In the realm between reality and non-reality, between the physical and the non-physical—the Pathways of World—he stood frozen in a single moment. A familiar man with brown hair and red eyes, dressed in a button-up blue shirt, gray trousers, and laced leather shoes.
His expression was cold; his gaze appeared far more serious than that of his physical self in the Overworld or reality. His existence was not that of a physical body walking the path of destiny, but rather that of a guiding presence observing how his true self would act and the resulting consequences for his destiny.
Infori (Pathways) stood upon his path of destiny, walking it alone. Eventually, he stopped and observed the point where the path branched into three separate destinies.
Three paths of destiny should not exist; every living being has but one. They are meant to have a single destiny, and that single gateway of fate marks the end of a life.
Infori (Pathways) began to speak, his voice echoing.
"This cannot be allowed to continue any longer. I wonder what you will do now, Infori. Time marches on; everything must change in the blink of an eye."
Then, he spoke again—not to himself, but to someone who had appeared behind him. Sensing this sudden presence, he decided to address the newcomer.
"It seems someone needs a talk."
Having said this, Infori (Pathways) calmly turned around. With his back now facing the junction where the single path split into three, he fixed his gaze upon the beautiful face of the person standing just a few meters away.
She stood upon Infori's path of destiny, treading on it as if it were nothing—as if silently declaring that this single path was merely one among infinite possibilities. The golden eyes of the slender woman—clad in a black dress with a thigh-high slit and sporting long purple hair—gazed into Infori's (Pathways) glowing red eyes.
Noya flashed a mischievous grin, answering in a way that made her feelings clear through her expression alone.
"You know exactly what I want; that's precisely why I've always liked you."
Infori (Pathways) simply let out a long sigh, closing his eyes. He opened them again and replied, "Haa... Don't tease me, okay? I don't have time to get flustered or anything like that."
"Fufu~ Don't be so cold; you look cool even when you're flustered."
In response, Infori (Pathways) could only suppress her weariness at dealing with Noya, who teased him at every turn. Yet, Noya remained someone he found completely unpredictable. That was why he asked to be certain.
"Hah... You're teasing me again. Anyway, it seems you have time to talk to me. Is there something important you wanted to convey, Your Highness?"
"That's right. Something I want to tell you—something I might even need to announce to everyone in the Overworld and Underworld," she answered. Her tone had turned serious, though that signature mischievous grin remained.
"Why? Does it have anything to do with the calamity you're planning to bring about?"
"Fufu~ Don't go making wild accusations like that. Besides, once I get my hands on those seven artifacts, I'm going to proceed with caution."
Hearing that, Infori (Pathways)'s confidence instantly crumbled.
"For some reason, I have a bad feeling about that 'with caution' part."
Infori's reply annoyed Noya, though he tried to hide her irritation. "You really are something..." She resumed the conversation, steering it into much more serious territory than one might have expected.
"Hm... Well, that's a separate matter. I want to focus on one specific issue first."
"...? What is it about this time? Is it something I actually know about?" asked Infori (Pathways).
"This time, it concerns a disaster set to occur in the near future. You could say it involves a catastrophe that threatens the safety of Akasha—the Akashic Record."
Upon hearing those words, Infori's (Pathways) expression shifted instantly.
"...?!"
His mind immediately turned to a single possibility—he knew exactly what Noya meant, for this concerned something that transcended the boundaries of ordinary life.
It involved a catastrophe that would befall all of existence when it came to pass.
A single name escaped his lips spontaneously, yet he was certain of his answer. It was the name of a legend unheard of for decades or even centuries—a name that surfaced only once every hundred years.
A name destined to become the root of a crisis that every nation and race in Orleans would have to confront.
Whether in the Overworld or the Underworld.
"You mean... Vael'Nyth? Or perhaps... 'Lost in Destruction'?"
However, just as the name was spoken—and before Noya could confirm it with a "yes" or "correct"—she was interrupted by a voice calling out to her from behind.
"Your Excellency, Noya."
She recognized the voice instantly; it belonged to one of her subordinates who had arrived on the scene. Noya turned around to see Dimsk standing there, wearing a faint smile that seemed to convey a hidden message.
Sh turned to face Dimsk, impressed by the subordinate's ability to appear without him noticing.
"To appear without me realizing it... I am quite impressed."
"I am honored."
"So, do you have something for me?"
Dimsk's lips curved into a smile that looked more like an expression of genuine delight. For some reason, he felt that Noya would be proud—or at the very least, pleased—if he were to present this to her.
So, he finally handed it over: the Blades of Mirage. Dimsk lowered his left knee to the ground, keeping his right knee bent in front as a gesture of respect to Noya, the noble queen of the Pathways of World.
He then presented the Blades of Mirage to Noya. Witnessing this left Noya deeply impressed with Dimsk; a smile played upon her lips.
"....!"
The Infori (Pathways) widened its eyes in astonishment, stunned to see that Dimsk had successfully wrested the Blades of Mirage from its grasp.
"Impossible..."
Noya gazed at the Blades of Mirage in Dimsk's hands; he was signaling for her to take them.
"So, you obtained it..."
"Yes. It was quite a struggle, but now... look at what lies before you."
"Fantastic..." Noya said, pausing for a moment. After such a long wait, she could finally experience a happiness unlike anything she had ever known before.
"... This is truly extraordinary! You did well, Dimsk! Even though the Gauntlet of Rebirth has fallen into their hands... I appreciate your efforts."
Dimsk closed his eyes and spoke. "I am honored. But I apologize—I could not bring you the Gauntlet of Rebirth."
The Infori (Pathways) stared on, filled with anxiety about the events certain to unfold in the future—be it a catastrophe or something even worse.
It could only watch. It whispered softly:
"What will you do now, Infori?"