Liberi Reader

I...

This is... a battlefield.

My battlefield, the battlefield of the 'King of Sarkaz'.

We will take this last city. Their resistance has reached an end.

You are... the king of the Nachzehrer Court.

What's your name?

I have no name. I am merely your loyal subject, 'King of Sarkaz'.

This is your fate. You will bring us salvation.

All that we fervently wish for, all that we have finally achieved... salvation.

Your will is our will.

You have answered the prophecy, and thus it will yield its rewards.

Please leave it to us. This battle will not drag much longer.

You look exhausted these days.

Amiya, you can't go on like this. You need to rest.

...Theresa?

Is all of this... my doing?

These are all things you need to do, Amiya.

You have come to the origin of it all.

This is also our fated end.

Don't be like this, Amiya.

'King of Sarkaz'. I personally placed this crown upon your head, and brought to you this pain... and glory.

We will face it together.

This is... the will of the myriad souls. We cannot deny it.

The more you reject it, the more you suffer. The more you resist it, the weaker you are.

We have seen so much defiance of fate. Prophecies manifest early before those who defy it, and it is clear as day where they will ultimately fall.

We are grateful for those pointless challenges. Through their struggles they weave an ode to heroes, yet the heroes themselves are destined to perish.

The more you reject it, the more you suffer.

Because you understand. All choices, all struggles, all fatigue, the sorrow you swallow, they bear no meaning. Rejecting it only embitters the gentle hand of fate.

The more you resist it, the weaker you are.

Because you realize. All fights, all resistance, the blood we spill, our haggard words, they have no destination. Resistance only fills your destined home with thorns.

Why bother... why bother.

We only wish for you to rest.

Close your eyes, Amiya.

'I see you, black crown on your head, melting millions of lives, into nothing but memories.'

'I see the, King of Sarkaz, enslaving all peoples, everywhere.'

......

You will regret.

You will fall in regret, just like me.

The final destination... is still here.

When death approaches, you will realize, that all prophecies, are inevitable.

I... am the most horrific disaster to afflict our world.

Then...

Then, I will kill you.

Even if, you are me, you are the 'Lord of Fiends'.

I once... made the same choice as you.

I thought that I was strong enough, powerful enough to unbind myself from fate's shackles.

You can't do it.

Amiya... you can't do it.

Really.

Maybe.

You may have tried once, you may have faced all sorts of bitterness and still fallen into the same abyss in the end.

But I haven't.

I have not walked on your so-called 'fated path'.

......

I will challenge you.

I will challenge you, in my, the King of Sarkaz's name, 'Amiya'.

If the end of it all was set in stone long ago by those prophecies you espouse, if the meaning of our lives are just to prove your inevitable conclusion...

Then why do we live?

Why do we exist?

The Patriot's lifelong struggle, Dr. Kal'tsit's assiduous choices, Dr. {@nickname} holding my hand and affirming our path—

All this just to become a footnote in fate's manuscript?

I refuse to accept it.

Amiya, this will only beget pain.

It will be, an endless torture.

Myriad souls of Kazdel, I ask you. Did Theresa break out of her own fate?

Even Theresis, did he face you head on?

......

Theresa... She handed over this crown to me, for this.

She didn't believe in the predestined tragic future that you paint.

So she is suffering now... Listening to our voices with nary a rest!

If only to relieve her burden, 'King of Sarkaz', you must—

No.

Theresa doesn't need any rescue.

The 'King of Sarkaz' will no longer be a symbol of conquest and revenge.

Maybe... that's why I must be the one.

How arrogant, how conceited—

No, it is only because I have worn this black crown, that I brandish my sword at you.

You cannot escape fate's choice. The further you run from it, the faster it will come—

I won't run.

I'll wait here for it. 'Fate'.

When your plans have dissipated, when your taunts fall short.

I'll show you all—

We... The peoples of this great land, can choose an ending for ourselves.

......

Mm—

I'm fine now.

...The 'King of Sarkaz'.

Doctor, this power is not a curse. It's not forbidden witchcraft that brings disaster.

Theresa passed it to me, so that... we can use it to find our own path.

You're up, Amiya.

I'm sorry.

It's fine... Logos.

Whether or not I was caught by Confessarius witchcraft, I would have had to face this... self-reflection eventually.

In my dream, those voices proclaimed the prophecy again.

Prophecy?

Yes... The prophecy The Patriot spoke of before he died.

No matter what voices they were, it's all a trick of the Confessarii.

Don't worry about it.

No.

Was that a method of Confessarius torture, or are the myriad souls still deeply connected to my heart?

Or maybe I... still hold on to that scary prophecy deep down inside.

It's not important, though. I already rejected their offer.

Again.

...Good.

I still want you to get a full checkup from Dr. Kal'tsit, though. Your rings...

I do.

Um, Logos, where are we though...?

Yesterday, Closure's drones found us. W's safehouse that they were staying at were also attacked by the Confessarii, and Nightingale was captured.

...The Confessarii.

We let our guard down against this Sarkaz squad named after the Confessarii. Theresis's plan also allowed them freedom of movement.

However, they've finally left the shadows they've been hiding in.

Doctor, Paprika and the others are loading the Originium samples you need on board. But they're still wary of us.

Right now, they're only listening to me because they fear me. I might have to resort to threatening them with real curses soon.

Then, we will head to Brentwood next and meet up with Dr. Kal'tsit.

Doctor, you look uneasy... What's worrying you?