The sun dawned. Thin rays of dawn light were beginning to strike the grasses and rocks of Garanti plain, filtering through the trees to begin to rouse the adventuring party.

A slumbering beast stirred, filled with meaningless hatred at anything that should infringe upon the land it controlled.

And Jin prepared himself. It was time to make his move.

Rhod couldn't find good words to say. Maria was the one who lead the team, without doubt, but today, they were going into battle because he asked for it. He wasn't about to back out, but his heart was trembling.

"Are you quite alright, Master Rhod?" Kouki walked up.

"Hm? Just thinking about what's about to happen. I need to make sure nobody dies in this battle, because it'll be the toughest of my life." Rhod nibbled at his apple. Breakfast felt like a distraction today.

"Lady Nim ought to be able to see you to victory. Perhaps you have your differences, but she trusts you. And you in turn, trust her."

"Hey, don't leave yourself out." Rhod said, trying to give some cheer. But still, under the pressure he felt like the words were just lacking something... "I'd better just check the others are in fighting shape. If you could make sure nothing is wrong with Nim?"

"Naturally."

Rhod got up, and went over to Maria. She was praying silently. A few moments passed before he spoke. "Are you ready? No problems with taking this fight?"

"Yes. I'm prepared to face our foe." Said Maria. "And as your leader, I'd ask you the same thing. Have you steeled yourself? Because I know you have painful memories of this enemy."

"I will see it dead by the end of today. I know I can sometimes get a bit scared of a fight, but this time, we're the attackers." Said Rhod. He knew there were times he'd nearly fled an enemy- but this wouldn't be one of them.

"Good. I shall play my part to the best of my ability." Confirmed Maria.

Rhod nodded, and went over to Jin. "Are you ready for the fight?"

"Yes."

"I haven't known you for long, but I'm thankful you placed this trust in me. I'll be sure not to waste it."

"We ought not delay for too long. While it's early in the day, it may still be drowsy from waking." Explained Jin.

"Good point." Rhod looked around, and raised his voice. "Let's go, everyone. We should strike early."

The group formed at the top of the wooden road. Rhod fiddled with his knuckles, keeping his breath steady and silent. "There it is."

It was close. Sitting on the point it always did, a small ledge overlooking the plains.

Jin was actually surprised at the build of the monster. With such blatant strength, it might actually make a good training exercise for him, should he use a little of his true power. However, he wasn't here to win.

Eventually, Rhod hesitated for a second, and looked at Nim. "...You're okay with this, right? I mean, I know how much you love nature, and I like it too, for everything it gives us. It's just this part of it- well, this part needs to be removed."

"Aw! You do love nature really, I knew it!" Nim said cheerily, before getting a little more serious. "I'm okay with this. Things die all the time in nature- it's when people kill too many things, or damage the world those things live in that I don't like. Come on, let's go."

Rhod nodded, and stood up. He slipped his knuckles on. "On three, we charge. Maria, Jin... Thank you for standing with me. It means a lot."

Jin nodded and took his Nodachi off his back, preparing to sprint.

Maria firmly gripped her hammer. "My prayers are with you. May Amalthus deliver us all to victory."

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three."

There was a small thundering of feet against wood, as Maria took point in the charge. "O divine architect! O great Amalthus!" She shouted, as Territorial Rotbart turned to see the six beings running straight for it. "Deliver us unto victory!" She rushed forwards, as a blue link joined her to her blade.

Rhod was running in behind her on the left, and Jin on the right, as the gogol roared at the mere notion of someone daring to challenge it. It raised one giant hand, and slammed it down on Maria as she ran.

Rhod felt the rush of air from the impact, and almost halted until he saw Maria standing strong under the crushing force, her hammer against the fist. He dashed in, bringing his knuckle claws to bear on the enemy, and saw Jin walk forwards, sword drawn.

'The weak point is there, just above the waist!' Nim's advice seemed to implant into Rhod's mind.

He beat his weapons against Rotbart's side, hoping to bring down the enemy quickly, but it's hide was like rock. Taking a step back and collecting himself, he charged up his arts. "Concentrated Blow!" He leapt, and pounded down on Rotbart, and it shifted just a little weight off Maria, giving her a chance to move.

Maria carefully weighted her hammer, and then swung it to match Rotbart's furious assault, deflecting each fist as it came to crush her. But then Rotbart lunged to try and bite her in half, and she couldn't quite deflect, taking a bad hit on her barrier. Sanzang moved in quickly, snatching up the hammer from Maria's grasp and then, to Rhod's shock, leaping onto Rotbart before bashing away. "Hammer Beat!"

"Kouki, you're up!" Rhod swapped to rings like it was second nature, and was concentrating his healing onto Maria. She stood straight again, and caught the hammer back from Sanzang, one moment before Rotbart threw her blade off, far onto the floor.

Rhod moved in carefully, before tossing the two rings around. "Encircle edge!" They sliced at Rotbart, and Rhod could see it's hide just begin to tear a little, welts of blood forming. Green ether energies formed around, ambient on the floor. If Maria needed an emergency heal, then that would do.

"Nim, now!" He grabbed the knuckle claws and let loose, punching and kicking as fast as possible- yet the power of the Mirage Knuckles kept Rotbart's focus on Maria.

Jin was fighting too, without arts or blade powers, and he was making great strides nonetheless. Each swing of his sword left a mark, more than could be said for Rhod or Maria's efforts. For a moment, Nim could have sworn there was a red glow on his mask... "Have at you!" his sword sang as he curved it, the blows each distinct and stong, yet fast and flowing.

And then Rotbart drew a hand back, and slugged. Maria went flying back, gouging a mark in the floor where her legs had been spared breaking by her barrier. She hit the ground and sank to one knee, as Rotbart ran for her.

Rhod ran, and grabbed one of the health blobs he'd created with Encircle edge. Maria regained her senses just in time to be punched again, left on the floor with her barrier at the very edge of breaking.

"No! Kouki, quick!" Rhod switched blade and started a special, only able to pray he was fast enough.

"Dual Fang!" Two beams of ice hit Rotbart's feet, and Rhod felt a rush of ether energy surge through his barrier, and Maria's restore itself.

She climbed from the floor, and as Rotbart tried to punch her again, she slammed her weapon down. "Locked Gates!" It was as if Rotbart punched a wall, the defensive art holding as steady as steel. It seemed to back off, and then sat down abruptly, as a green could appeared. As comical as it looked, Rhod knew that was a poison, hanging back for a second as the wind took it away, his eyes burning a little at the acidic gas.

But Maria was badly hit again, and coughed as the poison burned her lungs. She nearly dropped her hammer again, and Rhod realised Kouki didn't quite have enough ether stored to cast a special again.

"Shuriken Pitch!" Rhod chucked a ring, and it stuck into Rotbart's back for a moment, before managing a transition into another art. "Recurrence cut!" The weapons twirled, and Rhod could feel the ether connecting him to his blade turning that warm golden colour. Again. "Recurrence cut!" And again. "Recurrence cut!" He couldn't hurt this monster enough! All those people who had died, who were gone because of this. Monster! No pain he could inflict would ever be enough! "Recurrence! Cuuut! Now, Kouki!"

"Haaiyah! Freezing ether take you!" Kouki leapt into action, and the two rings began to whip around as fast as a crashing icicle, as the attack reacted with the ether left over from his previous attack, shards of ice blossomed in the air all around the battlefield, a frigid wind blowing through that only served to temper Rhod's burning rage, refreshing him to attack more. But he'd drawn Rotbart's attention.

With a colossal roar, it clawed at him, his barrier nowhere near Maria's strength, knocking him back a few steps, and it followed up with a giant punch... By all rights, it should have sent Rhod down there and then, leaving him in need of a barrier revival from Maria. But no. This was for all Gormott. His rings went flying fom his hands, his barrier cracked like it was about to be blown to dust, and he was pushed back several paces, but he still stood, pulling the Knuckle Claws back on. If anything, Rhod was only angrier now.

He felt lightweight, the adrenaline boost combined with Nim's cheer giving him a clear head, and he shifted to a lightweight pose. With this quick riposte, he punched hard, fast, he fought like never before, raining blows with such speed and ferocity he wasn't even aware of Maria managing to taunt away Rotbart, spinning herself around. His arts were quick to follow, and without even thinking, he chained all four together. "Concentrated Blow! Clothesline Spin! Pain-Gain! Throughpuuut... STRAIGHT!" His attack was devastatingly hard. Rotbart, a monster the size of a windmill, staggered.

"Fall to hell!" Maria vaulted on her hammer, delivering her greatest dropkick of all time, the force knocking Rotbart down.

"Let me! Kit, Sunny, we mustn't lose!" Rhod felt that golden glow again, and he was in sync with Nim. Their hearts beat together, sending blood and ether around the two fighters. Rhod could tell it was time.

"Earth, swallow you!" Rhod threw the knuckles back. "Earth Priestess!"

"It's time for you to return to nature!" Nim jumped in from on high, slicing down to the floor and then rising in a burst of lasers, as the ground beneath their feet trembled, and then Rhod caught the knuckles once more, and he slugged at full force.

There was a crack, and then the ether from the attack progressed to Permafrost crash, as a giant spike of frozen ground shot up, jabbing at Rotbart's heart. It howled and moved off, with a bad wound on the chest, but it wasn't down yet.

Maria was on course to fix that. "It's time! Say your prayers!" She too was golden, and Rhod could only watch as she and her blade attacked in tandem, pushing forwards like a frieght train, slamming everything around her with blazing fire. There was another blast, as it ignited into a burnout, leving the grass around them charred. She was fighting like a valkyrie descended. "Amalthus judges your evils, and he sentences you to death!" Her attacks were unstoppable, and they were only getting faster.

Jin flickered for a moment, Rhod thought. Rotbart stumbled a bit, as Maria suddenly jumped in the air, and passed her hammer back like some celestial blessing. "Sanzang, for the sake of all that is good and holy..."

"Of course, Maria." Sanzang marched forwards, and hit the floor once, like a war drum. Fire flew from the earth, blazing with a divine gold sheen.

The two of Indol called out together. "Irresistable Rush!" Sanzang was charging, swinging with berserker strength and religious zeal. Maria seemed to decend from above to lift her hammer high, and slam it down, as the three fire spells melded together into one Mega Explosion, the heat from which made Rhod shut his eyes as it washed over him for a moment.

But Rotbart was still standing.

Jin appeared between Rhod and Maria. "Very well, then. Chain attack."

Time seemed to still, as Rhod was aware of the ether in he and Maria evaporating outwards, for just a moment. Rotbart seemed to freeze. The world outside stilled. Time was stilled, for just a few moments, and their blades were radiant with power.

Jin struck first. "Ultraslash!"

Rhod was aware something was damaged by that, even if he didn't know what. "Kouki." His blade ran in, and let loose with a Ripple Drive, the ice hitting hard. Again, that sensation of something getting damaged.

Time was starting to restart, but Maria was quick. "Sanzang, hurry!" Her blade attacked, keeping the hammer moving. There was a sound like a burst, and suddenly time stopped again.

"Skyward slash." Jin moved as a blur, his katana technique flawless.

"Nim!" Rhod watched her punch, and leap away, unhindered by the stilled time of the chain attack.

Sanzang attacked again.

And it was Jin's turn now, both orbs broken. "Heavenly disrupt!" Rhod watched as he almost effortlessly launched Rotbart, and then slammed it to the floor.

"Organic Automata!"

"Burn!" Sanzang finished, just as time restarted.

And Rotbart was still standing.

"No way... not after all that!" Rhod looked on in awe. "It can't be alive after that!"

"Rhod, watch out!" Maria ran forwards, as it punched. She took the blow, and there was a shattering sound as her barrier gave up. She fell to the floor, as Rotbart prepared to finish her.

"Maria! No!" Rhod had a mere millisecind of panic. Jin seemed to have disappeared. Maria was vulnerable. He only had one option. He charged. "Get! Back!"

"Rhod, no! You're in too deep!" Shouted Nim, but it was too late.

A giant hand came in from the side. Rhod saw it coming, but it was far too late to do anything about.

He realised it at that moment. But he didn't give up. He jabbed his right arm forwards, into the wound opened by Permafrost crash.

Rotbart's arm hit. Rhod was crushed against its chest, dragged through the stinking gogol fur as his barrier broke and he was crushed, but his weapon was forced across the chest too, opening the small wound to a gigantic, gaping one.

He hit the floor. Rotbart groaned in agony, and limped back, bleeding from the last-ditch attack Rhod had made. It limped further, and ran. Alive.

Rhod's sight was spotty. He was aware of pain... pain so bad... and this wet feeling on him was so familiar... his blood.

"Rhod! No! You can't die here! Please, Kit, Sunny, we can heal him, please!" Nim entered his view. The edges of his vision were already blanked, lost to him. Nim, the one who'd saved him at the start. Architect, you deserve so much better...

Kouki approached too. "Master Rhod..." Better than a poor driver like me...

Rhod kept his eyes open. He wanted to shut them. But he was looking at his blades. He knew it, but he asked anyway. "Am I... going to die?" It was coming. It hurt so much.

"..." Nim made a choked sound.

"Your ribs are crushed. I am sorry, there's nothing we can do." Kouki bowed. "It has been an honour. I bid you two farewell."

Nim crouched. Rhod could still move his left arm. He struggled, taking it to her face gently. It shuddered. "I am... so... sorry... Nim... Kouki..." He drew one last, shaking breath. "Liam..."

Nim crouched down to look him in the eyes, kneeling and bending over. "It's just... it's just nature... it's..." She sobbed. "It's not fair!"

Rhod couldn't say more. He didn't have the air. He just forced himself to smile, and stroked Nim's cheek. His hand went limp.

Nim looked down. Her body was starting to return to ether. Kouki too.

Kouki looked at her. Calm as ever, he walked over and lay down. "I love you, Nim. Even if I am about to forget, I... truly..." He was gone.

Nim was alone. She felt tired, all of a sudden. The last sparks of life were leaving Rhod. She just wanted to lay down... and sleep...

Maria saw them vanish. She was still alive, hurting all over. Rhod's sacrifice had saved her. Rotbart had fled far away.

She got up, barely able to stand. Rhod's body was a mess. He'd been crushed by the last attack. She didn't know what to do. She didn't have the strength to dig a grave here. So she put her hands together. "...May you recieve life eternal, Rhod. I will say words for your soul until you do. But until then..."

She picked up two core crystals. Dull. She held them tightly.

"Sanzang? We'd better get to Torigoth..." She started limping.

"...We have failed..." Sanzang took her shoulder, supporting her.

"It's true."

People started to gather as someone half-dead started to walk into the town, supported by her blade, and clutching two core crystals. In moments, a small crowd had formed. Safe. She'd made it to safety, at least.

And Maria recognised one of the people in the crowd. "Jin? Where did you go to? Rhod has..." She trailed off, as Jin walked out of the small crowd.

Another man followed him, with a black blade. A bulky black blade, with a very strange weapon. Maria could hardly think in her state. "Who is this?"

"The name's Malos." He walked forwards, and a blade weapon ignited. Maria suddenly stood upright.

"You're with Torna!" She tried to lift her hammer. "I won't surrender to you! Never!"

Sanzang took a fighting stance as well. "You won't be allowed to-"

Jin suddenly disappeared. Maria looked to the side. Sanzang stiffened, as the end of the nodachi appeared from his core crystal. Her hammer disintegrated, as her blade was reduced to nothing more than a destroyed core.

Jin had stabbed him in the back.

In his weakened state, he hadn't had enough ether to even stand a chance of having an energy field capable of protecting his core.

Maria nearly collapsed in shock. Sanzang, gone... It couldn't be...

"Bye bye, bitch." Said Malos casually, as the crowd ran from him. "Tell the praetor hi, once he arrives."

Maria didn't have an ether field any more. She knew, there and then, that this was where she died, too. In those plains she could see over there lay Rhod's body.

No words would be spoken for him.

She looked at the cores in her hands. One last act of defiance, then. Malos was walking forwards, lifting his weapon... but she always had a good throwing arm.

It was a throw that made her proud. The two inert cores sailed far through the air, clear over the rooftops and out of Torigoth. Guards would be around there. At the very least, those blades wouldn't fall into the hands of her killer.

"Glory to Amalthu- Aigh!" Her last cry was cut short.

From the paperwork of Consul Dughall.

'Nature of incident: Terrorist attack.

Witness reports identified one driver and an accomplice, murdering an Indoline and her blade near Abble's Fountain. Her blade was reputedly destroyed, and the core has been retrieved for confirmation.

I've commissioned some wanted posters of the attacker, alongside a woman who was piloting a ship they used to make a getaway. It is unclear if she knows what they did, but until then must be treated with equal respect to any other member of Torna.

Praetor Amalthus informed us she was travelling with a Gormotti known as Rhod. He was found dead in Garanti plain, killed by Territorial Rotbart. Amalthus requested that the cores of the blades bonded to Rhod be returned to the Praetorium, but they have not been found.

Rhod is the person who fled Gormott a month ago to avoid military service, and his family has been notified. His file as a missing person has been closed.'

The consul finished writing the summary of the report. Paperwork had to be done, couldn't those incompetents see that? If you wanted to rise to higher places than this backwater hive, you had to do the work! And you had to know who to suck up to.

But still, barely a week into his job and a terrorist attack...

Months passed. Two core crystals lay in the dirt, well-concealed. They'd long since lit up again.

Someone passed by.

"A core crystal! Hey, two core crystals. Now that's lucky. Pyra, what do you think?" Rex picked up the two crystals, careful not to resonate.

"Oh, it is quite lucky! Want me to try and read what's inside them?" Offered Pyra.

"Yeah!"

"...There's an ice blade who uses rings... and a unique earth blade." She said. She looked over the group. "I know we'll awaken the unique one. Does anybody need an ice rings user, or should we find a better home for them?"

"I'll awaken this one."

"And I'd like this one."

Two drivers held two cores to their hearts, as they lit up and resonated.

A beast formed for one, jumping through his rings with a sparkle of frost. "At your service. My name is Kouki."

And the other one solidified to a girl on the floor.

It was like waking up from a nap. Nim stretched, and yawned, shaking off the sleepiness. Rhod proably would tease her if she overslept, after all...

She sat crosslegged for a moment, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Wait, who was Rhod? The name wasn't familiar. And where...

"Wha? Whawhwhwhwa?" She scrambled up, looking around. Where was she? She should have a driver around here, but she couldn't see them-

Sunny mewed in her ear. 'Turn around!'

She did, to see a group of a few drivers smiling at her. "Ah! Call me Nim." She looked to each side. "And these are my friends, Kit and Sunny!" She instinctively summoned a pair of large knuckle claws, and held a little pose to show them off. "We do hope we can be of service to you! We'll try our best!" She finished.

As her new driver walked over to introduce themself, she couldn't help but feel something looking at the other blade. Affection. It was gone in an instant, however, leaving her confused.

Probably just because he's a cool beast. She thought. It's not like I know him...

Author's notes: You may have worked out this was coming. It was planned from the start, because it was necessary for Rhod to die, in order for you awaken Nim in-game.

The new drivers of Nim and Kouki was left ambiguous on purpose. I imagine you can fill it in yourself.

Jin's favourite items (driver form) were actually datamined, they're Staple Foods, Seafood, Oyster Stir-Fry, and The Millenarian Titan (Literature). Just a bit of knowledge one of you might use.

A thanks to those who left reviews. That will be all for now.