As Rei and Dell walked through the bustling streets of Aurion, Rei turned toward his companion and asked, "So, tell me, how is your training going?"
Dell sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Sorry, Rei, but I don't think I can be of any help in the upcoming fight. My bloodline powers are just too insignificant compared to those monsters. Even if I were to awaken them to their full potential and enter a blood rampage, I doubt I could take down even one of those titans."
Rei nodded thoughtfully. "That is going to be a problem, but it's not something that can't be solved. Let me see what I can do. The crystal I kept in the box might be the key; let's see what type of new matter it has become."
"You go ahead," Dell replied. "I have some work of my own to attend to."
Upon returning to the inn, Rei went to the spot where he had kept the sealed box. To his surprise, the container had been vaporized—or rather, it had simply disappeared—leaving only the vibrating crystal behind. As Rei picked it up, he felt a rhythmic pulsing. Rei thought "why is it vibrating?" He accidentally dropped the stone, and to his shock, the floor beneath it shattered instantly, despite the crystal feeling light in his hand.
Rei picked it up again, his mind racing. It isn't heavy, yet it broke the floor. Could it be that it amplifies force? To test his theory, Rei went outside and placed the crystal on the ground. He struck it with his Chaos Scepter as if using a hammer. The crystal reacted by producing vibrations so violent that the ground disintegrated in all directions, and the force was so immense that even the Chaos Scepter was repelled from his grip.
"Just as I thought," Rei mused. "It amplifies force and radiates it outward. With this, Dell could actually participate in the battle. However, he would need something to protect his hands from the kickback of those vibrations."
Rei sought out a local specialty shop. "I am looking for ore and leather that can absorb high-frequency vibrations," he told the shopkeeper.
The merchant looked at him curiously. "That is an unusual request, but I have just the thing." He pulled two items from the back shelves. "This is Kep ore. It forms in areas rich with sound krystallites and is incredibly resistant to kinetic resonance. It costs 500 gold per gram. And this is leather from Sound Rabbits, creatures that use high-frequency attacks. It should serve your purpose well, at 1,000 gold per hide."
Rei didn't hesitate. "I will take 50 grams of Kep ore and five Sound Rabbit leathers." When the total came to 30,000 gold, Rei instructed the shopkeeper to bill the Revolutionaries at their Astria address. After verifying Rei's identity through his Hunter's Tower card, the merchant agreed. Rei returned to the inn and spent the next two days meticulously crafting a specialized gauntlet. When Dell finally returned, Rei presented him with a heavy right-hand glove embedded with the force-amplifying crystal.
Dell looked at the gear skeptically. "How is one single gauntlet going to help me fight monsters the size of mountains?"
Rei smiled thinly. "You'll see once the fight begins."
Meanwhile, in Astria, Ben and his companions were approached by an official from the Hunters' Tower. "We have several high-priced expenses made in your name," the official stated, handing over a ledger. Ben scanned the document, seeing Rei Alenshade's name and the staggering cost of materials.
"I'll pay it," Ben said, handing over the gold. "But I need you to deliver this letter and this messenger bird to the person who made these purchases."
Emilia watched the exchange. "We should tell Tenko where Rei is and have them reunite."
"No," Ben countered. "We don't know the full extent of what he's facing. He is moving toward the Five Swords Competition, which is where Kaiser is headed. We need to steer him there and then send Lyla and Tenko to meet him. That is where the real confrontation will happen."
Elsewhere, within another branch of the Hunters' Tower, Daina, Eugene, Bart, and Ava were sharing a tense meal. "We can't stay here," Daina whispered. "The Mystic Church paladins are still tracking us."
"At least let me finish my food, Daina," Bart grumbled.
"How many more days do we have to keep running?" Ava asked, her voice weary.
Eugene looked down at his hands. "They are after me. You all don't have to live like fugitives on my account."
Daina snapped her attention to him. "Don't be a fool. We don't abandon our own." Ava said "yeah that's right if we can't even save one of our own teammates what kind of weak party will we be" Eugene said "thanks everyone but I still don't see any point in continuing this life of running we need to find a way to get stronger" Daina stood up and walked toward the task board, her eyes scanning the notices until she froze. "I've got it. Our next stop."
"And where is that? will it make us strong?" Eugene asked.
Daina smirked. "No it will not but it's the thing I have been waiting for my whole life. The Five Swords Competition."
Back in Aurion City, the ten-day ultimatum reached its end. Rei and Dell stood in the center of the city as Researcher Wells climbed to the top of the highest tower. Using a powerful sound krystallite, Wells unleashed a horrendous, screeching frequency. The citizens collapsed, clutching their ears in agony, but outside the walls, the sound acted as a beacon. The sea of monsters turned toward the city, their eyes turning blood-red with mindless rage.
The ground started shaking, conveying the battle has started.
"We're going to lose," Dell muttered, staring at the horizon of approaching titans.
"No," Rei said firmly. "We will win."
Unbeknownst to Rei, the dark winds swirling from the tip of his Chaos Scepter began to manifest small, ethereal eyes. Though Rei was blind and could not see them, the darkness itself watched the approaching horde. Rei tightened his grip on his weapon and prepared to unleash the new matter he had spent a week perfecting.