01x24 - Those Who Stand Firm

[bunniefuu]

When the red-stained night comes

I paint you on the sky

KING's RAID: Successors of the Will

The hidden truth

The sudden suffocation

You are so distant, fading

Do you feel it too?

Crossing blades

Cannot touch

The sadness that lies beyond

I just want to see you

I search for you

Now, Eclipse

I always want to be by your side

I send a wish to the sky

I believe in destiny

When the sun and moon meet

At that moment

I run to you

With all my heart

Those Who

Stand Firm

It's been a long time, Behl.

I'm sure Demia has already
informed you of this,

but I am currently in
the Tower of the Sage with Riheet.

I can see you frowning in my mind.

I'm sure you're worried sick for me.

But please don't worry.

I'm safe, and also, I was able to get
some useful information from Dominix

about how to defeat the Dark Lord.

Before I talk about that though,
there's something I must tell you.

It's about the Black Edge.

What is that...?

We sent the Black Edge to
the Galluah Plains as the vanguard.

They encountered Demons
and were completely routed.

No...

Check for survivors.

Yes!

Riheet!

Hold it together! Riheet!

We were forced to retreat
and arrived at a village.

Riheet, you were the only survivor.

If you're trying to go
to Galluah Plains, don't.

You're only asking to get yourself k*lled!

That won't make your friends come back.

You won't even be able to avenge them!

Don't die, Riheet...

You know better than anyone
how valuable a life is...!

The value of life?

Who took innocent lives
and tormented us? It's Orvelia!

Oh, kind princess.

You pretend to understand yet know nothing.

You've never had a loved one
m*rder*d before your eyes.

You've never been treated like a pest.

What are you talking about...?

We were a gathering of those who had
their families k*lled by Orvelia.

No...! There must be some mistake!

There is no mistake! We were massacred!

Our mothers, fathers, siblings!

Our hometowns were burned to the ground.
We didn't even have a home to return to!

We hate Orvelia far more
than we hate the Demons!

I should probably keep
that incident to myself...

So, this is regarding the Dark Lord
and how to defeat him, yes?

Yes.

Let me get straight to the point.

The only way to defeat the Dark Lord
is by using the Holy Sword Aea,

which carries the power of Lua,
the Goddess of Light.

But the Holy Sword is nowhere to be found.

Are you sure there's no other way?

We sealed the Holy Sword in a secret location.

Seal...? So it still exists?

Yes.

Where is the Holy Sword now...?

The World Tree.

The World Tree...
Why didn't you tell us until now?

To protect the Holy Sword from the Demons.

Also, we needed to hide the fact that

the Holy Sword Aea and its potential heir exist.

Heir...?

What do you want?

I read this, too.

Illya's research was all about
protecting King Kyle.

This diary is full of her thoughts
towards King Kyle.

I want the people of Orvelia
to learn about this.

Do as you like.
It has nothing to do with me.

Riheet, what are you going to do now?

If possible, I'd like you to join us as
a Guardian Knight to defeat the Dark Lord.

How soft are you?
What makes you think I'll help you?

Leave me alone.

I can't do that.

Why, to atone for Orvelia's sins?

Or do you feel sorry for me?

Neither. This is for Orvelia's future!

We must right the wrongs and improve
our relations with the Dark Elves.

Otherwise, similar tragedies will occur again.

I want to change Orvelia into a nation
where the people can live in peace...

For that, we need the help
of the Dark Elves.

Riheet, I need your help!

The False Sword we were
looking for didn't exist.

The world will end by the hands of
the Dark Lord before you can do anything.

There is still hope!
The Holy Sword Aea still exists.

I vowed to protect Orvelia and its people,
in place of my ailing father.

To do that, I must first defeat
the resurrected Demon Lord.

The only hope is the Holy Sword Aea.

I have decided to travel to the World Tree
to fight alongside the Holy Sword's heir.

While I do that, I want you
to support the Guardian Knights.

May the blessing of the light
shine on Orvelia.

Selene!

What's wrong? I can take watch by myself.

Don't be like that.

Let's chat a little!

What do you mean, "chat"?

The three of us talking about things
without the boys!

There's no time for that...

We have to depart for the World Tree
the moment the sun rises.

That's exactly why we should be
deepening our relationship.

Right?

Um, yes...

Miss Selene, I've always wanted
to spend some time talking to you.

We barely had the opportunity
to talk in the Forest of Elidora.

To be honest, I also wanted to talk to you.

I haven't heard what happened
after you left the Forest of Elidora.

Oh, all sorts of things happened!
It was a lot of work!

We did make it to the Orc village,
but there was a new chief--Chief Sieg.

Chief Aeatola was no longer the chief?

Exactly. I guess Master Lorraine didn't know
Chief Aeatola had passed away.

Master Lorraine hadn't seen
Chief Aeatola for 100 years, so...

But still, Chief Sieg did unlock
the second seal for us.

Seriously though, who would've guessed
Kasel would end up like that?

Yes...

It was just as Master Lorraine said.

The power of the Holy Sword
that now resides in Kasel

is so powerful that it could put Kasel himself
and those around him in danger.

I don't clearly remember what happened
while I was on the rampage, but...

I was full of rage and hate towards
the Demons, or something like that.

I remember feeling like I wasn't myself anymore.

Kasel...

It's different from the time I fought
the Demon in the Forest of Elidora.

This time, I was completely gone.

I've been pursuing pure power,
so that I can get stronger, but...

I think that's not good enough.

If I let my own heart defeat me,
I can't correctly use the Holy Sword's power.

But I think meeting Reina
helped him get over it.

You need to live for yourself.
Otherwise, your heart will die.

Heart... Die...?

I might not look like one,
but I'm a noble's daughter.

The expectation was that one day,
I'd marry another noble for political gain.

That was the expectation, no alternative.

It was suffocating, and I suffered every day.

But one day, I realized.
There's more than one future.

I'm the one that gets to decide.

And now, I live free,
and I'm happy every day!

Kasel, you should break free from
your duties and responsibilities and stuff.

Miss Reina!

Kasel! Run!

I won't run... Never!

I see...

Perhaps the fact that
he overcame those obstacles

could be part of why he seems
more reliable than before.

Do you think so, too?
Do you think Kasel is more reliable?

Y-Yes...

I think he has matured,
as the warrior of the Holy Sword.

I know right?! I thought so, too! Right Frey?

Huh?

What...?

Y-Yes, I also think Kasel
appears more reliable now.

Kasel has the power of
the Holy Sword within him.

But it's still up to him whether or not
he can wield that power properly.

If he appears more reliable, perhaps it's
not just the power of the Holy Sword,

but a stronger heart.

Heart...?

Also, he has you...

Just like Master Lorraine and
the other heroes supported King Kyle,

Kasel has you to support him.

Perhaps that's how he is able
to have a strong heart.

Are you saying we're heroes, too...?

Yes.

Th-That's flattering,
but I've never thought of it that way!

Right... A hero? We're not that impressive.

We're just friends supporting
each other in battle.

Friends...

Yes.

After that, we met Master Pavel,
to unlock the final seal.

The peace that King Kyle
wanted to protect hasn't vanished yet.

I'll never give up on everyone--
on this world!

Your son is just like you.

Kasel.

You seem to have inherited the strong will
of both King Kyle and Arlette.

Master Pavel...

It is no longer possible to stop
the Dark Lord's return.

The nocturnal sun overlaps
the moon tonight.

No...

What should we do?!

We should get the Holy Sword!

If we can't stop him from returning,
we can defeat him!

That's right!

Yes!

Yeah.

I'll unseal the Holy Sword. Let's go.

Huh? Go where?

The World Tree. That's where
the Holy Sword is sealed.

The World Tree?
The most holy place in the world?

Yes.

The World Tree is one of
the pillars supporting the world.

If it is destroyed, the world would collapse.

That's why a holy power protects
the World Tree and the surrounding area.

I never imagined that
the World Tree had such a secret...

Normal Demons would not even
be able to get close.

But the Dark Lord might...

If the Holy Sword fell into the hands
of the Dark Lord, it would be trouble.

Let's hurry.

Yes.

There's no more escape for you.

Malduk!

Is that...?

Who is that?

Ah... Let me introduce.

This is the Dark Lord Angmund,
who arrived from the dimensional rift.

The Dark Lord Angmund!

That's him?!

We survived...

Why did you help us?

He needs care quickly.

It has been a long time, Maria...

Oh, you can tell who I am?
Impressive, Lorraine.

Why the sad look?
Why not celebrate our 100-year reunion?

You were a saintess, but now you're a Demon...

Saintess...?

Let's get inside before we continue.

So? There must be a reason why
this lady saved us.

She said she wanted to talk to Kasel.

Talk?

Truth is a very cruel thing.
If you think you're ready to hear it...

I became a Demon, and started
to search for a way to rescue Kyle.

But there was no such way.

That's why I thought,
if the dimensional rift could be opened again,

I can enter the world of darkness,
and I can go look for Kyle there.

To save King Kyle.

Yes.

Maria...

We share your desire to save King Kyle.

Then perhaps we can fight
the Dark Lord together, too.

Lea would not allow that.

I wouldn't be able to forgive myself either.

Besides...

Things aren't that simple.

The dimensional rift opened
for the first time in 100 years.

And out came Kyle,
who I had been waiting for...

King Kyle?!

He is alive?!

Kyle did appear before me.

As the Dark Lord Angmund.

Wait... So the person we fought was...

That is Kyle, who is now the Dark Lord.

Kyle has been infested by dark forces
and has become the Dark Lord.

But...

If King Kyle is just under
the influence of dark powers,

maybe there's a way to save him.

Don't have hope.
It tends to change into despair.

Lua will not save you.

I don't know about the goddess Lua...

But hope...

Hope, I think, is something
you have to hold on to!

I will get the Holy Sword,
and I will rescue King Kyle!

Master Pavel. Are you all right?

In my current state, I will be a burden.

There's no other choice.

I will unlock the final seal now.

Kasel. Get the Holy Sword,
before the Dark Lord--before Malduk!

Yes!

If what Miss Maria said is true, Kasel is...

I don't know what's true
and what's not. But...

In battle, hesitation is death.

If we fight the Dark Lord in our
current state, it could be fatal for us.

I've always decided that I will
protect Kasel, no matter what.

You're strong.

I used to have a prejudice against humans.

Kasel was the one who changed
my skewed point of view.

Watching him made me think, perhaps
human strength is strength of the heart...

I-It's gotten quite late.

Yes.

Cleo fell asleep.

We'll go to sleep now, Miss Selene.

Just Selene is fine.

Yes, I understand, Selene.

This one wish

Connects you and me

I wait so impatiently for tomorrow

Because I know you now

A comfortable breeze passes over

A memory in a precious place

From the day I decided to walk with you

The promise that I hid in my heart

I want to feel that moment, just once

If I stretch my arm out

I should be able to reach
the tomorrow in my dream

This one wish

I gently engrave in my heart

The chain that connects the heart

Cannot ever be broken

The future which we should head to

Beckons us to come closer

I wait so impatiently for tomorrow

Because I know you now

Riheet's hatred towards Malduk grows.

He tries to get the Holy Sword Aea,
in order to seek further strength, but...

What he gains at the end of the battle is...

Blade of Vengeance,

Blooms in Darkness