Part 82: Rebirth

Chapter 15- Rebirth

This is officially bullshit. Oh, quiet you. It's not that bad. Shut up. Your opinion on the subject is inconsequential. Anyway, the best way to put this is that I severely miscalculated how much juice they had left. As a note to myself, next time I should showboat AFTER I destroy the world, not before.

VIDEO


Feinne on Soul Nomad:

You're not reading that wrong. There is no defeat condition. You cannot 'lose' this map. You get an end of cycle no matter how it turns out. Today I'll show what happens if you lose.

So yeah, I lost. Turns out that I couldn't beat them all alone without bothering to summon any allies or try very hard. Who knew? The so-called 'heroes' were all huge dicks about it too.



Haha! Your foundation was weak!
You see? Even the insects you so despise are capable of anything they put their minds to!
Ah ha! Thanks to everyone, I was able to help end this!
Momma... it's over. I wanna go home so bad.
Kyurugyaha! (It's a miracle!)
Hmph. I've never felt so tired after a battle in my life.
But this... this is a satisfying fatigue.
Ah! Where's the Nereid Queen! Is she alright?
Queen Alexemia!

I was hoping someone would be joining me in death, but sadly she was fine. That's pretty horrible, so you know. Didn't I tell you to shut the hell up? If I want your opinion, I'll... I'll NEVER want your opinion. My mistake, THAT was pretty horrible.



Hey, demon spawn. Your real name... I never asked what it was.
But maybe it's better we don't know.
Urg...
Still kicking, huh? You have any last words?
...
I won't listen to any apologies or regrets. Everything that happened was by your own choice.
By the way, where's that bastard, Gig? I figured he'd have plenty to say.
...Gig?
...
...

I wasn't intending to apologize, by the way, although I should have expressed my regrets that I attempted to fight the entire collected armies of the world and Raksha while standing on my hands and dribbling a bumpy orange ball with my feet. How did that seem like a good idea? In my defense I nearly took down Raksha like that. Anyway, eventually Gig did respond. Well, sort of.



I was just... I was killed by Median.
!!
No... I remember it all!
My soul was already cleansed once!
Oh, god... what have I done?
Drazil... you made me your puppet. I've killed everyone I was sworn to protect!
Hahaha! Gig, you finally remember, huh? Remember why you were sent here?
Who are you...? I feel Resilience within you... but she's been distorted, corrupted...
How did this happen? You wished for so long to return to the cycle of rebirth.
Gig... you finally remember your life as Vigilance?
I remember everything...



That wasn't your fault. You weren't in control.
Virtuous did everything she could to make things right again.
...
That doesn't wash those sins away. I can never forgive myself...
Hahaha! So noble! So damn... human! So different from the Gig we saw.
But you know, Feinne... Or Resilience, was it?
If you don't help get her soul to heaven, Drazil's gonna get it and this is gonna start all over again.
You're right. Without a Master of Death, the flow of souls rising to heaven will only become more and more unstable.
Even if Layna can bring them back, it'll be the same as what happened when I died...
If my penance is to resume my work as a reaper and help restore order to this world, what choice do I have?
Ashur... is this what you want from me?
You won't find an answer to that question.
But I can tell you that I'd be glad to see you do that.



Resilience... what do you want?
She wants to return to the cycle.
I see... and it's my duty to send her.
You think I'm gonna help with this?
Please... just this once.
Gig? Saying please?
Well... I'd do it even if you said no.
Raksha, I'm ready. Go ahead.
Okay, then.
Oh, and could you take me, too? My soul won't last much longer. And I have no intention of returning to Drazil.
Thanks.
Vig... ilance... Thank... you...

Gig was leaving me, after all we'd been through. Bastard. Just like all the others. I didn't leave you. You know how you were supposed to shut up? Keep doing that.



The time we spent together... It felt so short... and yet, so long. It was... an experience.
...
It's strange... in my memories as Gig, I actually really liked you.
Apparently, we had a lot of fun.
Gig was... he was lonely. I spent so long in that sword... alone. It was like an eternity.
And then I met you.
I won't ask anyone to forgive what's happened. Much of this is Gig's... no my fault.
But if we ever get the chance... Let's have some fun together, okay kid?
Gig...!

And with that he was gone, and it was time to face the consequences of my actions. No matter what they were, though, one thing was certain. I wouldn't do anything different. Well, that's a lie. I would do one thing different. I wouldn't lose at the end. Anyway, I really didn't care what happened to me any more. I could tell the world's agony was lessening already, its screams starting to fade. I had failed, the world wasn't going to be granted the merciful death I wished for it. There was no reason for me to go on existing.



Doesn't matter.
Fine. You'll be sealed.
That onyx blade will be your new home. The same one we used on Gig.
Same as good, huh?
Aren't you happy? If I could make one wish, it'd be for you to find peace.

And if I could make one wish? It'd be for that sanctimonious bitch to be the one trapped in this goddamned sword. She did you a favor not destroying you, you know. And if I ever get out of here, remind me to repay that favor by slowly destroying everything she cares about in front of her face bit by bit over the course of however long I'm stuck in this damned thing.



Oh! I guess I should close that gate now.
Danette, thank you...
Ahh... now I understand.
Very well.
Dio. You're good with magic, right? Can you use this Crimson Tear to seal the sword?
It would be my pleasure.

A black void. That's what awaited me inside the sword. And eternity alone to, they hoped, repent my sins. Alone, or so I thought.



You're inside the sword.
You've been sealed here.
Why us? Together...?
We've been together since we were young. Even after what happened... I couldn't just leave you to suffer alone.
...
Now we're together forever. And it's too late to say no!
Don't bother getting mad. I'm here to stay. And I'm gonna slap that mean streak right outta you!
And someday... when we're ready... We'll be forgiven, and we can be born once again.

Hmph. I'd rather be trapped in this miserable sword until the end of time than seek forgiveness for what I did.



Let me sing you that lullaby you sang to me when we were young.
C'mon, stop covering your ears!
...
This'll help you sleep better.
Forma lleya, lisami...
Fascineya, sephami...
Ferme ello anyarei, sopha neya mi...

And so I slept, trapped in the onyx blade. Maybe she's right. Maybe I should try to find peace...



I really had you guys going there, didn't I? Shya, right, like I'd lose to those chumps. That's how things MIGHT have happened. But reality has a nasty way of not turning out so well.

Next time on Soul Nomad: Chapter 16: Oblivion. It's time to make history... end.