The clouds sweeping over the open field by the cliff wall passed, and the moonlight shone below. As it did, Lloyd took a deep breath and shut his eyes.
The purple glimmer they gave off once he opened them again was caught by Nishimura, and he couldn't help but give off a smirk.
"So you're a Novarian," he said. "I can't say that I'm not surprised, though I had my doubts about you."
"Have we become that rare in just a single decade after Argon fell?" Lloyd said. "It's almost like the world is forgetting about us."
"Of course it is," he said. "There's no time to dwell on the past, is there?"
"So if you really aren't an easterner, then let me ask: what is your real name?" he asked.
"It's Lloyd Iris."
"How forward."
"There's no reason for me to hide my real name at this point, is there?" Lloyd said. "All it goes to show is that I intend on walking out of this place."
"Is that so? Then I guess that I have no choice but to do the same," he said. "My name is Renthos, just Renthos."
"There seems to be some history behind that, but I won't ask," Lloyd said. "I'm much more focused on the present."
"Oh, then let me ask: what brings such a rare specimen as yourself to a place like this?"
"What, I can't go places anymore?"
"Well, from my point of view, you have no ties to this place or these people, so why are you here trying to get in our way?"
"Is that why you were sent here, to determine what our objectives are?"
"More or less."
"I think it should be clear to you by now that we are purely reflexive. We're only fighting to stop you from massacring the people of this town."
"Is that it? Here I was assuming that you had some grand scheme concocted against us, but it's something as simple as playing hero."
"Whatever the reason, we're already here, so what's your next move, Renthos?"
"Your priorities seem to be completely off. You should be asking some serious questions, or at least trying to get some meaningful replies from me. It would be interesting to see your reactions to them."
"What are you going on about?"
"For example, what if I was to tell you that there are some Novarians alive out there somewhere?" Renthos said as he closely monitored his reaction, expecting a lapse in his stance from the news or at least a shift in his expression to know whether the subject was worth using to his advantage. And sure enough, it did, but the reply that came after it was not what he expected.
With a sigh, he said, "Just when I thought I was moving on, you try to bring back these painful memories and that feeling of hatred. Did you think that telling me that would send me into a frenzy of righteous fury?"
"So are you saying that you don't care about them?"
"Right now, what I care about is stopping you right here to protect this new life that I've built and those who helped me build it."
"So that matters more to you, huh? So you really are foolish, then," he said with a disappointed tone.
"The question you should be asking is whether your actions serve your best interests. Where will your loyalty take you? Doing things out of the goodness of your heart is absurd. The best you can get if you succeed is empty praise," he continued. "You should always seek the better outcome for yourself, regardless of those around you."
"Instead of searching for the answers that serve your best interests, you're throwing your life away for something so absurd."
"Is that your way of living? Always thinking about how you can benefit from others and get an edge out of any situation?" Lloyd asked. "In the end, all you're after is a comfortable road to survival. That is such an empty existence, and I reject it."
"Your view of the world, your view on justice, the actions that you take because of those views—I reject them all, and I reject you."
"Did you think that because you're standing there passing judgment on me that it makes you any wiser? All you're doing here is abandoning the knowledge regarding your home and your chance at ever getting it back for the fleeting life that you have now."
He gripped the two daggers in his arms tightly as he said, "At the end of it all, you better ask yourself if it was worth it, and when your life flashes before your eyes, you'll be sure that it wasn't."
Lloyd held on to the handle of his bow tighter as he said, "I thought I already told you that I'll be walking out of here. One way or another."
"Is that right."
The moonlight faded into shadow as more clouds swept past, and with it, the glimmer from his eyes dimmed.
To Renthos, it felt as if the shadows were darker somehow, like they were swallowing any light that was piercing through. That one thought made him let his guard down for just an instant, and Lloyd didn't waste that chance.
He charged, and as he did, several projectiles of purple energy shot from the shadows surrounding the two of them, coming at him from all directions.
He dodged and parried a few with his daggers, but before he knew it, Lloyd was already in striking range. Instead of reaching for the sword on his waist, he took apart his bow at the handle, forming two blades that he used to attack.
With his left blade, he swung at him, but Renthos deflected the attack, only for Lloyd to immediately turn and strike with the other.
He leapt back out of the way and went for the attack, but as he did, he noticed something strange with his left hand.
The skin on it was peeling off as if set on fire, and it was spreading to his face. It only stopped short of his entire face, revealing his sharp green eyes and brilliant emerald hair, along with the fangs in his teeth.
Confused, he quickly shifted to defense and pulled back the first chance he got.
"What is happening?" he asked himself before turning to Lloyd. "Are they responsible for this somehow?"
Before he could even think to ask, Lloyd connected the ends of the two blades to form his bow again and, with a faint strand of dark energy, he drew an arrow of the same energy as the projectiles from before.
"Takae must have succeeded," he thought. "But something seems wrong. Did she miss something?"
Renthos quickly got back into his attack stance.
"I can focus on that now. I can't let him get the upper hand, or else I'm finished."
So he aimed it at him and fired. The streak of light it gave off as it shot away reflected in his eyes as it shot toward him.
Instead of trying to avoid it, he swung straight at it and cut it in two. Then he charged at him.
Lloyd dropped the bow into the shadow at his feet, and it fell inside it before he reached to his side to draw his sword.
As he did, he immediately swung it to counter Renthos' incoming strike, and the weapons clashed, sparking the air.