, keep them in check. We'll stay here and prevent them from flying off.
Loki Familia: Yes, sir!
He handed out instructions as the leader of his faction, making snap judgments.
The familia members dashed off to share his orders with the group on the ground while the remaining members readied their bows. Finn looked down at the prepared stage. It could hardly be called a battlefield.
Finn(mind): They don't really seem to be Irregular...For monsters hidden away from people for this long to intentionally attack evacuees...They exposed themselves for the masses to see. The other monsters are keeping the other adventurers back; the gargoyle is ostentatiously fighting with Lightning Flash... It's too much.
His strange feeling from before turned to certainty when he saw the scene unfold before his eyes. He could sense the intent of a third party—a divine will that had created the scenario, even manipulated the monsters to bring about this performance.
Finn(mind): Hermes Familia...?
If it was a group with deep knowledge of the armed monsters and the ability to bend them to their will, there was no one else save those who'd sided with Ouranos as his faction had done. Had Hermes Familia been moving around behind the scenes as they were fighting Hestia Familia? The odds were that this was an action that went against Ouranos's divine will.
And Sora Yatagami didn't seem as though he was acting as he desperately tried to defend himself. An independent action. Hermes's face came to mind. He was a god who Finn couldn't quite grasp.
Finn(mind): Is that gargoyle...being manipulated? It's only aiming for the Guild member Sora Yatagami is protecting. Considering Perseus's crazy magical items, I guess that's believable?
The half-elf girl was wearing a bracelet giving off a mysterious purple light. Utilizing to its fullest the enhanced kinetic vision of a pallum, Finn easily saw through the events. A god was toying with the mortal realm, rewriting the plot to achieve his desired ends.
Finn: The plaza is a stage, the residents are the audience, and the monsters and adventurers are the extras to excite the crowd. And the star is...a single boy crossing blades with a reactive gargoyle.
Finn murmured to himself softly, so that the members readying their bows didn't hear him. Below his eyes, a stir rose from the residents who still couldn't manage to escape the plaza, from the "crowd." And it wasn't out of fear.
Citizen 1: Lightning Flash...
Citizen 2:The Lightning Flash? You mean Sora Yatagami?
Citizen3: He's fighting...for our sake...
They were talking about the adventurer putting himself on the line to protect the half-elf under attack, the brave boy who'd gallantly appeared in their moment of need. How would it look in the eyes of the people who'd criticized Sora Yatagami?
Lai: B-Big Brother...
Murmured the orphans who Finn had met the other day in the crowd. Among a group of human, chienthrope, and half-elf orphans, Ossian the pallum boy was there, watching Sora's battle in shock. The disappointment in his eyes gradually faded as he struggled to understand what was going on. The crowd's disapproval of Sora Yatagami was dissipating.
Finn(mind): A farce...
The crowd had been attacked, the heroine was in peril, and the hero protected them from the monsters.
It was all drama.
It was all absurd.
Anyone would be drawn in by the performative manipulations of a god. Should he praise Hermes for his talent? Or should he be disappointed that the residents of the mortal plane were made to dance for him? Upon understanding the god pulling the strings behind the scenes, Finn alone looked at the "stage" with clear eyes.
Other than him, the only ones who saw through the creation of the stage were gods.
As he saw Hestia Familia arrive in the plaza with their patron goddess and stand there when they realized they were unable to do anything, Finn thought to himself.
Finn(mind): If his actions five days ago were a folly...this is a purification ceremony.
A ritual to earn back the title of hero as a coda. The reaffirmation of a hero as arranged by a god. Did Hermes intend to force Sora into the role of a hero? Finn didn't know his divine will, but that was his best guess.
Finn(mind): If I were in his position...
If it were Finn, what would he do? Would he dance if he knew everything would turn out as he desired? Or would he brush it off, saying he couldn't possibly stomach it? But in the end—Finn suspected he would prioritize his ambition. He'd go along with the ulterior motives of the god. For the sake of his people, he would throw away his pride. He would return to take the role of a hero.
After all, he was a created hero, a hypocritical hero who'd weighed everything in the balance as he moved.
Finn: Loki...sorry, but there's nothing to see through here.
This was a stage brought forward by a god. Everything was moving according to the script. There was nothing left to discover. And this was Finn's response to the goddess's advice.
Finn(mind): The monsters are pathetic, too...They were setting out to return to the Dungeon but became manipulated by a god.
Finn didn't feel any pity for the monsters, but just this once, he looked on with compassion at the gargoyle rampaging wildly on the ground.
Arcus: Captain, everything is in order!
Finn: All right, give the signal.
The familia member had reported that everyone was in position. With a brief order, Finn readied himself to throw his Fortia Spear. He wouldn't try to destroy Hermes's stage. It was quite the opposite. Finn would use it against him to suppress the monsters. And the vindication of the swordsman was incidental, a bonus. It wasn't as if he had no desire to knock down the Lightning Flash. As he'd told the orphans, Finn acknowledged the swordsman himself.
Finn(mind):—Do I just want to see what conclusion Sora Yatagami will reach.
Would he be unable to decide anything and be torn to shreds by the monster's claws, committing the worst possible folly? Or would he go along with the divine will, kill the monster, and reclaim the title of hero? Which of those two choices would he pick? Finn's blue eyes observed the swordsman, along with those of the people in the crowd, to see his decision.
Adventurer: Loki Familia has come!!
The squad on the ground broke into the plaza. The adventurers and residents cheered, and the winged monsters roared, ready to die.
Gros:—Hng!
The fiendish gargoyle spread its wings wide, flapping, making a suicidal charge along the ground. It was a desperate attack that didn't give the half-elf in shock or Sora Yatagami any opportunity to avoid or defend. The finale was fast approaching.
Finn: Assume your positions!
Finn equipped himself with his own spear, ordering the familia members to prepare to pierce the winged monsters with their arrows. As he steadied his long spear, Finn looked at the monster and the swordsman and nothing else. People screamed. Monsters howled. Everything was being yanked around by the strings of divine will held by a smiling puppeteer.
While his surroundings closed in around him, the whole world condensing into an instant, the swordsman's eyes flashed. The claws of the monster were about to skewer him. In the face of them, Sora took action. To believe.
Finn: —
Finn froze. The swordsman had spread his arms, waiting, as the monster's stone eyes filled with shock at his defenseless stance.
In the next instant, the gargoyle stopped his charge, dodging out of the way.
Finn:—Wait!
Above the plaza, Finn reacted faster than anyone, shouting for his familia to halt, shocking them all. His bugged-out blue eyes were glued to the gargoyle that'd stopped its attack.
Finn(mind): Did it stop? Could it stop? Did a monster stop its attack? And not just by breaking free of brainwashing—but of its own will?!
Finn didn't miss the monster's behavior, recognizing that it hadn't stopped its attack because it'd returned to its senses. When it was confronted by Sora, it'd stopped its charge of its own volition. At the same time, Finn realized his deduction had been wrong.
Finn(mind): Wasn't the monster controlled from the start? Then did it choose to sacrifice itself for Sora Yatagami from the beginning? Did it make a deal with a god to repay the man who'd protected the vouivre with his own body? Was a monster acting...for the sake of a person...?!
In the span of a second, these questions and answers swirled in his mind. Finn was rocked by the shock with as much impact as a lightning strike. Say it was an intelligent creature. A genuine monster had protected a person without any ulterior motives or calculations. It had responded to the trust of a single swordsman.
Finn(mind): More than that—Sora Yatagami!
He'd chosen the most foolish of alternatives, a third choice where he neither killed the monster nor sacrificed the half-elf. A third choice that surpassed Finn's predictions. He'd believed there were only two options available. But the Hero had destroyed the scales. He'd shredded the absolute will of the gods. He'd kicked aside the seat of a hero set before him and roared in rebellion against the world. It was an unprecedented foolishness, but Finn saw it as dazzling—almost blinding.
Finn: Honestly... You really do your thing, no matter how hard you're pushed... Neither the Divine Will of a Gods nor the Public's opinion mean anything in front of you. Believing in what you want... That's all there is to it. How very much of you, Sora Yatagami. You truly are Dazzling!!
Finn noticed the Hero's face staring at him. The True Hero and the Man-Made Hero stare into each of their blue eyes. In that moment, Sora smile at him as if signaling his resolve and his determination to save and protect the armed monster towards Finn. At that moment, as Finn was caught in a dizzying swirl of emotions, his thumb ached with a pain sharp enough to shut off his thoughts.
The strongest warning bell that something was approaching. Sora and Finn were the only two who looked up.
Ddraig: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A loud roar resounded, crushing all doubts, conflicts, and plots.
(Timeskip)
Ilta: Thousand Elf?! What are you doing out of the Dungeon?!
Lefiya: I'm sorry! I'll explain later!
She shouted, breaking away from the Ganesha Familia guards in shock as she flew out of Babel.
Lefiya was running. With her declaration that she'd return in an hour, she'd broken through the Dungeon at a blinding speed, dashed up Babel's underground stairway, and arrived aboveground.
Lefiya: Quickly...to the captain and the others...!
For the sake of those still in Knossos, Lefiya set out to cross Central Park for Daedalus Street. She leaped over five meders to the roof of a shop, jumping from building to building in a straight line to the city's southwest region. Even as she struggled for breath, Lefiya resolutely sprinted to call for reinforcements.
Ddraig: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Lefiya:—Gh?!
Her sprint lost its momentum as that bellowing roar rocketed into the night sky.
Lefiya: That roar...Is that the red juggernaut?!
Lefiya was sure that fearsome bellow on par with the howl of a floor boss belonged to the red juggernaut for which they were on their utmost guard. It was a cry with enough strength that she could tell she wasn't the only one who cowed upon hearing it, that people all throughout the city quivered at it.
Lefiya had stopped moving in shock. As she nervously ignored the residents of the city and subconsciously opened the windows on the upper floors of the building to gaze to the city's southeast, she steeled herself.
She kicked off with enough force that a piece of the roof broke away when she flew, and she accelerated toward the Labyrinth District.
Lefiya(mind): Where are they in Daedalus Street?! Are they rushing to the juggernaut?!
Lefiya tried to narrow down where the red juggernaut had emerged in the giant labyrinthine district, but in the end, it would prove unnecessary. Because after she crossed Central Park and set foot in Daedalus Street, she saw the battlefield at the northwestern edge of the district unfold before her.
Sora: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Ddraig: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Sora Yatagami and the red juggernaut were fighting one-on-one.
Lefiya: Wh-whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!
Lefiya let out a bloodcurdling scream at the sight when she landed in the plaza. It was a howl of rage.
Lefiya: —Weren't you protecting an armed monster, that vouivre?! Then why are you trying to kill another one now?!
Lefiya was on the verge of exploding.
Lefiya: I pressed him hard to explain himself, and he refused to give me the slightest answer—only to take a contradictory action now of all times, resulting in this mortal combat. I don't get it at all. What was the fighting with the monsters on Daedalus Street for then?!
Lefiya could only imagine that the swordsman who seemed to do incomprehensible things was either an egotistical piece of trash or an insane person. She completely forgot her mission as her face turned bright red, ready to start ranting and raving at a moment's notice.
Lefiya:—Ah.
That was when she realized something. That it wasn't contradictory at all. The Hero was fighting to respond to the Juggernaut that wished for a battle to the death—for a rematch. He was fulfilling the wish of the monsters that desired to return to the Dungeon, accepting its determination to fight. Then what catches the attention was the Hero's transformation.
Gods: SPIRIT!!!!
Lefiya heard the Gods voice like everybody else. Lefiya was sure that The gods and the mortals including herself were entranced by the revelation. A Spirit. An entity that was revered by the mortal world mostly an elf like her. It was truly a majestic being that had descended on the battlefield.
Lefiya: That's a Spirit. Not a corrupted one but a true genuine Spirit.
It was a setup to draw the attention of the adventurers and Loki Familia and to stall for time to let the main group of armed monsters escape. If she thought about it, she would have found plenty of meaning in the fight. But all of that was trivial.
Lefiya realized something dazzling when she saw the face of the adventurer taking on a terrifying enemy. Particles of white light started to emerged from the ground. It grew more radiant with each passing seconds.
And at its center was one single Hero whom had grown pure white wings. White aura surrounding him. Even without understanding the situation, there was something she could understand.
Lefiya: This Light... So beautiful...
That the Hero was on an adventure at that very moment.
Lefiya: That's... The Light of Hope.
There was no calculation in it at all—and no desire, either. It was determination. That and nothing else. It was a lust for victory. The other adventurers in the plaza and the residents could understand that. That Hero was betting his all at this moment.
Lefiya: That's...what Miss Asuna and the others said...
On a huge mountain and grassland for a stage. And in the center of it all, surrounded by a field of grassland, a juggernaut and a single Hero engaged in a seesawing struggle. A battle between one beast and one person who'd destroyed the script of divine will and shone all the brighter for it. It was a battle as they were in fairy tales, one that held everyone's eyes, that took everyone's breath away.
Lefiya realized something.
Lefiya: This is...the one who fought the juggernaut...Sora Yatagami. The Worlds Hero. The People's Light of Hope.
It'd been a battle that had even stirred the first-tier adventurers in both Loki and Freya Familia.
Sora: Uuuuuuooooooooooooooooooooooooo—!
Look. Gaze at the single ferocious strike from the juggernaut that split the air and shattered the ground. Stare at the gallant figure of the swordsman avoiding it and decisively stepping in. Feast your eyes on the dazzling sparks following the clashes of the Claws and swords.
Lai: Go get 'im, big brotheeerrrrrr!!
Fina: Big Brother!
Ruu: Yeah! You go...!
Listen. Hear the voices of one, then two children, their cries rising into the sky. Concentrate on the praise for the swordsman soaring upward. Lend your ears to the voices of the people enthralled by his adventure, erasing all their malice and hostility.
Lefiya's chest trembled. Her navy-blue eyes were on the verge of tears. Before they realized it, a handful of adventurers opened their mouths at the shock of the battle igniting in the depths of their heart.
Lefiya: Go... Do it—
Someone murmured, coming from the crowd rooted in place and from the adventurers. Lefiya forgot everything and screamed:
Lefiya: Don't lose, Mister Sora!
That was the trigger. Lefiya's voice catalyzed in a loud roar. At the center of the plaza, voices called out to the swordsman fighting the terrifying and ferocious beast. A single word turned into countless shouts before transforming into a billowing wave that came crashing down.
Sora: Gh!
As the lethal struggle unfolded in their midst, the pale townsfolk shouted until they were hoarse. The Guild staff turned their lost words into cheers. The adventurers raised their clenched fists to the sky. All were shouting in support of Sora. All saw the image of a hero in the swordsman's brave fight.
(Elsewhere)
Freya: Ha-ha-ha...I wonder how Hermes feels now!
Freya was on the top floor of Babel Tower in the city center. Watching from her perch at the highest point in Orario as the furious fight unfolded, the goddess sighed rapturously.
Freya: Is this the fate laid down by some individual? Or is it simply a miracle? Whatever the answer...I am grateful for it. To think you would be a Spirit, my darling Sora.
She was grateful for this turn of Fortune's wheel—for the encounter between the swordsman and the monster. The beautiful goddess flushed and chewed gently on her bent pointer finger. She had left everything to her children so she could watch this scene. Lost in admiration, she gazed passionately at the sparkling pure soul locked in combat with the raging dragon.
Freya: To think I am able to watch this fight once again! To think I could see this light again.
(Elsewhere)
Hermes: Hey now...What's going on here?
Hermes muttered. Astrea was beside him on the top of the tower where he stood.
Astrea: It's your lost, Hermes... The situation has spun out of control. In all the chaos, Hestia should have returned the other Xenos to the dungeon by now.
Hermes did not respond. He simply stared at the plaza, stupefied. The stage he had so carefully prepared was completely destroyed. His scheme had turned to dust. Astrea watched the stunned deity silently. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew off his traveling cap. Hermes snarled, roughly pushing back his orange hair.
Hermes: Everything is ruined...! And why would you interfere with me Astrea? Aren't you in love with the Hero as much as I do?
Astrea: For someone who claims to be in love with the Light of Hope, you sure don't understand a single thing about him.
Hermes: What...?
Astrea: 'No matter what, he never go back on his words'. Neither the Divine Wills of the us Gods, nor public's opinion could ever stop him once he has decided to do it.
A single monster had crushed the plan he had labored so diligently over. Drowning in a despair he had never experienced before, the god clenched his teeth and glared at the juggernaut with deep hatred. Yet at the same time, there was joy in his eyes as he looked down on the plaza.
Astrea: You may as well accept it. It's your loss, Hermes!
Hermes: No argument here. How could I possibly have imagined this scenario?
The plaza echoed with battle cries, roars, cheers, and prayers. The people in the crowd were completely drawn in by this genuine battle between swordsman and beast, forgetting even their desire to escape. Hostility and despair had been replaced by a whirlwind of excitement.
Even if everything had played out according to Hermes's plan, it likely wouldn't have gone this well. The god would not have held the people's hearts in the palm of his hand like this. Of course not. Even when the swordsman was in the midst of battle with the gargoyle, he had been suffering and constantly resisting.
All-knowing, all-powerful god though he may be, Hermes could not have conjured such a scene. It was better than a real adventure.
Hermes: Is this what you meant? Was this it, Zeus? Did you disappear from Orario because you foresaw this?!
Astrea and Hermes were completely enraptured by this scene as brilliant as lightning that swept away the darkness.
Astrea: I've met up with Zeus and Hera during my travels with Sora. And they both said the exact same thing. Only one who resisted the divine will of a deity could shine like this.
The world wanted a hero. It wanted a blade to rip through the darkness of old, a light to overcome long-held desires, a roar full of ugly yet noble life. It did not want a puppet who danced for the deities but rather the potential to overcome thousands of years of stagnation in the mortal plane. It wanted a familia myth, a story woven from pure will.
Astrea: In the end...is this crimson beast the polestar that will burn the weaver's hand and show him the way?
Hermes: I'm a complete clown.
Hermes shivered in humiliation at the strange scene that so eclipsed his own divine will. Astrea was watching in excitement.
Hermes: The wisdom of the Sage, the strategies of Braver, the schemes of a god... This pure power has smashed them all to pieces.
Hermes narrowed his eyes as he drank down the last dregs of his own shame.
Hermes: Ah, such a beautiful, loving fight to the death...
His voice was full of respect for this struggle between the boy and the monster—this scene from a heroic tale that had gripped the hearts of the people and would not let them go.
(Elsewhere)
The roars of the boy and the thundering shouts of the crowd echoed through the Labyrinth District.
Tiona: Hey, what are you doing?!
Alfrik: You, Amazon the Slasher!
Berling: If you move a hair, we will have no mercy.
Tiona held her double-edged sword at the ready as she stared at the four armed prums before her. She was standing on the edge of the plaza where the battle continued to rage, but she could not move forward.
Tione: What the hell are Freya Familia's executives doing here?! Get out of my way!!
Tione shouted. She, too, was blocked. The first-tier cat-person adventurer Allen Fromel was standing in her way. He parried each slash of her kukri knives with his spear.
Tione: What the hell are you doing?!
She yelled, outraged that someone had obstructed her pursuit of the red juggernaut.
Allen: It's obvious, isn't it?
He responded with a chilly stare, then glanced back toward the ongoing fight between the swordsman and the monster.
Allen: Do you think a fight like that is something we weaklings can interfere?
He spit on the sky in annoyance at the sight of the Hero's True Power.
Tione: You're a fine one to interfere.
Tione spat back. Meanwhile, a good distance from where Tiona and Tione were stalled near the western edge of the plaza, the werewolf Bete stood on the edge of a roof on the eastern side and clicked his tongue dramatically.
Bete: Tch...
As he looked above on the gray-haired swordsman power, his face and its lightning-bolt tattoo twisted into a grimace. Aiz stood near him, watching the battle in silence.
Aiz:...
The two young elven boys guarding her and Bete—one with a white sword and the other, a dark elf, with a black sword—stood with their weapons at ease. They, too, were gazing towards the sky at the fight.
Finn:...You did it, Ottar.
Finn sighed for appearances' sake, glancing sidelong at the tremendous stage.
Ottar:...
The boaz warrior standing before him said nothing. All members of the Loki Familia squad had gathered in the northwest area, where they'd run into Freya Familia. Finn's group was held back by Warlord and their other first-tier adventurers, preventing them from interfering with the battle between the swordsman and the juggernaut.
Asuna: The reason why we cannot intervene, it's because you did something behind the background.
Standing next to Finn was Asuna. They realized that they hadn't been able to catch the red juggernaut on Daedalus Street because of these adventurers. Everything Ottar and his allies had done was for the sake of setting up this battle. They had beaten back other adventurers just to guide the red juggernaut to this place.
Ottar: As my lady wishes.
Ottar commented.
Ottar: And besides... I would like to see for myself. Just how powerful Sora Yatagami truly is.
Finn and Asuna:...
Sora: Hu—!
Ddraig: UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A flashed of blue and red, sparks flying. As their battle accelerated, the throng of people roared again.
Finn(mind): I was wrong about this, too...
Upon witnessing the fight, Finn realized his error. He'd judged that the red juggernaut was an Irregular, that it randomly sowed destruction with its violence unlike the other self-aware monsters. That was why he'd told the familia members to be the wariest of it as the thing that needed to be dealt with above all else.
But he'd been wrong.
The juggernaut was self-aware—it had a goal. It desired single mortal combat, a battle with the swordsman. That was all.
Finn:...
Finn watched the scene that birthed a maelstrom of wild enthusiasm, the battle that ignited the hearts of all—young and old, man and woman, even gods.
Finn:...Argonaut and Flash.
Tiona had called him that once. Or perhaps she meant to bring up one who was a heretical hero, like Sora Yatagami. Everyone had pointed and ridiculed his foolish behavior. And everyone was in awe when he finally achieved great work in the end.
There had been interesting scholarly research on it that said the age of heroes in the Ancient Times had begun with Argonaut. A weak, pitiful, flourishing kingdom at the center of the world had roared as the next generation of heroes was born one after the other, guided by the back of that pseudo-hero. The ferryman of heroes. The one who pulled a multitude of heroes—the Argonaut.
And the Flash was the second Hero that had ever appeared in Ancient time right after Argonaut. And just like the clown who'd started the comedy. The Flash was a heretical Hero whom was dubbed as a liar and a Fool. However, everyone was in awe when he'd prove himself to be straight shooter. The Hero whom had united the next generation of Heroes after the demise of Argonaut.
Finn: Asuna... Ottar...
Finn had begun to speak somewhere in the middle of all this.
Ottar:...What?
Asuna: Hmm...?
Finn: You know, I'd set out to match Fianna. For the glory that had brought my race hope.
Ottar: I know...that's the only reason you're fighting.
Asuna: As if your goal was obvious enough.
Finn: Yeah. But I'm going to stop that now.
Asuna and Ottar's eyes opened wide at Finn's declaration. It was genuine shock, which Ottar usually never showed. Asuna was no different, but at the same time, she could see the changes in Finn's eyes who was entranced by the fight as much as everybody else.
Fianna's knights. In the Ancient Times, she'd killed multitudes of monsters and rescued countless people, demonstrating the bravery and embodying the first and last symbol of glory of the pallum. Deified in posterity and worshipped as a goddess, she was the hero of his race and the person Finn held in highest regard, the one who'd stood tall before even Argonaut and Flash.
Finn had been struggling to become the next Fianna, to become the light of the prums in the stead of their great ancestor. However, Fianna wasn't enough. His race had lost its foundation, fallen further than it had been in Ancient Times. That was why—
Finn: I have to surpass her.
Asuna and Ottar's expression changed from one of surprise to understanding.
Finn: His fight and his Adventure...always has an effect on me.
Finn noted. As the battle continued to unfold, he thought about having to transcend the part of him that had come to just accept casting things aside. That he had to become a hero who obliterated the scales, too.
Ottar: Your not the only one. I finally found something I can strive for other than my Goddess.
Ottar said breaking down his thought which took Finn and Asuna back. Though his and Sora's fight had been a draw, Ottar felt like he would be the one to lose if the fight continued on. He had known the Light of Hope was strong, but he didn't expect their differences would be this much
Ottar: Ever since I defeated Zald, I thought I'd finally become the true strongest. I'd finally surpassed the Zeus and Hera Familia.
But he was wrong. Sora had surpassed them all in a flash. Before the Light of Hope shown his Spirit form, he was already stronger than him. Now seeing what Sora is truly capable of, his level felt like an unreachable plane, Ottar wasn't sure he could win no matter how high the Level he achieved.
Ottar: I didn't heed Zald's warning.
Asuna: Uncle's warning?
Zald: Don't take for granted that you defeated me, boar. If you let your guard down for even a second, that brat of mine will surpass us in a flash.
Finn and Asuna:...
Ottar: That's why... I'll grow stronger by my own strength. My own selfish wish and goals.
Ottar clench his fist tightly finally finding something to aim that he could truly called it his own. An unreachable peak that he would strive in order to surpass the Light of Hope.
Asuna: 'Or is following in the steps of Sora Yatagami too much for you to handle?'
Finn:...Heh, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Ottar: Geh, HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Finn laughed out loud as his own motivational speech boomeranged back at himself, giggling like a child. Ottar's own laughter takes the attention of his own Familia alongside those who were there causing the familia members nearby to get flustered and Asuna to look at them dubiously.
Ottar: I'LL ADMIT IT, SORA YATAGAMI!!! YOU ARE THE STRONGEST....!!!!
Ottar's declaration was so surprising that his Familia and Finn's Familia were taken at back. They all saw Ottar's face smiling in excitement. Finn was no different. Sora Yatagami had continued on the path of the fool to the very end, eventually finding his way back to the path of the hero in the process. He'd struggled and strived without casting aside anything. Even if it was a miraculous walk on a tightrope, a paper-thin margin, it was something he had reached with his own strength—without yielding to the world to cast aside divine will.
Finn(mind): This is the type of hero the gods...and the world wants to see, I think.
In that case, Finn would remove his facade, start anew in a way that wouldn't lose to the heretical hero. He was being shaped. He was changing. He knew it. And that was fine. Someone who could stand still after being enthralled by the Light of Hope's adventure wasn't a true adventurer.
Finn(mind): I...should bury Deimne.
Bury the hatred for monsters in the depths of his heart for the time being. Loki's advice had been good. He'd made his decision when he saw that gargoyle. Whether for the sake of its comrades or the boy. Because the monster offering up its life either way—that was the bravery Finn had been seeking all along.
Finn:...Arcus. Pull back the squad.
Arcus: What?!
Finn: As long as Ottar and the others are here, we won't be able to do anything. It's a waste of time. We should start on another matter.
Finn shifted his gaze. He saw Lefiya reluctantly turning away from Sora's battle with the juggernaut and heading back toward the rest of her familia.
Asuna:...Not going to watch it to the end?
Finn: I already know what that boyfriend of yours will accomplish. Now that the monsters are gone, I've no use for this place. But what about you?
Asuna: I'm sorry. But I'm staying. Sora told me to watch this fight.
Finn: I see.
With that word, Asuna activated her Angel Wing and she flew, grabbing Aiz and flew towards the top of Babel to get a better view. As Finn made to leave, Ottar looked a bit surprised, though only those who'd known him the longest would recognize this expression. It was a day filled with odd expressions for him. Finn smiled like a child again, satisfied and exhilarated.
Yes, he already knew in his bones the result of this battle. Just like that time before, the Light of Hope would ignite a spark in people's hearts and demonstrate his way of life — drawing in, fascinating, and urging everyone. Like a page in an epic.
Finn: I should take a risk...no, go on an adventure, too.
(Timeskip)
Loki: And so you've gone, Finn...
Loki whispered when she heard the report from the messenger. The encampment was devoid of the main members of the familia. Raul had lost his cool and shouted
Raul: Whaaaaaat?!
At the report that Finn was taking Lefiya and the other familia members to the Dungeon. When Gareth had gotten the order to withdraw from the underground passage and meet at the Dungeon, he dashed away, grumbling.
Raul: Oy! You're really dwarf-handling me here!
Watching it all from the spire, Loki raised her head and looked out over the northwest of the Labyrinth District as she sat cross-legged in front of the window. Now that Dionysus had met up again with Filvis and left, Loki was alone, thinking back on what had happened a few hours before.
(Flashback)
Loki:—Hey, old man.
Before the battle had started in the Labyrinth District, Loki had gone to Guild Headquarters, meeting the old god alone at the underground altar.
Loki: I heard it all from Hestia. About the monsters yer callin' Xenos.
Ouranos:...Is that so?
Ouranos's expression didn't change in the slightest as he lounged on his seat, almost as if he'd anticipated the information would get to Loki from Hestia. He didn't panic or welcome it.
Loki: You got yerself a real bomb there, with what y'all are hidin'. It might even be a bigger deal than the city destruction scenario that we're chasin' right now.
Ouranos:...
Loki: Dionysus's instinct was right, in a way.
It was a world-class Irregular that wouldn't stop with just Orario. With his secret exposed, Ouranos closed his eyes, almost as if in resignation. The old god was presumably about to ask, What do you intend to do now?
Loki: But right now, I don't give a shit about that one way or the other.
Loki spoke first.
Loki: If Finn happens to come to the answer that y'all are hopin' for— when that time comes, you damn well better not get in his way.
She warned with a straight face, to Ouranos's surprise.
Loki: Right now, that child is tryin' to change. He's been moved by the uproar y'all brought, he's worryin', and he's tryin' to reach a different answer than he had up until now!
Loki saw the wavering heart he'd hidden when he heard Ikelos's answer. Loki had watched over it, as he was shaken by Sora Yatagami's actions, as the hero had constantly questioned himself in anguish. She had not intervened.
She left Riveria and Gareth to get close to him, watching over him as a parent while he tried to come to his own answer. She knew better than anyone that he didn't want the advice or guidance of a god.
Loki: I don't know which path he'll choose, either! No one can predict it, and he might run down a rugged, high path! But that's his story and his choice!
Because Finn wanted to weave the ballad of his own heroism.
Loki: If you try to take advantage of that, I'll kick yer ass in the blink of an eye! If you try to extort him, I'll damn sure beat yer ass!
She berated Ouranos vehemently as he opened his eyes wide. Finn had crushed the fear he'd let slip in front of Riveria and Gareth, the seed of destruction on the path of Braver, the collar that would force him into Ouranos's camp by extorting him into making a deal with the monsters. Loki was telling the old god not to get in Finn's way.
Loki: Tell that playboy, too! If you get in his way, the rules of the mortal realm be damned: I'll be comin' to murder ya! Try to run to heaven—see if I care. I'll chase ya until I destroy you and there ain't even a speck of dust left! And that goes for you, too, old man!
That shout, verging on bluster, contained all of Loki, all of her love for Finn. Or perhaps it was the scream of a goddess trying to protect her child.
Loki: If you try to get in the way of his goal, I won't forgive you.
It was the one and only time Loki would interfere, a divine will stepping in to ensure that Finn would be able to walk his chosen path without any gods getting in his way.
Loki: If you can abide by that, then...I'll keep quiet about your bomb, the Xenos.
Ouranos:...Very well.
Ouranos accepted after a few moments of silence, judging the deal to be sufficiently of value. The four large torches on the altar crackled. After the two gods made their deal in secrecy, Ouranos asked:
Ouranos: Loki... why are you going so far to support Braver?
Loki: Huh? That's easy. Like that playboy might put it—
Almost contemptuously, almost boastfully, she couldn't help responding to the old god.
Loki:—because I'm that hero's first fan.
(Present)
The cool night air brushed Loki's cheeks as she descended into thought, warm wind blowing from the northwest. The pulse of the hero who had returned.
Loki: Finn, don't get left behind.
Remembering her response to Ouranos's question, Loki narrowed her eyes.
Loki: Carrying out your initial goal is a great thing. I love that unwavering side of you. But ya know...if you get too caught up in that, you'll be overtaken in a flash.
She sent good wishes to her follower who was continuing to worry, struggling to come to an answer even then.
Loki: But you're best when you're sticking to your resolve and duty, carrying all of that even as you move forward. You won't lose to anyone, not even that Old Gramp's kid. Win for me.
Loki opened her vermilion eyes and smiled.
Loki: Win this hero's race.