Upon reuniting with their former crewmate Ayuka—now going by Yuka—Temoshí and the others were brought up to speed on a troubling development involving a newly discovered ability tied to soul-based powers.
"What exactly is Soul Severance, Yuka? I've never heard of it before," Temoshí asked, his tone cautious yet curious.
Yuka stood confidently, occasionally gesturing as she spoke. "Details are limited, but what I do know is this—Soul Severance is a highly dangerous technique. It's said to cause severe, possibly irreversible damage to the human body, particularly to those with strong spiritual energy or a deep Soul Link. It wasn't designed to harm just anyone—it was meant to target people like you."
Razor leaned in suddenly, eyes wide and wild, a manic grin stretching across her face. "Ooooh! So we're talkin' about soul-snippin' now, huh?! Like slice, snip, snap, and poof—no more soul meat! That's gotta be one hell of a way to go! I bet it feels like your insides get turned into spaghetti!" She twirled her finger in the air like a fork in pasta and cackled. "Honestly? Kinda wanna see it happen—just to me, ehehehe!"
Temoshí blinked, visibly unsettled. "Thanks for the mental image, Razor…"
Yuka exhaled sharply, ignoring the chaos as best she could. "As I was saying," she continued, regaining her composure, "Soul Severance doesn't just sever—it unravels the connection between a person's spirit and their body. For someone like Chiaki, who possesses a Resonating soul, the effects could be devastating. It could strip her of her power permanently… or worse."
Chiaki lowered her gaze, the weight of Yuka's words sinking in. "So someone here… someone in Lyvoria Crest... is capable of using that?"
Yuka nodded slowly. "That's what the Holy Arches suspect. It's why I was sent here—to find the source before it's too late."
Temoshí crossed his arms, eyes narrowing in thought. "If the Holy Arches are the ones raising the alarm... then this isn't just some baseless rumor," he said firmly. "They've always been the most knowledgeable when it comes to soul-related abilities. If they're convinced Soul Severance is real—and that it's being used here—then we have every reason to believe it."
He glanced toward Chiaki, then back at Yuka. "They wouldn't have sent someone like you unless it was serious. So whoever's behind this... they're not just experimenting. They're aiming to erase people like us completely."
"Remember how I mentioned that Soul Severance can completely wreck a Link's body?" Yuka continued, her expression darkening. "Well, here's the thing—it doesn't only affect Links. It works on regular people too. The difference is how it reacts."
She took a breath, then explained further. "With ordinary people, it weakens them. Makes them collapse, damages their mind and nervous system, maybe leaves them unconscious or unstable. But when it's used on a Link... it's like the technique goes into overdrive. It doesn't just hurt them—it targets the very thread that ties their soul to their body. The stronger your soul, the more violently it tries to rip it apart."
Her voice lowered slightly. "And for people like Chiaki... or you, Temoshí... that kind of damage might not be something you can come back from."
Chiaki stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat. A subtle tremble passed through her hands as she clenched them tightly at her sides. The color drained from her face, and small beads of sweat formed along her forehead, trailing down her temple. Her usual calm demeanor cracked beneath the weight of Yuka's words.
She tried to speak, but her voice caught, so she swallowed hard and blinked rapidly to steady herself. "So... if it's used on me…" she muttered, barely audible, "I'd be... erased?"
Temoshí took a half-step toward her, his expression turning serious. "Chiaki..."
She shook her head slowly, not looking at anyone. "This whole time, I thought those memories... those visions... were just echoes. But what if they weren't memories at all? What if they were warnings?" Her voice cracked slightly, and her gaze dropped to the floor. "And I didn't even realize it…"
Razor, surprisingly silent for once, tilted her head as she observed her. Even she could tell this wasn't a moment for jokes.
Yuka lowered her voice. "That's why I'm here. To stop this before it gets any worse. But we need to act fast. If someone here has already mastered Soul Severance… then Chiaki isn't the only one at risk."
Temoshí stepped closer, slowly, as if careful not to startle her. His voice was calm, softer than usual, but steady enough to hold weight.
"Chiaki," he said, just loud enough for her to hear. "I know this sounds terrifying. And honestly? It is. But you're not alone in this. Not now, not ever."
She didn't look at him, her gaze still lowered, eyes shadowed beneath trembling lashes. He continued anyway, gently.
"You've carried more than most people could ever imagine. And you still stand, even when it scares you. That says more about your strength than any power or title ever could."
Temoshí then lowered himself just enough to meet her eyes. "No one's going to let that happen to you. Not me. Not Yuka. Not Razor, even if she's a handful. You're not just some target to be erased—you're a person. My friend. And we'll fight to protect that. I'll fight."
There was a long pause, and for the first time, Chiaki's eyes flicked toward his—just for a second. Her lips parted as if to say something, but no words came. Still, the trembling eased just slightly.
Behind them, Razor gave an exaggerated sniffle. "D'aaaw... That was so sweet I think my brain's melting. If you two don't kiss by the end of this, I'm starting a riot!" She spun in a lazy circle, arms flailing dramatically.
Temoshí sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "And there's the mood-killer…"
But Chiaki gave the faintest smile through the nerves—small, but real.
"That's not the point!" Chiaki snapped, her voice louder than intended, catching even Razor off guard. Her shoulders were tense, her eyes wide with a mix of frustration and realization. "What if Soul Severance wasn't just created to wipe out random people? What if it's connected to the disappearance of the Links? To my family?"
Temoshí's brows furrowed, listening intently.
She took a shaky breath, voice lowering but no less intense. "We always thought the marines or the Deadly Rain were behind it all... But what if they were just the surface of something deeper? Something darker? My family didn't just vanish. They were erased. Not just killed. Erased like they were never part of this world."
Yuka's eyes narrowed, absorbing every word.
"And those memories I've been seeing—visions from a world I've never lived—they could be fragments. Leftovers of souls that were severed. What if this Soul Severance doesn't just kill? What if it unravels everything about you? Your connections, your existence... like pulling threads from a tapestry until there's nothing left but silence."
The silence that followed was heavy. No one dared interrupt. Even Razor, who normally would've cracked a joke, remained quiet—just watching.
Temoshí stepped closer once more. "Then we find the ones behind it. And we stop them. For your family... for the Links... and for you."
Chiaki's breath caught in her throat. The storm of thoughts behind her eyes swirled like a hurricane, but her voice—when it came—was quiet. Shaky.
"Then... what am I supposed to do?" she asked, her eyes searching Temoshí's face as if hoping he had an answer to all the things tearing through her. "If it's true... if this Soul Severance really is what destroyed my family... if I'm the only one left... what should I even do?"
She looked down at her hands, as if they were fragile things—unable to hold the weight she now felt. "I don't even know if I'm strong enough to keep going."
Temoshí stepped right in front of her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his presence. "Chiaki," he said, his tone low but unwavering, "you don't have to have all the answers. You just have to keep going—one step at a time."
He tilted his head slightly, trying to meet her gaze. "You're not alone in this. I'll be right here, no matter what. You ask what you're supposed to do?" He gave a faint smile. "You do what you've always done—you fight for what matters to you. And this time, we fight together."
Chiaki finally looked up at him. Her eyes still glistened, but the panic that had taken root in them began to ease, just enough to let something else in—hope.
She nodded slowly, just once, and let out a trembling breath. "Okay… okay. But if I fall apart along the way…"
"We'll catch you," Temoshí said without hesitation.
Razor, now dangling upside-down from a tree branch she had no business being in, pointed at the two of them with a giant grin. "You two better be planning a wedding after this. I'm already writing the vows! Wa-hahaha!"
Chiaki rolled her eyes, but the tiniest smile pulled at the edge of her lips.
Fioren crossed her arms, her brows drawn low in thought. "Honestly… Chiaki might be onto something."
That caught everyone's attention.
She stepped forward, her tone more serious than usual. "We've always accepted the story that the Yasuda family was wiped out during the Deadly Rain incident. The media covered it, the marines confirmed it, and it just… became truth. But think about it—how convenient was that narrative?"
Temoshí narrowed his eyes. "You think it was a cover-up?"
Fioren nodded slowly. "What if it was more than that? What if the Deadly Rain wasn't just a massacre—it was Soul Severance in action? And if that's true, then everything we've been told was manipulated. What if the news, the marines, even the Blood Storm… were all feeding us the same lie?"
Chiaki's body tensed again, but this time it wasn't fear—it was realization.
"Everyone believed they were just… gone," Fioren continued, her voice quieter now. "But you're still here. That means the bloodline survived. And maybe they weren't just trying to kill your family—they were trying to erase every trace of them from the world."
A heavy silence followed.
Razor, still upside-down, muttered, "Oof. That's some dark conspiracy stew. Someone pass the seasoning."
Chiaki didn't smile this time. She just stared at the ground, her fists clenched.
"I was never supposed to survive," she whispered.
Temoshí placed a hand on her back, grounding her. "But you did."
Fioren's gaze hardened. "And now we make them regret it."
Yuka stepped forward, her expression shadowed beneath the weight of her thoughts. Her voice, calm yet heavy, carried an unmistakable edge of suspicion.
"I wouldn't rule the marines out," she said. "The more I learned during my time at the Holy Arches, the more things didn't sit right. The Deadly Rain… it wasn't just a tragedy. It happened too fast, too precisely. That kind of destruction doesn't come from nature."
She looked to Chiaki. "Soul Severance. If that technique was already in development back then, the Deadly Rain could've been more than just a disaster—it might've been a test. A prototype."
Chiaki's breath hitched. "You mean... the Deadly Rain was caused by Soul Severance?"
Yuka nodded slowly. "It lines up. Soul Severance is meant to erase—not just kill, but wipe out everything that person ever was. Their memories, their soul's presence. That's why so little remains of your family's legacy, Chiaki. This wasn't just about wiping out life. It was about removing the evidence."
Temoshí clenched his jaw. "And the marines were behind it?"
"Not all of them," Yuka said carefully, "but someone with authority. During my mission, I came across fragments—operations that were sealed away, unnamed, and tied to soul-based research. If any faction in the marines had access to that, they could've easily buried the truth."
Fioren folded her arms, thinking hard. "Then… maybe we were lied to. About what happened to Chiaki's family. Maybe the Deadly Rain was no accident."
Chiaki's fists trembled at her sides. Her face, once pale with fear, now brimmed with quiet anger. "So… it wasn't just the marines attacking Links. It was extermination. I was never meant to survive."
Temoshí placed a hand on her shoulder, steady and sure. "But you did survive. And now, they'll have to deal with that."
Razor, who'd been draping herself over a wall like a lazy squid, shot upright. "Let's track down the soul-hackers and slap their faces clean off their memories! Boom! No soul, no problem, wa-hahaha!"
Yuka cracked the faintest grin. "Still as wild as ever, Razor… but we'll need more than wildness. If Soul Severance resurfaces again, and they're targeting Chiaki… we need to stop them before it spreads."
Chiaki looked to each of them, her voice shaky but growing firm. "Then tell me what to do. I won't let them erase anyone else."
Razor stretched her arms dramatically behind her head, balancing on one foot like she was about to fall over—on purpose. "Y'know... maybe that grumpy old slick-hair, what's-his-name... Desmond! Yeah, that fancy boots guy!" She wobbled in a circle, then flopped face-first into the grass with a splat.
Temoshí sighed. "What about him, Razor?"
She popped her head up, her face smushed with dirt but still grinning. "Maybe he's the one who made the Snip-Snap Soul Cutter thingy! I mean—he did act all spy-like and two-faced when we fought him. Slippery as a wet eel in a soap factory."
Fioren rolled her eyes. "Are you guessing or do you actually have a point?"
Razor sat up and waved her arms wildly. "Hey hey hey! Just 'cause I sound like a crayon with legs doesn't mean I don't got a BRAIN! I remember stuff! Desmond was always hanging around places he shouldn't be, always asking weird questions about 'energy flow' and 'resonance reactions'—I thought he was trying to flirt with the walls or somethin'!"
Yuka's eyes narrowed slightly. "Wait… you're saying he was gathering intel on Soul Link activity? Around the time the technique would've been getting tested?"
"Uh-huh!" Razor nodded so fast her helmet flung off and bonked the ground. "I just thought he was bored! Or constipated! Or both! But now… maybe he was investigating."
Temoshí's expression shifted. "If Desmond was involved in researching Soul Severance…"
Yuka crossed her arms, clearly thinking harder now. "Then he might not have just been a pawn. He could've been the bridge between the marines and whoever created the technique."
Chiaki, still shaken, now focused sharply. "Desmond... that bastard might've known exactly what he was doing."
Razor grinned again, rubbing her nose smugly. "See? Told ya I was useful. Even when I'm stupid, I'm smart, baby. Wa-hahahaha!"
Yuka's eyes darkened, her voice lowering as the puzzle began fitting together in her head. "Now that you mention it… Desmond wasn't just a high-ranking marine. Back during my time in the Holy Arches, I overheard a few of the elders mentioning him."
Temoshí turned to her. "Wait. You're saying he had ties to the Arches?"
Yuka nodded slowly. "Not officially, but it wasn't just gossip. They spoke of him like he was a consultant or… an informant. He'd come and go without a trace, no rank, no reports. Just quiet meetings and locked doors. It always seemed off. I thought maybe they were just being cautious, but now..."
Chiaki looked up, still pale. "So he was working both sides?"
"More than that," Yuka said grimly. "He might've been feeding intel about Soul Link research directly from the Holy Arches to the marines—or someone higher. Think about it: if Soul Severance was developed recently, it had to be based on something ancient. Where else would they learn about Soul Resonance than from the Arches themselves?"
Razor popped up from her upside-down pose, eyes wide. "Ohhh, so he's the double-dealin' douchebag deluxe?! I knew his face looked like it had secrets stapled to it! What a slimy little knowledge goblin!"
Yuka didn't even blink at Razor's phrasing. "If he really is involved... then he's not just dangerous. He might be the key to understanding why Soul Severance even exists in the first place."
Temoshí clenched his fist. "If he betrayed both sides to create something like this..."
To be continued...