The room is quiet as I enter. There are no guards inside. Only one man stands near a long table with the emblem of Gaelvorn carved into its surface. The clothes he wears are simple, yet they clearly indicate his status. He stands upright, authoritative, his gaze fixed directly on me.
He looks like a King. And I know who he is.
"I am very proud and fortunate to meet you amid the troubles directed at you, my child," he says. "Allow me to introduce myself… Krieger."
He extends his hand.
I step forward and take it.
"Hiro. Hiroshiki," I reply briefly.
He nods slowly.
"Please, have a seat," he says, gesturing to the chair across the table.
I sit down. He follows and takes his seat. He draws a long breath and exhales slowly.
"Forgive the absence of my daughter, Rose," he says. "She returned home yesterday afternoon, for her safety… and for my peace of mind."
I raise my eyebrows slightly.
"I am the second person she seeks, correct?" I ask to confirm.
Krieger nods.
"That is correct."
He pauses before continuing.
"I have faced difficult days since choosing to walk the path that ought to be taken. Standing behind the one who is right. And that is you."
I do not answer immediately.
He lowers his head briefly, then looks at me again.
"I know how heavy the burden you carry is," he continues. "Therefore, this meeting is not to judge you. Allow me to help you."
I exhale softly.
"In truth, there is nothing I require at this moment," I say honestly. "Except to face and take responsibility for everything I have done."
He studies me seriously.
"I have made my decision," I continue. "Tomorrow will be a long and difficult day."
"What do you mean?" he asks. "Do you… intend to surrender?"
I shake my head.
"No. I will stand against them."
The room grows quieter than before.
He does not interrupt, so I continue.
"Lucifer, who once resided within me… before the explosion," I say, glancing at the table before looking back at him, "left words as though he desired this crystal, and began to fear something that would approach me, himself, and Paragon."
Krieger leans back in his chair.
"So the threat is not the Sun who would do anything for that crystal? Unlike the ancient war before?" he asks.
I look up.
"Not him. Another figure."
His expression tightens slightly.
"Johan, you mean?!" he asks quickly.
I shake my head.
"The Tenth Elemental Ruler. Light," I say. "I believe Paragon's death leaves behind the vessel power of the crystal and the power of Light to choose a new master."
I pause briefly.
"And that is the one Lucifer fears. As far as I know."
Krieger remains silent for a long moment. He does not appear shocked—rather, as if rearranging scattered pieces into a whole.
"If that is true," he says quietly, "then this world prepares to face something it does not even understand."
"That is correct."
He looks at me again, his gaze sharper.
"And what of tomorrow?" he asks. "What do you intend to do?"
I rise from my chair. I lower my gaze to the floor, feeling the weight of the decision I have long contemplated.
"I cannot continue hiding," I say quietly but clearly. "As long as I hide, they will continue using my name to justify war."
I lift my head and look at him directly.
"I will declare war for them. And I will face that individual with all that I am capable of. With or without Lucifer."
---
The carriage carrying Rose moves steadily along the main route of Nimurelle. Wooden wheels turn over the relatively even stone road. Two horses pull the carriage without difficulty. The weather is clear. The sun shines fully over the land.
Rose sits inside, gazing out the window beside her. Green fields and rolling hills stretch wide. Several villages are visible in the distance. People walk as usual, seemingly undisturbed by the rising tension of the world.
The sunlight feels different to her that day.
The last time she crossed Nimurelle, it is not like this. Then, she is with Hiro, and the scenery feels entirely different. Now the sky is clear and bright.
Her gaze suggests deep contemplation.
Several minutes pass in silence.
"Sir," Rose calls softly toward the front.
The coachman slightly turns his head.
"Yes, Miss?"
"Can we head toward Ilgnisar? Specifically to Lumineth?" she asks clearly.
This time the coachman fully turns his head, though his hands remain on the reins.
"To the paradise of the world, Miss?" he says lightly. "Of course. However, the journey will take considerable time. At the earliest, we will arrive tomorrow."
Rose falls silent. She looks out the window again. Lumineth. A place she only hears about in stories. A place she once wishes to visit with Hiro, not alone like this.
She exhales slowly.
Her original journey is meant to return to Zepharia, specifically to Quenstown Island. Aunt Anne now lives there with her child. It is safe. It is her father's decision for her protection.
Yet her mind is not at ease.
She feels the need for space. New air. Distance from the chaos in Gaelvorn. Distance from the political pressure weighing upon her father.
She desires fresh wind in her life.
Rose nods firmly.
"Please take me to Lumineth, Sir," she says at last.
The coachman smiles faintly.
"With pleasure, Miss."
He pulls the reins gently, changing the carriage's direction at the upcoming crossroads.
---
I have decided. I choose the vast land of Solcendria. A place far from villages and inhabitants. Only an open green field wide enough to contain thousands of troops—just as before, when I confront the eight elemental rulers upon that land.
This time, however, I reveal myself first from a village of Solcendria.
I allow news of my presence to spread swiftly as I walk toward the open field to declare war there.
Now I sit inside a royal carriage heading toward it. The coachman is paid generously by the King to close his eyes and mouth regarding whom he carries.
This is the assistance I require—despite his many offers to deploy hundreds of thousands of troops on my behalf.
Tomorrow I arrive in Solcendria. Tomorrow the great world war begins there. Whether I fall or survive the battle that follows, I do not know. But one thing I know: I have walked as far as I am able.
The three meanings from Mother… I consider them fulfilled. I have honored them in my own way.
Only Lumineth remains.
At the very least, tomorrow—even if I perish—my presence there will grant the people of this world immediate peace.