Directly below the Dark Celestial Sphere, in a vortex of ever-darkness. Deep darkness and violent thunderclouds. Then a very thick Mist mixed in, where we were engaged in a fierce battle for our companions, we were not sure when they would return. |
But the battle finally came to an end. |
Yakutsk |
"Miyako, Queensway!" |
Queensway |
"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone. I have the St. Iris Key." |
Versailles |
"By the St. Iris Key, do you mean that magnificent sword?" |
Queensway |
"Magnificent...?" |
Queensway |
"Eh, but it was just a rusty sword just now?" |
Paddington |
"Miss Queensway, isn't that sword the Sword of Mercy, the one Miss Queensway called the Sword Curtana?" |
Queensway |
"If you ask me..." |
Queensway |
"So the Sword of Mercy was St. Iris Key. A sword with the blessing of the guardian. No wonder it had special powers." |
Versailles |
"The St. Iris Key sure is very pretty. It seems a bit of a waste to offer it on the altar." |
Vivienne |
"A waste? That sword is very dangerous, Mademoiselle Mary almost died because of it." |
Versailles |
"EWHEEEH!? THAT Mademoiselle Mary!?" |
Miyako |
"Miyako, where is Yuuzen and Mary?" |
Miyako |
"We were together just now. They were in the St. Iris Giant Tree." |
Miyako |
"Yuuzen said something about possibly not being able to come back..." |
Yuuzen |
"Who said I couldn't come back?" |
Miyako |
"Ah..." |
Yuuzen |
"We were told we're not going to Hell yet. That scary one told us." |
Miyako |
"I see. That's good to hear." |
Yoshino |
"Ooooh- Miyako, you look happy." |
Mary |
"Conductor, you all did a great job. We all made it back." |
Conductor |
You were the one who endured it well, Mary. Without you, we would not have made it to the altar. |
Mary |
"Queensway did a job well done this time. It was Queensway who got the key." |
Queensway |
"Right, Sir Conductor. What do I do with this key?" |
Conductor |
Put it on the altar there. There are five altars in total. I want you to put the Sword of Mercy on the central altar. |
Queensway |
"Understood. The central altar it is." |
The last key, the St. Iris, is placed on the altar by Queensway. Queensway was chosen as the guardian. It was Queensway, not Mary. |
Vivienne |
"Look! The altar is reacting!" |
Putra |
"It wouldn't have looked like this if we'd just put four of them there. It's a success! The key Queensway brought will open up the railway line!" |
Paddington |
"The junction is now charging magic! The Mist Train seems to be responding to it!" |
Yoshino |
"The rails are rolling and trying to connect to the next track. If we keep going, we'll be able to climb to the top." |
Queensway |
"Let's all get on the train! We're going to climb through these clouds to the celestial sphere!" |
With the offering of the five keys on the altar, the junction where the Mist Train was parked began to move. We run to the Mist Train at full speed, blasting away any monsters that come near us. |
Queensway |
"Everyone got in?" |
Yakutsk |
"We're on. Mary's even here this time." |
Queensway |
"Sir Conductor, magic power to the furnace." |
After confirming that everyone is on board, I injected magic power into the furnace's Mist Core so that the train can depart at any time. The switchings and rails of the junction received the supply of magic power from the altar, glowed red, and fused with my magic to create tremendous power. |
Yoshino |
"The strongest acceleration rail ever. We'll be moving incredibly fast." |
Paddington |
"Hawawa, this persuasive power is so different when Yoshino says it. Everyone, please hold on to the nearest strap or handrail." |
Soon, the rail changeover is finished and the mist train finally begins its ascent towards the celestial sphere. |
Just as Yoshino had said, the Mist Train rushed through the thunderclouds and ever-darkness at a tremendous speed. It was pitch black and nothing could be seen outside the window. |
But as we climbed upwards, we could see that the darkness was gradually fading. |
There is no 'sky' in Iris Metro. Instead, there is a ceiling at a place so high it is impossible to ascend. Celestial spheres are spheres hanging from the ceiling, so if we go straight up like this, one day we will reach the top of the world. |
The Mist Train stopped right at the ceiling of the Iris Metro. |
At last we seem to have reached the Dark Celestial Sphere. |
Versailles |
"This is the Dark Celestial Sphere..." |
Miyako |
"It's actually the Light Celestial Sphere. The most important celestial sphere for us Metro dwellers." |
Yoshino |
"So this is what it looks like inside the Celestial Sphere. 'Kougyoukei' blood tingles in my veins." |
Miyako |
"This is probably created by the King of Ever-Darkness. It's originally a warm celestial sphere that delivers beautiful blue and dazzling light." |
Versailles |
"Yes, it is. I wonder what the M. Flamarine people would say if they saw something like this..." |
As I was overwhelmed by the heavy atmosphere, I suddenly felt a chill running through my body. |
Versailles |
"You are... King of Ever-Darkness!" |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"I am the King of Ever-Darkness, the one who lurks in the subterranean Nacht." |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"I will turn this whole world into ever-darkness. I have the power of darkness from the Mists and Clouds to bring about the ever-Nacht." |
Conductor |
At last the King of Ever-Darkness has appeared before us. He was more vicious than when we met him previously at M. St. Iris. |
Conductor |
He must have lurked in the Nacht and built up its strength. He wanted to trap the Guardians of the Giant Trees in this celestial sphere and contaminate the Guardian-less Giant Trees with Poison from the otherworlds. |
Conductor |
The goal of the King of Ever-Darkness is to create Giant Trees without a guardians. The Samantha told us that. It said that the harmony maintained by the five pillars has been disturbed, and that he dared to call in otherwordly Poison. |
Conductor |
Things from the otherworlds that are compatible with the darkness that covers the world. That is why he willingly accepted Poison. |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Correct. That Samantha has known this world for a long time. She knows more than the shana and the dark-bloods." |
Miyako |
"Is that why you killed it? Did you kill the kind Samantha just because it knows things?" |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"I didn't kill it because it knew things. I killed it because it was an obstacle to me." |
Mary |
"An original answer from a model villain." |
Yuuzen |
"Ya say you accept Poison, but the things that flow from the otherworlds are not only what ya think they are. There are many things that threaten yer power." |
King of Ever-Darkness |
I'm aware of that. If it were powerful enough to threaten me, it could eradicate all life in this world. In other words, the dark power I seek will spread throughout this world." |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Even if the Giant Trees are affected by things from the otherworlds, there will be more than enough darkness in the world to store up my power. A new era of darkness has come." |
Yuuzen |
"In short, you want to start a war that is convenient whether you win or lose. The idea is to use the Poison that flows into the Giant Tree or be swallowed by it. The idea is that it doesn't matter which way you go." |
Yuuzen |
"...So that's how confident you are. Who are you really, King of Ever-Darkness?" |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"I am the one who lives in the interstellar dimensions. I am aiming for a complete resurrection in order to defeat the Iridescent God." |
Queensway |
"Defeat the Iridescent God?" |
Versailles |
"I don't understand what you are saying. There is no way a demon can defeat the Iridescent God." |
Miyako |
"He's not a demon. I'm sure." |
Versailles |
"What do you mean, he's not a demon?" |
Miyako |
"He's on the same level as the Iridescent God. Isn't that what he's trying to say?" |
Mary |
"There are no kings who call themselves gods." |
Yuuzen |
"Make it clear whether yer a God or a king. I don't care which." |
Miyako |
"That's true. I think so too." |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Mortals are cocky little things. What can thy do with that kind of power?" |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"I warned thy. I warned thy not to mess with the Guardians of the Giant Tree." |
*BOOM* |
Mary |
"GAH!" |
Queensway |
"MARY!" |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Keep out of the clouds and the dusk. Stay out of the night and the dawn." |
*BOOM* |
Yuuzen |
"--!" |
Miyako |
"YUUZEN-SAN!" |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Thy never learn, no matter how many times, thy do the same thing over and over again. Thy don't understand their own strength." |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Mortals are stupid, short-lived creatures. Creatures who fear the dark." |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Therefore thy seek the light. And thy do not even realise that shadows can form behind thy backs." |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Can thy escape this darkness? Can thy see things well enough to speak light to us?" |
Conductor |
Of course we can. Because this darkness is your creation. |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"The Divine Child of Iridescent Clouds. The strongest Child of the power of the Iridescent God." |
Conductor |
It is true that people are foolish and short-lived. They seek the light, unaware of the shadows. |
Conductor |
But, it is possible to create new light by doing so. It can even create light to illuminate the shadows that have formed in the shadows. By doing so, people can gain strength. |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Why light? Why not darkness? Why fear the darkness?" |
Conductor |
It is because people are fragile and short-lived creatures. |
Conductor |
People fear death. If we fear death, we fear darkness. |
Conductor |
That's why we need light. We need warmth. In the darkness, the mind and body can be damaged, so we sometimes turn on a light to avoid that. |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"But one may also use the power of darkness. Some awaken to the power of darkness at an early age. The beastkin over there, survived to this day by using her dark powers." |
Yuuzen |
"Ara, yer not that smart for a self-proclaimed God? There's a difference between using the power of darkness and living in the darkness at will." |
Yuuzen |
"I know what you mean. Correct. My power is a very dark power. It's a power I learnt in the dark. This power is good at hurting people. Do you know what this means?"" |
Yuuzen |
"It means people don't like you!" |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"I do not understand. Do mortals respect emotions, the most disturbing thing in life?" |
King of Ever-Darkness |
"Very well. I will kill thy all here and make the ever-darkness even more deeply rooted. I will trap the Guardians of the Giant Trees in that darkness, let it rot, and destroy the universe of the Iridescent God from its very roots." |
Queensway |
"Unless we defeat the King of Ever-Darkness, the Guardians cannot be saved. Let's defeat him at any cost." |
Mary |
"There's more than one way to defeat it. You can't just fight it thinking it's a Mist Monster." |
Versailles |
"Miyako, are you ready?" |
Miyako |
"I'm always ready." |
Versailles |
"I won't let you do what you want to our celestial sphere. Sir Conductor, please lend me your strength!' |