PART III: AFTER THE UNSEALING OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 32: The Last Crusade

(A/N: Officially, this storyline is called the Silent Crusade 2, and it serves to wrap up the Silent Crusade storyline and lead into the start of the Arcane River storyline. It’s practically guaranteed that the protagonist of this storyline is the Adversary, and so I’ll be switching over to referring to them as such, rather than just an Alliance member.)

The Adversary received a mysterious letter from an anonymous source who claimed to have been watching their progress. They asked the Adversary to meet them at the Edelstein City Hall in order to tell them something important. Though suspicious, the Adversary nevertheless decided to investigate and headed to the city hall.

Inside, they found the room to be completely empty, causing them to believe that it had all been a prank. Just as they turned to leave, however, a dimensional crack appeared and pulled them inside a dark void. As they began searching for a way out, the Adversary quickly noticed a mysterious woman with blue hair named Rachael, who was covering her face with a fan. Wondering whether she had sent the letter, the Adversary decided to meet with her.

(A/N: Zero gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which Alpha and Beta immediately recognize the woman as Rachael and wonder how a resident of Mirror World can exist outside of it. Wondering whether the letter was a trap that she had arranged, the twins decide to confront her.)

Rachael told the Adversary that she hadn’t expected to see anyone in such a place and asked whether they had received a mysterious letter. The Adversary noted that she seemed to be trapped as well and asked how she had ended up in the void. Rachael revealed that she was a Time Alchemist who could magically navigate spaces, and that the reason why she hadn’t left was because there was something important that she needed to do.

She explained that her younger brother was sick, and that she had ended up in the void while following the mysterious letter’s invitation, where she had discovered that she could find medicine for her brother inside the strange dimension that she had found herself in. However, she told the Adversary that she wasn’t strong enough to obtain the medicine herself, for which she requested their help as an experienced warrior, promising to help them escape the strange dimension in exchange for their help.

(A/N: Zero gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which Rachael tells Alpha and Beta that she hadn’t expected to see anyone in such a place and asks whether they had received a mysterious letter. Alpha immediately tells Rachael to drop the act and demands to know what sort of trickery she had used, and why she had brought them in the void. Rachael laughs and tells him that she hadn’t known whether they would still remember her, which was why she had pretended not to know them, though she adds that she’s glad to see them again, especially in such a place as the one where they are now.

She then tells them that they’re mistaken if they believe that she had invited them, though the twins are dubious. Rachael tells them that though she can’t blame them for being suspicious, she reveals that the only reason she had followed Will in the past was because he had been holding her brother hostage. She explains that she no longer follows him, and that the lack of a spider tattoo on her hand is proof of this.

Alpha asks Rachael what she means by her brother, to which she explains that she has a precious younger brother whom she had tried protecting from Will. She tells them that her brother is very sick, and that she had broken free of Will in order to find a cure for him by wandering Maple World, which was when she had ended up in the void after following the mysterious letter’s invitation. She then offers to help the twins escape in exchange for them helping her save her brother, explaining that the two Children of the Goddess helping her would make things go much faster. Realizing that they have little choice, Alpha agrees to help her.

However, Beta whispered to Alpha and asked him whether he really believes her story. Alpha replies that there’s no way that Rachael’s story is true, to which she asks him why he had agreed to help. Alpha explains that they need Rachael’s help in order to escape, and that playing along might help them learn more about the space which they’ve arrived in, as he notes that its energy feels quite unusual. Beta agrees and tells Alpha that she’ll play along as well.)

After the Adversary agreed, Rachael transported them to Mu Lung, which she claimed was home to many medicinal herbs. However, the Adversary began to wonder whether they had really arrived in Mu Lung, as there were no people around at all. Rachael noted that the energy of the area felt strange and revealed that they were actually in a replica of Mu Lung, though she added that she had no idea how that could be.

(A/N: Zero gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which Alpha asks Rachael whether they’re really in Mu Lung, to which she asks them where else they would be. Beta then whispers to Alpha and tells him that she believes that they’re in Mirror World. Alpha agrees and notes that it seems that Rachael had been lying, and that she still serves Will. However, he wonders how Will could have created a new Mirror World without Rhinne’s power, to which Beta suggests that they continue to observe Rachael.)

Rachael then told the Adversary that the monsters nearby were quite powerful and asked them to collect Broken Deer Horns and Bellflowers from the Cute Reindeers and Bellflower Roots. After the Adversary brought the ingredients back, Rachael noted that the powerful monsters’ energy would make the ingredients even more potent, which would go a long way in curing her brother.

The Adversary then noted to themselves that they were definitely in a different dimension altogether, as the scenery around them was different from the Mu Lung that they knew. They began wondering where they really were, and why someone had brought them there. (A/N: Zero doesn’t get this line, as they already know that they’re in Mirror World.) They also noted that Rachael was quite suspicious, as she seemed far too calm in their situation. Though they wondered whether she was trying to remain calm for her brother’s sake, they nevertheless decided to keep a close eye on her.

(A/N: One detail that you notice here in these maps is that there are purple spiderwebs dripping with venom.)

Rachel then asked the Adversary for another favor, explaining that she had discovered that there was a King Centipede whose jawbone was a powerful medicine. The Adversary defeated the King Centipede and brought its jawbone to Rachael, who thanked them for their help and lauded them as a powerful warrior. In accordance with their deal, Rachael used her powers to send the Adversary back to the real world, where they collapsed in the middle of Perion, right next to Starling, Elwin, and Lily.

A surprised Starling immediately recognized them and asked how they had suddenly appeared. After hearing their story, Starling realized that they must have gotten trapped inside a dimensional crack. The Adversary asked Starling whether the cracks had started appearing again, which Starling confirmed, revealing that something strange was going on in Maple World, and that the Silent Crusade had been dispatched to investigate the sudden reappearance of the dimensional cracks. However, she told the Adversary that the new cracks had a different energy signature from Arkarium, and that they felt even more dangerous. She explained that they were the first person to have entered and escaped a crack, for which she asked them for their help in investigating the situation.

(A/N: Zero gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, as they skip the Silent Crusade storyline. Starling recognizes Alpha and Beta as members of the Alliance and asks them how they had suddenly appeared. A confused Beta asks Starling who she is, to which Starling introduces herself and notes that she’s heard that the two of them had played a major role in stopping Arkarium. She explains that the fact that they had just appeared out of thin air makes her wonder whether their appearance is related to the latest investigation of the Silent Crusade.

Alpha asks Starling what’s going on, to which she explains that strange cracks have begun appearing across Maple World, and that the Silent Crusade – after determining that their energy was different from Arkarium’s – had move in to investigate further. Alpha then tells Starling about what had happened to them inside the crack. Starling realizes that it must have something to do with a Commander of the Black Mage, and with the twins being the only ones who had entered and escaped a crack, she asks them for their assistance. Believing that the Silent Crusade, as a branch of the Alliance, might have information that they didn’t, Alpha and Beta agree to help.)

Starling then introduced Elwin and Lily as apprentices of Grendel the Really Old, with Elwin introduced himself as a Barrier Master, and Lily introducing herself as a Manipulation Magician. Elwin explained that the space which the Adversary had seen – an imperfect replica of Maple World – had to be a manipulated world. Starling asked whether such a thing was possible, to which he replied that it was almost unheard of, though the cracks – while small – were leaking powerful monsters from the other side. Lily added that while some cracks closed on their own, the only reliable solution was to close the cracks themselves.

The Adversary then traveled with the others to Sleepywood, where another crack had recently appeared. Elwin explained that with no monsters having come out yet, they could begin to stabilize the crack. He added that they would need to enter the crack and quickly defeat the monsters inside, warning them to hurry, as there was a chance that the crack could close on its own and trap them inside. Starling asked the Adversary to enter the crack, while she remained outside and handled any monsters that leaked through.

Inside, the Adversary defeated the monsters inside a replica of the Cursed Temple beneath Sleepywood. After they emerged, Elwin and Lily used their magic to seal the crack. Just then, Starling received an urgent message from Crow, who had requested assistance in dealing with a new crack which had appeared in Herb Town. Starling asked the Adversary, Elwin, and Lily to handle the situation while she continued to investigate Rachael and the mysterious letter. In Herb Town, Crow greeted the Adversary and noted that the situation may be easier than he had thought with them and Grendel’s apprentices backing him up.

(A/N: Zero gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which Crow notes that it’s his first time seeing their faces and asks whether they’re the ones who had played a role in the Arkarium crisis. He then tells them that he doesn’t like to be bothered, and that they need to take care of themselves.)

Crow led the group to the site of the crack, where monsters with a strange, red eye-like symbol were pouring out of the rift. The Adversary noted that the energy was unlike anything they had seen inside the crack, though Crow quickly told them to focus on handling the monsters, while Elwin and Lily dealt with closing the crack. After the Adversary defeated the invading monsters, they looked around to find that Lily and Elwin had disappeared. Fearing that they may have accidentally been pulled into the crack, the Adversary entered inside, only to find that they weren’t there.

Just as they began wondering whether the siblings had gone somewhere safe with Crow, the Adversary spotted a King Centipede with the strange symbol over its head. After they defeated the creature, Rachael suddenly appeared and thanked them for their help, claiming that she had been too weak to defeat the monster on her own.

She revealed that she had returned back to look for more medicine for her brother, who was showing signs of improvement. She then asked them why they had returned, to which they replied that they were looking for someone. Rachel told them that there was no one around, though she added that they were truly a good person for blindly jumping into danger for them. She then asked them to help her once again collect ingredients for her brother, promising to help them escape if they did.

Using her powers, Rachael created a portal that led them both to a replica of the Cursed Temple, which she noted must feel both familiar and different. The Adversary realized that, just as Elwin and Lily had said, the area appeared to be a manipulated space. However, they also realized that it must be difficult to freely move between such spaces, which made them wonder who exactly Rachael was. Nevertheless, they decided to hide their suspicions from Rachael, who asked them to collect Taurospear Hooves, Tauromacis Hooves, and Wild Kargo Eyes.

(A/N: After Rachael notes that the replica of the Cursed Temple must feel both familiar and different, Zero gets exclusive dialogue, in which Alpha whispers to Beta that they’re definitely in Mirror World. Beta notes that she can’t feel Rhinne’s power, meaning that the copy of Mirror World that they’re in was created by a different force altogether. Wondering whether Will has gained new powers, Alpha and Beta decide to continue investigating.)

After the Adversary returned with the ingredients, Rachael agreed to send them back, though she added that she would also answer any one question that they had for her. The Adversary asked Rachael who she was and how she could travel around so freely within the crack. Rachael revealed that she had once been a subordinate of the person who had created the space, which was how she was able to move easily around it. However, she assured them that she no longer worked for him, though she acknowledged that the Adversary had no reason to believe her. Nevertheless, she claimed that she was now just an older sister trying to protect her younger brother, after which she opened a portal to send them back.

(A/N: For Zero, Alpha instead asks Rachael why the creator of the space had invited them in. Rachel replies that though she isn’t too sure, she believes that it’s because he wants to see what kind of people they are. Beta asks her what she means, to which Rachael clarifies that he had wanted to see whether they’re noble enough to help someone trying to save her younger brother. However, upon seeing the twins’ expression, Rachael notes that they don’t believe her, though she insists that she’s no just an older sister trying to protect her younger brother, after which she opens a portal to send them back.)

The Adversary returned back to Herb Town, where they met with Crow, Elwin, and Lily. After they told everyone about how they had gone into the crack to find the siblings, Elwin apologized for not telling the Adversary earlier that he and Lily had gone to investigate the monsters emerging from the cracks. Lily explained that they had noticed that only monsters with the eye-like symbol were able to cross over into Maple World.

(A/N: Zero gets exclusive dialogue here, in which Alpha notes that since ordinary Mirror World monsters couldn’t leave, it was likely that the ones which had escaped had been specially modified, which Beta realizes is what the eye-like symbol is for.)

Crow then noted that Rachael seemed quite suspicious and asked them to bring him the next time they entered a crack. Though the Adversary noted that it seemed strange to confront her without any evidence, Crow replied that Rachael was dangerous no matter how they looked at it. Just then, Crow received a distress call from Lora, who had requested for backup in investigating a crack in Ariant. The Adversary, Elwin, and Lily were sent to reinforce Lora, who told them that while she could normally handle the monsters, the ones emerging from the crack had suddenly gotten much stronger.

The Adversary then entered the crack and defeated the monsters inside before returning to Lora, who thanked them and explained that Elwin and Lily had gone to investigate another crack. She then noted that her jaguar, Sun, had gotten unusually restless. Suddenly, another crack appeared, which the Adversary and Lora entered in order to investigate.

After defeating the powerful monsters inside, the pair attempted to leave the crack, only to find that it had already closed up behind them, trapping them inside. As they began searching for a way out, Rachael appeared before them and asked the Adversary whether Lora was a friend of theirs. She then laughed that she seemed to see them in the space quite often and asked whether they liked being stuck inside it.

The Adversary asked Rachael what she was doing, to which she replied that it ought to be obvious to them now that she was searching for a way to cure her brother. At Lora’s confusion, Rachael explained how her younger brother was ill. After a pause, Lora asked Rachael whether her brother was very sick, to which Rachael told her that her brother’s life was in danger, which was why she had come seeking Cactus Stems and Scorpion Venom, which could be used as a potent medicine if used properly.

Once again, Rachael offered to use help the Adversary and Lora escape if they acquired the ingredients for her. The Adversary asked Lora what they should do, noting that it might be better to wait for Elwin and Lily to free them, rather than helping Rachael. However, Lora noted that Rachael’s brother was sick, adding that while it was most likely a lie, she would feel uncomfortable about ignoring Rachael’s situation if there was a chance that it was true. Reluctantly, the Adversary agreed and collected the ingredients, which they brought back to Rachael.

Rachael thanked the Adversary and turned to Lora, who revealed that the reason why she had wanted to help was because she herself had lost her younger brother, who had disappeared in the Verne Mine while fighting the Black Wings, leaving behind his jaguar, Sun, for her to inherit. When the Adversary told Lora not to believe Rachael’s story, Lora replied that it wasn’t that she believed Rachael, but rather, it was because she wanted to give peace to herself by helping. She then told Rachael that she didn’t require gratitude either, claiming that she would have taken Rachael into custody if she could.

Offended that they still didn’t believe her story, Rachael offered to show her younger brother to them, surprising both the Adversary and Lora. She then created a portal that brought them to a dark laboratory, where she presented her brother floating inside a large tank. Though the tank was dark and opaque, making it impossible to see inside, the Adversary was able to see a grotesque shape floating inside it, causing them to wonder whether the thing inside it was really a person. Rachael revealed that thanks to the ingredients that the Adversary had brought her, she had been able to slowly reconstruct her brother, to which the Adversary asked Rachael whether she was creating a chimera by fusing together parts of different creatures.

Rachael was offended to hear the Adversary calling her brother a chimera and flatly denied their accusations before sending them and Lora back to the real world. Back in Ariant, a disturbed Lora noted that the creature which they had seen was definitely a chimera and wondered whether it was really Rachael’s brother. Though she didn’t wish to jump to conclusions, she noted that what was certain was that Rachael was extremely dangerous.

Just then, she received a call from Sodane, who had requested backup in Ludibrium. Lora told the Adversary that all the cracks in Ariant had been closed, and that Elwin and Lily were already on their way to Ludibrium. She confessed that she felt disturbed by Rachael’s actions and wondered whether she had been targeting the Adversary from the beginning. She then sent the Adversary to Ludibrium, where they met with Sodane, Lily and Elwin. At Sodane’ request, the Adversary entered the nearby crack and eliminated the monsters before returning back.

After Elwin closed the crack, Sodane explained that there had been many cracks which had appeared in Kritias, with droves of monsters appearing from within. Because of this, the legendary Crusaders, Krag and Wence – the latter of whom had come out of retirement – had personally dealt with the situation, alongside Grendel himself. He added that the monsters in Kritias had been even more powerful, and that several Alliance warriors had also gone to Kritias to help put an end to the attack.

He told the Adversary that the cause of the cracks had not yet been identified, and neither had Rachael, who appeared to have no traces in Maple World at all. Lily then asked whether Rachael was the woman with blue hair and a fan, revealing that she had spotted her inside the crack in Ludibrium while the Adversary had been fighting, and that she had picked up a piece of a Timer monster. Elwin explained that he believed that Rachael had been the one creating the crack monster with symbols on them, to which the Adversary revealed that she had been experimenting with chimera to save her brother.

Elwin concluded that her brother must have been an experiment for creating the crack monsters, while Lily noted that it was rather disturbing that she would call a chimera her brother, with both siblings doubting that the creature really was related to her. Lily explained that only monsters with symbols were able to cross over into Maple World, and that she suspected that Rachael was experimenting to create a stronger chimera in order to send even more powerful monsters to attack.

Realizing that the situation had gotten quite serious, Sodane brought the group to meet with Bastille and the other Silent Crusade officers in Magatia. There, Bastille summarized the situation before turning to Lora and asking her whether she believed that the chimera was indeed Rachael’s brother. Though Lora admitted that she couldn’t be sure, she noted that it was possible that if Rachael’s brother really was sick, Rachael may have wanted to save him at any costs, even by turning him into a monster. She added that if the chimera really was Rachel’s brother, she believed that they ought to save him, as he was an innocent party in the whole affair.

Suddenly, a crack opened up and pulled the Adversary inside. As the shocked Crusaders wondered what had happened, Lora noted that just as she had suspected, Rachael had been targeting the Adversary all along, though she wondered for what purpose. Meanwhile, the Adversary was brought before Rachael, who had lowered her fan to reveal a red spiderweb mark on her face. (A/N: This mark is identical to the one that Cassius has after he’s revived by Will in Zero’s storyline.)

Rachael revealed that repairs on her brother had almost completed, thanks to their efforts. She then presented her brother, who emerged from his tank and revealed himself to be a chimera created from a fusion of the many different parts that the Adversary had collected for her. Rachael explained that her brother was nearly complete, and that all he needed to be fully functional was a mechanical heart and core from Magatia.

The Adversary then wondered whether the fact that the chimera needed mechanical parts was the reason why Rachael has said that it had been nearly ‘repaired’, rather than ‘healed’. The Adversary demanded to know how she could have done such a terrible thing, to which Rachael laughed and asked whether they thought that her brother was hideous, adding that she found him to be cute. She then asked whether they believed that it was the result of her experiment, and whether he really was her brother, causing the Adversary to wonder what she meant by that.

She explained that her brother had been sick from a young age, and that she had needed to replace his body with stronger parts, eventually leading him to appear as a monster. However, she claimed that he was nevertheless her precious little brother, even as his sense of reason had been lost after being replaced with the body parts of so many mindless, vicious monsters. She revealed that the creature was nothing more than a monster now before asking the Adversary what they planned to do now.

After thinking for a moment, the Adversary decided to defeat the chimera, to which Rachael asked them whether they were really raising their weapon at her brother. However, the Adversary declared that there was no way that the creature was her brother, claiming that she had been lying to them from the beginning. Realizing that she was the one who had sent them the letter, the Adversary demanded to know what her plan was by creating the cracks and monsters, to which Rachael laughed and congratulated them, declaring that her prediction had been correct.

At the Adversary’s confusion, Rachael revealed that her master had arranged for everything in order to test them and see what choice they would make in such a situation. Having seen their decision for herself, she told them that she would now step back and let them deal with that ‘horrible’ chimera before disappearing, leaving behind a horde of monsters to attack them.

(A/N: For Zero, when Rachael asks them whether they’re really raising their weapon at her brother, Alpha declares that there’s no way that the creature is her brother, claiming that she had been lying to them from the beginning. Realizing that she was the one who had sent them the letter, Alpha notes that Will was the one who had created the copy of Mirror World and demands to know what their plan is. Rachael realizes that the twins had likely known from the beginning, since they were the Children of the Goddess. She then reveals that Will had arranged for everything in order to test them and see what choice the Children of the Goddess would make in such a situation.

A furious Alpha and Beta demand to know why he would go to such lengths, to which Rachael laughs that she feels sorry for them because of how much they hate her, though she adds that it had all been quite necessary. However, she tells them that they had both made a good choice, and that she would now step back and let them deal with that ‘horrible’ chimera before disappearing, leaving behind a horde of monsters to attack them. Alpha decides to fight the creatures, with Beta noting that she feels at ease knowing that the chimera isn’t really Rachael’s brother.)

After defeating the monsters, the Adversary emerged back in Magatia, just as the Crusaders, Elwin, and Lily had prepared to charge in after them. Relieved to know that they were safe, Bastille brought the Adversary back to headquarters, where the Silent Crusade treated their wounds. Bastille then asked the Adversary what had happened. After hearing their account, Bastille realized that based on Lora’s report, it seemed apparent that the enemy had been planning everything to test them on the choice that they made.

Starling began wondering why anyone would want to test such a thing, to which Bastille noted that there seemed to be some sort of larger plot that they were all unaware about. However, he noted that Rachael’s master was almost certainly a Commander of the Black Mage. Starling pointed out that they had no record of any Commander with such power, causing her to wonder whether it was the work of a new Commander, with Bastille noting that they should consider it in the realm of possibility.

(A/N: Zero gets exclusive dialogue here, in which Beta whispers to Alpha and asks him whether they ought to tell them about Will. However, Alpha believes that it’s better not to say anything, as they would then have to explain everything else about how they had acquired that information.)

Lily then spoke up and told them that there was one possible person that came to mind. She revealed that a scholar had once approached Grendel in order to find out whether it was possible to create a world with spatial magic. She explained that when Grendel had claimed that it would be difficult with human strength, the scholar had not been dissuaded and had claimed that it would be possible if one had power that transcended human strength. She also noted that the scholar had left behind notes about creating a new world through pieces of another, just like the manipulated world inside the cracks. When Starling asked what the scholar’s name was, Lily replied that it was Will.

(A/N: Zero gets exclusive dialogue here, in which a disturbed Alpha notes that Will seemed to have been on the move, even back then.)

Bastille thanked Lily for the information and resolved to look more into Will, noting that with one new Commander who could manipulate dreams, and another who had just been revealed, they would need to change their investigation methods, as it was no longer sufficient to simply just track the actions of past Commanders. He then thanked the group for their report and assured them that he would pass down the information that they had gathered to the Alliance.

After the meeting ended, Bastille spoke to the Adversary and thanked them for their time as a Crusader, adding that their mission had likely been their last. At the Adversary’s confusion, Bastille told them that it was a long story and began explaining. He told the Adversary that the reason why the Silent Crusade hadn’t been able to provide them with much support on their mission had been because they had been busy investigating a powerful and enormous force flowing through the Temple of Time.

He revealed that while they had initially believed it to be another crack that led into another space, the size of that energy flow had been on an unfathomably immense scale, as though it hadn’t just been leading into another space, but rather, a small world in its own right. At the Adversary’s shock, Bastille confessed that the only person capable of such a feat had to be the Black Mage himself, and that it seemed as though his plan was about to be put into motion.

He explained that with new Commanders appearing and the Black Mage’s plan on the move, the Silent Crusade had decided that they needed to become one united front, which was why their organization was being officially absorbed by the Alliance, rather than being an independent subset. However, he assured them that since they were already part of the Alliance, it was nothing more than a name change, and that he hoped for them to continue lending their support in the future, as the beginning of the end with the Black Mage was about to unfold.

Meanwhile, in Mirror World, Rachael met with Will, who asked them how it had felt to meet the Adversary in person. Rachael laughed and told Will that she hoped that he had watched it all, to which he replied that it was different seeing it in person. Rachael then asked Will whether he believed that the Adversary was truly capable of reaching the Black Mage. Will replied that he believed that everything had happened within the expected range.

He then thanked Rachael for her hard work, adding that with Mirror World having served its purpose, it needed to be recalled. Using his powers, he absorbed Rachael before noting that it was about to slowly start. Though he didn’t know how long it would take to unfold, he added that he would wait patiently, as waiting was one of his favorite pastimes.

(A/N: Please note: the following text contains major spoilers for the Esfera storyline. If you don’t want spoilers, skip to the next section.

The purpose of Will’s experiment was to ensure that the Adversary would choose to kill Tana in Esfera, which is the pivotal moment that would ensure the Black Mage’s success in creating a new world. Similar to how the Adversary was asked to kill the chimera at the risk of potentially killing an innocent person, their choice in Esfera was to either kill Tana and stop the Black Mage from taking her power, or to spare her and allow the Black Mage to obtain everything he needs for the Genesis Ritual.

As we find out in Kao’s timeline, the Adversary did make the choice to kill Tana in the original timeline, although the circumstances that led to it resulted in them being unable to kill the Black Mage when the Genesis Ritual was enacted, prompting him to send Kao back in time in a last-ditch attempt to redo things. However, in this timeline, we instead make the choice to spare Tana’s life, which - along with a few other factors - eventually leads to us killing the Black Mage without the Genesis Ritual being enacted.)