Defiance of the Fall

To think that little nun became an Ecclesiastic Tributary in a short 800 years . Sina , was it? He remembered the young acolyte who had been so full of righteousness , openly catechizing her local bishop over his excess . How she’d approached his fellow inquisitors to mete out justice against a fellow member of the cloth .

Come to think of it , it was around that time his faith had started to waver , when he’d begun noticing the cracks beneath the vermillion veneer . She hadn’t changed much except for a few marks left by the passing of time and the burden of office . He was surprised someone like this had risen so far through the ranks in a few centuries .

Turn back? - he said , a dark smile spreading . - I severed my name along with my past . I sacrificed it all to build a bridge toward the future . To cleanse these rotten lands , I will become an avatar of extermination , even if I have to sacrifice my immortal soul . Only through destruction can rebirth take place . That is how I serve . -

Confusion , anger , and revulsion took her when she looked at the cage . He wondered if she recognized the men and women who’d become fuel for the undertaking . If she did , she didn’t seem to care about their fate . Was this young woman truly an enemy or someone pushed to the forefront because of their tenuous connection?

Sina opened her mouth as struggle appeared on her face .

I’ve recently learned what happened , what the church tried to cover up . But you should better understand the truth than anyone! It’s all because of those things , - she said . - It twists minds , turns devout servants into madmen . Keeping the five sins of extermination sealed is the burden our church has borne for millennia , all to keep the citizens safe! -

He only shook his head in response . So the little nun thought it was revenge .

Our training and piety don’t make us immutable , - Sina pressed on , her pure eyes pleading . - The sin of extermination never lets up , and our mortal minds can’t fully block its immortal will . Mistakes were made , and tragedy struck , but the events at Polsara are not indicative of the church as a whole! If you fulfill the prophecy , everything we’ve worked toward will be undone . Emyr’s sacrifice will be undone . -

It looked like she still didn’t understand the truth . Mortals weren’t the only ones who could be corrupted by the immortal will of extermination . Emyr’s sacrifice had long since been undone by the twisted will of Emyr himself .

That’s exactly what has to happen , - he said , pointing Edge of Oblivion] against the city . - Right or wrong , the chains have to be broken . I have set out on this path , and I will see it to the end . For our history , I hope you will give way . The citizens will need guidance after the collapse . -

You know I cannot do that , - Sina said , tears running down her cheeks as five halos sprung up behind her back .

The halos grew to cover the whole gate , each stretching hundreds of meters into the air . Sky shook , and one red pillar of light after another descended as the Celestial Array answered her call . He looked upon the scene with equanimity . The situation was lamentable , but it wasn’t enough to create a ripple in his heart .

Four roars of extermination entered his sword , and a wave of Oblivion rippled forward . The young nun channeled the whole sanctuary’s accumulated faith in a desperate attempt to block , and the warriors atop the walls formed an interlocking wall of shields . It wasn’t enough .

Sina , along with his memories of her , were consumed , and the outer wall of Emyr’s Sanctuary was no more . Four emaciated sinners had nothing more to give , and their final wails of pain and release echoed in his mind as ash drifted out of the birdcage . He barely noticed . The wall’s collapse had finally let him sense it .

The fifth artifact of extermination . The key to stopping the resurrection of the mad god .

The fourth Splinter of Oblivion didn’t assault Zac with a confusing and endless series of miserable fates . It only showed him three , each far more detailed than those before it . The Grand Inquisitor Nosora , who sacrificed everything to save his country . To destroy the nightmare created from a god’s soul utterly tainted by the Splinters of Oblivion .

The Seven Desolates Emperor , who turned his small duchy into a powerful empire through a ruthless campaign spanning millennia . The Oblivion Dragon who hunted splinters to enhance its bloodline .

The goals of these three were completely different , as were their temperaments . The one thing in common was that all four held four Splinters of Oblivion in their souls . Furthermore , while they struggled against the madness , they still held onto their purpose . Mostly . Whether it was Nosora , the emperor , or the dragon , they had lost most of their emotions .