Scenario:Lucio - Dawn Speaker

Dawn Speaker

One day following the Phoenix incident, Shalem demands to know what Lucio—her fellow Speaker—was doing when the Omnipotent was defeated and split in two. Finding himself suspected of betrayal, Lucio brings Shalem to the site of their master's downfall, prepared to disclose the truth.

---

Shalem: So this is it... The place where our master was felled and split in two.

Lucio: Yes.

Lucio and Shalem descend upon a deserted island covered in overgrown ruins.

Long ago, the ancient people staged a rebellion against god, which culminated in him being torn asunder.

This very site is where such events of the creation myth unfolded.

Shalem: Not a single offering of flowers to be seen. What happened to all those who worshipped him?

Lucio: The creation myth has largely been passed down as folklore. People of the current age view our master as hardly more than a construct of fantasy.

Lucio: To those unaware of its history, this place would appear as just another crumbling ancient city. The truth is not widely known.

Shalem: Oh, that's right... Thousands of years have passed since then.

Helel ben Shalem not in crew

---

Helel ben Shalem, also known as the Dusk Speaker, was created by the Omnipotent himself.

Following the commands of her master, she once worked to eradicate heretics as an inquisitor.

However, she was later confined within a mysterious artifact, where she slumbered for millennia before awakening once more.

Shalem: Hmph, enough sentimentality. I didn't come here for idle chatter.

Shalem: It's about time you talk, Sahar. There's no sense in hiding things from me.

A few hours prior to their arrival...

Shalem: There you are. Now, start talking.

Lucio: This is sudden. What do you want me to say?

Shalem: Don't play innocent with me. I've waited more than long enough.

Shalem: Let me see... Abramelin, was it? He led his people to overthrow our master.

Shalem: And the Phoenix assisted them. That explains how they accomplished feats that surpass mortal comprehension.

Shalem: But all this information is about to make my head burst. I need to sort through it.

Shalem: Why did the mortals rebel? Where were you, and what were you doing at the time?

Lucio: This feels like an inquisition.

Shalem: Dodging the subject won't get you anywhere.

Shalem: Frankly, I have my suspicions. I find myself wondering if you might be a traitor.

Lucio: ...

Lucio: You think I betrayed our master? For what purpose?

Shalem: That's what I'm trying to find out.

Lucio: Well, this is a dilemma. You're asking me to confess to something I have no recollection of.

Shalem: Your motive isn't important at this point. What matters is whether or not you aided in the defeat of our master.

Shalem: Considering your position, it would have been simple enough for you to revolt.

Lucio: Could I ask you to explain your logic?

Shalem: Your given role was to spread the word of our master and guide mankind.

Shalem: At the core of this is your natural ability to draw people in with your words and actions.

Shalem: You could have easily propagated your seditious ideas and incited the masses to rebellion. Isn't that right?

Lucio: It certainly would have been possible. Although the question of why still stands.

Lucio: For argument's sake, let's say I sided with the Godslayers. Would they have accepted me?

Lucio: Given my status as god's faithful servant, wouldn't it have been logical for them to assume that I had a hidden agenda?

Shalem: I haven't the foggiest. Knowing you, you would have made it work.

Shalem: If you refuse to come clean, I'm going to start pestering you around the clock. So you might as well give in.

Lucio: ...

Shalem: ...

Lucio: I suppose the time has come.

Lucio: You deserve to know. As a fellow Speaker and one who revered our master.

Lucio: What say we relocate? We can continue this conversation at our master's final battleground.

Shalem: His final battleground...

Shalem: It seems rather roundabout, but I'll oblige. I had planned to pay a visit there someday, so this is a good opportunity.

Shalem: With that decided, let's be on our way.

Shalem: Now, for the last time—out with it.

Shalem: You had better not be getting cold feet after all this. I'd prefer not to lose my temper.

Lucio: No, I'll tell you everything. No secrets.

Lucio: The truth is... Our master's demise is as much a mystery to me as it is to you.

Shalem: Huh?

Shalem: Is that supposed to be a joke? I'll have you know it isn't funny in the slightest.

Lucio: I have spoken no lies. You have my word.

Shalem: ...

Shalem: I want the full and honest truth.

Lucio: Of course. Let me start at the beginning...

Dawn Speaker: Scene 2

As the Dawn Speaker known as Helel ben Sahar, Lucio was responsible for spreading god's will, working to maintain the world's balance together with Helel ben Shalem, who eradicated heretics as an inquisitor. But Shalem's sudden disappearance allowed a faction called the Godslayers to grow in power, leading Lucio to commit an unforgiveable sin.

---

Helel ben Sahar—the true name of the individual now known as Lucio.

As Dawn Speaker and a servant of the Omnipotent, he was tasked with spreading god's will and guiding mankind.

Long ago, at the time of creation...

Helel ben Sahar: "I am the lord, your god."

Helel ben Sahar: "There is but a single god. Stand firm in your belief, and question not his existence."

Helel ben Sahar: "In all things, hold reverence for god, and permit no space for vanity."

Helel ben Sahar: "In the sky make your dwelling, and offer yourself in its service. Live righteously, that everlasting prosperity might be ushered unto the heavens."

Helel ben Sahar: "I am the lord."

Helel ben Sahar: Thus sayeth the lord. Hear me, children of god. Children of light.

Helel ben Sahar: Inscribe the words of the lord within your heart, and allow them to guide you down the path of virtue.

Genesis Dweller 1: O god! Blessed are we to receive your teachings!

Genesis Dweller 2: We offer our prayers to our magnificent god!

Helel ben Sahar: ...

Helel ben Shalem: Everything appears to be progressing well. People are adhering faithfully to god's teachings, and the world is steadily nearing perfection.

Helel ben Shalem: Our master will surely be pleased.

Helel ben Sahar: You were watching?

Helel ben Shalem: For the record, I wasn't spying. The fault lies with you for being in the middle of work when I arrived to deliver my report.

Helel ben Sahar: I wasn't pointing any fingers.

Helel ben Sahar: As for this report—does it concern the alleged heretic?

Helel ben Shalem: Yes. He was guilty after all.

Helel ben Shalem: He was propagating the belief that our master's ideology is evil. Furthermore, he organized a faction advocating for slaying god and was plotting a rebellion.

Helel ben Shalem: Such insolence. Who is he to question his lord's innate goodness?

Helel ben Sahar: What will be his punishment?

Helel ben Shalem: You ask an obvious question. I shall snip the buds of heresy in accordance with our master's will. There will be no exceptions.

Helel ben Sahar: I see.

Helel ben Shalem: Are you dissatisfied?

Helel ben Sahar: No, not at all.

Helel ben Sahar: If our master's will was truly ingrained among the people, heresy itself would not arise. I merely wondered if perhaps my own inadequacy was the cause.

Helel ben Shalem: Ah... You could certainly say that.

Helel ben Shalem: Yet I'm the one left to deal with the fallout. You ought to be grateful.

Helel ben Sahar: Yes, I am. Words alone cannot express my gratitude.

Helel ben Shalem: Devoid of spirit as always, I see. Shouldn't you—I don't know—be telling me to get off my high horse?

Helel ben Shalem: Regardless, you're missing the fundamental point. No matter how desperately you may try, heresy can never be fully eliminated.

Helel ben Shalem: Our master has foreseen such a scenario. Hence my presence here.

Helel ben Shalem: In other words, your very concerns themselves are both misguided and disrespectful. You hopeless fool.

Helel ben Sahar: Hahaha... You're absolutely right.

The pair would often convene to share their progress.

But the frequency of their meetings gradually decreased, until eventually days passed with no sign of Shalem.

Helel ben Sahar: O Master.

Helel ben Sahar: Recently, I have found myself unable to discern Shalem's whereabouts. Do you have any knowledge regarding this?

Omnipotent: Dawn Speaker... Bring prosperity to the skies...

Omnipotent: Forget not your purpose...

Helel ben Sahar: ...
Understood.

The absence of Shalem, the inquisitor, came to thoroughly upset the world's balance.

Godslayer: There's no telling what kind of end awaits us in a world overseen by some giant monstrosity!

Godslayer: The very existence of god is an impediment to our growth as a civilization! We have no need for god!

Godshield: God is our creator! As the progeny of god, to defy him would be too great of a sin!

Godshield: To even speak of defeating him is out of the question! Purge the idea from your minds!

A growing faction known as the Godslayers—which sought to achieve true freedom by overthrowing god—began instigating rebellions in various regions.

Conflicts with the opposing Godshields—who sided with god—were intensifying. The momentum proved to be more than Lucio could manage alone, inevitably leading to an armed clash.

Lucio: Unable to stand idly by, I was compelled to intervene against the Godslayers.

Lucio: To obey our master's command. To protect his very being. That is the purpose of my existence.

Lucio: However... I committed one sin. A sin unforgivable for a being of god's own creation.

Shalem: A sin?

Lucio: ...

Lucio: I defied our master's will.

Dawn Speaker: Scene 3

Lucio confesses that he went against god's wishes and brainwashed the people in order to diminish their resistance, only to awaken centuries later to find that god had been defeated. Following this revelation, Lucio procures a spear from the island ruins, which sends an enormous stream of information into his mind upon contact.

---

Shalem: You defied our master's will? What does that mean?

Lucio: In the midst of the fighting, I conceived of a secret plan.

Lucio: My idea was to invade the minds of the people and undermine their defiance against our master.

Lucio: This would mean stripping them of their free will... In essence, brainwashing them.

Shalem: Brainwashing? Did you really manage to pull off such a remarkable feat?

Shalem: Influencing an individual is one thing, but these are entire armies we're talking about. Wouldn't the sheer scale render it impossible?

Lucio: No—not if I were willing to risk my life. There would still be limitations, however.

Lucio: I proposed this strategy to our master... but he absolutely forbade it.

Lucio: Free will drives mortal evolution. Robbing them of it would be tantamount to opposing the perfection of the world.

Lucio: Therefore, even in the direst of situations, it could not be permitted. Such was our master's view.

Shalem: I couldn't agree more. His judgment was indeed correct—

Shalem: ...!
Wait, don't tell me...

Lucio: As you may have deduced, I carried out the strategy.

Shalem: How could you do something so foolish? Even if it was for the sake of our master...

Lucio: I can offer no excuses.

Shalem: What was the end result?

Lucio: Regrettably, I cannot say. I expended all my power during its execution and subsequently fell into a brief slumber.

Lucio: However, judging by the outcome, my plan did not succeed.

Shalem: I finally understand. You truly know nothing about our master's end.

Shalem: And I see now why you avoided the topic all this time. Because you defied his will.

Shalem: To think that you were right there by his side... If only I had been there...

Shalem: No... I have no right to judge. The root cause lies with me and me alone.

Shalem: Had I kept up with my duty, those Godslayers would not have been left to run rampant.

Shalem: What was I doing at such a critical moment? I simply cannot recall. It's so frustrating...

Shalem: Wait. You said you fell asleep, correct?

Shalem: Does that mean the same fate befell you as me? Did you only awaken recently as well?

Lucio: No, I regained consciousness a mere handful of centuries later. Thus, there wasn't much confusion in terms of my memories.

Lucio: The only confusion I faced stemmed from my own existence. What was my purpose in a Sky Realm devoid of my master?

Lucio: Unable to discern the answer, I resigned myself to play the part of an observer.

Lucio: Be it the sky god or Astral god—whichever should achieve ascendance, once they return to their original form, they remain our master.

Shalem: So that uncertainty is why you've consistently refrained from intervening. But is it truly the sole reason?

Shalem: You bear a sense of remorse. Having defied our master's will, you feel that you have no right to interfere in the world he created.

Shalem: I imagine it's something along those lines.

Lucio: It became apparent to me during the grand finale incident.

Shalem: The one caused by your clone, yes? Though I lack knowledge of the specifics.

Lucio: The success of his plan would have meant the destruction of the skies. It was not a situation I could simply ignore.

Lucio: But there was more to it than that... I couldn't help but form a connection, you see.

Lucio: My clone rebelling against the gods' designs. The ancients waging battle against our master. Both bore striking similarities.

Lucio: I had failed to protect our master once before. Suddenly I had the opportunity to defend this Sky Realm—the world he had wished for.

Lucio: Surely this was a trial for me to overcome. I had been living steeped in guilt, after all.

Lucio: And at last, I was able to atone. Even if the victory was not mine alone.

Shalem: Failure was never an option to begin with. The idea of the world collapsing during my slumber is not a pleasant thought.

Shalem: Your clone's little tantrum proved to be quite troublesome.

Lucio: Don't forget your clone was involved too.

Shalem: Hush, you.

Lucio: Hahaha...

Lucio: O Master. Allow me to pose the same question I once asked of you.

Lucio: The storm of trial is past and your wishes have been carried out. Will you not grace me with your counsel now?

Lucio: ...

Lucio: Still no reply... Not that I was expecting one.

Lucio: Hm? What was that?

As though being led by a shimmering light, Lucio discovers a rugged, sharp spear hidden in a corner of the ruins.

Lucio: What in the skies?

Lucio: ...!

The instant he touches it, countless scenes and voices rush through his mind.

Lucio: Just now...

Shalem: Hey. Are you listening, Sahar?

Lucio: Ah, forgive me. My mind was elsewhere.

Shalem: I could tell from the look on your face. Hence why I called out to you.

Shalem: Your demeanor changed when you touched that stick. Do you recognize it?

Lucio: No, I've never seen it before. Hmm...

Lucio: (This will require further investigation. Something is concealed within...)

Lucio: I believe I'll take this with me. Is that all right?

Shalem: I have no interest in collecting antiques. Do as you wish.

Shalem: Well, now that our business here is done, let's head back. My throat is parched from all that talking.

Shalem: I'd like a glass of juice. Your treat, obviously.

Lucio: Of course—provided it isn't apple juice.

Smiling at Shalem, Lucio casts a meaningful gaze at the mysterious spear now in his hands.