Cartethyia, You Must Become Rinascita's Pillar!

"What? You're really going to attack?"

Xiutake's expression twisted in an instant, and then he burst into frenzied laughter.

"A true savior should offer himself to the tiger and hold compassion in his heart. Even with swords at his throat, he must never feel hostility toward those who need saving. But you can't do that at all!"

"I knew I was right. This is your true face. You're a hypocrite, a true executioner!"

No matter how he ranted, Destruction Lightning still fired.

Boom!

The pillar of destructive light swept forward. Before it even touched them, the twisted humanoid figures exploded, their flesh vaporized by the intense heat, not even a trace left behind.

"Stop it!"

Xiutake's eyes nearly split with rage. The ruby shone with dazzling brilliance, forming layer upon layer of towering steel walls before him.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The light pierced through them with unstoppable force. Even the iron walls were like paper, melting into molten iron in the blink of an eye.

"Aah!!"

Xiutake screamed. A basin-sized hole had been left in his body, nearly severing him in two.

"Restore!"

He roared, and the ruby worked its power once more, restoring his body to its original state.

"Huff, huff, huff..."

He panted heavily. Even though his body was uninjured, what had just happened had dealt a tremendous shock to his mind.

He had never expected the Rover to actually attack, and without the slightest hesitation.

"Cartethyia, you must remember..."

The Rover's voice drifted over, gentle yet weighty.

"There are some beings you simply can't communicate with through words. When facing them, there's no sin at all in choosing to fight."

"You know I love this world more than anything. I also hope you can understand the sword in your hand and know when to wield it decisively."

"Cartethyia, you must become Rinascita's pillar!"

"Righteous One!"

Little Cart took a deep breath and raised the sword in her hand high.

"Cartethyia will not fail your trust!"

"Shut up! Fine words come easily. I refuse to believe you can stay calm after this!"

Xiutake shrieked, the corners of his mouth rising as though he held a trump card that could secure his victory.

"I told you I can create life, and not just humans. Guess why I went to seize a strand of Imperator's frequency?"

At those words, even the Rover's breath caught.

"Looks like you understand now. That's right, I've ascertained the substances that make up the Sentinel. What you're about to see is an artificial Imperator!"

"Stop!!"

"Haha... You're anxious. I've finally gotten to you, but it's too late!"

He repeated what he had done before, pressing both hands against the array once more.

"Humm!!"

Just as expected, the figure of a gigantic pegasus appeared, a single horn on its head and wings on its back, radiating a pure, sacred aura.

But when it opened its eyes, everything changed.

Murkiness, chaos, evil, madness...

This was no Sentinel at all!

"Charioteer, come play..."

The pegasus raised its hooves. No longer a guide to civilization, it had come this time only to destroy.

"Haha... You're too shocked to move, aren't you? You could destroy those artificial humans without a second thought before, but facing this once-loyal subordinate, can you still..."

Before he could finish, Blood Oath Covenant shot forth like lightning, piercing Imperator between the eyes!

"This body, Slay All Evil!"

Fleurdelys appeared once more. At this moment, she no longer felt the slightest uncertainty.

Just as she had back then, she slew the Sentinel's body that had been fused with the Threnodian.

"You're mad! You're all utterly mad! There's no such thing as a savior like this!"

"You're just afraid!"

The two stood side by side, looking down from high in the sky, radiant as gods.

As for Xiutake, he was nothing more than a reptile in a gutter.

"Now, face your judgment!"

A heavy pressure emanated from Fleurdelys, weighing down like a mountain and nearly forcing Xiutake to his knees.

Yet faced with such a desperate situation, he did not panic. Instead, he clapped vigorously.

"What if I told you I could bring the real Sentinel back to life?"

"Defiling Imperator with a soulless creation like that will only add to your sins."

"Don't be hasty. Listen to me. As you just saw, I can create any substance, and it's all thanks to this!"

He raised the ruby and said with an enraptured expression, "This is the Philosopher’s Stone, the greatest creation of alchemy. As long as the theory is sufficient, anything can be brought into being, including a soul!"

The Rover narrowed his eyes. He had caught the key detail.

Sufficient theory... In other words, even if it could create every substance, the most important thing was how to combine those substances into a true soul, one capable of holding memories and emotions!

"The final piece of the puzzle needed to achieve perfection is knowledge!"

"That's right. You really do understand better than anyone. This is the truth we seek!"

Xiutake's eyes shone as though he had found a kindred spirit.

"Where does truth come from?"

The Rover asked in a low voice.

"Why, from this array, of course!"

Xiutake stamped his foot again. "This is the Truth Array. Anyone refined by it can reach the Gate of Truth, where all knowledge is contained. But to obtain it, you must pay a small price!"

"Rover, the only chance to bring Imperator back to life is right in front of you. Don't you want to try?"

"Righteous One, don't let him beguile you!"

Cartethyia hurriedly tried to stop him.

"Say no more. I'm going alone!"