Sincere Invitation

Relax. They've already won.

I'm grateful for our earlier exchanges, Damazti. I have a clearer understanding of your methods now.

The King of Sarkaz couldn't have possibly lost to our clone that had already been fried near to a crisp by a Draco's flames.

But we are glad to have experienced something new for the first time in such a long time.

It's been ages since we've seen anything that has brought us even a speck of excitement.

Be proud of yourself, Banshee. You've convinced us, and we'll be more than happy to keep this new possibility of yours, though we're still not very optimistic about the direction this possibility is heading.

But to us, time and patience are two things we have more than plenty of.

We will meet again, at the next finish line.

Where are you going next?

We've never gone anywhere on purpose, we merely wander the land.

You've mentioned before, Damazti, that you've pretty much exhausted all possibilities.

Yes.

But there remains uncharted territory for you.

...Oh?

Everything on this great land is constantly evolving, while you stayed just as you always have been, imitating the fruits of evolution.

Yes, you've never gone anywhere, and yet you're already complete.

So of course there can be no progress in something that's already been completed.

How persuasively provocative. And what do you suggest?

You've already guessed it.

......

Heralding our deaths—you do live up to your name, bean sí.

From death comes new life.

Indeed, we've never tried this before...

......

We just bid goodbye to a friend, at a place not far from here.

She said that she would rather give up living than to let life wash over her.

We felt her emotions, we saw her determination.

She claimed it was the choice of a coward, but we felt something else.

We could barely put it in words then, but now we know, that it also took a certain kind of courage.

The kind of courage we've never considered before.

Well, alright. Banshee, we admit it

We've begun looking forward to this.

This might be just an innocuous scheme of yours, a clumsy method of ridding yourself of an enemy.

But that doesn't matter to us.

Or maybe the souls are merely borrowing your voice to provoke us.

Need me to help you?

How about you leave us with some decency?

Though you ought to sound the death knell for us.

......

You sure are a tenacious and brave bunch. Celebrate your victory.

What, are you not entertained, Doctor of Rhodes Island?

Or maybe that's unnecessary? Maybe we actually understand you on a... level beyond your worst estimates?

Haha, relax, Doctor. Your ship's onboarding inspection is not as easy as it seems to slip through.

Alright. Goodbye, all.

What are you planning?

What else can we do with our broken body?

We've stayed in our original form for... long enough.

Tiny King of Sarkaz, where will you go next?

Where will you bring these people who trust you, follow you, protect you?

Will you do as Buldrokkas'tee prophesized, and enslave everything across all the lands...?

Or will you prove that it is only us who have been bound too deeply by the chains of history?

'Evolution,' a tricky word indeed, implying an inevitable progress, though it may not be.

But no matter, you will find your path, and us as well.

He dissipated...

No, the Damazti won't die. His other, more complete and stronger self, is probably just around the corner.

This is a typical tactic of his, to have the prey let down its guard, and then come in for the kill...

A bone whistle? How can this be?

Logos sees the bone whistle as a lamentable tradition of the Royal Court, and has always refused to sound it as his predecessors have done.

But this is indeed a bone whistle from the Master of Knells.

!

The Damazti cluster... is dying.

A bone whistle.

How long has it been since we've had the Lord of the Banshees grace our court to sound the bone whistle?

......

The Damazti Cluster has died.

Fret not, the Damazti has only encountered a minor setback, he'll soon...

No, what I mean is, every Damazti fragment is simultaneously decaying.

The Damazti dies, and our long-lasting Royal Court will collapse.

Hmph, how interesting.

I think, that he himself never imagined that it would end like this.

How should I describe it? A split into halves?

Or the birth of two new lives?

The ancient Damazti no longer exists.

......

And two newborn Damazti have appeared in this world.

Sand in nature is regarded as the final state of all things. No matter how strong a boulder may be, it turns to dust at the end of time.

But then again, the sand may also hold the possibility of starting a cycle of reincarnation anew.

Kal'tsit, your wounds are still healing, move another inch and I'll tell Shining—

I'm already fine, for the most part.

An old friend might locate us soon... no, I should say a new friend now.

I don't want to meet any of your old or new friends.

There's good news and bad news, pick one?

Wait, I sure am tired. Why did I think you would be up for a stupid game?

The bad news is—

Give me the good news.

The bad news is that we didn't find the entrance to the Sarkaz supply route in Brentwood. There was no underground tunnel at all, but there was a passage used for inspections...

Wait, you... huh?

I said, give me the good news.

Ah... um, I...

Shining—!

I like to hear positive news sometimes as well, Closure.

......

The good news is, we managed to get in touch with the Doctor.

Thank you for your assistance, Duke Windermere. We've managed to re-establish our communication channels.

The refugees we brought have all boarded the ship, and they'll be under the Duke of Windermere's protection for the time being.

I should be the one thanking you, Rhodes Island.

You've helped the townspeople of Norport Borough escape a disaster. Not all of them, but... it's enough.

Protecting the people is what we, those who bear the title of duke, ought to do.

And, you even saved my daughter.

She was just bawling in her room earlier.

Mum! I was only...

I can guess what you've all been through the last couple of days.

But Delphine, perhaps you have come to better understand how those in power should wield authority.

If I may be so bold, Your Grace, how are you planning to use your power?

After witnessing the fate of the Steam Knights, I'm not sure—

I had to make a strategic decision, daughter of Montague.

You may call it a plot, and I won't deny that I signed my name on the Steam Knights' orders.

But... to decide the future of this country is exactly our duty.

...'Duty'.

Yes, Miss Vina. 'Duty'.

You understand why I'm addressing you that way.

Of course.

If you'd excuse us, Your Grace. For now, I would... rather be with my friends.

As you please.

Now then, Doctor of Rhodes Island. I believe... we can't avoid discussing the object your operator is carrying.

I knew it wasn't my imagination.

That is Victoria's Realmblade, yes?

Delphine was praising you so highly that perhaps I require a re-evaluation.

Anyway, it's impossible to ignore her and the sword she's carrying.

Delphine told me about your deal with her. Even though there were some twists and turns in between, I'm sure that deal remains valid.

Of course.

But I promise you that for now, I'll act as if nothing happened.

We can talk this out slowly when we've returned to my demesne.

Cador didn't get on the ship, he left with a bunch of people.

And Hannah?

She's still in her room and refuses to come out.

...

Let's get her something to eat. She's barely had a decent meal in Norport.

Yeah.

What are you burning?

A bunch of drafts.

Notes I saved for writing inspiration.

But I forgot where I dropped my memoir notebook, haha.

Siege, you don't need it, do you? We don't need it anymore.

Sure.

I...

Siege, what's... are you crying?

No, I just...

I just...

......

I just... got ash in my eyes.

Norport will return to her old self, the people are still there after all.

We'll get our old lives back... eventually.

We just... need patience. A little more of it.

Vina, I—

The war is going to end, right?