A/N: It's been almost half a year since my last chapter so here's a new one. Thanks to Soreile pointing out the existence of the 1st Ar Tonelico Novel. I did read through it and I became motivated to release this chapter because of it.

I did took note of the other things you said so I made a few small changes to the 1st chapter. I also edited the 2nd chapter somewhat due to the anonymous reviewer's comments.

And thank you Soreile for your compliment. I don't think I'm a good writer or anything, but I do appreciate your compliment.

CHAPTER III: A Dangerous Foe

"Why did Ayatane pass the test, but I didn't!?" Lyner demanded, but his father merely looked at him with an emotionless expression. "Did I do something wrong?"

Again, his father remained silent and showed no sign that he was going to answer Lyner's demand. A hostile tension separated the father and son and as Lyner was about to storm out of the Grand Cathedral, Shurelia made her own appearance on the matter.

"Lyner has met every requirement to be a Knight of Elemia. I don't see any reason why he hasn't been passed yet."

Under Shurelia's scrutiny, Leard begrudgingly opened up. "Lyner, you can't play with swords forever. You need to mature into a better person to become my successor and govern Platina!"

Lyner gritted his teeth and then shouted, "Stop deciding things for me! I don't want to be like you who sneaks around trying to control things behind the scenes. And I'll never be part of politics."

Amidst the turbulence, Shurelia intervened with a calm and composed voice. "Commander. You can't force someone to change their dreams. Especially when they work so hard like Lyner."

Leard turned around and mulled over Shurelia's words before he grunted and said, "Out of respect for Lady Shurelia...I will pass you this time. But! Someday, you will go into politics."

"...ner. Lyner...Hey Lyner! Wake up already!"

"Urggh," Lyner groaned before he felt a sharp piercing pain in his abdomen. "Hrgggh!" His eyes shot wide opened and an image of Jack came into focus along with Jack's elbow sinking deep into his abdomen, Jack's mechanical elbow.

"Oh? So you're awake now," Jack said nonchalantly. "You wouldn't get up no matter what I said so I had to get physical."

"I get it..., but did you have to elbow drop with your right arm?" Lyner groaned once again as he struggled to get up on his feet. It seemed that he was still fighting with fatigue in his body. "First a bad dream and then a terrible wake up call? What's next?" He hoped that this wasn't a bad omen for the rest of his day.

"I would've let you sleep in, but I knew that you're in a rush with your mission. If we don't leave now, then we might reach the city by nightfall and we'll probably get nothing done until the next day."

"Okay, I'm up," Lyner said, somehow feeling reenergized and ready to get on with his day.

They ate a quick breakfast at the inn and then bid the innkeeper farewell before heading out.

"So where is Nemo anyway?" Lyner asked after they left the village's gate. He thought it might be a good idea to understand the layout of the lower world in case he had to travel alone again.

"We'll be going through Cello Forest to the south and then move southeast until we reach Nemo. It's situated pretty close to the tower's base."

"Is that right?" Lyner was thinking about finding some way to enter the inner tower to return home once he got the Hymmn Crystal. Nemo seems like a good place to start with that. "How long till we get to Nemo?"

"I'd wager 6 hours, give or take," Jack replied, rubbing his chin.

"That long huh?" Lyner said, suddenly feeling very tired again.

"Eh, it might seem long, but the time will just fly by if we do something to take our minds off of it."

"Like what?"

"I don't know." Jack hummed as he thought about it. "How about singing some kind of song? Are there any typical songs that the people of Platina like to sing? We should sing them."

Lyner frowned at the prospect. "There is, but...How about you start singing something instead?"

"Me? Well, okay." Jack grinned and said, "My hometown has a few good songs too."

Lyner and Jack spent most of their journey to Nemo singing various songs that came to mind. They had met a number of people in the small villages that were between the Cello Forest and Nemo. The villagers were amused by the odd singing duo, a knight in armor and a man with a mechanical arm and cloak. It was suggested that they were a small traveling performance group which they vehemently denied.

"You have a surprisingly good singing voice," Lyner admit with a hint of astonishment. "You honestly look like someone who is tone deaf."

"Thanks...I guess," Jack said, choosing to interpret Lyner's words as a compliment. "Well, you're not too bad yourself. Just need to practice a few more. Well regardless, we're nothing compared to Reyvateils."

"That's true," Lyner agreed with a nod. "...Is that what I think it is?" He noticed many buildings appearing over the horizon.

"You guessed it, that's Airport City Nemo. We're almost there. And since we're pretty close, I got some advice for you."

"What kind?"

"Don't let anyone know that you're from Platina or an Elemia Knight."

"Why not?"

"It'll draw all sorts of bad attention and trouble. Just trust me on this." Jack gave Lyner a serious solemn expression.

"Sure, I'll keep that in mind," Lyner replied after taking a moment to think about it. Jack has been pretty helpful to him so far so he doesn't have a reason to doubt him. Well, it's not like he's going to tell everybody he'll meet that he's from Platina either way.

"All I can say is...wow..." Lyner commented with astonishment as he marveled the city that was known as the Lower World's capital. In almost every direction he could see, there were many buildings and houses, most of them were in close proximity with one another. He would probably say that Platina had the more interesting architect style with the use of glass materials in the buildings, but Nemo was a much bigger city filled with large crowds. Probably because of that, it felt even more alive and active than his home.

Some of the buildings were high rises that reached up towards the several floating islands that looked like it had its own residential and business districts. The water from the floating islands flowed down onto the lower area, creating a massive waterfall. "What an interesting city. I thought every city in the Lower World was like Karulu Village."

"You like what you see?" Jack asked, noticing Lyner's wide opened mouth like an excited dog on a walk.

"Heck yes." Lyner vigorously nodded his head. "Everything is all so new to me."

Jack grinned at Lyner's response and then looked around. "So where should we start? Any ideas or do you want me to take the lead?"

"I have no idea where to even begin so I'll take you up on your gracious offer."

"Then let's get on a trolley and head deeper into the city. I think our destination should be Hoshinose Avenue. And on the way, we can pick up something to eat too."

"Sounds like a plan."

And with that, they hitched a ride on a passing trolley. As Lyner observed his surroundings, Jack was noting some of the important areas of the city such as the airport, Songstone Park, and the Church of El Elemia.

"So this is where those Church guys are from..." Lyner said.

"You met someone from the Church already? They aren't bad like Tenba, but I'd rather not get mix up with the Church either. You might want to do the same."

Lyner didn't respond to Jack's suggestion, but merely watched the dozens of people walking up and down the road. After they crossed some market stands, Lyner jumped off the trolley and headed towards one of the stand.

"Hey Lyner, what're you doing?" Jack called out before he too followed after him.

"I smelled something good so I wanted to see what it was." Lyner sniffed the air and they both then heard the growl of a hungry empty stomach.

Jack sighed and rubbed his head. "Well, we're almost at Hoshinose Avenue anyway and we didn't eat much on the road so I guess it's fine."

"So what'll be, young man?" An old man asked as Lyner approached his food stand.

Lyner breathed in the warm scent of the pieces of brown meat that were sizzling on the grill. His mouth watered heavily as he stared at the food. "I'll take some of these."

"Coming right up," the old man said as he plated several pieces of meat and handed it to Lyner. He then turned to Jack and asked, "And how about you, sir?"

"Sir?" Jack furrowed his eyebrows. "How come he gets a young man while I get a sir? Whatever, just give me the same."

After they had paid the man, the two began eating their meal. Lyner had practically devoured his food like a hungry wolf and quickly asked for seconds.

"Geez, slow down will you?" Jack advised with a sigh. "If you start choking, then-"

A woman's loud cry interrupted Jack and everybody's attention turned to the north.

"What was that?" Jack asked, preparing for combat.

Lyner put down his plate and said, "Don't know, but I'm heading over to where it came from." It wasn't a simple task however as Lyner ran into a large group of people frantically running for their lives towards him and blocking most of the street. He had to practically shove a few screaming people away in order to break through and once he did, he entered what looked like a large open plaza. His eyes darted quickly from one part to another and then his object of interest came into view.

At the far end of the plaza, there was a metallic floating humanoid machine that didn't have any limbs. Near the bottom of the machine was a conspicuous floating pod. Confronting the machine were two knights that had the same armor as the ones he saw in Karulu Village. One knight was on his knee and struggled to stand up while his companion was still engaged in battle, but he appeared to be injured and exhausted. There were noticeable burn marks on both of their armors.

"That's A.B.R., the Tower Guardian," Lyner said with alarm. "Why is it attacking humans?"

"Does it matter?" Jack asked once he caught up to Lyner. "We have to help them."

"You're right, let's go!"

Lyner and Jack got closer and stepped in front of the two knights. "Let us take care of this so get somewhere safe," Lyner ordered.

"Y-Yes, thank you," one of the knights said and hurriedly helped his companion to retreat.

A.B.R. began chasing after the knights, but Jack fired a shot at it, bringing its attention to them. "Your fight's now with us pal so you aren't going anywhere."

Lyner moved into his battle stance and was about to deliver a strike when out of the corner of his eye, a girl appeared from around the corner and nearly ran head first into A.B.R.

"Aah!" She cried out and began to slowly back away.

"Is that girl again...Aurica," Lyner said as he recognized the brunette he'd met in Karulu Village. When he saw A.B.R.'s floating pod began to spin around before it fired off red lasers at Aurica, Lyner flew in a flash towards her and deflected the incoming red lasers with his sword. "Whew, are you okay?"

"...Why did you...?" Aurica murmured, seemingly in a small state of shock.

"You should hurry and get away too." Lyner readied his blade and dove at A.B.R. with a slash to its abdomen, leaving only a minor dent. "It's armor is tough as expected. Then how about this one?" He swiftly evaded the subsequent laser attack with a simple spin of his body and made a leaping upward slash before descending like a meteorite, creating a deeper cut this time around.

Jack assisted by attacking A.B.R.'s exposed areas with rapid rifle shots, taking advantage of Lyner drawing A.B.R.'s attention away. He was using an overturn food stand as cover from a distance. He didn't have the same athletic body as Lyner so it'd be difficult for him to actually avoid any laser beams if he got too close. "Hopefully I don't run out of ammo before all of this is over." He frowned as he saw an incoming stray laser beam and ducked for cover.

Lyner continued his rush attack in the meantime, but when A.B.R. unleashed several laser beams all at once, he jumped to the side and placed his right hand on the ground as if he was doing a half cartwheel to dodge the spread attack. To his surprised, he landed near Aurica whose feet appeared to have been glued stuck to the ground. "What are you still doing here?" He demanded in a loud voice.

"Ah...I..." Aurica took only one step back, but then balls of light appeared and enveloped their bodies including Jack's. "What is this?"

"...Harmonics? Look out!" Lyner pushed Aurica out of the way of an incoming laser beam attack.

After Aurica regained her composure, she looked down near her feet at the cracked shattered area where the beam had landed.

Noticing that Jack was now drawing A.B.R.'s attention with a few accurate shots to its body, Lyner asked Aurica in a surprise tone, "Are you Reyvateil?" After she remained silent, he continued, "Then you should help us by singing a song."

"What? I can't do it." She vigorously shook her head. "I'm just a D-Class Reyvateil so I'm useless."

"D-Class?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I don't know what that is, but I'm sure you could help us." He placed a hand on her shoulder and pleaded, "Please...I think with your help, we can finish this fight a lot faster and with less damage to the city."

She gazed into his determined eyes for what seemed like a long moment and then she nodded her head, her own eyes becoming serious and determined . "Okay. I'll do it. But what should I sing?"

"Do you know any attack songs?" He asked with a grin.

"Yes, I do know one."

"Good, then sing that one and begin to charge it up."

After receiving his instructions, her lips moved rapidly and formed words from the Hymmnos language that created a ball of light above her head. A beautiful song then echoed across the area, drawing nearby citizens from their hiding spots to witness the battle.

"So this is Harmonics," Jack muttered to himself as he looked at his slightly glowing hands. "My body feels lighter and flowing with power. Let's see if we can end this battle soon!" He shouted to Lyner.

"I'm with you," Lyner replied as he charged his blade and unleashed a green wave of light. "Impulse!" The wave knocked A.B.R. into the wall behind it, breaking off a small chunk of metal.

Jack moved closer and unleashed a barrage of bullets onto the machine, but it seemed unfazed as it quickly launched itself towards Lyner who managed to evade the attack by mere inches.

A.B.R.'s surprising change of tactics didn't stop there as it spun rapidly around before laser beams shot out in all directions.

Lyner was about to find cover for himself, but when he saw several laser beams flying towards Aurica again, he leapt in front of her. This time however, he covered his body with his gauntlet and blade to shield the girl from damage. "Hrgggh," he quietly growled from the blast. When the attack was over, he lowered his guard and saw his gauntlet partially charred black and sizzling with heat.

"Why did you step in front of me?" She asked with wide eyes. "You could've just saved yourself."

"Are you stupid?" Lyner spat. "You're defenseless while singing so I had to protect you! That is what comrades do in battle. Now don't worry about me and continue singing."

"I'm...your comrade?"

"Of course. What else would we be in this battle?" And with that, Lyner readied his blade once more and reengage in combat with the machine. He lunged at it and executed a flurry of slashes that scrapped off more pieces of metal and it seemed to have stopped in its tracks.

By then, a number of citizens appeared from their hiding places and had their eyes glued to the intense battle in front of them.

Lyner quickly ran circles around A.B.R. and all the while, slowly hacking away at its armor and sending some of its pieces flying off.

A.B.R. struggled to get Lyner within its targets during his attacks so it fired off laser beams as fast as it could from many directions.

Lyner had kept a close eye on the laser beams and Aurica's location in case he had to shield her again. There was one that had almost struck him, but he leapt over it and struck A.B.R. so hard that it was sent flying into another wall. He planned to charge forward and continue his assault, but a sudden large beams shot out, causing him to awkwardly evade to the side where he tripped and fell to the ground.

A.B.R. hovered over Lyner and was about to shoot Lyner when Jack jumped out of his cover and threw a small explosive at it.

"Take this and that you bucket of bolts!" Jack screamed as he unloaded bullets after bullets onto the thick armored machine.

The attacks caused A.B.R. to turn its attention to Jack, but before it could unleash an attack, Lyner struck it hard from behind.

Lyner didn't stop there as he continued with a wild sword dance to scrap off even more of A.B.R.'s armor.

In the meantime, Aurica's energy ball that had started off as the size of a large watermelon had now became almost ten times bigger. "I...can't hold on anymore..." She warned in a pained voice, as if her body was breaking down under the large ball's weight.

With one glance at the energy ball, Lyner cleared himself from the area and ordered, "Okay, you can unleash the song now."

Without anymore delays, she threw her hands forward with a shout. "Hah!" The energy ball flew forward and it completely enveloped the machine before the ball exploded with a loud boom, shattering the nearby windows and knocking Aurica off of her feet.

After the dust cleared, they saw A.B.R. still floating above ground, but there were many cracks and holes on its armor. It appeared that it was no longer any threat, but when it began to shake violently, Lyner grew alarmed and shouted, "Damn, it's going to self-destruct!"

"Then we have to take cover!" Jack advised.

"There's no time," Lyner said before he jumped high into the air and then split A.B.R. in half on his way down. After noticing the lights on A.B.R. had turned off and that it remained motionless for a long moment, he breathed out a sigh of relief and sheathed his blade. "That was a close one." He turned to his side and saw Aurica still on the ground, looking a little dazed and confused. "Are you alright?" He leaned down and held out a hand to her.

"Huh? Ah, y-yes." She took his hand and pulled herself up. "Thank you."

It was then that a large number of citizens descended onto the plaza and it became full of loud boisterous cheers and celebration.

"When did all of these people appear?" Lyner asked with surprise.

"They were here since a while ago," Jack replied with a frown. He looked at the crowd who were pointing their fingers at Lyner and he heard the words "Apostle of Elemia" echoed around them. "You shouldn't have shown off like that," he whispered to Lyner. "People are figuring out who you are."

Lyner looked at the surrounding people who were all closely watching him with eyes full of awe. "It's not like I could help it. That's just how I fight." He shrugged his shoulders.

Jack shook his head disappointedly and said, "I'd warned you already so whatever happens, it's your fault."

Instead of answering him, Lyner returned his attention to Aurica. "Thanks again for the help. Who knows what would've happened if you weren't here."

"No I...didn't do much," she mumbled and lowered her head.

Lyner was about to something else to her, but he was interrupted by the appearance of a familiar knight.

"I heard that it was you three who stopped that machine," Radolf said, accompanied by one of the knights who had retreated earlier. "It would've been a disaster if not for your help. And thanks for saving Aurica's life as well." He nodded his head in approval. "I believe your name was...Lyner, right? We met in Karulu."

"That's right. To think we would meet again," Lyner said with a large smile. "It's good to see you again."

"The feeling's mutual. And your friend is...?" He looked at Jack who had remained silent throughout their reunion.

"I'm Jack."

"Nice to meet you Jack and thanks for your help too."

"It was nothing," Jack murmured. "He did most of the work."

Radolf smiled and returned his attention to Lyner. "Will you come by the Church later? I want you to meet someone and to repay you too of course."

Lyner glanced at Jack who just shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, I'll head over when I can. I think I could use your help as well."

"Excellent! Just head south from here and cross the bridge to find our Church. It's very hard to miss." Radolf shook Lyner and Jack's hands before leaving for the Church.

Aurica followed after Radolf, but not before quickly glancing at Lyner one more time. She was expressionless so Lyner wasn't sure what she was thinking.

"Well, what do we do now?" Jack asked, rubbing his chin.

Lyner watched the church knights along with their Reyvateils provide medical treatment to some of the injured. Luckily, there did not appear to be any fatalities or any severe injuries. There were a lot of rubble, destroyed stands and collapsed walls however. "I don't have any particular destination so if the Church can help me, I think we should just go to them now rather than waste any time."

"Still in a rush, huh. I don't have a specific destination either so let's go to the Church. It's to the south so we need to find a trolley."

"Right." Lyner followed Jack out of the plaza, but he stopped for a moment and turned around. "I feel like somebody's watching me..." It felt different from how the other people were watching him earlier. The gazed that he now felt was kind of...sinister. The feeling quickly disappeared however so he continued towards the Church. "No, it's probably just my imagination."

Aurica returned to the Church ahead of Radolf and as she sat down on a bench, looking up at the clear blue sky, she thought back to what had happened in Hoshinose Avenue. It was supposed to be a normal shopping trip, but it was interrupted by a loud commotion. Unsure of whether it was because of her duty as a member of the Church or merely her own curiosity, but she had to check it out.

"Thanks again for the help. Who knows what would've happened if you weren't here."

She mulled over his words once again. It came as a large surprise to her because she couldn't remember when was the last time someone had thanked her.

"Was I...useful?" Even though she didn't deliver the finishing blow or even did much overall, she did contribute to the battle. "Maybe I just got lucky." She let out a depressing sigh.

"His name was...Lyner I think. Maybe he really is an Apostle of Elemia. If I met one, then maybe I could meet the Goddesses too."

A giddy smile appeared on her young face, unbeknownst to her.

"So here we are," Jack announced. "I admit that I never visited the Church's headquarters myself so it's a first for me too."

"It's really...big," Lyner commented upon stepping up to the large gates. There was one massive building in the center and surrounding it were many smaller buildings. None of the Church buildings were as tall as the Grand Cathedral back in Platina, but they encompassed a larger area of land. Because of the significant number of armed knights moving around the wide courtyard and the sentries posted on the tall towers made the place seemed like a military base. It wasn't as "spiritual" of a place as he had expected.

"Halt, who goes there?" A guard asked, raising his spear.

"Uh...we're expected?"

"Hmm?" The guard furrowed his eyebrow. "Blond hair wearing a different type of armor compared to our own. And a companion with a green cloak and a steel arm...You must be the heroes I heard from the Cardinal." His manner of speech suddenly changed. "Forgive me. I didn't recognize the two of you at first. Especially you o' Great Apostle of Elemia. Please proceed." He nodded to someone behind the gate before it opened.

"So this is what a V.I.P. feels like," Jack murmured as he walked through the gate and into the courtyard.

Lyner merely sighed. It wasn't long after until they met Radolf and Aurica on the way who were busy talking with a few knights and Reyvateils.

"You're here earlier than expected," Radolf greeted. "Then let us proceed to the inner sanctum."

Lyner and Jack followed Radolf and entered the large central building. As they moved through several hallways, Lyner noticed many of the knights and Reyvateils were staring at him and talking energetically with each other.

"Seems like rumors spread quickly within the Church," Jack leaned in and whispered.

Lyner mumbled something under his breath as he was growing uncomfortable with all of the attention he was receiving.

After a while, they found themselves in an audience chamber of sorts. There were a small set of stairs leading up to the upper area with a podium in the center and an organ against the wall to the left. However, what caught Lyner's eyes was the statue monument against the rear wall.

"To think there's one down here too," Lyner murmured. It was nearly identical to the one he often saw at Apsaranika Park. Now that he thought about it, he might've seen another one at Hoshinose Avenue.

Radolf approached the two knights who appeared to be standing guard in the chambers. "Is Bishop Falss around?"

"He's not in right now, Cardinal," one of the knights replied.

A trouble expression appeared on Radolf's face. "...I see. Do you know when he'll be back?"

"He should be back tomorrow."

"Is that so? Okay, thank you." Radolf returned to the group with the bad news. "I'm sorry, but the man I wanted you to meet won't be back until tomorrow."

Lyner didn't hide his disappointment, but he didn't let that get him down. "I see. But since we're here, what is this place anyway?"

Radolf was visibly surprised at the question. "Seeing as how you don't know, then I guess you really are an Apostle of Elemia since the Church's influence reaches far and wide."

Lyner didn't say anything else and instead, allowed Radolf to continue.

"But to answer your question, this is Elemia Church where our ancient Goddesses, the Trio of Elemia are enshrined."

"Trio of Elemia? I never heard of them."

"I'm not surprised because they aren't well known among the Apostles of Elemia. Through their singing, the Trio healed people, rejuvenated their lives, and advanced human technologies."

In the corner of his eye, Lyner noticed Aurica paying close attention to Radolf's explanation. "Sounds like they are amazing people."

"Yes...And rumor has it, the three Goddesses came from a time when people lived on Land and not in the Clouds. The goal of the Church is to revive the Goddesses and restore their former glory."

"So that's what the Elemia Church is about."

"Well, that's not all what we do and it isn't our main mission," Radolf explained with a frowned. "It's to create a world as peaceful as that era."

"I like that idea better." Lyner nodded in approval.

"You do?" A large smile appeared on Radolf's face. "I'm happy that you agree as well!...Ah, it seems like I kept you for a while."

"No worries. I wanted to learn more about the Church anyway."

"Since you came over for nothing, let me make arrangements for a place to stay for the night. I'll have someone pick you up tomorrow." He then turned to Aurica who now appeared distracted and uninterested after the Trio of Elemia's explanation was over. "Aurica?"

"Y-Yes," Aurica answered, looking a bit flustered.

"Can you escort Lyner and Jack to the inn?"

She hesitated a moment before she agreed with a, "Yes."

The group left the Church and got on a trolley to Hoshinose Avenue where they got off. The sun had already set as the dark sky moved to take its place. Along the way, Jack didn't utter a single word while Lyner tried to start a conversation with Aurica, but it didn't seem like she was interested.

"Is it just me, but isn't the air quite...gloomy?" Jack whispered aloud.

Aurica came to a sudden halt that caught Lyner by surprised.

"What's wrong?" Lyner asked.

"I think I'm causing him to be uneasy," Aurica quietly admitted.

"Who? Jack?" Lyner looked at Jack who casually looked away. "I don't think that's true..."

With a sad smile, she said, "Why don't the both of you take some time to explore the city while I head over to the inn first? It'd be a lot more fun if you didn't have to worry about me. So once you're done exploring, please head to the inn so I can check you in. The inn isn't far from here. Just keep heading straight up the road and you won't miss it."

"Wait, Aurica!" Lyner called out to her, but she had quickly disappeared from his sight.

Jack let out a long sigh. "She is pretty gloomy you know."

"I can't believe you actually told her that," Lyner admonished with a frown.

"I didn't really intend to her hurt feelings," Jack mumbled. "It just came out. So anyway, do you want to keep looking around the city?"

Lyner stifled a yawn before answering. "Not really. I'm pretty exhausted from everything that happened today. I don't think I got enough sleep last night either."

"I kind of feel the same."

"I do want to stop by a food stand though."

"You do know there's food at the inn, right?"

"I know, but I could always use a snack." Lyner declared before he rushed off to get some food.

The inn wasn't particularly unique looking from what Lyner saw on the outside. It appeared to just be another two story building with the "Singing Moon Inn" sign posted near the top. Lyner and Jack were talking about Elemia Knights and their weapons as they entered the inn.

"So do Knights of Elemia only use swords like the one you have?" Jack asked.

"Most of them do use swords, but not all of them. Even the swords that we use are sometimes different from each other. Take mine for example." Lyner ran a hand over his scabbard. "I use a slightly bigger sword compared to most of the knights because it suits me more."

"You mean it suits your abnormal large strength, right?" Jack asked with a grin.

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment," Lyner mumbled.

They entered the inn and Lyner was surprised at the interior. To his left was a shop with many armor and weapons on display. It was probably a place where the Church knights frequent quite often for their battle needs. He wouldn't think a weapon shop would ever be found inside an inn. Not to mention what appeared to be a small bar to his right. Colorful bottles were on display behind the counter, but the bartender remains unseen.

"This is...an inn?" Lyner asked.

"It's a pretty weird one," Jack agreed. "Maybe it's up there." He gestured to the large staircase that ascended to the upper levels.

"Might as well go and check."

They ascended the stairs and found a small lobby. There was also Aurica sitting on a chair, looking incredibly bored and distracted. When Lyner cleared his throat, she quickly leapt out of her seat and frantically looked around until she saw them. "O-Oh you're here. That was fast. S-So...are you ready to check in now?"

"Yes please. We want to get to bed early since we had a long day."

"Okay, hold on a moment," Aurica said, calming down and acting like her usual self. She went over to the receptionist and said, "I would like to reserve a room for two people please. It's for those two over there."

Lyner and Jack both wave their hands when the receptionist looked at them.

"Are you a Church official?" The receptionist inquired. "Church officials can get a discount."

"Yes, please send the bill to the Church." She pulled out an identification card to show the receptionist.

"Alright, I'll get their room ready. Please give me moment."

"Thank you." She then returned her attention to Lyner and Jack. "Your room will be ready soon. And someone should come get you guys tomorrow. So get some rest you two."

"You don't have to worry about that," Lyner replied.

Aurica nodded and attempted to leave, but Lyner quickly called out to her.

"Wait!"

"What is it?" She asked, looking confused.

"Uh..." Lyner rubbed his neck in an awkward manner. "...Thank you."

She showed no reaction at first, but after a few seconds had passed, her face grew red like a tomato and she quickly turned her face away. "...You're welcome," she mumbled before hurrying down the stairs and out of the inn.

"I see how it is," Jack said as he playfully elbowed Lyner. "I didn't figure her to be your type."

Lyner furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. That's why you're so concerned about her right?"

"Hmm..." Lyner crossed his arms and thought about it. "Well...she is cute."

"Aha! I knew it!" A large grin appeared on Jack's face. "So you like them young, eh?"

"Young? You make it sound like you're much older than Aurica." Lyner shook his head. "And what about you, Jack? What's your type? The inn receptionist?"

They both looked at the old wrinkly inn receptionist who was scratching her back.

"Heck no! I like women with well defined curves and an air of sophistication."

"...And where would you find such a person?" Lyner asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Where indeed." Jack looked around the room and suddenly, the entrance door opened. All eyes in the room including his turned to the woman who entered the inn. Their eyes followed her long blond hair and silky low top dress that failed to hide her supple chest. "See that woman over there, Lyner? She's drop dead gorgeous!"

This was the most animated that Lyner had ever seen Jack become as he continued to rapidly thrust his finger at the beautiful stranger. Lyner on the other hand, remained calm and uninterested. "You really think so? She's not really my type."

"N-Not your type?" Jack's jaw dropped open. "You're not normal man. Anyway, she's heading towards the bar so let's follow after her."

"Hey, wait a minute," Lyner called out to Jack who had already disappeared down the stairs. He sighed and mumbled, "I feel like this is going to lead to something troublesome."

By the time Lyner reached the bar, Jack was already deep in conversation with the beautiful woman who was apparently the bartender. She was standing behind the counter, a smile on her face as she calmly listened to Jack's speeches of love.

"Your beauty was a siren call I couldn't ignore. Your radiance shines like a star on a cold winter's night. This bar became a paradise the instant you set foot inside it."

"How embarrassing," Lyner thought.

The woman however appeared amused. "Oh how sweet. How many girls have fallen for those lines in the past?"

"None," Jack smoothly replied. "I've been saving those lines for you, sweetheart. No matter what happens, I could stare into your eyes forever." He leaned forward and placed an elbow on the counter, gazing deeply into her eyes.

"How'd you become such a smooth talker?" Lyner interjected.

"Beat it kid, can't you see you're bothering me?" Jack tried to shoo Lyner away with a wave of his hand while his eyes remained locked on the woman's eyes.

The woman placed a hand near her mouth and giggled at the spectacle. "You guys must be good friends. Is this your first time in Nemo? What's your name?"

"My name's Jack, just a humble gunner. This guy here is Lyner. And what's your name, gorgeous?"

"My name's Claire. Nice to meet you."

"Ah Claire...what a pretty name."

Lyner rolled his eyes before Jack continued.

"So Claire, do you run this joint?"

"That's right," she replied with a wide smile. "Does that surprise you?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. But I bet it does get tough sometimes," he said in a sympathetic tone.

"Well, I do get teased a lot," she admitted with a frown.

Jack shook his head. "That's such a shame. So if you want...I could be your bouncer."

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll pass," she quickly rejected without much thought. "I have to prove myself that I can run this bar by my own. I guess you might think I'm conceited." She lightly laughed to herself.

"No, that's very impressive," Jack replied, sounding very sincere compared to his earlier attempts to whoo her. "I think I like you even more now."

"Thank you. So how about a drink?"

"I'll take a vodka."

"Coming right up." She took a bottle down from the display and began pouring its liquid into a glass cup.

Lyner figured it was his cue to leave and head to bed so he turned around and took a few steps forward before a large man in thick black armor blocked his path.

"Hey fellas, got a second?" The man asked with a malicious grin.

"Sorry bud, but I'm busy so get lo-" Jack turned around and froze in his tracks.

"I need to talk to that knight guy so can you spare a moment of your time?" The man thrust a finger at Lyner.

"With me?" Lyner asked, wondering if he had met the man before. "What about Jack?" He looked at his companion, but he couldn't figure out what Jack was thinking.

"No, I only need you. I need to talk about something important with you, but it can't be here. So do you mind coming with me outside?"

Lyner knew the man was suspicious, but he was curious as to what the man wanted to talk about. There was a chance that it could help him find the Hymmn Crystal. But the man didn't wait for his answer as he left without him.

"I think I've seen that man somewhere before..." Claire murmured. "But where?"

"Jack, I'm going out for a bit," Lyner said.

"...I'll go with you," Jack decided.

"It's fine. I can take care of myself so I'll be back soon."

Jack shook his head disappointedly. "Have it your way then." He returned to his vodka as Lyner quickly head out to catch up to the man.

"Shouldn't you go after him?" Claire asked Jack after Lyner disappeared from their sights.

"You heard him. He can take care of himself since he's a capable person. So long as he doesn't do anything stupid that is." Jack took a sip of his vodka and thought about the situation.

"I think I just remembered who that man was," Claire said, a worried expression appeared on her face.

"Tenba's Second in Command, Bourd Rade, right?" Jack replied.

"That's what I'd figured. I also heard that Bourd Rade was a violent person so I think Lyner might be in danger."

Jack took another sip of his drink and nearly slammed his cup onto the counter. "Something's up," he muttered. "Damn it! I'm going after him." He dropped a few coins onto the counter and exited the inn. There was no trace of either Lyner or Bourd so he asked a few people around, but none had recalled where they went.

After Lyner left the inn, he was able to catch up with Bourd who just motioned Lyner to follow him. They continued down several side streets until they entered what appeared to be a large park. With a large grand fountain in the center and a number of beautifully crafted statues laid throughout the park, it was a marvelous scenery that could've attracted many tourists to visit the grand city. To the left, he noticed a tall spiraling staircase that lead to a high platform which seemed to overlook much of the park and the city itself.

"This must be the Songstone Park that Jack was talking about earlier," Lyner thought.

By the time they had arrived, it had became quite late already and there were only a few people strolling around the park.

"Let's head further in," the man ordered with a grunt.

They continued deeper into the park and into a secluded area that was illuminated by a few lanterns. There was nobody other than them in the area.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Lyner asked after the man came to a halt.

"Let me introduce myself first," the man said as he turned to face Lyner. "The name's Bourd Rade."

"...Lyner Barsett."

"So Lyner...are you going to join the Church?"

The question placed Lyner on guard as he narrowed his eyes. "Where did you hear that?"

"It doesn't matter where I heard it. But if you do, then I'll kill you right here and now." His eyes lowered into a threatening gaze.

Lyner noticed that he was now surrounded as several men in purple armor and capes appeared a few feet behind him. "Why do you want to kill me?"

"Nothing personal," Bourd said with a grin. "I'm just following orders. So if you join, you die. It's that simple."

"Who ordered you?"

Instead of answering Lyner, Bourd relaxed his body and said, "Look, I don't want to waste your potential so let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"It's nothing much. Just work for me. I saw you fighting earlier with that robot so I know what you're capable of. And frankly, you're pretty good."

"I think I now know where that weird gaze came from then." Lyner thought.

"You got an incredible power so if we team up, there's nothing that can stop us! So I'll ask you one more time...do you want to join me and become a Tenba warrior?"

"Tenba?" At that moment, Lyner recalled the time when he first went to Karulu Village. The man in the purple armor and his ill treatment of the Reyvateil. His blood boiled at the memory and he declared, "Sorry, but I'm not going to work for Tenba."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"I can't work for people who don't treat Reyvateils like human beings."

"Treat Reyvateils like human beings?" Bourd placed a hand on his forehead and bellowed out a loud laugh. His subordinates had also began chuckling as well. "They're nothing more than singing machines so once they outlive their usefulness, we simply replace them."

"You bastard!" Lyner shouted as he clenched his fists.

"I understand how you can get attached to your favorite tool, but you have to grow up sometime. So I'll ask you one more time...will you join me...or will you die right here?"

"I refuse!"

Bourd's face became grim as he pulled out the large spear that was attached to his back. "Then you leave me with no choice."

Lyner frowned and murmured, "So what they say about Tenba is true. I guess I don't have to hold back."

"Excellent, that's just what I wanted." When Bourd saw his men approach them, he held his palm out and ordered, "Stay out of it. This is a fight between me and him."

The Tenba men hurriedly moved back to more than 50 feet away without any protest.

"I always wanted to challenge an Apostle of Elemia so don't disappoint me," Bourd said as he readied his weapon.

"Don't worry, I won't." Without any further delay, Lyner drew his blade and dashed towards Bourd and unleashed an explosion of his rage, his weapon clashed loudly with Bourd's spear. "He's...strong." Lyner realized as his feet slid a few inches back.

"This is great so keep it up!" Bourd thrust his spear at Lyner's unprotected chest.

Lyner intercepted and deflected the spear by only a few inches. "This Bourd person is proving to be a lot more difficult than I'd expected," he thought. There was no time to relax however as Bourd continued his onslaught with some more fast and quick thrusts. The attacks drove Lyner back with each thrust until he found himself backed up against a wall. "Shit!"

Bourd's hand reached out and grabbed Lyner's shirt by the collar, lifting him up the ground. He then thrust his spear at Lyner, but Lyner kicked forward and knocked Bourd in the chest, effectively releasing Lyner from his grasp.

Lyner followed up by unleashing a barrage of slashes at Bourd who was now on the defensive as he retreated backwards.

Bourd did a good job of evading the attacks, but one of Lyner's slashes struck Bourd's chestpiece and made a large cut on it. Fortunately for him, Lyner's blade had not penetrated through his armor so he suffered little to no damage. "As I thought, you're good!" He countered with a horizontal swipe, creating some distance between them. That's when Bourd raised his spear high above his head before slamming it into the ground, creating an earth shattering boom.

To Lyner's surprise, sharp spikes shot up from the ground in front of him. He couldn't react completely in time as a few spikes pierced part of his arm and shoulder. "Tch." He winced in pain and then saw Bourd charging toward him like a rocket. "Guess it's my turn now." Lyner pulled his blade back. "Take this!" He shot his blade forward, releasing a powerful green wave of wind towards the rampaging Bourd who braced himself for contact.

"Hrgghhh!" Using his mighty strength, Bourd withstood the immense force. "Whew, that was a close one." He dashed forward and drove his spear towards Lyner.

Swiftly parrying Bourd's spear with his own sword, Lyner launched a counterattack against Bourd before he could recover his footing. The slash cut a few pieces of Bourd's armor away. Instead of trying his luck at attacking the same area again, he jumped high into the air before diving down at Bourd who raised his own spear to fend off the attack.

With a mighty push, Bourd knocked Lyner away and he then pursued after him with a follow up swipe.

Once again, Lyner narrowly dodged the attack by ducking and quickly countered with a rising slash. The attack made contact with Bourd's chest piece, shattering it and revealing a thin partially sliced silk shirt.

"You're definitely my greatest opponent so you have something to be proud of before you die!" Bourd charged forward and began exchanging blows with Lyner. Flashes of steel help lit up the area with each impact.

When Lyner thought about switching tactics, he saw a small opening near Bourd's abdomen. "I'll end this here." He aimed and thrust his sword at it, but his vision suddenly became blurry, ultimately missing his target by a few inches. As his body stumbled forward, he realized that his fatigued was catching up to him. It was as if he was constantly fighting since the day the Virus attacked Platina.

"You almost had me there, but now you're mine!" Bourd dropped his elbow down onto Lyner's defenseless back with a loud thud. As Lyner sprawled on the ground, Bourd kicked him with such force that hiss body rolled to about twenty feet away before hitting a tree trunk.

"I...can't...die...here," Lyner said, struggling to get on his feet. As a shadow loomed over him, he saw a frowning Bourd standing above him.

Bourd's foot then slammed down hard into Lyner's abdomen. "I guess even an Apostle of Elemia cannot best me without a Reyvateil."

"...Dammnit...Bourd..." Lyner painfully breathed out.

"You're still conscious? I'm impress. You Apostles are much tougher than you look. I guess I could still use you so you should feel happy to know that you can live a while longer. Hahahahhaha."

Lyner's vision suddenly became pitch black and right before he passed out, he heard Bourd said, "Get some rope and let's hurry and take him back with us."

A/N: And the third chapter comes to an end. No idea when the next chapter will come out. Especially if I have to edit the prior chapters again.