PART III: AFTER THE UNSEALING OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 22: Stone Colossus

• An Alliance member was called to Leafre by Chief Tatamo, who told them about the appearance of a large giant called the Stone Colossus. After they agreed to help investigate, the Alliance member met Valerie of the Nautilus, who had been dispatched by the Alliance to investigate the sudden appearance of the Colossus, which was believed to be a minion of the Black Mage.

• The Alliance member and Valerie worked with the Halflinger expedition team to reach the Colossus, who revealed that dark spirits inside him were whispering malevolent thoughts, and that he was attempting to resist them and stay still so as not to crush the people below him.

• Realizing that the Colossus was friendly, the Alliance member and Valerie worked to defeat the dark spirits corrupting him and eventually traveled inside him, where they discovered Guwaru using his spirit power to shield the Colossus’ heart from the darkness of a powerful dark creature.

• After the Alliance member defeated the creature, Guwaru revealed that he had forcibly become a Commander against his will. He explained that he was the Great Spirit, and that he was tied to the world itself, meaning that the balance of the world affected him greatly. As the Black Mage’s influence as the Transcendent of Light had caused Alicia and Rhinne’s influence to weaken, the balance of the world had shifted towards darkness, causing him to grow corrupted and serve the Black Mage.

• He explained that he had come to his senses after Magnus had destroyed his body, leaving him with only vestigial memories of his time as a Commander from before his body had reformed.

• He also revealed that he had given the Colossus his power when it had first formed as an amalgam of countless lesser spirits centuries ago, and that his corruption had also affected the Colossus, which had been infected with the Black Mage’s darkness. He then used his power to purify the Colossus’ heart and tasked the Alliance member with destroying the remaining corrupted spirits to fully heal the Colossus, vowing that he would never again serve the Black Mage.

• Following the incident, Valerie noted that the Black Mage hadn’t been trying to expand his army, even after a Commander like Guwaru had left his service, which made her believe that the Black Mage was planning something bigger.