The comfortable clatter and low hum of Seventh Heaven continued, a comforting blanket over the heavy thoughts swirling in Arthur's mind.
He watched Aerith, her smile gentle and pure, completely unaware of what cruel fate awaited her.
The contrast between her innocent world and the impossible realities she must have to face was stark, almost painful.
He squeezed her hand, a silent promise to protect this warmth, this normalcy, from the brewing storm.
Outside the comforting walls of Seventh Heaven, the world was already shifting, poisoned by the carefully crafted lies of the Shinra Electric Power Company.
For weeks, ever since Avalanche's daring acts of sabotage against the Mako reactors, Shinra had been busy.
They weren't just rebuilding; they were building a narrative, a story designed to turn the people against the very group trying to save them.
News channels, controlled by Shinra, blared headlines accusing Avalanche of being a dangerous terrorist group.
They showed doctored footage of explosions, falsely claiming Avalanche caused them, and interviewed actors pretending to be victims, weeping about the destruction these "eco-terrorists" had wrought.
Flyers were plastered across the city, depicting Avalanche members as masked villains, their faces twisted in evil sneers, clutching bombs and guns.
"They're trying to destroy our way of life!"
One Shinra propaganda video screamed, featuring a well-dressed executive with a sympathetic expression.
"They don't care about the citizens of Midgar! They only care about chaos and destruction!"
The people of Midgar, many of whom relied on Shinra for their jobs and their very existence, began to believe these lies.
Whispers spread through the marketplaces and across the plateaus.
"Did you hear about Avalanche? They blew up a whole apartment complex!" or "My cousin said they're recruiting children to fight!"
Fear and anger began to replace the quiet gratitude many had felt for Avalanche's earlier actions.
In Seventh Heaven, even with the doors closed, the chill of Shinra's propaganda seeped in.
Biggs, usually so jovial, looked grim as he read a newspaper article accusing them of targeting hospitals.
"This is bad,"
He muttered, shaking his head.
"People are really starting to believe this garbage."
Jessie, ever the tech expert, had tried to hack into Shinra's networks to counter their lies, but their firewalls were too strong, their control too absolute.
"It's like they've got a direct line into everyone's brains,"
She fumed, slamming her fist on the table.
"They're twisting everything!"
Even Barret, who usually scoffed at anything Shinra said, found himself getting angrier.
"They call us terrorists? They're the ones sucking the life out of the planet!"
He roared, slamming his empty bottle onto the counter.
"We're fighting for survival, and they're calling us the bad guys!"
Tifa, ever the calm center, tried to reassure them, but even her usual optimism was strained.
"We just have to keep fighting,"
She said, wiping down the bar.
"Show them the truth through our actions."
But Arthur knew actions alone might not be enough. He understood the power of a well-crafted lie, especially when backed by a powerful corporation like Shinra.
And he knew that this was just the beginning.
Unknown to Avalanche, Shinra's propaganda campaign was just the groundwork for something far more sinister.
In the gleaming, sterile offices of the Shinra headquarters, far above the smog-choked slums, President Shinra and his top executives were finalizing a plan that would shatter Midgar and cement Avalanche's image as irredeemable villains.
"The public sentiment is turning,"
President Shinra's voice, cold and detached, echoed through the vast boardroom.
"They are beginning to see Avalanche as the threat they truly are."
Reeve Tuesti, the head of Urban Development and the creator of the city's Mako reactors, shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
He was a man of principles, and the plan they were discussing made his stomach churn.
"With all due respect, President,"
Reeve began, his voice hesitant,
"Collapsing Sector 7... the civilian casualties would be immense."
President Shinra merely raised an eyebrow, his gaze unwavering.
"A necessary sacrifice, Reeve. A demonstration. We will make it clear that Avalanche's reckless actions have consequences. The people will demand their eradication."
He gestured to a holographic display that showed a detailed blueprint of Sector 7, the massive plate that housed thousands of homes and businesses, built precariously above the Midgar slums. A red X marked a crucial support pillar.
"We will sabotage the main support beam of the Sector 7 plate,"
Shinra explained, his voice chillingly calm.
"The blame, of course, will fall squarely on Avalanche. Their constant attacks on our reactors, their 'eco-terrorism,' will be seen as the direct cause of this tragedy. We will claim they over-pressured the Mako lines beneath the plate, leading to structural failure."
Scarlet, the head of Weapons Development, smirked.
"Brilliant, Mr. President. The optics will be devastating for them. We'll have news crews ready to capture the 'aftermath,' focusing on the destruction and the suffering. It will be undeniable proof of their villainy."
Heidegger, head of Public Security, chuckled, a guttural sound.
"And then, we move in. The public will demand justice. We will crush Avalanche once and for all, with full public support."
Reeve's hands clenched under the table. He imagined the thousands of innocent lives that would be lost, the homes destroyed, the families torn apart, all for a political maneuver.
He wanted to scream, to protest, but he knew it was futile. His voice was a whisper against the roar of their ambition. He could only watch, a horrified witness to the planning of a catastrophe.
The plan was simple in its cruelty. Shinra would deploy specialized demolition teams to weaken the critical support structure of the Sector 7 plate.
They would time it perfectly, ensuring maximum impact and maximum blame on Avalanche. When the plate fell, crashing down onto the slums below, the ensuing chaos and devastation would be attributed entirely to Avalanche's "terrorist activities."
They would even arrange for staged "rescue efforts" where Shinra personnel would appear as heroes, further cementing their image as the protectors of Midgar, while Avalanche was painted as the destroyers.
As the meeting concluded, President Shinra looked out over the gleaming city, his expression devoid of emotion.
"Midgar will be safe,"
He declared,
"Once we have purged this… infestation."
Back in the dim warmth of Seventh Heaven, Arthur felt a prickle of unease. The Whisperer's warning about "correction" and "diverging fates" echoed in his mind.
He knew Shinra was powerful, but this feeling was different, heavier. It felt like something immense was about to happen, something that would change everything.
He looked at Cloudia, still by the dartboard, her gaze distant, lost in her own fragmented memories.
Her connection to Sephira, to that "impossible, otherworldly quality" she'd sensed in him, hinted at a deeper understanding, a shared burden of secrets.
He wondered if she, too, felt the shift in the air, the subtle trembling of fate.
He also considered the words of Great Red and Ophis: "Strengthen that connection. Become more entwined with this reality." And "learn to hide your true nature." The idea of being "nerfed" or "overpowered" within the confines of this world's reality was a bizarre tightrope walk.
He had to be strong enough to protect them, but not so strong that he drew too much attention from the Whisperers.
The immediate danger of Shinra's propaganda was clear, but the cosmic dangers, the ones only he seemed to perceive, were a silent, relentless pressure.
He was caught between a corporation that wanted to brand him a terrorist and cosmic guardians who wanted to erase him.
As the night wore on, and the laughter and chatter of his friends slowly died down, replaced by the soft snores of Biggs and Wedge, Arthur remained awake.
He held Aerith's hand, feeling the gentle pulse of the Lifestream through her. It was his anchor, his connection to this world, to its people, to its very life force.
He knew he had to protect them. All of them. And he knew, with a chilling certainty, that the quiet evening in Seventh Heaven was just the calm before a very, very big storm.
The fight for Midgar, for the planet, and for his very existence, was only just beginning. He had to be more ready.
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Craze: Rimuru is a she not a he even before she reincarnated. She is a woman of culture and trust Arthur completely.
Next thete will be Shuna and Shion... And Milim!
Our future dragon god is going to have a field work today hehe. He needed a lot of strong mate!