Story Reader / Main Story / 31 Shaper's Ripples / Story
The petite figure slams violently against the tower wall, as fine lines spread out like a spider's web, accompanied by the faint sound of fracturing.
Lu... ci... a...!
A guttural moan escapes her throat as Cradle's composed demeanor crumbles, her eyes ablaze with hatred as Lucia charges towards her.
She raises her hand to summon the Red Tide, but another force immediately intervenes, striking it down.
...
SWOOSH—!
With the Red Tide out of the way, Lucia's blade cuts cleanly through Cradle, the tremendous force sending her barely-maintained form crashing down.
You... worthless... rotten wood...
Why can't you... just... obey my orders?!
Muttering incoherently, Cradle rises back to her feet, standing amidst the splashing Red Tide around her.
With a nearly imperceptible nod, Lucia raises her blade and charges at her target again while Chaos simultaneously unleashes all her power.
Ha...
Instead of retreating, Cradle charges forward to meet them head-on, attempting another clash. But in that instant...
Several force fields flicker into existence, intersecting to form a barrier that locks Cradle in place.
The timing is so impeccable that Cradle has no chance to alter her course or even attempt an escape.
Vonn...
The blade drives through, its cold edge slicing clean and final. Cradle's unfinished cry dies in her throat as her life force flickers and fades, like a candle snuffed out in a single breath.
(Exhales)
Cradle lifts her head, her face contorted with agony.
Seeing this, Lucia exerts more force, driving her blade another inch deeper without hesitation.
This is the ending you deserve.
Disregarding Lucia's movements, Cradle keeps her head held high, her stare penetrating both Lucia and the Hetero Tower. While her pupils gradually lose their sharpness, a spark of obsession still burns within them.
...Ending?
In her haze, long-buried memories flood her vision like a relentless stream.
...
Why...?
On that day, she wandered through a desolate land, harboring the same confusion in her heart. The ground, covered in dust and sand, was dotted with weathered gravestones.
The human, whom she calls the "Curse Queller", has made their final choice.
Why give up at the moment right before getting everything?
...In the end, "I" still couldn't understand anything.
Whose memories are these? The original Cradle's?
Why all this now, of all times...?
...Hah... who cares?
Coming back to her senses, she looks at Lucia's grave expression and suddenly breaks into a smile. With her contorted features, the smile appears both serene and maniacal.
The ending I deserve... Say, Lucia, did you know? Humans have many time-tested rules when writing stories. And one of them is...
A major character's exit should never be mundane.
...?!
Happening even faster than your cry of caution, Cradle's body begins its transformation.
Boom—
Your words cut off abruptly, followed by a deafening roar as Cradle's small frame erupts with terrifying force.
Commandant!
Caught in the explosion's epicenter, Lucia is sent flying backward by the blast. She crashes through cascading debris before her leg thrusters activate just in time to stabilize her mid-air.
The Hetero Tower refuses to cease its tremors, exactly as the Vonnegut outside warned.
Like burning fuses, cracks spread rapidly across every surface, heralding an inevitable collapse.
Amidst the relentless turmoil, Chaos leaps into the Red Tide with the core in her arms, her body already beginning to dissolve.
You come to a stop at the shore where she vanished, with Lucia landing beside you. Together, you both look out at the Red Tide as countless crimson butterflies commanded by Cradle glide into its depths like fish returning home.
Meanwhile, Vonnegut already stands ready at the edge of the Red Tide, channeling all his power to help maintain Chaos' form.
The tower's persistent tremors pound like war drums, causing the Red Tide beneath the agent to churn violently.
One minute, two minutes... Every second of waiting feels unbearable as the collapse continues.
Just as hope teeters on the edge of despair, a magnificent crimson mist rains down from above. A strange pair of hands reaches out, grasping Vonnegut, and then...
Wings rise from the Red Tide, bearing countless eyes, lifting aloft a shattered consciousness.
Chaos.
She offers no response, her success proclaimed through this eternal silence.
Her form grows to match Cradle's size, red tears eternally streaming down her pale cheek as none can fathom the agony and torment she endures.
This step is completed.
Vonnegut turns to face the two behind him.
Before he can make a move, Lucia's eyes flash with a sudden realization. In one fluid motion, she draws her blade and points it at the agent's figure.
No need for such alarm. I haven't stooped so low as to prey on the vulnerable.
I suppose that courtesy only extends to Commandant, whom you still find useful.
...
Unwilling to pursue this futile argument further, Vonnegut's gaze moves past Lucia to focus on you.
Merging with Chaos is your best option now.
The explosion triggered by Agent Zero has left the Hetero Tower on the brink of collapse. This is her revenge.
I believe you understand what the consequences will be.
...
After a moment of silence, Vonnegut shakes his head with evident weariness.
So in the end, force is still what it takes to reach an agreement.
You think that the ceaseless cycles of struggle have clouded my judgment. But from where I stand, it appears that you too are blinded by your past triumphs, oblivious to the true crisis at hand.
Vonnegut grips Chaos' shoulder as a golden light blooms from his palm, enveloping the core level of the Hetero Tower.
Let the survivor be the judge of right and wrong.
The tremors temporarily halt under <phonetic=Chaos'>Agent Zero's</phonetic> command, while a magnificent mirage created by the force field emerges around you.
Our battle need not leave more scars upon the Hetero Tower.
Beneath his calm tone, an overwhelming surge of power comes crashing forth.
