"Torm!"
Bane seemed inexplicably enraged by the sudden obstruction.
"Lord Torm!?"
"The God of Loyalty and Bravery?"
On Ellen Trika's Bell, Anna and the others, who had been facing a life-or-death crisis only moments ago, were beside themselves with excitement when they saw the giant who had blocked Bane's black iron fist let out a thunderous rebuke.
It was as though their entire journey, all the effort they had poured in, had finally received an answer.
The statue of the God of Loyalty and Bravery ignored the God of Strife's glare entirely. Slowly turning his head, he said to Anna and the others:
"You are Mystra's successor, aren't you, little goddess?
"I am sorry. If it were possible, I would never have chosen to greet you in such an ugly state, in such a hasty manner.
"Through my negligence, some heartbreaking corruption arose among my followers, leading to this crisis and allowing it to deteriorate into such a terrible state.
"Also, I must thank you. Thank you for your unrelenting efforts, for sounding the alarm for me, for Tantras, and for the more than a hundred thousand people of this city.
"That alarm, and the responsibility and courage that burst forth from within you, allowed me to awaken from mortal desires and sensations.
"It has given me... one last sliver of a chance to make amends for my mistakes.
"Since justice, responsibility, and courage have allowed us to stand side by side on this day—
"Then Tantras is in your hands.
"And this disgusting fellow is in mine."
For some reason, seeing the God of Loyalty and Bravery like this, Anna was suddenly seized by an instinctive unease.
It was as though she had seen Father Fischer writing that final letter, then heading onto the battlefield alongside his comrades from