The two warriors lunged forward like exhaled breaths, slicing through the fouled air of the wasteland while the ground groaned beneath their speed. Arthur kept pace with Hiroshi, watching out of the corner of his eye as the samurai's silhouette blurred from sheer acceleration.
— Kaiyu... why did she call you that? — Arthur asked, breaking the silence as he dodged a stone pillar.
— It was the name I used in public before I joined the team — Hiroshi replied, without diverting his gaze from the target.
— More importantly... she wasn't like this. These are the side effects of the power she uses, aren't they?
— In part. She likely sacrificed her memories of my name and her current persona after certain events. By erasing her present, she has reverted to her personality from the past. That's why she's more cheerful now; it's all she has left after sacrificing her maturity to invoke such an attack.
— So it's impossible for her to be the same Charlotte we knew after this. That power is a very cruel exchange.
— Charlotte already knew that. It would sadden her if we thought about it now; it'll only lower our morale... — Hiroshi grit his teeth —. Changing the subject, our part in the plan is vital. Neura's physiology becomes much more complex every time he regenerates; he grows far stronger.
— And where do we fit in? — Arthur questioned —. If we can't kill him physically, what's the trick?
— In our reality, we see the world in three dimensions: width, height, and depth. There is a fourth that we know exists but cannot traverse: Time. Do you know why time machines don't exist? Because they never return. There is something like a "firewall" in the fourth dimension that prevents anyone from passing. Something superior erases it all.
— You plan to send him there? — Arthur frowned.
— We will send a part of his soul to the fourth dimension, but we will hold the other part here on Earth. It doesn't matter if it's just a fragment; the firewall burns the soul at the root because both parts are connected. It won't be able to stabilize, Arthur. As soon as he feels the contact, he will try to escape desperately.
— How much time do we have?
— The firewall takes exactly fifteen minutes to detect his presence and prune him. During that time, even if he seems immortal, the wear, the pain, and the sensation will weaken him. But we must not leave him alone for a single second. As soon as he knows he's being detected by the fourth dimension, he's going to attack to kill or try to flee. I trust all of you to hold him back... especially you, Arthur. You possess the greatest conviction.
— Thank you, but... how exactly will we send him?
— Through the String Machine Rune. Charlotte will invoke it, and Noah will cast him into the dimension with his strength. Neura is very overconfident right now; it's our chance.
— I don't usually talk about the "Witch" — Arthur murmured —. But it's true that you can hold onto your own soul, isn't it?
— It was a vague explanation from the Progenitor. If you die, you can be revived as long as you possess an emotion, a feeling, and a deep conviction to keep resurrecting with your body fused to your soul. But you run the risk of vanishing from existence. She herself considered it almost impossible.
Arthur unsheathed his sword with a sharp movement, causing the golden glow of his armor to pulse with strength.
— Even if it sounds like a myth, it might be the best asset we have to kill that bastard. When the moment comes, he will feel an overwhelming fear, succumbing from within.