All That Feels Hopeless

--Ruby's Perspective--

Above the bunker by around twenty feet of rock stood one room with a ton of communicative devices in it. From here, I could monitor Zealous in a safe fashion, hidden away from the dangers of Quake, and I was able to report all information I coalesced to whoever needed it.

Sky told me that he had no problem ruining Zealous... and to be honest, I didn't see a problem with it either.

It was like everybody simultaneously forgot about Zeal and the atrocities he put his city through. Had Alba not been killed, she would've taken over in his stead and ruined things further. His sins decorate this city every day that goes by. I don't want that, not for the future of Zealous.

Deep down, I know it's my job to want to preserve this place, to preserve Zealous... but it deserves a reset. We have the materials around us, strands would help, and the minds of this place populate it so well that it would be restored in a fraction of the time it took to build.

From what I have been able to gather, Quake is putting up a serious fight. Dani and Illya were able to best Zeka without any trouble, and Sky took something from him. Ever since that moment, which I was recording in a notebook, his friends have been able to wield strands to another level. It looks like, from my perspective, that Sky was able to use his Incarnation of Transfer to give those strands Zeka had to everybody he knew. This was a huge turn in the battle, and a very-well calculated one. Sky's intelligence was utterly impressive, and that was an understatement.

I tried to track Cole with the cameras, but he was able to see their lines of sight. I transmitted the information to Sky, writing down his path while trying to find him, but he was able to escape, even with the extravagant amount of cameras in this room with me.

I was able to see Mandi, Rin, Ren, and Ellios's fight as well. That one was scary, as they were obviously outmatched... but I severely underestimated their ability. They were strong, holding their own against a Deity-level opponent, and almost winning the encounter, even with their powerful abilities. Out of everybody in that group, I didn't expect Rin to awaken those White Strands that all of the others did, but she was able to use them so perfectly.

They were drowning while impaled in mid-air... they shouldn't have lived through that, but they cut out their own lungs and regenerated them with those strands. Not only Rin... but everybody else too. They all did.

They were all wielding Strands. Whether they knew it or not... What kind of powerhouse are those Arkians? It was borderline impossible what they were pulling off. Was it Sky's intervention?

Not only that but Carl and Alexia were exceptional allies as well. When I was observing them, I was closely noticing how their teamwork developed accordingly. They were in perfect sync, thinking of the other person's strength, and using them to best their opponent.

And Carl... every one of his moves was calculated, not even close to being wasted. Had his opponent not been that Masked Girl, the odds of that fight would be insurmountably in his favor.

Between Alatus, Fudo, and Lia, two of which I already knew the capabilities of, I was astonished as well. Lia fit in so well and brought a peaceful vibe to the two siblings that they may have needed. It looked like she was trying to talk to Kire for a little bit, hesitant about killing him, but also not afraid to do what was necessary.

I never learned much about Lia, but by the way she carries herself, I daresay that she's one of the most powerful in Sky's group. She might not be able to use Strands, but her capability of leading is exponentially higher than most of the people Sky came down to Earth with. I could see a true leader within her, one that would surely be better for Zealous than I would.

I told Sky about the long line of leaders I have set up for Zealous if I were to die... and Lia is right before him.

Not to mention, the notes I've been taking off of Ellie, Tavian, Amera, Dante, Moon, and Noboki's group, they're clustered, filled to the brim on two pages. I was astonished at Noboki's strength. She took a heavy hit to the head, and I was afraid I would have to report our first death to Sky... but she shot back, reclaimed the life that always belonged to her, and toughened up. I don't know a single person that could do that over her. Noboki was quite an interesting person as well.

As I write these notes, transmit what I can to Sky and the others, I watch my city, slowly being crumbled into dust. Some buildings have already fallen, and the cameras have gone out all over. I couldn't find Cole... and the leader of Zealous was just sitting inside a bunker, safe away from all danger. It didn't feel right, even if everybody understood and supported the decision to keep me here. I wanted to go out and make a difference... but communication is crucial to victory here.

Perhaps... perhaps Sky and Illya formed this position to make sure I wouldn't die in the fight. I have to admit, those two and their plotting together are annoyingly clever.

"Ruby? Are you down here?" I heard a voice from below, coming up from a ladder that led to a trap door to the room I was in. The voice was familiar, belonging to one of Sky's people.

"Griff? I'm surprised to see you here... what are you looking for?" I asked him. He stretched his arms out after climbing the tall ladder and helped Jeff up next.

"Just seeing what was going on, if you were doing okay in this box. Also, we have some news about the people down in the bunker," They told me.