Burning Cernium/Story

AreaStory

Main Story

Godsphere

As the battle against the High Flora army continued, the constant fighting began to take its toll on Seren. After one such battle, Seren had a flashback to the day that she had been knighted as a Templar by Gilmore, as well as her memory of the Apostle of Lightning devastating High Mountain. As she shouted in fear, Edea checked on her, as she was worried about how Seren was doing after fighting for days without break. Just then, they noticed that the Flora army was retreating, which boosted the troops' morale. As they cheered for Seren, the Alliance, the Adversary, and the Grand Master of Mitra's Order looked on in silence. That night, at the Flora camp, Havoc's aide, Avril, asked why he had ordered a retreat when he had the enemy backed into a corner. Havoc told her that they would have broken through if they had been able to, but the Adversary's prowess had made it impossible. Knowing that the Adversary was capable of destroying a Transcendent, he told Avril that throwing more troops at them would be foolish. Avril reminded him that the Adversary had only been able to defeat the Black Mage through their determination and willingness to sacrifice, rather than through superior physical strength. However, Havoc snapped that he didn't care how the Adversary had won, only that they were a threat to him. He then asked if she thought that she could take them on herself, to which Avril stammered that it wasn't what she had meant, causing Havoc to smirk in satisfaction. He told her that no matter how much she disagreed, he didn't want to provoke the Adversary and reminded her that they needed to focus on what Darmoor wanted. He then cursed Darmoor, wondering where he had gone and what he was doing, and called him a coward who had incited a war and then left him to do the dirty work. Avril warned him to watch his mouth, as calling Darmoor a coward was something that he might live to regret.

Some time later, the Adversary met Edea at the city square, where she noted that they seemed well-rested, and that their wounds had mostly healed. She told them that Hawkeye and Checky were defending the ramparts, while Carlisle and Seren were patrolling the city. The Adversary asked how they could help, and so Edea told them that they were short on medical supplies, for which the Dawn Priests needed an escort to harvest more ingredients outside the city. Edea suggested that they help the Dawn Priests get the ingredients for the medicine and added that Aaron wanted their help with collecting overdue library books. Outside the city gates, the Adversary met with several court knights, who explained that Ebonstar soldiers were stopping them from harvesting ingredients. After they fought off the soldiers, a Dawn Priest thanked them and explained that the ingredients would be helpful in creating medicine. The Adversary asked if the medicine might be able to heal Seren's wings, but the Dawn Priest replied that there was no known medicine that could fix her wings, as Seren's inability to spread her wings stemmed from her trauma after witnessing her people die on the battlefield. With that, the Dawn Priest gave the Adversary an overdue library book for Aaron, which was entitled "How the Ancients Measured Time". Deciding to take a peek at the book, the Adversary read how the principal form of timekeeping involved measuring the precise position of the sun. Though there had once been a number of terms to describe the sun's position in the sky, many had been lost to time, leaving only "dawn", "noon", and "sunset" in modern day. The Dawn Priest then told the Adversary that the knights needed help at the western ramparts. There, Hawkeye told them that the soldiers were running low on iron to repair their weapons, and that the Monster Gulls were trying to take the scrap metal on the battlefield for themselves. After the Adversary took care of the seagulls, the knights were able to collect the scrap metal and Hawkeye asked the Adversary to go to the forge in order to let Seren know. He also gave them an overdue library book from one of the soldiers, which was entitled "Mitra's Emblem", in which the Adversary read that Mitra was a god who had many facets. Though tranquil and quiet in demeanor, Mitra was also righteous and benevolent. However, in the face of injustice, his wrath was unparalleled. The Adversary then went to see Seren and told her that the soldiers had found more iron, taking a quick peek at her wings while doing so. Seren thanked them for letting her know and gave them a library book that one of the soldiers possessed, which was entitled "The History of the Order".

The Adversary read how the Order of Mitra had undergone many divisions and reformations following the fall of the Ancient Gods, making it unclear the extent to which the current Order resembled that of its ancient origins. However, the Order had continued to hope for the return of Mitra throughout the centuries. The Adversary then went to the library and met with Carlisle and Edea. They noticed that Edea was being possessed by spirits, for which Carlisle asked them to bring holy water. After she recovered, Edea explained that she had gone to the haunted section of the library in order to find several documents, but Aaron had asked her not to use her lightning attacks on the ghosts, as one spark could burn down the whole library and destroy the priceless ancient writings and artifacts. Carlisle told them that the library was special to Aaron, who had found it abandoned when he had first arrived, and that he had restored it to what it was today. Edea was surprised that such a treasure trove had been abandoned, but Carlisle explained that no one had known its true value, since they couldn't read the ancient language, as well as because they had been too busy keeping the peace between the different Orders. He added that there had nearly been mass panic in the city when a High Flora had appeared, though there had thankfully been no major incidents since then. After Aaron had introduced himself and explained that he had come to see the library, Carlisle had appointed him as librarian and had allowed him to research uninterrupted, provided that he clean up and organize the place. He was impressed that Aaron had managed to catalogue tens of thousands of books in just a few short years. He then asked the Adversary about what they had learned about Seren. The Adversary explained what the Dawn Priest had mentioned about her wings, leading Edea to believe that Seren may still be able to use her wings if she got past her mental trauma. Carlisle told them that from what he had gleaned from Seren's reports, it appeared as though some part of her had decided long ago that she would never spread her wings again, as though she had lost faith in herself. He explained that after what had happened to High Mountain and the Celestials, people claimed that she was never the same again, as she blamed herself for failing to protect her people. Meanwhile, in the town square, Seren was overseeing the melting of the enemy swords. She watched sadly as the blacksmith melted down Roland's sword before deciding to leave.

Back at the library, Edea told them that emotional trauma wasn't something that could be healed overnight. Carlisle agreed and added that even if Seren regained the use of her wings, it still wouldn't guarantee that she could become the Chosen One. He then told them that he had to leave, but he added that Aaron was coming back to help them in his place. After Aaron arrived, Edea asked where they should start with their research. Aaron decided to start with the basics and explained that he would begin by explaining the creation of the holy relics. He told them that according to his research, everything that mortals considered to be supernatural, from the Overseers to the Ancient Gods to the Transcendents, were all a form of higher being that existed outside the physical limitations of the universe. Because of this, mortals were unable to truly harm them, which was why, since ancient times, it had been said that only gods had the power to challenge other gods. Edea realized that it meant that in order to fight a god, one either needed to be a god themselves or use something containing their power, such as how the Adversary had used the Seal Stone to kill the Black Mage. Aaron confirmed her words and explained that the Seal Stone was a holy artifact imbued with the power of higher beings, and that it was now a proven threat to the very existence of the divine. Edea then realized that other holy artifacts could potentially work like the Seal Stone and wondered if learning more about the Seal Stones would provide clues about Azor. Aaron pointed the Adversary to the section with more information about the Seal Stones and asked if they had been able to obtain the overdue books that he had requested, explaining that they ought to hold onto the books in order to glean more information from them. He told them that individually, they were glimpses into the origins of things, but taken together, they told a story about how those who didn't understand the past were doomed to repeat its mistakes. The Adversary then fought past the ghosts and obtained the documents on the Seal Stones, which they brought back to Aaron and Edea. They then read how, to defend against the Ancient Gods' chaos, the will of the world had created weapons known as the Godspheres. The Godspheres had then fused with beings called the ‘noble ones', whose confrontation with the gods had begun the Ancient War. They also read that the Godspheres could only be awakened by the will and determination of the people, and as such, the godly power contained within the relics could never be limited to a single individual. Furthermore, the Godspheres themselves would choose their Vessels to bond with, similar to how the holy relics operated.

From the document, Edea concluded that the relic's power went to whomever the people deemed worthy to wield it, which explained why the Chosen One needed the Order's approval to take possession of Azor. She then noted that Seren already had the support of all three Orders of Mitra, Spisa, and Nerota, which meant that she satisfied the condition of Azor requiring the people's faith to wield. She also realized that there was now a very concrete reason behind the idea of a noble hero saving the world, which was so often romanticized in stories. Just as she wondered what Seren would do if she learned about the truth, Seren herself arrived at the library. Seren told them that she wanted to help find the Chosen One, as she felt that it was unfair to leave all the work to the Alliance. She then noticed that Edea looked unwell, to which Edea explained that she had been possessed by the library ghosts, and that the holy water which she had drank was still taking some time to take effect. Edea added that she hadn't been able to use her lightning spells on the ghosts, which would have burned down the library otherwise. Seren then asked Aaron about the magical fire extinguisher, which could put out fires without using water. Aaron told her that it was meant as a last resort, as the device worked by removing all the oxygen in the area, which would kill anyone still trapped inside. The four of them then searched the library for more information on the Chosen One and found a book that contained a prophecy, "When the scattered lights unite, the sun's radiance shall descend from the heavens", along with the same phrase that Roland had mentioned was written on Azor, "Alvationsay inway Andhay", as well as a line that said, "The Chosen One will be revealed for all to worship. Only then will the people find their salvation." As they pondered about the meaning of the words, Edea told Seren that she should consider taking ownership of Azor herself, but Seren refused, claiming that she couldn't spread her wings, and that she didn't have the emblem. Edea told Seren that even prophecies needed help coming true, adding that the Nova would have been wiped out if they had waited for a prophecy to save them. Seren continued protesting and explained that taking Azor would be blasphemy without proper qualifications. Just then, a knight appeared and told the Adversary, Seren, and Edea that they were needed at the palace.

Another Celestial

The Adversary, Seren, and Edea rushed over to the palace hall upon learning that Havoc had requested an audience. Upon arriving, they found Havoc telling Carlisle that he would leave Cernium alone in exchange for the Adversary. Carlisle immediately refused, but Havoc laughed and told him to think carefully, explaining that he held a valuable hostage before showing them the emblem of the Chosen One. He then raised the deal and told Carlisle that in exchange for the Adversary, he would not only leave Cernium alone, but he would also give back the Chosen One. Carlisle once again refused, but the Grand Master stepped forward and asked Havoc to give his word that he would stand down after the exchange, shocking Carlisle and the others. Havoc laughed and told them that he trusted that they would make the right choice before leaving. The Grand Master then ordered his knights to seize the Adversary as Carlisle attempted to reason with him. He reminded the Grand Master that they owed their lives to the Adversary and asked if he truly thought that it was Mitra's will to betray them. The Grand Master argued that Mitra's will was to protect the holy land and claimed that that same will was what had delivered the Adversary to them, as thousands of believers could be saved at the cost of the life of a single heathen. Having reached an impasse, the Grand Master ordered Seren to seize the Adversary. Seren raised her blade and claimed that even though she was no match for the Adversary in battle, she would lay down her life if Mitra willed it. However, she told the Grand Master that she couldn't hear Mitra's voice and told him that until she did, she refused to believe that betraying an ally was the will of the Sun God. She then ordered the knights to lay down their weapons and work together. Some time later, Seren met with the Grand Master, who reminded her that she had only been named the Guardian, not the Chosen One. Seren told the Grand Master that she couldn't believe that Mitra would want her to betray an ally. Realizing that Seren's mind was made up, the Grand Master ordered her to form a rescue party and recover the Chosen One from the High Flora camp. He also told her that Aaron had learned that Chief Knight Gilmore, her old commanding officer, was the Chosen One whom they were to rescue, which shocked Seren.

That night, Seren formed a rescue party composed of the Adversary, Edea, Checky, and Hawkeye. They were awestruck at how immense the encampment was, with Checky asking if there were really that many High Flora soldiers. Edea explained that most of the Flora army was composed of common mercenaries, with only officers and above being High Flora. Edea then asked Seren why she had betrayed her Order, as it seemed unlike her. Seren explained that returning light to Azor was her calling, and that she would do whatever it took to make that happen. However, she told the others that they weren't bound to her fate, and that she wouldn't ask them to die for her, as she was content with fulfilling her mission alone. Edea reminded her that there was still another way and asked her once again to become the Chosen One, but Seren told her that she couldn't do it. Edea regretted that it would have been the perfect time to try something if she had agreed, explaining that mother eagles pushed their young off a cliff in order to teach them how to fly, and that she had been thinking about doing the same to Seren in order to help her spread her wings again, though she ultimately decided that it was a bad idea. Seren then told them that she would take the lead and headed down the cliff. Checky asked Edea why she hadn't stopped Seren if she knew that it was a trap, to which she replied that Seren already knew it as well, which was why she had insisted on continuing alone. They then split into three teams and pushed past the Flora soldiers deeper into the encampment. Meanwhile, Seren continued on alone and encountered Gilmore held in a cage created by a spell circle of strange red magic. Gilmore asked Seren if she had come alone, to which she replied that her allies were keeping the Flora soldiers busy. Because of how brazenly the camp was being attacked, Gilmore realized that she had brought the Adversary, adding that he would have expected that the Adversary would have been the one to lead the rescue mission personally.

He then released himself from the cage, with Seren quickly realizing that he hadn't been imprisoned at all. When she accused him of being a traitor, Gilmore clarified that he was merely using the Flora, whom he referred to as ‘low creatures', into helping him restore his Celestial powers by delivering the Adversary to them. He then showed Seren the emblem of the Chosen One and told her that he planned to cleanse the land of heathens and create a true paradise of the gods. Feeling Seren's hesitation, he pointed his sword at her and asked if she remembered what the High Flora had done to High Mountain and the Celestials. Suddenly, Edea created her own contaminant spell to trap Gilmore and shot dozens of lightning bolts from the sky at him. As the Flora soldiers discovered them, Edea told the Adversary to cover their escape and to get the emblem of the Chosen One from Gilmore. The Adversary and Hawkeye defeated the arriving Flora soldiers and wounded Gilmore, who cursed them and declared that he would soon come for Azor. Before the Adversary could grab the emblem, Gilmore created a protective shield around himself with the same red magic as more Flora soldiers arrived. With no other choice, Hawkeye and the Adversary retreated. Meanwhile, Seren told Edea that the emblem of the Chosen One shined for Gilmore, meaning that he was the true Chosen One. Edea told her that she knew that already, to which Seren asked why Edea had attacked him anyways. Edea reminded her that Gilmore had vowed to destroy the holy land, not preserve it. Though she knew that Edea was right, Seren nevertheless insisted that Cernium would fall the same way as High Mountain had if Azor wasn't reawakened. Edea told Seren that from what she had read in the library, she believed that she knew how to activate a holy relic, explaining that all records of the holy relics mentioned a ‘noble one', a ‘righteous one', a ‘pure one', a Celestial, and so forth. However, there was no mention of a Chosen One, meaning that the emblem could shine for anyone worthy of wielding Azor, including Seren. She then asked Seren to stop waiting for fate to step in and instead take action, as she was the best savior that Cernium could hope for.

Soon after, Havoc and Avril returned to the camp, where they found Gilmore still within the protective shield. Havoc laughed at the sorry state that he was in as Gilmore dropped the shield down. Gilmore angrily claimed that he would bring the sun's fury upon Havoc after taking up Azor, though Havoc merely scoffed at his words. Avril then asked what their next move was, to which Havoc replied that he was bored of waiting, and that he had decided to have their forces attack. Avril warned that he was wasting their forces, and that it would be better to starve the enemy out. However, Havoc reassured her that he would be dealing with the enemy personally and claimed that their faith wouldn't save them from him, just as he awakened his demon powers and transformed. Later that night, Seren prayed to Mitra in the chamber of the holy sword and hoped that the Sun God would help show her the way. She noted to herself that the sky was full of crimson clouds, and that it wouldn't be long before Havoc attacked. She also knew that if Gilmore took possession of Azor, it would spell certain doom for Cernium. The next day, Seren and the Grand Master announced to the people that the Chosen One had been found, much to the crowd's amazement. However, the Grand Master warned that Gilmore intended to follow the will of Mitra precisely, meaning that he would not spare the non-believers in the city and urged all those who didn't follow Mitra to leave the city by sundown. The followers of Nerota and Spisa were furious, demanding to know how Mitra's Order could treat them in such a way after they had helped defend Cernium from Ebonstar. As Seren turned away, she ran into Carlisle and the Glory Guard, who asked if she knew what she was doing by allowing Gilmore to take possession of Azor. Seren told them that she knew the consequences, but added that Cernium didn't stand a chance without Azor and Mitra's blessing. She warned that Havoc's powers would cover the whole of Cernium with lightning, making it impossible to get anywhere near the chamber of the holy sword.

Checky reminded her that they had the Adversary, and so they didn't need Azor to stop the Flora army. However, Seren warned them that though the Adversary was strong, Havoc was on a much different level. Realizing that Seren was dead set on giving up, Edea told Carlisle that as acting commander of the Glory Guard, she was formally terminating the partnership between the Alliance and Cernium, much to everyone's shock. Carlisle urged Edea to change her mind, but Edea told him that she needed to keep the Alliance safe, which couldn't happen if Gilmore took possession of Azor. As Edea walked away, the Adversary urged Seren once more that it wasn't too late to take up the sword. Seren reluctantly agreed to try and took hold of Azor, which didn't react to her at all, just as she had suspected. In the city square, Carlisle urged the Adversary to speak to Seren one more time, claiming that she would listen to them as the Adversary. They asked how being the Adversary would make a difference, to which Carlisle told them that whereas Seren had failed many times and had lost everything, the Adversary had succeeded and saved their world, which made Seren respect them. The Adversary asked the townspeople if they knew where Seren was, but none of them had any idea where she could be. However, all of them were worried about Cernium's fate and their unanimous opinion was that Seren should be the Chosen One, rather than a stranger like Gilmore. A Flame Priest told them that the blacksmith was also looking for Seren. The blacksmith told the Adversary that he had seen her heading south earlier, likely to visit the memorial. As the Adversary headed towards the memorial, the blacksmith gave them a small sword-shaped necklace and asked them to give it to Seren, explaining that she would understand its significance. On their way outside the city, the Adversary ran into Edea, who told them that Carlisle had given her new information. According to him, Seren had asked the Grand Master that she be relieved of duty when she had first arrived in Cernium with Azor many years ago. Edea had her suspicions about why Seren believed that she couldn't be the Chosen One, and so she asked if she could accompany them to visit her.

At the memorial, Seren was pondering over what Roland had asked her about finding her salvation in Cernium. She silently replied to herself that no matter where she went, she couldn't find any salvation. She voiced aloud that she should be used to losing everything that she loved, including her home, her old compatriots, her new friends, and even her faith. Just then, the Adversary and Edea found her amidst the swords of her fallen compatriots. Edea told Seren that she understood why she refused to become the Chosen One, explaining that she believed that Seren was using her injury as an excuse. The Adversary added that the reason why she refused to accept that she could be the Chosen One and why Azor didn't react to her was because she had lost her faith in Mitra when Havoc had attacked High Mountain. They explained that she had likely lost her faith because at the very moment when she had needed Mitra the most, she had been abandoned by her god. Edea then asked Seren why she continued serving the Order of Mitra if her faith had been broken. Seren told Edea that as the only survivor left, she felt that her comrades' sacrifice in the name of Mitra would have been in vain if she had abandoned the Order. The Adversary then understood Seren's predicament: she couldn't be the Chosen One, but she also couldn't leave the faith either, all because she couldn't acknowledge that her people had died fighting for a god who had abandoned them. Seren then asked for them to leave her, adding that the light needed to return to Azor.

Retreat

That night, the Glory Guard met outside the city gates, where Checky and Hawkeye were surprised to learn the reason behind Seren's refusal to become the Chosen One. Checky noted that by refusing to become the Chosen One, Seren was merely repeating a cycle of mistakes. His words then triggered the Adversary to recall something that Aaron had said about how the overdue library books collectively told a story about how those who didn't understand the past were doomed to repeat its mistakes. The Adversary began looking through the books and found that the first book spoke about how the Order of Mitra had undergone many divisions and reformations. The second described how ‘dawn', ‘noon', and ‘sunset' were the only three words that remained to mark the position of the sun. The final spoke of how Mitra possessed many facets, from being tranquil and quiet, to righteous and benevolent, to wrathful in the face of injustice. Just as they reached an epiphany, Aaron arrived and saw that by the look on the Adversary's face, they had reached the same conclusion that he had. He explained that after centuries of the people not hearing Mitra's voice, they had gradually forgotten the very origin of their beliefs. Just then, Edea arrived and greeted Aaron, explaining that she wanted to ask him to come to Maple World with them, as he wouldn't be safe in Cernium after Gilmore took possession of Azor. Hawkeye interrupted and asked him to first finish what he had been explaining. Aaron asked them to recall the sun and its place in the sky at dawn, noon, and sunset. He explained that ancient worshippers had believed that the sun brought hope at dawn, justice at noon, and flaming passion at sunset. After the Ancient Gods had disappeared, the followers of Mitra had split into three factions, each worshipping the sun's three different aspects. Over the centuries, those followers had lost sight of the truth and had forgotten that Mitra, Spisa, and Nerota were all facets of the same god. The Glory Guard was shocked, as the revelation meant that all the holy wars and sacrifices had been part of an ultimately meaningless conflict. Checky also realized that Gilmore was wrong, as there were no non-believers in Cernium if all the different faiths ultimately worshipped Mitra. Aaron agreed, but he reminded them that a single seed of doubt could crumble the entire foundation of one's faith, just as it had done to Seren.

Edea realized that the other sects would never accept it, as doing so would force them to acknowledge that every terrible deed that they had ever committed in the name of their god had been unjustified. However, it also meant that the Chosen One had been selected long ago, as the criteria for being chosen was that they needed to be worthy of the power, as well as to have the support of all three Orders, meaning that Gilmore was unworthy of awakening Azor without their full support. Edea then rushed to check on something, just as several Alliance soldiers warned that they needed to leave soon. Edea asked them to go on without her, as she would be back after confirming something that she had realized, and told Aaron that her offer to bring him to Maple World still stood. Aaron thanked her, but declined, as he wished to continue watching over the library. Though he knew that Edea wanted them to go on ahead, Hawkeye told the group that they couldn't go without her and decided that in her place, the Adversary should take up command. With the authority as the new acting commander, the Adversary declared that the Alliance would aid Cernium once again and decided to defend the western ramparts, while ordering Hawkeye and Checky to defend the eastern ramparts. After fighting off the Flora soldiers on the western ramparts, the Adversary received word that the eastern ramparts needed reinforcements. There, the Adversary was shocked to see that thousands of Flora soldiers stood at the eastern gates. Carlisle arrived with the Flame Priests and Dawn Priests and thanked the Adversary for deciding to help Cernium. He explained that the Orders of Spisa and Nerota refused to acknowledge Gilmore as the Chosen One, and so they were choosing to help defend the city. They began their counterattack on the Flora army, but the sheer number of enemies shook Carlisle's confidence in being able to save the city. Meanwhile, Avril was overseeing the battle when Ebonstar soldiers arrived at her command. She told them that on Havoc's orders, they were to eliminate the Ice Witch Edea, as she was on the verge of discovering the true Chosen One. She then ordered them to tell Gilmore that he was to be sent out immediately.

As the Alliance and Cernium continued fighting off the Flora army, Carlisle looked up at the crimson sky in fear and immediately ordered all forces to retreat. On the ramparts, Havoc's powerful red lightning bolts precisely struck down to avoid the Flora soldiers and instead target all of Cernium and the Alliance's foot soldiers, instantly vaporizing them. Meanwhile, a court knight arrived and warned Edea to immediately retreat, as lightning had stuck the palace and had started a massive fire. Edea told the knight that she needed ten more minutes and asked them to tell Aaron to use the fire extinguisher if she was not out in that time. Soon after, she found the book that she was looking for, which detailed how, in the time of the Ancient Gods, mortals had attempted to find a way to end the chaos wrought by the gods' disregard for the natural order. Their research had led them to investigate previously forbidden studies, but the horrifying beasts that they had spawned were abominations that despised humanity. Nevertheless, the inhumane experiments had continued until finally, after years of failure, they had succeeded in creating a monster with many souls contained within a single body. Against the will of the gods, those creations had been able to wield weapons containing the gods' own power against them. From the information in the book, Edea was able to confirm that Gilmore was indeed a fake Chosen One. Just then, Ebonstar soldiers surrounded her amidst the growing fire. With no need to worry about the library burning down when it was already set aflame, Edea was free to use her lightning attacks on the soldiers. Meanwhile, the surviving troops evacuated from the ramparts to the city square. Carlisle realized that Havoc's tactics were precisely how High Mountain had fallen and he wondered how Havoc had been able to engulf the entire city in a lightning storm. He then asked the Adversary to find Edea, while the rest of them held the line. In the library, Aaron learned from the court knight that Edea had gone missing, and that she had asked him to use the fire extinguisher after ten minutes, which had long since passed. Though Aaron wanted to use the extinguisher before the library burned down, he decided to go after Edea, as removing all the oxygen from the room with the extinguisher would kill her.

Soon after, the Adversary arrived at the library and the court knight explained that Aaron had gone after Edea. After fighting through the Ebonstar soldiers, the Adversary caught up with Aaron. The two eventually found Edea, who told them that she needed to speak with Seren in the chamber of the holy sword. However, she warned the Adversary to keep their distance once they arrived, as the activated sword would channel Mitra's consciousness, and since the Ancient Gods were hostile towards Adversaries, it would likely turn on them. She asked them to help defend the city square and warned them to keep their distance from Havoc, since his strength was unknown, adding that it would be disastrous for the Alliance if they were to lose the Adversary. As the Adversary headed off, Aaron told Edea that he had translated the inscription on Azor, "Alvationsay inway Andhay", and had learned that it didn't mean "Salvation is in Cernium" like what Roland had claimed. Instead, it meant "Salvation is in your own hands", as it was the people who needed unconditional faith, not the gods. After Edea left, Aaron attempted to activate the fire extinguisher, but he found that the fire had broken it, meaning that it was too late to save the library. He then noted to himself that the damage to the library was so extensive that only a god could undo it now. In the town square, the Adversary told Carlisle about Edea's plan and began to mobilize troops to hold the city.

Salvation

Meanwhile, the Grand Master found Seren praying before Azor and wondered whether the city could be facing its final moments, and whether its destruction was truly the will of Mitra. The other knights warned the Grand Master that they needed to leave the palace before it was destroyed, to which the Grand Master wondered how the Chosen One hadn't shown up yet. Soon after they left, Gilmore arrived to find Seren standing alone in the holy chamber. He looked around and noted to Seren how such a once-illustrious palace had fallen to ruin, with storm clouds blotting out the sun and the High Flora swarming across the land like vermin. Seren asked Gilmore what would happen once he became the Chosen One, to which Gilmore explained that he would begin a great cleansing of the land, starting with the Flora, after which he would remove the heretics and the cultists who had infested the city. Seren told him that the various Orders had finally made peace after centuries, and that she believed that it wasn't necessary to expel them. Gilmore laughed at Seren's presumption that he would merely expel them and reminded her that every person had the choice to either worship the sun or be destroyed by its flames. As he walked past her to take Azor, Edea rushed in to see Seren. Gilmore drew his sword on Edea and told her that he would destroy her for sullying their sacred ground. Seren immediately drew her blade and parried Gilmore's attack, yelling at Edea to run. Meanwhile, the Adversary continued to defend the city square while dodging Havoc's devastating lightning attacks. However, the Flora soldiers continued pouring into the city as the storm above them grew worse. Carlisle then began cursing himself for having underestimated the Apostle. Realizing that Havoc needed to be stopped, the Adversary decided to face him themselves. Just then, Aaron arrived to stop them and explained that the time had come. In the chamber of the holy sword, a wounded Edea watched Gilmore standing over Seren, whose blade had been broken. As he prepared to strike her down, Edea used the last of her strength to create a magical seal around Gilmore, allowing Seren to deliver the final blow. Defeated, Gilmore dissipated into thin air as Seren lamented that Azor would never find its light now with the Chosen One destroyed.

Edea then revealed to her that Gilmore hadn't been the Chosen One, but rather, he has been a special type of Specter, filled with countless souls that had given him enough power to appear as though he was the Chosen One, which would have allowed him to trick Azor into choosing him to wield the power of Mitra. Edea then gave Seren the emblem of the Chosen One that Gilmore had dropped and told her that she had earned the trust of the people. Seren protested that the emblem didn't glow in her hands and wondered what more everyone expected from her, as she couldn't change basic facts. Just then, the Adversary arrived and told her that they understood what it was like to feel helpless, as they had been filled with doubt throughout the battle with the Black Mage, just as she was now, and explained that it wasn't until the very last moment that someone had helped them see the light. Edea then told her that Aaron had properly translated the inscription on Azor and revealed to her that it meant "Salvation is in your own hands". The Adversary asked her not to wait for the prophecy to fulfill itself, but to instead fulfill her destiny with her own two hands, while Edea asked her to try putting faith into herself for once. To Seren's surprise, the emblem began glowing in her hands as she began to believe in herself once again. Seren then took up Azor, which glowed brightly and filled her with the divine power of the sun. Spreading her wings, she took to the skies and engaged in a colossal battle against Havoc. Their glowing figures clashed in the sky, with red lightning on one side of the sky and sunlight breaking through the clouds on the other. The people of Cernium rejoiced at the appearance of the Chosen One, marveling at how the sun hadn't abandoned them after all. Because of Seren, Havoc ceased his lightning attacks on the city, giving the united people of Cernium and the Alliance the opening that they needed to turn the tides on the Flora army. Havoc was soon defeated by Seren, causing him to crash down violently from the sky. With the Apostle of Lightning defeated, the Flora army was successfully repelled from the city.

Defensive Tactics

A few days after the battle, the Adversary met with Carlisle in the ruins of the palace, where he told them that the Order of Mitra was to formally anoint Seren as the Chosen One in order to give the people hope before the rebuilding efforts began. He told them that Edea was in the library, likely apologizing to Aaron, as Aaron could have activated the fire extinguisher and saved the library if she hadn't been trapped inside. He also mentioned that Edea was angry with the Adversary for ignoring her warning during the battle and running off after Seren, as she was worried that Seren, the vessel of Mitra, may have attacked the Adversary instead of the Apostle of Lightning. However, he added that thanks to Seren's indomitable will, even Mitra couldn't turn her against her allies. In the library, Edea profusely apologized to Aaron for all the countless knowledge that had been lost, but Aaron told her not to apologize, as it was nothing compared to all the lives that they had saved. After Edea left, Aaron's eyes glowed red as he used his power to restore the library. Edea arrived to meet the Glory Guard and Carlisle as they watched the Grand Master formally recognize Seren as the Chosen One. Just then, Aaron arrived at the palace and approached Seren. Seeing Carlisle's surprise, the Adversary asked if Aaron wasn't supposed to be there, to which Carlisle explained that his surprise was because he had never seen Aaron willingly walk in to a crowd before. Aaron congratulated Seren and asked if she had heard the voice of Mitra since becoming the Chosen One. Seren told him that she hadn't had that honor yet, to which Aaron offered to show her how. Aaron then whispered something in Seren's ear, causing her to suddenly be consumed with divine energy as Mitra himself possessed Seren's body.

The audience was shocked at the devastating power that emanated from Seren, who declared, "The wrath of the sun is upon you," exactly like how she had done in the Adversary's vision when they had attempted to wield Azor. She then turned to face the Adversary, recognizing the power of the Seal Stone inside them, and the two engaged in a fierce battle. The shockwave of their battle wounded everyone in the audience, and the Adversary barely managed to win by shattering Azor. Seren, having regained her senses, was shocked at the destruction of the holy sword, just as Aaron approached the wounded Adversary. To everyone's shock, he extracted the Seal Stone from the Adversary and told them that he had warned that it would only bring death, after which he shattered it. As he walked away, Edea asked who he really was, to which Aaron, his eyes glowing red, replied, "I am the one who tires of the folly of lesser lifeforms," thus revealing himself as Gerand Darmoor. Some time later, Seren met with the Adversary and explained that she was leaving Cernium in order to find a way to repair Azor. Before she left, the Adversary remembered the blacksmith's earlier request and gave her the sword-shaped necklace. Seren recognized the metal as having come from Roland's sword. Though she knew that a Templar shouldn't carry such a thing, with Azor being broken and her leaving Cernium, she supposed that it didn't matter anymore. She told the Adversary that she would cherish it and thanked them for everything, adding that she hoped that their paths would cross again.

Soon after, the Glory Guard returned to Maple World and the Alliance held a meeting to cover the shocking events that had transpired. Edea explained that she had tried to protect the Adversary, but Mitra's power had badly injured everyone. She confessed that things could have been far worse if Seren hadn't been able to take control of her body back. Neinheart was surprised that the holy sword could have broken so easily, to which Edea echoed Aaron's words that only a god could challenge another god, and that Adversary and the Seal Stone were matched in power with Mitra and Azor, which was likely what Darmoor had intended all along. When Cygnus asked what had happened to Seren, Edea explained that Seren had left Cernium in order to fix Azor. She explained that after the Adversary had broken the holy sword, the city was in an uproar, and that it had been a miracle that they had been able to leave without getting hurt. Neinheart then summarized that they had learned nothing of the Ancient Gods, the alliance with Cernium had failed, and the Adversary had lost the power of the Seal Stone. Edea agreed that it was a disaster, but she explained that there was no way that they could have known that Aaron was Gerand Darmoor. Claudine asked why Darmoor had not only allowed the Adversary and the other Alliance members to escape, but had also restored the library using the power of time. Athena Pierce supposed that it meant that he didn't consider the Alliance a threat anymore. Edea added that he was a Transcendent, and that there was no way to know what he was thinking. However, she noted that everything had seemed too well-coordinated for it to have merely been a move against the Alliance or even the Adversary. She also added that even though it may have been an act, she couldn't help but think that it had something to do with what he had told her when they had first met, which was that he hated the High Flora more than anyone else, despite being born as one.

Side Quests

Note: The following questline is set after the events of the Burning Cernium storyline.

Report on Ebonstar

After the battle against the High Flora army, the Adversary returned back to Cernium and spoke with Carlisle, who told them that not too long ago, he had infiltrated Ebonstar with his subordinates in order to gather information, and that he had been receiving regular reports from them until recently. As he was worried about what had happened to his subordinate, Carlisle asked the Adversary to find them. He explained that his subordinate would be in the burning library, disguised as an Ebonstar soldier, but that they would be able to recognize the Adversary. In the library, the Adversary was called over by an Ebonstar soldier, who claimed to be the spy. As they began trying to prove their words, the Adversary told them that they didn't need proof, as Carlisle was the one who had sent them to find out what had happened to them. The spy apologized for making Carlisle worry, explaining that they had been gathering information on Ebonstar and had recorded it in a journal, though they had recently lost it. They told the Adversary that they had searched everywhere for it, except for one place that they had steered clear from, as it was said to be haunted. As the ghosts in the library kept chasing them around, they were too afraid to search the area, and so they asked the Adversary to go in their place. Deeper in the library, the Adversary encountered the ghost of a scholar, who called out to them. The Adversary asked her whether she had seen a notebook lying around, to which she pulled out the spy's notebook and asked if they were looking for it. However, she realized that they weren't the owner of the notebook, and when the Adversary told her that the owner had sent them to find it, the ghost decided to test them in order to verify that they were telling the truth. Declaring that she couldn't just give them the notebook, the ghost offered to hand it over if they listened to one of her stories, explaining that she was quite bored because no one would listen to her. After the Adversary agreed, the ghost decided to tell them story of how Cernium was founded. She explained that the topography of the land was quite unique, which people called the “scar of the earth”, as they claimed that the land had been shaped by the sword of a god, which had carved across the land.

She told the Adversary that the scar of the earth had been around for a long time, even before Cernium had been founded, and that after the gods had met their end there, many different priests had gathered at the holy land, with the strongest of them being Masra, a worshiper of Mitra the Sun God. As Masra overpowered the priests of the other religions, those who had worshiped his power had gathered under him. Masra had then built a huge temple by the scar of the earth and had named it Cernium, where he had awaited the return of the Sun God. However, as those who had followed the Sun God and those who had merely flocked towards his power had gathered in the temple, rules had been necessary to govern them. In the resulting great war that followed, Cernium had eventually been established as its own nation. Masra had then become the first king and High Priest of Cernium, beginning the tradition of members of the royal family carving the pattern of the Sun God upon their foreheads, which reflected their dedication to serving Mitra. The Adversary then recalled that Carlisle had the same pattern on his forehead and realized that it was a mark of him serving the Sun God. The ghost explained that though it had seemed as though Cernium was smoothly becoming a nation, there had been no good days in the holy city, which had begun having many troubles. With the number of believers who worshiped the Sun God being indescribably large, different sects had begun appearing that had created different practices of worship. The ghost then suddenly quizzed the Adversary in order to ensure that they were still listening. After the Adversary proved that they had been paying attention, the ghost continued and explained that after the infighting, the Order of Mitra had become the dominant power in Cernium, and though many had hoped that peace would finally return, external enemies had begun invading the city, which had grown weak from the civil war. Since Cernium was a holy site for many gods, those who had hoped for the return of their respective gods had continued to gather.

In the end, in order to defend the kingdom and run the country, Masra had stepped down as High Priest, appointing a new High Priest in his place, after which he had continued ruling as king. With the separation of religious and state duties, Masra had been able to run Cernium and defend against external threats with ease for a while. However, as the war had continued endlessly, devastating the lives of many people, the citizens had begun turning against Masra and his ineffectual leadership. The Adversary then recalled how Carlisle's father had put an end to the fighting once and for all by permitting all other religious orders to coexist peacefully and without resentment in Cernium. The ghost then asked whether they knew what Masra had done in response to the people's resentment before adding that she didn't actually know herself, as she had regretfully died before she could read the second volume on Cernium's founding. She then cursed herself, realizing that instead of asking the Adversary to listen to her story, she could have instead made them find the second volume for her. Nevertheless, she noted that it had been nice to talk to someone and thanked the Adversary for listening to her before giving them the notebook. The Adversary then brought the notebook to the spy, who thanked them and asked if they had seen any ghosts. The Adversary explained that they had met a ghost who had given them the notebook, causing the spy to realize that the ghost must have been chasing after them in order to return the notebook, rather than to kill them. They then wrote up a report to give to Carlisle and asked the Adversary to deliver it to him, explaining that they were afraid of running into ghosts while walking to the town square. After promising that they would report from a different, less haunted location next time, the spy handed the report to the Adversary, who brought it to Carlisle.

Upon reading through it, Carlisle noted that it contained very interesting information about Ebonstar. He revealed that according to the report, the members of Ebonstar had once been believers of the gods, just like the various sects in Cernium, and that they were said to have desired the return of the gods more than anyone else. However, after one of those believers had crossed into another world through a gate that had unexpectedly appeared one day, he had returned and had claimed that the gods were all dead, and that a Transcendent would pave the way for a new era. Those who had believed him had eventually formed Ebonstar. Carlisle explained that Ebonstar had merely wanted some godlike being to take care of them and change the world, and that they had no longer cared whether that being was a god or a Transcendent. He revealed that the true mission of Ebonstar wasn't simply to erase traces of the gods or occupy the holy city, but to help that Transcendent create a new world. As Ebonstar was getting bigger and bigger, Carlisle advised the Adversary to inform the Alliance about its threat. The Adversary promised to pass on the report and thanked Carlisle, who told them that he should be the one thanking them for forwarding it and apologized for not having anything in return. The Adversary replied that just passing the report was enough before explaining that they also had an interesting story to share about how they gotten the report. They then told Carlisle what the ghost had told them about the founding of Cernium, adding that though he might have already known about it as a member of the royal family, it had nevertheless been interesting to hear about as an outsider. Upon seeing Carlisle's pensive face, the Adversary began wondering whether they had said something wrong.

They asked Carlisle whether something was wrong, to which Carlisle explained that it was nothing, merely a troublesome matter that he had put aside before their story had reminded him about it. He then asked whether he could share some of his concerns and hear their advice on the matter. He explained that Cernium was in chaos, with the holy sword broken and the city burnt down, and so it was inevitable that someone would need to take responsibility for the situation until things could be restored. He confessed that the people of the city blamed him for what had happened, as he was the one who had brought the Adversary in the first place, though he explained that he didn't regret the choices that he had made. He explained that he could endure the resentment, and that he would take responsibility and possibly even step down if necessary. However, he believed that for the sake of Cernium's future, the fundamental problem could only be solved by restoring the holy land through uniting all the different faiths, rather than holding anyone accountable. Though he noted that his thoughts on the matter hadn't changed, he admitted that he felt slightly uneasy after seeing the books that Aaron had left behind. The Adversary asked which books they were, and they were surprised to know that they were the same overdue library books that Aaron had asked them to collect, which had led them to realize that Mitra, Spisa, and Nerota were all the same god.

They noted to themselves that they deliberately hadn't told Carlisle about it, as they had been worried about the uproar that such a revelation would have caused. Carlisle replied that if they had seen the books, then they might have guessed what he himself had come to realize. He explained that he, too, had chosen not to share what he had learned with the public, though after hearing the Adversary talk about the founding of Cernium, his doubts had begun to grow. He told the Adversary that for the longest time, the royal family's position had been ambiguous, as simply having royal blood didn't give them the power to wield the holy sword, or to find the Chosen One, or any other useful powers beyond simply being a symbol. However, he explained that it had all begun to change after his father had taken the throne. With a good head for politics, his father had considered it a loss for the holy land to be continually engulfed in war, and so he had allowed the Orders of Spisa and Nerota to legally establish themselves in Cernium. In the process of ending the war, he had also made the Order of Mitra the official state religion so that the followers of Mitra wouldn't be dissatisfied by the new arrangement. In this way, he had established the royal family as the neutral backbone of all three Orders. Carlisle explained that if the truth were to come out that all three denominations followed the same god, there would invariably be another war between the different faiths in order to prove which of their gods was the ‘real' Sun God, which would completely undermine his father's efforts to establish peace. Because of this, he asked the Adversary whether he should reveal the truth or keep it from the people.