Xuan Wei/Rising

This article contains information from the Destiny: Rising universe, and is not a part of the established Destiny canon.

Xuan Wei
Biographical information
Other name(s):	The Celestial General
Species:	Human
Gender:	Male
Hair color:	Black
Eye color:	Black
Political and military information
Affiliation:	Kāmihā (formerly) Tiger's Claws (formerly)
Rank:	White Tiger General (formerly)
Class:	Lightbearer ( Arc)

"A dignified and burly Lightbearer. Risen from the distant past, he has returned to the battlefield in the name of justice and duty."

Xuan Wei is a Lightbearer risen by Knack. He is a playable character in Destiny: Rising.

Biography

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Gameplay

Thunder's Roar
Specifications
Element:	Arc
Core mechanics:	Recovery Damage Resistance Knockback Confinement Crowd Control Mobility

Overview

Traits

• Legendary
• Arc
• Offense
• Close Range Combat

Weapons

• Fusion Rifle
• Shotgun

Relic Abilities

Passive

• Beastly Aftermath: When Xuan Wei's abilities hit combatants, they inflict a stack of Aftermath that lasts for 10s. Stacks 3x.

Signatures

• Mighty Tether 12.0s

Confinement Crowd Control

Launches an Arc rope that pulls in hit combatants.

Xuan Wei activates his left gauntlet to shoot an Arc Tether up to 25m forward.

Arc Hook holds hit targets in place, after which Xuan Wei will constrict the Arc energy to close the gap with the target and inflict them with Confined for 4s.

Targets immune to control and displacement effects will not be pulled by the Tether, but they will instead take 3 instances of Arc damage (1020 per hit) and be inflicted with 3 stacks of Aftermath for 10s.

• Fist of the Warpath 17.0s

Knockback Mobility

Throws a powerful punch to Knockback nearby combatants and infuse them with raging energy. creating an explosion the next time they are hit or fall to the ground.

Xuan Wei activates his right gauntlet to launch a powerful punch, charging up to 13m forward.

This punch inflicts Knockback on combatants in front of Xuan Wei, deals 680 Arc damage, and infuses up to 3 hit combatants with Arc energy.

When combatants infused with Arc energy are hit again or land, they will trigger an Arc explosion, dealing 1020 Arc damage to combatants within a 6-meter radius.

Hitting a combatant that is immune to Knockback immediately triggers an Arc explosion.

Super

• Juggernaut's Dominance 70.0s

Knockback

Embodies a domineering divine beast, using peerless claws to strike and Knockback combatants in front of him.

Xuan Wei activates both gauntlets to embody a domineering divine beast, dealing 1700 damage to combatants within a 5-meter radius on cast and entering his Super state.

While in his Super state, Xuan Wei can attack combatants with a three-part claw strike. Each hit will Knockback combatants. The first two strikes in the chain deal 1122 Arc damage, while the third deals 1904 Arc damage. When attacking the same combatant multiple times, damage dealt increases by 10% for each strike, up to 80%.

While in his Super state, Xuan Wei gains 10% movement speed and high damage resistance.

Relic Traits

• Mighty Instinct: Using abilities grants Xuan Wei a stack of Mighty Instinct that lasts for 5s.

• Perilous Pull: When Mighty Tether hits a combatant, it will fire Arc currents at up to 4 combatants within a 10-meter radius behind them. Xuan Wei then constricts the Arc currents to pull them toward the primary target.

• Mighty Recall: When combatants inflicted with Xuan Wei's own Aftermath are defeated, Mighty Tether's charge time will be reduced by 1s.

Weapon Mastery

• Thunderous Reveal

• LV.1: When Xuan Wei hits combatants inflicted with his own Aftermath using weapons, it consumes 1 stack of Aftermath to trigger an instance of Aftermath Explosion. Doing so deals additional Arc damage equal to 10% of that instance of weapon damage. This effect can trigger once every 0.4s.

• LV.2: Increases the weapon damage bonus granted by triggering an Aftermath Explosion to 20%.

• LV.3: Increases the weapon damage bonus granted by triggering an Aftermath Explosion to 30%.

• LV.4: Aftermath Explosion deals +15% damage per combatant it hits, up to 45%.

• LV.5: Increases the weapon damage bonus granted by triggering an Aftermath Explosion to 50%.

Talent Tree

• Boundless Impact: Fist of the Warpath's maximum number of charges is increased to 2.

• Blade's Edge: When Thunderous Reveal hits trigger Aftermath Explosion, they restore 272 health.

• Fight Forever: Fist of the Warpath's charge time is reduced to 15s.

• Infinite Might: Each Juggernaut's Dominance attack consumes 40% less Super energy.

• Tempest's Impact: Fist of the Warpath deals an additional 15% damage.

• Warpath's Momentum: Casting Fist of the Warpath grants Warpath's Momentum.

Files

"And my vanquisher will read that book, seeking the weapon, and they will come to understand me, where I have been and where I was going."The following is a verbatim transcription of an official document for archival reasons. As the original content is transcribed word-for-word, any possible discrepancies and/or errors are included.

Thunder's Roar

"Just as stillness follows thunder, the tiger's roar silences the myriad beasts."

Grave Goods

Following his resurrection, Xuan Wei returned to his tomb, seeking to learn more about himself. Though he left with very few clues, he did reclaim pieces of his millennia-old cuirass and gauntlets. He incorporated these into his new armor as ceremonial decoration.

Forged in Thunder

Xuan Wei's combat style is ferocious and fearless, and he is accustomed to leading the charge at the front. Due to this, his original gauntlets often struggled to bear the force of his Light and became damaged. After each battle, he returned to the battlefield and collected the broken pieces of his armor, after which he reforged them to make new gauntlets. Repeated reforging has made his gauntlets both sturdier and more attuned to Xuan Wei's Light. After the final reforging, the armor emitted an unprecedented gleam, and in the battles that followed, the gauntlets no longer broke. At last, Xuan Wei's Relic had been shaped.

Xuan Wei

"A dignified and burly Lightbearer. Risen from the distant past, he has returned to the battlefield in the name of justice and duty."

File 1

Name: Xuan Wei

Race: Human

Revival Location: Central Asia

Ghost: Knack

Relic: Thunder's Roar

In a lucky turn of fate, the Ghost Knack resurrected his chosen in a tomb hidden deep within a hidden mountain cave. To his surprise, though, his Lightbearer was a man who had lived millennia ago-a stalwart man skilled in martial arts.

Upon their first meeting, the Warlord reigning over the region, Kāmihā, immediately recognized Xuan Wei's worth and recruited him.

File 2

During his time serving the Warlord, Xuan Wei quickly proved himself to be unmatched in both martial prowess and mastery of the Light, rapidly achieving wide acclaim among Kāmihā's ranks.

Some time later, Kāmihā ordered Xuan Wei to journey to Samarkand, where he would wage war against the fierce Iron Lord Timur.

File 3

Xuan Wei blocked Timur's advance, which brought him even greater renown. Worried that his general would threaten his own position, Kāmihā laid a trap and betrayed Xuan Wei. Fortunately, Timur arrived just in time to save Xuan Wei and aid him in exacting revenge on the Warlord. With most of his allies haven fallen, though, Xuan Wei was left feeling defeated and embarked on a journey of self-exile…

Knack

A stern yet astute Ghost. He serves as Xuan Wei's loyal soldier, as well as his guide in this new era.

Diary

"And my vanquisher will read that book, seeking the weapon, and they will come to understand me, where I have been and where I was going."The following is a verbatim transcription of an official document for archival reasons. As the original content is transcribed word-for-word, any possible discrepancies and/or errors are included.

Tiger Awakened

I have to say, the bandits here in Saisim aren't exactly the brightest. They'll relentlessly pursue anything that moves, and from a distance, it's pretty comical. When you're their target, though… Not so funny.

Fortunately, the dimness of the caves provides some advantages when it comes to shaking them. As a Ghost, I can easily hide between cracks or holes in the walls. But that obviously won't work for the folks traveling with me. All they can do is cling to the stone walls as clouds of dust are kicked up by the scouting team overhead. I saw Joro keeping a hand tightly clamped over his nose and mouth, his face turning purplish-red as he tried to suppress his cough. Looks like his weak nasal cavities have reached their limit.

I'm lucky I chose to show myself and draw the attackers away. Otherwise, I might not have stumbled upon such a unique Lightbearer.

I got turned around in the darkness, but as soon as I entered that stone chamber, I was overcome with a sense of purpose. When he rose, I almost wondered if what I'd resurrected wasn't a being of flesh and blood, but a statue of some deity. Before I could even cry out for help, he instantly grasped the situation. The first bandit to charge into the stone chamber hadn't even got his footing before he and hie gun were sent flying. Then… Roars, screams, the sounds of gunfire—a cacophony of sounds, all echoing throughout the cavern. In the ever-shifting lights and shadows, I saw his fighting stance surrounded by Arc Light crackling through the air. He was like a… Like a hunting tiger.

Yes, a tiger—that was my first impression.

Once everything fell silent, he finally spoke. It took three attempts before I realized he was ordering me to "light the oil lamps."

Only someone from ancient times would talk as he did…

At that moment, I understood I'd met a very, VERY unique Lightbearer.

(Note: My Lightbearer requested I keep records for him until he learns to use modern tools.)

"Xuan Wei"

Recorded by Officer Knack for General Xuan Wei.

When we arrived at the mountain valley, it was just past noon, but the cave was just as dark as before. This time, though, I could light our way without worry.

My Lightbearer easily brought me back to the stone chamber, as if he remembered exactly where to go. That made me relieved. I was so excited that day that I had more or less forgotten the way back.

First, we examined the stone platform he'd lied on for more than a millennium. Beside it were some pieces of ancient armor, which he'd probably worn in his previous life, judging from the looks of it. But after so many years, it had mostly rusted away. Only the chest piece and greaves still had some armor plating left on them.

I activated my scanner and gave the whole tomb a once-over. Beside a wall, in a place I hadn't noticed before, I detected some metal. I brought my Lightbearer over to look at it, and we discovered it was a bronze sign in the shape of a fish, the surface of which was covered in patina. My Lightbearer seemed to know its meaning well, though. He said this yú fú—"fish talisman"—was something only military commanders had the right to carry. The talisman was probably engraved with his old name and rank, but sadly, time and patina had left the characters on it completely illegible.

But then, we found something on the wall where we'd found the yú fú. Text seemed to have been carved into the stone, but just like the talisman, most of it was impossible to make out. We could only recognize the characters "Xuan" and "Wei" at the beginning and middle.

Truth be told, the main reason I suggested coming back here to investigate was because the residents of Saisim wanted to know the name of the Lightbearer who'd protected them. But now, it seemed the dust of history was determined to keep everything hidden. Neither of us would know anything about why he'd been resting alone here for a thousand years or who he was.

So… I tried asking him, "Any thoughts?"

He was silent for a moment as he traced the characters with his finger.

"Henceforth, this shall be my name."

Warlords

Recorded by Officer Knack for General Xuan Wei.

Kāmihā finally arrived.

I could hear the roar of three Sparrows' engines in the distance. They sounded like some sort of horns. It wasn't just Kāmihā himself, though. He also brought his "left and right hands." Judging by the dust covering the three of them, they much not have stopped much, if at all, along the way. Hmph. Saisim's been harassed by bandits for years, yet not even once did he show his face. But this time, he hurried here not even a week after hearing the news. His intentions were plain as day.

As soon as he stepped off his Sparrow, he barked at the crowd, "Where is he? Where's the new Lightbearer?"

Given Xuan Wei's stature, there's no doubt Kāmihā had spotted him already. But Warlords are always like this, always demanding others come to them. What he didn't anticipate was that Xuan Wei couldn't understand a word he said. And me? I couldn't be bothered to deal with him. The silence stretched on for a while. Then, with a wave of his hand, his Ghost emerged. She reminded me of a gnat. Once she floated over to me, she gave her orders with an unquestionable tone. "Knack. I hear you've found your Lightbearer. Well? Aren't you going to introduce him to Lord Kāmihā?"

There was no getting out of it now. All I could do was convey to the General, "Lord Kāmihā heard a new Lightbearer has arrived and came to meet you."

The General rose, cupped one hand in his other before his chest, and bowed, but he didn't say a word. Kāmihā took a few steps forward, but he didn't immediately respond. Instead, he simply sized up General Xuan Wei with an expression I couldn't decipher. Some time later, Kāmihā finally spoke. He expressed his gratitude to the General and invited him to the capital of his territory, where he could meet his "Lightbearer brothers."

I interpreted what he'd said. The General didn't respond to the invitation. Instead, he stated that although the bandits had been fended off for now, their stronghold was still present. He added that, given Kāmihā was the lord of these lands, he should clear it out. Protecting the people was his duty, after all.

I translated the General's words for Kāmihā, who then argued that his army was limited, and he couldn't possibly look after every corner of the territory. But seeing as General Xuan Wei was here now, he could shoulder the responsibility of protecting this town, if he was willing.

The General agreed on the spot and stated he would visit Kāmihā's capital as soon as the surrounding bandits were dealt with.

Kāmihā stared his straight in the eye, but didn't as any follow-up questions. Before he left, he said to me, "You've found quite the remarkable Lightbearer, Knack."

Yeah. As if I needed your reminder. I know full well you'll be watching us like a hawk.

Improving & Learning

Knack says I now have a decent grasp of the modern language. He also told me that trying to record my thoughts and experienced may help my studies.

More than a year has passed since my revival. Aside from combat, everything is new to me. Much changed in this world while I slumbered.

Chief among them would be language. There are several people in Saisim who understand Mandarin, but initially, few could understand my speech. Knack told me that while I slept, Mandarin changed. The casual language in particular is quite different. Now, they speak a "simplified" tongue, and my turns of phrase would only be easily understood by those who study ancient texts.

Learning this "new" Mandarin is not overly difficult. The expressions have changed, but the language itself remains. Now, though, I've grown accustomed to it. Interestingly, where the ancient language may have required only a few characters to express one's thoughts, its modern equivalent requires many. How could one call this "simplified?"

A question that once troubled me was weaponry: swords, spears—these I wield with effortless mastery. But firearms… Firearms are entirely new to me. The bullets are packed into a steel-plated box, then a spring pushes them into the barrel. Thanks to gunpowder or electromagnetic force, they can be shot at targets hundreds of paces away. Bows, too, can accomplish this. But with guns, one only needs to move their finger.

I have an instinct for warfare—I can discern at a glance which battles can be won and which cannot. Yet I do not know how to wield these firearms to achieve victory. Thus, I must learn.

I asked Saisim's militia captain, Aska, to demonstrate all the guns he could find for me. All guns fire bullets, yet each type is different. Some of them, though, are wielded similarly to the weapons I knew. I've gradually come to understand that guns have not altered war; they have only altered the manner of death. The environment has changed, yet some concepts still hold true. These weapons are less taxing on the body, but they demand greater will and courage. Knack found some military books from later generations. They're quite useful.

A far more difficult problem than I anticipated is the use of "modern tools." To be honest, were it not for Knack's explanations, I might never have guessed the purpose of these objects: a plain glass tablet capable of storing thousands of books. Glowing boxes one can stand before and talk to people thousands of miles away. And the winged flying machines, letting one see an entire battlefield at once… Only after learning their functions did I realize these tools influence warfare far more profoundly than weapons themselves. My initial unfamiliarity caused me to overlook them—a mistake.

Knack tells me the technology we use now is but the tip of the Golden Age's iceberg. There is much lost knowledge scattered throughout the world. And in distant lands, people speak different languages.

I've only just begun my journey through this new world.

Samarkand

Six years in Saisim, eleven years in Shadaq, and nine years in Tubadi later, today, I've arrived in Samarkand.

Three days ago, the Kela Tai mountains were behind us, but we were soon assailed by a sandstorm. The gravel kicked up by the wind pelted us like bullets. Luck was on our side, though, as we happened upon a half-collapsed building, which I was able to crawl inside. The thick walls were able to shield us from the sandstorm's gales. We were holed up in there for two full days. The world outside was a wash of yellow, and the only sound we could hear was the howling of the wind.

This ordeal delayed us by three days, and the person who was going to meet us at the city gate had, naturally, returned to rest. It's just as well. I don't need such extravagance.

Knack told me much on our way there. He said this was an ancient city with a storied history.

He said that in my former era, this place was called the "Kang Kingdom of the Western Region," renowned even then for its prosperity. For some reason, I have a lingering sense that his account isn't entirely accurate; it might be in the same location, but after all these years—after experiencing the so-called Golden Age—it should not be anything like what I see before me. It's too small, not at all as it should be. This is not the true Samarkand, I think. People who rebuilt following the Collapse merely used its name. In truth, it's a husk.

Historically, when Samarkand fell to the Mongolians, it was not for lack of an army, but for a lack of unity. Even now, this remains the city's greatest issue. When I look at the faces of the people here, I see numbness. They huddle in the corners of the ruins, each caring only for themselves. Day in and day out, going through the motions. They rarely speak with each other, going so far as to avoid eye contact.

I had Knack prepare a list of resources they need and send it to Kāmihā. He will not be pleased. But I already told him, in no uncertain terms, that if this place is truly so important to him, then he will be even more displeased if such necessities are not assembled.

I hear the Iron Lords have already arrived at Tuzkouduq. I don't have much time left.

Anniversary

Bakhli didn't leave after finishing his report. Instead, he tidied up the bookshelves, pushing a wayward book back into place. He inspected the comms, knocking on the device's shell with a knuckle. I knew he had something to say.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Today," he replied, "marks thirty years since you came to Samarkand. The guys want to throw you a banquet."

I initially wanted to turn him down. Samarkand is not wealthy, and the resources would be better spent on our arsenal. Then again, after fighting for so long, people need something to make them remember how life should be. Rejecting would harm morale.

"Very well," I said. "Go get ready. I'll have Knack prepare a few words."

Bakhli took his leave.

Thirty years… Indeed. Aska has retired, and Bakhli has taken his post. That was twenty-two years ago. Time disappears like water seeping into sand. The Light empowers our bodies, but it dulls our perception of time.

A few days ago, Bakhli told me that his daughter had just turned fifteen. In just a few years, he said, she will be able to join us. The girl's shooting is sharp, as are her wits, and she's quite interested in explosives. The front lines, scouting, engineering… She would be a good choice for any of them.

He spoke of these things as if he were discussing the weather—as if his child taking to the battlefield was a given. This is wrong.

Thirty years, and I've dragged an entire generation of Samarkand residents into war. Now, even their children would fight…?

Knack flew over. The speech was ready, and he wanted me to have a look.

It's already dark outside. Outside the window, the alarm is flashing. This will be another long night.

Hollow

The battle came to an end. Kāmihā was lying burnt on the ground, looking more like charcoal than flesh. Nobody would ever assume this was once the strongest Warlord in Central Asia.

I'd imagined this very scene countless times over the last two years, yet now that it had arrived, I felt...hollow.

I'd been protecting Kāmihā'a territory over since my resurrection. I am a soldier. All I know is fight. I obey orders, and I performed my duties well. For thirty-six years, not even once did I let Timur set foot in Samarkand. Thirty-six years... All that defending, all the casualties and injuries... And for what?

So that I could lead the Tiger's Claws into Scree Valley?

That Ghost—Knack always called her "the gnat"—was held in Timur's hand. Her shell was trembling. Timur said their creed does not allow them to kill Ghosts. But I am no Iron Lord.

He extended his hand, and the little thing he was holding looked up at me and started speaking in a shrill, anxious voice. "General, p-please, spare me! I swear! I won't ever revive him again!"

For a moment, I wanted to crush her. She was his accomplice!

But...what would that change? Would it let Agias go for another ride on his Sparrow? Would it let Ishta's fishing rod bend toward the waters once more? Would it let Calera see the blooming Kapok she'd planted one more time?

Would it let Agni see her father again?

Kāmihā Was the one who gave the orders, and he has got what he deserved.

But what of the one who carried out those orders...?

No. She is not the one who should be punished.

I let Timur handle things their way. There had already been too many meaningless deaths; no need to add another.

Timur called me merciful. He said this proved we share the same ideals, and he hoped I would join their ranks. You would have more than just Samarkand, he promised. All that belonged to Kāmihā Would be mine. I would make a fine Iron Lord, he said.

Territory, honor... Was fighting simply for this and nothing more?

Should I have been happy?

But what of the soldiers who ought to share this joy with me? Where are they?

I'm tired. Let me rest.

Through Combat, Friendship

It had been roughly twenty minutes since I'd left Haven.

One hundred and fifty meters away was a woman standing in the middle of the road. A bullet flew at me, so I leapt off my Sparrow and rolled away. Now twenty paces away, I attacked.

Once she saw me get off the Sparrow, she got excited. She cast aside her gun and hastened her steps, clenching both hands into fists and striking at my side. I decided to take this hit and punch her head-on.

She bent down to dodge my right fist, and her left hand struck at my abdomen, bringing with it a cold, tearing sensation that pierced through my armor.

It was Void Light.

Knowing now that my opponent was a Lightbearer, I further threw myself into the fight. The battle began with heavy punches and fast steps. Her attacks hit like a flurry. She was a highly skilled martial artist, and I ended up taking several punches. They weren't fatal blows, but they were still painful. She hadn't used her Relic—it seemed she simply wanted a fistfight.

Not wanting to waste time, I restrained her with the tether and swung at her. She stopped holding back and drew a shield, surrounding herself with a Void barrier that rendered my follow-up attack useless. As I got back into position, she threw her shield right at my chest, sending my flying backward. By the time I rose, it had already returned to her hand.

I steadied my breath and prepared to attack again, but she raised a hand to stop and took off her helmet, revealing her reddish-gold hair. It was Iron Lady Jolder.

"Samarkand's White Tiger General," she said with a smile. "Your reputation is well deserved."

I then understood.

Several days prior, in Haven, I'd been sitting on a terrace when someone patted my shoulder.

"Hey, you!" she said. I looked at her. She was a tall, strong woman with finely crafted armor and red hair that carried a gold sheen in the sunlight. The makeup around her eyes couldn't conceal her fierce gaze.

"The White Tiger General of Samarkand. I remember you," she'd said.

I, too, remembered. During the ninth year of our war against the Iron Lords, Timur summoned reinforcements to attack Samarkand. The siege lasted four months until, eventually, they took the battle to southern Asia.

She was among the reinforcements. Jolder, the Iron Champion. Back then, she often challenged me to duels. I never accepted, though. We were at a disadvantage. Victory would change nothing, yet defeat would mean losing the entire city. Thus, I never fought her in all the time their troops were present.

Decades have passed, yet still, she hasn't forgotten.

I am not interested in fighting for fighting's sake. A battle should have meaning. I hadn't accepted her challenge during the war, and now I had even less reason to do so.

I'd turned her invitation to a duel down. This made her unhappy, but then her fellow Iron Lady, Skorri, called her name. She said we'd chat another time and left.

In the end, I was still unable to avoid sparring with her.

Today, though, she was in high spirits. She returned her shield to her back and took something from her bag. "Here." She threw it over to me.

I caught it. It was hefty with refined, gleaming metal. A fine gun.

"Hand-crafted by our Gunsmith. It's really nice," she said, "but it's not my style."

She straddled her Sparrow, waved a hand, and sped off.

Once, she would have fought me to the death. Now, she is giving me a gift.

Times sure have changed.

Warrior

The incident with Veridia has seen me further involved with the Red Sea Rift. My recent experiences have all been related to the Sentinel. I'd seen that steel man the size of a mountain during battle, but I'd never got a close look. Knack says it was an autonomous warrior forged during the Golden Age, propelled by the Light and equipped with powerful weapons. When needed, it could even use traditional weapons like swords and spears to cut down what would otherwise be unstoppable foes.

"A warrior of the Light. Kind of like you guys," Knack said, half joking.

The Golden Age was a time of peace, was it not? Why, then, did they need to build such machines?

With the mountain blocking it, I can only see the top half of the Sentinel from town. I walked around outside and saw there was no path to get a closer look. Fortunately, a miner told me there is a road in the cave next to the town, passing through the mountain, that could take me there. A plateau on the mountainside gave me a clear view of the Sentinel. It was half kneeling, with a sharp spike piercing its chest from bottom to top. One of its hands held a long spear. It was thrust into the ground, as if pinning something down.

If I wanted to see its feet, I would need to climb higher. Knack flew up to scope it out, but it was still too far. All he could vaguely make out was a skull.

Knack said the townspeople believe the Sentinel came to fight a giant beast and ultimately "died" here, pointing to the large skeleton in the valley as evidence. Judging by what we saw today, the claim seems credible.

How long has it stood in this forgotten valley? One hundred years? Two hundred? The remnants of sandstorms have burrowed their way into the crevices of its armor, and robotic life forms have nested beneath its feet. Its eyes have lost their glow, the paint has peeled form its shell, and cracks are spreading all over its body. Beneath its damaged arm are snapped cables reminiscent of sliced blood vessels. What manner of battle did it experience back then? What kind of enemy forced it fight to the point of mutual demise?

All we know is this: even today, it still maintains its fighting stance. Even in death, its body still stands.

As we descended the mountain, I recalled what Knack had said. "A warrior of the Light. Kind of like you guys."

Indeed, we are quite similar.

But we will rise again and again.

We will shoulder this responsibility even longer.

Homecoming

As we emerged from Kachani Canyon, a mine exploded.

For a brief moment, I thought it was one of the explosives I'd placed back then, but it turned out to be an electromagnetic pulse, which stalled my Sparrow's engine and threw me quite some distance away.

When I was restarting my Sparrow, a young soldier came running over.

"Hey!" he shouted as he waved at me. "Sorry about that, Lightbearer. Didn't mean to blow you up."

His face was devoid of facial hair, and the goggles he wore were a bit too big. But the emblem on his arm was something I was all too familiar with.

I was somewhat vexed at that moment.

When I handed leadership over to Agni, it wasn't so she could send children into battle.

"The Tiger's Claws?" I asked him.

"Yeah. Part of the Youth Scouts." He had a proud look on his face. "Huh? I've never seen your face, but you seem to know quite a bit about us."

He had let his guard completely down around an unfamiliar Lightbearer. It made sense, though. This was Iron Lord territory, and thus the mortals always assumed Lightbearers were good.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"This." He took out a black box that looked to be some sort of controller and fiddled with it. A small Sparrow model, roughly one square foot, shuttled over. It was colorful and decorated with cartoonish patterns.

"Playing with remote control toys?" I asked.

"What? No! Check this out." He flipped the toy over, revealing the signal transmitter attached to the bottom. "It simulates a real Sparrow's signal, and I can control about a dozen at a time."

"For what, exactly?" I asked.

"You must've been revived not too long ago, huh?" He looked to be showing off somewhat. "If the aliens attack Samarkand, I can activate these mini-Sparrows from here. Once they detect ten Sparrows speeding over, they'll think, "It's a trap! Better cancel the attack."

"Of course," he added, "sometimes there really ARE Lightbearers riding Sparrows. A real truth-meets-fiction kinda moment!"

Knack let out a laugh. "Who taught you this tactic?" he asked.

"Our new general!" the young scout said, voice filled with admiration. "She's amazing! I hear she visited the Iron Lords and earned the previous general's approval. And when she came back, she came up with a whole bunch of tricks—really fooled the Fallen."

"Fooled the Fallen, hmm?" He had me interested now. "Tell me, what other 'tricks' does she have?"

"We're here to visit her," Knack added.

"Then let me show you the way," he replied. "As an apology for blowing up your Sparrow!"

As we walked, the young scout told me about what Agni had been up to since she returned. She's rebuilt the Tiger's Claws and established a new support squad. Younger scouts such as them do not fight on the front lines; instead, they help with reconnaissance. Tactically, the Tiger's Claws do not stay solely on the defensive. They take the initiative to strike and keep the enemy on their toes, but they do not revel in combat. She obtained something that could translate the Fallen language from the Iron Lords out west, and has since used it to spread false information, letting the Houses fight amongst themselves.

Under the new general's command, Samarkand has been made whole. The line between civilians and soldiers is blurred, yet the number of casualties has dropped.

Soon, the silhouette of the city came into view, and at the gate stood a familiar figure.

The defenses, walls, and people seem to have both changed and remained the same.

Samarkand... I'm home.

Appearance

• Destiny: Rising (First appearance)