When his feet touched ground again after the planet transfer, he found himself in front of a tower-like building, the door pried open just enough for him to slide through. Before doing so, he looked behind him to discover that he was very high up in this city, high enough to see that the city was tiered. It was all ruins now and so he couldn't quite identify what tier was used for what, but this discovery reinforced what he already knew about the city he'd been sent to, that it was comprised of strata. Sucking in a breath as he realized he was actually at the top of the city, he sidled between the doors of the building to investigate.
The opening room was a large foyer; what light there was shone in through tall windows. Cor thought he saw the remains of benches and tables, leading him to conclude that this must have been a communal area in its time. Sure enough, a scene flickered to life in front of him. Eri and Alcene, inseparable duo that they were, sat on one of the bygone benches and watched the other people in the area. Some of them appeared to be meditating, or talking to each other quietly in words he couldn't quite make out. Eri's voice came out in a clear whisper: "How would you negotiate with the Great Will? Would you just... talk to it, or would you need to do some sort of rite or preparation?"
"I'd hope that just making it to that stage would be preparation enough," Alcene said back, his voice low. "If I had to guess from what I know of our theology and doctrines, you might just talk to it at that point. Not casually, as you are trying to argue that the universe should be restored, but in a heartfelt manner. If you present your points honestly and with passion, I'd like to think that it would be willing to restore the universe."
"If only people were that easy to convince of things," Eri murmured before looking to a door further in the room. "We have an altar further in for if the Great Will ever decides to contact us first, right? I'd like to see it. It would be nice if I could leave a message, too, for when the time comes."
The vision ended there, and Cor Caroli immediately zeroed in on the door that Eri looked at. It was a set of double doors left partially open, just like the entrance. Without hesitation, he made his way through the door, very nearly barging through it. The next space was a curved hallway with another door right across from it, and he just kept going through each ajar door. Perhaps an attempt to close or open them all at once had failed. After passing through several rings, a door opened into a single wide room, and in the center of it all was a large shattered tube with broken control panels around it. The conclusion was a stretch, but what he knew of his world left Cor wondering if this was the altar Eri was referring to.
Maybe the tube couldn't hold the Great Will's energy anymore, but maybe, just maybe, if such an entity could listen, it would be through these vestiges. A mix of pride and determination and other more difficult emotions swelled in Cor's chest, and he approached the tube with a speech in mind. "Uh... hey. I'm sorry I don't know how to address the Great Will, but here I am. Maybe Eri knew at one point, but I think it's more important that I leave my message here if you're ever able to receive it.
"It wasn't so long ago that I considered turning my back on everything. I came very close to giving up and leaving everything behind in a way I'd never be able to take back. When it came down to it, though, I couldn't leave this place behind. There's just too much at stake, and regardless of whether you're listening or not right now, I'm not showing up corrupted to negotiate the universe's fate.
"There's just too much potential that'd be wasted if people gave up and turned themselves in to the Negaverse. If we ever meet, I want to show you how determined people are to build the world they want, and how they seek to better themselves. If I had to pick any one thing, I'd say humanity's objective is to adapt and grow and understand what's happening around them. They might not always use that understanding in the best way, but there's always a will to keep moving forward."
A strange hum resonated from the machine, and the tube slowly filled with light. Cor Caroli felt his heart skip a beat as he wondered if he had somehow triggered a response from the Great Will. With only a brief hesitation, he reached for the light, not sure what to expect but ready for just about anything. The light brightened, then suddenly burst forth, sending him sailing backward and blinding him when he hit the ground.
Everything was white for a minute or so.
When the world came back into focus, Cor felt a tingling along his arms. As much as he wanted to check his surroundings, he checked his arms first, and a peculiar matrix of markings wrapped around them, glowing blue. A peculiar sensation led him to touch his forehead, and no tiara was there, solidly confirming what he knew had happened.
Heh, now they couldn't take me even if they wanted me, right?
Transcendent Eternal Sailor Cor Caroli stifled a short, barking laugh. He, the one who had lost faith the most, the one who had had done the most foolish things over his senshi career, had been chosen to transcend? Incredible. I guess the game is on now.
Before he had much time to contemplate the ramifications of his change, something fell from the ceiling and bonked him square on the head. Grumbling, he looked over at where it landed, only to find he recognized the item: Alcene's cube, the strange device his friend in a former life had made that reflected Cor Caroli's will and feelings. It was blue instead of red, so perhaps it was a different prototype, but all the same, the cube bobbed in front of him, and he got the sense it was watching him, if not directly. Furthermore, a new awareness entered his mind, one of a new magic: the ability to break wills instead of bolstering them. Such an attack would provide him the offensive edge he'd longed for for so long.
Grinning, he mused about telling certain people the good news and seeing their reactions. At least one person would be proud, the other possibly shocked, but it would all be worth it to see the looks on their faces.
Cor Caroli has finally become Transcendent Eternal! He can return to space one more time in this 7-day period (3/12/22).
