The battle against Omega would be more trouble than the group had imagined. Even with the absence of Morana, the synthetic eikon was a tough opponent.

Lyra, unlike her companions, kept her distance from Omega. She needed to be careful with the amount of aether she used. It would be difficult for Clive, Jill, or Joshua to refuel the emerald crystal to keep her essence alive. She watched the synthetic eikon jump to and fro before using aether to fire powerful blasts at them.

When she got a good grasp on its movements and abilities, she used her talismans to channel the element of light. Large spears of light appeared above Omega before surging downward, piercing its body and pinning it to the ground.

Clive, Joshua, Jill, and Torgal didn't waste the opportunity and attacked the pinned-down eikon. They slashed and used magic to chip away at its exterior to weaken it.

Omega struggled against the spell and managed to break free from the light spears. They shattered into shards and evaporated into thin air. Having regained the freedom to move around, it set its sights on the one who had pinned it down—Lyra.

The goddess saw Omega leap toward her. She quickly erected a barrier around her to protect herself from its swinging arms. Each strike was hard and created cracks in her barrier of light. She winced as it continued to swing its arms against her barrier.

"Hey!" Clive shouted, shooting multiple fireballs at Omega. The fireballs collided with one of its back legs, causing it to lose its balance. It quickly recovered and turned its body in the man's direction. He glowered at the synthetic eikon. "You're playing with me."

Lyra was relieved and dispelled her barrier when Omega launched itself at Clive. She decided to focus on healing her companions after seeing them all get hit by a powerful blast of aether. Then, she returned to being on the offensive while keeping her distance. She used the elements of water, wind, and earth to nip away at the machine's health.

The moment she switched to using lightning, Clive, Jill, Joshua, and Torgal managed to stagger Omega. She didn't hold back and conjured a large lightning storm. Each bolt of lightning struck the synthetic eikon and weakened it.

As the lightning storm faded, Omega remained collapsed on the ground. The lights that lit up its body flickered before vanishing. Seeing it was no longer moving, the group stared in bewilderment.

"Is it over?" Clive asked. "Please tell me it's over."

Lyra wanted to approach the lifeless machine, but she wasn't convinced it was destroyed. "It hasn't released the heart, which could possibly mean—"

The tower interrupted the girl. "Data assessment complete. Recalculating threat level." The devices lining the ceiling turned red and pulsed with aether. The room became bathed in the threatening crimson hue. "Weapon routines authorized. Rerouting core power to Omega-1."

"Not yet!" Joshua shouted at hearing the automated voice.

Omega's body jerked and twitched stiffly. It pushed itself off the ground and returned to standing on its legs.

Clive remained in a fighting stance as he watched the machine. "And what makes you say that?" he asked sarcastically.

Torgal bore his fangs, growling with his fur standing on end. His eyes were narrowed in a threatening manner, patiently waiting to see what was going on with the synthetic eikon.

Across Omega's body appeared various cylinders filled with aether. They thrust into its body and fueled it further. With more aether coursing through its body, a fleshy arm sprouted from its metallic shell. A second one burst through the metal on the other side of its body.

"Those new arms for one," Jill said in response to Clive's sarcastic question.

With a shriek, Omega Aionios warped the space around them. They were in a strange digital landscape that was brimming with aether.

"All right. I'm convinced," Clive replied.

Lyra remained as far away as possible. She was utterly shocked at the amount of aether Omega had absorbed. It was now much stronger and more powerful than before. Even its movements were quicker. This would be a difficult battle and tried to think of what she could do.

Knowing it would be easier to fight something of Omega's size with a creature of equal portion, she had an idea. She would shapeshift into a dragon and do all she could to help her companions destroy the machine. However, it would take all of her remaining aether. She trusted them to free her true body from Morana and would be more than happy to sacrifice what little essence she had left to deal with the threat.

Having no reservations, Lyra dashed forward and transformed into a dragon. She let out a mighty roar and flew at Omega just as it leapt into the air. Using her larger body, she tackled it to the ground and pinned it under her weight. She sunk her sharp claws into its metallic body and breathed fire directly into its face.

Omega Aionios flailed underneath the dragon. It swung its extra arms and knocked the beast off of it. The damage was done as the flames had melted part of its face. It jumped away to put some distance between it and the dragon to prepare another attack.

Lyra was a little sore from where Omega had smacked her. She winced as she got to her feet before casting a glare in the eikon's direction. She was wondering just how much longer she would be able to keep attacking while also debating what element to use next.

All of a sudden, she felt a surge of aether and was revitalized. Surprised, she looked over to see Clive holding the emerald crystal. He had infused more aether into it to provide her with more power. She was more than grateful and wanted to express her gratitude, but a powerful blast of aether drew her attention away from him. To dodge the incoming laser, she flew into the air.

With a roar, Lyra conjured a powerful vortex of wind. The synthetic eikon was caught in the middle of the raging wind. It cut and sliced through its body. Clive, Joshua, and Jill used their own magic and combined it with the vortex to deal even more damage to the enemy.

After numerous spells and dodging, the group was able to force Omega back. It jumped away from them as the tower's automated voice rang out. "Safeguards removed. Commencing dimensional compression."

Lyra, having returned to her teenage self, watched in horror as the eikon lifted its extra arms into the air and began creating a black hole above it. It was swallowing all the aether and anything else it could pull into the darkness. The blue sky turned crimson as the black hole slowly began to expand.

"Why... Why can't I—" Clive began.

"Breathe? Because it's constricting all of creation!" Joshua shouted.

"Well then, we'd better kill it quick!"

As Clive, Jill, Joshua, and Torgal started to attack Omega, Lyra could tell the area around them was shrinking. Between dodging the lasers and other projectiles of the eikon, she came up with an idea to interrupt the black hole's formation.

Channeling the power of nature, she materialized roots and vines. They wound around the enemy and forcefully yanked its arms away from the black hole, preventing it from expanding even more. She could feel her body growing weaker by the second as she restrained Omega. "I'll keep it bound as long as possible!"

"We'll stop it!" Clive shouted to her.

She did all in her power to keep Omega restrained. Even though it could not fuel the black hole due to the vines and roots, it still was able to conjure lasers and projectiles. She quickly protected herself with roots and vines after seeing just how erratic and desperate its attacks were becoming.

She wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to keep the eikon from widening the black hole. Her arms and legs were beginning to shake and her vision was slowly being consumed by darkness. She struggled with remaining conscious.

The moment Lyra's magic failed and she fell to her knees, Clive delivered the final blow. The digital escape they had found themselves in vanished as the eikon's body landed on the ground. The lights that radiated from its body flickered before shutting off.

Omega was slain.

Lyra slowly lifted her hands to see her body was fading. Her essence is fading and will vanish in minutes. She looked over at her companions and called out to them with a feeble voice. All of them turned to her and saw her body turning transparent.

Clive dashed over to her. He sank to a single knee and pulled out the crystal. "Let me—" His eyes widened in horror at seeing the emerald crystal shatter in his palm. The small pieces disappeared, leaving no trace of the crystal behind. He immediately looked back at the girl when her transparent hand was placed in his.

She smiled reassuringly after seeing the panic in his sapphire eyes and placed her other hand on his cheek. "Everything will be all right, Clive."

Clive gazed deeply into her emerald eyes. Just as he reached out to take her into his arms, her body shattered. The emerald shards floated around him before evaporating, not leaving a single trace behind. He clenched his hands into tight fists.

Slowly, he got to his feet as the tower's automated voice echoed throughout the hall. "Omega control unit...offline. Initiating emergency core extraction."

Clive turned around the moment the heart of the Mothercrystal was extracted from Omega's corpse. The large cluster of crystals returned to where it once floated in the air before it was claimed by the eikon.

"The heart has returned and Morana has yet to come and claim it," Joshua said, staring at the heart.

"We must destroy it before she does appear," Jill said. "Would you care to do the honors, Clive?"

"Gladly." Clive drew his sword and semi-primed with Ifrit, only to extinguish the flames when he heard Famiel's desperate shouting.

"Wait!" Famiel ran toward the group with Marnek and Halek in tow. They came to a stop, hunched over with hands on their knees as they caught their breaths.

Clive, along with Jill and Joshua, turned around to question the man. "For what? I thought I told you to leave this place."

"What, and watch you ruin us all?" Famiel stood up straight and glowered at him. "I cannot let you do that. We need these crystals. They're all we have."

"And just who is this "we"?"

He placed a hand over his chest. "We are of an ancient tribe. One of the first to lose its lands to the Blight. For countless years we were forced to roam the Twins. A nation without a Mothercrystal. A people without a blessing. So we found our own. The dusk crystals provide us a means to survive."

"Yes, but at what cost?" Clive asked. "Like all crystals, these shards channel aether. And where do you think that aether comes from? It's sucked from the land as a leech sucks blood from a beast."

Marnek and Halek exchanged worrisome glances as Famiel replied, "And what...you just expect us to believe that?"

"No, but that doesn't make what we have told you any less true," Joshua answered. "If this heart is anything like the others, it will bleed the Twins of their lifeforce, till naught remains. Naught but death."

"The proof is all around. What do you think robbed your people of their home in the first place? We are trying to stop that from happening again...and this is the only way," Clive explained.

Hearing this caused Famiel's face to light up with realization. "Fuck me... You're Cid."

"You saw what happened after the empire lost Drake's Head. What do you suppose they will do when they find out—as they surely will—that there is another heart hidden right here under their noses? Your people's need will count for naught."

Slowly, Famiel took out a dusk crystal from his pocket. He gazed sadly at the shard and contemplated Clive's words. Realizing there was no other way, he gripped the shard tighter out of frustration. "Dammit..." He lowered the dusk crystal and met the man's gaze. "It doesn't look like we have much of a choice."

"But you said you didn't believe him, Chief!" Marnek chimed in, bewildered at his decision.

Famiel turned to his companion. "I don't. But the man does have a point. There's no keeping this place a secret now." He then looked over at Halek. "And hanging on to these crystals will only get our people killed."

"Oh, what a pity," a darkly sarcastic voice echoed around them.

Everyone looked around for the source. Famiel, Marnek, and Halek weren't familiar with the voice, but Clive, Jill, and Joshua were.

"Show yourself, Morana!" Clive shouted.

The goddess of death appeared from a cloud of darkness directly below the heart. A devious smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. "No need for you to dirty your hands further. I shall take the heart off your hands."

Famiel was utterly shocked. "Fuck me... What's going on?!"

Clive ignored him. He glared sharply at the goddess of death. "We won't let you have the heart."

She tilted her head a little, causing her sinister smirk to come across as more twisted and demented. "Have you finally found the resolve to kill the woman you love, Lord Rosfield?" She held out her arms in a welcoming manner. "Then come, my lord. Plunge your blade through my heart and end this little game. Whisper those oh-so-sweet words of love as you cradle the corpse of your beloved."

Clive had a death grip on his sword. He didn't move toward the goddess and remained where he stood between Joshua and Jill. His sapphire eyes burned with anger for the way she was using Lyra's body as a shield.

Realizing he didn't have the power to kill Lyra, Morana let out a disappointed sigh. "You mortals are no fun..." She lowered her arms as she erected a barrier around her and the heart. "Then you may simply watch."

Situated directly below the heart of the Mothercrystal, Morana lifted her hands into the air and began absorbing it.

"Dammit...!" Clive dashed forward and swung his sword at the barrier.

Joshua and Jill did the same, knowing they needed to stop the goddess of death. They hacked and slashed at the barrier, slowly weakening it.

"We cannot harm Lyra," Jill said. "What do we do, Clive?"

"I..." Clive was at a loss. He didn't want to harm Lyra's body in any way, shape, or form.

"Brother..." Joshua called out to him, a grim expression on his face. "None of us wish to bring harm upon her, yet...I am afraid it may be the only course of action to ensure she returns to us."

Hearing Morana's deranged laughter, Clive thrust his sword against the barrier again. Cracks were beginning to form. He felt sickened at the realization his brother was correct. "What do you suggest, Joshua?"

Just before Joshua could share his idea, a howl that didn't belong to Torgal alerted them. They turned to see none other than Cronus, one of the Guardian Beasts of the Four Winds. They were stunned to see the wolf.

"How...?" Jill muttered in shock.

The bleat of a deer, the roar of a tiger, and the roar of a dragon were the next sounds to be heard. Around the room appeared Rhea, Crius, and Theia. All four guardian beasts were present.

Clive glanced at the four beasts before he spoke to Joshua and Jill. "Stand back." He and the others backed away from the barrier.

Once the trio was out of the way, the four beasts cried out in unison and charged at the barrier. Their bodies shifted into spears of emerald light and pierced the barrier at high velocity, easily shattering it.

Morana, having been distracted by absorbing the heart, didn't realize what was going on until the spears of emerald light pierced her body. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she was forcefully ejected from Lyra's body. Her shadowy form rolled across the ground.

Lyra's hair returned to its golden hue and her eyes reverted to being emerald. She let out a sigh of relief as she was finally back in control of her body. Looking up to the heart, she noticed this wasn't over just yet when she noticed the cracks. Her eyes fell onto the shadowy form of Morana, which was slowly taking the appearance of the short-haired woman she knew in the heavens. "You got what you desired, Morana. Are you satisfied?"

The goddess of death laughed hysterically as she got to her feet. "Oh, I am more than satisfied. You have given me what I have craved for centuries while being trapped on this horrid star!" She continued to laugh as she transformed.

Her large form hovered in the air. Using her magic, a sword manifested in her hand. She pointed the sharp tip at the blonde woman. "Let's play one last time, Gaia. And to keep you from getting cold feet..." She flew over to the crystal traders and grabbed Famiel. The man screamed as the goddess of death laughed harder. "You treasure all life, especially those of the innocent. If you keep me waiting too long, this mortal shall be the first soul I reap."

"Morana!" Lyra shouted as the goddess of death flew out of the hall.

"Ch-Chief!" Marnek shouted in horror.

The goddess of life looked over at Clive, Jill, and Joshua. "Destroy what remains of the heart. I shall see to Morana's destruction."

Halek stopped her before she dashed off. "Wh-What about the chief?!"

"I won't let Morana harm him. You two, leave this tower at once."

Without wasting another second, Lyra dashed out of the hall and transformed.

Gaia flew into the sky and immediately found Morana above the Sagespire. She summoned her spear, which elicited a maniacal chuckle from the goddess of death.

"Try not to get too distracted, oh goddess of life." Morana held out the hand she was holding Famiel in and uncurled her fingers from around him, allowing him to fall. He screamed as he plummeted through the air, his arms flailing.

Gaia wasted no time flying after the man to catch him. As she grabbed him in her hand, she sensed Morana's quickly approaching presence and promptly acted. She swung her spear just in time to deflect the blade that was about to plunge into her back.

Gaia glared at Morana as her fingers curled protectively around Famiel. "You were once an admirable goddess. So far how you've fallen..."

The goddess of death stared angrily into her oldest friend's eyes. "I have ascended. You are the one below me, dear friend." A second sword materialized in her free hand. She swung it, her blade clashing with the spear. She tried to push against her to gain the upper hand. "It is because of you I chose this path."

Her words shocked Gaia. She managed to win the struggle and bat her away with her spear. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" Morana hissed, gripping her twin blades tightly. "You were loved by all the gods. Listening to their praises while receiving none myself... You were the perfect god in their eyes. I could not bear to hear just how highly they all thought about you!"

Gaia's eyes narrowed in disgust. "And you believed the best course of action was to become corrupt?"

"It was the only way I would gain the attention of the other gods!" Morana shouted. She then lowered her voice. "But then, my eyes were opened after I obtained all this power. Why vie for the attention of the other gods when I could simply trample them all? Alas, such a desire was snuffed out when you and the other gods tore my body to shreds. I thought I would rot away into nothingness on this cursed star. Oh, how wrong I was. I have regained what was taken from me and your head shall be the first trophy I claim."

Morana flew toward Gaia. She swung her swords over and over again in an attempt to slice up her body. Each strike, however, was blocked by the spear. Even though Gaia was only able to use one hand, her mastery of the weapon allowed her to move it with precision and speed. Nonetheless, she needed to take Famiel somewhere safe so she could use all of her strength to fight against the goddess of death.

Channeling the power of wind, Gaia blew Morana backward. She then switched to ice and sent a powerful icicle storm, which knocked her out of the sky and to the ground below. Next, she used the power of nature to bind the goddess of death with roots and vines to keep her incapacitated.

With Morana trapped, Gaia flew to the Sagespire. She arrived at the gallery and gently placed Famiel near the door that led out to the Dim. Her large form hovered over his frightened one. Seeing just how scared he was, she spoke to him. "Leave the tower immediately."

Famiel managed to stand on his shaky legs. "F-Fuck me... What is bloody happening?!"

"Go, Famiel," Gaia commanded.

The man nodded and ran away, stumbling in the process. He dashed through the door and vanished.

With him gone, Gaia flew higher into the sky above the tower. She looked to where Morana was once trapped, only to find her missing. She looked around for her and was taken off guard when the goddess of death materialized from a cloud of darkness directly behind her and swung her swords.

The blades sliced through Gaia's back. She shrieked in pain before re-summoning her spear and swinging the sharp tip at Morana. It slashed the goddess of death across the chest and she screamed in pain and frustration.

Gaia and Morana pushed through the pain of their bleeding wounds and continued to exchange blow after blow.

As the battle between the goddesses grew more intense, spells were cast and caused enormous explosions across the sky of Rosaria. Both deities were injured and bleeding yet remained strong. The battle was a stalemate.

In order to gain the upper hand, Gaia recalled the writings of Mimir and how she learned how to siphon aether from the body of another. To avoid corruption, she needed to take just enough to weaken the goddess of death. To do just that, she needed to catch her off guard. She continued to attack and defend herself until an idea popped into her head.

Gaia used light magic to create copies of herself. She and her copies flew rapidly around Morana to confuse her. She waited to see if her plan worked and was pleased when she attacked a clone. Spear in hand, she flew straight at her from behind and thrust it through her body. As the goddess of death howled in pain, she used her weight to send them plummeting down to the ground below.

Gaia successfully pinned Morana to the ground with her spear. Shen then proceeded to siphon out aether from her body. All she could hear was her oldest friend's wails as she absorbed the aether. Once the goddess of death was no longer able to maintain her holy body and was forcefully reverted, Gaia ceased absorbing the aether from her body. She pulled her spear that was now pierced through half of the woman's body out, causing her to choke on the blood pooling in her throat.

Dispelling her spear and returning to her human form, Lyra stood over Morana. With the lack of aether, the goddess of death couldn't heal her wounds. She watched sadly as her oldest friend coughed out chunks of blood while lying on her stomach. "Morana..."

"Don't..." She managed to say between coughs. Blood trickled down the sides of her mouth. "You bested me...once again..."

Lyra didn't know what to say and remained silent.

Morana let out a feeble chuckle. "Life and death... Both intertwined and yet...we are opposing forces." She shakily managed to turn herself over on her back and gazed at the sky above. "Tell me, old friend... What do you think...of death?"

Lyra didn't hesitate to answer. "Death is the gateway to another life." She slowly sank to her knees. "You should have spoken to me. Why choose to corrupt your being instead of expressing your feelings to me? I would have listened."

"It matters not..." Morana slowly closed her eyes and reiterated what her friend said. "Death is the gateway to another life... Do you believe I shall be...blessed with another life?"

"I do," Lyra answered honestly. "Though we may not meet again, your next life shall be wondrous."

Morana opened her eyes as a peaceful smile formed on her face. "I would...love nothing more. Farewell, my dearest friend."

"Farewell, Morana," Lyra said just above a whisper, watching as the goddess of death's body turned into a pile of ash before it vanished into thin air. "May you know peace."

With one final farewell to Morana, Lyra left.