Part 29: Chapter XXVII: To Know The Truth - Part 2

So...Faz killed Chaos and Weiss, retook his power from Eva, and has revealed himself as the fallen dark god Mobius...just what is going on? Reunion of gods



That's impossible! Mobius...no, all of the dark gods were sealed away by the god of light, Lenion! There is no way that those seals could have been broken!

You are correct; the seals are still intact. However, I plan on rectifying that now. In order to finally break the seals, I will need to take my power back and begin resurrecting my body.

Impossible... Breaking the seals would be impossible!

Impossible things happen in this world; they're called -miracles-, which we gods can perform.

Let the girl go.

And Grey...his soul has been lost to Chaos, who now stands before us. The god whose power would lead the world to destruction has been reborn in the body of the team's old friend. Is this what we fought for...?

Oh... Are you so worried about this girl that you'd just leave your little toy as is? Have you developed feelings for this girl? Or is it that you see traces of that -woman- in her? After all, it was Lenion who created this girl in the first place, right?

You've regained your power. You no longer have any need for that girl.

No, I have great need of this girl. If I hope to continue my existence in this world, I need a new body. Unlike you, the body I currently inhabit is beginning to rot even as this world is.

...

However, I am nothing if not benevolent, so I will give you a chance to save this girl. If you give me a -part- of yourself as well as Summerill's Bracelet of the Covenant, I'll let her go.

Bracelet of the Covenant?

Yes. Considering it's for this girl's life, it's not too unreasonable of an exchange, right?

Don't be an ass! We can't just go resurrect Summerill!

Considering we do not even know how to go about retrieving it, how do you expect us to give it to you?

Then there's no reason to continue this conversation.

Hold it!

Do you intend to needlessly throw away your life?

Don't try to stop me! I can take him by myself!



However, if you want to die, then that'd be a different matter altogether.

Mobius, I will give you that part of myself now. And I promise that I will obtain the Bracelet of the Covenant and deliver it to you. In return, you will not harm that girl. Understood?

That's the attitude! Alas, I have my own agenda to look after. I need to attach my newfound power to a new body quickly, or all of my efforts will be for naught. Yes... There is time before my power overwhelms this girl. I will give you that period to fulfill your promise to me. Be warned that if you go beyond that time, even if you give me the bracelet this girl will be no more. Be sure you do not forget that fact.

Very well, take what you will.

*Chuckle* And...received. I will be in the deepest part of the ruins, using the artifact there to take control of this girl's body. If you want to save her, you should return as quickly as possible. Hahahahaha!

So Fastie wasn't making up that story... It's just it was bait to lure the team into a spot where a demon could show up and awaken Chaos. He planned everything out...

Grey!

Wait, Faz! Where did he go?!

Fastie- No, Mobius said he would be waiting for us in the heart of the ruins.

So, should we follow him into the ruins, then?



And now WE'RE the ones who will return Summerill to the world of the living... Fate can be an interesting thing.

Grey...er... I mean...Chaos?

Yes.

Where is...?

Grey no longer exists in this world.

What do you mean?

We will speak of it later. Someone should carry the girl...Eva.

Of course.

Grey...no, Chaos. You'll be coming with us. You'd better not run away, got it?

And what would I need to flee from? However, if my continued presence will make you feel better, so be it. I'll travel with all of you.

The closest place to here is...

The village of the Yurle clan.

Would it be possible to get her to the Lishius clan? Now that we no longer have Fiona to rely on, Eva will require Lady Ordine's aid.

Yeah...I'm not thinking Helshaft is going to be fond of us bringing in the God of Darkness into his village...

We can use the transfer portal in the Yurle village. I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult from there...

All right, let's try to get her to the Lishius. Come on, give me a hand.

Okay.

Uh...Urrh...

...

Chaos has been returned, but in the body of Grey. And now we're planning to give Mobius just what he wants to fulfill his grand design. Fallen star



Do not worry. I have summoned our most skilled healers to aid her. Everyone, I will need you to help with preparations.

Understood.

Let's go.

Yes!

You are...



Unfortunately, that does appear to be the case...

I agree that it is unfortunate as well. However, this is how things are now. Both you and I can only accept the reality of the situation. Is that not so?

Yes...

But perhaps there is something that I can do as well.

Lady Ordine, I must apologize... The worst possible outcome came about despite my presence in their party. I will accept any punishment you wish to give, but please, I beg you to use your power to save her.

It is not your fault that all of this has come to pass. You did all that you could.

However, if I had been a bit more decisive sooner, something like this would never-

Not all things will go as we wish them to. If everything had gone according to plan, the world would not be facing certain ruin now. Yes, we must now inform anyone who will listen: what will come about when the gods, who created us all, lose their corporeal forms...

...

I have been reminded again of an unassailable truth after coming face to face with Chaos just now. And the truth is that there was nothing that any of us could have done to stop this from happening. Even if you tried to lock away Chaos' power, in the end you are nothing more than merely -human-. And whether Chaos' power could be sealed away by your and all of the guardians' power...



Do you think that they will cooperate?

No... I think... However, it must be done. It may still be possible to seal him as he has yet to regain his full strength.

That may be... The time left to us is limited. Even so, we must make an effort to save as many lives as is possible. Let us go.

Yes...

Sofia...don't do something stupid now. A god's soul



She is in stable condition, but still very, very weak. However, the worst of it seems to have passed.

I see...

Um, I'm very sorry about what happened to Jainus.

...

We need to focus on the present. And about my dad...this isn't the time to think about the dead. It may sound sick, but I'm almost glad that all of this madness is happening. With so many things that need to be dealt with, I don't have time to think about him. I can reminisce about my idiot father later. More importantly, we need to start making decisions about what we're going to do now, right?

Where is he? I know enough to know that you're not him. Tell me where you took him. Choose your answer wisely, or...

You will kill me?

Exactly. Now answer.

And what exactly will you do once you have the answer you seek? You already know what I will say.

I ask you again: Where is he? What happened to him?

Grey no longer exists in this world.

That can't be! Now tell me the truth!

A false world shaped from your delusions is a fragile and empty thing. You must accept reality.



That's not true! It's a lie, it has to be a lie! He can't be gone! And you aren't him! He would never look at me, or anyone else, with such dead eyes!

Liel, that is enough. You should have already realized it by now. Especially considering who, and what, you are. Grey no longer exists.

That's... That's... No, that's impossible! I mean... He can't be...!

I never thought that I'd ever get the chance to -meet my maker-, as it were, while still alive. I'm not particularly happy about it, though. Nor do I intend to give you thanks of any kind.

I really don't want to believe that you're actually Chaos, but the truth is the truth. But what do you mean by saying that Grey never existed to begin with?

To be more accurate, he may have existed. But in fact, I was Grey as much as he was me.

I take it you mean that you weren't sealed within Grey, but were actually alive as him?

A vessel for a soul... So you were acting as the vessel yourself.

A vessel cannot possibly contain two souls at once. When the original seal that held me was broken, Mobius sealed me in an alternate vessel. He put me in a life created by us gods, one capable of inheriting the power and will of the divine. The -vessel- chosen to contain me was what you call a -body-.

No, that means Schwarz's father...

He died by Mobius' hand. Mobius then turned that body without a soul into a -vessel- and sealed me in it. Finally, he created a false personality called -Weiss- for the now functioning body.

B-But, what about Schwarz? Schwarz really existed!

And if Schwarz existed, that means Grey must have also existed.

Depending on how you choose to view things, they both may have existed.



So what Eva was trying to do all along was not to seal your power, but to bring about your resurrection. I see...

Once the seal holding me was broken, I once again was -myself-. But due to the curse Mobius put on me, my memories were replaced with alternate personalities.

Those being Schwarz and Grey...

So there's no way Eva would know about that, huh...

And to be perfectly clear, the personalities of Weiss, Schwarz, and Grey were vastly different from that of myself. In that sense, perhaps, it could be argued that they were not actually a part of me. However, now that I have awakened; their existence from this world has effectively been erased.

A different thing happened with Eva. Although the game never says all this at one point in the game, from my recollection, basically Deeth created Eva as personal amusement for herself (this is the same reason she created the neocolom. She enjoys toying with life basically, and thought it would be funny to create a species that was a mix of several creatures. In that case, humans and beasts). Deeth then offered Eva to Chaos as a twisted gift of sorts, but Chaos essentially refused her, giving Deeth the reason that sentient life was not something to be toyed with and made a mockery out of. He eventually cast Eva out, but not before coming to see her as his daughter.

Eva then became a wild card in the grand game of divine politics. Cast out of Agarest's pantheon, Mobius then picked Eva up as an essential part of his scheme to overthrow Chaos as the most powerful of the dark gods, and eventually, overthrowing Lenion to rule all unquestioned. Eva was given false memories telling her that Weiss was responsible was Chaos' death on the Day of Light, when in fact it was Mobius all along. This is also why she never, ever, used the name "Chaos" when referring to the god she thought Weiss had killed. She kept saying "The god", but never specified who that god was. That was entirely intentional. She was told a god was killed, but not told which one, as if she knew it was Chaos, Mobius thought that she might eventually connect the dots back to him. Besides, her knowing the name of the god wouldn't assist in his plans in any way.

However, none of this still explains why Mobius had to involve Weiss, but there is a reason for that. The seal on Chaos was bound by The Oathsworn, and none but Lenion or those of the Sera could remove it (which is why Schwarz and Grey could use the sword. They are descended from the Sera). Other people can still use the sword and carry it around and such, but as for the seal itself, Mobius as Fastie couldn't touch it. To be sure, Weiss existed as himself before the Day of Light, but the Weiss we knew in the first generation was entirely a creation of Mobius' schemes. He had no memory of the Day of Light because the Weiss in the prologue is not technically the same one as the Weiss in the first generation. He had no recollection of the Day of Light because none existed.

No... Father... I... I don't want to believe...that's he's really gone. I don't...want to!

I feel the same as you. I consider them to be my closest friends...

Let us leave the heartfelt confessions for another time. As the reality of the situation cannot be altered, knowing more than you do now will change nothing. I think the most important question to ask would be: What do you intend to do now?

I must fulfill the promise I made to Mobius. But before that, we will wait for Eva to fully recover.

What about Fiona?

There is time enough to wait.

So, it seems that the gods really can see all, know all, huh? I do agree that we should wait for Eva to get better... But if you screw anything else up, I will pound you into mulch. I guarantee that, god or not, you'll never be able to be resurrected again.

Do whatever will make you happy.

Damn straight!

So we're really going to resurrect Summerill... Desperate struggle



Glad to see you're conscious again. Do you remember who I am?

...Remember you? Jude, do not insult my intelligence again by asking such inane questions.

Looks like there's nothing to worry about.

I'm... Urg!

You mustn't exert yourself just yet. You still have a number of internal injuries that need to heal. Additionally, the damage was severe enough that any normal person would have died from it.

Are you all right?

You...are no longer Grey, are you? I have felt this sensation sometime before in the past...

I deeply regret all that I have done to you. Back then and now in the present. I am truly sorry.

Lord...Chaos? No, it is not possible! Why are you...? Am I caught in a dream?

I should have never sent you away. If I hadn't... No, not even the gods can change what has happened in the past. I should have put an end to everything when it was in my power to do so. It was my foolishness that allowed you to be manipulated and abused. I can only hope you'll forgive me.

No... You are being far too kind. I am just happy that I was able to be with you.

However, even though Chaos did abandon her, Eva does not blame Chaos for it. In her entire existence, he was the only one who showed Eva, who was literally created as eye candy for Chaos, any kindness whatsoever, even for a brief period. In her mind, Eva still considers herself Chaos' daughter.

How do you feel now?

Were all of you actually worried about me?

Everyone gave up on trying to sleep so they could watch over you.

But do not concern yourself with that.

You're one of us, after all.

One of you...

Perhaps even a friend. Although it might be more accurate to say we're comrades in arms.



You may not want to acknowledge the fact, and to be perfectly blunt, neither do I, but seeing as we have put our lives in each other's hands so many times, we can only be -friends-. If we hadn't been able to trust each other, we'd all be dead now.

Any who share both the agony of defeat and the glory of victory is a true friend and comrade. In that sense, Eva's been a friend for a long time.

But I...

You need to recover before you do anything. Please rest quietly for now.

Guardian elder, take care of Eva for me.

Where do you plan on going now?

To the Calicai Volcano.

I have been informed about your current situation. Not the least of which is the fact that you plan on taking the Bracelet of the Covenant from Summerill. Will you not reconsider it?

There is no other way.

Is that so...? That is truly unfortunate. If you are the one to do it, it may indeed be possible to break the seal imprisoning Summerill. This despite teh fact that you obviously have yet to regain your full powers. Very well. We shall take responsibility for her wellbeing, then.

Are we heading out now?

There is no need for any of you to accompany me. This is between me and Mobius.

You're right; it doesn't concern us, except for one thing: Fiona is my friend, and I will not abandon her. If I don't at least try to save her, there's no way I'll be able to face my dad in the afterlife. And not only my dad, but Schwarz and Grey, too.

Do whatever you feel is right.

Lord Chaos!

Eva, you must rest here for a while longer. I will come back for you later.

Really?



Okay...

I plan on going with you, no matter you try to do to stop me. How about the rest of you?

I...

I am curious to see why Danaos was so intent on reviving this Summerill creature.

The one known as the demon king, who almost brought the world to ruin... I very much wish to face him in battle, to see firsthand just how strong he is.

I'm going. And I'll be bringing back my precious brother with me.

I... She is my only child. My duties as a -parent- far outweigh those forced upon me as a guardian. Lady Ordine, I trust you will forgive me, but I will be joining the others. Sofia, please watch over Lady Ordine.

Of course, dear brother.

All right, let's go...



Sofia, are you sure you want to stay behind?

Yes, I will continue to fulfill my role as a guardian. I will leave the rest to you.

...



I did not think that you would be the one to come...

I cannot allow you to leave. Even if you do manage to revive Summerill, I do not believe you have the strength now to control him.

You are welcome to try and stop me. If you are able to slay me, then perhaps it's better for things to end here.

That my intention all along.

I have no desire to see Summerill revived, either. Just hearing about it gives me the creeping horrors. And I definitely don't want to provoke a war between gods while waking up the bane of the world. But how else are we going to save Fiona? We can't help her by doing nothing.

There is...nothing that can be done about that. If Fiona knew about the situation she would understand, I think.

Do not arbitrarily decide the fate of others. Anyone would want to stay alive if given the chance. This may be selfish and unseemly to some, but that matters not to me. The only fate you have the right to determine is your own.

It is bad enough to know that we humans are destined to struggle under the heels of the gods. It is something that cannot be justified with pitiful excuses.

That is true... But as a guardian, as a member of a clan that was entrusted with the safety of the world by the gods, I must at the very least prevent the resurrection of Summerill, no matter the cost. So if you are determined to bring back Summerill...



Father, what do we do now?

Sofia is serious about this. If we do not get ready to fight, we will be defeated. Prepare yourself.

But...

Seeing as Sofia just dragged a guardian beast into the fray, our only choice is to fight. Still, try not to harm Sofia. Focus your attacks on the guardian beast.

And what do you plan on doing after we kill it?

What will I do after...? The hell if I know! We'll plead, bargain, or cajole, whatever... We have to at least try!

Although you do get a chance to reorganize your party just after that scene, we are down four party members: Jainus, because he's dead, Fiona, because she's in Mobius' hands now, Eva, because she's resting, and Sofia, because she's our enemy. I'm rolling with the OGs.



You know, I'm not exactly sure if you focus on the Master Golem first and defeat him then Sofia surrenders. Probably not, but I've never tried. Sofia is much more dangerous than the Master Golem, but also much, much less armored. Although I did have Anger on when I was attacking her at the start, she does not have a lot of HP or defense, meaning defeating her is a simple matter.



With Anger on, and a healthy stock of AP, this is the result of a single turn of attacking against her. She has a magical counterattack, as you might guess, but Master Golems do not make the greatest of battle partners.



And down she goes, with an Over Kill to boot. I wish I had gotten both of Sofia's rare drops, but the Blue Ribbon is what I really wanted. I honestly completely forget what her other one is (the Vessel of Life is what I nabbed from the Master Golem when I used Photon Raid).

Without Sofia around, this fight becomes even simpler. Just takes a bit longer because the Master Golem has a considerable amount of physical defense. Oh well, just a simple matter to defeat him, especially since he doesn't have any counterattacks.



Well, it didn't work out for you, Sofia, but this little incident was not done out of malice, and it's not like you wanted a fight to the death. Still, though, it takes massive, massive cahonjes to fight against a god and his pals basically all by yourself.

And hell, even if she did fight against us, I think that only improves her waifu credentials. She's no lightweight; she'll do what she think she has to to save the world, and let's face it, giving the Bracelet of the Covenant to Mobius is only bad news, but we don't have a whole lot of options here. So, no hard feelings, Sofia.



Why...why do you not kill me now?

There is no need to.

As long as I am alive, I will do everything I can to bar your way.

And what is that supposed to mean, exactly? What possible threat can your existence be to me?

Sofia, it is time for you to admit defeat. Return to the village and aid Lady Ordine as best you can. Leave dealing with Summerill to us.

Though you are my brother... I cannot do that. Both Chaos and Summerill must be sealed, and I will see that it happens though it'll cost me my life.

I understand, for I feel the same as you do. And as for you, Chaos, I will put no faith in you, as you obviously have no faith in us. But in order to save Fiona and seal Mobius, we must work together. And once we have defeated Summerill and imprisoned Mobius once again, we will do the same to you.

We will use anything and anyone that can help us now. After all, our opponent is a god. But don't think I've given up on getting Grey back. Humans aren't really good at just swallowing whatever crap you want to feed to them.

Why don't you just tell him that you think he's peculiar and odd?

Seriously: pot, meet kettle.

I'm...truly my father's daughter. I will do my duty as a guardian and rescue my -brother- from your evil clutches!



I... I will come along as well. To see that you are sealed away.

Do what you think you must.

Lord Chaos, please take me with you!

Are you sure you're all right?

Those injuries were but a nuisance.

Mobius stripped you of your powers, correct? Even if you have recovered, you will be of little help to us.

Mobius only took back -his- power. What remains is my own, and cannot be taken from me by anyone.

I guess that bout of meekness was only temporary. It's nice to see you acting like yourself again.

Jude, I just heard about Jainus.



Holy smokes. Eva considering Jainus a friend? She really has changed...

To think you'd actually say something like that... If Dad heard you that in the afterlife, he'd probably drop dead...again...from the shock. Actually, it might be something worth trying. I wonder what would happen if he were to die in the afterlife. Maybe he'd be kicked right back into this world?



You...really have changed.

I must disagree with you about that. It is just... If I have indeed changed, you are the one responsible for it.

Okay, so maybe the egotistical side of you is the same as ever.

I will not give him up to you.

Who Grey will choose is unknown to me. That decision is his alone to make. Yes...but if you are truly confident in your appeal, you should have nothing to worry about, correct?

Mmn...

Lord Chaos, please allow me to go with you. I promise that I will be of great help.

...Very well, you may accompany me.

Thank you very much.

We have tarried here for too long. Let us hurry on our way.

Yes.



I agree, though I do not know what we should do... But there is a solution to every problem. For now, it'd be for the best to just do whatever we can.

I have faith that he will return to me...us.

Then let us go. It is time for us to writhe and struggle under the heels of the gods.

But before the main course, we need to polish off the appetizers first.

That's one way of putting it. With Eva in a much better mood, the team is in pretty high spirits, despite the fact things are still really bad, and Fiona and Jainus are gone. But now, it's time to awaken the one who would destroy the world.