A Letter Addressed to Lindsey

Sorry, Lindsey,
I didn't mean to stay away for so long.
You didn't give up on your research just to look for me, did you?
The Lindsey I know and admire would never do that.

 

And don't worry, we'll meet again soon.
I've finally got ahold of what I've been looking for in the Underworld,
even though it's one of many pieces of the legacy I've been seeking.

 

I've heard that you Seven Shards are studying the piece you retrieved on your own.
I'll be back soon with the one I have.
It won't be long until we meet again!

 

By the way, the Northpiece Nobility rose in revolt, didn't it?
It angers me that it cost so many of our talented stars.
If I were there...
No. What happened would have happened with or without me.
There's no use in regretting what's happened.
But it must have put more weight on you Seven Shards.

 

I heard the hero whom you told me about helped put an end to the civil war,
but I have a feeling the Nobility is not done with its rebellious ways, just yet.
But I might be wrong.
I'll let you know if I know anything for sure.
I hope this letter will reach you safely.
Hoping to see you soon. - From a friend who admires you

 

 

War of the Saints

Archangel Michael

Michael.
You've failed.
The fact that I'm here looking down on you proves that.
Your once radiant hair has lost its luster.
Your eyes that once saw nothing but the truth are shut tight from exhaustion.
Your mind that once contained His radiance has yielded to His enemy, who now dwells there, smiling.
Your hands that once carried out His will have been lost, along with the cross they used to hold.
Your body now sways limp, like petals fluttering in the air.

 

Michael.
For what reason did you sacrifice yourself?
The things that you wanted so badly to protect are set on betraying you.
The things that you wanted to destroy have become part of you.
Those people wouldn't even accept the sacrifices made for their sake.

 

Look.
They believe you only after seeing you with their own eyes.
No, they don't believe you, even after seeing you with their own eyes.
No, they don't even try to open their eyes or see you at all.

 

...Michael.
My delicate and stubborn lamb.
You've failed.
That's why I'm here.
I've risen because you've fallen.
I'm here to end this difficult battle and these schemes of evil.
I'm your patron star and an agent of Light.
I have decided to protect you,
even if it destroys those you wanted to protect.

 

 

Angel of Chaos Luciferre

You're an angel born from light, but blinded by the very source of your life.
You have wings, but they're incapable of taking you high into the sky.

 

Your gray wings symbolize the corruption that was thrown down to the earth.
Your masked eyes express the mind's eye that refuses to see false truth.
Everything seen through Chaos is a disaster and chaos in itself.

 

As an angel, you're tasked to judge and punish all that is unholy.
Everywhere you look, there's something to be punished.
Only light and darkness are pure and innocent. Everything that moves is a sin that is deserving of punishment.

 

Punish it with your spear of light forged in pure darkness.
Thrust it into its dark, twisted heart, demanding the truth.

 

And by doing that, you'll bestow upon them the purest light... and darkness.
Bright light blinds the eyes. Suffocating darkness offers no relief.
It is as He wishes.

 

 

Monster of Light Python

Python knew the moment it opened its eyes what it must do:
protect its creator and help him destroy Chaos.
The sacred Vericollis was tainted by the rampaging power of Chaos. Python was convinced that it was born to assist its creator in putting an end to this catastrophe.

 

"Guide those who possess Light. Destroy those who possess Chaos."

 

So, it mercilessly crushed every slave of Chaos it saw with its fists imbued with incredible holy power.
It was determined to keep all enemies away from its master.

 

God ruled over the wrong with mercy as well as fear.
Everything is as He wishes. Those who refuse to follow Him must be destroyed.

 

"Everything is for him who destroys Chaos!"

 

 

Noblesse Code

Queen Destroyer

The Nobility was desperate to reclaim its former glory, so it decided to work with the De Los Empire.
To overthrow the Empress, it needed more military power than she had.
With the Empire's support, the Nobility Council decided to recruit as many soldiers as possible and even finish the ultimate weapon that it had all but given up on.

 

Most nobles were skeptical about the weapon's development.
Herman was the greatest engineer that Empyrean had ever produced, and even he couldn't create an engine to power it.
The voices of concern quickly died away when a woman entered the scene.

 

She was once a potential candidate for the Seven Shards, but she couldn't make the cut because of her unethical and unconventional research.
The Nobility couldn't care less. Its future was at stake.
It spared no effort to support her for the weapon's development. It even involved the Empire.
The Empire came up with an engine design, and this female researcher successfully applied it to the weapon.
But the final product was not like Herman's original design. It also looked incomplete, with only parts of the design incorporated into it.

 

"...It looks incomplete. There's so much missing from what I saw in the schematics."
"Incomplete? Why don't you hold off on your judgment until you see what it can do?"

 

The woman answered with slight laughter in her voice. She sounded seductive and dangerous.
She dreamily stared at her creation and spoke gently.

 

"I never intended to create what Herman designed, anyway. She is my baby, the results of my own research."

 

She was right. This weapon was not like Herman's design, but it looked more threatening than any other weapon in Empyrean.
This ultimate weapon that combined countless technologies was Northpiece's hope.
"What should I call her? ...Yes, Queen Destroyer."

 

 

Rupert Dostar

A wind was blowing.
Feeling the old familiar cold wind of Empyrean against his cheeks, he gazed across the sea.
A member of The Company with a longsword on his back approached and lowered his head.

 

"He's not here."

 

Not taking his eyes off the distant sea, he sighed. His breath steamed white like cigarette smoke.

 

"I didn't think we'd find him so easily."

 

Otherwise, we'd already have found him in the Underworld.
He waved a hand at his man, dismissing him.

 

This man who commanded the member of The Company was none other than the group's current leader, Rupert Dostar.
The member nodded and left. Rupert rubbed the pendant he was wearing on his chest.

 

"Teacher, where are you...?"

 

He sounded more resolute and grim than sad.
With his eyes still on the sea, Rupert tightened his grip around his pendant.
The sharp edges of the exquisitely carved pendant dug into his palm, causing pain. He didn't release his hold on it.

 

"I'd rather you not show up."

 

His voice had an edge that was sharper than the pendant's.
His deep-set eyes gleamed dangerously like a hungry predator's.

 

"If you did, one of us would have to die."

 

 

Mad Rike

Her eyes grew cold. I knew it.
Before the research results even appeared on her hologram monitor, she angrily jabbed at the close button.
Pop! A red light flashed, brightening the lab for a moment. The object, which was now a piece of junk, fell to the ground, rolling away.
She let out a breath. Her anger didn't last long.
She quickly moved her fingers as she continued to work. There's no such thing as a miracle. It's all about accurate calculation. Something went wrong, again.

 

The world was crazy. It was too busy arguing about what was right and wrong to move forward into a better future.
But the means don't matter. So long as the ends justify them, that is.
For now, people were calling her a mad scientist, but soon they would all forget about it. His method isn't wrong.
But I trust the knowledge in my head more than anything. Forget about ethics and justice. All of that is worthless nonsense.

 

Suddenly, the lab rang with the sound of running feet that came closer.

 

"Lady Wane would like to know how you're doing with King Destroyer."

 

I've already finished it, thank you very much. She's just a nosy hag who can't see the forest for the trees.

 

Her face contorted at the unpleasant noise.
The soldier froze where he stood, startled by the ugly anger in her face.
She turned around and started walking away with a calm, confident stride.

 

Soon, my masterpiece will open her eyes.
The corners of her mouth turned upward into a grotesque smile.
It startled a passing man, who quickly averted his eyes. She didn't care.
She hadn't cared about what other people thought of her for a long time.

 

People who are obsessed with ethics and righteousness are pathetic.
It won't be queens who change Empyrean. In the end, what I'm doing is right.
I can't wait to see the looks on the people's faces

 

when they see my masterpiece.

 

 

Destroyed Castle of the Dead

Tomboy Becky

She gasped.
She then rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
She also pinched her cheeks. Am I dreaming? Her cheeks reddened almost instantly.
They stung, too, bringing tears to her eyes.

 

"Golc...? Is that really you?"

 

Gold Clown, who she thought was dead, was standing in front of her.
Something was wrong with the way he stared at her.
The faint smile on his lips also sent goosebumps all over her, but she refused to look away.
She didn't want to hurt him. Her friend had finally returned after so long.

 

"A gift?"

 

Her mind whirled as she looked down at the slingshot that Golc gave her.
Memories ricocheted inside her head, sounding loud alarms everywhere.
Images of her friends flashed before her eyes. Gold Clown. Even him. This made her sad, and she hated feeling sad.
It had been a long time since anyone visited the Castle of the Dead. She was lonely.
She wanted to throw away the slingshot in her hand. Its heavy feel only reminded her of the weight of her painful memories.

 

"What? From who?"

 

At first, she couldn't believe what she heard. She cleaned her ears and asked him to repeat what he said.
The terrible misgivings that had shaded her mind disappeared at once. She couldn't stop smiling.
She hugged the slingshot and lovingly ran her fingers across it.

 

"He wants me to protect his castle with this, right?"

 

She held her slingshot tightly. She had a new order now, and she wasn't alone anymore.
She swore to herself that she'd never let anyone enter the Castle of the Dead.
She must protect her friends who had returned.
I'm an awesome homunculus who never fails to carry out her missions!

 

 

Abyss Walker

In the complete darkness, only two swords gleam.
Have I turned inward to reach the next level as a swordsman?
Or... am I in Hell?

 

Does it matter where I am?
My sword still thirsts for enlightenment,
and I have a body to hold and swing it.
I'll swing it until I surpass my friend, or until I die trying.

 

What I swing is my sword and my will.
My moving body is my unfaded faith and my fighting will.
I'm content, just holding my sword like this.

 

"Geez, stop glorifying yourself. You're a killer, just like me."

 

Who are you?
An enemy?

 

"Wow, don't you know? Now, I'm you."

 

Show yourself and clash your sword against mine.
You're just a weak shadow hiding in the darkness.

 

"You want me to show myself? Hah hah. As you wish."

 

My field of vision turns red.
The pitch-dark space is now shimmering in red.
Thirst for strength and bloodlust start boiling inside me.

 

"Hah hah. Yes, I remember this feeling. Can't wait to kill something!"

 

Someone else inside me speaks words that I didn't intend.
My hand moves of its own accord, swinging my sword, spraying blood in the air.
Ah... So, I'm in Hell...

 

 

Kalbarri of Light

Golgotha,
sometimes I dream about Heblon,
where light and darkness coexisted, with the sun and the moon looking down upon us from the sky, side by side.
I thought we'd forever enjoy peace under Father's absolute rule.

 

I was wrong.
When Father disappeared, so did the light of Heblon.
Extreme temperature fluctuations ensued, quickly killing off the creatures on the planet.
You and I tried to contain the situation with our powers from Father.
We weren't strong enough, our powers split between our two separate bodies.

 

I jumped for joy when I first found Father in this place.
I thought we could finally bring back the old glory of Heblon together.
I was wrong yet again. Our father, who was like a god to us, no longer exists.
But I can't just accept that.
Unlike us, Father was perfect. He could see the future. Why did he have to die?
I can't forgive them.
They took away our father—our absolute god.

 

I'm staying in this room that Father created for me, mourning his death every waking moment.
Dreaming about our happy days and how they were taken away from us overnight.
No matter how much time passes, or even if this planet is destroyed,
my anger and resentment won't disappear.
I'm going to use my power of light, Father's only legacy, to punish everything that interferes with his eternal rest.
You should do the same, as it is our last duty, Golgotha.

 

 

Golgotha of Darkness

In Heblon, I was always a flawed son, an inadequate prince.
The king was disappointed that his son wasn't born as a whole as everyone had hoped,
and his subjects raised voices of concern.

 

My sister, who was my other half, was happy staying under her father's shadow,
but I wasn't. I felt cornered by my own inner darkness as well as his shadow.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't satisfy him with my halved power.
Father never openly blamed me or even showed any of his unhappiness with me,
but as time passed by,
I sensed his anxiety and impatience.
My inner darkness took greater hold of me.

 

When he disappeared, I thought I finally had a chance to prove my power.
Heblon needed my power of darkness to keep the balance between light and darkness.
How arrogant of me to have thought that I could ever replace my father?

 

I've been locked up in darkness,
the dark prison that I'd created on my own.
No one blamed me.
No one was left to blame me,
except for my sister, Kalbarri.

 

It was I, who had been pushing myself deep into the silent darkness,
which has become my own fortress.
Now, I'm determined to protect Kalbarri and myself against everything that threatens us.
It's the only thing I can do in this darkness, anyway.

 

 

Revived Gold Clown

My creator, my king.
I'm back, which means so are you.
I've never questioned that your resurrection would come.

 

You've made your humble servant's body much stronger than before.
I can never thank you enough.
My eyes are blurry and my memory hazy,
but I don't care.
Our god, the King of Light and Darkness, has returned!

 

We must hold a banquet to celebrate!
So much to prepare, so little time.
But let me gather around your family and subjects.
The more, the merrier!

 

Please enjoy this brilliant banquet of light and darkness
prepared just for you.

 

 

Eternal Flame

Eternal Flame Captain Stark

The dragons' breath burned down the villages.
Their fangs destroyed the nation.

 

Their claws tore apart mothers.
Their flapping wings destroyed buildings.
Children helplessly watched as their fathers were crushed by the falling rubble.

 

In the face of their massive claws and wings, our soldiers are helpless.
Our weapons can't even leave a scratch on them. The Nobility is as scared as the commoners.

 

We need bigger, stronger weapons to resist the dragons.
We need a shield to protect ourselves.
Now that we've learned that the best defense is a good offense,
we'll spare no effort to create a weapon to destroy them.

 

What wouldn't I give to extract their fangs and rip apart their wings!
We must create the most ruthless and strongest weapon possible.
We've sacrificed a lot to gather here for that single purpose.

 

The Gaebolg Project must be completed, no matter what.
To liberate ourselves from the dragons' oppression.

 

 

Main NPC

Michelle Curio

Female, aged 36.
A descendant of the Curio, one of the Seven Meisters.
She herself was one of the Seven Shards, but she left it for a reason that she kept to herself.
She's a hidden supporter behind a weapon design by Meister Herman, who's known to be the very first Prime.
She kept in close contact with him while he was alive. She was also close to his student, who was slightly older than she was.
When Herman died, she cut ties with everyone else and secluded herself in her lab, focusing on her research.

 

When she was a Shard, she received more support than the others from the Royal Family and the Nobility,
but she left it all behind and just disappeared one day. "I have to find something to protect everyone," was what she said to Lindsey Rossum before she left.
No one knows what she's looking for or if she's even alive,
but Lindsey Rossum, who followed Michelle like an older sister, is waiting patiently for her eventual return.

 

 

Meister Tenebe

Male. Age unknown.
The leader of the Seven Meisters and the anti-Bakal resistance group, Eternal Flame.
He was the greatest of all Mechanics at that time, and knew enough about science to win a debate against the other Meisters.
Later, he betrayed his group for a reason only he knew and revealed Project Gaebolg to Bakal, causing the deaths of the others.
He disappeared after Project Gaebolg failed. It's still not known why he betrayed his group or what kind of life he led afterward.

 

 

Meister Volgan

Male. Age unknown.
One of the Seven Meisters who's so big and muscular that people are surprised that he's also a genius scientist.
He also had vast knowledge and experience in military strategy, which greatly contributed to the great weapons that his group created.

 

 

Meister Curio

Male, aged 29 (at the time of his death).
One of the Seven Meisters, who was young and strong-willed, and also had strong faith in freedom.
He was charged to carry out research on power of spacetime to help their secret weapon, Gaebolg, move quickly despite its massive frame.
Later, Tenebe betrayed the others, killing them all except for Curio, along with their project, Codename Gaebolg. Curio used his dimensional teleportation device to move Gaebolg to another dimension and hid a special code that could temporarily summon the weapon.
Curio was eventually killed by pursuers sent by Bakal, but his code still exists, and it is handed down among a selected group.

 

 

Meister Hauts-de-louis

Male. Age unknown.
The most carefree spirit of all the Seven Meisters.
He was as great a scientist as Tenebe, and a leader of the Eternal Flames.
He was next to none when it came to mathematics and machine design. He was always in the lead in the development of mechanical control systems.

 

 

Blacksmith Creo

Male in his early 40s.
The blacksmith who represents the Forge of Light of Lemidia Basilica, which is a parish of Third Degree in itself.
A pious follower of Lemidios, he's believed to have greater holy power than most Priests.
Creo was once a famous blacksmith of the Empire. When he realized that his proud pieces of work had taken countless lives, he turned to the Order.
Since then, he's led the Forge of Light, assisting the Priests in many ways. It's said that he's now as influential as the Archpriests within the Order.
He's decided to use his billows only in the name of his god. Currently, he's maintaining a neutral stance in the conflict among the factions within the Order.