No matter how you look at it, the outcome of this battle was inevitable.
Humans, fueled by their fiercest convictions, would overcome any obstacle, no matter how great or numerous, with confidence.
Players wouldn't lose this fight, nor would the Trailblaze team, nor Wildfire.
In the post-battle CG, Leon and Stelle stood on either side, blocking Seele and Natasha's attacks on Svarog.
"That's enough, don't you think, Svarog?"
Leon turned to the large robot, half-kneeling on the ground, and signaled Clara.
This was his promise to her.
Seele lifted her scythe from Stelle's bat, her eyes still locked on Svarog, awaiting his decision.
Her expression suggested that if Svarog reneged, she'd strike again without hesitation.
"The battle is decided. You humans have won."
Hearing Svarog speak, people from different sides collectively sighed in relief.
"Verification result: Outsiders bring variables. Humans possess the courage to transcend the present."
"Choice authority transferred. Access to Stellaron-related information granted."
Sparks occasionally burst from Svarog as he struggled to stand.
March 7th stowed her longbow. "Finally got Svarog to change his mind."
Stelle smirked. "Of course. With our strength, it's a done deal."
March 7th: "Even so, without Clara's words, Svarog probably wouldn't have budged, even in death."
Leon: "Yeah, thanks to Clara."
Achieving this outcome through conventional means wouldn't have been possible without Clara's crucial role.
To Svarog, she was immensely significant, perhaps even rivaling the Architects' directive to preserve civilization.
Seele, however, felt a sense of unreality, her expression dazed.
"Is it over…? Wildfire, the underground—we won just like that?"
"No, it's far from over—"
Natasha shook her head, her gaze shifting to the Trailblaze team.
"Our fight—and theirs—has only just begun."
Svarog: "Data and audio records related to the Stellaron have been compiled. Shall I access them now, outsiders?"
At this, Leon looked at Bronya.
Bronya took a deep breath and stepped forward slowly.
Seele: "Nervous?"
Bronya: "No, I'm just… preparing myself. As the Supreme Guardian's heir, no matter the truth, I have to accept it."
Stelle nodded. "Svarog, reveal the truth to us."
Svarog: "Accessing database, file number 13175, encryption level: maximum. Commencing playback—"
The first historical projection appeared.
Researchers presented years of findings to the Supreme Guardian.
Irrefutable evidence showed the Stellaron was the root of all disasters.
That Guardian didn't doubt it but knew the public would struggle to accept it.
The eternal frost blanketing the world had emerged after the first Guardian, Alisa Rand, activated the Stellaron.
The young succeeding Guardian chose to conceal it, ordering it never be made public.
Unless—
Researchers could find a way to destroy the Stellaron completely.
Clearly, they couldn't.
Bronya's mind kept replaying a certain phrase.
From the moment one became Supreme Guardian, a voice lingered in their mind, inescapable.
She clearly remembered Leon asking if her mother ever seemed to talk to herself, as if conversing with someone.
So, every Supreme Guardian heard that voice.
The Stellaron's corruption.
Now, the truth behind her mother's recent absurd orders seemed clear.
"File 13175 playback complete. Now playing: File 24830."
"File 24830 playback complete. Now playing: File 57614."
"File 57614 playback complete. Data presentation concluded."
From these files, everyone present understood everything.
Every generation of Supreme Guardians knew of the Stellaron's existence.
Every generation of researchers sought ways to destroy it.
Sadly, none succeeded.
The final file revealed Svarog's origins.
He was a prototype machine, a personal guard for a certain doctor, surviving from a great war 700 years ago.
Svarog's system was reset, programmed with preservation directives, and placed in the underground.
The predecessors hoped future generations would find Svarog, learn the truth, and save the world.
Bronya's expression was complex. She wanted to say something, but her lips felt heavy as lead, unable to open.
Even with mental preparation, the truth still pierced her heart.
She never forgot the motto she was taught as the Supreme Guardian's heir.
At dawn, the Guardian must shine like a star, lighting the people's path.
At night, the Guardian must be like a warm hearth, soothing their hearts.
All these years, had she been following a lie?
Seeing Bronya's distress, Seele moved to comfort her.
Leon held out a hand to stop her.
"Let Bronya process this alone. Trust she'll make the right choice."
Seele: "I still want to go to her. Don't worry, I won't say anything to disturb her."
Stelle: "Just keeping her company?"
Seele: "Something like that… I think she needs someone right now."
Leon didn't stop her this time.
"Now then—"
His gaze passed over Oleg, landing on a gentle-looking woman with a heavy cannon beside her.
"Can we talk, the true Wildfire leader, Lady Natasha?"
"Huh, what?!"
Before Natasha could respond, March 7th asked in shock:
"You—Doctor Natasha is Wildfire's leader? Then what about Uncle Oleg…?"
"Oleg's been my proxy, handling the underground's public affairs."
Natasha seemed surprised yet not entirely so.
"Thanks to his diligence, I could carve out time to manage the underground's livelihood, ensuring people don't starve on the streets."
"At the same time, I've been secretly planning to resist Svarog. Your arrival made those long-prepared plans obsolete."
"But I must thank you three for that. Without your help, this day wouldn't have come so soon."
"And it wouldn't have… been without casualties."
She'd watched the entire battle.
Whenever someone was about to be injured by Svarog, Leon always saved them at the critical moment.
With him there, the battle caused minimal damage.
And Stelle's strength exceeded expectations, serving as the main force against Svarog.
"Mr. Leon, when did you realize I was Wildfire's leader?"
"I only had suspicions before. It was confirmed when we arrived, and Oleg gave you that subtle look."
Leon smiled faintly.
Natasha nodded in realization, skipping past the identity topic and bowing deeply to the Trailblaze team.
"Thank you again, you three Nameless, for everything you've done for the underground."
Stelle waved it off casually. "Just a hero's small effort, no need for thanks. Besides, we've got our own motives."
Leon: "Now that we have the Stellaron intel, there's no reason to linger in the underground."
"Before we leave, there's something I think you, as Wildfire's leader, should hear."
Natasha paused. "Please, go ahead."