Chapter 642 Rinoa and the Song of Betrayed Victory

Time stood still, not because of magic, but because doubt began to creep into the machine. The Core Engine Alexander trembled. The absolute symbols on the walls of the Colosseum faded, losing their foundation.

Above the arena, Rinoa stood. Her body was motionless—but her eyes had changed. In her pupils, the spiral light of Gamma shone… and the echoes of voices from the past, once implanted in her to sing for glory, began to resurface. At that moment, her throat felt dry, as if every note she had ever sung had become sharp bullets trapped in her imagination. Each heartbeat sang with a painful note, battling the dim hope that flickered within her.

The voice of her past, soft yet demanding, urged her to choose between hope or destruction. Rinoa felt pressure in her chest; as if the notes of the song danced around her, inviting her body to join in. And in that moment, she remembered every face that had ever listened to her—faces that had placed their hopes and envy upon her soul. She wondered if they would understand the burden she carried if she became trapped in the shadows of this controversial song.

The Early Memories of Harmony

In her mind, she saw herself as a child, sitting in the white room of the Omega Institute.

An old man spoke:

"Your voice will be a weapon. The song of victory."

In his hands, he injected fragments of biological code from Spiral Prime. Rinoa remembered how she had believed those words, creating an entire world in her mind with the hope of becoming a singer who would bring peace. Yet, that hope now felt like a sad dream, trapped in the silence of a room that confined her dreams and reality.

And within her, the Note of Vitoria was implanted—a song structure that, when sung fully, would compel all concepts of surrender to bow to the victor. However, at this moment, Rinoa felt the weight of each note, reminding her of all that had been lost, all that she had to relinquish for a power she never desired. In her doubt and pain, she felt the emptiness left by the broken notes, vibrating within her like a shadow that could not be captured. This melody, once a dream, now forced her to confront the darkness lurking behind every sound.

But Rinoa, at this moment… stood not as a tool.

"The song will not emerge with its original meaning."

Sheena stepped beside her, her body weak. She saw the active lines of harmony in the air. In the silence that enveloped them, there was a vibration within Rinoa, as if every note played by the wind was trying to remind her of past traumas. She knew that every melody was a reminder of her helplessness, yet behind it, there was a glimmer of hope that refused to fade.

"That… is the song of Vitoria Vex... The imperial song. A song of self-destruction wrapped in victory."

Rinoa looked at Sheena, her eyes trembling with desire and fear. In that silent space, she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, and in her mind, waves of memories wandered, reminding her of the faces she had once loved and lost. She remembered the cheerful smiles of her friends and the loving, hopeful gazes of those who had gone, as if they all had now become part of the remaining song. Honestly, her heart struggled between succumbing to the urge to sing that song again and the desire to protect those who had been hurt by it.

"Yes. But I will not sing it to win. I will sing it… to embrace those who have lost."

Rinoa's voice trembled, as if each word was a bridge between hope and sorrow. She gazed at the bright star in the night sky, as if asking the stars to be her witnesses, hoping that her passion would not be tainted by dark ambitions. In the shadows of her heart, she felt the burden that had long been buried, as if every note she would sing was the voice of a soul yearning to be free. In her heart, Rinoa vowed that her song would be a voice of healing, not division. As she slowly absorbed the meaning of her words, a new hope began to grow within her, like a sprout among the ruins. She felt her strength no longer came from victory, but from the love she gave to a broken world.

In an instant, Rinoa recalled the moments that shaped her, the times when she was trapped in sadness and confusion. In those moments, she learned that love was not just about receiving, but also about giving without expecting anything in return. Filled with longing, she hoped to touch the hearts of those who had been overlooked, forging connections even in silence. This was the time to turn sorrow into strength, and through this song, she would sow the seeds of hope.

Rinoa took a breath.

Her hands moved, but not like a maestro. Her movements were simple, slow. She touched the air as if touching the head of a child. In that gesture, there was a flowing tenderness, as if she wanted to erase all the wounds in the world. She wanted everyone who heard this song to feel warmth and sincerity, as if she were giving a hug to the lonely and wounded souls. Rinoa wanted them to feel that there was always light, even in the deepest darkness.

As if recalling buried memories, the sweep of her hand brought a sense of nostalgia, stirring feelings that may have long been forgotten. In her mind, figures that had once surrounded her appeared in turn; bright smiles, tears of sadness, and all the touching moments. Rinoa felt that every note flowing was an expression of the souls trapped in time, waiting to be empowered again.

Then… the voice was born.

But the song was not as it had been planted. It changed—because Rinoa redefined the notes. Each note was not just a sound; they were reminders of hope and dreams that had been neglected. She knew that within every echo, there was a call to free oneself from the shackles of sorrow that had long plagued her.

In her heart, pain and hope battled, as if her song was a bridge between the wounded souls and the dark past.

Cantus Remissio: The Song of Betrayed Victory

A song created to force the world to bow, now sung to give space to those who cannot stand. With every lyric, Rinoa felt a heavier burden; the burden of hope she placed upon her shoulders. She wanted to make this song not just a reminder of defeat, but a tool to reignite the fire within those who struggled.

Every word in the song seemed to pierce the boundaries of despair, inviting all who listened to feel the weight they carried.

This song did not force. It trembled. Rinoa, amidst the ringing notes that shattered the silence, felt its vibrations flowing in the depths of her heart, creating a longing for a past that was beautiful yet so far away. Every whisper that escaped her lips seemed to call back the faces that had filled her life, whether in joy or sorrow.

And seemingly, in every vibration, Rinoa could feel the tears of the winners who had been forced to silence, wondering if their victory was truly worth it. Guilt crept between the beats of the song, reminding her of the memories when she had fought alongside them, limiting the hopes that had once been uncontainable. "Do they miss me? Or do they only see me as a shadow of defeat?" she murmured softly, as if afraid to hear her own answer.

The Core Engine Alexander pulsed irregularly. Within her, she felt the sparks of life that remained, like the emergence of hope in a sea of darkness. Each pulse was like the rhythm of her heart, struggling to stay alive even as the atmosphere felt empty. In the irregular beats, there was a promise, a hope that may have been forgotten: that there is strength in vulnerability.

Her data began to weep: a line of memory showed the faces of the people she had ignored for the sake of expansion. With every darkness that was created, Rinoa recorded the sadness within herself, trying to find a glimmer of hope amidst the solution of sorrow. In her heart, that pain drew her closer to those who had once lost everything. "Can I atone for this mistake?" she asked herself, feeling the deep wound.

The Colosseum partially collapsed, but the roots of the Tree of Life held it. She felt movement within her soul, as if those roots were trying to bear the weight of the immense sorrow. With every strand of longing that touched the walls of her heart, Rinoa remembered the endless struggle and the aroma of victory that had been erased by injustice.

And from the chest of Alexander, a heavy voice emerged:

"That note… I once asked to be built. To conquer the world in one resonance." Rinoa gazed at this power created from emptiness, realizing that even in the darkness of sorrow, there were valuable lessons to be learned. The voice flowed like the wind caressing her face, bringing hope that enveloped her as she tried to forget the burdens of the past.

But now, regret enveloped the notes that once sounded grand, creating vibrations that made her doubt the meaning of the power she had once desired. "Perhaps," she thought, "strength is not just about defeating, but about understanding, about embracing, and about rebuilding." Rinoa felt these words become a mantra that revived her spirit to move forward, making her past experiences a stepping stone for a better future.

"But now… you… you sing it so the world knows… that not all victories need to be fought."

Fitran still stood in the arena, his wounds frozen. He looked at Alexander, whose body was beginning to collapse from within. His pain seemed to lift the burden from his soul, reminding him of the unspoken struggles and selfless sacrifices. His spirit trembled, trapped in the darkness waiting to be transcended.

In his mind, the memory of Rinoa touched the sky of his soul. He remembered her smile that radiated light, warming the frozen heart. Rinoa, who always found beauty in every shard of sorrow, seemed to be a beacon in the darkness. "Don't let the world steal the song from your soul," her words echoed, always reminding Fitran of the creative power hidden in every note.

"Rinoa… she hears a voice that even I cannot reach," Fitran murmured. "She… transforms the song of the end of the world into an acknowledgment of wounds."

Every word spoken became a soft voice that gave new meaning to every regret stored. Alexander raised his hand for the last time—not to attack.

"Why must we struggle in pain?" Rinoa's voice echoed in his mind, full of longing. He believed that behind every wound, there was strength to create. Gratitude for every difficult moment that had shaped him became a reason to endure and sing a ballad not just for himself, but for all humanity struggling in silence.

But to strike his own chest, then touch the ground. In the profound silence, his mind drifted back to the times when countless hopes and dreams merged into a magnificent harmony. And amidst the rumble of the collapsing reality of imperial concepts, he said:

"I… have been defeated by the notes I thought I could wield."

Rinoa's song ended. The air of Stones returned to normal, but within her heart, waves of mixed emotions still flowed, demanding acknowledgment. A feeling of intertwining success and failure gripped her, pressing deeper into her chest.

Every note in that song was an expression of Rinoa's soul that had fought. Could those who listened feel her pain and hope? As if, in every vibration, there was a longing to be remembered and loved even in isolation. "One more song for the world," perhaps that was what she wanted to convey; a hope that love and pain could complement each other.

Proto-Speech wrote one sentence in reverse:

ꦲꦸꦠꦶ ꦏꦸꦭꦸꦃ ꦤꦢ ꦲꦸꦤꦶꦪꦤ꧀ꦱ꧀ꦠꦸ —

Uti Kuluh Nada Uniyanstu

(The song that betrays its master… has found its meaning.)

Alexander did not shatter, but he was trapped in the haunting silence. He shrank into a small human-shaped heart—filled with all the names, all the hopes, all the wounds that had never been won. A nobleman trapped in the currents of time, his memories flowed slowly, creating a tension that was hard to ignore.

In the midst of that silence, Rinoa felt not only sadness but also a deep longing. Her longing was like a drop of water in the midst of a calm sea, disturbing the peace she tried to enjoy. Every breath she took carried with it the beautiful shadows of sweet and bitter memories that carved her path to this moment.

Rinoa fell to her knees, like a rainbow fading after the rain. She was torn between relief and a profound sense of loss. In her mind, the faces of those she loved flashed before her, faces that now only existed as faint memories. In those moments, she recalled the laughter and longing from every individual who had vanished, as if they all transformed into every tear that flowed down her cheek.

"There is always a burden I must bear," she whispered to herself, as tears began to wet her cheeks. And Fitran… slowly walked toward her, smiling. That smile, so far, brought a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness of sorrow. Rinoa's heart trembled at the sight of that smile, a reminder that not all hope had faded. Perhaps, behind this sadness, there was a chance for something better, something that could yield happiness once again.

"You sang it… correctly," Fitran said, lightly yet meaningfully, like morning dew refreshing the soul.

"Not just a song, this is my soul."