You're...

–Thud Thud

In the middle of an orange plain, countless monsters fell under the pressure of the spears laid upon them. 

The previous empty zone was now littered with corpses as the sharp winds unleashed by [Ice Edge] ripped apart any mob that entered its vicinity.

However, two people were unharmed as one calmly walked through the area with his eyes sharp.

'Another Ice out of Space...'

Finding the monster rushing him, Yuuto lifted his sword and summoned three large spears behind him. 

Analyzing the path this Ice out of Space was taking, he nudged his finger forward and placed these spears just a meter away.

Forming a large triangle, Yuuto waited until it reached the center before manually activating [Ice Edge]. 

–KRHAAA

The Ice out of Space began to roar, feeling the combined power of the sharp wind rip its body apart. Yuuto calmly listened to the shout and summoned his sword.

The white blade emitted a soft glow before exploding in an intense, heavy light that spread to his surroundings. 

Eliminating the limited amount of energy he got from his Stellaron, Yuuto no longer had any exhibition in sparing the amount of energy he used. This included transferring the power needed to create an intense moonlight that he rarely used.

The power quickly grew before he finally released it on the Ice out of Space fighting for its life. A large wave of silver light collapsed on the monster and covered the area with a brilliant glow.

A few seconds passed and the light subsided. The attack that contained no thought but pure power did its job and left behind tiny shards of what remained of the Ice out of Space.

Yuuto stared at the spot for a second before his body began to heat up. His heart pumped vigorously and he took a second to calm it down.

Taking his hand off his chest, Yuuto gave out a sigh and continued walking forward.

'The gaze I felt has always landed on me since the time I landed here.'

The stare he felt kept on fluctuating as it appeared in front, to the back, and even simultaneously in every direction.

His senses had gotten used to the gaze that seemed to watch his every move. And after thinking for a while he had already pieced together or more so confirmed the source of that stare.

The Stellaron.

From the time he was conscious that an entity was watching him, Yuuto had already begun to narrow down his list of suspects. 

A few came up but as he moved closer to the center where Cocolia was located he was already 90% sure that it was the Stellaron. The last hammer on the nail was when he severed the thick thread connected to Cocolia.

That very thread had a disgusting feel he couldn't stand and was one that was exactly similar to what he felt when that unknown gaze landed on him. 

'But why would that thing be so fixated on me…'

Yuuto still didn't know if a Stellaron had a distinct consciousness that had its own thoughts and ideas. All he knew was that it was capable of communicating with a person of interest to grant a wish.

Such as Cocolia to carry out the desire of Jarilo-VI or Solar who wished for the raging storm on Solarian to stop.

So was the Stellaron watching him as an automatic mechanism to prevent any threats from fulfilling its wishes. Or was it due to something else?

He was unsure. 

'There's also that voice I heard before getting dragged into this space.'

It was hard to register as various voices began to suddenly flood his head. But having the time to recollect, he began to notice some hints that worried him.

"I wonder if she heard it too…" Yuuto looked at his back and saw Stelle sleeping quietly. 

He remembered that during the story quest, Stelle heard the voices of the Stellaron every time she went to sleep. It was likely that she heard the same words but there was a possibility she didn't.

"Amusing huh." Yuuto sneered and looked at the air in front of him. "I'll show you something amusing."

The atmosphere around Yuuto paused and an invisible force was released from his body. [Clarity] began to spread and Yuuto dug into the [Memory of the World] to find a specific memory.

The previously bare library now had a large spread of books that contained memories from his time in Jarilo-VI and even Solarian.

Ranging from the Wingweavers that got utterly slaughtered by Jingliu to a few fragments from experiences that he worked hard to get.

"Found it."

Located in a far part of his library was a fragment that had an eerie black and yellow aura. Yuuto waved the fragment to follow him until it gradually appeared in his palm.

When he felt the fragment he looked into the memory and tried to focus on a singular part that would assist him.

Inside was the memory of the time he severed that thick thread in Cocolia to save her. He focused on all the properties it had.

The energy signature, aura, and even the depth that this very thread had over Cocolia's mind.

It felt unpleasant but he ignored it and tried to remember everything this thread had.

"Mhmm… I see.." Yuuto opened his eyes and clenched his fist to shatter the memory to dust. "So you were looking there all along."

Yuuto's white irises shined as he looked up and ignored the 'fake' stares aimed at him.

Not waiting a single second longer a thick wave of mist spread from his feet and pushed him upwards. He adjusted Stelle who was behind him and didn't take his eyes away from the true source.

Countless eyes began to burn into his body from all directions but he ignored it all. All except for a faint tear that held a curious feel.

*** 

{Interesting… so that person actually located this very position.}

An unknown voice rang through a space that held a brighter orange tinge compared to the space Yuuto and Stelle were trapped in before.

Other than the brighter background it had, the temperature within it was completely different. It was five times hotter than the precious area and it was probably due to the object near the center.

A vivid golden orb that released hints of light green flared out flames and grew in intensity when a voice rang once more.

{I should bring that thing here.}

An emotionless tone continued to echo and a yellow mirage began to form just a few meters away from the center.

The space was quiet for a while after the mirage formed but it was quickly broken when a small tear appeared in the space.

It grew in size before a man carrying a woman on his back jumped out and bits of cold mist followed behind him.

"It's hot as hell in here." Yuuto clicked his tongue and looked at the orb at the center. 

"Other than that you also have no sense of aesthetics here. The bottom of my toilet seat looks better than this place."

{You certainly have no respect walking into this space of mine.}

"Why should I show respect to a shameless stalker? I'm not that generous, you know."

The corner of Yuuto's lips rose as he sneered at the voice appearing in his head.

The voice in question was silent as it intently watched Yuuto. It looked at the fearless person who didn't hold back at his words and felt even more interested.

{You are much more entertaining than that lady.}

"Lady?"

{The 18th Supreme Guardian.} 

"...Cocolia." Yuuto narrowed his eyes. "So you really are the Stellaron."

{Surprising? You don't seem that shocked.}

"I was already sure before I came here," Yuuto replied.

"But you seem to hold quite a conversation."

Yuuto was slightly surprised to see the Stellaron talking to him in a calm voice and was wary. Especially the way it causes some bells in his head to ring.

{Being in contact with people for hundreds of years has brought some changes.}

The Stellaron spoke in an expressionless tone but this very tone brought Yuuto on alert as it felt oddly ominous.

Feeling his subtle movements, the Stellaron began to chuckle which felt out of character to Yuuto and he silently looked at the orb in front of him.

He was about to summon his sword when the voice suddenly stopped him.

{Are you sure you want to continue? Your body will undoubtedly break down if you continue.}

"What do you mean..?"

{Don't be so oblivious.} The Stellaron continued to laugh. {Signs of corrosion have already begun to appear on you. I'm sure you already noticed.}

Yuuto blocked the left side of his body and clenched his fist. However the feeling of hardened crystals grated against his fingers.

Deposits of golden crystals with tints of black had begun to form on Yuuto's body as he circulated the Stellaron's power within him.

He noticed it way before as he felt his body feel off and didn't move the way he wanted.

Yuuto was surprised to see it appear on his body and thought that it was only possible to appear in the surroundings the Stellaron was attached to.

But then he remembered. His body acted as the land his Stellaron was tethered to. 

So it was probably possible to see corrosion grow on him the same way land would get corrupted with fragmentum.

{I'm not sure how but you have a similar signature to that lady you're carrying. I'm curious however to see that she doesn't seem to hold any corrosion like you.}

The Stellaron began to speak to itself and Yuuto raised his sword when he heard it speak about Stelle.

{No need to be so tense.} The Stellaron was unfazed by his actions and continued speaking. {I have a certain gift that I should give first before you do anything else.}

The mirage that appeared before Yuuto arrived began to shake and the object behind it was gradually released.

A little girl with red hair was crouched down holding her knees and quietly crying to herself.

Yuuto's eyes turned wide and he immediately rushed towards the girl.

"Cyrilla!!"

"Y-Yuuto…"

The girl raised her head and saw the battered image of Yuuto. Her tears began to flow even more and hugged him tightly.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No…" Cyrilla managed to speak between her cries. "But you…"

"Don't worry. I may look worn out but I'm full of energy." Yuuto showed her a bright smile and patted her head to reassure her. 

His eyes intently looked at the girl in front of him and was certain that this was Cyrilla who suddenly disappeared. His worries from before resurfaced and felt glad to see her again.

But this made him even more distrustful towards the quiet Stellaron who watched their abrupt reunion.

"What are you planning?"

{Planning? I don't understand what yo—} 

"Bullshit. I know better to know that you don't do something like this from the bottom of your heart." Yuuto narrowed his eyes. 

"Especially knowing that you must have played a part in taking her away in the first place." 

Silence ensued and Yuuto was on full guard at anything that may appear. Not a single word was spoken but this was broken when laughter exploded from the orb.

{Great! Absolutely amazing!!}

This laughter was different from its usual actions from before as it held a hint of its true emotions.

{You are correct for that. Let's just say that I wish to show her a hint of hope.}

Yuuto felt something off with his choice of words. "What do you mean by that?"

{I mean exactly what I said. Meeting the person who she wanted to help her but sadly enough met their end right in front of her.}

Cyrilla began to shake as she held onto Yuuto as if she was too scared to even look up.

The raw malicious tone the Stellaron gave made the skin on Yuuto's skin rise and he felt countless bells start to ring.

{Oh–. There's something else I forgot to bring.}

The Stellaron ignored the two before summoning a humanoid creature. It had a long white coat and its face was devoid of any features other than its mouth and eyes that were covered by the large hat it had.

Yuuto was confused to see this monster but Cyriila's eyes turned wide and tears began to pour once more.

"Sister…"

"Cy..ri..lla"

{Great addition isn't it? A big reunion between sisters.}

The Stellaron spoke fondly but Yuuto was able to tell that the monster or to be more exact 'Cyrille' was being forced to move under the Stellaron's orders.

This however puzzled Yuuto a lot. Why was the Stellaron going to such lengths just to make Cyrilla suffer? This was immensely different from how he imagined the Stellaron would originally act.

As he thought they were just objects that would make the wishes of others come true no matter the cost.

'There must be a reason why…'

Yuuto thought and looked at the glowing orb in the middle. 

"Why are you doing all this?"

{Whatever do you mean?} 

"I thought breaking the old to form the new was what you conveyed to Cocolia. So what's all these extra acts you're trying to pull." 

The Stellaron went quiet before deciding what to say.

{For a better world.}

A short sentence was all it spoke and Yuuto was unsure what it meant. He was about to ask another question when a certain memory suddenly appeared in his mind.

'For a better world? Where have I heard that…!!?'

Yuuto recalled a strange memory he received from the Warp Trotter way back and a look of disbelief appeared on his face.

'No way this is true..' Yuuto was still in denial but he still voiced his thoughts.

"Stefan Marquez."

A silent mumble came out of him and the orb at the center began to shake lightly but Yuuto managed to capture this out-of-place action.

"You're Stefan? No.. a person can't gain the power of a Stellaron like that." Yuuto deduced.

"Then.. did the Stellaron absorb the data of Stefan and some sort of wish he made slightly adjusted the original goal it had."

One feature that fragmentum corrosion had was that it absorbed the data of anything it manages to touch. This includes items, buildings, and even humans.

All this data is then combined with the information inherent within the fragmentum and creates hybrid fragmentum creatures.

Even if this information was not used, it was still recorded within the Stellaron.

{You're way too keen for your own good.}

The distorted voice began to take on the tone of a middle-aged man and his figure appeared from the orb.

He wore a white coat and had a groomed appearance. But the look he had was very sly and a mocking smile grew on his face.

{I'm not necessarily the original Stefan but you can refer to me as such if you like.}

"Not the original you say…"

{Out of all the humans that were absorbed by the fragmentum, this individual was the only one who held deep resentment and also ambition before he passed.}

The Stellaron or 'Stefan' chuckled to himself and walked up to Cyrille who stood in place.

{Interacting with the ones called Supreme Guardian they all had interesting ideals and personalities. So I wondered, why not try and 'form' a personality myself?}

"And you managed to take the most rotten one."

{I will take that as a compliment.} 'Stefan' smiled and walked around Cyrille.

{I found living as this person was quite entertaining.} 

{Slowly taking control of the land and using another Supreme Guardian as a puppet brought a certain joy than just being an object that repeats the same words over and over again}

{In particular, being seated on the chair of these so-called Supreme Guardians brought a certain ecstasy that's pretty difficult to explain.} 

{Meeting the greedy desires this individual had was more addicting than what I could have imagined. } 

Yuuto listened quietly and felt strange seeing the excitement within the Stellaron's eyes as it talked about its taste of being a 'human'.

{It was pretty exciting until I found that this human had a certain dislike for this lady who was supposed to be dead.}

The happy emotion it originally had suddenly turned cold as he looked at Cyrilla.

{Why must a child be selected as an heir? Why was this child so keen that it almost brought so much trouble to me? Even after death, why must her twin continue to nag me about her?}

{The buried resentment immediately flared up so I felt the need to quickly get rid of this unpleasant feeling. But I felt like that was a waste.}

{Wouldn't slowly completing the objective work the best?}

Cyrilla trembled as she met 'Stefan's' dark eyes and recalled her last moments before she died.

Wanting to send a farewell letter to her sister, she went back to the orphanage to give the letter before leaving but she was suddenly kidnapped.

Her vision was covered and her throat turned dry. She screamed for days until she found herself in a tight box.

She banged the wall and scratched it to the point where her fingernails peeled off. But no matter what she did, the darkness continued to envelop her.

And that dark gaze was the last thing she saw

All until she took her last breath. 

"Why do you think you're going to complete that goal?"

Yuuto moved Cyrilla behind him seeing her current state and summoned his sword. He glanced at his hands and clicked his tongue when he saw the corrosion grow up to his forearms.

'Stefan' looked at Yuuto emotionlessly before bursting out laughing.

{I look forward to what you'll do.}

'Stefan' turned around and floated upwards and sat down. Before Yuuto could move a series of black tentacles sprung from underneath the floor and attempted to grab him.

Yuuto wrapped moonlight around his body and grabbed Cyrilla who was hiding behind him.

Multiple spears began to materialize and were planted on the ground where various winds cut apart the tentacles that attempted to grab him. 

{These spears look better up close~}

'Stefan' smiled and watched the spears rip the tentacles apart. This continued until the remaining ones grew in size and combined.

This formed larger and more thicker ones that managed to minimize the amount of damage it took from the winds.

It shattered the spears Yuuto placed down and he continued to chase said person.

'It's difficult fighting in this state.'

Yuuto had to support the two people with him and was unable to properly fight back. As he was thinking about what to do, he ducked down and avoided a sharp blade flying to his head.

He looked at where this blade came from and he saw Cyrille wave a large staff that began to materialize various daggers aimed at him.

"Sister stop!"

"....."

"She's still under Stefan's control right now."

Yuuto said to Cyrilla who tried to convince Cyrille to stop but was eventually shut down by her.

'I can't keep running like this…'

After dodging and placing multiple [Ice Edges] on the floor behind him, Yuuto felt like he was going to be overwhelmed if this continued.

–Huff

He summoned a thick layer of mist to act as a temporary shield and he placed both Stelle and Cyrilla down.

Waving his hand, a transparent barrier suddenly appeared and he summoned his white sword.

"Yuuto, m-my…"

"Stay here." Yuuto kneeled in front of Cyrilla who tried to speak. "Just leave everything to this big brother."

He gave a gentle smile and knocked on the barrier before a dense layer of silver light covered his body.

Cyrilla hopelessly watched his back as multiple tentacles began to attack him and she looked down.

"Please… be careful…"

Her words were masked by the sounds of fighting appearing around her and she clenched onto her pants. Clinging that something good would happen.

As Cyrilla was wishing for Yuuto's safety, Stelle who was still sleeping behind her began to move slightly.

The light blue lance that stayed with her all this time began to flicker.

The cold tinges of ice that covered the lance began to melt away and the color of bright orange started to glow softly in front of her. 

Flickers of fire began to appear around her body before a pair of golden eyes immediately opened.