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On the roof of Riovanes Castle, Barinten had escaped Vormav's demonic
wrath by expending all of his soldiers lives, but he now faced a
different wrathful will...Rafa had cornered him and she carried with
her a sword.
"Fool! This is what I get? Revenge for kindness!? Why
do you think you're even still alive today! Because of me! I
took you out of the garbage! Or did you forget that already?"
"Revenge for kindness? You burned the village! You are
the one who killed my parents! And you say it's revenge for
kindness? No...it's justice!"
"Justice? Now can you kill me? I'm your father. I
raised you! I'd like to see you try and kill me!"
Rafa paused, her arm trembling as she remained motionless. And Barinten laughed,
"Hya, ha! You can't... And do you know why? Because
your body recalls the terror... Don't worry...that terror will
gradually subside. Hya, ha, ha."
Malak
appeared out of the shadows of one of the many chimney's on the roof of
Riovanes Castle, confronting his self proclaimed father.
"Is that true?!! Is what you said true?"
"You're turning on me, too? You're both ingrates!"
Rafa raised her sword to finish Barinten,
"I'll kill you!!"
As
Rafa dashed towards Barinten he pulled a gun out of his belt. Malak saw
this at the last second and threw himself in between his sister and
Barinten.
"Malak!! Malak are you alright?!"
Just
then Ramza and Agrias arrived on the roof. They had been searching for
Alma and came upon the ladder to the roof only to find Malak shot and
Rafa cradling his body. Barinten stood dispassionately, still holding
the gun.
"So, you're Ramza..... Don't move. Rafa, if you want
to help your brother, bring the Stone here. Malak should have it
in his pocket. Find it!"
Rafa dug into Malak's tunic and removed the Holy Stone.
"That's right! Bring it to me, hurry!"
Just
as Rafa was about to do as he said a strange woman appeared on the roof
behind Barinten. She was small and lithe, wearing a strange dress.
Despite her small size, she bodily lifted Barinten by the throat fully
off the ground. The girl then threw Barinten off the roof of his
considerable castle. The Grand Duke was no more.
A man with long
silver hair wearing a red cape with purple clothes appeared on the roof
behind the strange woman, along with another strange woman who looked
similar to the other. He requested of Rafa,
"Can you hand me the Stone?"
"M...Marquis Elmdor. Why are you here....?"
Rafa quickly stowed the Stone in her pocket.
"No...give it to me..."
Ramza stepped forward, feeling the air twinge with perversion. Like it had when he had been around Queklain and Velius.
"Rafa watch out! They're not human!"
Marquis Elmdor seemed unconcerned by Ramza's remark,
"So you're Ramza, the heretic? I never really thanked
you for doing me this favor. I don't want to
have to get rough like Vormav did. Please understand. Now,
hand me the stone and I'll ask Vormav to return your sister."
"Where is Alma? Bring her back!"
"Didn't you hear me? Give me the Stone first."
"I can't do that."
"Very well. I didn't want to get rough but... Celia,
Lede, go ahead! That girl has the stone. Get it back!"
Elmdor
and his two female assassins, Celia and Lede, rushed towards Rafa to
retrieve the Stone. However, their charge was cut short by a blast from
Agrias' Holy Sword magic. Ramza used their temporary loss of impetus to
throw cover Rafa as she retreated toward the stair case that led
inside. Elmdor and his assassins tried attacking again only to be
repelled by Agrias' magic combined with Rafa's. Once Rafa was safe,
Ramza attacked his oppopents, driving them back with his sword,
fighting all three at once.
"I see why Queklain and Velius were beaten...... Celia,
Lede, retreat! Listen Ramza, If you want our stone, come to
Limberry Castle! We'll be waiting!"
The three then dissapeared. Rafa moved out from behind Agrias to cradle her brother's dead body.
"Brother, look...it's dawn. Remember how we used to chat
till dawn about things? I wanted to travel with you. We were
going to go to the Galthana's hometown after the war...
Remember? Brother.... say something...."
Rafa
started to cry, and the Holy Stone they had worked so hard to protect
started to glow from within her clothes. Ramza started to recognize the
pattern in the Stones,
"It's responding to... Rafa's spirit...? It
grieves Malak's death...Wiegraf's despair and
resentment summoned Velius... Then..."
"You, too grieve his death? Thank you..."
"No! Rafa it's...."
The Stone grew even brighter and out of the limitless skies fell a wisp of red light that floated down and entered Malak's body.
"...What?"
Suddenly Malak came awake,
"Unnn...."
"Brother! Malak!"
"Rafa? Where am I? What happened?...."
Rafa embraced her brother,
"Brother...brother...I'm so glad...."
"That hurts Rafa...ha, ha, ha..."
And so brother and sister were reunited even after death.
Upon
further search of the castle, all Ramza could find was the 'Pisces'
Holy Stone in the room in which Alma had been abducted. Meanwhile,
Malak was explaining to Ramza, Agrias, and Rafa how he came to be alive
again.
"Somebody called me...
I don't know. I've never
heard that voice...
The voice said, 'Return to
the ones who love you'."
On
the fronts at Bethla Garrison, the Hokuten were becoming restless of
what had become a standstill. To try to expediate the war, they
mobilized the foremost units of Knights and ordered them forward....
Back at Riovanes, Malak was inspecting the damage done to the castle, and it's inhabitants,
"The corpses were crushed by something real powerful."
Rafa was concerned for Alma,
"Was your sister one of them?"
Ramza slowly responded,
"No she wasn't."
"She was in this castle. Probably gone now... Only three
Shrine Knights were here...No one else."
"I killed the one who turned into a demon. The other one,
Izlude, was dead also... That means that the third one took my
sister away...?"
"Maybe they went back to the main church at Murond.
They're following the High Priest's orders, right? Then the
Knight who took your sister must've gone to Murond."
"You think so? I doubt the High Priest knows the stone's
secret. Wiegraf didn't know the secret until he contracted
Velius... And I think that Izlude died fighting the other demon."
"What do you mean?"
"Secretly controlling the war, to strengthen the
Church's power... I'm sure that's the High Priest's true
ambition. But collecting the stones and using the Brave Legend
to use the people...? That doesn't fit."
"You mean even the High Priest's being used?"
Rafa was more concerned about Alma than politics,
"Who took your sister away?"
"I believe it was Vormav."
Ramza agreed,
"He's probably behind it."
"What're you going to do?"
"I'm going to see Delita in Zeltennia."
"The one who replaced Baron Grimms as the leader
of the Black Sheep Knights?"
"Yes. Delita's being controlled by the Church's Shrine
Knights. But does he know the truth about Vormav?"
To
find out the truth, Ramza and Agrias decided to travel to Zeltennia.
Rafa and Malak felt duty bound to accompany them, and so the four of
them travelled together.
At Ramza's destination, Zeltennia
Castle, Orlandu had just returned from the fronts of battle at Bethla
Garrison. Olan greeted him as he came home,
"How was the front?"
"It's awful. You have to keep an
eye on your own men...My reputation is shot...Ha, ha, ha."
"Hah... Your reputation? What about Goltana's? Everyone
says it's because of you that the other generals are still
here."
"Pledging life-long loyalty. That's the Orlandu way...
Watch what you say."
"I'm sorry... I'll be careful from now on."
"Alright...what about the other matter?"
"The crystal-like stone was found in Goug by the
late Cardinal. The Shrine Knight's have been active,
but we don't know their plans yet."
"What about the spy we sent into Murond?"
"Unfortunately we have nothing... We'd like some proof
of the High Priest's plot and a move in to peace..."
Orlandu produced the Holy Stone 'Libra' from within the folds of his cloak.
"They'll find out sooner or later. Then there will be
real war."
On
the way to Zeltennia, the four travelers stopped in Bervenia Free City.
While Ramza was exploring the city, he came upon a young woman wearing
a green hooded cloak over a Shrine Knight's armor....
"I'm Meliadoul! I came to avenge my brother!!"
"Avenge your brother? What are you talking about?"
"You're denying it!? Izlude, whom you killed at
Riovanes, was my brother!! I'm going to kill you, not for the
High Priest, but for my brother!!"
"Wait! Izlude, I didn't kill him! Do you know What
happened at Riovanes? That wasn't the doing of any human!
Izlude was killed by a demon!"
"A demon!? A demon appeared and killed my brother!?
Ha, ha! That's pretty wild! Can't you come up with a better
lie than that?"
"You're the same as Izlude! You don't know the truth!
You don't realize you're just puppets, dancing for
the bad guys!! The Stones aren't just objects of faith, but
have power to work miracles! That power is different for
each side, but they're using it for evil! Wake up, Meliadoul!!
Vormav's deceiving you!"
"You expect me to believe that? Ridiculous!! Vormav
is our father!!"
Ramza was stunned at Vormav Tingel's brutality. He had slain his own son in his search for power.
"My brother really wanted to save this rotten
kingdom! Our plans may be violent... but 'reform' requires
'pain'! If there's no 'pain', there's no true 'reform'!! A
baby like you who can't even deal with your own fate can never
change the world!"
"I beg you! Please trust me! I didn't kill your brother!
I'm not the one you want to fight! Demons exist! Your father
is no longer human! He's a devil!!"
"Cut it out, Ramza!"
Ramza
and Meliadoul locked in combat their swords flashing about under the
afternoon sun. Ramza knew that her berzerk rage would soon overpower
him, so he disarmed her with a quick sword gesture his father had
taught him. Weaponless and cornered Meliadoul threatened,
"Listen! The next time we meet is the day you die! Remember
that!"
And with that she fled into the back alley's of Bervenia, disappearing.
Ramza
was greatly disturbed by this encounter, but he had to press onward to
get to Zeltennia. Finally Ramza and his three companions reached a
church on the outskirts of town. Ramza instructed them to wait in cover
nearby while he went inside. Surely enough Delita was waiting for him,
just as the informant they had encountered along the road had said he
would be. Ramza knelt beside him in front of the altar in the otherwise
empty church. Delita spoke,
"A 'heretic', coming to Church...pretty bold..."
"I have no time...So, I'll ask you straight out. Why did
the High Priest send you to Goltana?"
"You came to Zeltennia to ask me that? ...Fine, I'll
tell you. My duty is to assassinate Goltana and Orlandu..."
"What...!?"
"During the battle of Bethla Garrison Larg and
Goltana will both be killed by someone. Of course the leaders
will also be killed... Nantens' Orlandu, Hokutens' Zalbag and
Dycedarg... Losing their leaders, both armies will stop
fighting and turn to peace..."
"Then, the Church will become the 'mediator'..."
"And the people will support the Church entirely. They
even threw in the Zodiac Brave Legend, once we get the Holy Stones."
"But the Stones are..."
"Right now, you're the church's biggest obstacle."
"Aren't you trying to get the stones also?"
"I'm not working for the Church!"
"What do you mean?"
"It means I'll kill you if I have to. Don't worry. Our
reasons may be different, but we want the same thing. As long
as we want the same thing...we won't be enemies."
"Come with me..."
"Sorry, I can't. She needs me. Ovelia.... It doesn't matter as long as
she is easily controlled. The High Priest's plan calls for a
puppet government."
"You're just using Ovelia for your own ambitions?"
"...I don't know. But..."
"But what?"
"I would give my life for her..."
"Delita..."
"Is that strange?"
"No, I believe you."
Their conversion was cut short when a familiar voice called from outside,
"Ramza! The Church is surrounded!! Come out
quietly!"
"That voice...It's the Heresy Examiner, Zalmo!"
Ramza
and Delita cautiously exited the Church. They were surrounded by a
number of Knights and Priests, and Zalmo was there. However, as the
battle ensued, Delita struck down many with his own brand of the Holy
Sword magic in which Agrias was trained. Ramza slew Zalmo, and the rest
of Zalmo's Knights were ambushed by Agrias, Rafa, and Malak and killed.
After the battle, Delita and Ramza prepare to part ways,
"What're you going to do, Ramza?"
"I had two reasons for coming to Zeltennia. One was to see
you. The other is to see Count Orlandu. I want his cooperation
to uncover the Church's plot."
"How?"
"I have very strong proof that will uncover the wrong-
doing."
"The Germonik Scriptures!"
"When I met Olan, the Count's son-in-law, He promised me
if I had proof, he would stop the High Priest's conspiracy."
"Olan, huh?"
At this point a young lady appeared from the shadows within the church.
"It's ok... She's one of us. Several people were sent
from Murond to help me. She's one of them."
The woman responded,
"Help...? More like to keep an eye on you."
"Hey, c'mon. She knows everything. She's the only one
we can trust in the Goltana Army."
"You're the youngest Beoulve, Ramza, right? My
name is Balmafula. Nice to meet you."
"And...why are you here?"
"The Hokuten are moving."
"Is Bethla Garrison the target?"
Balmafula nodded her assent.
"Count Orlandu left for Bethla a while ago.
Goltana's heading for Bethla with your Black Sheep
Knights."
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