Sacred Stone Memories Chapter 11/Quest 19 - Storyline

The Power of a Mere Human

Orion	...
Zain	Long time no see, Orion. You, who see other humans as less than yourself, have come this far in achieving your ambitions...but it all ends here.
Kanon	Lord Zain!
Zain	Hello, Kanon. You have done very well.
Kanon	L-Lord Zain...
Kudanstein	Zain...
Zain	You as well, Kudan. Without you, we could not have made it to this point. Thank you.
Kudanstein	Wh-what are you saying?! That's not why I—!
Zain	Despite having different approaches, the both of you have always held dear the idea that we must protect the future of this world.
Kudanstein	...!
Zain	Without either of you, there is no way to protect the world from this powerful threat. I am grateful for all that you both have done.
Kudanstein	What are you saying?! Have you forgotten?! It was me wh-who...
Zain	If you are referring to having killed me, you may rest easy.
Kudanstein	Wh-what?
Zain	What happened was a result of my own failure to say what needed to be said. The circumstances created as a result of that led you to do what you did. The fault is not yours. I am sorry that my own inaction has caused you so much suffering.
Kudanstein	I-I... I can't accept your words...
Orion	It's too late for even you to make a difference. Nimul's Alchemy of Power can be countered only with Emmel's Alchemy of Compassion. Without Emmel's Vessel of Reincarnation, what can stop the resurrection of Nimul?
Zain	Emmel's soul has not deserted us. The Alchemy of Power may have been allowed to run rampant until now, but... It is our responsibility—our destiny as Holy Guard and supreme judge—to stop you from resurrecting Nimul.
Orion	Emmel's soul...still exists? No. You cannot distract me with such a pathetic lie.
Zain	It is no distraction. The Vessel of Reincarnation may have been lost, but Emmel had a remarkably thorough contingency plan.
Orion	What...?
Zain	The founder of the Holy Guard was not just anyone. It was Emmel herself. Emmel is also the one who taught the head of the Holy Guard, the Lord Commander, to be the supreme judge who watches over the balance between the Alchemy of Power and the Alchemy of Compassion. Why do you think she bothered to create such an institution?
Orion	No...
Zain	She created something in preparation for the possibility that her own Alchemy of Compassion would be out of commission when the Alchemy of Power needed to be reined in. Then, she entrusted that power to the supreme judge she had trained herself: The Lord Commander.
Kanon	Then, that power is...!
Zain	Yes. It is the holy sword which you hold in your hand: Excalibur. When the Alchemy of Compassion was lost from this world, all of the strength needed to face the Alchemy of Power was entrusted to Emmel's supreme judge. All of the power and all of the compassion she held for the people of the future now lies in your hands.
Kudanstein	Then...the person who called you and the other Captains forth was...!
Zain	Yes... Kanon's prayer to Excalibur only provided the opportunity to fulfill Emmel's lingering prayers that Nimul would be stopped.
Kanon	Then...!
Kudanstein	Then...there's a chance that Excalibur can stop Nimul?
Zain	Yes. At the very least, Excalibur gives us a fighting chance.
Orion	A fighting chance? A false sense of security, more like. How helpful can Emmel's prayers be now? Especially against Nimul himself! What can your insignificant prayers do in the face of our power?
Zain	You two, we must act quickly! The resurrection of Nimul's soul is accelerating!
Kanon	I know! I will do everything in my power to make sure that Emmel's prayers will reach Nimul! Huzzzaahhh!!!
Kudanstein	If we cannot bring him down, humankind has no chance! This is no time to hold anything back! Huzzzaahhh!!!
Zain Kanon Kudanstein	!
Orion	I told you... It's too late! I am only one step away from carving out a new path for humankind! One that no one has ever taken before! With one step, I will blow open the doors for humankind to reach a new plane of existence! O Nimul, your time has come! O Sacred Stones, guide the soul of the great alchemist to this body!
Kudanstein	No!
Kanon	Urk! We couldn't stop it after coming this far?!
Zain	Wait...
Orion	What's going on? Why...is nothing happening? How can this be?! I did everything perfectly! I had everything prepared for Nimul's resurrection! Why, Nimul?! Why do you forsake me?!
Kanon	Could it be that Emmel is preventing the resurrection?
Zain	From what I sensed, it seems more like Nimul himself rejected this man's plea.
Kudanstein	We can't let this opportunity go to waste!
Orion	Argh! I don't need any resurrection ceremony to show you who is more powerful! No matter how hard you fight, your strength is no match for mine!
Kanon	Here he comes!
Later...
Orion	This is the end of the Holy Guard! I will take your lives as penance for stopping me, the Lion Monarch, from fulfilling my destiny! Divine Thunder Apocalypse!!!
Zain	Justice is on our side! Let's go, Kanon!
Kanon	Yes! We will protect the future of the world! Shining Holy Judgment!!!
Zain	Go, Kudan! Take advantage of the strength you've gained by sacrificing all you once held dear!
Kudanstein	Of course! Orion, I will show you that the one who will lead the charge into the future is me! Therefore, I have a responsibility to stop you! Dead the End!!!
Zain	Emmel... Please help me give these heroes whatever support they need! Rising Sun!!!
Orion	Th-they're matching my strength?!
Kanon	E-even with the three of us, we can't gain an advantage over him?! Even though he didn't manage to resurrect Nimul?!
Zain	He's stronger than I could have imagined! If we can't somehow break through...!
Orion	Now you see. With or without Nimul, not one of you will survive this battle!
Zain	This is impossible! How can he still have strength to spare?!
Orion	I will admit that I am a little impressed that peons such as yourselves managed to get this far. However, this is as far as you will ever get!
Zain	Th-this is bad!
Kudanstein	I-I still...have one last trick up my sleeve. What follows is up to you!
Zain	Don't tell me...!
Kudanstein	Grraaaaaaahh!!!
Orion	What?! You—!
Zain	Kudan, stop! The darkness will consume you!
Kudanstein	It doesn't matter! If we don't stop him here, then... Gnrk... Grahhhhhhh!!!
Orion	Urgh! I didn't expect you...to have this kind of strength remaining.
Zain	So close! If only we had just had a little more strength!
Kanon	W-we do...
Zain	What?
Kanon	We have that strength. S-since we've already come this far, it's time for me to use my final trump card.
Zain	Kanon?!
Kanon	A-armies from the other countries are already making their way here. If we can just bring Orion down, then Greed Dike's chain of command will collapse and we should be able to take them out. We need to focus on what we can do now. We must put everything on the line to defeat Orion!
Zain	You're sure?
Kanon	Yes. I will do anything to save this world.
Zain	You have come far from the clumsy new Paladin who joined our ranks. Now, you are a splendid Lord Commander.
Orion	Wh-who do you think you are, to look down on me?! The Lion Monarch will not be made a fool after coming this far!
Kudanstein	...
Zain	He's certainly not going to make this easy for us.
Orion	Don't be so difficult, Nimul! I have done all of this for you!
Kanon	Burning Seal!!!
Orion	What the—?!
Kanon	I'm not like you. I am no chosen one.
Orion	Her strength is different from before?
Kanon	Unlike you, I was never given a distinction like being a Vessel of Reincarnation or anything like that. I'm not that special. My role in this world is not one of revolution or destiny. However...I cannot just give up. There is no excuse for me to lay down my sword when my duty is to stand up for the people of this world!
Orion	Wh-what are you doing?! Nimul, why?! Why have you abandoned me?!
Kanon	I understand that there are those who have suffered because of the hand fate has dealt them. It makes sense to me that you want to end that cycle of pain. However, the answer is not to believe that all humankind is worthless, as you do!
Orion	You...!
Kanon	We cannot build the future based on the unhappiness of the past! The future will not be decided by you, nor by alchemists from the past, no matter how powerful! Even if they are weak, even if they are few... The future of this world must be built upon the hopes of those who live in this time!
Orion	Ngh... Arrrrrgghhhh! Huzzaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Zain	I will not let you! Huzzaaahhhh!
Kudanstein	Nnghhhhh... Gwa...gwaaaaaah!
Zain	!
Kudanstein	!
Orion	Ngh... Nnnnnnrrrrgghhh!
Kanon	This attack...is the world's answer to you, who looks down on mankind's will!
Orion	Ngh... Hrrgh!
Kanon	Brave Innocence!!!
Orion	Argh! Ngh... Grrrrrrarggghhh! This c-can't...be...! The Lion Monarch won't be beaten by the likes of you!
Kanon	It is mere humans like us who must open up the path to the future!
Orion	Ngh... Hrgh! Wh-why?! Nimul! Why don't you...help...m—Aaaaaaaaaaaarrgggghhhhhhh!!! You...f-fools. I-I was chosen...by fate. The...Lion Monarch...will not meet his end...like this!
Kanon	Haaa... Haaa... Ngh!
Zain	Kanon, you did well. That was an excellent attack.
Kanon	It probably wasn't just me...or just us.
Zain	What?
Kanon	At the end, Excalibur let off some dazzling light. It was like...Emmel's soul had nowhere to go, so it rested inside Excalibur for a moment.
Zain	I...see.
Orion	Then, i-in the end, it was Emmel...who brought my ideals...to naught.
Zain	No. It was the will of all mankind that called upon Emmel's soul. Your ambitions were thwarted by the will of all the people in the world.
Orion	Ngh... If only you...had been born in another time.
Kanon	Time is irrelevant. So long as mankind's justice lives on, your ambitions will not be allowed to succeed.
Zain	You've...both grown...to be such fine knights. I'm so...glad.
Kanon	Zain, your body is...!
Zain	Nimul's resurrection has been thwarted. Emmel's power is fading from existence. The rest...is up to you... Th-those of you who still live in this world.
Kanon	Huh?
Zain	O-our mission was purely...to stop Nimul's resurrection. That power which defies human understanding. From here on out...it is up to those of you who will live in the future...to define what justice truly is.
Kudanstein	Z-Zain... I understand now.
Kanon	Captain Kudan?!
Zain	Your generation...desires a peaceful...future for mankind...m-more strongly than anyone I've known. I can now...truly...rest in peace.
Kanon	Lord Zain!
Zain	I am proud...to have lived in the same age as you two. I leave...the f-future of mankind...in your capable hands.
Kanon	Lord Zain!
Kudanstein	You understood me...more than I realized. Forgive me for being so short-sighted. I'm in your debt, Zain.
Kanon	Captain Kudan...
Kudanstein	And now... This is the last stand. Ready, Kanon? Let's settle this once and for all!
Kanon	Ah!