250. Act Four

Retrocausality implied that the attack was delivered from the future. A future Jury spoke to the present one through the flavor text. None of it ever made sense to her. Why these white orbs were named Angels. Why they were hungry. And what the meaning of the pale rock was.

The only pale rock they knew of was the Nexus. All manners of questions arose suddenly with no answers in sight. But right now, they couldn’t afford to lose track of the situation at hand.

Only the clothes of countless thousands were left behind, as though they were spirited away by the snow. The dissolution caused countless to stare at the snow, and the crack in reality where an unlit sky resided on the other side.

A sight no different from the Black Forest spilled from the pale particles. When there was no more Scarlet Logic flesh to touch within its vast coverage. It sept into the ground, swallowed like a droplet of water before they began to bleed the crimson rocks underneath, creating a shallow sea of blood.

The train’s wheels shattered, screeching as its sheer mass carried over its momentum, bleeding the earth as they passed crashing spires. The world never ceased moving. It ended all around them, while the Scarlet Logic forces could no longer approach, half murdered by Frost’s heart, and the other made a victim of the snow.

It miraculously had zero effect on them. Frost reached out to touch one and was surprised to feel a warm yet cold sensation course through her, welling first in the palm of her hand, and then ending in her stomach.

This light was unfamiliar to Frost and Jury. But the triplets and Ignis stared up in awe as they returned to the dying train. The snow began to dwindle as the rift sealed itself up. It lasted for only several minutes, but it was more than enough to stave Scarlet Logic away.

Their priority now lay with the Suppressed and Aspirators, who continued to wave Frost’s heart like a banner along the front lines.

“Angel’s hair?” Ignis knew of the phenomenon but had never actually seen it herself.

“Do you mean the shavings of the Nexus?” Frost wondered, having recalled Nav mentioning that some believed Angel’s hair to originate from the Nexus.

“The Angel’s hair from the Nexus doesn’t kill things. Not that we even know if it comes from the Nexus in the first place. We’ve seen fields full of them in Spiritas. Magicalis thrive in those areas and all kinds of whacky trees you won’t find anywhere else.”

“It might have a literal meaning here. It’s right in front of us.” Res said, nodding towards Jury. “Angel’s hair. Jury’s hair. But I don’t recall your hair being able to eat things.”

“I’d love to make a joke about being eaten right now.” Cer resisted with all her strength.

“But the name was ‘Angel’s Touch’. I’m not that much of a glutton, am I?” Jury genuinely asked with a lightheartedness that summoned smiles all around her. “I wonder if maybe that’s a reference to the future me. Retrocausality implies that much.”

“Who knows. Let’s just be glad Scarlet Logic’s being pushed back. All these spires don’t house whatever’s replicating them. They look just like beehives from the inside.” Ber stated, pointing out the gutted spires along the way.

The train never seemed to lose momentum, thrusting them straight towards the great central spire.

“… all those bodies…” Frost noticed a mass of individuals wearing neither the Scarlet Logic uniforms, or holding weapons. Rather, she saw people dressed in rural wear much like those of the slaves of Grandis. “Children. Wait. Are those people brought in for Atelier Acquisition?”

“Teddy bears. Pencils. Books. You’re right. I guess they keep them close to the base of the spires. Turn back the clock, and we could’ve been stuffed in there, rotting away.” Cer answered, her voice deadpan but her eyes brimming with pity. “You said it yourself before, Frost. Ateliers are result orientated people. Processes don’t matter, so you end up with procedures that break people. Tch. Wouldn’t be surprised if they were designed to be like that. To separate the strong from the weak.”

Frost couldn’t utter a word. She could only stare at the pool of blood that was swallowed by the ground as Jury’s snow subsided. The rift above sealed itself off, leaving a world equally as dark as the one the snow whence came.

Chunks of meat continued to flatten the City of Spades as they approached the colossal spire, the train unexpectedly jolting forward as its speed rapidly climbed. They all latched on, reaching a breakneck pace that surpassed their 200 AGI.

“ANOTHER ACT!?” Ber shouted, stabbing her arm into the cervices between the metal plates.

“ABSOLUTELY!” Jury responded, wrapping a tail around Frost’s waist, instinctively wishing to protect her, considering she was the weakest currently in terms of raw stats. “Can you hold on, Frost!?”

“Tch – Ngh – Urgh –! Shit – It’s so fucking fast!” She struggled. No matter where she grabbed, she could not latch on for the life of her. She had attempted to slip into the cavity she carved with her teeth, but slipped past, saved only by Jury. “Hold on! Jury! Crush me if you have to!”

“You know I’m not going to do that! Don’t suggest something so – Agh – CRUEL!” Jury shouted, angered to hear such a proposal as she wrapped a loop between Frost’s legs, firmly securing her.

The speed of the train had undoubtedly reached well over 400 AGI, but they could not check to see for themselves. It was still in an interlude between an Act, meaning there was nothing they could do to stop it until it entered the fourth Act.

“When I joined the Librarians, I realized that I had died on that day, and abandoned my sister. I was the last person she had, but I prioritized my love. For this wish to be granted.”

“The Star needed to be reached before it could be dragged down. With the wheels of vengeance in motion, it was only a matter of time before he would fall. All this violence. All this misery. All these murders will pin him as a disgrace.”

“… He’s talking about Raoul, isn’t he?” Frost uttered as the train began to rumble.

“Don’t forget Raoul killed more people than we can count. If this is true, then this person only fanned the flames!” Res adamantly claimed. “Look how many enemies he’s made! And we were the ones who suffered because of it!”

“Raoul’s miserable. From this to that. That to this. Star to Wayfarer. Wayfarer to Galia’s guard dog! There’s nothing he was able to do right!” Cer lamented, and in spite of her frustrations, it was harrowing to hear just how far-reaching Raoul’s actions in the past were.

They had finally caught up, but the anguish of his victims was weaponized against the triplets who did nothing wrong.

“Where was he when we just wanted someone familiar to be beside us?” Ber was not as furious. She was simply sad, even if she no longer remembered his scent, nor his warmth. “The train – the train – It’s – CHANGING!”

The train was reduced to nothing but golden particles, leaving them to skid along the ground as they gave chase towards the remainder of the train. It gradually grew into a giant hand, sprouting from the tiny section of the train like the sprout of a seed. Multiple hands then reached out, hauling the central seed as it desperately dashed towards the great spire with inconceivable speed.

< ACT IV >

To Reach a Star
Librarians
< The finale now in sight, we must clasp onto the Star who grants the promised wishes >
LEVEL : 140     ORIGIN : Impuritas     HP : 8,500,000     ATT : 4,600     MAG ATT : 4,600
ATT DEF : 4,200     MAG DEF : 4,200     MP : 4,100     RESIST : Nil     AGI : 280

“Through this ‘death’, perhaps it would be possible to escape from it all. To make our love acceptable, even if we had to dabble in the deep end. What was left of my family, who attended my false funeral, was made into the Pages. And on them, I wrote down my only wish.”

“In order to amend these wrongs and to remain together, we must reach that Star! Even if it means clasping just a piece of them!”