"Geez!" Shiro exclaimed. "I hadn't realized that this kid possessed such extraordinary potential. He will undoubtedly become a great man. But where did he learn such a technique?"
Ogai, with a smile on his lips, was the only one convinced of his son's worth. After all, they shared the same blood running through their veins. He shot an amused glance at Shiro.
Ah, yes! One should never judge by appearances! he thought.
Once the room was lit, they entered and stood beside Shahin. At the sight of the fallen figure, they all gasped in astonishment; the man lying before them, decrepit in appearance but no less sturdy, was clad in a steel armor that was split from the throat to the navel! Additionally, the blow delivered by Shahin had left a gaping wound several centimeters wide.
"Who are you?" Ogai asked him.
"I... I am the guard tasked with watching over the entrance to the Lair of Destiny. I... I must prevent all men other than the Pleiades... from defiling this place."
Looking like a fierce yet finally defeated demon, blood flowed from his insides like life from his withered body. The old guard hurried to speak his final words through his thick mustache as if this were his last salute to the world of the living.
"What... what power! Though I have been here for centuries... my strength has not waned! And yet, I was defeated so easily... with a single blow..."
"You did not disgrace yourself," Ogai reassured him in a calming tone. "This man is a Pleiade, so it is only natural you were defeated."
"Yes... Pleiades! Go to your destiny!... Did you read the inscriptions on the stele?"
"Yes."
"Go one at a time, or you will never discover your destiny!"
Ogai stood up and turned to Shahin.
"The honor is yours, Shahin. And well done for this display of your skills. What was that technique?"
"It was the Sunset Loop."
"The Sunset Loop..." Shiro repeated thoughtfully. "Who taught you that technique?"
"No one," he simply said. "I learned it myself, watching the blades of a windmill turn."
He started walking toward the back of the room. It was a pair of large oak double doors, their hinges rusted with age. With considerable effort, he pushed them open and entered the unknown chamber. The doors shut behind him as soon as he crossed the threshold.
Back in the darkness, Shahin advanced cautiously. His feet pressed on a slab that sank slightly under his weight. A blinding light burst from the ceiling, illuminating precisely the surface of the slab where he stood.
Outside, the Pleiades wondered what might be happening; they could only catch a glimpse of a bright light seeping through the cracks of the doors.
Shahin emerged soon after. He appeared as if transformed, with a serene expression radiating from his face. He was glowing.
"So?" Akimitsu asked him.
"What do you mean, so?" he retorted in an arrogant tone.
Akimitsu was irked by his tone. He wondered how this brat could dare to speak to him so flippantly, especially after the lesson he had given him earlier.
"Well! What's in that room?" he barked.
"Why don't you go see for yourself!" Shahin replied, turning his back with the same arrogance.
The young man's newfound audacity made those around him smile.
"What a response!" Ogai said, laughing.
"Hey!" Akimitsu barked. "Is that any way to answer!"
"It's for that blow you gave me earlier!"
"Ah! So that's it!" Akimitsu said, threateningly.
"He's right, Akimitsu," Ogai intervened. "If you want to know what's in that room, you just have to go in!"
"That's true, well said! I'm going right now!" he declared furiously.
He entered the cave decisively and returned only minutes later, with a smile on his face.
"Your turn, Shiro!"
Shiro said nothing but walked into the cavern. When he returned, he looked as indifferent and somber as usual. He simply said:
"Only you remain, Riga."
Riga's brow was slick with sweat. Anxiety made him tremble like an autumn leaf. It was clear he had no desire to discover his Name. He couldn't even look at his companions, for fear that their confidence would totally demoralize him.
"What is it, Riga?" his father asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Why are you trembling?"
"I... I... I think I have a fever. It's nothing. Let me go."
Riga brusquely shrugged off his father's hand and stepped, hesitating, into the Lair of Destiny. Never in his life had Ogai been so affronted by his son. But instead of anger, he was deeply worried about his son's emotional state, which was steadily deteriorating.
When he returned, he looked as if he had emerged from a raging river. He feigned the serene smile he had seen on the faces of his companions, but it was nothing more than a forced grin concealing a nervous laugh.
"V... very well!" he declared. "Let's go! Let's go kill Andora!"
"Wait a second," his father said, blocking his path. "Not so fast! Now that you are all here: what is your Name?"
Riga's face turned deathly pale.
"Shahin?"
He puffed out his chest, lifted his chin, smiled, and said:
"My name is Shahin: the Griffin! I chose the crimson-red star of Betelgeuse as my emblem!"
He swallowed to clear his voice and then, taking a proud stance, declared:
"From my fist, the end shall ascend, bringing fate to foes who won't defend."
Akimitsu stepped forward, equally proud.
"I am Akimitsu the Cowherd! The star that lights my path is Arcturus! My compassion draws the hungry wolf near, a force they seek, both fierce and clear!"
"Hum... I am Shiro the Magnificent. My star is Sirius, the brightest in the sky. The light of my heart brightens the night, chasing away darkness with radiant might."
Finally, all eyes turned to Riga, who seemed on the verge of fainting. They stared at him in silence, hoping he would speak up. Feeling scrutinized like a wild animal, he could no longer control himself, and irritation did him no favors.
"So, Riga?" Ogai asked him.
"What!" he shouted. "Must I say my Name? I won't say it because I don't want to!"
He waved his arms like a madman; the enraged expression on his face was nothing like the usual nonchalant demeanor he showed. The rain and wind whipped against his face, red with fury.
"You've known each other for two days and already think you're the best of friends: you make me laugh. A big lummox who probably can't even count, a man gloomier than the grayest winter day, and an impulsive, childish brat as a brother... Ah, what a fine team to save the world! But who are you that I should reveal myself? Who are you?"
With that, he stormed off, not without shoving Shahin aside and glaring at him. They watched him vanish into the pouring rain, their mouths agape in bewilderment.
Later, back at the Coral:
"He's not here," Akimitsu said gravely.
"Good heavens!" Shahin exclaimed. "What got into him? Has he always been like that?" he asked his father.
"I've never seen him in that state," Ogai lamented. "Riga is a boy who shows very little emotion. Normally, he stays calm in any situation. Ever since we came to Arcadia, he's been more on edge. I don't understand how he could change so quickly and so drastically. The reproach he made came with a look filled with hate. In the end, I wonder if I did the right thing by coming to Arcadia. I don't want to lose my son..."
Ogai collapsed onto a chair, sadder than ever. Shahin felt sorry for him and felt only contempt for Riga. He was happy to have found a semblance of family, to finally be loved by the father he had unconsciously yearned for. On the other hand, he felt nothing, absolutely nothing good for his brother, so he could leave and never come back for all he cared.
They searched but found no trace of him. He had not returned to take his personal belongings.
Clearly, a decision had to be made: act with or without him.
"Alright. Let's rest for a bit," Ogai declared. "I'll share my plans with you later this evening."