Explanations

**Explanations** is the 3rd chapter of Azure Luminosity.

## Plot

Gunvolt leans that the reason a wormhole pulled him into the alternate timeline was due to the Razor Wheel, which was a device found by iX when he was coming home one day. iX saw a train that was heading to a Sumeragi building and intercepted it, taking the Razor Wheel and some operating files. He and Kohaku didn't know how to activate it until today. Kohaku then mentions she mistook Gunvolt for Blade, a Sumeragi Adept who tried to kill iX, only for Kohaku to intervene. Kohaku mentions that Gunvolt and Blade have similar clothes, the same hair color, and the same Septima, with Gunvolt silently hoping Blade didn't obtain her Septima the same way he did.

Gunvolt asks of Kohaku has ever heard of Project Muse, an operation carried out by Sumeragi that would involve using a girl named Joule with a very powerful Septima to brainwash all Adepts. Kohaku tells him that iX told her about it. Gunvolt mentions that he knows who Joule is. Kohaku decides to ask how Joule is doing, so Gunvolt tells her that Joule is technically dead. Gunvolt explains that he and Joule were fatally wounded by an Adept, but Joule wasn't a normal Adept. She was instead the physical body of her own Septima, Lumen. From what Gunvolt heard, Lumen was extracted from her true body at a very young age. After Gunvolt was fatally wounded, Lumen had saved him by merging her consciousness with his, living inside him.

Gunvolt then explains that after what happened with Project Muse, he and Lumen went to stop Eden, which was how they met Lumen's original body, Mytyl, as well as implying Lumen fused back with Mytyl, and Mytyl is now living with her family. Gunvolt mentions how he wanted to live a peaceful life after that, only to be pulled into the other timeline.

Gunvolt then asks Kohaku about the differences between the two timelines. Kohaku talks about how in her timeline, following Project Muse, an AI known as Demerzel took over Sumeragi. Demerzel was believed to have been created to form bonds between Minos and Adepts, but one day, something happened, and suddenly Minos began disappearing, while Adepts claiming to work for Sumeragi went around killing and kidnapping Minos. It is now commonly believed that Demerzel wants a world where Adepts can thrive.

Kohaku then mentions the reason why she lives alone is that there used to be many more people in the city block, but an Adept with an explosion-based Septima, who was actually Crimm, attacked one day and killed everybody, with Kohaku only surviving due to the slums being nearby. When Gunvolt asks how Kohaku is still able to survive, she explains that it's thanks to iX, the Minos' last hope, who showed up one day while looking for something known as the Butterfly Effect. Kohaku also reveals that iX was the one who taught her that Adepts were bad, and that he's currently out shopping. Gunvolt suddenly gained a feeling he knew iX's real name. The two note that the soldiers Gunvolt killed were Minos, and that Demerzel frequently uses Minos as minor soldiers. When Gunvolt asks if he should be expecting to face both Minos and Adepts, Kohaku tells him he should.

Meanwhile, Blade and Crimm talk to each other about how some Sumeragi soldiers that were sent out had most likely been killed while entering a conference room. Crimm shows no interest in the deaths of the soldiers, instead seeing it as a benefit for himself. Blade notes that she and the rest of Sumeragi are only putting up with Crimm simply due to his Septima.

Demerzel appears on the conference room's TV and asks for a report on the retrieval of the Razor Wheel. Blade informs him that the Minos were most likely killed by iX, who notes that he expected them to convince iX to hand over the Razor Wheel. Crimm brings up the possibility that the Minos betrayed Demerzel, who then points out that the Minos who work for Sumeragi are trained to be loyal. Blade asks why Demerzel didn't send her or Crimm, Demerzel points out that Blade failed to defeat iX during their last encounter, and that he has no reason to trust her, as well as how Crimm's destructive methods could have easily destroyed the Razor Wheel. Blade then asks Demerzel what the purpose of the Razor Wheel was, but is informed that its purpose is classified.

Demerzel tells Blade he has another mission for her, which Crimm considers favoritism. Demerzel tells Crimm that his methods don't mix with the planned missions, before telling Blade that he wants her to observe the performance of a new weapon developed by Gargantua.

Two days ago, Gargantua's CEO, Stella was contacted by Demerzel, who was unhappy about their failure in delivering the Razor Wheel to him. Demerzel then gave Stella a chance to prove her worth by giving her some plans for a weapon designed to psychologically attack Minos. Demerzel told Stella that Blade would be observing this weapon's effectiveness, and if it's considered subpar, Dystnine will be taken for "research purposes", or Crimm might send the company "out of business".

Blade, meanwhile, prepares to observe this weapon, the Giant Lola.

## Characters

* Gunvolt
* Kohaku
* Blade
* Crimm
* Demerzel
* Stella (Flashback)
* Dystnine (Flashback)
* iX (Mentioned)