Esfera/Story

AreaStory

Story (Post-Remaster)

Note: The Esfera storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.

Origin Sea

Some time after Tana's disappearance, Jean contacted the Adversary and explained that several suspicious people had arrived in the Morass, and that they were investigating the coral reef in the area. As they seemed to be following Tana's trail of Erda, he explained that the group must be people from the outside world. He added that since he was still in an unstable state, it would be better for the Adversary to meet them personally before they arrived in Trueffet, noting that though the group didn't seem dangerous, it would be best to avoid any unnecessary altercations. Meanwhile, at the Morass, Ollie pointed out Trueffet to Shubert and Melange, explaining that the Adversary had likely gone there. However, Shubert noted that something seemed strange, as the Erdas of the Morass replicated memories, while the castle seemed as though it could disappear at any moment. Realizing that Shubert had a point, Ollie asked Melange to check the path to the Adversary again, though Melange replied that it was unnecessary, as the Adversary had just come to meet them.

Ollie was thrilled to meet the Adversary, introducing herself as a Thunder Breaker and explaining that her mission was reconnaissance and guidance. Shubert thanked the Adversary for saving them the trouble of searching for them and introduced himself as a Blaster, adding that his job was to keep the communication lines open to HQ, as well as providing technical support. He then awoke Melange, who had fallen asleep, and nudged him to introduce himself. Melange then introduced himself and explained that his name was short for Melangioruiana. Ollie told the Adversary that Melange was a magician sent from Pantheon by Edea in order to create a dimensional gate back to HQ, as well as to follow the Adversary's trail. The Adversary was surprised to know that the Alliance had even sent out someone from Pantheon, though they were relieved that their letters had made it after all. Ollie told the Adversary that thanks to their letters, the Alliance had been able to successfully enter the Arcane River, though somewhat belatedly. She added that though it must have been hard for the Adversary to make it through the Arcane River on their own, they now had the support of the Alliance. She then revealed that in Maple World, the Alliance was gearing up for a full-scale operation against the Black Mage, and that the Adversary would be quite surprised to see it. The Adversary asked Ollie about the state of Maple World, to which she replied that Maple World had been affected by the Arcane River's appearance, though she would share the details after they returned back to HQ.

The Adversary was surprised to hear that they were returning, with Shubert noting that Melange's job was to create a portal back to HQ, and that they would continue their next mission at a later point. However, Melange told Shubert that there was somewhere else that they ought to go first, as he could feel the power of the Transcendents still lingering in the area. As Melange began leading them towards a doorway, Shubert began fretting that they were going off-script for their mission, while the Adversary realized that there may be a clue to Tana's whereabouts somewhere. Because of this, they told Ollie and Shubert that Melange's lead was worth investigating, though they realized that they ought to speak with Jean first. While Ollie and Shubert chased after Melange, the Adversary met with Jean in Trueffet, where they explained the situation and asked him to come with the Alliance to follow Tana. However, Jean told them that Tana's influence on his form had been stronger than he had thought, and with his body showing no signs of reverting, he believed that it would be better for him to stay behind, as the echo of Trueffet would revert back into its original coral reef much faster without his presence keeping it intact. Realizing that Jean was right, the Adversary decided to rendezvous with their allies. However, they asked Jean whether they would meet again, to which Jean laughed before reminding the Adversary that their allies were waiting for them. After the Adversary left, Jean spoke aloud and thanked the Adversary for giving him hope. Noting that his role was at an end, he wished aloud for the Adversary to take care of the rest.

The Adversary then arrived at the dungeons of Trueffet, where they found Ollie and the others standing in front of a sealed door with light pouring out of it. Ollie noted that the door gave her a strange feeling and wondered whether it was truly the power of a Transcendent like Melange had said. Realizing that they hadn't informed the Alliance about what happened in the Morass, the Adversary quickly filled them in about Tana and Arkarium. Though Ollie wondered who Tana could be, Shubert pointed out that they had to worry about the door first and resolved to blow it open with demolitions. However, Melange told Shubert that there was no need to force it open, as they already had the key, pointing to the Adversary. As the Adversary approached the door, a great rush of energy blasted it open from the inside, revealing the same Erda portal which Tana had used to leave the Morass. With the portal sucking everyone in, Shubert quickly called two scout ships, while the Adversary was dumbfounded that Melange had fallen asleep once again in such a moment. Thanks to Shubert's timely intervention, the group was able to regain their footing as the scout ships flew over the skies of Esfera. As the Adversary wondered what kind of place they had fallen into, Ollie pointed out the large black orb looming in the sky.

As they looked up at it, Melange immediately noticed how strange it was that there was no sun. At everyone's confusion, Melange explained that the black orb wasn't a sun, but rather, it was a Black Moon. Just as he attempted to clarify, he suddenly stopped upon sensing an incoming threat. To everyone's shock, an unknown enemy attacked with powerful dark energy, causing the scout ships to explode mid-air. The Adversary and Ollie awoke on the surface of the water, with Ollie realizing that it wasn't ordinary water, as they were able to stand upon it. Having been separated from Shubert and Melange, Ollie wondered whether the attack had been from a Commander. The Adversary replied that though they couldn't be sure, they were certain that the Black Moon was where the Black Mage awaited them. A surprised Ollie realized that the time of the final battle was fast approaching, with the Adversary noting to themselves that their long struggle against the Black Mage was finally coming to an end.

However, the Adversary couldn't help but wonder what the ‘sun' that Melange had spoken about referred to. Ollie then told the Adversary that they should first rendezvous with Shubert and Melange by firing a signal flare and waiting for them to fire one in response so that they could pinpoint the others' location. Just then, Ollie realized that her flare had fallen out of her pocket. They then turned to find an Ahtuin monster eating the fallen signal flare. At Ollie's request, the Adversary hunted the Ahtuin monsters and recovered the flare, which Ollie fired into the air. Upon receiving a response from Shubert, the pair made their way over to Shubert's location, where they found that he and Melange had constructed a base camp using the ship wreckage. Shubert greeted them and pointed to a sleeping Melange, revealing that he had fallen asleep through the landing and even falling into the water. As Shubert began repairing the communication system, the Adversary woke Melange up and asked him what he had meant earlier about there being no sun. Melange replied that he had seen Erda remnants in the area and suggested that the Adversary seek them out in order to find out for themselves.

Believing that the Erda remnants had been left behind by Tana, the Adversary and Ollie - with the directions which Melange had jotted down for them - soon came across an anomaly radiating with Erda energy. Reading through Melange's directions, Ollie told the Adversary that they needed to stabilize the anomaly by injecting it with Erda from the surrounding area. The Adversary harvested Erda Fragments from the nearby Bellalion monsters and infused them into the anomaly, transporting them into one of Tana's memories. Inside the memory, Tana walked alone through Esfera, which was eerily dark without a sun, and soon collapsed from utter exhaustion, wondering where the Black Mage was. Suddenly, Will appeared before Tana and promised her that she would meet the Black Mage soon, though he added that she would only meet him if she fully complied with the ritual. He then welcomed Tana to Esfera, explaining that they were standing in the Origin Sea, where Tana would be reborn as the sun, serving as the foundation of a new world.

Confused, Tana asked Will who he was, to which Will introduced himself and explained that he was a guide who would lead her. He then told her that time was running out and invited her to follow him to enact the ritual before ‘the intruders' appeared. After a pause, however, Tana channeled her powers and refused to go with Will, claiming that she had come to meet the Black Mage in-person. Amused, Will asked Tana whether she had had a change of heart, reminding her that only the Black Mage could grant her wish. Though Tana agreed with Will's words, she declared that she had no intention of becoming his puppet. Upon seeing Tana's resolve, Will laughed and noted that though he didn't wish to hurt her, he had no choice but to go all-out in order to face someone like her. As the two began to battle, the memory suddenly ended, leaving the Adversary and Ollie shocked at what they had seen. Ollie explained that the man in Tana's memories was Commander Will.

Upon seeing the Adversary's confusion, Ollie noted that she wasn't surprised that they didn't know him, as Will had never made a direct appearance in Maple World yet. She added that the Silent Crusade had determined that Will was the one responsible for the strange dimensional cracks which had recently appeared in Maple World. Ollie then told the Adversary that though they weren't sure about Will's abilities or what he had been up to, they could be sure that the fact that he had come out of the shadows held great significance. Ollie then pointed out that Will had called Tana the sun and wondered what the Black Mage was planning between a new sun and a new world. Realizing that either Tana or Will must have been defeated from their battle, the Adversary decided to look for them. Ollie noted that if the attack which had destroyed the ships had come from the Black Moon, it was likely that Tana must have been captured already.

Just then, Shubert reached out through the repaired communication system. Though he was shocked upon hearing about Commander Will, Ollie reassured him that a single punch from the Adversary would be enough to defeat him. She then asked Shubert whether it was possible to contact HQ through the repaired communication system. Shubert patched them through to HQ, though he warned them that the system was barely functioning. The pair then made contact with Neinheart, whose voice was distorted from the barely functioning communication system. Nevertheless, the Adversary noted to themselves that it felt surreal to hear Neinheart's voice so far from Maple World. After Ollie reported the situation, Neinheart managed to tell them to protect Tana and stop Will's ritual, just as communications fizzled out. The Adversary and Ollie then prepared to head out, unaware that one of Will's spider monsters was watching them from Mirror World through the water's reflection.

Ultimate Light from Ultimate Darkness

After reaching the next Erda anomaly that Melange had noted, the Adversary gathered more Erda Fragments to stabilize it, allowing them to see more of Tana's memories. They watched as Will prepared to begin the ritual with a captured Tana, noting that her power was truly incredible, and that he would have met the same fate as Arkarium if she had been at full strength. However, he added that given how emotional she was, he wondered whether she could still be considered to be the same as the Black Mage. Though Tana attempted to resist, Will amusedly told her that it was too late before ordering her to remain silent and become the sun of the new world. Nevertheless, Tana's immense willpower allowed her to push back against the ritual. As Will attempted to push harder, he suddenly grew serious as a portal opened, from which a powerful beam of energy shot out towards him. Though Will managed to dodge the attack, the disruption to his concentration resulted in Tana plunging deep into the Origin Sea. Noting to himself that losing Tana hadn't been part of the plan, Will turned to face the unknown assailant as they shot more beams of dark energy at him.

With the memory ending, Ollie and the Adversary realized that thanks to the ritual being interrupted, Tana had fallen out of Will's clutches somewhere in the Origin Sea. As the Adversary began to wonder whether Will's assailant had been the one who had destroyed their ships, Will himself appeared and unleashed a powerful attack on the Adversary, though Ollie stepped in between and barely managed to dispel it with her sword. Will then laughed and told Ollie that he had come to see the Adversary. The Adversary demanded to know what Will was planning, to which Will told them that the Black Mage had once said, “The ultimate light can only be found in the ultimate darkness,” adding that it would be time for the Adversary to face him by the time they understood those words. Suddenly, he told the Adversary that it wasn't the time for them to have a leisurely chat, adding that though he normally enjoyed the anticipation, this time felt special to him. Though the Adversary attempted to stop him, Will teleported away, leaving them to wonder what the ‘ultimate light' and ‘ultimate darkness' were.

Unable to figure out what Will meant, the Adversary turned to Ollie, who seemed strangely distracted. They then looked to see that Ollie had been injured from Will's attack, with a shaken Ollie wondering whether the Adversary had really been facing such powerful enemies the entire time. She then turned to the Adversary and assured them that she was fine. In the air, a masked figure watched the pair before teleporting away. Elsewhere, Will noted that he hadn't expected ‘that child' to have gotten involved, though he believed that it would change nothing. Nevertheless, he noted that the experience brought back unpleasant memories for him. Though the Adversary was worried about Ollie's condition, Ollie assured them that she was fine and added that their priority was to secure Tana before Will could recover her. Just then, Shubert contacted them and asked about the loud noises which he had heard from afar. Upon hearing that Ollie had been injured by Will, Shubert urgently suggested that they return to HQ, though Ollie promised him that she had patched herself up with bandages. With Shubert having restored short-range communications, Ollie told him that in the event of an emergency, she would prioritize saving the Adversary over herself. At the Adversary's shock, Ollie reminded them that they were the one who would face the Black Mage.

With Melange heading over to reinforce them, the pair pushed deeper into Esfera, where they were shocked to find that the scenery had changed into withered trees, chains falling from the sky, and the water turning purple. As they wondered what had happened, Melange arrived and explained that the power of the mirror had touched Tana, causing it to flow throughout the Origin Sea. At Ollie's confusion, Melange explained that from what he understood, Will used the power of mirrors to create his own Mirror World, which was completely cut off from the outside world. He added that conducting the ritual using the power of Mirror World would make it extremely difficult for others to interrupt from the outside. However, he revealed that since Will's ritual had been interrupted, the power was flowing out with the Erdas. He then told them not to worry about Will for the time being, as he was being overwhelmed by Tana's power.

He explained that as long as Tana continued to resist, the power of the mirror couldn't be used where they currently were, as Tana's power conflicted against Will's. He added that from what he had heard, Will was quite weak without the power of Mirror World, though he warned them not to let their guards down, as he suspected that Will's true strength lay elsewhere. Ollie asked Melange whether he could track down Tana, though Melange added that it would be difficult, as Tana and Will's powers had collided and spread outward, making it hard to feel her presence. However, he noted that Will seemed to be tracking them down as well, for which he suggested following the spiders. The Adversary asked Melange whether he was coming with them, to which Melange explained that he had something else that he needed to take care of first, though he added that they ought to find more traces of Tana along the way.

After Melange left, the pair prepared to head out when Ollie's injury began stinging once again, though she insisted to the Adversary that she was fine. Elsewhere, a gravestone was created from Tana's memories alongside two beings - an Executor of Light and an Executor of Darkness - who declared that the spiders were their enemy. Meanwhile, the Adversary and Ollie fought through the spider monsters that Will had created before running into a battle between the spiders and several Keepers of Light and Darkness, which the Adversary realized had been created by Tana. Upon entering it, the Adversary witnessed Tana and a girl who appeared to be her twin appearing before the Executors of Light and Darkness, with the Executors telling the girls to create with the power of light and destroy with the power of destruction. The Executors declared that there were two forces and two candidates before them, with Tana's sister using the power of darkness to destroy a tombstone in front of them before Tana used the power of light to recreate it.

Tana then noted that there was darkness because there was light, while Tana's sister noted that there was light because there was darkness. Tana asked her sister whether they were also like that, to which her sister noted that though it was possible, it didn't matter, as they couldn't coexist together, as that was the fate of the Transcendent of Light. The Executor of Darkness then declared that destiny would soon be decided, while the Executor of Light wondered which of the two candidates would be chosen. Suddenly, both Tana and her sister began to hear a voice in their heads, thus beginning the selection. The Executors told the two girls that the one who would not be chosen at the end of the selection would be known as Tana, while the chosen one would be known as Aeona. The memory then ended, leaving the Adversary to wonder about Aeona and the Transcendent of Light, while Ollie pulled out a top-secret document. Ollie explained that after the Adversary had entered the Arcane River, the Alliance had begun to reinvestigate the Black Mage from the beginning, particularly his power as the Transcendent of Light. She revealed that the Alliance had gathered a great deal of information about the Transcendents, including Grandis' Transcendent of Light, Aeona. She presented the document to the Adversary, who read that the Alliance had hoped to learn more about Aeona in order to understand the Black Mage's powers, though they had found no information at all about Aeona or her whereabouts.

The Executors then led the pair deeper into Esfera, where they came across Keepers of Light, which the Executors explained had been created from a small portion of Tana's power. They explained that in order to fight Will, they needed to gather Erda, to which Ollie noticed a bookshelf floating in the water, just as the gravestone had been. With the Executors claiming that there was little time, the Adversary and Ollie entered Tana's memories and discovered Tana and her sister facing each other in a battle. Tana noted to herself that just as light and darkness were one, she and her sister were destined to embark on the same path, despite having different powers, noting that it may have all been planned. After killing her sister, Tana wondered where it had all gone wrong, realizing that she and her sister had not been allowed to coexist. With the death of her sister, Tana was given the title of Aeona, the Transcendent of Light, with the power of the Transcendent flowing into her. Suddenly, Tana began to hear a beautiful yet cold voice in her head and realized that she could not refuse its call.

With the memory ending, an amazed Ollie noted that they had just seen something incredible, noting that in the end, Tana had become Aeona, the Transcendent of Light. However, she noted that there were still so many questions left, such as why Aeona wasn't the one with the power of darkness. The Adversary agreed, adding that Tana also called herself Tana, rather than Aeona, despite the fact that her sister was the one who should have been called Tana as the candidate who hadn't been chosen. They noted that it seemed as though there were still questions about the Transcendent of Light that they did not yet have answers for, such as why they had begun fighting in the first place. The Executors answered the Adversary's question by revealing that the two had fought because they had been divided. They explained that there was always light where there was darkness, and vice versa, the simultaneous coexistence of the two forces was not inherently out of balance. However, they revealed that when the two were not one, not everyone could hear the voice. They then added that everything adhered to the will of the world, leaving the Adversary and Ollie confused even further.

However, the Executors told the pair that there was no time to waste, as they needed to hurry and save Tana. As they kept moving, however, the Executors suddenly stopped and revealed that they could go no further, as Tana had created a barrier that prevented them from moving ahead. However, they revealed that destroying the nearby Keepers of Darkness would allow the Keepers' power to flow into them, thereby giving them the power to break through Tana's barrier. As they could not harm the Keepers themselves, the Executors asked the Adversary to defeat the Keepers for them. After the Adversary defeated the Keepers of Darkness, the Executors absorbed the Keepers' power and broke through Tana's barrier. The group then proceeded ahead to an empty region, where the Executors revealed that Tana was directly below them at the bottom of the sea. Shubert then called and told Ollie that she would need to dive down and recover Tana with the diving gear that he would transmit to their location. With the Adversary manning the pulley system, Ollie dove down and recovered Tana, who was sleeping inside a glass coffin, with the Adversary pulling her back up to safety right before the monsters below the ocean attacked. As they prepared to move out, however, Ollie's bandages came undone from diving into the water, revealing a spider mark that Will had given her with his attack. Upon seeing the spider mark, the Executors designated Ollie as an enemy and immediately began to attack her, gathering other Light Executors to eliminate the perceived threat. The Adversary fought off the waves of Executors and contacted Shubert, telling him to quickly prepare the short-range teleportation system for their escape.

With Ollie injured from the attack, the Adversary prepared to send them back to the base camp when Will arrived, noting that Ollie didn't look so good. Though Ollie told Shubert to extract Tana, the Adversary ordered Shubert to instead extract Ollie, declaring that they would keep Tana safe from Will. However, Ollie refused to leave the Adversary behind, revealing that her mission had been to protect them from the beginning, much to the Adversary's shock. Though Ollie attempted to stand up, she quickly collapsed once again from her injuries, to which Shubert - at the Adversary's insistence - quickly extracted Ollie back to base camp. Laughing, Will then used his power to bind the Adversary with his powerful magic. The Adversary was surprised that Will could still fight, as Melange had told them that his powers were being suppressed by Tana. Will revealed that the Adversary was the one who had weakened Tana's power by destroying the Executors, thereby allowing him to use his abilities once again. The Adversary realized that Will had marked Ollie on purpose, which Will confirmed, explaining that he had hoped to use them in order to weaken Tana's power, as her resistance had been far stronger than anticipated.

He mockingly congratulated the Adversary for putting the world at risk just to save Ollie, adding that she had merely been a pawn to sacrifice in the Adversary's place. At the Adversary's confusion, Will explained that they were the great Adversary - the only one with the power to face the Black Mage - and that the obvious choice was to sacrifice others to save them if necessary. He then called out for the masked figure, who was hiding in the shadows, to reveal themselves. He told the masked figure that he had seen through their plan of trying to have him use the power of Mirror World by fighting with the Adversary. He then gave the masked figure a choice between saving the Adversary and stopping the ritual before throwing the bound Adversary into the Origin Sea. The masked figure immediately moved to save Adversary, allowing Will to escape with Tana. The Adversary recognized the masked figure from Tana's memories and realized that they were the one who had been fighting Will. The masked figure asked the Adversary whether they could still fight, to which the Adversary asked the masked figure why they had saved them, though the masked figure merely told them to answer the question. However, the Adversary insistently noted that the masked figure had interrupted the ritual and demanded to know what they were after. The masked figure replied that in order to destroy the Black Mage, they needed an Adversary.

They then warned the Adversary that Will was planning to resume the ritual with Tana, and that unlike last time, they would not be able to interrupt him again, as Tana was no longer able to resist and disrupt his concentration. They added that with Tana having lost consciousness, there was only one way to wake her up again. Before the Adversary could do anything, the masked figure ordered them to chase after Tana while they finished their own work, teleporting the Adversary back to the base camp. Vowing that they would face they Black Mage soon, the masked figure disappeared as well. Back at the base camp, the Adversary looked up to find that the White Sun now appeared in the sky alongside the Black Moon. They then met with Shubert, who revealed that the poison inside Ollie was spreading. Melange added that poison was enchanted, and that only its creator could cure it. He pointed to a mirror that Will had created, revealing that it was the only way to reach the White Sun, and that it was an obvious trap, for which he decided to follow the Adversary on their path to Will. Before they left, Neinheart contacted the base camp and, through the static, warned the Adversary not to fall into Will's trap and explained that reinforcements were coming soon. Upon hearing from Neinheart that the Adversary's survival was paramount, however, the Adversary recalled what Will had said about Ollie being a sacrificial pawn, causing them to ask Neinheart whether he was the one who had ordered Ollie to protect them. At Neinheart's silence, the Adversary declared that they would go in themselves and told Neinheart not to stop them. Though Neinheart's signal began cutting out, he warned the Adversary that there was still a way and asked them not to hesitate when the time to choose came.

Moment of Choice

Vowing not to make the same mistake twice, the Adversary entered the mirror with Melange and appeared in the same temple which the Adversary had seen in Tana's memories. Melange revealed that they were inside a replica of the Radiant Temple within Mirror World. The Adversary asked Melange what they should do next, as it was clear that Will was intending to pass on Tana's powers to the Black Mage. Melange explained that in order to figure out what to do next, he needed to examine Tana's memories within Mirror World. Though the worried Adversary reminded Melange that they needed to hurry, Melange warned them to have patience, claiming that they would undoubtedly lose if they rushed into things. The pair then moved forward and encountered Executors of Light created with the power of Mirror World. Melange revealed that the Executors were a minor race from Grandis who served the Transcendent of Light, though no details about that race existed. He supposed that it made sense that information about the Executors would be scarce, as they were affiliated with the Transcendent of Light, whose actions were also unknown to Grandis.

The Adversary then told Melange that there should be Erda traces for him to read Tana's memories, to which Melange told them that he had been analyzing Mirror World's power leaking out into Esfera, and that he believed that if they were able to access Tana's memories from the objects which had manifested in Esfera from Mirror World, they ought to be able to access more memories from within Mirror World itself. In order to help Melange concentrate, the Adversary defeated the nearby Executors of Light, allowing Melange to access Tana's memories. The pair watched as Tana, following her awakening as the Transcendent of Light, left the temple in order to escape fate. However, she noted that she could still feel the chains placed upon her by the will of the world, and that she knew that those chains could never be broken. Though she wandered all over Grandis, she could still hear the beautiful yet cold voice in her head that constricted her tightly enough that she felt dizzy and disoriented. However, Tana declared that things wouldn't go as planned and vowed to live as herself no matter what, even if the price was to lose everything that she had.

With the end of the memory, Melange told the Adversary that unlike the Transcendents of Maple World, the Transcendents of Grandis were actively involved in shaping their world, and that Aeona - unlike the others - had left no trace of her actions, though he added that he hadn't known about the details of her circumstances until now. He explained that he now understood why she had called herself ‘Tana', the title for the candidate who hadn't been chosen by the will of the world, rather than her given title of ‘Aeona' that signified a fate which had been forced upon her. However, Melange noted that there was one thing that still bothered him, as he found it strange that the Black Mage wanted to take the powers of a Transcendent of Light when he himself already was one. Thinking back to the Executors' explanation, the Adversary realized that if Tana held the power of light, then that meant that the Black Mage held the power of darkness. Just then, Melange noted that he could feel the White Sun drawing closer to the Black Moon, though he noted that there was still time to stop the ritual. However, he told the Adversary that he still needed to access one more memory in order to understand the Black Mage's true purpose.

After the Adversary defeated the Executors of Darkness, Melange used his staff to pull them into the final memory. To their surprise, however, the pair found themselves in a celestial dreamscape that appeared much more vivid than the memories which they had seen earlier. Melange immediately realized that Tana must have brought them into her mind herself, likely because she had something important to show them. They then watched a memory of Tana speaking with the Black Mage, with Tana asking whether he could really give her what she wanted. She wondered whether it was really possible for the Black Mage to so, noting that even with his Transcendent powers, such a thing would be even more impossible specifically because he was a Transcendent. The Black Mage replied to Tana by revealing that he had a plan as the Tana's memory of the Black Mage appeared before her in her dream. Tana noted that he was cold and dark like a black moon and asked him what he wanted, to which the Black Mage explained that he wished to change destiny by combining light and darkness. Upon hearing his words, Tana noted that he shared the same fate as hers. The Black Mage then ordered Tana, addressing her as Aeona, to go to Kritias, claiming that in the vortex of desire, she would be reborn as the White Sun. Tana agreed to comply with the Black Mage's request, explaining that she would do it as long as she could live as herself.

Though the memory faded away, the Adversary and Melange still found themselves within Tana's mind. Melange noted that what he had seen was incredible, as he had never thought that something like that could happen between two Transcendents. The Adversary then noted that Will had mentioned how the ultimate light could only be found in the ultimate darkness, to which Melange noted that Tana was light and the sun, which represented the power of creation. The Adversary then realized that the Black Mage was darkness and the moon, which represented the power of destruction, and that he intended to use Tana in order to gain both opposing powers, though they wondered what the Black Mage intended to do with Tana's powers, as they had believed that the Black Mage had simply intended to destroy everything. Suddenly, a projection of Tana herself appeared before them, revealing that the Black Mage had promised to grant her wish by putting an end to the world and her life alongside it. However, she explained that after meeting Jean, she had realized that she hadn't wanted to die, and that she still wished to have more time. Because of this, she asked the Adversary to lend her their strength so that she could take them to Will immediately. She then begged the Adversary to stop the ritual, claiming that only they had the power to do so.

After leaving Tana's mind, the Adversary and Melange discovered that Tana had created a portal to her. Melange then revealed that based on everything he had ascertained, the Black Mage's ritual would result in the power of the Transcendents of two worlds becoming one, and that they would have no chance of winning against him if he were to succeed. He explained that the portal which Tana had created would lead to a Mirror World within Mirror World, though he added that the Adversary would have to face Will alone, as he was unable to fight within Will's Mirror World. The Adversary then entered the portal alone, where Will noted his impressment with them managing to chase after him all the way. However, he revealed that the only way that they could stop the ritual was by killing Tana, causing the Adversary to realize that Neinheart had been talking about that moment. Will then told the Adversary that he was interested in seeing what kind of person they were and asked whether they would kill an innocent girl to save the world, or to put the world's survival at stake in a hopeless battle against a being who had transcended the Transcendents themselves.

Upon hearing Will's words, the Adversary realized that they had already made a mistake and put their allies and countless others at risk. Vowing that they wouldn't fail again, the Adversary declared that they would defeat Will and put an end to Tana's life if they had to. An amused Will noted that a person's true nature was revealed at the most desperate moments of great choice, and that no matter which they chose, what would always remain was the fact that the decision was always in their hands. After a fierce battle, the Adversary managed to defeat Will, who admitted that he had been cleanly beaten, for which he used his magic to erase the enchanted poison inside Ollie. However, he then reminded the Adversary that the only choice left to make was to kill Tana. Upon hearing his words, Adversary realized that though they had been able to save Ollie, countless other would be put in danger if they failed to stop the ritual. However, they then thought back to Tana's words about how she didn't want to die, just as Tana called aloud for help as she dreamed. Hearing Tana's plea for help, the Adversary realized that Tana had suffered immensely in her attempts to escape her fate, though they nevertheless noted to themselves that they couldn't hesitate and risk any more lives. Just then, Tana called out for help once again in her dreams, though she instead called out for Jean to save her.

Suddenly, the Adversary recalled what Kao had told them about how one of their memories had been about someone in pain and how they had been regretting something. They also remembered Kao's warning to them about not making any decisions that they would regret, and to make their own choices without being swayed by anyone else. Because of this, the Adversary instead chose to spare Tana's life instead. An amused Will asked the Adversary whether they knew what they were doing, to which the Adversary replied that they were fully aware that they would be allowing the Black Mage to gain the power of two worlds' Transcendents, and that they would nevertheless find a way to overcome their odds. Will was impressed by the Adversary's choice and admitted that he couldn't help but be amazed, just as Tana disappeared. As the ground began to shake, Will revealed that the ritual had begun, and that there was no way to stop it once the White Sun and Black Moon fused together. However, he explained that the Adversary's choice hadn't mattered from the beginning, as the outcome would have been the same no matter what. He revealed that he had merely been interested in which choice they would make, and though he noted that they were too dangerous not to be eliminated, he told the Adversary that he would never forget their decision.

After Will disappeared, the Adversary was faced with an endless onslaught of spiders. As they grew overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies, Ollie appeared to defend them, revealing that she had anticipated that while they would have no trouble dispatching Will, he would not have gone down easy, for which she had asked Shubert to transport her to them directly. She then revealed that it was the Empress, not Neinheart, who had given her the mission to protect them, as she had known that the Adversary's tendency to shoulder all burdens alone would overwhelm them, for which she had asked Ollie to lend them her strength when the time came. Ollie noted that while all of them were weaker alone, the reason why the Cygnus Knights and the Maple Alliance existed was so that the collective strength of everyone would allow them to protect each other and fight together. As she spoke, Neinheart arrived with the Alliance reinforcements - the Chief Knights and the Resistance leaders - breaking through into the inner Mirror World and quickly dispatching Will's spiders. Neinheart revealed that Shubert had fixed long-range communications, and that Melange had opened a gateway for the Alliance to enter, just as he had planned.

Melange then reported that Will had fled into the innermost part of Mirror World, to which Neinheart suggested that they quickly evacuate before the White Sun fused with the Black Moon. As the Alliance retreated, an injured Will collapsed in the innermost part of Mirror World, noting to himself that not even Melange would be able to follow him inside. Though he lamented not being able to offer the Adversary to the Black Mage, he took comfort in the fact that the time of Genesis was at hand, wishing that he could see the perfect world that the Black Mage would create, which would be free of chains and unchecked powers.Just then, however, the masked figure arrived and confronted Will, who was shocked that they were able to follow him into the deepest part of Mirror World. The masked figure told Will that he could not escape, to which Will, realizing that he had no choice, decided to settle their conflict once and for all. As the two began fighting, the White Sun was absorbed by the Black Moon, transforming it into the Black Sun, Tenebris, and creating a massive storm that slowly began to grow throughout the area. Having gained the power of both creation and destruction, the Black Mage sent massive chains into the waters, pulling Maple World closer into the Arcane River and absorbing the Erdas within the Origin Sea in order to begin the Genesis Ritual.

Meanwhile, the Adversary met with Neinheart, who noted that they seemed downcast and asked whether they still blamed themselves for not being able to stop the ritual. He assured the Adversary that none of them could have anticipated that the Black Mage would have such a plan, though the Adversary replied that they had been unable to do anything but watch the ritual unfold in the end. Neinheart told the Adversary not to blame themselves, noting that just knowing what the Black Mage was planning was already a huge advantage. He then told the Adversary to take heart, as the real final battle was about to begin. Elsewhere, in the deepest part of Mirror World, Melange secretly arrived to find the region empty after Will's battle with the masked figure. Noticing that Will's book had fallen, Melange used his magic to copy its contents into his own book before noting that all the walking that he had done had made him sleepy. He then opened a portal to return back to the real world.

Story (Pre-Remaster)

Origin Sea

Some time after Tana's disappearance, Jean contacted the Adversary and explained that several suspicious people had arrived in the Morass looking for something. He added that the group had been heading towards the dungeons, and that he would look into what else they had been up to. The Adversary went to the dungeons, where they found a Cygnus Knight, a Resistance member, and a strange magician trying to open the sealed door with strange light pouring out. The Resistance member offered to blow the door open, but the Cygnus Knight argued against it, reminding him that their priority was to meet the Adversary first. The Adversary then approached the group, who all introduced themselves. The Cygnus Knight introduced herself as Ollie, a Thunder Breaker assigned to the Arcane River in order to protect and provide guidance. The Resistance member introduced himself as Shubert, who had been tasked with keeping the communication lines open to HQ and keeping their gear running, as well as providing demolition services. He then woke up the sleeping magician, who introduced himself as Melange, which was short for Melangioruiana. Ollie explained that Melange was a magician from Pantheon who could create a dimensional gate back to HQ.

The Adversary was amazed that so many factions of the Alliance had made it all the way out to the Arcane River. Ollie told them that in Maple World, the Alliance was gearing up for a full-scale operation against the Black Mage, which she added had been years in the making. The Adversary then looked at the sealed door and asked if it was the reason why they had come to the Morass. Ollie clarified that though the team had been looking for the Adversary, Melange had examined the door and had learned that the power of the Transcendents was sealed behind it. Suddenly, the door opened, causing a powerful force to start drawing them in. Shubert barely managed to call their airship before they were all sucked inside. Their ship was quickly pulled into the currents and began ascending vertically, causing it to launch out of the Arcane River and float in the air above Esfera. In the distance, a masked figure clad in black and white saw the ship resurface and used their powers to blow it up. The Adversary and Ollie were separated from the rest of the team and wondered what had caused their ship to explode. The Adversary suspected that some sinister force was behind it and wondered if it was linked to the large Black Moon in the sky, where they could sense the Black Mage's presence.

Before they headed out to search for Shubert and Melange, Ollie gave them a letter from Neinheart, which she hoped would answer a few of their questions. However, Neinheart had simply written that he would only be able to answer their questions by linking to the secure Alliance communication network. The Adversary wondered how Neinheart knew about the Origin Sea, to which Ollie explained that Neinheart had grown obsessed with learning about the enemy's plans after the World Tree incident. In order to regroup with the others, Ollie planned to fire off a flare until she realized that she had dropped it. They then saw an Ahtuin monster running off with it, and so the Adversary hunted down the flare from the flock of monsters. After getting the flare back, they realized that it was wet and unusable, and so they collected white firewood that grew off the backs of the Atus monsters in order to dry it. Ollie then fired the flare and received a response from Shubert and Melange. They found Shubert and a sleeping Melange setting up a base camp in the ruins of their ship. Shubert began telling them that the uplink had been damaged in the fall, just as Melange awoke and told them that something was wrong with the sky. He pointed out that there was no sun, which bothered him.

Ollie was confused by his words, and so Melange gave her his staff, which was able to play back memories. They followed the staff's magic towards an area rich with memories, where Ollie told the Adversary that as per the instruction manual that came with the staff, they needed to charge the staff by defeating monsters so that it could absorb the magic released by them. The Adversary hunted Bellalions in the area, activating the staff and allowing them to see a memory of Will with a captured Tana, whose memories and sanity had finally returned. Ollie was surprised to see Will, as he was the only Commander whom the Alliance knew nothing about, since he had never been seen in Maple World. She added that the only records of Will had been obtained in a special library, meaning they had no intel on his actions or abilities. They watched as Will cast a spell on Tana in order to transform her into the sun of the new world. Just then, a mysterious portal appeared, from which a powerful laser beam was shot at Will. Just as Will dodged it, he lost his hold on the glass coffin containing Tana, which fell into the Origin Sea. Ollie and the Adversary realized that Tana was the sun that Melange had been talking about and wondered what Will was up to.

Just then, Will himself arrived and launched an attack at the Adversary. Ollie immediately came between them and blocked the attack with her sword. Will merely laughed and told Ollie that he had come to see the Adversary, adding that he was reminded of the words that had inspired him, “The ultimate light can only be found in ultimate darkness.” He told them that they could only face him after learning the truth behind his words, after which he disappeared. After he left, Will thought to himself that he didn't expect ‘the child' to have gotten involved, though he believed that it would change nothing. Nevertheless, the experience brought back unpleasant memories for him. The Adversary asked Ollie if she was alright, as she had been wounded by Will's attack. Ollie quickly told them that she was fine before changing the subject and asking what Will had meant by the ultimate light and the ultimate darkness. Just then, Shubert called and asked for a status update. After hearing about the situation, Shubert told them that he had fixed the transmitter for short-range communication, though he needed lubricant for the long-range array.

Ultimate Light from Ultimate Darkness

The Adversary collected Animal Fat from the Bellalis monsters nearby and returned to Shubert, who was able to barely patch together a working array. They connected with Neinheart at HQ, who asked them for a status update. Ollie told them that only the Black Moon appeared in the sky, and that Tana had sunk into the Origin Sea. Just as the communication uplink fizzled out, Neinheart managed to tell them to protect Tana and stop Will's ritual. Before they headed out, the Adversary asked Ollie about her injury. She showed them that she had patched it up with bandages and then told Shubert that should the situation turn dire, he needed to prioritize saving the Adversary. The Adversary began to protest, but Ollie told them that they were the one fated to fight the Black Mage. They then headed out and found that the waters had slowly grown dark and purple. Just then, Melange caught up and explained that Tana had touched the power of the mirror, causing it to flow throughout the Origin Sea. He also told them that creating a sun through the power of Mirror World made it hard to break from the outside, but since Will's ritual had been interrupted by the masked figure, the power was flowing out with the Erdas.

Melange decided to head back, but he reassured them that they didn't need to worry about Will for the time being, as he was threatened by Tana's Mirror World. Ollie was confused by what he meant, and so he clarified that as long as Tana continued exerting her power, Will couldn't access the power of the mirror himself, as the two powers opposed each other. Shubert then chimed in through the communication device and told them that it sounded similar to radio interference, in which two signals broadcasted on the same wavelength. Melange warned them that even though Will was weaker without the power of the mirror, he still possessed enough strength to be a formidable threat. After Melange left, Ollie felt her injury sting, though she hid it from the Adversary. As they continued onward, the pair encountered several Aranya spiders sent by Will. After thinning out their numbers, the Adversary found Ollie listening to something in the distance. She told them that it sounded like a fight, and so they headed over to find several Aranea spiders fighting several Keepers of Light and Darkness. As they watched the Keepers pull back, Ollie supposed that they were Tana's creations.

The Adversary then noticed a grave below them in the water and wondered if it was also a fragment of Mirror World. They suggested to Ollie that they use Melange's staff on it in order to see if they could learn more about Tana from the memory. They then hunted the nearby Aranea spiders in order to charge it. Using the staff, they saw a memory of Tana and her sister coming into existence inside the Radiant Temple, being told to only follow the voice. They also witnessed Tana's sister hearing the voice of the Overseers and being granted the title of Aeona, with Tana being passed over as the reserve. The Adversary began to wonder what the Transcendent of Light's power was, as Tana had mastery over the Erdas. Just then, a Light Executor appeared and explained that light and darkness were merely analogies. He led them closer towards the mirror's power, where Keepers of Light surrounded them. The Light Executor told them to charge the staff with the Keepers of Light, but when Ollie asked whether it was okay for them to attack his own people, he merely told them that he followed only the voice. After charging the staff, they used it on a bookshelf in the ocean, where they saw a memory of Tana reading a book about the Transcendent of Light. As she got to the part that detailed why an awakened Transcendent could only wield one of the two powers of light and darkness, Aeona appeared and destroyed the book. She told Tana that she was tired of the Executors, who put her on a pedestal as a Transcendent, claiming that they really just used her instead. After she left, Tana used her powers of creation to restore the book and read that the power was given to the two chosen.

The Adversary and Ollie then understood that the Transcendent of Light had the power of either creation or destruction. Based on that information, Ollie figured out what Will had meant about the ultimate light and the ultimate darkness, realizing that the Black Mage's goal of achieving the ultimate light through the ultimate darkness was destroying the world and recreating it. Having served his purpose, the Light Executor told them where to find Tana. Ollie asked why he was helping them, to which he explained that it was Tana's will, as the enemy of an enemy was his friend. He then led them closer towards Tana, where he told them to defeat the Keepers of Darkness in order to weaken the forces of Mirror World. Ollie was concerned that Will would be able to use his powers if Tana's power was weakened, but the Light Executor reassured her that the Keepers were only a portion of Tana's power, with the Executors holding the most substance. After getting past the Keepers, Ollie contacted Shubert and told him that they had reached the area where Tana had sunk into the ocean. The Adversary operated a pulley system tethered to Ollie, allowing her to dive deep into the Origin Sea and recover Tana, who was sleeping inside a glass coffin.

As they prepared to take Tana back to the base camp, Ollie's bandages came off from the water, revealing a spider mark from Will's attack. The Light Executor immediately recognized Will's mark and, believing Ollie to be a threat, summoned more Light Executors to destroy her. The Adversary managed to defeat them all and began to help Ollie up when Will arrived. Ollie contacted Shubert and told him to extract Tana while she held off Will for the Adversary to escape. Though the Adversary told him to instead extract Ollie while they defended Tana, Ollie told the Adversary that her real mission was to protect them. Nevertheless, Shubert listened to the Adversary and extracted Ollie back to the base camp. Will then launched a powerful attack on the Adversary, which surprised them, as they had believed that Will was weaker because of Tana's power. However, Will explained that they themselves had weakened Tana's power when they had fought off the Light Executors attacking Ollie. He then laughed that Ollie was merely a pawn to sacrifice in the Adversary's place. When they expressed confusion, Will explained that they were the great Adversary, the only one with the power to face the Black Mage, and that the obvious choice was to sacrifice others to save them if necessary. He then called out for the masked figure, who was hiding in the shadows, to reveal themselves. He told the masked figure that he had seen through their plan of trying to have him use the power of Mirror World by fighting with the Adversary.

He then gave the masked figure a choice between saving the Adversary and stopping the ritual before throwing the Adversary into the Origin Sea. The masked figure immediately moved to save them, allowing Will to escape with Tana. The Adversary asked the masked figure why they had saved them rather than Tana, to which they replied, “To destroy him… I need to create an Adversary,“ before teleporting them back to the base camp. In the sky, they saw that Tana had become the White Sun next to the Black Mage's Black Moon. Shubert told them that though Ollie had been recovered, the poison in her system was spreading. Melange added that it was an enchanted poison that only the creator could cure. He told them that Will was inside the White Sun, and that the only way inside was through a mirror that Will had created, though Melange warned them that it was a trap. Just then, Neinheart contacted them and, despite the static, they were able to make out that he was warning the Adversary not to act hastily, and that support would be there soon. He also emphasized that the Adversary's survival was the main priority. Remembering Will's words about Ollie being a pawn, the Adversary asked Neinheart if he had ordered Ollie to protect them. When Neinheart didn't reply, they decided to go after Will themselves. Neinheart managed to convey that there was still a way and asked them not to hesitate when the time came to make a choice, just as the signal cut out.

Moment of Choice

The Adversary and Melange then went into Mirror World, where they found that Tana's power had transformed the whole place into a replica of the Radiant Temple. In order to learn the purpose of the ritual, Melange told them that they needed to examine the memories in the space. They soon encountered Light Executors, which Melange explained had lost their names and forms. He told the Adversary that the Executors were a minor race of Grandis that had left in search of the domain of the gods, though they had been mocked for it. After charging the staff, the Adversary witnessed a memory of Tana confronting Aeona for having destroyed seven races of Grandis. Aeona had replied that she couldn't help it, as it had been her job. Believing that her sister had gone mad with power, Tana had decided to face her. Melange told the Adversary that unlike the Transcendents of Maple World, the Transcendents of Grandis were actively involved in shaping their world, and that Aeona specifically left no trace of her actions, making it possible that even more than just seven races had been destroyed. He was also curious about her word choice, which implied that she seemed to have destroyed the races against her own will. They then moved on to charge the staff on the Dark Executors and witnessed the final memory of Tana having killed her sister, causing the power of the Transcendent of Light to flow into her, as she was the Transcendent's reserve. Because of this, the Executors proclaimed that they had made a mistake, and that Tana was actually Aeona, the Transcendent of Light. Tana immediately began to hear the voice of the Overseers and realized that her sister was correct when she had told her that it was impossible to free herself of those chains. However, she vowed that she would still live as herself no matter what, even if it destroyed her.

With the final memory, Melange was able to conclude that the Black Moon and White Sun would fuse, allowing the Black Mage to gain the power of both creation and destruction. The Adversary then vowed to stop the ritual by defeating Will. Melange told them that Will was inside a Mirror World within Mirror World, though he added that he didn't have the power to fight Will inside the mirror. The Adversary then entered the mirror alone and confronted Will, who was impressed that they had actually come to face him. However, he added that the ritual had gone too far, and that the only way to stop it now was to kill Tana. The Adversary realized that killing Tana was what Neinheart had meant about the choice that they would have to make. However, they resolved to both defeat Will and save Tana, and engaged in a fierce battle against the Commander. As the Adversary continued fighting Will, their battle took them deeper into Mirror World, finally leading them straight into its heart. After a fierce battle, the Adversary successfully bested Will, who was impressed by their strength. As a reward, he cured Ollie of the poison and asked what they would do next. The Adversary then turned to find that Tana was unconscious and in terrible pain .

Though the Adversary knew that they needed to kill Tana in order to stop the Black Mage, they nevertheless struggled to take her life. As they battled between their reason and their morality, Tana called out to Jean in her dream to save her. Upon hearing Tana begging to be saved, the Adversary, against all odds, chose to spare her life instead. Will, for once, was utterly shocked and asked the Adversary if they understood what the consequence of their actions would be. The Adversary told Will that they knew that the Black Mage would gain the power of the Transcendent of Light from two worlds, but they believed that they could still save everyone, including Tana. Suddenly, Tana disappeared as Will laughed that though he admired the Adversary's conviction, the ritual could not be stopped anymore. As Tana's power had faded, Will regained full control over Mirror World and summoned a horde of spiders to destroy the Adversary before disappearing.

As the Adversary struggled to face the endless onslaught, Ollie appeared to defend them. She explained that it was Cygnus, not Neinheart, who had tasked her with protecting them. She told them how Cygnus had told her that the Adversary was strong, though they tried to shoulder the burdens of the whole world. Though no one in the Alliance was as strong as the Adversary, Cygnus believed that their numbers gave them strength, and that even the weakest member had an important role. Just then, a dimensional portal appeared in Mirror World and Neinheart arrived with the Chief Knights in order to finish off the spiders. The Adversary apologized to Neinheart for their reckless decision, but Neinheart told them that there was no need to apologize, as he already knew what the Adversary would have done. Melange then found a book that Will had left behind and picked it up before creating a portal to the base camp, allowing the Alliance forces to escape the White Sun before it fused with the Black Moon.

Meanwhile, Will retreated into the deepest recesses of Mirror World in order to prevent Melange from following him. Though Will wished that he could have presented the Adversary to the Black Mage, he took comfort in the fact that he would be able to witness the time of Genesis. He eagerly expressed his excitement to be able to witness the creation of a perfect world free of shackles and unchecked powers with his own eyes. Just then, however, the masked figure arrived and confronted Will, who was shocked that they were able to follow him into the deepest part of Mirror World. The masked figure told Will that he could not escape, to which Will, realizing that he had no choice, decided to settle their feud once and for all. As the two began fighting, the White Sun was absorbed by the Black Moon, transforming it into the Black Sun, Tenebris, and creating a massive storm that slowly began to grow throughout the area. Having gained the power of both creation and destruction, the Black Mage sent massive chains into the waters, pulling the three worlds closer into the Arcane River and absorbing the Erdas within the Origin Sea in order to begin the Genesis Ritual.