[Chapter 10: Machina and Rem]
[When the Illusion Ends]
The Knights of the Round Ancient Eidolon summoned by l'Cie Kurasame raged for about 30 minutes, bringing about massive damage on the Byakko Army. The death count was recorded as 238, 521 fatalities. Byakko's Type-B l'Cie Qator miraculously escaped and returned to Ingram, but their Type-A l'Cie, Nimbus, lasted 19 minutes against the summon before being stabbed by a sword of a Knight. Taking advantage of the situation, Suzaku launched an all-out offensive attack on Byakko, cutting their way to the Byakko Capital of Ingram.
4 months after the summoning, Class 0 were idly passing time in their classroom (a scene similar to Ace's dream in the ending). Ace was sleeping. Queen was reading. Eight was erasing the blackboard. Seven trying in vain to reject a few underclassmen's request. Cater, Deuce and Cinque gossiping. Sice trying to stop Trey's long winded explanations. King taking no heed of them, yawned and Jack smiled as he looked out of the window, saying that it was a nice weather. Suddenly, Nine burst into the room, looking as though he was trying to escape from something. It turned out that he was being followed by a tonberry which he had helped on a mission the previous day. Machina suggested that the class keep it as a pet, to which all the girls immediately approved. Queen remarked that the tonberry's presence reminded her or Kurasame.
The conversation soon drifted into the topic of the closing final battle. Machina remarked that he was glad he didn't bring down or become a hindrance to the class in any way. But the whole class all refuted this, saying that Rem and Machina have helped them so much that they couldn't possibly be a hindrance. Machina and Rem gratefully smiled at the praises.
At that moment, Carla came in looking for Machina, saying she wished to talk to Machina (she was in Machina's previous class 2). As Machina left with Carla, Rem got worried and rushed off after Machina. She found them in the library, and after Carla left, Rem approached Machina. Machina explained that he had asked Carla to help him find information regarding Finis. Rem asked why he wants to research on that, to which Machina said that Arecia's words about FInis has been bothering him. Arecia had told him that he weakens Class 0 and that he will understand when Finis comes.
They found the verse "When time greets 9 and 9 with 9............" and tried to come up with possible explanations for 9. A theory stated that it referred to the year 999, but Machina felt that prefers the theory that 9 is a number denoting the end of something. Rem and Machina then said that maybe it denotes a time when people were annihilated due to the war continuing on and on. Then the verse "Caught within a spiral", they made it out to mean that for the past 1000 years, Oriens have always been engulfed in war. And the verse "the world awaits Agito" they felt that it might mean that they Agito Candidates were the ones who should end the war. Machina then mentioned another thing that Arecia said which bothers him. That the 12 members of Class 0 were brought up for the purpose of the "Battle that is to come". The 2 then came up with the idea that even when the war ends, there are still lots of problems yet to be solved, such as food, and that Arecia probably was referring to those problems.
3 days later came the command to set off for Ingram. As they were about to depart, Arecia greeted them. After words of encouragement between the 12 and Arecia, she finally turned to Machina and said "In the end, you came together until the final moment." but Machina thanked her instead, saying that it was thanks to her who revived Class 0 again and again that they can stay together until the end. Arecia replied that she did what she had to. Machina replied back saying that he will too, together with her children, to which Arecia said to take care of them. And they set off.
Half a month later, beyond the boundaries of Ingram, the 14 members of Class 0 sat surrounding a bonfire and talked. They contemplated how far they've come and grown. Machina and Rem both knew that Ace who used to say "cut off the past to move forward" would sometimes visit Izana's grave alone. But both Machina and Rem realized this even though Ace didn't know that they knew. Queen was so grieved at Kurasame's crystallization that she admitted to Rem that she felt that she has grown weaker. Rem, however, felt that she have grown more humane.
That night, Rem and Machina who couldn't sleep talked outside their tents. They remarked that everyone has changed. Machina admitted that at first, he was scared of Class 0 who were raised as weapons, even when Ace admitted about being his brother's cause of death, even though he said that he forgives him, he still found it disturbing in some ways. He felt that Ace and the others who can be revived may not understand the value of life. But he changed his mind when they talked on the night at the abandoned house, that the 12 members of Class 0 were in fact not taught the importance of their own life. That's why, Machina resolved to do all that he can to help them, that this was now his main reason for fighting.
The next day, the class were divided into 4 teams, 3 to destroy 3 crystal jammers on 3 different sides of the government building and 1 involving Machina, Rem (who are affected by jammers) and Ace to cut through into the building the moment the jammers are destroyed.
One by one, the jammers are destroyed and Ace, Machina and Rem set off for the government building. Ace saying along the way that he, who is brought up as a weapon, wants to continue fighting so that people who cannot be revived wouldn't have to fight. Machina countered this by saying that his reason to fight is also so that there wouldn't be people who are used as weapons for the sake of war.
Beyond the fence, they encountered Qator on his mech Gabriel. Being Cid's last line of defence, they were to defeat him. Becoming much stronger as a l'Cie, Qator did not go down as easily as he did. With the help of the other 3 teams who finally came, they finally defeated Qator. After his mech was damaged, Qator got out of his mech and attacked with a saber. Losing, Machina was about to stab him when Rem stopped him, saying that there was no need for that since they have reached their goal anyway.
Inside the building, they came face to face with Cid Aulstyne. Cid told them that their talk about creating a peaceful world is empty because the Death Memory Lapse made it impossible for people to learn from the past. Then Rem made a shocking statement. If the crystals are the root of evil, they will destroy them. Satisfied, Cid felt that his ambitions will be achieved even if they were to be the ones who claim victory, he pulled the trigger, taking his own life.
But soon after, voices rang in their head, chanting the verse. "When time greets 9 and 9 with 9, in the depths of consciousness, something pulses. And when the first seal is broken, a voice of thunder resounds. Saying we are upon you." (I based this on my memory of another translator's translation of this verse, may be inaccurate but roughly, it's like this). Rem felt something eating her heart, taking over her conscience and shouted for help. But Rem lost control of her body and stepped near the window, turning the skies red and thunder resounds, and from her own lips she said "We are upon you..."
