The two youths stared a moment longer at the strange passage before them, trying to grasp its meaning.
—Haaah, I give up. Let's save the theorizing for when we're with the others.
—Probably for the best. We might even find something later that clears it all up. Either way, I'm taking this—The boy with the beret took the worn book and secured it to his back with a shadow. With nothing left to do in the chamber, the apprentices exited and continued through the mausoleum.
—...
—...
—...
—Alright, spit it out.
—What?
—I can tell when you're chewing on something you want to say. Figure you're holding back because I said we'd wait for the others, but if you want to say it, say it—Slightly embarrassed, Deuz tugged his beret lower over his eyes.
—Fine... I was thinking, what if that passage is a prophecy?
—Why's that?
—Mainly because this whole place and the vestiges in it have an implicit religious theme. Plus, "Priests of Perdition" and "Eclipse Bishop" line up with what's written on that last page, which might even be a religious text. Now, why that last page is in our language is a mystery—He explained, visibly pleased. Shoun guessed it was because theorizing just made him happy.
—Guess that makes sense. We should see if we can find more books. Who knows, with enough material, Robin might actually decipher it.
—Do you even realize how hard it is to decode an unknown language?
—No, but I'm sure they'd still be happy to have more to work with.
—...Yeah, that's definitely something they'd love.—They continued through the mausoleum, eventually stumbling into a vast library, its shelves stretching to the ceiling and crammed with books—Well... looks like Robin won't run out of material. Let's just grab a couple, any more might mess with my combat mobility.
Together, they skimmed through a few books, searching for anything legible, even checking for Elvish and Demonic script, but found nothing useful.
—Haaah... This is getting us nowhere. Here, take these two—After a while, Shoun gave up and grabbed two random books from their pile. Without bothering to tidy up, they pressed onward, until they reached a strange hallway. Cautiously, they took the path and spotted two entrances leading into darkened corridors.
—Seems this is where the "two visitors only" rule applies.
—Tch. If it were just this section, the others could've come too.
—My thoughts exactly. You go first.—Without hesitation, Shoun strode down one of the two hallways, not looking back. The moment he stepped inside, the entrance sealed behind him with a force field—one Deuz tried and failed to breach.—Hmm... Interesting.—Without another word, he took the adjacent path. Instantly, the entire Mausoleum of Gloom fell into absolute silence.
Within the darkened corridor, Shoun grew uneasy from the lack of visibility. Not a single window let even a sliver of that unnatural white light pierce the gloom.
—...—The young man walked for what felt like an eternity, yet the endless darkness showed no signs of ending.—Tch... How much longer?
As if triggered by his words, a Codex-like screen materialized before Shoun's eyes.
[To proceed, deposit an important memory. The resource will be erased from your mind.]
—A memory?—Shoun racked his brain for what qualified as "important" and how to deposit it. He thought of Sein's soccer match, nothing. He recalled Kaze and Robin's recent conversation in the machine room during a past mission, still nothing. Finally, he remembered his first meeting with Kaze, when he'd saved him from a thug. A new message appeared:
[Important memory selected. Deposit?]
—...I don't think that's appropriate—Now certain of what qualified as an "important memory," he pondered his options. His first meeting with Kaze was immediately discarded, along with similar memories of his other friends—(I don't want to forget how I met my friends... that'd just be confusing.)—He considered his battle with Jack, also flagged as important—(Not that either. We'll probably fight again, forgetting our first clash would be a hassle.)—His mind then turned to painful recollections: his family's death, his torture at the government's hands—(...No matter how much they hurt, I can't erase these. If I could prevent them from happening, I would, but deleting them changes nothing. For better or worse, they shaped who I am. I can't forget.).
He sifted through memories for what felt like ages, many too trivial for the Codex's criteria, others too precious to lose. Finally, he settled on one.
—Yes... I'd be okay forgetting this.
[Important memory selected. Deposit?]
—Yes...
The screen vividly replayed his choice: Young Shoun in a sunlit park with his family. His father demonstrated combat techniques, one standing out, the tornado kick.
—Please teach me, Dad!
—Hehe, think that's a bit advanced for you now, son—The man consoled, ruffling his hair.
—I'm ready! Don't underestimate me!—The boy puffed his cheeks, sparks crackling around him. One zapped his sister Chelsea, lounging on the grass with music.
—Ow! Watch it, you little—She bit back curses under their parents' stern glares—Ahem... little brother.
—Come on, Dad! You've taught me punches and kicks, I can handle this!
—Haaah... Fine. First, you need to— For several minutes, his father guided him through the technique. Shoun attempted it fearlessly, only to tumble sideways into the grass each time—Shoun, you've got to jump harder! You can do it!
—Fuuuh— His parents watched as the boy steadied himself for another try. Even Chelsea, still pretending to sulk, glanced sideways. With a deep breath, young Shoun leapt, spun mid-air, and kicked.
—That's it, Shoun!—his father cheered, just before the boy face-planted into the grass. Blood trickled from his nose as everyone rushed over.
The memory ended. Shoun replayed it twice more: his father's passionate strikes, his mother's loving meal prep, his "cold" sister who'd still been the first to bolt to his side.
—All of this... will vanish from my mind...—Tears welled. This memory had been his refuge in loneliness, the last outing his family ever had, and the origin of his signature move—Uuuuh... But I'm not alone anymore. I'm not. Maybe I can let this go... Even if they're gone, I want them to know I loved them—Wiping his eyes, he confirmed the deposit. The screen vanished, leaving the hallway in silence.
A faint glow finally appeared ahead. Shoun marched toward it without hesitation, emerging into another grand corridor, linked to Deuz's path, though his companion was nowhere in sight.
—...Guess he's still deciding—Leaning against the wall, Shoun waited. He knew he'd sacrificed the family outing memory... yet couldn't recall it. Only a hollow ache remained—Hope I chose right.
The young man didn't have to wait long before the boy with the beret emerged, head lowered. His hat blocked part of the light from reaching his face, casting his eyes in shadow.
—...Let's keep moving—Deuz immediately agreed. Neither wanted to speak about what they'd just experienced. Though they couldn't remember what they'd forgotten, the loss still ached, like part of themselves was missing.
As they continued, they found a large white door. Behind it, they could feel their objective drawing nearer.
—Fuuuh, alright Deuz...moment of truth. Let's not let what we just went through cloud our minds.
—...Right. Let's end this once and for all— Leaving the books in a corner, they pulled open the door to reveal a vast hall shrouded in gloom. Inside stood four Priests of Perdition, two Eclipse Bishops, and a vestige clad in massive white armor. It gripped a greatsword while its cape - similar to the other vestiges' robes, was held together by black chains that wrapped around its entire body. On its chest was the same symbol that adorned the entrance to the Mausoleum of Gloom.
The moment they stepped inside, all turned toward them. The living armor began to rise.
—Let's take out the bishops first—Declared the young man as he drew Iron Fang from its sheath, immediately launching himself with a Balance Voltage Impulse to prevent them from casting their slowing spell. But before he could reach them, the living armor also sprang into action, intercepting him. Their weapons clashed, and despite the size difference, the young man held his ground. Though he didn't lose his position, he was quickly surrounded by all the priests.
Despite their efforts, a gray filter spread across the room as the other bishop began chanting another mysterious spell. Shadows flooded the chamber, forming tentacles similar to Deuz's.
—Using shadows in my presence? Seriously?—Even slowed, the boy with the beret seized control of all the summoned tentacles, using them to restrain both bishops and cancel their spells, while maintaining the shadowy appendages through his own power. —Shoun!
—On it!—Knowing exactly what to do, he unleashed his full strength in a single motion, forcing the living armor back for a split second. With another Balance Voltage Impulse, he shot toward both bishops, bisecting them with his razor-sharp katana. The Codex promptly acknowledged his feat.
With no time to celebrate, the remaining vestiges lunged at Shoun. Unrestrained and aided by Deuz, who summoned more and more tentacles, he systematically eliminated each trapped priest until only the living armor remained, forced to watch helplessly as its allies fell.
Enraged, the vestige charged Shoun again, its towering frame swinging its massive sword in a crushing blow. But the young man dodged effortlessly, using the opening for Deuz to ensnare the creature's leg with countless shadowy tendrils, yanking it down to just the right height.
Balance Voltage Tornado Kick!
The electrified slash from his kick caved in the creature's helmet, sending it crashing into a wall. Dazed but still conscious, the vestige watched as Deuz rushed to imprison it in a web of shadow while Shoun closed in. In desperation, the living armor hurled its greatsword at what it deemed the greater threat.
Seeing the blade flying toward him, Shoun prepared to evade, but it sailed past him. Dismissing it, he reached the armored vestige in an instant, driving Iron Fang deep into the helmet's visor slit. The Codex proclaimed their victory:
[You have slain the "Traitor of the Final Eclipse" a wretch]
Shoun wanted to celebrate, until an unnatural scream pierced the air, raising every hair on his body. He turned to see the source.
—Aaaaagh!
—Deuz!