#Qun’mi Tru’e

[xxyumeno]

The soul remembers what the mind forgets... Orience’s history has been repeated 600,104,971 times. Each time the SPIRAL was repeated in a near INFINITE loop. The SOUL (re)born into cycle over and over again what seemed to be no end. QATOR is no exception to this as are many key players in Orience’s history... at least those who could be remembered. 

QATOR’s soul despite the number of times it has been reborn and the number of times HIS MEMORY has been erased in these RESETS. Does remember SMALL BRIEF MEMORIES from previous cycles where things were a tad bit different. He remember cycles where his dear YOUNGER SISTER didn’t die from her illness. The SPIRALS where he had become L’CIE of the WHITE TIGER CRYSTAL after QUN’MI TRU’E. when he INHERITED her FOCUS.

These small and specific memories have been ENGRAVED INTO HIS SOUL. Even if he wished to FORGET these memories he wouldn’t be able to. Qator can RECALL the feeling and of being an L’CIE. He understands the IMMESNE PRESSURE of seeing through and carrying focus and the inevitable end it will bring once it has been ACHIEVED. He PITIES the l’cie of each nation due to this and wouldn’t wish it upon anyone else.

Even though ARECIA was aware that Qator could remember these SMALL SPECIFIC THINGS she did not care to fix it when she had a spiral REPEAT. The Milites Brigadier General being able TO REMEMBER these things didn’t affect the larger picture in the long run and left him be. Whether this is a blessing or curse is undecided. DESPITE REMEMBERING his death repeated in similar to slightly different fashion each time.

IF ONLY he could remember how his LOYALTY to IMPERIAL MARSHAL CID AULSTYNE served him more harm than good. Maybe, just maybe his own death could have been avoided during the war or how a bomb was fixed to his MAGITEK things could have been different for him.

[reginrokkr]

✩ Commander Kurasame?

What should have been an encouraging victory would soon prove to be nothing but a bittersweet aftermath the next day. Rubrum’s victory was nothing short of a miracle after the intervention of a second l’Cie while they only counted with one —not any less weaker, regardless— at the cost of the crystallization of Lord Zhuyu Voghfau Byot, the last Class Zero member before Ace. On Milites’ end, Nimbus and Qun’mi Tru’e crystallized too byproduct of the previous day confrontation, alas not without the rise of a new one: Qator Bashtar.

No matter the case, the Vermilion Bird is in a good position even with the Concordian-Militesi alliance after last day’s victory and the dominion would have a much needed time to recover. After months of strife, they would finally have a momentary break— all of them.

Kurasame was intent to check on the cadet under his charge in his chamber after being reported that his recovery would be under the strictest privacy at Doctor Arecia’s behest. He was well cognizant that he had much to rest yet until his wounds dissipate or at least, he can move freely without feeling nearly as much pain as he did before, so he expected him to see him slumbering still. Nevertheless, he did not expect to see Rubrum’s Chancellor and the Archsorceress.

Confusion washed over him upon seeing Khalia giving him a shoulder squeeze in his way out of the blond’s room while Arecia remained there, sitting by Ace’s side. ❝What is happening here?❞ He demands, voice stiffer and harsher than he intended, yet something looked amiss just by judging the Chancellor’s grievous features before he abandoned this room. The woman stops the conjure she was using on Ace before looking at him. ❝I expected Ace’s phantoma to be weak after the overexertion of the past day in the battlefield for using that magic field, but I did not expect it to be gone.❞

❝What do you mean ‘gone’?❞ Despite his assertive attitude, Kurasame’s heart remained frozen stiff upon hearing the Doctor’s news. He remembers from the first night Ace had performed a connection between their phantomas that he said that in truth, they are souls and he was witness of how important of a role it played in everything he did. However… he didn’t expect this. ❝Even I cannot tell the specifics, as I don’t know exactly the reason why this happened. But it’s possible that his phantoma was under an overbearing strain. While this might not be 100% feasible, it might be a protective mechanism as a last resort before its complete collapse.❞

Ace’s soul… could’ve collapsed? Although the Ice Reaper wasn’t entirely sure of what that meant, he had a bad presentiment about this. If he isn’t mistaken, souls are on pair of importance to the heart. If it’s true that the cadet’s soul was in danger of collapse, that would mean— ❝Is he… going to wake up?❞ He finally asks what he fears the most, much more mellow than before as he approaches the bed and Arecia stands up, readjusting her glasses atop the bridge of her nose. ❝Possibly. Look.❞ With a subtle movement of her chin, she points towards the slumbering blond for him to look. ❝Even though it’s slow, he is using regenerative magic to heal his wounds. This means that even if his phantoma is mostly gone, there’s still part of it there in order to heal himself. As long as his phantoma is active, there’s still hope.❞ Taking for granted that the conversation is over, Arecia walks towards the door of his room. ❝Try to not heal him yourself. There isn’t any guarantee that he’ll wake up sooner that way.❞

At the sound of the closing door, Kurasame sits by the side of his bed and reaches out to touch his face gently, emerald eyes narrowing in sorrow. All this time knowing about his depression and being witness of his pain that night and he didn’t do anything. The Ice Reaper chastized himself internally for not having acted sooner with the belief that if he did, nothing of this would’ve happened in the first place. Now, he can’t do anything but pray the Crystal that his soul will return and that he’ll wake up. If he did— he wouldn’t allow a single day more to pass without talking to him.

Slumber has powerful connotations, more than anyone on the face of the earth could ever imagine. Within anyone’s sleep, even piercing the laws of this world and the divine creation with it is possible, something Ace never thought that would happen to him— for neither does he remember his celestial origins. But his soul does, and as a result, it traverses time to where the latest dreams he received originate from as a last resort to not collapse and heal while making understand the human he was forced into that he is indeed different. Alas, not to weaponize him as the Archsorceress Arecia Al-Rashia has done.

When all Ace expected to feel is pain byproduct of the heavy confrontation between Rubrum and Milites, he was surprised to find out upon his awakening that he doesn’t feel any pain. That was the first red flag he found, and the necessity to look at himself in the mirror and even check the calendar— weren’t for the fact that he woke up somewhere where he should not and he was apprehended by a tall white-haired man to assault him with questions. The first one and more telling of all of them being why is he wearing that crimson mantle.

The lack of information and confusion that drove the blond to not know what to say led him to a therapist alongside that man where it was deemed that he has selective amnesia. Right there, Ace couldn’t believe his eyes upon seeing the calendar: he was nine years behind where he should be. Albeit heavily strange, the morning was reminiscent of the first day he came to Akademeia within his commander’s company. Checking his intellectual level, his skill on the battlefield... Ace relived this once more, except it was to determine whether he should keep wearing the Class Zero cape: which he proved worth doing so much to the man’s surprise— Takatsugu, he heard him say.

With nothing he could do other than play the events as they befall right before his very eyes until finding an explanation to why this is happening, Takatsugu informed him that he would partake in classes with Class First as a means to get used to be around people— with a different training regime to suit him. As a parting gift, he gave him a coupon for him to use for his personal needs such as clothes or food if he can cook to name a few. The last thing that surprised him is the man’s news that he would be sharing room with someone else, just like everyone as Akademeia is undergoing a slow process of maintenance to ensure that the cadets who live in the campus would lead a life without any concerns about possible necessities.

While this did not particularly bother him— he was genuinely nervous, for it would be the first time that he’d live with someone else and not alone as he’s done the entirety of his life. So before heading to the dormitory and more specifically the room he was assigned, he decided to buy some clothes he would need. With a box aplenty of clothes for him to use when it isn’t required any longer for him to use the regular uniform, he knocks the wooden word once before opening the door which was already unlocked, indicating that whoever he would be spending a great part of his time with is already inside. ❝With permission. I was assigned to live in this room from now on. My name is—❞ Right when he was about to utter his name, cyan irises widen in shock at the sight of the guy he would live with. Indigo hair, emerald eyes... there was no mistake, he is—

...Commander Kurasame?

[reginrokkr]

✩ Commander Kurasame

Cheers could be heard from as far as his auditive range could reach upon hearing such inspiring speech from no more than a young cadet whose career even allowed him to command over entire squadrons of veteran military men. Kurasame was the Ice Reaper nearly a decade ago, the strongest cadet of the whole Orience and one of the Heavenly Kings, yet he could never dream of achieving half as much as Ace did. What saddened him the most, however, was that those same words that moved hundreds of people hide a much upsetting truth— one only for him to know.

Just a little longer, Ace. Soon your pain will be negated no more.

At long last the new confrontation waged with a surprise that was shock to many: White Tiger’s Primus l’Cie was not the only one involved in this strife, but their Secundus l’Cie Qun’mi Tru’e came once more to support the Crystal Jammers the western empire came equipped with. When he believed that things could not be any worse, a change of plans that could mark a difference between victory or loss happened: their own Primus l’Cie, Lord Zhuyu was tasked by the Vermilion Bird to take care of Qun’mi first. Said update in their modus operandi mean one thing: Ace had to make do against Nimbus should the l’Cie come for him to get rid of him first as they anticipated. Defenseless.

No matter how strong the Class Zero cadet may be, there was almost nothing he could on his own without depending on magic— just as the rest of them. The difference was that he did not need to rely on anything in order to sustain himself which would provide him of endless magic. Alas, he would no longer be able to do so if he focused on ensuring that everyone could fight, thus jeopardizing his own safety in turn at risk of being attacked. In view of this does Kurasame break into a run towards the last location he had heard Ace being in, all in hopes that he could reach him in time to protect him and praying that their Primus l’Cie.

10 minutes. Lord Zhuyu needed 10 minutes to ensure that he has taken their Secundus l’Cie down so the rest would not have any problems in taking down the rest of Crystal Jammers on their own.

Shocking and frightening for many as the change of plans byproduct of the new Focus Lord Zhuyu had, it was not so for Ace. Death didn’t scare him. All his life since he remembers, he has trained every single day with the sole purpose of protecting a country he grew to love even before he was given the chance to see for himself. Even if that love was muted now— or even lost forever, what he has been living for all this time if not for this? His life would’ve been nothing short of a lie and a nuisance if he cowered now.

No matter what would happen to him, he would rise again and protect Rubrum— no, he was going to rid this world of this unreasonable and perpetual cycle of war and death.

It was to be expected that the Primus l’Cie Nimbus would take this chance to reach him while Lord Zhuyu was occupied with Qun’mi Tru’e. Eight minutes left. He was unsure if he could fend off against a being as strong as this individual is, but he would buy them as much time as they could by remaining alive. So even if he were to die right here and now— hope would not die and they would have an opportunity against the Milites Empire.

Seven minutes left and Nimbus has finally arrived. In the blink of an eye, the l’Cie moved too fast for him to even register what had occurred for him to be apprehended by his neck. All he could do was think fast and use just a tad of magic to summon an invisible shield in time before feeling his heart freezing still and an immense pain assault the entirety of his body. With an inhumane strength does the Primus l’Cie throw him away like an immobile marionette, breaking a rock in the process and enveloping Ace in a veil of dust.

Six minutes left. Ace struggles to keep his breathing in loud wheezes as his body trembles uncontrollably, positive that he would have been dead if it weren’t for the shield he cast before. All dust dissipates and he can catch on Nimbus turning to leave after having waited long enough to see if he would rise again or if the magic field has disappeared. He coughs, feeling immediately the iron taste of his blood on his tongue before gathering every ounce of strength he has left to materialize the sword he had created upon his commander’s suggestion that he uses a weapon less reliant on magic that would also allow him to defend himself on a close ranged combat. Ignoring the agonizing pain, he forces himself into thrusting the sword on the ground in order to use it to help himself up. 

❝Don’t... go.❞ Despite the low volume of his voice, it was enough for the White Tiger Primus l’Cie to turn and make visual contact with the struggling blond. His body is heavy as a building and his quivering legs seem to budge at any moment, but Ace manages to stand on his feet and rise the blade, acquiring a battle stance Kurasame had taught him in the past. ❝If you think you are done with me... you are light years far from winning this war. Come, White Tiger l’Cie!❞