Chapter Fourteen

In the game each Blade, when they are first awakened from their Core Crystal, materialized together with their respective weapon. Since they were one and the same, in the sense that the weapon is a materialization of the Blade's offensive abilities and a conduit for the Driver to channel the latter, there was a logic to it.

However, neither Kora nor Kasandra materialized their own weapons during their introductions. I didn't pay attention to it at the beginning, and it was only when Rex and I decided to do a test run of our new Driver abilities and asked our Blades what they can do that I witnessed one of the first major differences between this world and the original Xenoblade 2 game.

In this alternate world Blades didn't materialize a weapon, they became the weapon: once ready the two Blades turned into their respective elements, darkness for Kasandra and lightning for Kora, and flowed towards us.

"Woah!" I let out in surprise when the electricity wrapped around my arms and solidified into a pair of metallic gauntlets, Kora's Knuckle Claws: unlike the game there were not blades shaped like lightning bolts permanently sticking out of the knuckles, but they popped out and retracted according to how hard I clenched my hands. "Didn't expect you to turn into a weapon."

The change made sense: in a real battlefield everyone is a target, so Blades can't just stay on the sidelines and focus on channeling Ether to their Drivers. Sure they could act as a team... except one of them is unharmed and they need to pass the weapon to each other to deal damage. Not very ideal even for martial arts-using Blades: sure people like Ranma, Killua, Issei and Laharl only need their bare hands to inflict ridiculous levels of damage... but there are very few people like them even in a world like Alrest, and those four are already at the level of a Last Boss so the comparison is unfair.

I could feel the smugness coming from the demon and the martial artist. Note to self, stroke their egos sporadically and on a need-to-know basis only, otherwise the following bragging is likely to become unbearable.

"That's how we Blades work. I mean, it's even in the name!" Kora's disembodied voice spoke to me before a see-through image of her appeared next to me, her boots touching the dirt without disturbing it. Give her a white sheet, some floating candle flames and the bubbly blonde could pass for a ghost.

"Oh, I see. It makes for a good punch line." I replied without thinking. Woah! Who knew I was capable of such cringe-worthy puns? I could literally feel the second-hand embarrassment from the Gang, though the fact Kora was giggling told me that maybe my unconscious attempt at comedy wasn't half-bad.

Rex, Shield Hammer in hand, was talking to who I assumed was a likewise immaterial Kasandra: I couldn't see or hear the black-haired girl, but the younger boy was using her name while speaking. If only their own Drivers can interact with a Blade in weapon form, does it mean it is not something like an hologram but data transmitted directly to my brain through my senses, like an HUD? Convenient, but what were the limits? "Kora, can you hear my thoughts?"

If she could hear me interacting with the Gang... Well I was planning to eventually reveal the truth in any case, but I needed to choose the right time and words. The ìconsequences of poor communication were nothing to scoff at.

"Kinda?" She tilted her head, a finger poking her cheek. "Only your surface thoughts, and even in that case it's more like a broad impression of their meaning. Like, jump! Or, use this Art! That's more or less what every Blades can do, it's part of the general knowledge we acquire when waking up from our Crystal."

I nodded in understanding, that was definitely useful. I tapped one of the metallic bands covering the core-like crystals embedded into the gauntlet's wrists. Uh, there are also small fan-like blades on both sides of the wrists, spinning and generating electricity like a dynamo. Neat. "Do you feel anything if I touch it?"

"Nope. No touch, no smell, nothing." She shook her head, hands behind her back and right leg slightly raised as she spun around on one heel. "It's kinda like... I am in two places at once? My main body is the gauntlets, while my consciousness is standing next to your body: I can still look around and hear stuff, but I can't move very far away from you. When the damage of a Blade's weapon reaches a certain threshold we automatically switch back to our main form: that's when our core is at its most vulnerable so be careful!"

"Gotcha, I'll prioritize dodging over parrying." Kora's role was that of a Healer, so tanking hits with her was the last thing I should ever do. Mmmh, I better work on developing a suitable set of Driver Arts for Kora's Knuckle Claws: something simple, but adaptable and effective. Using Ranma's martial arts as inspiration should be ideal, while to improve the lightning powers of Kora I could channel Killua... No, it probably was for the best if I kept channeling only Riku and Ranma while in Alrest.

Why? To start with I already confirmed that channeling too many members of the Gang at once lead to me acquiring contrasting personality traits, which resulted in me acting in ways that made me feel very embarrassed once the channeling ended. Two members is already pushing it, even if I can switch between them doing so always results in me unconsciously channeling both after a short while. The spiritual and mental connection I have with the Gang is just that strong, especially if the compatibility is high: like, for example, Ranma and Laharl are like two sides of the same coin.

""Hey! I'm nothing like this guy!"" The martial artist and the demon protested at the same time, pointing a finger at each one in an accusatory manner.

"Lee is probably talking about the fact both of you are individuals with very high inborn talent, who worked very hard to develop their skills instead of just relying on natural strength and who are very proud of their various accomplishments." Tsuna diplomatically explained.

"He's saying that both of your egos are so big, it's like looking into a mirror." Killua commented with a mirthful tone.

I ignored the resulting scuffle, it was nothing I haven't experienced before, and focused back on the real world to see Kora staring at me. "Sorry, I was just lost in my thoughts for a moment. Something's wrong?"

"Don't worry, I was just surprised by how much Ether you have, Lee." She nodded, a smile on her face and arms akimbo.

"Yes, Azurda mentioned it. That a good thing?" On paper it should be so, but best to get it confirmed by the one actually handling the Ether.

"Sure! The more Ether we have, the more I can spam the big booms!" The energetic Blade explained while throwing a few punches in the air. Arcs of electricity danced around her fists. "I don't mean to brag, but I have one hell of a mean punch!"

"Wow, that's electrifying." I said with a straight face. Two seconds later we were both laughing like crazy. Maybe I secretly had a talent for this?

""NO!"" Every single member of the Gang shouted at once.

Spoilsports.

"There is another thing I want to ask: can you fight in human form, even without a weapon?" To use a Special the Driver gives back the weapon to the Blade, that's how it worked in Xenoblade 2, but since in this world Blades transform into weapons instead of materializing them the process must be different.

"Who said I don't have a weapon in that form? Give me a moment and I'll show you!" The gauntlets around my arms turned back into electricity and 'filled' the see-through image of Kora, making her body tangible again. She held up her clenched hands, both fists crackling with small lightning bolts: electricity spread above the surface of her arms and formed a framework of Kora's Knuckle Claws, the two weapons looking like they were made of several glowing circuits throbbing with energy.

"This thing here is called Partial Weapon Manifestation: basically, we Blades create a weapon with our element instead of our bodies. In my case, it's Lightning!" Kora explained with a pleased smile. "They're weaker and more fragile, but if they break I can easily replace them."

Interesting, this meant a Blade without their Driver was not necessarily hopeless: Brighid could kick some serious ass even without Morag, not just because she was a powerful Blade but mainly due to the crazy combat skills she cultivated through several centuries. Say what you will about Mor Ardain, but they're very good at war.

"Hey Lee!" Rex called out while waving an arm, Kasandra next to him. "Wanna find some monsters to train? I don't mind a spar, but this way we can go all out without worries."

Not a bad idea. The second reason why I wanted to channel only Ranma and Riku is that I wished to hone my own combat skills: the more I trained my natural battle instincts without relying on channeling members of the Gang, the stronger on my own I could become.

[In The Shadows Of Giants I Walk]. I had nothing against that Title, but I didn't want to let it define my entire life. I wanted to learn the skills of the Gang and grow from there, not just borrow them every time I had a problem.

"You want to be a student, not an imitator. A good attitude to have." Tsuna said. As expected, he saw straight to the heart of the matter. "Just don't hesitate to rely on us if the situation calls for it: losing something important because of pride... that kind of thing leaves a deep wound in the soul I wish on no one. Ah, but I suppose a certain amount of emotional turmoil and conflict is inevitable when growing up. I'm sure that, no matter how bad it gets, one day we'll look back at those days and share a good laugh."

'I am already an adult.' I pointed out with absolutely not a petulant tone. I was grateful for Tsuna and everyone else's support, but did he really have to word it as if I was a hormonal teenager greenhorn still in need of several reality checks?

"My bad, the difference between our bodies and minds' respective maturity deceived me." The Sky Flames user showed a beaming smile, looking too pure for the sheer bullshit coming out of his lips. Is this what Adult Tsuna is truly like? All the KHR fans in the world are gonna cry!

"Fighting monsters? I'm in." I agreed with Rex's suggestion, it was a perfect way to blow off some stress. The Heartless were a valid alternative, but I would need to use Braveheart instead of Kora's gauntlets. "Do you know where to find some?"

Kasandra's mask rattled, the smiling Blade completely obvious to it. With a loud cacophony of hissing shouts a dozen of bipedal, reptilian creatures with ramshack armor and stone weapons emerged from behind a hill. One of them quickly looked around and, upon spotting us, made a series of gestures that I was pretty sure were meant to evoke a ferocious meeting between a neck and a sharp blade.

"Ignas? What are they doing here?" The brown-haired boy exclaimed with a shocked expression. "I heard they are found only on Uraya and the surrounding smaller Titans... Oh damn, I guess this place is close to Uraya's route."

"I wonder if they want to be our friends?" Kasandra, the sweet summer child, wondered. I liked her personality, I really did, but so did Murphy. "Maybe they'll invite us for dinner?"

With a collective shout the twelve or so Ignas raised their weapons in the air and charged towards us, long tongues lolling out of their mouths.

"No Kasandra, I think they want us to be the dinner!" Rex fired back.

"Well, that's not nice at all! We must teach them some manners!" The Darkness-type Blade pouted, a rather adorable sight, before transforming back into a Shield Hammer.

"I agree with Kassy! Let's break some lizard skulls!" Kora enthusiastically declared, followed by electricity flowing around my arms and forming her Knuckle Claws.

Welp, no time like the present to introduce ourselves to the Driver life. "Hey Rex, do you need me to buy some time so you can get used to Kasandra's hammer? It is different from your greatsword."

"Nah, I can manage." Rex replied with confidence. He rolled Kasandra's hammer in his hands, the energy pike giving off a humming sound, then slammed the bottom of the shaft on the ground: the hammerhead unfurled like a flower, generating an energy shield that covered the whole front of the brown-haired boy's body. "Just watch my back and I'll watch yours."

"Like usual, then? Got it." I allowed myself a little laugh, then began to channel Ranma. Not completely, only enough to access his skills to call upon and manipulate my reserves of Chi: against weak enemies like Ignas, even with them outnumbering us, I doubted I would need a high ranked technique like the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. This was training to learn how to fight without channeling the Gang, so I must pay attention and engrave those skills on both my body and mind.

The first Igna to reach Rex swung a pair of crude-looking stone axes without even slowing down, so when both blows failed to make the boy move by even one centimeter the lizard ended up crashing face first into the shield and falling on its back. "Got you!" Rex shouted, shield changing back into a hammer as he swung it in a rising motion: there was a loud cracking sound as the blow connected and sent the Igna flying back, the humanoid lizard flailing his arms in alarm before landing behind the other Ignas.

That was a lot better than I expected: either Kasandra's Ether channeling focused on raw physical strength, or Rex was the type to not change much in appearance even when getting swole.

Seeing said display of impressive strength the remaining scalies focused their attention on Rex, so the one with a shield was unable to raise it in time when I dashed towards him and punched his long, exposed neck. Electricity surged out of my fist and into the Igna, making his muscles spasm uncontrollably. Without hesitation I delivered a flurry of punches into his face and exposed upper arms, the lightning playing merry havoc to his nervous system, before ending the combo with a double rising uppercut: the knuckle blades popped out and pierce straight through both armor and scales, discharging an intense current right inside the monster's body.

I could smell cooked meat, which was... a bit disconcerting, I admit. Not like I was planning to eat those guys anyway, the whole 'humanoid' part hit way out of my comfort zone. While Rex and I usually bought food in Goldmouth, the fish-based dishes are out of this world, we also often cooked the monsters we slayed to save up money. The trick to make everything taste good, I learned, was in the seasoning.

And the best herbs to season monster flesh? Rex grew them in the small garden on Azurda's back: the little guy was a freaking genius.

Two Ignas, one wielding two curved swords and another with a bow, were circling around me and taking potshots, but I dodged them with ease. The Ether coursing through my body and reinforcing it felt very similar to Chi, except for the part where it originated from the Knuckle Claws instead of within my body: the two types of energy interacted well with each other, allowing me to use Chi to boost the effects of the Ether Kora gathered from the atmosphere and circulated through my body.

"My specialty is stunning the enemy with my lightning, then drain their own Ether to heal you, my Driver!" Kora's bodiless voice giggled. "How d'you like my electric powers now? I'm getting really amped up!"

Stun locking and draining health? That was a great combination! It made me wonder, was the fact Chi and Ether interacted so well an universal thing? Or was it just because Chi can be considered bio-electricity?

"Actually, it's bio-kinetic energy." Ranma revealed while I jumped above an Igna and kicked him. "I read about it within Dr.Tofu's books while trying to learn his Chi healing techniques. Jeez, just remembering how much that guy made me study before attempting even the most basic application still hurts my head. Why is human anatomy so complicated?"

"You... are a medic?" Rin's disbelieving tone said all about his thoughts on the matter.

"No, I didn't have the time or money to take an official license so-wait. Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Just surprised by the fact you are more than a meathead, that's all."

"Hey!"

'I am fighting for my life here! Have some consideration!' I shouted within my mind. Why are those guys always so carefree during the most inappropriate moments?

"I have collected enough energy for a big blast!" Ready, Lee?" Kora informed me. "Please follow my instructions!"

I did so, electricity swelling around my fists and forming two balls of radiant energy. The two Ignas hesitated, primal instincts likely telling them something dangerous was coming, but by then it was too late.

I crossed my arms, then spread it open and jumped above them. While falling I spun my body around a few times before slamming both fists on the ground. "Electric Pompom!"

A little embarrassing, but there were worse things in the world than playing cheerleader. Male cheering is also a thing... just with less dancing and miniskirts, I believe. Nonetheless, me punching the ground released a wave of electricity that hit both Ignas and sent them flying, followed by several lightning bolts striking them while in midair. "So this is the power of a Blade. Great job Kora!"

"Thanks a ton!" The lively orangette replied. "By the way, who are those invisible guys you're talking to? They sound funny, can I meet them?"

...Uh oh.

====

So! It turned out that Kora not only can hear the voices of the Gang when in weapon form, but some experimentation later on also revealed that she can enter my mental landscape and meet the others. See, the game never gave a lore explanation for why Rex and his friends could contract with multiple Blades and still go around as a small group, nor how they switched Blades mid-combat. It turned out that Blades, besides transforming into weapons, also have the ability to enter a 'low-power mode' and turn into miniature versions of their Core Crystals, small enough for three of them to fit into my hand. This way a Driver can easily carry them around. While Kora is in Crystal Mode she can project her own consciousness into my mental landscape, with the rules of the place applying to her too.

I really, really didn't expect that! Rex was capable of something similar with Pyra and Mythra, but that was because the two shared their own lifeforce with him. Was it because I had a greater control of my own lifeforce thanks to the Gang's skills, thus my connection with Kora was much stronger compared to a normal Driver?

Luckily for me Kora seemed to be very accepting of my situation and plans when I explained them. In her own words, 'you are my Driver and you obviously mean good, so that's alright!': rather than naivety, it was a show of absolute trust that honestly made me feel a little guilty. Still, Kora agreed to keep what she learned a secret for now, trusting me to reveal the truth to others when the appropriate time came.

Not only she got along well with the Gang, even if in some cases like Sasuke's it was very much one-sided, but after learning Rito, Issei and Minato gained genuine harems Kora began hounding them with questions about their lovers: stuff like personality, likes and prefered clothes. Apparently she wanted to learn about the 'girl power' of other universes and use the knowledge to increase her own.

Girl power, uh? That was one heck of a vague concept, but Kora took it extremely seriously so who was I to deny her?

Even so, the unexpected development had a few good sides too: for example, it allowed me to progress my relationship with Kora faster than normal.

"Hey Rex, me and Kora are going on a date tonight." I informed him after we finished putting away the salvaging equipment. "We'll stay at the Lemour Inn for the night, so don't bother waiting for us."

"For the night, uh?" He repeated with a half-lidded stare. Rex may be younger than me, but he wasn't ignorant of adult stuff: he just, like most cocky teenagers, acted as if he knew more than his elders. "Remember we have to leave tomorrow morning so don't stay up too late."

"Who, me?" I put a hand over my chest, a fake look of shocked outrage on my face. "Are you saying I mix pleasure with business?"

"Who else?"

"Rex, Lee! Look, look!" Kasandra entered the room, turning her head around to show her long black hair was now tied into a high ponytail, the fox mask lowered a little so that the gathered hair could pass between the ears. "I tied my hair just like Rex suggested. How do I look?"

"It looks very good on you, Kasandra." I replied while shooting a shit-eating grin towards Rex, the brown-haired boy blushing from having been caught red-handed in his hypocrisy. "Of course, I am sure Rex has many more and grandiose compliments to extol upon you."

And with that I left in a hurry, laughing under my breath all the while. Man, having a little brother-like figure too honest for his own good was great.

I met with Kora at the entrance to Goldmouth, and from then we started our date: visiting the various bazars, listening to itinerant musicians, a meal at the Rumbletum Canteen and so on. It was mostly a chance to kick back and relax while in good company, the Fried Rice and the Mushroom Pie were incredibly delicious, though most of the talking was done by Kora. Despite what her appearance and manner of speech may initially suggest the orange-haired Blade wasn't only capable of meaningless chatter: on the contrary, she was deeply insightful about the emotions and the social problems of others. She just had a... peculiar way of openly addressing them. Well, I was sure anyone with enough patience would be able to read between the lines.

"Thanks a ton for always being there to listen to me yapping on." Kora said I paid for the night and the receptionist gave me the key to our room. "I'm really grateful about that, y'know."

"Don't mention it, listening to you is never boring." I lightly shook my head with a smile. "And if I want some silence I just need to tell you, right? After all, you never annoy people on purpose."

"Yeah... Wait, are you saying I annoy people by accident?" She pouted in a very cute manner, then quickly went back to smiling. "I just can't get enough of chatting! It's like the most fun thing ever! Buuut, I can think of a close second."

"And what would that be?" I feigned ignorance, already having an inkling of what she meant.

The moment the door closed behind us Kora skipped close, leaned forward and kissed me full on the lips. It was a deep, passionate kiss that took my breath away, eyes shutting and a low groan escaping my throat as Kora dragged the kiss out, her arms around my neck and my hands on her hips. Our lips soon pulled apart, her breath tickling my lips and mixing with my own.

I returned the surprise attack by going straight for her ears next, which I learned were one of her weak points. "'Mmph~ Not there!" Kora moaned as I kissed and licked one ear, while I used two fingers to rub and stroke the other one.

Luckily the bed was close to the door, so it took only a few steps backward for us to reach and fall on the soft surface. "Lee, you really know how to set up the mood." Now with Kora sitting on top of me I wasted no time and reached up: the locker around her neck opened with a 'clack', allowing me to pull down her leotard and freeing her breasts.

"A-Ah~" Kora half-moaned, half-giggled as I buried my face in her chest, my lips finding her right nipple and sucking on it. Maybe her boobs were not excessively big, but they fit perfectly within my palms and were fun to play with. "Mn..."

While I switched to the other nipple Kora went to work on my belt, unbuckling it and allowing her to tug my pants and boxers down. Her lithe fingers curled around my already hardening dick and started to stroke it: she did it gently at first, her hand sliding up to the tip before dragging her hand all the way down to the base, sending quivering bolts of electrical pleasure up my cock.

My hands reached under her criminally short skirt and groped Kora's rear, tracing the hem of her already soaked leotard with my fingertips before pushing it aside. Kora moaned lightly, eyelashes batting as her palm rubbed against the tip of my dick and guided it between her legs, said palm soon leaving as a wet heat replaced it. Lust swelled up my cock as it pressed against her pussy lips: the orangette offered me a small salacious smirk, then with a pretty giggle she lowered herself down my cock.

Her giggle rapidly melted into a deeper and throatier moan, her head tilting backwards as I entered her. The wet flesh of her insides smothered my fleshy length on all sides, clenching around the tip so tightly it made me gasp. The pleasure only grew as Kora pushed her hips down, taking my dick deeper inside her pussy inch by inch and engulfing it with her inner warmth.

Until eventually the tip hit her deepest parts, and my pelvis bumped against hers. Kora moaned, hands resting on my shoulders as she slowly moved her hips in a circle, stirring my dick around her tight, slick insides; even the slightest movement sending hot bolts of pleasure down my cock.

"Ah..." I breathed out, once again amazed by how good it felt inside her: seriously, I thought that mind-blowing sex was something that existed only in hentai! "Kora..."

The salacious smile back on her lips, the Blade slid halfway up my cock before quickly dropping herself back down, biting her bottom lip and screwing her eyes shut as my length filled her pussy back up; the bolt of pleasure making her quiver and clench around me. Soon she fell into a steady rhythm, the sound of our sweaty hips slapping against each other filling the room.

I tried to endure the pleasure as best I could, only a scarce few grunts and low groans escaping my mouth. My hands slid from her ass to her hips, taking a firm hold of them and helping Kora move up and down my dick. Kora giggled at the action, leaning down and claiming my lips in a deep and passionate kiss. Muffling our mutual moans as she worked her hips, arching her stomach towards me and lifting herself up my dick, the tip just barely staying inside her clenching warmth each time she bounced on it.

Kora retreated from the kiss with a breathless giggle, licking her lips enticingly while she kept rocking her hips. One hand came up and grabbed ahold of her right breast, squeezing it and making the Blade moan lustfully: the clenching heat around my dick increased, the friction worsening the pulsing need within.

"Mm, Mn... I'm almost there, Lee... Mn~" Kora shifted slightly, her motions becoming quick and eager bounces. Sensing my own orgasm approaching I picked up the peace, burying my cock inside her pussy again and again. "Haah~!"

Kora came with a sharp gasp, her smothering heat enveloping my whole length and spilling down on my crotch. My own orgasm came almost immediately after, thick ropes of cum shooting out of my dick and splattering along her inner walls. Soon Kora couldn't move her hips any longer, groaning arousingly as she just laid against my chest while her tight insides finished wringing the last droplets of cum out of my dick.

"Mm..." Kora rubbed her cheek against my shoulder as we laid down on the bed, simply enjoying the afterglow. "You up for round two?"

Yep, it looked like I was not going to catch much sleep that night.

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It had been almost three months since I arrived in Alrest: this world had a calendar very similar to the Gregorian one, so following it and counting the days was easy.

The current year was 4058, the timeline beginning with what most people believed to be the founding of Alrest's first Titan-nation, and the month was... Amathaptember.

Yes, really: Amathaptember, Amathatober, Amathovember and so on. Twelve months in total, their names a mix of Amalthus of all people and the names of my old world's months. The fucking prick somehow renamed the whole calendar after himself despite being only five hundred years old. Which was still a lot, I admit, and he also was the leader of one of the most influential nations of Alrest with the duty to track down and register all Core Crystals.

Except I knew what the guy was really like and all the horrible shit he did, most of it way beyond what even an extreme case of nihilism could explain. Not condone, but at least explain. I was going to have words with both Amalthus and Jin, one way or another.

Bizarre calendar and pricks aside, I reckoned I had one or two weeks before the fateful day when Bana would call Rex to his office. At the moment me and the little guy were enjoying the cool evening air, just sitting on the back of a sleeping Azurda and admiring the night sky. Kora was resting her head on my shoulder, the energetic Blade for once silent as she yawned and snuggled against me, while Kasandra was humming a catching tune. All four of us worked very hard during the day, so some time to lie back and relax was very much warranted.

Without pollution the stars shone brightly, yet my gaze kept being drawn to the World Tree. I knew its true origins, and what was really on top of it, but at that moment I could understand why it inspired a dream of paradise among the people of Alrest. "Rex. Have I ever told you about one of my dreams?"

Was I being a bit manipulative there? Maybe in the timing, and I was definitely going to withdraw some information for the time being, but everything else was completely sincere. To abuse the trust of Rex and everyone else was the last thing I wanted.

Without waiting for an answer I raised my arm and pointed a finger at the titanic tree in the distance: during the night, with stars of luminescent green Ether forming rings around the structure, it looked like a miniature galaxy. Absolutely gorgeous. "I really, really want to reach it."

"The World Tree?" Rex asked before his eyes widened in understanding and excitement. "Wait, Elysium? You too, Lee?"

I chuckled. "Glad to see not everyone think the old legends are just myths."

"What's the difference? Between legends and myths, I mean."

"Ah, well. A legend is based on real events that have become exaggerated to the point they take on a 'larger than life' quality." I explained. "In contrast a myth isn't based on real events, but is symbolic storytelling that was never based on fact. For example, most fairy tales meant to teach a moral lesson to children can be considered myths. They are fictional stories, though it doesn't make the message they carry any less important."

Seeing the brown-haired boy nodding in understanding I continued. "Rex, why do you want to reach Elysium? I'll reveal my own reasons too of course, I just want to hear yours first."

"I don't mind." Rex went back to looking at the World Tree, face set into an expression of determination. "Have you noticed how there's fewer Titans each day?"

"Yeah. Most of what I know has been told to me by others, personally I never saw a Titan die, but I'm aware their numbers have been steadily declining in the past centuries."

Because Amalthus kept purifying Core Crystals to make it easier for people to resonate with them, which seemed like a boon until you learned that it prevents the Blades from evolving into Titans. How all the people of Alrest lost knowledge of this cycle after Torna's destruction, I had no idea. Was this a global conspiracy or what?

"I saw a few going under myself, both big and small. There must have been loads of animals still living on the big ones." The blue-themed Salvager revealed with a hint of melancholy. "Living space is running out day by day. Sooner or later, we'll be the ones sinking down into the Cloud Sea. But up there... Elysium is waiting for us. There'd be no need to fight over dwindling land and resources. No need to worry about our homes sinking away: everyone could have peace and security."

By that point even the two Blades were paying rapt attention to the conversation. "That's a wonderful dream Rex!" Kasandra was immediately influenced by Rex's infectious determination, and even Kora looked proud of the brown-haired boy.

"That's a dream worth fighting for. In my case, the main reason I want to climb the World Tree is... well, it's to find answers." I gestured to the ancient space elevator. "What is true about the legends that say humanity lived on the Tree before being banished by the Architect? Why were we banished? Who is the Architect, what is he like? Hell, what is Elysium like? Is there a whole new world on top of the World Tree, hidden from our eyes, and if yes how? What is the true origin of Titans and Blades? There is so much about Alrest's past that is only legends and speculations, I want to find undisputable proof of what really happened."

I took a deep breath. "Regardless, I firmly believe that those answers hold a possible solution to Alrest's problems: the key to Elysium, maybe, or a way to make more Titans be born. Hell, if the Architect is real and as powerful as the legends say then climbing the Tree to ask for his help is worth a shot."

Not that I expected Klaus to move a finger without a good kick in the ass first: as far as I was aware he suffered from crippling depression and nihilism, it was witnessing Rex and the others' adventures that made him hope for a better future once again.

If that's what was necessary to persuade him, then I was going to put on a show nobody will be able to forget!

"Answers, uh? The World Tree and Elysium, where everything began..." Rex smiled. "I agree: if the truth still exists, it can be found there. The way to get up the Tree may be hidden below the clouds, what do you say Lee?"

"Considering all the extraordinary stuff I saw under the Cloud Sea? I like our chances." I grinned back. "But the world above the clouds is also incredibly vast, so I'm going to keep exploring both."

That was why, during the past three months, I used both the Kage Bushin and Henge techniques to send the members of the Gang all over Alrest to collect stuff that will be useful for mine and Rex's great adventures.

After spending so much time lazing around in my head and laughing at my misfortune, farming was the least they could do to pay me back!

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