Finally Breaks the Hanging Clouds

Endmin, Arcane, welcome back.

After receiving the call, several Tianshi immediately deployed sky poles. They conducted preliminary data gathering on that greatsword and the nearby environment.

The data is ... quite anomalous. The Depth readings fluctuate wildly. Peak readings even exceeded positive zero point four at one point.

Even in its ambient state? Then the sword is almost an Æther rift on its own...

The physical structure is inexplicable with existing theories, and the material is unknown. There are also large amounts of Æther energy residues...

Oh yeah! If it's a weapon, its wielder is probably somewhere...

And was the Very Large Rift disaster ... just an accidental incident...?

That's all our intel could say. We'll need time to get to the bottom of this.

It might be related to the "Foundation"... But this ancient enemy has disappeared. We know too little about them.

The mysteries keep piling up, but the Very Large Rift is expanding. Time is a luxury we do not have.

Time to complete our last preparations.

The appearance is most worrying. It is a "sword" — someone has made it.

So who created this thing? When and how did it appear in the Exclusion Zone?

Maybe Ardashir can tell us more. Didn't he say that we'd want to talk to him again after reaching the Very Large Rift?

Nefarith was also aiming for the Æther rift in Valley IV... I am definitely seeing some pattern here.

No matter the truth that awaits us ... our only way is forward.

Ah, Endmin? Hmm... I'm thinking how that sword might be linked to you.

Its response to the Protorig ... was it Æther neutralization by Originium, or a result of something unknown?

I will continue to look into the Foundation... If M3 or Miss Warfarin were here, they might have more answers for us...

But in your current state... No, you're right, Endmin. Given the crisis, one can ill afford to hesitate.

My job is to keep you safe. Regardless of what we're facing, I will uphold my duty.

Make yourself ready, Endmin.

Anything else I could help with? Oh! Endmin!

Huh? She was just nearby... It's what she does. Always running off when something's on her mind.

I also noticed that, after the two of you got out of the gorge, she became really different!

Hmm... How should I put it? It feels as though she's had a total makeover, like, uh...

Oh! Just like Perlica when she learned you were about to wake. Li's got the same shine in her eyes!

That's true... Anyways, Li's got this super competitive vibe going on right now.

She's got me even more curious. You were only away for a short while. What happened? And what did she mean by going "home"?

Sounds mysterious... Maybe it's best if I hear it straight from her.

It's like all her edginess and stubbornness are gone. I'm not very used to this, by the way.

Well, thanks a lot, Endmin!

Hmm...

Yes... It's been years. Once again I can see the entirety of the Zone.

Sorrow still lingers, but this time, it's different from what I felt ten years ago.

Yes, just like a dream.

They can truly feel it, standing atop a home once lost ... and having the chance to make up for their grief.

Endmin ... this is the final step of our "homecoming".

Guide us so that we may fulfill this decade-long dream of ours.

......

Endmin? Hmm... I actually wanted some quiet time alone.

Of course not. I was just thinking about...

...about the Rift. The Blightshades, the greatsword, and things I've lost over the past ten years.

I actually did. I tried to tie everything together and realized that...

Yeah... She will...

When I saw that sword, a possibility instantly sprang to mind.

But to me, that sword offered a new possibility — All the things I've lost, all my grievances and anger ... now have a target.

Yes.

...I was obsessed with what I lost, but I never thought about what I received.

Like a little <entry=narrativeNote_15>fowl trying to fill a river by dropping pebbles into it, I saw many things on the journey ... yet remembered none of them.

Truth be told, this realization felt a little sad when it hit me.

We regard the Blight and Æther as "disasters" and "physical phenomena", like people during the Age of Terra who never really hated the Originium Catastrophes...

That was my original answer to your question.

Who'd have thought... Even upon realizing the possibility, I did not rage as I expected.

The culprit's utter destruction won't change my mood, but it'd mean I no longer need to sacrifice other important things.

I shall follow your command. And since "having faith in you" is your order...

So long as you and Endfield are around ... I'll no longer need to sacrifice anything, right?

I'm yours to command, Endmin.

We shall finally end this.

It may have something to do with the incident ten years ago...

Lemme see. Maybe there's something I can help with.

This, too, was once our home...

This concludes our final prep.

A weapon that uses Æther... It is consistent with the abilities demonstrated by Ardashir and Nefarith.

This could be our worst-case scenario... Tianshi Zhuang must be notified at once.

We found a massive greatsword shrouded in Æther energy. It's in the ruins below.

Our hardware was limited. I tried to log some data with a personal Arts Unit... They've been synced with you.

To be frank, I've never seen any records on its material ... let alone a weapon that commands the Æther.

The "Exiles"...