As Stelle let out an exclamation of wonder, the camera once again revealed the full view of the Sky Fortress.
When the Celestial Mural hadn't been activated earlier, everything around them was pitch black, making everyone assume they were inside the structure.
But once the mural completely lit up, their first impression was that it was some kind of projection screen displaying the sky outside the fortress, which was why Stelle had cried out in surprise.
Yet when the details became clear, everyone discovered something astonishing.
Those clouds were actually within arm's reach.
From a distance, it no longer looked like they were indoors. Instead, it seemed as though they were standing on a platform connected directly to the skies.
For a moment, no one could tell whether it was merely a projection or if the fortress was truly linked to the sky itself.
With the sunlight illuminating the scene, they could also see countless pillars supporting the fortress, plunging directly into the sea of clouds.
Such a strange yet magnificent sight made people marvel from the bottom of their hearts at the technological prowess once possessed by the Sky People.
...
: The architecture of the Skyfolk is still far too advanced.
: This scene feels incredibly sci-fi.
: I genuinely don't believe Amphoreus is only at the level of a city-state civilization anymore.
: For a moment, I couldn't tell whether that was a projection or the real sky.
: It actually looks real...
: How did a civilization with this kind of power end up like it did later on...?
: I'm getting more and more curious about Skyfolk's history.
: Not just Sky. Judging from this, Amphoreus' history still hides many secrets we don't know about.
: When we first arrived on Amphoreus, things like the message-transmitting stone tablet and all those creations and designs that didn't match the current civilization already hinted at a historical discontinuity.
: Now that cyclical nature has been confirmed, maybe they're relics from before the cycle?
...
The audience had the leisure to admire the scenery.
But Phainon and the others had no such luxury.
"Over there."
As visibility improved, Hyacine immediately spotted a special area on the platform.
It was covered in compass-like patterns.
"That's a West Wind Compass of the Twilight Courtyard. We can use it to create a miniature rainbow bridge to walk on. Who knows, it might even lead us to other areas of the Eye of Twilight."
" Technology passed down from the golden age is finally proving useful. Let's go. Leave the adjustments and calibrations to me."
Hyacine stepped forward and began operating the West Wind Compass.
While she was busy, Stelle looked around, her hand unconsciously reaching for her camera, eager to capture the scenery.
At that moment, however, her sharp eyes narrowed. She thought she saw something emerge from the clouds, sparkling faintly.
But when she looked closely, there was nothing there.
"An illusion?"
Stelle murmured to herself. Just as she was about to look away, a winged beast burst from the clouds.
The creature resembled a pegasus, with wings sprouting from its back. Yet instead of flying toward the group, it changed direction and headed toward a faintly visible platform hidden among the clouds.
"Is that a winged pegasus?"
The sudden appearance of the creature drew everyone's attention.
Hyacine stared at it in delight.
"Legend has it that the hero Seliose was always flanked by two winged companions."
"Solabis and Lunabis. They were her steeds and comrades. Maybe it's one of them?"
A spark of excitement appeared in Phainon's eyes as well.
Finding a winged beast was practically the same as finding the Day-Thunder Knight.
Their search had just taken a huge step forward.
"We have to follow it!"
Everyone immediately understood.
Fortunately, Hyacine's rainbow bridge was already complete.
Guided by the West Wind Compass, rainbow pathways materialized in the sky, forming a bridge whose far end pointed directly toward the place where the winged beast had vanished.
The group stepped onto the rainbow bridge and gave chase.
Along the way, Stelle asked Mem to examine the memories lingering in the area, hoping to uncover some clues.
Yet after investigating, Mem made a surprising discovery. There were no memories related to the pegasus-like winged beast at all.
Only a sorrow that had lingered for thousands of years.
After Mem shared the discovery, everyone froze.
"No memories?"
"That means..."
Phainon's eyes widened.
"That winged beast itself... is an obsession given form?"
"Mem... thinks so."
Mem muttered softly.
This was the first time they had encountered a phantom capable of existing on its own without being driven by the power of Time.
Which meant the obsession sustaining the creature's form must be extraordinarily powerful... Thinking back on everything they had seen so far, no one could tell whether this was a good sign or a bad one.
"Doo-doo!"
Meanwhile, little Ika, fluttering behind Hyacine, seemed oddly excited.
Regardless, they had already come this far. Whether it was fortune or disaster, one look would tell.
Running at full speed, they soon reached the platform at the end of the bridge.
There, they finally saw the shimmering pegasus-like apparition. It seemed as though it had deliberately waited for them.
Beside it crouched another winged beast. This one resembled a lion, though it too possessed wings.
Its body was grotesquely twisted, covered from head to toe in black-and-gold corruption. It looked as though it had been consumed by the Black Tide itself.
There was no mistake, these were undoubtedly the two winged beasts that once accompanied the Day-Thunder Knight.
"Be careful!" Phainon drew his weapon.
But he wasn't aiming it at the pegasus.
His warning was directed toward the lion-like beast.
"C-Careful! It's not a memory phantom... It looks like it's alive!"
Mem hurriedly added, "But... it's so twisted, and very shadowy... like those black tide creatures...!"
Everyone's hearts tightened as they raised their guard.
Yet while the others remained cautious, Hyacine stepped toward the pegasus with a look of sympathy.
"So, you're Lady Lunabis, aren't you?"
The pegasus let out a soft whinny.
Hyacine then turned toward the corrupted beast.
"Then... that corrupted being before us must be Lord Solabis."
The situation was now clear. The pegasus' appearance had not been a coincidence. It had guided them here in hopes of freeing its companion from its torment.
Faced with these two legendary creatures they had grown up hearing about in myths and stories... Even if Solabis, already consumed by the corruption, could no longer understand her words, Hyacine still solemnly declared her identity, lineage, and purpose.
"You must have been tormented by pain for so long. But you didn't give up, and you've held on to what little is left of your will with such tenacity."
"Don't be afraid. You're not alone anymore. I am Hyacineia, the healer who inherited the hero's bloodline..."
"...Seliose the Daythunder Knight was once your comrade, wasn't she?"
It seemed the lion-like beast found a moment of clarity and roared at the Chrysos Heirs.
"Lord Solabis, your body has been completely corroded by the black tide. But I can still... heal your tenacious soul. Just like Lady Lunabis, even if you've lost your mortal body, your spirit remains pure."
"Please keep holding on to what's left of your will. And I will... reawaken you as a heroic soul."
To the audience, Hyacine's earnest and respectful attitude felt entirely natural.
After all, ever since they were on the surface, Hyacine, and indeed all the healers of the Twilight Courtyard, had taken immense pride in their bloodline.
The ancestors of these descendants had once fought real battles for Okhema, earning the status their people held today.
Throughout the journey, viewers had also come to realize that Hyacine and her kin took great pride in their heritage, faithfully passing down that glorious history.
It was precisely because the Skyfolk descendants of the Day-Thunder Knight cherished that legacy that generation after generation had been driven to uphold those ideals, shaping the culture of their entire people and eventually giving rise to outstanding descendants like Hyacine.
Now that she had finally met one of those legendary ancestors from history, such behavior was only to be expected.
As viewers, they could understand Hyacine's attitude better than anyone. After the ceremonial declaration came to an end, Hyacine raised her healer's staff.
Meanwhile, Phainon and Stelle stepped forward, taking positions to her left and right.
The battle erupted in an instant. The Black Tide, twisted Solabis attacked first, its massive body lunging wildly toward the group.
But even though it had once been a legend of the skies, before the two overwhelmingly powerful escorts beside Hyacine, it might as well have been roadside fodder.
Phainon's Dawnbreaker and Stelle's baseball bat struck almost simultaneously, smashing directly into Solabis's incoming claws.
Amid a harsh screech of metal and impact, the winged beast was forcibly knocked onto its back. As its distorted body struggled to rise, it twisted its head and fired a beam of light at the two attackers.
"Dudu!" Little Ika, who had been watching the battle with wide eyes from the sidelines, suddenly sprang into action.
Its adorable gaze instantly sharpened.
Twisting its plump body, Little Ika spun rapidly through the air, transforming into a dazzling rainbow drill and plunging straight into the beam, splitting it cleanly in two.
Seizing that brief opening, Phainon gripped his sword and leapt high into the air. Raising his greatsword overhead, he used the force of his descent to drive the blade deep into Solabis's neck.
"!!" Solabis cried out in pain and began thrashing wildly.
Driven by pure, mindless brute force, it actually tried to turn its head despite the sword piercing its neck, attempting to fire another point-blank blast at Phainon.
At that moment, Stelle's attack arrived just in time.
Using the posture of a golfer taking a swing, she struck upward with her bat and smashed Solabis squarely under the jaw.
Bang!
After a dull, teeth-grinding impact, the winged beast peacefully collapsed to sleep, all four limbs going limp.
Hyacine hurried to Solabis's side. Taking advantage of the moment Stelle had knocked it unconscious, she knelt on the ground, clasped her healer's staff, and began praying.
Specks of green light drifted from the staff and settled onto Solabis's body. The portions corrupted by the Black Tide gradually crumbled into ash under Hyacine's treatment, peeling away from the beast.
Within moments, the lion-like winged creature began glowing with memetic light, looking much like the nearby pegasus.
As the healing continued, the purified Solabis slowly regained consciousness. The winged beast shook its head and struggled to rise.
"Ugh..."
"It hurts..."
Solabis's first sensation upon waking was the feeling that its jaw had been drilled apart. The pain was overwhelming.
"..." Stelle instantly put away her bat and whistled while looking elsewhere.
Mem awkwardly hid behind Stelle with an embarrassed grin.
Phainon, however, remained completely composed and looked toward Hyacine.
"Lord Solabis. You're finally awake." Hyacine stood and smiled.
"How are you feeling now? Take a deep breath. Dizziness is normal."
"You are...?"
Still dazed, Solabis instinctively examined the unfamiliar faces before it.
"They're all good children, Solabis..."
"It was they who opened the prison of the Black Tide."
The Pegasus, Lunabis, also spoke, her voice gentle and feminine.
"Is that so? Thank goodness..." Solabis spoke with lingering fear.
"My consciousness was lost within the Black Tide for far too long."
After speaking, it looked over the unfamiliar group again.
First Stelle, then Phainon, and finally its gaze settled on Hyacine.
"Little girl... Are you Seliose's descendant?"
Hearing Solabis's question, Hyacine suppressed her excitement and replied with a smile:
"It is me, Lord Solabis. My name is Hyacinthia, and my companions call me Hyacine."
After speaking, she stared at Solabis without blinking. The moment carried extraordinary meaning.
At that moment, Hyacine felt like a child who had been away from home for many years.
Now, after returning with a lifetime of stories, she stood before her ancestors once more, eager to show them how much she had grown, and equally eager to tell them of everything she had experienced beyond home.
Even the slightest word of praise from Solabis would be recognition not only of her, but of all the Skyfolk descendants.
However, after studying her for a moment, Solabis spoke a strangely meaningful sentence.
"Hyacinthia, you don't have the scent of her on you."
Hearing this, Hyacine was not surprised. Instead, she smiled calmly.
"It's been a thousand years. Seliose's blood may have thinned in my veins, but the resolve of the Sky people has never been eroded by time. I've journeyed here to fulfill her dying wish."
She gave it no further thought.
After all, over the course of a thousand years, even some of the elders in her tribe had often said that bloodlines naturally grew thinner with each generation. She had long expected as much.