Tales of Undeath: The Von Virtus Chronicles

Claiming some of the vehicle's turrets for herself, Rotavitea was gearing up for the walk that awaited them, deep into the nearby woods. Virno, on the other hand, had taken it upon himself to collect several small pieces of scrap -- some small enough to fit inside his pockets. Strangely, he opted to carry no weapon...

Rota: Aren't you going to take anything...?

Although he heard her question, he did not reply. Despite his eyes being blindfolded, his head scanned the battlefield around him, attempting to locate something. At last, he finds it.

Rota: It's still gripping it...

Rotavitea accompanies him, noticing what Virno seeked. He crouches down next to his severed arm, still clutching onto the necklace Sadducee had once given him. Though no longer a part of his body, the hand mysteriously held onto the necklace with extraordinary strength -- a much more powerful grip than Virno could ever muster, were it still attached to him. Mercilessly, he pries it open, breaking several of its fingers in the process. Once released, the necklace dissolves, re-materializing around his neck once more.

Virno: Filthy artifacts...

Grabbing the necklace with his left hand, alien runes etch themselves onto its skin. This time, however, no damage to his body was incurred. Instead, their destructive power was channeled into the necklace itself. As more and more energy flowed through it, it began vibrating and glowing violently... Yet not for long. It could not withstand the force that came over it, and as a result broke into countless small shards. As they drop to the floor, they resembled any ordinary metal, now devoid of any magic.

Rota: Why did you break it?! That was your sword!

With metallic dust still falling through his fingertips, Virno dusts off hands, as he begins heading towards the woods.

Virno: My sword lies in wait... And it has been waiting for much too long.

Ever more suspicious of Virno's attitude, Rotavitea keeps to the task entrusted to her by Ballo, following Virno yet ever cautiously. As hours pass by, it wouldn't be long until the sun began to rise... An exhausting reminder of how long it had been since she had a good night's rest. While her body was showing clear signs of weariness, Virno's strided confidently through the silent woods.

Rota: Hey! Can we stop to rest? I'm dragging my feet over here...

He did not reply.

Rota: HEY!

Upon hearing her shout, Virno stops.

Rota: Can you act like a normal person?!

He turns around, walking in her direction.

Rota: Keep your distance. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!

Aiming her weapons at him to defend herself, Rota readied to fire at any moment. With each interaction, she trusted the figure before her less and less.

Virno: Your courage is admirable... Yet it can easily be mistaken for insolence.

Biting down on her lip, she fought the urge to pull the trigger. At arm's length, Virno stopped right in front of her guns' barrels, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Virno: Do not fool yourself... I am not the one in need of protection. You are.

Invoking his powers once more, his sigils channel energy into Rota's body, causing her arms and legs to give in as she drops to the floor, letting go of her weapons. An unstoppable force came over her, crushing her spirit and rendering her body useless.

Virno: So show me the respect I am due.

Though Virno uttered those words, they also echoed from within her own mind, as if his voice was rooted inside her own body.

Virno: If you wish to rest, I will grant you the most peaceful of slumbers...

As her body became overloaded with the magical influence emanating from Virno, Rotavitea passes out. To prevent her from collapsing into the cold hard floor, Virno catches her dormant body before it falls, lifting it over his shoulder to carry her. After grabbing her weapons, he resumed his trek.

Virno: I forget how annoying some of you can be. Ah, but how are you liking your time in the cradle, Virno...? How does it feel to be its prisoner? Quite different from being a mere visitor, isn't it...?

Now a prisoner in the cradle of the world, Virno's spirit was knelt down in front of the obelisk Greed has once shown him, the one which encoded the very rules of the world. He found himself fettered, forced to see through the eyes of his body, yet powerless to command it in any way. Besides Greed's voice, the obelisk's dogmas also spoke to him, imparting the knowledge of the mysterious power he had commanded for the first time earlier.

Greed (possessing Virno): Though my identity has been twisted throughout the years, though I have been made a prisoner inside that damned cradle... My essence remained. Inhibited. Limited. Locked away. You asked me what I stand to gain once the sword of Greed is freed...

Some of the green-colored orbs that permeated the obelisk began glowing in patterns that showed Virno what once had been... Who the wielder of such powers once was.

Greed: You ought to know that the title of Greed was one I earned... Not one I was born with. My true identity is Zephyr...

Zephyr (Greed): Fallen God of Wind.

Images of a human warrior wielding a dark-green sword and imprisoning a weakened god flood Virno's mind...

Zephyr: The sword of Greed... A sword that can cut through anything, and that can be destroyed by nothing. It took more than a foul witch and a filthy smith to create such a weapon...

As the god's energy was absorbed by the sword, green sigils were etched into it, similar to the ones Virno had seen in his skin.

Zephyr: It took a god... It took Me. That sword is the lock that keeps me chained...

Countless bodies piled up. Countless victims of the curse. Virno sees his father's younger self, venturing into the ruins, passing several cadavers who had come before him... Only to turn back and run, fearing for his life. From that point onwards, he was forever scarred by the voices of the countless greedy spirits who wished to claim the sword for themselves.

Zephyr: For centuries now I've looked for keys... For unyielding souls, capable of resisting my advances. Capable of squaring up to me in defiance, of spitting in the face of divine adversity. Capable of sacrificing body and soul to achieve victory. Their will, I make my own. Their burning ambition catalyzes my freedom...

A final set of visages are shown, this time of the sword's previous wielders. Famous heroes that amassed countless riches and fame, but who perished at a young age... With each of their deaths, the sword's power grew stronger and stronger, engorged by the souls of the mighty warriors that once wielded it.

Zephyr: Your human bodies cannot withstand divine power for long. Your lives are, unfortunately, cut short... But although you perish at an early age, your sacrifice is not in vain.

Virno returns to the cradle once more, the obelisk now laying dormant. The only thing he sees or hears is what Zephyr can show him through his body.

Zephyr: No vessel can hold infinity. It may take several millenia... Perhaps millions of years, even. No matter. One day, the sword vessel will crack. And when it does...

Virno sees Zephyr clenching his fists.

Zephyr: My wrath will be unleashed upon this world. Just as I layed the bricks of its creation... I too shall be the one to swing the hammer that will demolish it.

Through his eyes, in the distance, there seems to be a clearing in the middle of the woods. In wait, lies a lake.

Zephyr: But rest assured, Virno von Virtus... You will not single-handedly bring about the destruction of your world. You will merely be another stepping stone, another wielder in a line of wielders. So, enjoy your new-found powers. Live a short, yet explosive life -- full of glory, fame and riches. I don't demand much in return...

Zephyr grins, as he approaches the lake's edge.

Zephyr: ... All I need is your soul.