MONAD: Omen: Crimson Snow and Shadow

Chapter 3: Harmonious Abrup

Alika took the unconscious traveler back to the villagers, where she learned that Svarti had also fallen. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to convince the villagers that the giant monster was real, noting that their despair had resulted in them turning on each other and squabbling instead of facing reality. However, Alika believed that they needed to face the incoming monster attack together as one people if they had any hope of surviving.

As the villagers headed for Skuas Fortress in their caravan, the traveler awoke to the sight of the concerned villagers. Peytour thanked them for their actions in leading the monsters away from Svarti, which he attributed to being the reason why they had been able to fend the monsters off and escape. Alika explained that Svarti’s wooden walls had been destroyed, though Svarti itself hadn’t been razed like Kaptafel or the other towns.

When the traveler asked why they had evacuated if Svarti still stood, Alika told them that it was because they couldn’t hope to withstand another monster attack. She then explained that the town that they had seen while floating in the air during their expedition in Grim Vale was a fortress called Skuas, which had been built into the natural defenses of the land, allowing it to stand for over 300 years.

(A/N: The MSEA localization actually says that Skuas was the impregnable fortress that stopped the war 300 years ago. Aside from the Phantom and Cygnus Knight storylines, this is the only other reference in the game that mentions that such a war ever took place. I would take the MSEA translation lightly, as it’s not mentioned anywhere in GMS.)

Noting the expression on the traveler’s face, Alika told them not to consider it to be running away, but as an opportunity for them to rally together and plan how to strike back. Though she admitted that not everyone had been in agreement, they had all compromised to travel to Skuas before deciding how to proceed from there. After Alika brought the traveler some soup, she explained that Pete had saved them, to which Cayne bitterly noted that they didn’t need a knight to help after all.

As Alika profusely apologized once again, the traveler realized that Cayne was upset that Alika had snuck out of town without telling him. The caravan soon arrived at Skuas, where Birna, the chief of the town, greeted the refugees. She explained that it was natural for Skuas to aid their kin, as their ancestors had taught them to unite against adversity. She apologized for not sending aid when their villages had been attacked, as they had little to offer, but offered lodging for them as soon as it could be prepared.

As Birna left to oversee preparations, the Afinas Knights noted that Skuas was an admirable fortress which could be the perfect means for counterattack after improving its natural defenses. Just then, Birna returned and explained that it wouldn’t be possible to take in everyone, though she offered a place for the wounded, the old, the weak, and the children to stay at the local inn, medicine from their general store, and an open field for the others to pitch their tents. Butler then asked about Skuas’ military forces, and so Birna led him for an assessment.

Gurnardson and Kan then got into an argument about whether they should have stayed in Svarti, with Gurnardson noting that with the holes in Skuas’ walls, it would have been better to stay in Svarti, where they had beds. Meanwhile, the Afinas soldiers began whispering amongst themselves over whether the Afinas reinforcements were actually coming.

Just then, Gillie broke up their talk and reminded them that they had no time to be gossiping about headquarters when the villagers were watching them. The traveler then organized the villagers and met with Birna and the Skuas soldiers. Alika addressed the entire group and explained how they had discovered the giant monster leading an army during their expedition to find the old woman who had summoned the traveler.

The traveler added that they had spent many years adventuring across Maple World, coming to rely on their own power, but explained that the threats in Abrup were such that even they were helpless. However, they told the group that they were strong together and rallied them into uniting against the monsters. However, the villagers claimed that they had no experience fighting monsters and looked to Afinas to protect them.

Suddenly, Sanaan stepped forward and told the crowd that it wasn’t the job of the traveler or Afinas to help them, but rather, it was their own fight to save their own home. The traveler immediately recognized Sanaan as the one who had sent them the letter. Ullan then stepped forward and reminded Aruhi that he needed to find his missing daughter, with the traveler adding that there was much to help out with, and not all of it fighting, which slowly helped rally more to lend their support, ignoring the protests of Gurnardson.

After the traveler’s speech, Birna told them not to concern themselves with the naysayers amongst the group, as they understood what was needed for triumph. She noted that the common ground they had was that they all wanted to survive, which would help rally everyone together. She explained that Skuas had taken in many refugees in the past, and that it wasn’t the first time that they had faced such hardships. She also added that such meetings were necessary to unite the people, and that their actions would be told in stories for generations.

The traveler then met with Sanaan after their long search. Peytour expressed how relieved he was to see that she was safe, as did Kan and Gurnardson. As the two chiefs sheepishly apologized for turning her away, Birna castigated them for having forgotten what she had said about considering the needs of their kin, demanding to know how they could call themselves leaders by behaving so cruelly.

After a shocked pause, Kan asked Birna not to treat them like children, explaining that they needed to make tough decisions for the good of their people. However, Birna retorted that she was treating him like a chief, which meant holding him to a higher standard. Sanaan then told Birna not to worry herself with lectures, as her being in Skuas was all that mattered. She then turned to the traveler and welcomed them to Abrup.

The traveler apologized for keeping her waiting, but Sanaan dismissed their apology, noting that they had clearly had their hands full. Birna added that they were every bit the hero that people claimed, even having managed to bring together two hard-headed chiefs such as Kan and Gurnardson. However, the traveler pointed out Alika and explained that the credit for uniting the chiefs should go to her.

Sanaan thanked them both sincerely and told them that their kindness meant a great deal to her. She explained that on her long search for her granddaughter, she had seen the transformation of the monsters firsthand, though she had been saved by Elva, the general store owner, who had brought her to Skuas. Unable to search for Blanche or wait for her at their cabin, Sanaan explained that all she could do was write hundreds of letters begging for help, though she noted that the traveler was the only one who had answered her call.

Though the traveler told her that they hadn’t been able to find Blanche, Sanaan told them not to be sorry, as what they had done was far greater than helping one old woman. Alika then gave Sanaan the picture of her and Blanche, for which Sanaan thanked her, explaining that her only regret had been leaving the picture behind. The traveler noted that Blanche was special, which Sanaan agreed with.

Suddenly, Ullan heard them speak Blanche’s name and ran over to ask if it was true that Blanche was missing, and immediately running off when they confirmed it. When the traveler asked why Ullan was upset, a sad Sanaan told them that she was stuck remembering something from the past, noting that it was a shame that people still didn’t understand that being stuck in the past without acknowledging their mistakes prevented them from moving forward in the future, to which Birna and Peytour agreed.

Just then, Butler and the other knights arrived, causing Sanaan to tell them to meet her later for a chat after they finished attending to their duties. Butler then asked the traveler what their next move was, to which the traveler suggested blocking the path to Skuas and repairing the walls. Butler approved of their plan and looked to Peytour, who explained that they had many options all around them for creating the roadblock, with both the traveler and Alika realizing that he was referring to wood.

Unexpectedly, a surprisingly sober Aruhi also volunteered to help gather wood, along with several other soldiers from Kaptafel and Skuas offering to provide defense. Cayne asked the traveler whether they were planning to catch an Eyeful in a hollow tree, noting that there was a reason they had become thieves, much to the traveler’s confusion.

The group then headed out and began fighting the Petreefied Eyefuls for their wood. During their mission, Aruhi approached the traveler and asked if they believed that he was clean. When both the traveler and Peytour confirmed it, Aruhi revealed that the day when he had returned home from the Skuas market, he had seen footprints everywhere, which he had followed to see friends and loved ones being carried away screaming by demons covered head to toe in steel armor painted white.

(A/N: This is yet another allusion to PULSAR, with the word ‘demon’ being used as a figure of speech, just in case anyone was wondering with Blanche being described as a half-demon.)

Aruhi admitted that he had hidden like a coward, waiting for it all to end. However, he remained adamant that he had been telling the truth the entire time and asked if they believed him now that he had become sober. Peytour sadly noted that there were no other witnesses, and that the kidnappers had left no trace, but the traveler decided to ask people from other villages to corroborate Aruhi’s story, causing Aruhi to profusely thank the traveler for trusting him.

The group then finished collecting wood and began heading back when they saw Slaka being chased by monsters. After they defeated the monsters, Peytour confronted Slaka and demanded to know how he had the nerve to return after stealing the caravan’s food. Slaka retorted by asking how Peytour could treat him so coldly when he had decided to turn back and return to help the villagers. The traveler then asked why he had stolen their food, to which Slaka sheepishly told them not to worry about it for now.

He explained that at the top of the El Nath Mountains, he had been able to view the entire Abrup Basin, from where he had seen a giant silhouette surrounded by a red snowstorm, out of which thousands of monsters were spilling out. Realizing that the same thing had happened before Kaptafel had been attacked, Slaka explained that he had returned to warn them that the red snowstorm was still raging around Windsleep Forest. Though they were annoyed at Slaka stealing their food, the group nevertheless thanked him for his information and took him back to Skuas, though Peytour put him to work immediately.

The traveler then noted that Peytour and Aruhi had good instincts in their striking ability with axe throws while fighting monsters and realized that they had potential as fighters. The traveler decided to train them both by sparring with them at once, overwhelming the pair with their strength. While taking a break, the traveler noticed that Ullan was upset and went to speak with her. Ullan broke down and explained that it was her fault that Blanche was gone. She told the traveler that she and the other children of Kaptafel used to play with Blanche when they were younger, but because of her unnatural skin color and strength, the children had started bullying her and called her a monster, after which Sanaan and Blanche had left town, never to return.

Ullan explained that she blamed herself for forcing Blanche away into the cabin, which had resulted in her getting kidnapped with the others in the forest. The traveler then told Ullan that she could apologize to Sanaan, silently realizing that they could also ask her about Aruhi’s story. They then went to see Sanaan and asked why she was standing outdoors. She explained that Einar, the young man who lived in the house she was standing outside, had shut himself inside again. The traveler then asked her whether she had seen any suspicious strangers in the forest six months ago, though Sanaan told them that she hadn’t seen the kidnappers.

As Sanaan and Elva led the traveler to a fire, Sanaan asked them whether they had seen the Jellyrashes in the forest and explained that the giant creature controlled all the monsters of the forest through the Jellyrashes, which it created by mixing a strange red powder that it produced with the snow that it kicked up, creating a massive red snowstorm. She told the traveler that she had only seen it once, and that it had been tearing parts of its own body off. The traveler suddenly realized that if they were to destroy the Jellyrashes faster than the monster produced them, they would be able to limit the monsters that it could control to only the ones directly around itself.

After speaking with Sanaan, the traveler met with Elva, who explained that she might be able to answer their question about suspicious individuals because of the rumors she heard as a store owner. She told them that one of their herb gatherers had seen several suspicious people in the forest wearing white steel armor that covered even their face, such that it would be easy to lose them in a blizzard. Realizing that Aruhi’s story lined up with hers, the traveler asked who the herb gatherer was, to which Elva explained that he had gone into the forest to find his missing wife and never returned.

She then asked the traveler for a favor, explaining that the chaos with the monsters had left her short on supplies, and so she asked them together Eyeful antennae, Optusa leaves, Leatty Crystals, and vials of clear Actinops blood. The traveler brought the ingredients to her, after which Elva let them keep her notes on ingredients. She then explained that she was helping Sanaan mend armor for those who needed it, such as Einar.

(A/N: You can either choose to give her a piece of armor or say that you don’t have any. Offering something doesn’t actually remove anything from your inventory.)

After finishing refurbishing a helmet, Sanaan explained that she hoped that it would give Einar the courage to go outside. Suddenly, the group heard a noise and went to investigate. At the town square, they found Gurnardson and Slaka arguing about his being in the town. Just then, Cayne arrived and amusedly asked the traveler if they should break up the fight. He explained that he had come back from training the villagers, who had lined up to join after seeing the traveler train Peytour and Aruhi.

Before they could break up the fight, Kan and Thorson arrived to separate the pair, though even they were unsuccessful. Chief Birna then arrive and chided Gurnardson and Slaka for squabbling when everyone around them was working hard. After the pair left, Sanaan gently told Birna not to scold them too hard, as the pair didn’t have the years of experience that they did. She added that the conflict would help shape them into understanding the necessity of cooperation.

Just then, a miner appeared and told Birna that they had successfully finished testing the new ballista, though they needed more wood to make others. When the traveler asked about the ballista, Birna explained that Alika had drafted several blueprints for possible weapons, and that they had chosen to build the ballista because of the few resources it required.

The traveler and Birna then noted that Gurnardson had a sour expression and went to speak with him. Gurnardson claimed that Slaka had started the argument by asking why they weren’t doing anything, to which Birna interrupted and noted that Slaka was right in asking why he hadn’t been doing anything. When Gurnardson and Thorson stammered that there was nothing to be done, the traveler pointed out that there was always something to do.

After a pause, Gurnardson asked the traveler to teach them how to fight with their harpoons. The traveler agreed, but explained that they hadn’t taught Peytour and Aruhi to fight with axes, but to use their experience as woodcutters to fight. At the training area, Gillie oversaw the sparring match and gave pointers to the harpooners as they fought with the traveler. Impressed by their tactics, Gillie suggested incorporating nets into their attacks in order to trap monsters.

As they continued their sparring practice, Sanaan arrived to let the traveler know that their food supplies were nearly gone. Empowered by his sparring match, Gurnardson offered to join the expedition for food while Slaka offered to lead the way, as he was enamored by Elva. As the group hunted Shrelephants, they noticed an Eyeful and began chasing after it, which led to them being teleported to its lair.

The group discovered the treasure trove that the Eyeful had stolen, including a cattle name tag. Slaka realized that the monsters had eaten the cattle and the Eyeful had brought the tags back to its nest, which meant that Kaptafel hadn’t stolen the Svarti cattle as they had claimed. The traveler then discovered an orange helmet and realized that it could be a helmet from the armored people that Aruhi and Elva had been talking about.

(A/N: This is the same helmet that PULSAR soldiers wear, which explicitly confirms their involvement and corroborates Aruhi’s story.)

As they returned back to Skuas, Fembris appeared in their path and the traveler jumped forward to defend the group. The traveler bravely faced Fembris and, with the help of the harpooners and their nets, they managed to defeat it. They returned back to Skuas, where the traveler gave Aruhi the helmet from the Eyeful nest to prove that he was telling the truth. As he broke down crying, the others felt guilty and profusely apologized to him for doubting his story.

The traveler then showed the helmet to Cayne and Alika, who asked whether they had found it in the forest. When the traveler explained that they had found it in an Eyeful nest, Alika noted that there were likely more such nests. The traveler agreed and told Alika that they had also brought back many stolen items as well. They then asked what she had done with the other items from the first nest they had discovered, to which she explained that she had left them at the general store as a common area where people could look for their belongings. Cayne happily chimed in that he had been able to recover his brooch.

The three then began heading to the general store in order to place the stolen items there, but they were stopped by Ullan and several other villagers, who explained that they were on their way there as well in order to apologize to Sanaan. Ullan, Kan, and the other villagers then tearfully apologized to Sanaan, who was touched and told them that even though she had moved on, she appreciated them thinking of her and Blanche. She reassured Ullan that it wasn’t her fault that Blanche had gone missing, and that she had never once thought of blaming her for it.

Kan then offered a place in Kaptafel, but Sanaan politely declined, explaining that she couldn’t leave her cabin until Blanche returned. Kan told her that all the villagers had given up on finding their missing family members except for Aruhi, whose vindication had led him to decide that Kaptafel would resume the search for their missing loved ones, including Blanche. The traveler then went with Alika and Cayne to deliver the lost items to Elva, who told them that over half the missing items from the first lot had been claimed, including a necklace that belonged to Einar’s sister. She explained that she had given him his sister’s locket and Sanaan’s armor, though he had cried a lot upon receiving them.

After delivering the missing items, the traveler told Alika and Cayne about their battle with Fembris. The pair noted that if Fembris had been sighted at the edge of Windsleep Forest, it meant that they needed to prepare for attack, though they knew that they had no time left. Alika explained that the ballistas had been completed, with construction of the catapults nearly being complete.

In order to check on the wall repairs, the group went to see Birna and told her that Fembris had been sighted near Skuas, and that it had been leading the first wave during the attacks on Kaptafel and Svarti. Just as the traveler offered to help repair the walls, Thorson, Aruhi, Elva, Slaka, and Ullan arrived with Sanaan and pledged their support as well.

As the group worked on repairing the walls, Einar arrived and asked the traveler if he could join in and help avenge his sister. He explained that he had lost his parents at a young age, and that he had done everything that he could to help his little sister by performing manual labor such as hauling barrels, cutting wood, and sweeping chimneys, which was how he had gotten strong.

After finishing hauling stones for the wall, the traveler led Einar to the training grounds, where Cayne offered to help him with his technique while the traveler sparred with them. The traveler was hesitant about Cayne’s teaching, as his only two instructions were for Einar to block and stab, though Alika promised the traveler that Afinas taught their knights better than Cayne did.

After the traveler finished sparring with them, the group decided to take a break. Einar then asked Cayne whether his kindness was because of what he had learned from Sanaan, though Cayne told him that Sanaan had asked for him to be treated like everyone else. The traveler added that Sanaan was worried for him, to which Einar vowed to repay her kindness, telling the traveler that their speech had moved him, particularly the part in which they had described how there had always been people who had helped them during their journey. He then decided to tell his story to the pair, explaining that his parents had died shortly after his sister, Julieta, had been born.

(A/N: This story sort of spoils the plot twist with the giant monster, since we already know from the boss’ name that it's actually Einar’s sister. Although I enjoy MONAD’s story overall, the pacing of the third act could definitely have been given some more time to breathe, since it feels like all the information about Julieta is crammed into here without any real buildup in the first two acts.)

Though there had been a large age gap between the two, Einar told the pair that he had cared deeply about her, and that he had taken whatever odd jobs he could do in order to support them both. He revealed that the day after many townspeople had disappeared, he had gone out alone to cut trees, despite Julieta’s protests for him not to go, and despite his own fear as well. Before he had been able to leave town, however, Birna had stopped him and asked him to help with something else in town. Because of this, Julieta - not knowing that he hadn’t left town - had packed a lunch for him and had left for the forest in order to deliver it to him, never to be seen again.

Einar told the pair that he was cursed, believing it to be his fault that his entire family was gone. Though Cayne attempted to tell him not to blame himself, Einar explained that he regretted everything that he hadn’t done to prevent Julieta’s disappearance. However, he admitted that it was now the other way around, as the kindness of Birna, Elva, and Sanaan had spurred him to leave his home and stop wallowing in his own remorse.

He then showed them a locket containing a photo of himself and Julieta, with Cayne noting that she looked quite different from him with her pink eyes and hair. Einar then thanked the traveler for helping him realize that he needed to take a stand and committed himself to fighting the monsters and atoning for abandoning Julieta. Invigorated, the three then decided to spar for a while until Cayne noted that Alika was speaking intently with Birna, a serious look on her face.

(A/N: Here, Einar tells the player that he’s fine practicing on his own, and we get the option to either leave him alone or spar with him for a while.)

Cayne told the traveler that Einar reminded him of himself, explaining that the effort that Einar was putting into training was the same effort that had gotten him recognized by Afinas, adding that he had great popularity there. Just then, Gillie arrived and claimed that his fans had dwindled in number. She told the traveler that Cayne had used to be highly popular while rising through the ranks of the Afinas Knights, as he had started young and had flashy skills, similar to the type of knights from storybooks.

Regardless of his popularity, however, she explained that Cayne had been honorable and kind, exemplifying the traits of Afinas Knights. However, she admitted that even though she admired him, she missed his old self who focused on doing the right thing, adding that he was different because of Alika, though she insisted that it wasn’t a jibe at her.

After a pause, Cayne replied that he liked who he was presently, causing Gillie to comment that she was perhaps seeing him for who he really was. After Gillie left, Cayne told the traveler that Alika’s father was a father figure to him as well, as he had offered Cayne a chance with the Afinas Knights when he had nowhere to go, attributing Alika’s father to being responsible for everything he had. He explained that he had wanted to return the favor, and to get some recognition by joining the knights.

(A/N: Cayne says this in response to us asking him why he had left the Afinas Knights, but I think that this is actually a typo and we’re supposed to have asked him why he joined the knights.)

The traveler then decided to visit Alika and gave her the samples that they had collected from the Actinops, Fembris, and Frostflail Yeti that they had encountered during their journey. (A/N: I don’t think you need to collect all three samples in order to finish this quest. I didn’t get the Fembris fangs, but Alika’s dialogue still has her act as though we gave her all three.) Alika thanked them profusely for giving her something to bring back to Afinas as an achievement and asked how she could repay them, to which the traveler merely told her that they were content as long as she was happy.

They then noted that she looked as though something was wrong and asked what the matter was. She explained that progress on the catapults had been hindered because there were no ropes in Skuas that were strong enough to strap the rocks into. Though the traveler insisted that they could find some, Alika warned them that it was too dangerous for anyone to leave the fortress when Fembris and the other monsters were in the area. Nevertheless, the traveler protested that they would be fine alone, as finishing the catapult would significantly bolster their defenses.

Though Alika denied their request, the traveler decided to sneak out anyways. In the forest, they saw red snow descending and realized that the attack was coming imminently. They also noticed that there were many Jellyrashes growing in the area and realized that they could use the Jellyrash goo as rope, recalling that they had done something similar to rescue Alika from the large hole in the ground.

After gathering the Jellyrash ropes, the traveler returned back to town, where Alika confronted them. The traveler apologized and showed her the sturdy ropes, which she and the miners noted ought to be strong enough for the catapults. Nevertheless, Alika entreated them to be safe, reminding them that both she and everyone in the town needed them for the upcoming battle. Just then, another miner appeared and explained that her schematics to strengthen their mines with gunpowder had increased their efficiency by thirty-fold.

Just then, a soldier yelled for the gates to open up as Einar and several other scouts were being chased by monsters outside. The traveler and Cayne immediately rushed outside and held off the onslaught until the others could reach safety. After returning back to the town, the other villagers gathered around as the scouts reported that the monster army had reached the other side of Sunglow Forest, and was nearly upon Skuas itself.

Just then, red snow began to fall on Skuas, with the traveler noting that the army was right at their doorstep. The traveler then thanked the villagers for coming together in their time of need, with the villagers, in turn, thanking the traveler for tirelessly leading them through the situation. The town immediately rallied together and mobilized as Butler noted that they wouldn’t be able to rely on Afinas reinforcements after all.

(A/N: The battle mechanics here are that you have three battlefronts and you have to choose which one to face. Some of them might be the three main bosses, while others are just waves of weaker monsters. Obviously, I can’t really pick all the possible paths, but the outcome is the same no matter which battles you pick. I just picked randomly in order to finish as quickly as possible.)

As the battle raged, the villagers were forced to pull back as the monsters advanced and breached the fortress. To their shock, the giant monster began climbing over the castle walls, causing the traveler to immediately order everyone to retreat, though they quickly realized that there was nowhere to retreat to. The traveler then bravely faced the monster as the others cut down the Jellyrashes to weaken it.

As the monster fell, its face armor broke open to reveal a girl with pink hair inside a sac within its head cavity. Einar rushed forward and recognized that it was actually his sister, Julieta. The others looked in shock as Einar broke down, watching Julieta and rest of the monster body vaporizing away. Cayne immediately rushed forward and consoled Einar by reminding him that Julieta’s death wasn’t his fault.

As they led him back in town, Sanaan congratulated Einar and told him that he had made them all proud. Noticing that he was crying, she asked what the matter was. Einar tearfully began telling her about Julieta, but stopped and told her that it was nothing, allowing her to lead him away. Meanwhile, the other villagers began celebrating their victory, hoping that with the defeat of the giant monster and its army, they could finally return safely home.

Alika then asked Cayne for some privacy, after which she asked the traveler if they remembered the dream that she had told them about. She explained that initially, she wasn’t sure whether the girl running in the forest and the girl lying in the snowfield were the same, though she now knew that Blanche was the girl running in her dream, while Julieta was the girl lying in the snowfield. She then asked the traveler if they had any leads on the abductions, to which they replied that they merely had clues, but nothing concrete.

Alika told them that she wanted to help them uncover the mystery, as she believed her dreams were cries for help. Though she hadn’t been able to help Julieta, she explained that she hoped to save Blanche and the others who had been kidnapped from Abrup. As she had been drawn into the mystery by a dream, and the traveler had been brought in by a letter, she believed that such simple events leading to everything that had happened was a sign that they were meant to work together.

Elsewhere, in a mysterious office, a man named Dester noted how incredible the experiment had gone, lamenting that it had ended so soon. Though he noted that he still had many unanswered questions, he decided that there would be other opportunities, adding that he should congratulate ‘them’ when they returned.

(A/N: Dester is implied to be a member of Afinas, as he has this weird head wrapping with a large eye, which is the symbol of Afinas. The room that he’s in has beakers and other scientific apparatus, as well as creepy serial killer looking board with photos of Blanche and Princess Sakuno, implying some correlation between the events at Abrup and the Sengoku Warriors.

Given the fact that PULSAR performs genetic experiments on its test subjects, similar to what we see in Stellar Detectives, it’s very likely that PULSAR was responsible for creating Julieta, the Jellyrashes, and the mutated monsters that attack Abrup. On top of that, the fact that Dester decides to thank ‘them’ - as well as the fact that Afinas headquarters had gone radio silent when Butler had continually requested for reinforcements - strongly suggests that Afinas and PULSAR had been working together for the ‘experiment’ that Dester was talking about.)

Back in Skuas, Alika and the Afinas dispatch prepared to head back to headquarters, while the traveler prepared to head back to where they belonged as well. Alika apologized for not being able to stay and oversee repairs, but promised to send more forces and relief supplies as soon as she returned back home. The three chiefs profusely thanked the traveler and the knights, promising them a place in their village any time they wanted to visit. As they began to head out, the traveler noted that Einar and Sanaan weren’t present amongst the villagers who had come to see them off.

Some time later, Alika was riding in a carriage when she fell asleep. In her dream, she found herself in a space filled with crystals. Each time that she reached out to touch one, she found that it immediately shattered. Suddenly, mirror-like crystal walls manifested around her, upon which several unfamiliar faces reflected back at her. On one mirror wall, Oda Nobunaga manifested, claiming that he had found a new path to become the Demon King. (A/N: This is an allusion to the Asura Crisis storyline, which followed up on this plot point.)

On another surface, Burke appeared and noted that if he had ‘the power’, none of the tragedies that had befallen would have happened. On yet another wall, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin appeared besides Princess Sakuno, who vowed that the Sengoku Warriors would return home. The voices all began overlapping each other, with Oda vowing not to fail again, Burke vowing that he would do whatever it took to set things right, and Sakuno continuing her last sentence, vowing that she, Matsuyama Sakuno, swore that it would be done.

(A/N: She actually calls herself Sakuno Matsuyama in this animated sequence, but I’ve flipped it around to remain consistent with the regular Japanese structure of the Sengoku names that I’ve standardized on this site.)

Suddenly, the mirror walls shattered to reveal a large projection of Naricain, who spoke aloud to address his father, Crimsonheart, noting that he was ultimately right about how those who sought the power of the Antellion would never rest. (A/N: Crimsonheart himself isn’t actually present here, Naricain is just addressing him.)

After Naricain vanished in a blinding flash of light, Alika continued running through the dream space until she encountered the enormous crystalline Antellion itself. Noticing an indentation in the crystal, Alika took out a fragment of the Antellion hanging around her necklace and gazed at it intently, with the symbol of Afinas shimmering within it. As she placed the Antellion fragment in the indentation of the larger whole, a strange hooded person wearing the robes of Afinas appeared behind her and spoke aloud that the truth that ‘they’ had sought for so long was finally within reach, and that they would, at last, become complete.

(A/N: After Alika reunites the fragment with the main Antellion, a flash of light occurs and it cuts away to the words, “Where is the guardian?”. This animated sequence is what officially tied together the various aspects of GMS-verse, and although there was an attempt to continue this storyline by having Afinas Knights - including Cayne - appear in the Masteria storyline, the removal of MONAD and several other stories makes it unlikely that we’ll ever get a proper answer.

Personally, I think that the idea of tying together all these completely unrelated storylines is really dumb, especially since there’s almost zero connective tissue that unites them together outside of forcing the Antellion narrative into storylines like Zipangu where it makes no sense. However, I’ll admit that it’s a very ambitious idea with the possibility of having some worthwhile moments, even if the whole thing itself seems pretty far-fetched. For better or worse, though, there’s little chance of it panning out into anything more than a story that ended before it ever really got started.)