Reis sat with the others. It had roughly been two days since Reis infiltrated the Severing. It was currently nighttime and everyone was discussing their next course of action.
"Do you really intend to go through with this? A one on one battle against Erikkus Di Devilli?" the other guild members were worried about Aurora's safety.
"Yes, if it is the only way" Aurora said with determination.
"How confident are you in your abilities?" they questioned Aurora out of concern.
"I've been training with Reis for close to a year and a half now, and I still have the experience I gained from my time with Sir Jinrai" Aurora said.
"In the meantime though we've got to do something for the other guilds. I'm sure the enemy might have commenced his hunt by now" Sir Raphael said.
"Sabre-fang" Reis called silently.
"I can see all the guilds Reis since they thrive hidden within nature itself and I already know what you intend to ask me. I have asked the trees to suffuse the air with a more concentrated amount of natural air. That should mask the guilds from the probing eyes of the Wyverns" Sabre-fang said.
"It looks like Sabre-fang has already taken action. He's masked the supernatural aura of the guilds with a great suffusion of natural air. That should buy us some time. The main problem here is that the Wyverns are invading Novatio so we've got to act fast" Reis said.
"Compared to such a large Wyvern army, we're far fewer in number" the guild members said worriedly.
"Which is why settling this in one on one combat might be the best way to settle things" Aurora said.
"But though I suggested this I must be quite frank. You're not quite ready to challenge Erikkus Di Devilli just yet" Reis said.
"Then why did you even suggest it Reis" Kyla looked like she was on the verge of losing her patience.
"So in the end we're still going to have to fight a war after all?" Darak asked.
"Nope, we're still challenging him to battle and Aurora's still going to be the one to fight him" Reis said seriously.
"What do you really have planned Reis?" Shin asked.
"The Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style. A battle style passed on from generation to generation by members of the Dragonhaӓrt family. A great number of its battle techniques are mastered through training but the core of the style itself is rooted in the virtues and before one can claim to be a master of the style, the final secrets of the style are communicated directly from the soul of the master to the soul of the student through the unleashing of the style's final forte named 'With my Life'" Reis said.
"What a weird name for a forte. What's it supposed to mean? An acknowledgement of a battle with your life on the line or something like that?" Darak asked.
Reis shook his head.
"That's only a part of it. It's a forte forged around the principle that life itself is a battle that places itself on the line and experiences are weapons. What the forte does is to merge all of life's experiences into one great weapon so contrary to what you might have been thinking it's not about throwing your life away" Reis said seriously.
"Why are you bringing this up now?" Shin asked.
"I intend to pass this forte on to Aurora. It is my role as her teacher" Reis said.
"So you are a master in the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style?" Darak asked with a sceptical look on his face.
"No I'm not. My grandfather taught me everything I needed to know about the core and practical aspects of the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style however he said the rite to pass on the final forte belonged to my father so he never passed it on to me" Reis said.
"I see, so you intend to master that final part of the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style from your father" Shin said.
"But Sir Jinrai…" Aurora looked concerned.
"He is in Benedict's Ark. I think he has been waiting for me all this time. It's finally time to awaken the forte 'With my Life'" Reis said seriously.
That night, he shut his eyes and fell asleep. Within his dreams, Alpha appeared once more. Alpha seemed very happy.
"You triumphed over the Severing. I'm glad Reis, very glad" Alpha said.
"But now we are in an even more perilous situation Alpha. Erikkus Di Devilli has decided to invade Novatio with a Wyvern army" Reis said worriedly. "It's literally Armageddon for us".
"Do you recall what Armageddon said to you as you battled him as the Golden Drakengaӓrd?" Alpha asked Reis.
Reis thought back to that moment.
"You are only prolonging the inevitable. The very thing you are fighting to protect is that which gives me life. Know this Dragonhaӓrt! I will have you…and when I do, ALL OF RYUGAEIA…IS DOOMED!" Reis recalled Armageddon's threat.
"He said the very thing I'm fighting to protect is that which gives him life" Reis said with a worried look on his face.
"Armageddon has another name. A name that has been forgotten amongst man but known only to the Dragons and Drakengaӓrds. It is a name that describes his nature and the reason he keeps telling you that 'the very thing you fight to protect is that which gives him life'. That is true for Armageddon is also known as 'The dragon that lives within man'. But it is precisely because of this nature Reis, that you could say that he has already been defeated" Alpha said.
"What do you mean?" Reis asked.
"You should be able to see it Reis. After all, it was through you that Arӓlpheisl manifested in Ryugaeia that dark day. You should be able to see the 'Dawn' and you should also be able to see the overwhelming assistance with which you have been provided" Alpha said.
"I only understand vaguely" Reis said.
"All is as it should be. For now, you are left with one final task. To expel the Darkness that infiltrated the allegorical Benedict's Ark" Alpha said.
"You mean Galigaos don't you?" Reis asked.
Alpha nodded.
"Yes" he said.
Reis shut his eyes.
When he opened them, he found himself in a room. It appeared to be a classroom but it wasn't his. He found himself surrounded by Zan, Ryu and some other students.
"You sure have some nerve showing your face here Honours Rep" Zan said with a threatening glare.
"Take it easy on him Zan. I'm sure there's an explanation" Ryu said with a laugh.
"Actually…I have no idea how I ended up here" Reis said with a nervous laugh.
"Don't cause such a fuss Zan. I'm not going to help you if you get yourself into trouble" another boy with silver hair said.
"Fine then" Zan gave up. "Next thing you know they'll be saying I'm Zanfar" he muttered angrily.
"What's Zanfar if I may ask?" Reis asked.
Zan laughed.
"Are you sure you want to know?" he asked in a creepy way.
Reis nodded.
"He's the darkness of my homeworld. He's also the manifestation of mankind's collective evil" Zan said.
"The dragon that lives within man" Reis muttered.
"So did you defeat him?" Reis asked.
"He was not the kind of evil a single person could defeat but by the collective actions of single people that formed a multitude, he was defeated" Zan said with a laugh.
"How?" Reis asked.
"We feared him for so long but defeating him was actually quite easy. To defeat the collective evil of mankind requires the collective good of mankind. All it took was for mankind to be good and he lost" Zan said.
"By the way, you are Reis Dragonhaӓrt, the prefect of the Class Of Honours right? Would you happen to have someone in your class…I don't know…maybe who is searching for someone? I've been feeling like there's someone I need to find" the other boy with silver hair said.
"Could he be the one Andrea is searching for?" Reis wondered.
"Yes in fact I do. A girl named Andrea Rayne" Reis said.
"I'd like to meet her. I'm willing to come with you whenever you're ready" the boy with silver hair said. "Call me Rai by the way".
Moments later, Reis was in the Class Of Honours with Rai. Everyone was excited to see him. He greeted them and introduced them to Rai. Then he noticed Andrea's absence.
"Has anyone seen Andrea?" he asked worriedly.
"Not for a while now no" Atlanta said with concern.
There was a frown on Rai's face and it seemed to intensify with every passing moment.
"I know where she is Reis. Leave her to me and go face your nemesis" Rai said and walked towards a teleportation crystal. "I think I am also beginning to understand how it is that part of my memories are missing" he said.
"An unknown force just challenged you didn't it?" Reis asked.
"I don't know about unknown but I know it is the darkness of my homeworld. It's about time we settled things Daemon King!" Rai declared and disappeared.
Reis walked to the teleportation crystal.
"Delay long enough and I will begin to attack students aboard Benedict's Ark" Reis recalled Galigaos' threat.
"For now I will grant you access to the protocol 'Excalibur' which will allow you to expel this foe from the Ark when you come into contact with him" Reis recalled the Academy Director's words.
Reis selected the location 'Sanctum Of The Water Kings'. He placed his hand on the teleportation crystal.
"It's finally time to end this" he said and disappeared.
He appeared in a hall with walls that appeared to be made out of ice crystals. Rivers flowed everywhere and one of these rivers flowed from the entrance of the Sanctum to its heart. On top of the rivers were bridges made out of gigantic water lilies. Reis walked on the lilies into the heart of the Sanctum.
There, he found Galigaos.
"I've been awaiting you for a while now" Galigaos said calmly.
"You didn't have to get any of the students involved" Reis said calmly.
"I thought I'd give you a little motivation. I know that by now you've garnered the means to expel me from the Ark so I thought I'd make things a little interesting. I challenge you to a battle. Technically, a battle of swords, a duel could be considered an exhibition of talents am I right? Whoever loses will be expelled from the Ark" Galigaos challenged Reis.
"You can't be serious" Reis scoffed in disgust.
"Oh but I am" Galigaos said.
"That is an interesting challenge but he won't be the one you will be fighting" a voice suddenly said from behind Reis.
It was a voice so familiar it evoked so many feelings. Galigaos on the other hand seemed shocked at first and then he began to chuckle in excitement.
"I too have been waiting a long time to finally settle things with you Galigaos!" the voice declared.
Reis turned around and saw a man with long silver hair and strong blue eyes but at that moment, his eyes were sparking threateningly. Reis was surprised to discover how much he resembled the man.
"It's been quite a while Reis, my son. I knew you'd make it here. Well done" the man said.
"So the Principal Guiding Force finally shows his face. Jinrai the Lightning Blade, no one's actions have ever blinded me as much as yours!" Galigaos declared.
"If that's the case then I'm very satisfied because it means Aurora and Jared are still safe" Sir Jinrai said.
For a while, there was a stare down between the two arch rivals.
"You intend to challenge me to a duel again Jinrai? Have you already forgotten how our last duel went? You ended up trapped in here while I was free to wander the world. Doesn't that tell you a bit of the power balance between us? While you've been stuck in this peaceful place, I've been traversing a world in turmoil. I have fought countless battles, even wars. That should tell you that compared to the last time we fought I'm many times stronger" Galigaos bragged.
"You talk too much" Sir Jinrai said.
"I must say though it certainly is an idea filled with merit that I trounce you in the presence of your son" Galigaos declared.
"After all this talk I certainly hope you are not disappointed" Sir Jinrai said with a slight chuckle.
Galigaos withdrew his sword.
"All these years, there is one thing I've only ever dreamed of. Delivering an utterly crushing defeat to that overly inflated pride of yours" Galigaos said as he rushed to attack Sir Jinrai.
Sir Jinrai parried his attacks with little effort but Reis could clearly see that Galigaos was aiming for a deathblow.
"If my pride is overly inflated, then I suppose yours is tremendously inflated" Sir Jinrai said with a slight chuckle.
Galigaos leapt back.
"Why are you not attacking, Jinrai?" he asked.
"I'm holding back for your own sake" Sir Jinrai said.
"How naïve do you think I am?! If you're not going to take this fight seriously, then die holding back!" Galigaos roared as he assumed the fighting stance of Irik the Devil.
Sir Jinrai sighed.
"I'm not bluffing you know?" he said.
"I've faced Irik the Devil's fighting style twice now and I used it once when Armageddon took control of me so I know how it works. It is a battle style that focuses primarily on dealing deathblows. The vitals are the prime target. But precisely because the users of this technique are so focused on dealing deathblows, you can predict where their attack will be aimed at and parry them" Reis thought to himself.
Galigaos stomped the ground and charged with amazing speed towards Sir Jinrai. Sir Jinrai took in a deep breath and the force of his presence began to permeate the Sanctum. In an instant, he had phased past Galigaos and sheathed his sword. Galigaos had an astounded look on his face. A moment later, his blade shattered in half and a terrible wound appeared across his chest. He fell to the ground, bleeding.
"H-How is this possible. You've been in this peaceful place for a long time so how could you possibly be stronger than I am?" Galigaos questioned Sir Jinrai.
"I guess that's what happens when you're stuck in a peaceful place surrounded by students each with the capacity to defeat the darkness plaguing their worlds. You underestimate this place Galigaos. Each of the students here is just about as strong as you are if not many times stronger and you did call this tussle of ours an exhibition of talents right? Well guess what happens when you can 'exhibit such talents' in a duel against such strong people with a timespan that exceeds centuries after all this place isn't subject to time" Sir Jinrai said. "I suppose you will be the one to leave Benedict's Ark…permanently!" Sir Jinrai said as his eyes reassumed their threatening glow. "I'll be taking this" Sir Jinrai said as he reclaimed his Crystal Key from Galigaos.
"I Reis Dragonhaӓrt, student aboard Benedict's Ark invoke the protocol 'Excalibur'. Target; Galigaos!" Reis declared.
A bright light surrounded Galigaos and in an instant he found himself back in prison. His spirit was broken after he had discovered that his arch rival was many times stronger than he was. He would never attempt to escape again.
Meanwhile back aboard Benedict's Ark, Reis was so glad to have finally met his father after a long time.
"It's been so long, my son" Sir Jinrai greeted.
"Dad" Reis shed tears.
"Don't cry. Not when you're so happy to see me. I understand that this was difficult for you, our separation that is, however…it was necessary. We needed to keep the ones that would be instrumental in Armageddon's defeat separate from one another for two reasons. The first was so that they would not all be discovered at the same time and the second was so that our enemy would not discover what we were up to. I decided this with my wife, your mother and my father, your grandfather. Your mother took charge of raising Reia, your sister separately, your grandfather chose to raise you and I chose to protect and raise the heirs to the Saggeesian throne till they were old enough to join the Dragon Rangers. But it appears the time has finally come for a reunion" Sir Jinrai said as he patted Reis on the head.
"But why did Galigaos call you 'The Principal Guiding Force?'" Reis asked curiously.
"I honestly have no idea, however if I were to venture a guess I'd say a guiding force is one who lives out the virtues so strongly that he becomes an embodiment of the virtues. That's what Zan would call a 'Soul Of Virtue'. In living out the virtues, their lives end up becoming beacons for many others who come after them and you hear their names resounding throughout history, especially in times of great need. The ones whose lives guide an entire age in great times of need become known as 'The Principal Guiding Forces' for that age. They are like a star that shines brightly and pulls other stars with them. You could also call them lives great enough to affect many other lives positively" Sir Jinrai explained.
"Dad, while you've been in here, a lot of things have been going on, especially recently" Reis said.
"I'm aware of it all. I have been watching through the Ryugaeia here though I was unable to affect anything. I also saw you become Arӓlpheisl, the Wise One Of The Unison Courts" Sir Jinrai said.
Reis laughed.
"It was right around that time that things started taking a turn for the worse" he said.
"Well what do you expect? Before the Dawn arrives, there is a period of deep darkness in the night" Sir Jinrai said.
Reis stood before his father. Both of them with blades unsheathed prepared to face each other.
"And now Reis, it's time for you to inherit the ultimate forte of the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style. The forte named 'With my Life'" Sir Jinrai said calmly.
"How are you going to pass it on to me dad? I know it's passed directly from the soul of the master to the soul of the student but gramps never told me how it was done" Reis said.
"Are you familiar with the saying 'when two swordsmen clash swords, they are able to feel the heart of the other through the blade?'" Reis' father asked him.
"Gramps always repeated that saying to me" Reis said.
"Some things cannot be communicated with words. You need to feel them to comprehend them. You are quite experienced in that area for when you fought Aurora while under Armageddon's influence, you taught her the Dragon Parry" Sir Jinrai said.
"So once more, I will clash my blade against yours with all that I am. You should do the same" Reis' father said.
Reis nodded.
The forte will reveal our combined knowledge to each other as our lives themselves become our weapon" Sir Jinrai said.
"Yes dad!" Reis nodded and charged towards Sir Jinrai.
They clashed blades the first time and a tremendous resonance occurred throughout Benedict's Ark. Reis could feel it, the weight of his father's blade. The weight of someone who had everything to lose. Sir Jinrai felt the same from Reis' blade.
Reis leapt back and charged towards Sir Jinrai with tremendous speed. Sir Jinrai did the same and they clashed blades a second time. The huge resonance occurred again and an image appeared within Reis' mind. He saw both his father and himself kneeling before the Dragonlord as the Dragonlord held the Auroran Flame.
"As a Dragon Ranger, I will be an enforcer of Light,
A protector of Dragons
And follower of the teachings of the Dragon Knights,
I will protect the weak and free the oppressed
I will obey the Dragonlord
For I am a Dragon Ranger and a Dragon Ranger forever"
Reis saw his father and himself take the Rangers' oath with absolute conviction. Reis saw himself and his father poisoned from the bite of the Kaignis Kings and he saw them recover.
"I AM THE GOLDEN DRAKENGAӒRD! THE HAND OF DIVINE RETRIBUTION!" Reis saw himself and his father assume the form of the Golden Drakengaӓrd to protect Aurora and in his father's case Jared from Galigaos.
The second resonance had revealed to them how much they resembled each other. Warm feelings flowed through their hearts. The feelings of pride of a father for his son and a son for his father.
The two leapt away from one another and raced around each other as though analysing the movements of the other. They clashed a third time and visions of Alpha filled their minds. Each saw how the Dragon Sovereign had guided them. Both saw how Alpha through the father had prepared the way for the son and how the son had honoured both their wills by following in the path carved out for him.
"Benedict" a voice echoed within their minds as they began to realize how the God of the Heart had lived his life through them. Reis saw Sir Jinrai in his final battle against Galigaos. He saw Sir Jinrai instruct the Prince and Princess to run to the Rangers' Guild for safety. He saw Sir Jinrai take out his Crystal Key.
"I cannot allow you to roam this world freely anymore. I will seal you forever in a place where you cannot harm anyone!" Reis saw Sir Jinrai trap Galigaos in Benedict's Ark and watched their battle continue from there. He also saw Sir Jinrai lower his guard after defeating Galigaos. Sir Jinrai on the other hand saw Reis as Alpha revealed to him that he was no longer of the world. He saw Reis' pain and then he saw Reis' joy after discovering that he was still alive and then they both shared a memory of when the family was united and the parents taught the children 'The Heart That Destroys Darkness'.
The third resonance revealed to them how their destinies were intertwined.
Reis and his father leapt apart from each other. Sir Jinrai sighed.
"This is the first part of the Final Forte. It is named 'The Blade Of Peers'. In this half, we are both treated as students and learn about the lives of each other and how they are connected. We are about to commence the second part of the Final Forte, 'The Blade of Master and Student'" Sir Jinrai said. "In this part, I will teach you how everything you have experienced so far connects" Sir Jinrai said as he charged his blade with lightning.
"Dad's getting serious" Reis thought as he did same.
The two charged towards each other and clashed blades. The fourth resonance was particularly severe. Sparks flew all over striking many parts of the Sanctum Of The Water Kings but the damage was instantly repaired. Reis saw himself under Armageddon's influence. He saw his spirit being tortured by Armageddon and he saw his comrades do their best to rescue him. He saw Armageddon injure Aurora and felt his rage and saw himself become the Golden Drakengaӓrd and reseal Armageddon.
"You are only prolonging the inevitable" he heard Armageddon's threat. "The very thing you are fighting to protect is that which gives me life. Know this Dragonhaӓrt! I will have you…and when I do, ALL OF RYUGAEIA IS DOOMED!"
"Armageddon has another name. A name that has been forgotten amongst man but known only to the Dragons and Drakengaӓrds. It is a name that describes his nature and the reason he keeps telling you that 'the very thing you fight to protect is that which gives him life'" Reis recalled Alpha's words.
Images of war flashed within his mind. He saw Erikkus Di Devilli incite hatred for the Royal Family Of Saggeese, watched as the people turned against their rightful rulers.
"That is true for Armageddon is also known as 'The Dragon that lives within man'. But precisely because of this nature, you could say that Armageddon has already been defeated" Alpha's voice echoed within Reis' mind as he saw his father defend the heirs.
"What do you mean?" Reis heard his question trail off till it became a distant echo.
Reis and his father leapt apart from each other. The fourth resonance revealed to them Armageddon's role in history.
"Don't let up Reis!" Sir Jinrai called.
"Yes sir!" Reis said and leapt into the air.
Sir Jinrai did the same. The image of a crimson moon appeared over them as the image of both Kaignis Kings overlapped the two combatants.
"Father, it has been so long. I have desired to see you again" Sabre-fang's voice echoed within both their minds.
"It has indeed been long son. I am glad to see you bonded to the one who would become the Wise One Of The Unison Courts" a voice more sinister than Sabre-fang's echoed within their minds.
"I see, this is more than one reunion. The Kaignis Kings are also participating in this Final Forte, 'With My Life'" Reis thought to himself.
"Don't hold back son!" the two fathers called.
"I won't!" the two sons roared.
"CRIMSON MOON!" Reis called as the cross shaped scars appeared on the forehead of Sabre-fang's image.
"CRIMSON MOON!" Sir Jinrai and Sabre-fang's father called together as cross shaped scars appeared on the forehead of the image of Sabre-fang's father.
"Crescent, Crossing, to hide or to find"
A line from Ryu's song echoed in Reis' mind.
"KAIGNIS SLASH!" Reis called and released his attack.
"KAIGNIS BARRAGE!" Sir Jinrai called and released multiple attacks.
They clashed onto one another and the fifth resonance began. Reis was now seeing through the eyes of Sabre-fang. He saw himself on the night Team Kira was attacked by the Kaignis Wolves. He saw Sabre-fang's eyes survey the area and saw them latch unto Team Kira.
"That boy, he possesses the Seal of Arӓlpheisl. How is it possible for a human to house all of Ryugaeia within his heart? I must test this human. No matter how I look at him, he appears to be interesting prey" Reis heard Sabre-fang's thoughts.
"When one possesses the Seal of Arӓlpheisl, he shall become Ryugaeia itself. Do you possess the Strength of Heart to carry within yourself the Will of Ryugaeia's Heart and become the Wise One Of The Unison Courts at the end of your journey? Wilt thou even knowing all that thou art capable of still deny thineself?" Reis recalled the Kaignis King whisper to him.
He recalled the Kaignis King's Trial. The Kaignis King revealed to him the darkness within his own heart and also the reason behind his desire to defeat Erikkus Di Devilli. Without the Kaignis King, Reis realized he might have just as easily taken the path Galigaos and Erikkus Di Devilli had.
"You also helped me see beyond my conceit…that every living creature has a weakness" the Kaignis King's voice echoed within Reis' mind.
"And you taught me never to presume that a weakness necessarily represents the downfall of a person" Reis thought.
The fifth resonance revealed the role of the Kaignis King to Reis.
Reis powered down and breathed deeply, then he created a blade out of lightning with his free hand while holding his father's blade with the other hand. His father also created a lightning blade. Now they both held two blades.
They charged towards one another and clashed blades. There were two huge pulses of power and the sixth resonance permeated all of Benedict's Ark.
Reis saw Ryu in a cavern staring at a stone altar.
"Molten, I can't read the first part of the inscriptions though they all resemble those on the Nova medallion" he heard Ryu say.
"It says;
"When two heroes sharing a common destiny unite,
Revealed will be the way to the Light"
Reis heard the fiery dragon beside Ryu say.
"Oh, does that mean only two heroes can enter the Light Ryu?" Reis heard Ryu say.
"Not just any two, two heroes with destinies intertwined" Reis heard the dragon beside Ryu say
"The second part says;
A Sword must be wielded
A Sword must be made
For Light to triumph
And the evil to fade
When the fateful day comes and all seems late
A hero will appear as the final Saint"
Reis heard Ryu say. Then another image appeared within Reis' mind. Ryu stood before an elderly man.
"The prophecy says; 'A Sword must be wielded, a Sword must be made'. What's that supposed to mean?" Ryu asked.
"Two special swords are needed in order to vanquish Tristran. One has already been created and the other is yet to be created" Reis heard the elderly man say.
"The one that has been created…it's the Sword Of Rai isn't it?" Reis heard Ryu ask.
"Exactly, now one of you must create a special sword infused with all your positive feelings" Reis heard the elderly man say as an image of Ryu forging a sword with his companions who infused the sword with their own elements appeared within his mind. "Such a sword might be able to rival Tristran's fate techniques" the elderly man's voice echoed within Reis' mind.
Reis saw Ryu hold a dull and clumsy looking sword in his hands.
"It looks pretty ordinary to me" he heard one of Ryu's companions say.
"You may not believe in this Sword's power but it is a Sword created out of love. The bonds I share with you all and our love for the ryu, the dragons, Ryuujinn and life itself!" Reis heard Ryu declare with absolute conviction.
Reis saw the sword respond by surging with power and transforming into a rainbow coloured blade.
"So what will you name it? I mean I have the Sword Of Rai…" Reis heard one of Ryu's companions say, the same one that had spoken earlier.
"And Shekan's got the Death-Sabre" Reis heard another companion say.
"Hmm, Atlanta, why don't you name it since you presented me with the first element?" Reis heard Ryu say.
"W-Well then…why don't we call it The Aurora Sabre since it glows like an Aurora?" Reis heard the girl called Atlanta say.
Reis' heart began to beat with excitement.
An image appeared within his mind of Old Lady Kamikaze standing before the King and Queen of Saggeese.
"King Hiram, Queen Celestia, the surviving Dragons have heard of your kindness. Alpha, the Dragon Sovereign sent me to you with this message. Exactly a year from now, Queen Celestia shall carry in her womb twins, the children of the King. Their destinies will be intertwined with the true Dragonhaӓrt's however…a while after their births, tragedy will follow. Do not despair for it will be by their faith in the Dragonhaӓrt that Ryugaeia will be 'Dragon Earth' again!" Reis heard Old Lady Kamikaze say and now he knew why the heirs were targeted and continuously pursued by Galigaos under the order of Erikkus Di Devilli. It was to terminate the prophecy. Reis recalled the dream he had had on the day he met Shin, Kyla and Master Jin. He saw himself roaming a dark forest.
"Oh no, I've been walking in circles. I can't find my way out, I'm lost" he recalled his admission of defeat.
"Life is just like your situation. Sometimes, you seem to be walking in circles but the answer to the right path lies deep within your heart" Reis recalled Alpha's voice.
"Who's there?" he recalled his question.
"Reis Dragonhaӓrt, don't give up! Dragons will rise again! And it will be by your strength that Ryugaeia will be Dragon Earth again" he heard Alpha say.
He recalled meeting Aurora and the two refereeing the mini-Drӓkan tournament. He recalled her anguish after learning of Jared's death. Her strong bond with her brother had defined her feelings for Reis and Reis realized that Jared's 'death' had in fact guided the two to each other. Then a series of images flashed within Reis' mind. Reis had defeated the Kaignis King in an attempt to protect Aurora, when he became the Golden Drakengaӓrd, it was initially out of his rage in seeing Aurora injured and finally Aurora's feelings had awakened him as Arӓlpheisl. She was there every moment he discovered one of Arӓlpheisl's fragments. The sixth resonance revealed the role of the heirs and particularly Aurora's.
Reis and his father leapt away from each other.
"A Sword must be wielded, a Sword must be made. The first sword symbolizes Kolmnid's legacy and the second sword symbolizes Ryugaeia's legacy…the first of Arӓlpheisl's fragments, the Human Princess who represents humanity" Sir Jinrai said.
"You've almost mastered the Final Forte Reis. It is now left with the final resonance" Sir Jinrai said as he channelled all the elements into his blade. Reis did the same.
"TREMBLE BEFORE THE MIGHT OF HEAVEN!" Sir Jinrai roared in a mighty voice as an enormous flow of golden light encased his body.
Reis felt his heart respond to his father's show of power by pulsating. An enormous stream of golden light began to flow out of his body and encase him.
"I AM THE GOLDEN DRAKENGAӒRD!" they declared, "THE HAND OF DIVINE RETRIBUTION!" the golden light around their bodies materialized into golden armour and six powerful wings appeared at their backs.
The cross shaped sword appeared in both their hands.
"I thought the power of the Golden Drakengaӓrd only manifested in the presence of supernatural evil" Reis said as the seventh resonance began. It was the severest of all.
"He is also moved by supernatural good though it is rare for good to fight against good" Sir Jinrai explained.
"The Golden Drakengaӓrd who represents the will of Heaven's armies" Alpha's voice echoed within Reis' mind.
"A star, a storm, a great starship"
Ryu's song echoed within Reis' mind as he recalled the storm Erikkus Di Devilli had sent after them on their journey to Saggeese. An image flashed within his mind of his father holding a piece of parchment with the painting of a princess leading an army, a boy with a heart whose image overlapped with that of a Dragon and a tremendous ship weathering a dangerous storm. Reis opened his eyes in surprise as words from Ryu's song echoed within his mind. He recalled the name of the ship he was in the day the storm was sent after them, 'Benedict's Ark'.
"A star, a storm a great starship
That blazes on an endless trip
A black hole comes and wakes my fears
The silent stars shed timeless tears
A star, a tempest, an enormous vessel
Riding on the winds on an unstoppable quest
A black hole comes and awakens my fears
The silent stars of the endless tears
A star, a tempest, an enormous vessel
Moving faster yes, than the rays of light
A black hole arises my fears fly
To the inanimate stars shedding unending tears"
Ryu's song echoed in Reis' mind. Words about a ship.
"A starship is a heavenly ship. A vessel can mean a ship, an ark, a cup, or a human body" Reis realized.
"Benedict" the name echoed within his mind.
"If I replace the word 'Ark' with any of the above, Benedict's Ark could mean Benedict's Ship, Benedict's Cup or Benedict's Body" Reis realized in awe.
He recalled the Ryugaeia in Benedict's Ark. How everyone was going about their daily lives in a perfectly coordinated manner though they couldn't perceive one another on a sensory level. They weren't exactly instructing or ordering one another around. In a strange way, they were like locusts that moved in formation even without a visible leader. Reis recalled the Academy Director's instructions.
"I would like for you to establish social bonds with five special people". He recalled his initial hesitation.
"Why do I have to find these people? I do not understand the significance of all this".
"I'm sure you don't but don't worry. In time you will. These people may influence your journey in your homeworld and some of them are tied to others that may very well decide the fate of your homeworld" he recalled the Academy Director's reply.
"How can anything that goes on in Benedict's Ark affect my homeworld? The distance between this place and my homeworld is very immense for one thing. For another, I cannot interact on Benedict's Ark with those that can't 'see' me and finally everyone on this Ark is from a different place than my homeworld and have no ties to it. They cannot journey to Ryugaeia and affect the lives of those there so how can you say that some of them may very well decide the fate of my homeworld?" he recalled his initial doubt.
"I see you are beginning to learn the rules by which Benedict's Ark operates however you are wrong about one thing. Even without journeying to Ryugaiea and influencing events there by themselves, they can still affect Ryugaeia because everyone has the power to influence you just as you have the power to influence them" he recalled the Academy Director's reply. "For now, you can begin by seeking out…a girl that has lost her memories" he recalled the Academy Director's instructions and his eyes opened wide.
"What are you doing here?" he recalled the question he had asked Andrea when they first met.
"I'm waiting…waiting for someone. I have been searching for someone; that much I know. It's within me like a deeply etched memory but I have no memory of that person's face or name" he recalled Andrea's reply.
"Do you believe in primal memories Reis?" Reis recalled Ryu's question.
"Primal memories?" he recalled his question.
"Memories that seem to exist beyond a time you could remember, like a seal deeply etched into the human mind. A memory that isn't false but conflicts with everything you know about reality. This song is about such a memory. A collective memory of someone very important that my world had forgotten for millennia. It is named thus, 'Memoires Of The Long Suffering God'" Reis recalled Ryu's explanation.
Then slowly, more words from the song began to echo within his mind,
"Bended, Ended, Winded, Rendered
Silent the crew disappear
I awaken the next day on a bed
To find that all my memories are dead
Bended, Ended, Wheezy, Returned
Silenced by this the crew fade away
I awaken the next day on a bed
To note that all my memories died
Bended, Ended, Reaped, then Returned
They that were handed the Staff of Silence Hidden
On the day of Resurrection, on the bed called the Grave
To find them all my memories die"
Reis recalled.
"Those lines from the song, they speak about the Severing. The Severing must have occurred on Ryu's homeworld as well" Reis realized.
More words followed,
"Timeless, Windless, Wordless, Endless
Something from my past seems worthless
Memories I can't define
Of things I just can't seem to find
Timeless, without wind, without words, endlessly
My earlier nature was without value
I cannot it seems define even my memories
For things such as these I've never known
An Unending Wind with words unspoken
Indestructible, something from my past appears to be
Memories I know cannot define things
Though I am simple it's hard to seek me out"
Reis recalled.
"Those lines must be speaking of the primal memories" he realized.
"What…is he doing?" he recalled Aurora pointing to him as he cut the ornamental plants.
"Severing thorns…uh-umm…I mean shaping the hedges" he recalled his almost comical reply.
"I finally found you Aurora" he recalled his greeting.
"I…I know you. No…it can't be…it was all a dream" he recalled Aurora's reply.
"The Girl with lost memories" a voice echoed within Reis' mind.
"What is a Dragon Ranger? What are Dragons? That's all folklore. Dragons aren't real. A guild? Like a trade guild? Darak, Erasa, Shin, Kyla, who are those? I'm guessing you must be the grandson of Mr Dragonhaӓrt here. Stop damaging the plants!" he recalled Aurora's loss of memory.
"I guess these are the 'thorns' Alpha spoke of. Armageddon is forcing everyone to live a lie while he prepares to overwhelm them in reality. Dragons, Dragon Rangers, friends we know, Aurora can't remember a single thing. Sheesh, the lie runs so deep my Dragon Ring has even become invisible. However…" Reis recalled Aurora's Dragon Parry. "Her body still remembers her training at an instinctual level and I'm willing to bet her spirit recalls the truth though her mind cannot quite process it because of the Severing. It must exist within her as a fragment. If only I can piece those fragments together" he recalled his determination.
"To triumph over the Severing, you must awaken the Sleeping Dawn" he recalled Alpha's words.
"Aurora is the Novatian word for Dawn" Reis thought.
He recalled the novel, the Sleeping Dawn. The words
"The seven faeries moved by the efforts of the brave prince gifted him with a blade that could sever the thorns and armour impenetrable to resist them. So it was that with sword in hand, the prince began to pave a path through the thorns and towards the Sleeping Castle".
"Aurora, what are you doing here?" Reis recalled his question when she visited his cell within the Severing.
"How did you get those wounds?" he recalled her question.
"I got them protecting someone important" he recalled his reply.
"Arӓlpheisl" he recalled Aurora say in tears.
"What? What did you just say Aurora?" Reis recalled his question.
"You are more than just my saviour. You are my Arӓlpheisl" he recalled her confession and his happiness.
"You are my Dawn. When you awaken, I too will be free" he recalled his confession.
He recalled words from 'The Sleeping Dawn'.
"With every severed thorn, the spell was weakened. With every wound obtained, the spell was infiltrated by Love".
"There are some things you will need to learn here in order to defeat the darkness of your world" he recalled the Academy Director tell him.
"Armageddon? You mean you are going to teach me skills I need to confront him?" Reis recalled his question.
"Not skills…lessons and your teachers will be your own peers" the Academy Director replied.
"I see" Reis recalled his reply.
"For now, focus on the task right in front of you and seek out 'The Master Strategist'…" Reis recalled the Academy Director's words.
He recalled the Kolmnid farms and the people in the middle of erecting strange devices that seemed to have crystals at their core.
"We don't want to be caught unawares again. I'm erecting 'Limelight'. The protocol with which we defeated the Dark ninja of our world. However, they are mainly to be used for agricultural purposes. I'll have it tweaked with some security alert features so that when the farm is disturbed, we will know" Reis recalled Michael's 'Limelight' devices.
"Wait a sec, Michael, I'm curious about one thing. How could an agricultural device help win a war on your homeworld?" Reis recalled his question.
"Bended, Ended, Reaped, then Returned
They that were handed the Staff of Silence Hidden"
A line from Ryu's song echoed within his mind as though in response to his question.
"Look at it this way, it's primary function is to amplify and disperse light however…it can make a nifty flashbomb especially when used against those whose powers are primarily of darkness so the 'light' is the key" Reis recalled Michael's explanation.
He recalled that it was around that time the Dragon Knights had begun to gather those the Dragons had bonded with. He recalled his and Aurora's decision to plant hope into the hearts of the Saggeesians and he recalled the events that occurred during 'The Fair'.
"Armageddon is also known as 'The Dragon that lives within man'. But precisely because of this nature you could say Reis that Armageddon has already been defeated. You should be able to see it Reis, after all it was through you that Arӓlpheisl manifested in Ryugaeia that dark day. You should be able to see the 'Dawn'" Reis recalled Alpha's words.
"Ye sleeping Dragons! Hearken to these words and finally awaken from your long slumber. These words are an expression of the love humanity has for itself and for you! Once these words are uttered, the world as you know it will start to change. The balance of power will be tipped yet again and it is possible that another Drӓkan War will occur in the near future…but I have faith in you, all of you that you will use my final gift to you wisely. As Jinrai and the dragons once did, I too will now entrust the boy named Reis Dragonhaӓrt into your care for the path to his destiny is just beginning and your faith in him will determine what becomes of the future of both humans and dragons.
As Dragon Rangers, we are enforcers of Light
We are protectors of Dragons
And followers of the teachings of the Dragon Knights
Protecting the weak, freeing the oppressed
Obeying the Dragonlord
For we are Dragon Rangers
And Dragon Rangers forever!"
Reis recalled the mysterious coloured lights that appeared in the sky all over the world. The dancing lights that assumed the form of millions of dragons and descended to Ryugaeia.
"…and you should be able to see the overwhelming assistance with which you have been provided" Reis recalled Alpha's words.
"I finally understand. Armageddon is the Dragon that lives within man but now that the Dragons are bonding with humanity, a force for good is also being placed into humanity's hearts. It's a battle being fought within the heart. A battle Armageddon is going to lose" Reis said and opened his eyes.
He took in a deep breath and sighed heavily. The final resonance had revealed to him the role of Benedict's Ark.
"The final resonance is over" Sir Jinrai informed him.
"You have mastered 'The Final Forte' of the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style. The forte named 'With My Life'" his father said and sighed deeply.
Aurora, Darak, Kyla, Erasa and Reis stood in The Saggeesian Royal Castle in Nӱansa. Erikkus Di Devilli's eyes were blazing in fury at their presence.
"WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" he roared.
Reis looked at Aurora. She turned to look at him and their eyes met. Reis nodded. Aurora turned to face Erikkus Di Devilli and spoke.
"I Aurora Saggeese, the Dragon Ranger challenge you this day to one on one combat for the kingdom of Saggeese!" Aurora declared.
"I see, you challenge me as Dragon Ranger, not as Princess of Saggeese" Erikkus Di Devilli said with a frown.
"Whether or not I am the Princess of Saggeese is the choice of the people. However, my identity as Dragon Ranger is immutable" Aurora said.
"And why would I fight you in single combat…engage in this futile act, this naivety of yours when I am clearly at an advantage?" Erikkus Di Devilli challenged.
"That is because unlike me, you are not naïve. I know you have begun to realize it that your power over the people of Saggeese is weakening. That is the reason you caused the Severing; to buy yourself time to prepare to crush any traces of rebellion but you know as well as I do that this rebellion is not going to end so simply. You are also not foolish enough to ignore the fact that a ruler is only as powerful as those he rules so wiping the Saggeesians out is obviously out of the question. The only chance you have is to crush the source of their new hope and what better way to do that than the path of least resistance; in one on one combat" Aurora said.
"You underestimate me Princess of Saggeese or rather, Dragon Ranger Aurora Saggeese but fine. I will engage in this futile act of yours if only to prove to you the futility of your efforts" Erikkus Di Devilli said with an ominous glare.
THE PREVIOUS DAY…
Aurora woke up from sleep early that morning. She was anxious and excited all at the same time.
"Has Reis mastered the Final Forte by now?" she wondered and walked towards the room the boys were resting in.
She heard a sudden scream from the boys' room.
"WHO THE HECK IS THIS PERSON?!" she heard Darak exclaim.
"Calm down" she heard Reis say. "This man here is…" Reis was saying when Aurora opened the door.
She froze in surprise and shock all at the same time. Then tears slowly flowed down her eyes.
"…my father" Reis said as he stared at Aurora in surprise, then he smiled.
"Hello Aurora, it's been a while. You really have grown since the last time we were together" Sir Jinrai said as he waved to her.
Aurora wept and ran into his arms.
"Sir Jinrai! I'm sorry for everything you had to go through for my sake. For a long time I tried my best to believe you were still alive. I never lost faith that we'd meet again" she said.
"I get it Aurora but there's no need to be sorry about anything. Everything I did, I did out of my own choice" Sir Jinrai assured her.
Aurora wiped her tears.
"I see you finally met my son" Sir Jinrai said with a smile.
"He takes after you" Aurora said with a smile.
Sir Raphael walked in while they were talking.
"Jinrai" he seemed surprised.
"Raphael, it certainly has been a while" Sir Jinrai greeted.
"It certainly has. I'm sure you must be tired after your ordeal but I'm afraid to say we can't afford to rest just yet. I'm quite certain you are up to speed on everything that has happened recently?" Sir Raphael asked.
Sir Jinrai nodded with a serious expression on his face.
"I suppose there is one thing left to do now" Sir Jinrai said and turned to look at Reis.
Reis nodded and turned to Aurora.
"It's time Aurora" he said. "…time for you to learn the Final Forte of the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style" Reis said seriously.
Aurora nodded, then the two walked out.
There was silence in the room for a while. Then suddenly the sound of severe sword clashes broke outside.
"They've began" Sir Jinrai said.
"Then let us discuss our next course of action" Sir Raphael said.
Sir Jinrai nodded.
"Since you're up to speed on what has been happening of late, let me begin with the fact that there are numerous new guilds in Saggeese and though Dragon Rings have appeared on the hands of the members of all these guilds and they have begun to realize superhuman abilities, we still have seen no sign that the Dragons who have bonded with them have begun to awaken and we still do not know why. Whether the reason is due to inexperience or something else is still quite a mystery" Sir Raphael said.
"I guess the point you are trying to make is that none of them currently possesses the ability to battle Wyverns and because of the enemy's hunt, they're currently trapped in Saggeese. The only thing protecting them currently is their invisibility" Sir Jinrai said.
"Perceptive as always Jinrai" Sir Raphael nodded.
"But there are also the Dragon Knights assigned to them and a few other Rangers that arrived from the main guild" Sir Jinrai said.
Sir Raphael nodded.
"The ones in most danger now are the general population of Saggeese. You know we can't remain in hiding while the enemy hunts them down. Originally, we intended to avoid a war so we avoided direct confrontation but we still managed to provoke the enemy into starting a war. However now that the enemy has declared war on both Saggeese and Novatio, he can't be left to his own devices" Sir Raphael said.
Suddenly, Sir Jinrai perceived that someone was attempting to contact him.
"D-Dad?" Reia's voice sounded within his mind.
Sir Jinrai smiled.
"Dad? Is that you? I sensed your presence in Ryugaeia this morning and Omega told me you had emerged from Benedict's Ark" Reia said.
"I see you are safe as well. We have a lot to talk about. I'm sure you overheard everything that was just said" Sir Jinrai said.
"Yes, I did. Seeing how things were progressing, I resonated with the Kaignis King within Reis while everyone was trapped within the Severing and had the Kaisers build underground routes between all the guilds in Saggeese. Everyone is ready to move underground if things escalate" Reia said.
Sir Jinrai smiled.
"As expected of my daughter" he said.
"I'll send you a mental image of the map of the various routes. I have already informed the Dragon Knights and the main guild through Omega's resonance" Reia said.
"Impressive. Reis certainly could learn a few things from you. Don't tell him I said that" Sir Jinrai said with a laugh.
"I'll see you later dad" Reia said and communication ceased.
Sir Jinrai shut his eyes and saw the underground routes Reia had constructed with the Kaisers' help throughout Saggeese.
Sir Jinrai informed Sir Raphael about the routes.
"Commence evacuation now" he said.
Sir Raphael nodded and walked out.
While Reis passed on the Final Forte to Aurora, the Dragon Knights and the three teams evacuated the students via the underground routes.
"With this, instead of fighting a war on three fronts, we'll only be fighting one on two fronts. We can't afford to fight a defensive battle" Sir Jinrai thought. "And now, there are a few things left to do. That is something I don't need to say for the Dragon Knights know what must be done. What worries me most is the force sent to invade Novatio" Sir Jinrai thought.
From that moment, the Dragon Knights in Saggeese doubled their efforts to gather those the Dragons had bonded with.
Sir Jinrai called Shin privately while Reis and Aurora were duelling.
"Shin, I'm certain Reis has informed you by now…" Sir Jinrai said with a worried look on his face.
The words were hard to say.
"I know. I am a part of your family, a Dragonhaӓrt" Shin said.
"You were one of the people I intended to find. By the time I found you, you were already a part of the Maelstrom Zero Nine. I felt you'd be safer with them than with me. It might have been a selfish decision on my part but it was a hard one nonetheless" Sir Jinrai said.
"I understand. My family, they were killed by Galigaos" Shin said with a look of grief on his face.
"I don't think Galigaos is in any position to hurt anyone. Reis made sure of that" Sir Jinrai said.
Shin smiled.
"I know. So what do you want to talk about?" Shin asked.
"The main strength of the guild is in Novatio but I'm certain they cannot afford to send any more people to Saggeese. They have a lot more to worry about. In terms of quality, our comrades are far stronger than the Wyverns but the Wyvern army outnumber them. The King of Novatio will not sit idle at a time like this so I'm sure he has sent his army to protect the borders of Novatio. The rangers I'm certain by now have already met the Wyverns over the sea and hostilities have commenced. Reis and Aurora will certainly buy everyone more time by challenging Erikkus Di Devilli to one on one combat however…" Sir Jinrai paused.
"You think Aurora will lose?" Shin asked with a serious look on his face.
"It doesn't matter whether she wins or loses, the enemy will not honour his word. That is why Reis must be there tomorrow to observe the battle" Sir Jinrai said.
"Then what is the point of all this?" Shin asked.
"The enemy will certainly not honour his word but the battle will certainly buy us more time. I doubt he can fight Aurora seriously while coordinating the Wyverns which is why we will summon the Kaisers of the sea and air and head towards Novatio immediately. We will lock the Wyverns in a pincer attack with support from the king's army and the rangers over the sea and decimate the Wyvern army" Sir Jinrai said with an utterly serious look on his face.
Shin nodded.
"When do we leave?" Shin asked.
"Immediately and without distracting Reis and Aurora" Sir Jinrai said and he and Shin left the guild.
Sir Raphael noticed them.
"You're still as much of a handful as you were in the past" Sir Raphael said and then returned his attention to Reis and Aurora.
"I wish you success with whatever you intend to do" Sir Raphael said.
PRESENTLY…
Aurora and Erikkus Di Devilli stood facing each other. Erikkus Di Devilli was clothed in armour, dark armour without any crest. Aurora wore her guild armour with the crest of a dragon with a rainbow heart and a golden cross. The mark that was given to the rangers when the Golden Drakengaӓrd clashed with Darag-Arӧkna.
Erikkus Di Devilli held a reaper's scythe in his hands and Aurora held the Twin Saggeesian Sabres.
"How many times do you wish to lose to me before you know with certainty that you cannot win? Know my darkness and curse your own weakness" Erikkus Di Devilli said as he took on a variation of Irik the Devil's fighting stance centred on the use of scythes.
"I'm not the one who is going to lose" Aurora said as she assumed the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style.
Aurora took in a deep breath and sighed. Then slowly, her eyes assumed a determined gaze. Erikkus Di Devilli charged in first and slashed ferociously with his scythe. Aurora blocked his initial strikes with some measure of success.
"His blade is filled with malice but hollow like one with nothing to lose. It's not a blade with the power to protect. It's one that destroys" Aurora noted.
She leapt out of the way and glanced at her Saggeesian Blades.
"His blade is heavy but hollow. I can't sense anything behind it but if I keep taking direct hits to my blade, I might soon be left with no weapon" Aurora thought and leapt nimbly away from Erikkus Di Devilli.
"Running away already Aurora Saggeese? That is what you are well renowned for. You abandoned your kingdom once before. Will you do the same again?" Erikkus Di Devilli taunted.
There was a frown on Aurora's face.
"It must be frustrating isn't it? To have lost everything once because of your weakness and for history to repeat itself" Erikkus Di Devilli taunted as he let his intimidating killer intent permeate the area.
Reis frowned.
"He's resorting to provocations and psychological attacks now. The outcome of the battle will largely depend on how well Aurora can maintain her composure" Reis thought to himself.
"I have no intention of falling for your provocations so you'd better quit while you're still ahead" Aurora said with a smile. "I might have lost my kingdom once but that was only because we let the gap between royalty and the common widen so much that your ploy was undetectable. I can assure you it won't happen again" Aurora said seriously. "I need to buy as much time as possible. We need as much time as possible. I know. I know for a fact that Erikkus Di Devilli will not honour his word regardless of win or loss so the duration of the battle itself might be our greatest advantage now" Aurora thought to herself.
Erikkus Di Devilli smirked.
"You are so easy to read. Do you believe I haven't seen through your ploy?" he asked with a smirk.
Aurora smiled.
"If you are going to assume that I have some trick up my sleeve don't you think it would be rather foolish of me to confirm anything?" Aurora said with an unwavering smile.
Erikkus Di Devilli's eyes were fixed on her as though seeking out a moment of vulnerability to strike.
"You have grown surprisingly sly these past two years" Erikkus Di Devilli said and charged to attack her. "I will have you fall before me this day Princess of Saggeese" he declared and increased the rate of his strikes.
"You've forgotten, I'm not simply a princess who has lost her throne anymore. I'm a Dragon Ranger!" Aurora declared as she created whirls of water and sent them after Erikkus Di Devilli.
He deflected them quite easily. Aurora sent more waterwhirls after him and he had to focus on defence. He was so focused on defending that he didn't notice the sharp particles of ice Aurora had hidden within the waterwhirls. Some of the ice slipped past his defence and before he could recover from his loss of balance in his attempt to evade the ice, Aurora dealt two sharp strikes to his ribs with the blunt sides of the Twin Saggeesian Sabres and threw Erikkus Di Devilli to the ground. She leapt nimbly away from him. He stood up, quite dazed from the attack.
"Well executed Dragon Ranger" he said with a smirk on his face.
"That attack was splendidly executed Aurora" Reis silently congratulated her.
"However something's…" Reis began to say.
"…off" Aurora completed his sentence.
"For someone with the power to cause so much harm, the enemy is surprisingly…" Aurora was saying.
"…weak" Reis thought to himself.
"Could he be holding back?" Aurora wondered.
There was a momentary look of shock on Erikkus Di Devilli's face.
"What was that expression about? I will find out with this" Aurora thought as she clashed the Twin Saggeesian Blades together.
They fused to form a great sword. The sword known as The Heart Sabre.
"WHAT'S THIS?! WHAT IS GOING ON?! TELL ME! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE REIS DRAGONHAÄRT?! HOW CAN THERE BE A DEFECTION AMONGST THE WYVERNS?!" Erikkus Di Devilli exclaimed in horror.
ROUGHLY TWO HOURS AGO…
Shin and Sir Jinrai arrived over the Novatian Sea atop the previous Kaignis King.
"Jinrai, I will leave the rest to you" the previous Kaignis King said as he disappeared.
Shin found himself falling towards the sea. He called to a Kaehum Dactyl and it caught him on its back. The two companions had summoned the Kaisers of the air, the Kaehum Dactyls and the Kaisers of the sea, the Kaiser-Pentias and Kagua-Serpentias. There were a vast number of Kaisers in their ranks. They had finally arrived on the scene of the battle. The army of Wyverns were locked in a tussle with the king's formidable army who had downed quite a number of them with a weapon called the Ballista. A great wheeled bow that shot great arrows. These were installed on the king's ships. The Dragon Rangers aided the king's ships from the air and so far not a single Wyvern could penetrate past them.
As Shin and Sir Jinrai approached, the two felt their hearts pulsate with power. A great stream of golden light began to flow out of Sir Jinrai and Silvery White light began to flow out of Shin.
"Wh-What is this?" Shin wondered.
He felt a feeling of power and warmth wash over him and in his mind's eye, he found himself standing before a gigantic figure clothed in silvery white armour, with long flowing silver hair, blue eyes and the strongest pair of six wings on its back.
Shin drew back in fear.
"You must be the Silver Drakengaӓrd" Shin said.
"It appears it is finally time for me to awaken. I sense Reihel's will strongly within three people in this world" the Silver Drakengaӓrd said in a mighty, yet kind voice.
"Three people? Oh yes, the third person must be Reis' gramps" Shin reasoned.
"I see, the Wise One Of The Unison Courts walks this world. Then it is time for the Hopeful Legend to eclipse the Tragic Legend. Will you be willing to walk Arӓlpheisl's path with him?" the Silver Drakengaӓrd asked.
"I don't know much about Arӓlpheisl but he defined most of the things I have come to believe in and I consider Reis my brother. If I can aid him, I will" Shin said.
"You are blunt even if doing otherwise would guarantee better results. I have been called such myself many times" the Silver Drakengaӓrd said.
"Really? Even you who governs the armies of Heaven are called blunt? Wow, that is something I never expected. I have another question though…are you really nameless?" Shin asked.
The Silver Drakengaӓrd laughed.
"What name do you call yourself by?" he asked Shin.
"Shin is my name. It was given to me by someone" Shin said.
"I am called Nameless but Truth is my domain so I am also called Truthful. Since our names mean the same thing, I suppose I will allow you to call me Shin" the Silver Drakengaӓrd said.
"Then Erasa's name, the name she gave me wasn't a coincidence?" Shin asked.
"Such things are seldom coincidences" the Silver Drakengaӓrd informed him.
"Let's bring the Hopeful Legend to birth" the Silver Drakengaӓrd said.
"And we will start by putting an end to this meaningless war!" Shin said and their wills resonated.
On the outside, the Silver Light encased Shin and he burst out of it assuming the form of the Silver Drakengaӓrd in the process. In his hands, he held a reaper's scythe.
He prepared to swing it.
"Are you going to attack the Wyverns?" Sir Jinrai asked him.
"Wyverns, you were initially created as weapons of war but you should be able to see past that, that you have a choice since you have life. I am offering you a chance to choose for yourselves how you wish to live" the Silver Drakengaӓrd said and swung his scythe.
A tidal wave of great force struck every Wyvern present. They stopped attacking the Rangers and the king's army. For a while, they just flew about aimlessly and then, they flew away from the battlefield going their own separate ways.
"Shin, what happened?" Sir Jinrai asked.
"The Wyverns chose to become a part of Ryugaeia's life" Shin explained.
"I guess the truth changed them. No one wishes to be used as a weapon of war against their will" Sir Jinrai said.
"And with that Novatio is safe for now. We need to head back to Saggeese and awaken as many Wyverns as possible to the truth" Shin said.
The Dragon Rangers and the king's army stayed at the borders of Novatio to defend against any more attempts at an invasion. Shin and Sir Jinrai hurried back to Saggeese in great haste and once they arrived, a great tug of war between the wills of Armageddon and The Heart would commence.
PRESENTLY…
"WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT IS GOING ON?! TELL ME! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE REIS DRAGONHAÄRT?! HOW CAN THERE BE A DEFECTION AMONGST THE WYVERNS?!" Erikkus Di Devilli exclaimed in horror.
Reis smiled to himself.
"Well done Shin! You must have awakened the power of the Silver Drakengaӓrd whose domain is Truth. The Golden and Silver Drakengaӓrds are similar in nature to Alpha and Omega. While the Golden Drakengaӓrd's domain is Light, the Silver Drakengaӓrd's domain is the meaning behind the Light, truth itself. The Wyverns were created without an awareness of 'choice'. When it was revealed to them that as part of Ryugaeia's life, even if artificial, they do have a choice, they realized that they no longer needed to allow themselves to be used as weapons of war and chose to live freely" Reis thought to himself. "There is a chance though that some of them might choose to be used as weapons of warfare but the vast majority changed sides from what I can tell from the enemy's reaction" Reis thought.
Aurora held the Heart Sabre in her hand. She narrowed her eyes.
"I sense desperation from Erikkus Di Devilli. Now is my chance to attack!" she declared and charged towards him striking swiftly and heavily.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Erikkus Di Devilli roared and responded by attacking with fury.
"The Wyverns are created from the power of the Dragons. You isolated their wills in order to make them easier to control but you forgot one thing…that being born from the Dragons they have the nature of the Dragons inherently. You were unable to see their souls and that is where your plan began to crumble" Aurora said as she prepared to strike.
Just at that moment, the Silver Drakengaӓrd arrived in Saggeese and began to free the Wyverns from Erikkus Di Devilli's dominion. Erikkus Di Devilli felt a great loss of power when each Wyvern was freed. His confusion caused him to lose focus and Aurora's attack struck him on the ribs again.
"Liar! You liar! The Wyverns have no souls! I made sure of that!" Erikkus Di Devilli said.
"If you are going to continue to purposely blind yourself to the truth, that is entirely up to you but you should have noticed by now that each of the Wyverns bear a striking resemblance to one of the Dragons" Aurora said as she recalled the Wyverns the bandits had referred to as Saanyigre, Sum-Kebi and Suiryuudan.
Ironically, back then, the bandits had used a technique which's name was synonymous with what the enemy had been attempting to do, to eclipse the dawn. Erikkus Di Devilli's eyes opened wide as the sudden realization of all this dawned on him. Now he could see clearly that his plan had always been doomed to fail. The army he had been preparing for Armageddon had been infected by an oversight, an oversight called the soul. To him, this was the worst sort of disease possible.
In that instant of realization, Aurora found an opening, disarmed him, tossed him to the ground with the Dragon Parry and kicked his weapon aside.
"It's about time you gave up" she said.
"I give up" Erikkus Di Devilli sighed.
Aurora turned and began to walk away. Reis felt his heart begin to beat with an uneasy feeling.
"Aurora won this battle so why do I feel so uneasy? Shin by now has freed most of the Wyverns hovering over Saggeese so why do I feel so uneasy?" Reis thought.
"I am disappointed Aurora Saggeese…our identities have clashed for ages. You the Aurora Sabre, the accursed Stone Of Light…" Erikkus Di Devilli began to say as images of elements from Kolmnid; of the Seven Dragon Saints, Seven Human Saints, Seven Clans, the Aurora Sabre and finally Ryuujinn as well as elements from Zan's homeworld, the Rhino Horn Chain Zan usually wore around his neck and the Seven Stones Of Virtue began to overlap with the image of Aurora.
" …and me…after all this time you failed to recognize your ancient archnemesis…the Dragon lurking within man" a sinister familiar voice spoke through Erikkus Di Devilli's lips as images of Tristran and Zanfar overlapped with Erikkus Di Devilli's image.
Aurora froze in fear. So did Reis.
"I am honestly disappointed but on the day of my awakening, this day, I shall ensure that you perish with the rest of humanity! I did tell you…that you underestimated me" Erikkus Di Devilli roared.
"Armageddon!" Reis and Aurora exclaimed in shock as Reis instantly parried the fatal blow Erikkus Di Devilli was aiming at Aurora.
"Over the past centuries, I have walked this world in the guise of men such as Irik the Devil, Galigaos the Crimson Swordsman of Darkness and Erikkus Di Devilli. I am disappointed Aurora…once more you failed to recognize me" Erikkus Di Devilli said.
"It wasn't just an uneasy feeling. The fear I felt was the Golden Drakengaӓrd's response to supernatural evil" Reis declared in horror as a fierce golden light began to ooze from his body.
"FATE ELEMENT! FIRES OF INDIGNATION!!!" Armageddon called out.
Reis and Erikkus Di Devilli were locked in a vicious clash of swords. Reis had assumed the form of the Golden Drakengaӓrd and launched Erikkus Di Devilli into the skies. Now the two hovered over Saggeese.
"Be crushed by your despair as you watch me attain my true form!" Erikkus Di Devilli roared.
Reis felt his heart pulsate.
"What's this feeling?" he wondered.
He felt his insides turn sour and then visions began to flood his mind.
The same was happening throughout the world. People were paralyzed by fear and slowly the sky took on an ominous darkness. Most Saggeesians saw visions of how they had turned against the royal family and replaced them with Erikkus Di Devilli. Their wounds they began to realize were mostly self-inflicted. Reis experienced the loneliness he felt in Saggeese and felt his power slowly weaken. He saw his father's sorrow as he left the family with a younger Aurora and Jared. He experienced the coldness of the Saggeesians towards him and almost began to empathize with Erikkus Di Devilli's cause. Aurora saw the murder of her family and her flight with Sir Jinrai and her brother. She felt a familiar feeling of great loss. Darak saw the many attempts his brother made at killing him for the Dragon Blade. Erasa felt the loneliness she experienced when she thought Shin was dead and Shin experienced the coldness of the people towards him during his youth. Many people experienced many things. For the Novatians, it was how they had failed to act but merely observed Saggeese's demise all this while.
Erikkus Di Devilli grabbed Reis by the neck.
"You finally see it don't you that you were alone in your attempts to overthrow me. It was the Saggeesians that made me king in the first place. You have been fighting against the will of the people all this while. What makes you think you can win when you have experienced firsthand their coldness towards you?" Erikkus Di Devilli asked.
"Look down there. You should be able to see it, why you cannot win. They all carry my impulse within them. In essence they are all a part of me" Erikkus Di Devilli pointed to the earth.
Reis looked down and saw darkness escaping the people and heading for Erikkus Di Devilli.
"You think you won because my Wyverns were infected by the Dragons' souls? Well the ones you fight for are infected with my impulse. Everything you thought you were doing for them was in essence for me. I did tell you that the very thing you were fighting for was that which gives me life" Erikkus Di Devilli said with great malice. "In other words you have been slaving away for your worst enemy all this while!" he declared.
Among the many things Reis saw, there was a vision of a world unfamiliar to him being ravaged by a monstrous beast with the characteristics of a chimera. Josec, Harry and Buern recognized this as Zanböngfar's rampage in Zan's homeworld.
"Right about now, everyone should be realizing how pointless their actions have been. They should be on the verge of being crushed by the weight of their sin" Erikkus Di Devilli declared.
Aurora took in a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. The visions were terrifying but she remembered that she had gained something greater than her loss.
"My Arӓlpheisl" she muttered to herself and walked towards the others.
"Shin…Shin" she heard Erasa cry.
"Erasa, Shin is alive!" she shook Erasa.
Erasa snapped out of it.
"We are Dragon Rangers. Facing sin isn't something we are unfamiliar with" Aurora said.
"Can you awaken Ethan and Effuien?" Aurora asked.
She was still struggling to regain her composure. Erasa nodded and walked to her brothers.
"Wake up you two!" she said and slammed her fists on their heads.
They opened their eyes.
"What was that? Another Severing?" Effuien wondered as he opened his eyes.
Darak and Kyla were already awake.
"How are you two awake already?" Aurora asked.
"He woke me up. Ironic since I am the one always doing the waking" Kyla laughed.
"And you Darak…how are you awake?" Aurora asked.
"The moment you woke up, you should have realized that this spell or Severing, whatever it is, is not invincible. Mind domination is one of the many things a ninja trains to repel and you forget that I am both ninja and Dragon Ranger, a formidable combination" Darak said.
Aurora laughed.
Then another vision flashed within her mind but this one was different. She saw a boy with blue hair who was bleeding from his head and struggling to steady himself on a rainbow coloured sword. He looked into the sky and Aurora saw what looked like great flames raining on the earth.
"Aurora Sabre, before dying I pray thee to grant me this final wish…" the boy seemed to be praying. "…use my soul to protect this world that I love!" he declared.
Before the boy stood an unimaginably sinister dragon. Aurora saw the sword suck the boy's pure soul within itself and shatter, transforming into a mighty dome to shield the earth from the raining flames.
She opened her eyes.
"I think I understand" she said.
"Effuien, how far is your psychic range?" she asked.
"I've never tested its full capacity since it could be harmful to normal folk and invite troublesome foes" Effuien said.
"In this situation that should not matter. Can you transmit my thoughts to my people?" Aurora said.
Darak smiled.
"You really have gotten over your pain Aurora" he thought to himself.
Effuien lay a hand on her head and channelled her thoughts into himself. Then amplifying these thoughts he transmitted them throughout Saggeese.
"People of Saggeese, my people" Aurora called to them.
They heard her voice and listened closely. They felt a great sense of guilt and foreboding as they wondered what she had to say to them after the visions they had just seen.
"You must have seen these visions yourself. Visions of the pain we have inflicted on one another. It is not my place to say whether or not these visions are true or false for each of us can truthfully tell what our role actually was in Saggeese's history. All I want to say now is that regardless of this, the past cannot be changed but even at this moment, we can still fight for the future. There is no hope for Saggeese if we allow ourselves to be crushed by the weight of our sins but if we are willing to cast those shackles aside and fight, perhaps a miracle may be born this day" Aurora said.
The people of Saggeese heard her words and began to weep.
"How we have wronged the princess and yet she still thinks of us. How can we not fight after hearing these words?" they thought and in an instant, Dragon Rings appeared on their hands.
Shin was still freeing the Wyverns from Armageddon's control when the visions began. In an instant, he stood within his own mind as the Silver Drakengaӓrd. He grabbed the sealed Armageddon within his mind which represents Armageddon's impulse.
"Get out of my body you ancient serpent!" he roared and flung Armageddon out of himself.
Armageddon felt this. The impulses of Armageddon that escaped the people all headed to him and he absorbed them.
"As expected of the Silver Drakengaӓrd. Since his domain is truth, he was unaffected by the visions" Erikkus Di Devilli said as the impulses charged him up.
"My power has returned!" he roared as he released a huge amount of power from himself and transformed into the greatest Dark Dragon, Armageddon.
He now held Reis tightly in his claws.
Meanwhile, Shin hearing Aurora's thoughts for Saggeese amplified them even further and sent them towards Novatio. The Novatians began to feel that the Princess of Saggeese bore them no ill will and the Saggeesians were ready to take back their land. Meanwhile, Old Lady Kamikaze and the Dragonlord were in shock.
"What's this? Every Saggeesian now has a Dragon Ring and I can feel more rings appearing on more and more Novatians. Things are happening too quickly" the Dragonlord said in great surprise. Meanwhile, the king of Novatio feeling Aurora's resolve sent a portion of his troops to Saggeese.
"We have kept Saggeese at arm's length long enough. Now we will aid her" he said.
The Dragonlord sensing the king's actions supported his troops with Dragon Rangers from the main guild.
Reis meanwhile was beholding another vision. In this vision he saw Zan rip off a rhino horn chain and hold it tightly in his hands. He felt Zan's indignation grow as he turned to confront the great chimera beast.
"I AM JUST ZAN NIGHTBANE! THE HUMAN DREAMWEAVER AND COORDINATOR OF THE SEVEN SOULS OF VIRTUE, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOUL OF VIRTUE, TRUTH; IN RARE TIMES WHEN THE FATE OF MY KIN; MY FAMILY IS THREATENED, I CALL ON THE SWORD THAT BEARS MY OWN NAME; MY FAMILY HEIRLOOM; THE NIGHTBANE ALSO CALLED LIGHT'S REVENGE!!!" he heard Zan's declaration.
Reis saw the dreams of many people and watched as these dreams began to form links. He beheld a great and mysterious constellation.
"A constellation of Benedict" he thought to himself. "My predecessors. You were all so amazing" he thought with a smile.
"The Silver Drakengaӓrd was unaffected by the fires of indignation. The Golden Drakengaӓrd's domain is light so…why was he affected. Not unless…DON'T TELL ME…?!" Armageddon exclaimed in horror as Reis broke out of his clutches and reassumed the form of the Golden Drakengaӓrd.
"You finally figured it out didn't you? Indeed, I have been waiting all this time…for you to take back your evil impulse" Reis said with a smile. "I think you know what that means don't you?"
Armageddon looked to the earth and saw all Saggeesians wearing Dragon Rings.
"IMPOSSIBLE! SO THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN SCHEMING ALL THIS WHILE BY PRETENDING TO BE UNCONSCIOUS!" Armageddon roared and flew towards Saggeese.
In an instant, Reis stood before him and gave him a heavy backhanded blow to the side of his jaw, grabbed him by the neck and flung him back into the skies.
"Don't even think about it!" he declared with a calm sense of rage.
Armageddon looked over the world and what he saw astonished him greatly.
"CURSE YOU…ARӒLPHEISL!" he screamed in horror in realization of what was about to commence.
Reis shut his eyes and recalled the words he had spoken as Arӓlpheisl roughly two years ago. He uttered them to himself.
"Ye sleeping Dragons! Hearken to these words and finally awaken from your long slumber. These words are an expression of the love humanity has for itself and for you! Once these words are uttered, the world as you know it will start to change. The balance of power will be tipped yet again and it is possible that another Drӓkan War will occur in the near future…but I have faith in you, all of you that you will use my final gift to you wisely" Reis recalled his words and opened his eyes.
"But this is no mere tipping of the scale of power! WHAT DID YOU DO ARӒLPHEISL?!" Armageddon roared.
"Lost confidence already? Well you said I was utterly alone and that everything I did for everyone was merely a form of slaving away for you. Since you say I was working for you why can't you see for yourself? You are blind to a lot of things Armageddon. You may be able to predict actions but your inability to measure conviction is why you'll always lose" Reis said.
"It is about time" Reis sighed and began to sing.
"What is a heart…" he uttered as a tremendous pulse resonated throughout Ryugaeia. "…or rather Who is the Heart? So fragile that it can be rended apart?" Reis sang as he thought of Benedict.
"One part Strong…" he sang as visions of valiant men filled his mind.
"One part Weak…" he sang as visions of kind women filled his mind.
"Broken He appears…" he sang as he saw the Saggeesian Dragon Rangers in hiding and the rest of the Saggeesians aiding one another.
"But wholeness He seeks…" he sang and saw the Novatian army heading towards Saggeese.
"Origins and Endings, two contradictory ideals…" he sang and saw visions of Alpha and Omega.
"But brothers they are and as one they feel" he saw himself and Reia.
"Strong and Weak
Broken and Whole
Add one more element, when these two become one
They beckon to Him the Heart
For when Human meets Divine He shall be born
The Heart that destroys Armageddon
And His name is…Benedict" Reis sang as visions of the Dragon Rangers, Dragon Rings, the Dragons and the Drakengaӓrds filled his mind.
Reis recalled his predecessors. A bright light began to pierce through the darkness in the sky and numerous lights descended. Reis' appearance began to change. His hair grew longer and flowed to his shoulders. Six powerful white wings grew out of his back and his arms and body were covered in Alpha's golden scales except for his face. His emerald eyes took on a strong glow and his silver hair began to sparkle.
"This is my…" Reis began to say as powerful memories filled the hearts of people all over the world.
They knew the words Reis was trying to express.
"This is our…" Aurora and everyone exclaimed as their Dragon Rings began to glow brightly.
The ground in Saggeese began to shatter as the rangers underground raised their hands.
"THIS IS OUR…" the strong lights flew about the skies of Ryugaeia and their voices called loudly. "UNISON COURTS!!!" everyone called as the ground shattered and the rangers underground flew on the backs of their dragons into the sky. The rest of the Saggeesians and Novatians took to the skies. The lights materialized and formed millions of Dragons and Drakengaӓrds.
"I was never alone! You just couldn't see it because you were focused too intently on me!" Reis declared.
"WHAT IS THIS?! HOW COULD THE DRAGON RACE BE REBORN?! I THOUGHT I DECIMATED THEM IN TIMES PAST!" Armageddon roared.
"Well weren't you wrong! Drakengaӓrds! SHACKLES!" Reis called and the Drakengaӓrds cast their shackles towards Reis.
Reis caught each shackle and charged towards Armageddon. Armageddon tried to strike him but he parried Armageddon's attacks via the Dragon Parry and shackled Armageddon's feet, arms, wings and mouth. The Drakengaӓrds held the shackles tightly.
"In the end you are the one that is alone! DRAGON RANGERS! ELEMENTS!" Reis called as the Dragon Rangers bombarded Armageddon with their elements.
"Hello brother, it's been a while" Reia greeted Reis.
"It certainly has" Reis said to Reia who had assumed the form of the Emerald Drakengaӓrd. Shin and Reis' father were on the battlefield along with Reis' grandfather who now rode a Dragon.
"You intend to use it don't you? Our family's greatest weapon manifested in Zan's world as the Nightbane" Reia said.
Reis was surprised that she knew about Zan.
"Get a clue already little bro, I wield Omega" she said and stretched her weapon towards Reis. Shin did the same and Sir Jinrai and Reis' grandfather also stretched their weapons towards Reis.
"A sword called Light's Revenge? What an ironic name" Reis laughed as the power their weapons generated converged.
Reis pointed his blade towards Armageddon and slashed heavily. His sword created a tidal wave that struck Armageddon and opened up a void behind him.
Armageddon struggled furiously to shatter the chains.
"Drakengaӓrds! Cast him into the void! Dragon Rangers, keep up the attacks!" Reis called.
The Drakengaӓrds flung Armageddon towards the void and the Rangers blasted him with their elements. The supergravity generated by the void pulled Armageddon in and the void shut forever! From that moment on, Armageddon had no part in Ryugaeia's history.
Everyone cheered happily. Darak who had been battling as Darag-Arӧkna flew towards Reis.
"It's over" Reis said as the dawn broke in Ryugaeia.
It was the final night Ryugaeia endured as a land of extinct Dragons. When the dawn broke, Ryugaeia was reborn as "Dragon Earth".
There was a great celebration throughout Novatio and Saggeese.
Aurora assumed her rightful place as Queen Of Saggeese and with her brother's help Saggeese was restored. She did away with all of the previous oppressive policies Erikkus Di Devilli had imposed on the people and ruled Ryugaeia with the justice of her parents before her. Once things began to settle down, Reis proposed to her and the two were wed. Alpha, Omega and Epsilon were there to witness their wedding. So were the Dragon Rangers from Novatio, her own people, Reis' family including his mother who had raised Reia and his father.
"As you are bound by these cords today, I bind your destinies. As you are united by a common love, I proclaim you husband and wife" Alpha uttered these words as crimson cords bound Reis to Aurora.
That night, Reis and Aurora flew among the stars.
"You fulfilled your promise to me. You promised to ensure that I learnt to love my homeland and you did" Aurora said to Reis whose head was rested on her lap.
They flew on Marina's back. Alpha was too sacred a beast. Reis laughed.
"Ryugaiea's stars have grown even more beautiful since that day" Aurora said as she stared at the stars.
"They're still not as beautiful as you are" Reis said and the two shared a kiss.
A few months later, Kyla and Darak and Erasa and Shin were wed as well. There was so much to celebrate. In years to come, Reis and Aurora would have a son and a daughter. Their son, they named Jinrai after Reis' father. Their daughter they named Celestia after Aurora's mother. Novatio and Saggeese enjoyed times of great peace and friendship and rapid development as they shared resources. The Drakengaӓrds lived their lives in Ryugaiea united to its nature as the Kaisers were.
Thus then was the tale of the Hopeful Legend and the birth of the Unison Courts.
Finally, the three students stood alone with Ryu.
"You have witnessed the history of the events surrounding the development of the Rainbow Technique and the histories of three worlds that are currently in alignment with your homeworld's history. I hope you will understand the essence of the Rainbow Technique" Ryu said.
Josec, Harry and Buern nodded.
"For now, you will journey to the Hidden Phoenix Village. I am certain the three clans there have a bit to teach you as well" Ryu said.
The three students nodded and finally, they woke up from their long dream.