https://youtu.be/v_GB25CnfO8

At first glance, the giant-hand gravestone was just that - a giant hand, crafted from a partially-eroded white stone, with moss growing all over its surface. It made a grasping motion, reaching for the sky, while attached to little more than a stubby wrist, the rest of its nonexistent arm plunged into the earth below. And yet, as Inigo and Iago stopped in front of it, the former found that looking at it felt inspirational, in a way. He could relate to the idea of reaching up, grasping at something that may or may not have been there.

So this grave resonated with him right off the bat, and Inigo stared at it, hand on his hip while he listened to Iago. "So, would you say your problem is that you're fed up with all this fighting?"

Inigo shook his head. "Not the fighting itself. Just that it's beginning to feel meaningless. Like, I'm not even sure if I should be doing it. And if you were to ask me why...well, I don't think I could give a satisfying answer."

Indeed, the ocean he laid in was riddled with questions. For every "Why am I in this sea of doubt?" there was a small, creeping, "Why am I trying to escape?". He wasn't sure exactly what to think - it wasn't that he liked not knowing, but if it seemed impossible to learn anything more than he already had, he wondered with each passing day if it was even worth continuing to fight.

"Hmhm...then it looks like Verity's grave may be right up your alley." Iago smiled a little, placing a hand on his chin as he observed Inigo's quizzical reaction, the latter gazing at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Forgive me if I sound like an uneducated plebe for a moment," he said. "But who's Verity?"

"A reasonable nescience, given your predicament." Iago cleared his throat, gesturing towards the grave. "To put things simply, Charles Verity was a hero."

"That explains the, uh...hand. I think." Inigo murmured, looking at the fingers of the hand and noticing the words written on each fingertip;

"Veritas"

"Libertas"

"Aequalitas"

"Felicitas"

"Iustitia"

A bunch of virtues, it seemed. This man really did seem like the revered type, after all. And with a surname like "Verity", he sounded the part, too. As he looked back at Iago, he told him, "I'm guessing he was, like, a saint or something? Maybe the religious sort?"

"No, nothing of the sort. Sir Verity's deal wasn't religious in the least!" Iago corrected him. "Look at the word on the middle finger. Never a more apt summary of his whole ordeal will you find elsewhere!"

Inigo nodded at that, looking at the word 'Aequalitas', and as he began to ponder on what this could mean, Iago continued. "You are aware of the three types of Natura-wielder, correct?"

"Natural, Adept and Prime. I know that much." Inigo nodded, remembering the differences that his mysterious mentor had taught him. Naturals had the most versatile range of elements, Adepts had a weaker shield and a different, non-elemental ability, and Primes had heightened physical attributes to make up for their lacking elemental powers.

"Indeed. But what if I told you that Primes weren't always called that?" Iago stated, piquing Inigo's interest. "Once upon a time, people weren't quite as open-minded as they are today. There was...something of a hierarchy. Adepts laid at the top, and Primes - once known as Inepts - were at the bottom."

"'Inepts'? Well, that's frankly rather mean." Inigo frowned, crossing his arms as he slowly began to examine the palm of the hand.

"Indeed. The Primes were once treated like the dross of society. Their true potential was ignored by those who could weave the elements. For what use was the ability to punch harder when we could read minds and make things explode?"

"Society certainly seems to have shifted, then." Inigo frowned. "These days, most people know some kind of martial art. As an Adept myself, it comes in handy."

"Of course! Within society, there always exist fools. Give those fools power, and they could change the world for the worse!" Iago grinned. "But thankfully, one Prime in particular felt the same sense of injustice as you do - and when he felt, he acted! That man's name was Charles Verity."

"Ah, I get it. So he was a hero to the Primes, right?"

"Indeed! He was a daring man - an upstart! He refused to be weighted by society's anchors, and he broke the chains that held down the rest of his kin! He'd stand up for those being oppressed, he led protests, and he'd force his enemies to acknowledge his worth!" Iago spoke, and Inigo couldn't help but find the admiration in his voice contagious - Verity sounded amazing. "But alas, that wasn't quite enough, so one day, he did the unthinkable - he challenged the Adept emperor of Mortain to a duel!"

"Did he win?"

"Precisely! And his audacity resulted in an uprising! He breathed confidence into the souls of his people! And it is through that confidence that Inepts took the name of Primes and seized equality from the jaws of oppression!" Iago gushed happily. "And since his passing, people have looked to him as a symbol of freedom and courage, the likes of which Deus Luctus would be proud!"

https://youtu.be/yP7vtuqGkao

"Mhm..." Inigo nodded, only mostly paying attention now. He looked down at the wrist of the hand and found his eyes locked on the epitaph written into it. It was a short, three-line statement, and yet it was one that found its way into his ocean nonetheless;

"Break your shackles.

Find your catalyst.

Earn your freedom."

Freedom. That word showed up once again, and once again, it resonated with him. He wasn't quite sure why, but now seemed like a good time to closely examine it. Because something told him that his admiration for Verity and his wanting to regain his memories had something to do with that. The positive influence Verity had on others; it was an influence he could have used at some point. But failing that, Inigo thought, perhaps he could be such an influence on others.

It was a brief, fleeting thought, but it felt right. If he could show others freedom, perhaps he could find it for himself. Because this amnesia was a shackle. This whole cursed ocean was a shackle. They had been all along. And by regaining his memories and continuing to fight the good fight, he could be freed from it. That felt like the truth for sure. It was something he'd wanted all along - the feeling of liberty, of not having to be held down. Now that he knew this, he yearned for that tantalising freedom.

"Who you are is a murderer! That's all the answers you need!"

And first and foremost, he needed to tear down the greatest, tightest shackle around his soul - the Inigo of the past. From this day onwards, that man was dead. The Inigo Lenahan of today would replace him, and he would become his antithesis - where his past self would ruin and end lives, now, he felt it was only right if he could improve and save them.

With his will to fight renewed, he smiled, looking ahead at the grave and extending a hand towards it, humming. Iago looked over at him, noticing his change in mood, and placed a hand on his shoulder, nodding slowly. "It appears the proverbial doctor has worked his magic." he said, and Inigo eyed him closely, noting that if he'd learned anything about Iago today, it was that he was incredibly observant. "I sense nothing but jubilation in your eyes."

"Not that. Freedom." Inigo shook his head, putting his arm down and watching as a crow perched onto the statue, minding its own business. His gaze returned to Iago, and he cleared his throat, not maintaining his smile for too long. But even his neutral face seemed a little more relaxed than usual. "I feel...a little more inspired now. Like I've gotta keep fighting."

"That's the spirit!" Iago grinned widely. "I knew hearing of Verity's deeds would put some fire in that gut!"

Inigo nodded slowly, closing his eyes as he reflected on everything Charles Verity had done. With such acclaim, he knew he couldn't ever be quite as admirable as him. But at the very least, he could try to be better than Inigo Lenahan.

"...sure." he said, sighing a little as he looked towards the exit. "You got anything else you wanna do here? There's no such thing as a crime-free city, after all..."

"Right you are, my friend." Iago chuckled quietly. "Without further ado, then, we shall be off!"

.........

https://youtu.be/DKslLkxroSE

Standing in front of the Monarich household was Creed, dressed in a sleeveless maroon shirt with a pair of similarly-coloured shorts. As always, his various tattoos were on full display - something that he knew always pissed Grant off - but who cared what he thought, anyway? He was an asshole.

As he was allowed in by one of his workers, he made a beeline for the stairs, immediately moving up and sniffing the air once he was upstairs. Smelling Galileo's air freshener, he followed the scent of catnip to head over to the right door, which he knocked on, grinning.

"Knock knock! Guess who!"

An audible groan could be heard from the other side, and Creed remained still as he waited for a response. "What could you possibly want, dog?" Grant's unmistakably annoyed voice whinged.

"Aww, don't be like that! That's no way to treat your coworker!" Creed said. "I just came to check up on you!"

"...you came, or the don sent you?"

"I came! On my own, thank you very much!" Creed glared at the door, crossing his arms. "Can I open the door?"

"I would rather you did not." Grant deadpanned. "I find the very idea of speaking to you abhorrent, and having to look at your face while doing so would completely demolish the good mood I'm in."

"Wow, Galileo in a good mood? That's rare." Creed mused, thinking that he didn't really sound the part, but deciding to feel happy for his coworker's emotional development. "What's got you so happy?"

"I've been bothered by a certain rat, you see." Grant said. "But I'm satisfied now, for if all is going as planned, he's being flocked by crows."

Creed tapped his sandalled foot on the ground, trying to make sense of the analogy. "You can't just keep calling people animals, man. The other day, you called Scarlett a peacock! Peacocks are male, she'd be a peahen, silly!" he protested, ignoring Grant's irritated sigh. "And I'm pretty sure you called me a dog just now!"

"Is that not what you are?" Grant questioned. "A slobbering, overly-loud mutt, who does naught but eat from his owner's hand? She points, and you bite. She says 'sit' and you sit."

"Well, I can understand why you wouldn't get the whole 'being loyal' thing." Creed stood up straight, not especially hurt by the choice of words. "But I can't turn my back on her after all she's done for me!"

"If you're about to give me your sob story, save it. The universe would have to implode before I were capable of caring any less." Grant said. "Is there anything else you intend to talk about, or can I spend the rest of my afternoon in peace?"

"Well, I am curious about that rat you mentioned." Creed said, reminding himself about that part of Grant's syntax. "Is it the Red Joker?"

"...no."

"Ah, well, he's not gonna stop doing his Red Joker stuff, whatever that is, while you're dealing with this other rat." Creed grinned. "Better be careful! He might just fuck. You. Up."

"I am aware." Grant said. "Are you done?"

"Yeah, just about. Just don't forget to update us if you see the Red Joker."

"I've got it covered, alright? Away with you!"

The door opened slightly, only to immediately slam shut, and Creed, knowing when he wasn't wanted, shrugged and stepped away from the office, heading to the staircase. He frowned, crossing his arms and reflecting on what had just happened, and quickly, a thought occurred.

"For a cat, he smells rather fishy. He was so edgy today...is he hiding something?"

More news to report to Kotoba, at least. He hummed to himself, treading down the stairs and heading out of the house, pulling out his phone and deciding to make a little status report. He opened the contact titled 'Kotoba' and began typing in his news.

"Howdy, boss!"

"Sorry if it's inconvenient, but I'm here with my afternoon report!"

"I spoke to Galileo just now, and maybe I'm being a little silly, but that guy was hella suspicious. I think he might be hiding something!"

"This morning, I spotted a member of Apex in Arc Town! I'd recognise those glasses from anywhere - it was the Puppet Queen!"

"Was the Dawnspear nearby?"

"Nope, just her!"

"I see. That is relieving."

"You may continue."

"I'm told there's been no sign of the Red Joker lately. I'm thinking maybe we should use more soldiers."

"Be that as it may, we are spread rather thin right now."

"The Joker is not our most pressing concern, believe it or not."

"He is not the reason our numbers are dwindling."

"I cannot say what he's planning, but he's shown plenty of mercy towards Libera."

"The same cannot be said of the Devil's Spawn."

"Do you have a plan to deal with him, then?"

"Worry not, Coyote."

"I always have a plan."

"I have met him, after all."

"Alright, we're counting on you."

"Any more updates?"

"Money's funnelling in, newbies are inducted. Training's underway."

"All in all, the trains are running on time! :D"

.........

https://youtu.be/mX9si-MymwU

Evening fell, and after a long day at work, Silas decided to call it a day. 'Work' as in, with the Spectrums. He had weekends off at the Hole, after all, but there were still criminals roaming around the various streets of Caerulus. Including some guy with a chainsaw. Chasing him down felt good, Silas thought - like he was in a horror movie, but he was the horror. But if these were the typical lowlife thugs, it made him fear what the unusual, high-end criminals would be like.

Well, he already had an answer in the form of Libera, but thinking about it made him realise how little he actually knew about Libera. Sure, there were nice people like Valerie among them, but there had to be some truly despicable bastards there, too. Like the guy he was currently reading about in the newspaper. It was right there in the headlines - apparently, someone had gone and set off a bunch of explosions in Ruben just the other day. That had Libera written all over it, Silas thought.

He leaned against the wall of an alleyway near the gym, reading the story, and educating himself on what had transpired yesterday. Not only were there plenty of fires and explosions - all of which were strangely white - but a few explosions and the sounds of fighting could be heard from Luster Street...which was where Jude's church was. But nobody knew for sure who was behind them, and anyone who tried to check the scene of the crime had mysteriously gone missing.

Silas frowned as he began to worry for Jude, and then remembered that Inigo had been to Ruben yesterday. Maybe he knew what was going on. Still, it would be good to know what was going on around Erdeland. Before that, though, he knew he had some checking-up to do. So, lowering his paper, he pulled his phone out and opened Jude's contact, deciding to message him;

"Hey, Jude."

"Hello, Siley." was the response, which annoyed Silas somewhat. Only his mother got to call him that, damn it! Knowing any complaints would be made on deaf ears, he decided to continue.

"I heard what happened in Ruben the other day."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm flattered that you'd extend your concern to a humble preacher like myself."

"I'm fine, thank you."

Silas sighed in relief, continuing to type. "Did you see any of what happened?"

"I didn't see any of the fighting, I'm afraid. Iago and I were enjoying a nice feast of jellybeans when we overheard the commotion from the church."

"When we went to investigate, we saw your friend Inigo locked in battle with a geography teacher. Azurine thinks he's suspicious, but Iago vouches for him, so on the whole, I'm inclined to trust him when he says said teacher was with Libera."

"You WERE going to ask if I knew Libera was involved, weren't you?"

"Saw right through me."

"Well, they are, and I'm looking into things right now, but I can't seem to find any further leads on this man. He's very good at hiding things, it would appear."

"Need any help?"

"I'm not sure how you could help, no offence. I believe Inigo might have a plan, based on his last message, but it doesn't seem to be fully ironed-out, so he has yet to share it."

"I hope he finishes it soon, though. I've fled from more fights today than I was expecting to for the whole week, and I'm pretty sure my life is in danger."

"I can send Azurine to protect you!"

"I don't doubt her survival instincts surpass my own. If Inigo needs me for his plan, it's in our best interest if I stay alive, right?"

"It's in my best interest for you to stay alive either way. I'm not letting a friend get in danger if I have the power to stop it."

"Hell, if not for work, I'd go myself!"

"That warms my heart. Allow me to warm yours with the power of this hymn I composed last week."

https://youtu.be/iTCK5_A5wN4

And at that, Silas placed his phone back in his pocket, setting a mental reminder to listen when next he had time. He smiled slightly, seeing Valerie heading towards the gym, and stepped out of the alley to meet her, waving at her as he approached. "'Sup?"

"Oi, Silas, the fuck were you up to in that alley?" she asked, stopping in front of him and raising an eyebrow. "If I go in there and find someone mugged, I swear I'll bust you up so hard."

Silas eyed her strangely, expecting that she would know what a criminal looked like. But he kept his smarmy comment to himself, not wanting to risk upsetting her - and not just because he was confident that if she tried, she would very much succeed in 'busting him up'. "Easy, tiger." he chuckled, raising his arms defensively. "Can't a guy enter an alleyway anymore?"

Valerie put her hands in her pockets, nodding. "I get it. You're not the shady kind of guy." she said. "But what were you doing in there?"

"Reading the news."

"Well, I can see that." Valerie gestured towards the newspaper in his hand. "I meant to ask, why in there? You could've gotten mugged."

"I fought three muggers today, you know? And I taught the fourth the error of his ways! So I think I'm pretty safe." Silas stated proudly, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "I like alleyways. Since I was a lad, they've always resonated with me. I spent a lot of my formative years seeking out the perfect alleyways to hone my skills, and it made me into the success story I am today. In short; I am alleyways, Valerie."

Valerie blew some air out of her nostrils in lieu of laughing, a slight smile on her face. "What you are is bloody eccentric."

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment." Silas smiled, looking towards the gym entrance briefly before looking back at her. "But while we're on the topic of crime, I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

Silas nodded, moving in a little closer and slightly hushing his tone. "What's it like in Libera?"

At that, Valerie's emerald eyes widened briefly, before clearing her throat and frowning slightly. "It's shit."

A short, simple answer - designed to get the point across and hopefully, avoid further questioning. That was how it usually worked, anyway - but as Silas opened his mouth, Valerie couldn't help but dread the question that followed; "Care to elaborate?"

"Is 'no' an actual choice here?" she raised an eyebrow, her hands in her pockets, eyeing a cheerfully smiling Silas.

"Of course it is! I wouldn't force you to divulge anything you didn't want." he clarified. "I was just curious, you know? You don't seem like the type who does bad things for the hell of it, but there's gotta be a reason why you're sticking around, right? So I was just wondering whether or not your working conditions were up to snuff."

Valerie sighed, considering his words, and looked away from him. "Pay's good. Frankly, that's the least the boss could do after forcing me to hurt people for her goals. Always feels like someone leaked liquid depression into the atmosphere, and we've got a bloody tyrant for a don. So naturally, it's not so great."

"Then...why don't you just leave?"

Valerie remained silent for a brief while, a pool of fear bubbling up inside her as Silas's question echoed in her mind. Quickly, she shook her head, stepping away from him and towards the gym. "Sorry if you wanted to know, but I'm exercising my right to remain silent." she said, and Silas nodded in understanding. He had told her he wouldn't force any information out of her, and he figured now was the best time to respect that. "Now, c'mon, let's go. We can take our minds off this."

"Ah...right." Silas nodded, listening to her words as she led him inside. Not wanting to cause too much stress for her, he opted not to bring up anything related to Libera for the duration of their workout, instead focusing on what was happening in the moment.