As I've Written/Amphoreus' Saga of Heroes.exe/Chapter 7

1-1

▶ ▶ In Amphoreus,
untitled statues are a prevalent sight.

▶ ▶ As for the inspiration behind these statues,
they are said to be the clay figures that Kephale made at the world's creation.

▶ ▶ They made clay figures in their likeness...
Bestowed upon them the breath of life,
and allowed the golden divinity of their blood to course through.

▶ ▶ Thus—
the very first mortals roamed the earth,

receiving the gods' mercy,
while realizing the sorrows of this world.

1-2

▶ ▶ In front of a statue, the people of the holy city
beheld a man.

▶ ▶ Phainon of Aedes Elysiae

▶ ▶ He never spoke of his origins,
Only using this name...
to nonchalantly identify himself.

▶ ▶ "That's... not really his name, is it?"
People cast sidelong glances at him, their minds swirling with doubt.

▶ ▶ The man merely responds with a breezy smile,
neither confirming nor disproving their speculation.

1-3

▶ ▶ Phainon is a soldier,
one with divinity coursing through his veins.

▶ ▶ Responding to the Goldweaver's rally call, he traveled long and far to reach the holy city,
eager to bring light to the hero's path.

▶ "Losses are a constant on the Flame-Chase journey,
where life, too, seems as small as a speck of dust."

▶ ▶ Ballads reach him through the breeze, as though soft voices meant for him,
and he responds in kind.

▶ "No matter. My existence is of little consequence."

1-4

▶ ▶ Aedes Elysiae... the man's hometown.
Shrouded in secrecy, just like his past.

▶ ▶ Some have searched for that distant village,
yet found it neither written about nor passed down through song.

▶ ▶ In every nostalgic reflection,
the man crafted a vision of paradise with his exquisite poetry.

▶ ▶ Yet, within the ancient texts of the holy city,
the history of that frontier village remains more obscure than the days to come.

1-5

▶ ▶ In the far-off future,
The land of Amphoreus will bear the marks of the heroes' footsteps.

▶ ▶ With sword in hand, the man will inscribe,
an eternal mark in the Chrysos Epic.

▶ ▶ Yet his real name...
may never be heard in this world again.

▶ "Losses are a constant on the Flame-Chase journey."

▶ ▶ Some, too, losing themselves,
at the very beginning of their journey

2-1

▶ ▶ "There are no swords here. Only farming tools."
Facing the ambitious boy,
The shopkeeper kindly explained.

▶ "Even a rake would do."
"Let its worth be judged by the verses I compose with it."

▶ ▶ Many days later, the wounded child stood upon the scorched earth,
And silently he buried the ruined tool.

▶ ▶ For that was his first "sword."
And on the day that the black tide came,
He broke the shackles of fate with that weapon true.

2-2

▶ "Let go of my beard, you white-haired rascal!"
"No."
"Fine... You win, okay?"

▶ ▶ That was the first victory claimed by the boy,
A victory often mentioned in later years,
And yet he never treated it with shame —

▶ ▶ "I understood something thanks to his beard."
The others hold their breath, waiting for his thoughts,
But he only gives out one response.

▶ ▶ "The victor must stay focused, and success will come when you work on nothing else."
Those words became the foundation of his existence.

2-3

▶ ▶ "Knowledge is also a power used to smite."
While studying at the Grove of Epiphany,
He etched this into his heart.

▶ ▶ So he devoured thousands of books,
Skimming through to gleam the martial powers of might.

▶ ▶ But unenlightened wisdom is merely dust,
And when the next calamity approaches,
All he recalled is flight.

▶ ▶ Thus, his books are always worn into shreds.
For each book was read endlessly,
Till he remembered every detail slight.

2-4

▶ ▶ When first arriving at the holy city,
He was no more skilled than a soldier,
Except his ambition —

▶ "Even the Deliverer from the sky,"
"Must have their beginning in the soil of the nations."

▶ ▶ The Elders in the holy city scorned,
Casting him into barracks in derision.

▶ ▶ But none expected,
This new recruit of unknown history,
Made his name in one mission.

▶ ▶ Some asked him:
Which teacher caused such improvement?
He answers with countless names,
Including the inquirer's own.

▶ "Only one who treats the world as their teacher..."
"Can bear its eventual destiny."

2-5

▶ "Those with golden blood are bound to succeed."
"The golden heroes are born as gods' beloved."

▶ ▶ Such words echo in the man's mind,
Yet he knows glory is not where the journey begins.

▶ ▶ He misses the buried rake,
Worshiped the enemy with the long beard,
Mended his tattered books,
And polished the barrack's dust-covered gear.

▶ "What forges a hero is not destiny from above..."
"But the long journey that follows."

▶ ▶ Now he stands here and looks back,
And his past twists into a winding path.

The long road to the sky stretches ahead.
And towards the blazing white sun,
He pens down Deliverance's name.

3-1

▶ ▶ "Final? Perhaps you're more suited to being a teacher's assistant."
There were once those who misunderstood his alias,

▶ ▶ Final...
An eventuality for students, a test for knowledge gained.

▶ ▶ It may bring wisdom to light and illuminate efforts,
But the word's more common meaning,
Is nothing less than the end.

▶ ▶ "That's quite ominous."
The man pretended to be surprised, and responded with a smile:
"Though, it does dovetail with our destiny."

3-2

▶ ▶ Laughter resounds —
The man walks the land,
Leaving footprints filled with joy.

▶ ▶ Despite the weight of the past,
He can always laugh it away.
Those nearby glance at each other,
Unsure of how to respond.

▶ ▶ "Perhaps I was just born easygoing."
His explanation is just as carefree —

▶ "Look at Mydei and Professor Anaxa.
Boys all grow up into serious adults."

▶ "But as long as I keep smiling,
Okhema will always have an upbeat, shining young man."

3-3

▶ ▶ Though having said that,
He too has quiet moments.

▶ ▶ Each time he gazed long toward the coming dawn,
A smile remained fixed on his lips,
Paying no mind to anything else.

▶ ▶ His eyes were painted with the azure of the sky,
Gaze fixed on the Titan bearing the world.

▶ ▶ "I was just imagining,"
He explained his own trance in a comment,
"Kephale too was once in mortal flesh and raiment."

3-4

▶ ▶ Now, when the man comes with sword in hand,
There is no need to doubt he will swiftly win victory.

▶ ▶ But his smile is pure,
Ever since the start of the journey,
He is still called a "youth" in this story.

▶ ▶ Youth is always ambitious, with lofty goals,
But it seems that in the man's heart, only the wishes of others are held.

▶ ▶ "Apart from the ideal of deliverance, what do you have left?"
The golden-haired friend once asked him so.

▶ ▶ He remained silent,
Then, as he was wont to do,
He simply smiled.

▶ "As long as I don't ask for too much..."
"Everything will unfold as desired."

3-5

▶ ▶ In Amphoreus,
Untitled statues are a prevalent sight.

▶ ▶ As for the inspiration behind these statues,
They are said to be the clay figures that Kephale made at the world's creation.

▶ ▶ They made clay figures in their likeness...
Bestowed upon them the breath of life,
And allowed the golden divinity of their blood to course through.

▶ ▶ Thus —
The very first mortals roamed the earth,
Receiving the gods' mercy,
While realizing the sorrows of this world.

▶ ▶ But that sorrow was, in the end...
Only the sorrow of the world.

▶ ▶ Nobody ever cared...
What lay behind the smile,
What the clay figure thought.

4-1

▶ ▶ The people likened him to the blazing sun,
Bringing to Amphoreus a glorious dawn.

▶ ▶ And for his part he embraced their expectations,
Being willing to become the perfect vessel.

▶ ▶ Like that god who shouldered the world,
The man never cried or frowned.

▶ ▶ Yet he is not proud of his resolve.
For sometimes,
He even avoids the funerals of the departed.

▶ ▶ Only out of fear,
That he cannot cry for those in pain.

4-2

▶ ▶ He once sought out emotions of sorrow,
And walked with the lowliest of people,
"Henceforth, your misfortune shall be my misfortune."

▶ ▶ Responsibly and diligently,
He protected all for the people.
Living in dilapidated cottages, sitting on aged stools,
Subsisting on nuts and fruit, beset by hunger and cold.

▶ ▶ The people thanked him for his grace,
Like a hearth warming winter nights,
The man's presence dispelled the cold,
Leaving warmth with promises of morrow.

▶ ▶ Whence does his warmth come from?
None ask.
The man gradually perceives his true nature,
But he dares not speak.

4-3

▶ ▶ Unable to bear the turmoil in his heart,
The man set off on a journey once more—
"Then, I shall go save what I can."

▶ ▶ He was a formidable warrior, invincible in battle,
And when it was necessary to sacrifice for fellows,
He could do so with ease,
Giving up everything, without a show.

▶ ▶ Just as the ballad blown on the breeze says:
Losses are a constant on the Flame-Chase journey.

▶ ▶ Indeed, sacrifices were not hard for him,
Yet his misgivings grew with every tomorrow...

▶ ▶ Like a tear that cannot be shed.
Such a resolute willingness to let go,
Comes only from the fact that in decisions,
He is utterly unafraid to hurt himself.

4-4

▶ ▶ "It is because you suffer,"
"That you are so much stronger than any ordinary person."
There were also those who could understand him,
Among them, the crown prince.

▶ ▶ But he smiled wryly in response.
Perhaps everything was just human nature.
Yet his misgivings never dissipated?

▶ ▶ This unknown man,
In an unknown corner,
From time to time,
Is swallowed by terror.

▶ "Could it be that unknowingly,
The path I walk is by no means the correct one?"

▶ ▶ Fearing only that the greater the burden, the more the mistakes.
The road trod by heroes,
Need not be that beset by thorns.

4-5

▶ ▶ Finally, at the terminus of that road,
In a desolate, empty place,
The man's arms tremble.

▶ ▶ The power is beyond control, savaging all around it,
This is the end of his road,
But perhaps he had long foreseen it, but was doomed to be powerless to change it.

▶ "I am willing to shoulder this world, that is no lie..."

▶ ▶ But before the tears could flow,
They were vaporized by the heat.

▶ ▶ His light blazed brighter than the sun,
But beneath it,
There was but cold, destruction.

▶ ▶ The Nameless Hero...

▶ ▶ Khaslana.

▶ ▶ He had never loved himself,
Why would he love this world?

5-1

▶ ▶ A gust of wind will one day sweep past,
Wiping away (all of/all) the man's tracks.

▶ ▶ Nearly every footprint,
Was stamped full of the fury that filled him.

▶ ▶ That humble youth,
Faded away with the flames into yesterday.

▶ ▶ The first ray of light to pierce the long night,
Was brought by the burning man,

But the body that bore the weight of the world,
Was forged by the fires of wrath.

5-2

▶ ▶ Rage is a crafty emotion,
It changes its face,
Concealing itself within the man's life.

▶ ▶ His friend fought blood-soaked battles,
So their people would need fight no longer.

▶ ▶ But every victory in battle he gained,
Left him neither satisfied nor proud,
Only with the indifference of emptiness.

▶ "You must be careful.
Duty does not drive you to wield your blade, but hate."

▶ ▶ His teacher kindly reminded him thus,

▶ "And behind that hatred,
You seem to... desire the destruction of the self."

5-3

▶ ▶ But what about his joy?
Was that too merely a phony disguise?
He who once laughed amidst the crowd,
Day after day, as though it were second nature.

▶ ▶ No. Even though he knew not the meaning of "love,"
That happy past was not a lie someone wove.

▶ ▶ But now,
Even those memories have melted into fury...
His hatred is such,
That he cannot hold onto what he cherishes,
Though all is precious to him.

▶ ▶ Fueled with lone courage,
He attempted to resist fate,
But the burning sun that shines upon all creatures,
Once fallen,
Will incinerate the land, becoming golden death.

5-4

▶ ▶ But what of his sorrow?
Indeed, the man could shed no tears.

▶ ▶ But at the moment the cycle manifested,
When all that was familiar was now remote,
The world collapsed, becoming empty in an instant.

▶ ▶ But the stabbing pain in the man's heart,
Was it but the residual warmth of his wraths?

▶ ▶ The truth no longer important,
The man simply took another step forward.
He wasn't willing to believe it, but was willing to acknowledge it.

▶ "There is no need to question your heart, no need to crave victory.
If I am born to be a vessel of sin..."

▶ "Then I shall roar at evil,
And together with it, burn!"

5-5

▶ ▶ In the endless cycles,
There were some moments,
When the man felt everything dissolve like a dream.

▶ ▶ In that dream,
He would awaken again,
And become once more (that boy/the boy) who loved to laugh.

▶ ▶ But were he to open his eyes,
The fury would cast a shadow—

▶ ▶ He saw the creators choke his throat,
Gurgling and gasping.
And in that boundless dream,
He mistook them for his own jest.

▶ ▶ But their true forms,
Were violent hatred,
Towards the creators, towards himself—
A roaring inferno.

▶ ▶ The prophecy departed, Amphoreus was unable to usher in the dawn.
What rises in the distance is not the morning sun...

▶ ▶ But a ball of all-devouring fire,
Setting the universe in conflagration, searing till the end of time.