Black Sea/Story

AreaStory

Story

Traces of the Gods

Soon after the battle with Arteria, Edea contacted the Adversary and told them that she had heard about the invasion of Ereve and thanked them for their efforts in battle. Though she noted that it was unfortunate what had happened to Cygnus, she added that they couldn't afford to be down when they needed to show the enemy that the Alliance was still going strong. She explained that in order to prepare for their counterattack, she had discovered an important clue, for which she asked them to meet her at the command center in Ereve. There, the Adversary met with Edea, Brighton, and Neinheart, who thanked them for their arrival. Edea told them that she had been worried after hearing about the battle, regretting that she had been unable to help during the attack. Neinheart told her that she didn't need to be sorry, as the attack had come as a surprise to them all, and that she had also been busy with other matters. Brighton asked whether that was the reason she had summoned them, to which Edea began explaining that after the mission to Cernium, she had begun researching the power of the Ancient Gods, which she believed to be crucial in the fight against Gerand Darmoor. However, she noted that it hadn't been easy to uncover the power of the gods. She explained that through her research, she had confirmed that the Ancient Gods had been born from the creation of the universe itself, and that their numbers were said to be in the hundreds. Despite this, however, Edea told them that it had been difficult to confirm which gods had awoken from their long slumber, though she speculated that there were far fewer awakened gods compared to how many gods there were in total, adding that even the traces of those gods had disappeared very quickly. Edea proposed that it simply took a long time for the gods to reawaken, though she believed that something felt strangely off. Neinheart agreed, noting that the gods' presence in the world wasn't as great as one would have expected of beings who wielded such great power. Because of this, Edea proposed that they instead focus on tracking the power of the gods, rather than information about them. She explained that it was rather difficult to pinpoint where the power of the gods had manifested, for which she had instead changed focus to tracking any events that power could have caused. Neinheart noted that such a method was effective, as there would undoubtedly be certain events that would have taken place in areas where the reawakened gods existed, no matter how much the gods tried to hide their power.

Having finished her research, Edea explained that she had pinpointed one place in particular: the Black Sea, which existed in southern Grandis. She noted that the Black Sea, also known as the Silent Sea, was a place where many unpleasant incidents had occurred since ancient times, with ships and airships often mysteriously disappearing. Edea explained that it was possible that those strange incidents could have been caused by the power of an Ancient God, which was why she had gone to the Black Sea herself to investigate. There, she had discovered an enormous barrier around a structure that led deep below the sea. When Neinheart asked whether the structure had recently appeared, Edea explained that the structure had likely been there for a long time, with nobody noticing it because of how that region was avoided. Brighton asked whether Edea wanted them to investigate the structure, which Edea confirmed, adding that since it was related to the Ancient Gods, she wanted to request the Alliance's support on the mission. However, she also added that she had also wanted to request the Alliance's support because there was one more person crucial to the mission's success. She explained that the barrier's magic was quite complex and beyond her understanding, which was why she wanted to request the help of Grendel the Really Old, who was an expert on ancient magic. Though a surprised Brighton pointed out that Grendel was in Alliance custody, Edea replied that they desperately needed his help. Neinheart reminded her that Grendel had unilaterally made the decision to use the Black Mage's core and that he had destroyed the dimensional barrier while under its influence. Having deemed him a danger, the Alliance had taken Grendel into custody because of his actions, though Neinheart added that Grendel himself had agreed with their decision, and that he hadn't shown any unusual signs since his arrest. He admitted that he himself couldn't make any certain judgments about Grendel, for while he had been responsible for the Convergence incident, he was also one of the heroes who had led the Alliance in the fight against the Black Mage. Because of this, he believed that it would be better for them to put Grendel's actions to the side for a moment and focus instead on their investigation.

Though Brighton agreed that he, too, wanted to trust Grendel, he also pointed out that just because Grendel hadn't exhibited any strange signs, it didn't mean that there wasn't anything still wrong. Neinheart then clarified that he didn't intend to let Grendel loose without any oversight, as he planned to have him under heavy restraints with a magician keeping a close watch on him, for which he asked Brighton to take on that task. Though Brighton remained unconvinced, Neinheart promised him that the Alliance's strongest member would also be there to keep an eye on Grendel. He then turned to the Adversary and asked them whether they would be willing to monitor Grendel and help Edea with the Black Sea investigation. After the Adversary agreed, Brighton decided to prepare the magical restraints, sighing that he hadn't had time to rest at all since returning from Shangri-La. Soon after, Neinheart informed the Adversary that Grendel had agreed to lend his aid after being briefed about the situation. He added that he didn't think that Grendel was under the influence of dark thoughts, as the Convergence incident hadn't been done with malicious intent, though he nevertheless asked the Adversary to keep a close watch on Grendel during the mission. He then asked the Adversary to help escort Grendel alongside Brighton while he and Edea prepared the airship. The Adversary entered Ereve's prison, where they found Grendel trapped behind a cell reinforced with powerful magic. There, Brighton told them that Oz had put in a lot of effort to augment the prison, making it so that outside information couldn't reach his cell, such that Grendel wouldn't even know if an enemy was standing on the other side. He added that, though it seemed like overkill, Ereve had failed to hold a prisoner in the past, recalling Will and his escape.

He then turned to Grendel and explained that, just as he had heard, he would be accompanying them to the Black Sea in restraints. Grendel readily agreed, noting that he understood the Alliance's position on the matter. After a pause, Brighton noted that while it may seem like a pointless question now, he was curious to know why exactly Grendel had broken the dimensional seal. Grendel began explaining that it was a mage's instinct to cross boundaries. Though he had sworn never to cross such boundaries again after his youth, he admitted that even after so many years, he had found himself to be yet another mage thirsty for knowledge. Nevertheless, he admitted that he was satisfied after having uncovered yet another new truth before assuring them that he would take responsibility for what he had done by cooperating with the Alliance. Brighton then released Grendel from prison before binding him with the magical restraints, explaining that the restraints were invisible and wouldn't hinder Grendel's movements too much, though he added that the bindings could be made tighter, and that he hoped that he wouldn't be forced to do so. Brighton and the Adversary then escorted Grendel to the airship, where Edea told them that the Black Sea wasn't too far from Ereve, as even a small airship could take them there quickly. Though Brighton worried about the Black Sea's reputation for causing airships to go missing, Edea assured him that she would use her magic to conceal the ship, adding that it was the reason why she had wanted to keep the investigation team so small. Neinheart then hoped that the investigation would yield results, adding that it may also prove to be a good opportunity for the Adversary to truly witness the power of the World Heart.

Malefic Star

Soon after, as the airship flew over Grandis, Edea informed the Glory Guard that they were just about to approach the heart of the Black Sea. Brighton noted that he could definitely feel an unsettling vibe around the region. Grendel asked Edea about the rumors that many ships would go missing in the region, to which she explained that it was an old legend in Grandis told through songs. Grendel replied that there had been similar songs in Maple World, though they had all fallen into obscurity. He explained that those songs talked about a monster that rose from the depths of the deep sea to prey on unsuspecting sailors, adding that they ought to take caution to make sure that they didn't become victims of that monster if it truly existed. The airship then landed at the entrance to the structure, which was a simple staircase that led deep beneath the water. Upon examining the magical barrier around the structure, Grendel noted that the magic that had created was quite unusual and that it was something that he had never seen before in Maple World. Edea agreed and explained that it wasn't common in Grandis either, as neither the Nova nor the Flora utilized such magic. Brighton admitted that he wasn't well-versed in ancient magic, to which the Adversary asked how it differed from contemporary magic. Edea explained that while the two had many similarities, what particularly intrigued her was the direction from which the barrier was working, as it seemed to be made to keep things from going out, rather than preventing things from going in. She then noted that, though it seemed rather simple, the ability to reverse the natural laws of magic wasn't something that just anyone could do. Upon hearing this, Brighton realized that casting magic on such a scale had to be the work of an Ancient God. However, Edea told him that it was too early to say, as they would need to first investigate to gather more information. Nevertheless, she warned that as the barrier was designed to keep things from leaving, they may find it difficult to get out easily.

As the Glory Guard began descending the steps, a young woman – Malefic Star – heard their footsteps and noted that after being trapped alone in the deep sea, someone had found her at long last. As she spun around the room in glee, she wondered what kind of person had come, as it seemed certain that they weren't anyone ordinary. She then licked her lips in anticipation and begged them to come quickly, as she was ravenously hungry. Meanwhile, as they descended beneath the sea, Edea marveled at such a magical space existing below the waters. Brighton wondered whether it was a form of space magic, as the structure was repelling the water pressure from being so deep under the sea. Grendel then warned them that there was an ominous presence following them from the moment they had entered the structure, with the Adversary sensing an eerie aura watching their every move. Suddenly, an im-like Spirit of Delusion engulfed in golden energy appeared and danced around before scurrying off, with Brighton noting that it seemed to want them to follow it. The Glory Guard then followed the imp's trail and arrived at an enormous temple. As Brighton stepped forward, wondering whether the person with the ominous aura was inside, Grendel warned him to step back as a powerful magic surged forth around the temple. Brighton realized that the magic was yet another barrier as Malefic Star appeared before them, claiming that she had been waiting for brave warriors like them to save her. She explained that she was a sea spirit who had been trapped beneath the deep sea long ago by an evil god, and that she had been waiting for great warriors like them to rescue her. When Brighton asked what they needed to do in order to save her, Malefic Star explained that what they were seeing was merely a projection and that they needed to break the barrier around the temple to reach her physical body. She revealed that the barrier could be broken by entering the temple and that only those with good hearts could enter. Edea then asked the girl why the evil god had sealed her away, to which Malefic Star revealed that she didn't know, as she had lost her memories when she had been sealed away. She explained that the only thing she remembered was that she needed to bestow her spirit blessings upon her saviors. Upon hearing this, Grendel noted that she was quite different from the spirits that he was familiar with.

Malefic Star laughed and asked him whether he was doubting her words before asking them once again to break the barrier around the temple and save her, promising to give them her blessings in exchange. Brighton then turned to the others and told them that though they had come to investigate the power of the gods, he now felt more like a knight rescuing a princess and wondered what they ought to do. Edea told Malefic Star that before they gave their answers, she wanted to first know about what had happened to the ships that had gone missing. Malefic Star remained silent for a moment before claiming that she had no idea about it, to which Edea immediately charged up her lightning magic and declared that she didn't need to hear anything more, as she was certain that Malefic Star wasn't planning to let them go. She noted that since the barrier could only be removed from the outside, there shouldn't be any need for them to enter the temple to do so, which meant that she was leading them into an obvious trap. As Malefic Star began preparing to retaliate, the Adversary suddenly felt the World Heart react in response to her divine power. Immediately, Malefic Star stood down and began laughing, telling them not to be so serious. She invited them to investigate as much as they wanted to be certain of their findings first, adding that she would be waiting for them in the temple in the meantime before her projection vanished. Brighton then wondered what had just happened, to which Edea noted that it was clear that Malefic Star had tremendous power and malevolence, meaning that they couldn't simply leave her alone. Grendel agreed and suggested investigating the nearby area in order to determine her true identity. As the Adversary began wondering whether the light of the World Heart had emanated in response to the girl's presence, Edea told them to focus as they set out to investigate. She noted that the temple wasn't the only structure, as there appeared to be various ruins in the lower area. As there was a lot of area to cover, she suggested splitting into two teams. Recalling that Brighton wasn't familiar with ancient magic, she suggested that he accompany her, while the Adversary kept an eye on Grendel.

While Edea and Brighton explored the ruins near the temple, the Adversary and Grendel set out to explore the area further out, where they encountered what appeared to be a gravestone amidst countless shipwrecks. Upon examining the wreckage, Grendel pointed out that the damage to the ships indicated that they had been attacked by someone and brought down. However, he also noted that something was off, as the wreckage and the ruins were centuries old, while the temple itself seemed brand-new. Believing that it may be the result of illusion magic, Grendel began examining the tombstone to analyze its properties. Meanwhile, Edea and Brighton began investigating the ruins near the temple. As Edea observed that the architecture of the ruins matched that of the temple, Brighton wondered how powerful someone who had created such an immense structure had to be. Edea agreed and noted that if Malefic Star truly was an Ancient God, she had to be one of the strongest amongst her kind. She then pointed out that what was particularly strange was that the ruins and the temple had been built at the same time, and yet the temple was in far better condition than the structures around it. She then added that it was clear that the entire structure had been created with magic, though it would take some time to determine exactly what kind of magic had been used. As she continued moving ahead to examine the ruins, she told Brighton that they would need to check in with the Adversary and Grendel to see where they had gone. When Brighton didn't respond, however, Edea turned to find that he had vanished altogether. Suddenly, an imp-like Spirit of Chaos engulfed in purple energy appeared and cast a powerful spell, engulfing Edea in illusion magic.

Breaking the Illusion

Elsewhere, Grendel finished analyzing the tombstone and concluded that it was some sort of magical artifact, which he suspected was related to Malefic Star. Though the artifact's power was disabled, Grendel believed that he could use his own magic to figure out how it had worked. Upon activating the artifact, however, both Grendel and the Adversary were surprised to find a wave of illusion magic engulfing them and forcing their eyes to shut. The Adversary then awoke to find themselves outside the temple, where Edea, Brighton, and Grendel confronted them. Edea immediately told the Adversary that they needed to enter the temple, while Grendel noted that they had to rescue the poor spirit trapped inside by the evil god. Upon seeing the Adversary's hesitation, Brighton asked them whether they had fallen under the evil god's thrall. As the Adversary wondered in confusion what was happening, they felt their head begin to throb as the others advanced on them, fervently entreating them to enter the temple. Just as they closed in on the Adversary, however, the World Heart immediately activated and dispelled the illusion. Suddenly, the Adversary heard the voice of Malefic Star fuming in anger, vowing to deal with them herself after devouring everyone else. She then summoned powerful Spirits of Chaos that the Adversary fought through, allowing them to break the illusion spell and appear in the real world alongside Grendel. After learning about what had happened, Grendel told the Adversary that the power of the World Heart had allowed them to break through the powerful illusion, while he himself had been able to see through the illusion because of the magical protection that he had cast over his own mind. However, Grendel noted that Malefic Star's power was quite tremendous if she could create illusions so powerful that they were nearly indistinguishable from reality, adding that the Adversary wouldn't have been able to escape so easily if they hadn't been able to see through her magic. From witnessing her power first-hand, Grendel explained that Malefic Star was almost certainly an Ancient God, though she displayed a level of malevolence that was greater than anyone he had ever seen.

Realizing that Edea and Brighton were in danger, Grendel told the Adversary that they needed to hurry and rescue them. Suddenly, they noticed a distress signal flare shooting up from near the temple ruins, causing them to wonder whether it was already too late. The Adversary and Grendel rushed towards the temple ruins, where they were shocked to find Brighton passed out and Edea severely injured. Edea explained that they had been attacked by Malefic Star before asking whether the Adversary and Grendel were okay. After the Adversary confirmed that they were okay, Grendel asked whether they had fallen victim to the illusion magic, though he noted that they couldn't have gotten so injured from illusion magic alone. Edea explained that though she had initially been under the illusion spell – which had felt more like a dream – she had soon snapped back to reality after the magic had weakened, where she had found Brighton gravely wounded and surrounded by Spirits of Chaos. Edea had warned Brighton that Malefic Star was an Ancient God who was clearly trying to harm them, just as Malefic Star's projection had appeared, noting that the two of them had managed to escape her illusion after the Adversary had shattered it. She had then launched an attack on the pair, which Edea had barely managed to block, before she noted that the two of them were quite different from the ones she had consumed before, adding that they seemed quite tasty. Edea had then demanded to know what Malefic Star's purpose was, noting that she was clearly some sort of higher being. Malefic Star had then laughed before explaining that she simply sought to devour their life force, after which she had used her magic to drain their energy.

Having finished recounting her story, Edea asked the Adversary to help them before passing out from exhaustion. Suddenly, a golden Spirit of Delusion appeared and began fleeing, causing Grendel to realize that Malefic Star was luring them towards her, which meant that Edea and Brighton weren't dead yet, as their life force could still be recovered from Malefic Star. Though Grendel feared that defeating an Ancient God wouldn't be easy, the light of the World Heart suddenly sparked to life, causing Grendel to realize that its power would allow the Adversary to face the gods. Believing that he would simply be a hindrance, Grendel told the Adversary to go on ahead while he watched over Edea and Brighton's bodies. The Adversary then arrived at the temple entrance, where the projection of Malefic Star appeared and told them that she had been waiting. The Adversary demanded to know what had happened to Edea and Brighton's life force, to which she explained that their life force rested within her stomach after consuming it all. She told the Adversary that she had been hungry ever since being sealed beneath the sea, as the life force that she had been consuming was barely enough for her. Though she wondered whether devouring the Adversary would sate her, she noted that the object which they carried was proving to be troublesome, as it had allowed them to break through her illusion, even while it had been cast by her weak projection. Vowing to deal with them personally, she invited the Adversary to enter the temple and break the barrier if they were to ever have a chance at getting their friends' life force back. After Malefic Star's projection vanished, the Adversary entered the temple, breaking the barrier around it, and found that the inside of the temple was decrepit and ruined.

Suddenly, the World Heart began reacting as they heard Malefic Star speaking aloud that she could remember the smell of blood and the cries of war. Her physical body then appeared before the Adversary as she told them that she was so happy that she could barely contain herself. She explained that it had truly been a magnificent time during the Ancient War when she could fight powerful warriors and fill her stomach with their life force to her heart's content. Though she had feared that she would be abandoned and never be able to experience it again, she had always dreamed in the depths of the sea that she would be able to taste an Adversary again. Malefic Star then used her illusion magic to restore the ruined interior of the temple to its former glory before engaging in a fierce battle with the Adversary. In the end, however, the Adversary was able to defeat Malefic Star, who was shocked at being defeated. Noting that she hadn't been able to bring out her full power in her current form, she claimed that if she had been whole, there was no way that she would have lost. Suddenly, the World Heart reacted to Malefic Star's power as she lamented that, though she had hoped to devour them, it seemed that she was the one who was about to be consumed. Nevertheless, she told them not to think that this was the end, adding that they would have to keep struggling from now on. Promising that she would watch their end from inside them, Malefic Star told them that she would see them in hell before the World Heart absorbed her divine power, causing her to disappear once and for all. Having won the battle, the Adversary noted that they could feel the World Heart getting stronger as it absorbed the power of the Ancient Gods. Suddenly, Grendel rushed into the temple alongside Brighton and Edea, whose life force had been restored to them with Malefic Star's defeat. After the Adversary explained everything that had happened, the others were impressed by their ability to defeat an Ancient God in combat, noting that they had truly lived up to their name as the great Adversary.

The Goddess's Identity

After returning to Ereve and briefing Neinheart on the mission, Edea noted that it seemed as though the World Heart wasn't simply a weapon that they could use against higher beings, but rather, it could grant the Adversary abilities greater than they normally possessed, such as how they had been able to see through and break Malefic Star's illusion. Though Neinheart was pleased with the outcome of the mission, he nevertheless lamented that they had been unable to learn Malefic Star's true identity in the end. However, he noted that from everything she had said, it seemed as though she was nothing more than a clone of her true body. Because of this, Neinheart resolved to look into Ancient Gods who could use illusion magic in order to learn who she really was. In the meantime, however, he explained that an emergency Alliance meeting would soon take place in order to discuss the aftermath of the Arteria invasion and their next move. Having gotten no rest in quite some time, Edea and Brighton decided to lie down until the meeting. Grendel then told the others that he would return to his cell once again, having been satisfied with seeing the power of the Ancient Gods first-hand. As he headed back to the prison, he noted that studying the power of the gods would be quite interesting, causing Neinheart to stir uncomfortably before asking the Adversary whether they had noticed anything strange about Grendel during the mission. When the Adversary reported that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Neinheart remained silent for a moment before thanking the Adversary and telling them that he would see them at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Ymir arrived at the Black Sea, where she noted that someone had entered the temple. Outside the temple, she realized that she couldn't sense anything at all, causing her to wonder what had happened. As there was no way that Malefic Star could have broken the barrier keeping her inside, she realized that someone else must have entered the temple and broken it instead. Unable to sense her clone's power at all, Ymir realized that Malefic Star hadn't escaped, but rather, she had disappeared completely. Though she noted that only an Adversary could have defeated her clone, she also realized that Malefic Star hadn't just been defeated, but rather, all traces of her divine power had vanished without a trace. Suddenly, she realized that the only person who could have done such a thing was the person whom Gerand Darmoor had told her about. As she set out to warn him about what the Adversary had done, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and paused for a moment. She noted to herself that she felt rather strange about her clone's passing, for while she had cast it out of herself, it had nevertheless been a part of her for a long time. She then spoke aloud to her vanished other self, telling it that though it was too late to say it now, she had never actually hated it. She noted that there had been many moments when that part of herself had been helpful, noting that it had been an instinct that had grown stronger the more she had fought during the Ancient War. However, she had realized that she couldn't simply leave that part of her alone when it had grown strong enough to shake her. Having committed to making a different choice, Ymir – believing that the world needed to reach the true paradise – had cast out the selfish and malevolent parts of herself, sealing her dark half away forever. Thinking back on her choices, however, Ymir felt regret over what she had done, believing that she could have simply given her clone over to one of the other Apostles if she had known the fate that would have befallen it. She noted that Baldrix, in particular, would have made good use of Malefic Star's divine power. However, she then realized that her clone's demise had helped them confirm that the Adversary was capable of using the World Heart, meaning that her other half had been used effectively in the end. She then hoped aloud that they would be her Adversary when the time finally came.