We Stand Together (End)

"First and foremost, you three need to know about this place," Lumina began spreading a map on the table.

The map was hastily drawn with invisible ink, shown only with a flicker of Lumina magic. Hexagon, as the map revealed, was a formidable structure consisting of twenty floors. Every cell jail, the guard office, the intricate network of communication and rails, and even secret passages were meticulously marked. Oh my, this map was the result of years of painstaking work, a testament to Lumina's unwavering dedication, risking her own life.

Lumina's finger traced the invisible lines, guiding our gaze across the map. "Hexagon is divided into three distinct regions," she began, her voice carrying an air of authority. "The Fortress, comprised of the first three floors, is heavily guarded by the elite forces of the Black Company. It is an impenetrable stronghold, a formidable barrier standing between us and freedom."

My eyes followed Lumina's movements as she continued to explain. "Next, we have the Forsaken Cell, spanning from the fourth floor to the tenth. It's where The Black Company monitored the miners and conducted many atrocities on the detained prisoner."

Lumina guided us to the bottom of Hexagon, "And finally, we come to The Mine," she declared, her voice taking on a grave tone. "It stretches deep into the abyss, an unfathomable descent into darkness. Those who venture into The Mine will not return in one piece. Mostly they were dead or turned into an Anima."

With a swift stroke of her hand, Lumina drew a line from the bottom of Hexagon to the surface, emphasizing its significance. "As you can see, the only way the prisoner could get to the surface is by following a straight line through the Fortress, which is impossible. That place is guarded by most of the elites from the Black Company. Especially, The Greyhounds."

Greyhound? I couldn't believe that I would be fighting my former allies. Would I be able to raise my hand against my benefactor, Arthur? No, you can't have doubt now, Cellia. So much life is on the line here.

Bianca crossed her arm, "And then, you proposed us to find that Mad Dog? Lady Lumina, you truly have the nerve of steel."

Lumina's gaze turned steely as she met Bianca's challenge head-on, "Bianca, let me make one thing clear. Only The Mad Dog has the sheer power breakthrough The Fortress. Finding the Mad Dog is our only chance to succeed."

Denova furrowed his brow, his voice filled with concern. "But my Lady, the Mad Dog is corrupted. How can we expect him to listen to reason?"

Lumina noticed how I wasn't following the discussion and kindly explained, "The Mad Dog was once the strongest Lector of The Order. When Pater usurped my position, the Mad Dog unleashed his full power, the Ignition Berserker, to buy me time to escape," she paused, her fist clenched tightly.

"But in doing so, he pushed himself beyond his limits, accelerating the Blossoming process within his body. Eventually, he transformed into an Anima, destroying a quarter of Alexandria until The Mahamagi sealed him away."

The confusion on my face must have been evident because Bianca let out a sigh, stepping in to clarify matters. "Listen closely, Celli. We, Lectors, are beings who purposefully turned ourselves into Anima. We injected the essence of Anima, known as Animata, into our bodies to initiate the Blossoming. However, we found a way to halt the Blossoming process temporarily by ingesting a special drug called Mutterbeweisen."

Bianca then whispered the word "Ignition," and a circle of crackling lightning appeared behind her, but it seemed weaker than before when she faced me directly.

"With Ignition, Lectors could temporarily borrow the power of an Anima while retaining their sanity. But doing so means we suppress Mutterbeweisen effect and accelerated The Blossoming. The more we use our power, the closer we are to becoming Anima."

I gulped, my brain trying to digest the lore bomb, "Summary, you guys are the Prototype of a god-like being called Malice?"

Bianca's eyes widened in surprise, "Ah, so you're aware of that? Impressive, Celli. I should have known a goddess like you would be well-versed in such matters."

I awkwardly scratch my hair, hiding the fact I hear that from Bianca herself before I beat her to a pulp.

Lumina coughed, "We derailed a bit. Let's get back to the topic. Denova, you're saying we can't control The Mad Dog, right? Wrong."

She pointed at me, "I heard that this Blood Witch managed to do complex resurrection magic. But reviving someone is impossible, solely because there is no known way for replicating memory. However, our esteemed Goddess here has defied the odds," she said crossing her arm and questioning me,

"Hmm, how is that even possible? Or yes, it is possible! If her power lies in mind manipulation. That way she can recreate new memory in the Children. Am I correct, Celli?"

... Lumina was sharp. Yes, my Divinity allowed me to store memories inside my Magicore. However, Binge Eater did the heavy lifting.

Binge Eater ate everything, from Mana, Seed of The Hero, my cells, and even Memories, and then transferred it somewhere. Without Binge Eater, I couldn't save Bianca's Blossoming. Without it, I couldn't eat the memory stored in my Magicore and transfer it to the puppet I made with Samsara. Though, I don't know the side effect of using it now that my Divinity is sealed.

I nodded, "I can control Mad Dog. But I need to give him my cells directly," It was kind of embarrassing, but then I said it anyway, "The easiest way is forcing him to drink my blood freshly from my vein."

Bianca raised an eyebrow, "So, a blood-filled kiss, perhaps?"

I got flustered, "Y-Yes, that's one way to do it. Letting him eat my flesh could also work, but by doing so I could die. Anyway, the problem lies in getting him to stand still so I can approach him."

Lumina jutted her hips, a confident smile adorning her face. "That's not a problem at all. After all, you have three skilled Lectors right here," she said.

Denova was intrigued by Lumina's strategy. "And how do we even find the Mad Dog in the first place? This place is huge."

Lumina's eyes sparkled with a glint of excitement, "Hmph, I'm not spending years risking my life to make this map for nothing," she then marked a room that was heavily guarded on the 9th floor,

"This is his location, but to open his cell we need three magic cards of Black Company generals. I've already got one, but the other two are still in possession of the generals on the seventh and eighth floors. We should steal the key rather than kill the general to avoid suspicion. And quickly, before they realize it."

"Once we reached the Mad Dog," Lumina continued, "I want Celli to unleash his fury upon The Fortress. The ensuing chaos will distract the guards, allowing us to smuggle everyone at the moment. We must accomplish this within a day, or else Quina will descend upon Hexagon, and we will all be doomed."

Confusion still lingered within me, and I couldn't help but voice my concerns. "Who will guide the prisoner's out?"

Lumina shook her head, a confident smile gracing her face. "Worry not, Celli. Over the years, I have raised a dedicated militia group that will assist us. Once the chaos ensues, they will guide the prisoners to freedom using the tools I have provided them."

Denova scratched his head, "My Lady, please forgive my skepticism. But what if our plan fails, and the Mad Dog turns against us?"

Lumina's gaze grew fierce, "Then we become the Chaos. Failure is not an option. I couldn't stand seeing those bastards above live off from our comrades' suffering. The longer we wait, the more will die of The Blossoming."

While I understood Lumina's desperation and the pain of losing loved ones to such a cruel fate, the whole plan seemed risky and rushed. If we failed, all of us would die.

Lumina slammed her hand down on the table, "We fight with every ounce of strength within us. We fight for the lives of the innocent, for the hope of a brighter future. Isn't that why The White Order was created?"

The room fell into a heavy silence as Lumina's words hung in the air. The weight of our mission and the responsibility we bore pressed down on us. It was a lot to take in, but deep down, I knew Lumina was right. The fate of countless innocents rested in our hands.

Bianca broke the silence, her voice filled with determination. "You're right, Lady Lumina. We can't let fear or doubt consume us. This is our only chance."

Denova nodded, his expression resolute. "To reach the true sky, where everyone could be free. That's the true dream of the White Order. You have mine and Bianca's full support, Lady Lumina."

Lumina's eyes softened, a glimmer of pride shining within them. She looked at me and said, "Then, how about you, Celli?"

Taking a deep breath, feeling the weight of my decision, I locked eyes with Lumina and answered,

"Lumina, Bianca, Denova, I stand with you."