Rise of Mana

Rise of Mana
Developer	GoShow (娯匠)
Publisher	Square Enix
Platforms	iOS, Android, PlayStation Vita
Release date	iOS: March 6, 2014 Android: June 26, 2014 PS Vita: May 14, 2015
Genre	Action role-playing, MMO
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Media	Digital download

Rise of Mana was an action RPG and spin-off of the Mana series, developed by Japanese studio GoShow and released for Square Enix. Released first on iOS March 6, 2014, an Android version followed on June 26, 2014. Nearly one year later, a version for Sony's PlayStation Vita landed in May 2015.

While Rise of Mana was modestly successful as an online game occasionally collaborating with other Square Enix properties such as Final Fantasy, it, like Circle of Mana before it, closed for unspecified reasons in March of 2016. Various media outlets at the time reported that the company was considering a standalone offline version; however, no such release was ever confirmed.

Story

Opening screen

There was a place called the Celestial Land,
On its luminous surface a giant tree grew, called Lustera
On its dark side, the roots of the giant tree grew, called Obscura
A mysterious world, divided into two opposing sides, front and back
With the angels living in Lustera
The demons roaming in Obscura
Under the command of the celestial king and the demon king
They waged an eternal war
Nobody remembers why they relentlessly fought
Angels craved light and Demons despised it
Lustera sought to overtake Obscura and fill it with light
Angels feared darkness, whereas Demon reveled in it
Obscura wanted to plunge Lustera into obscurity.
Nowadays, the only difference between the two factions
Is wether you believe one to be good or not.
The battle still waged on....
Only that fact remains certain.

Prologue

The prime Archangel and Archdemon are seen sparring on Lustera ground while a familiar hovers around them, making both lose their balance and plummet down the nearby waterfall. Upon regaining consciousness, they find themselves in the human world below the Celestial Land. They cannot stay in this place for too long as it will slowly deplete their strength. They decide to team up and merge their life force to extend their chance for survival while looking around to find out a way to climb up the Mana Waterfall. They rejoin with the familiar as they are about to leave the mountains but it is attacked by a large beast, prompting the Celestial team to defeat it. With the help of a little Cactus, the familiar is rescued by inhabiting a stray doll all the while the Angel and Demon collapses on the ground from exhaustion.

Opening their eyes again, the duo finds themselves in a small house with Li'l Cactus by their side. Turns out the place belongs to a man named Calcao and his daughter Cacao in Miste Town near Mt. Manten where they initially landed.

Chapter 1: Cacao's Rescue

Jap: 第１章：カカオ救出
While exploring the village, the Angel and Demon witness Cacao being kidnapped by a group of Chobin Hoods. They decide to follow after them to repay Calcao from nursing them back to health. The duo uses their mind-reading abilities to peer into the villagers' thoughts and learn of the ruffians having departed to the nearby Salvira Cave. With the help of Nikita the traveling merchant, they gear up for the journey and head to the cavern.

They find the captured Cacao surrounded by Chobin Hoods deep inside, and successfully slay the threat at hand. Cacao is fortunately unscathed and Calcao is seen running to her side to comfort her. He reveals she cannot speak ever since she was born and offers the duo to live at his place back in town for a while.

Chapter 2: Battle in Another Dimension

Jap: 第２章：異次元での戦い
Upon returning to Miste Town, the Celestial duo finds the denizens in a panic over a strange vortex emerging from the neighboring bay. They enter the mysterious portal and meet with multiple clones of themselves fighting a giant crab monster. A lookalike Angel explains this is the Scion World where multiple dimensions collide. An unknown assailant is sending fearsome monsters to destroy the multiverse and the Celestial warriors band together to defeat them and protect it. They defeat the curmudgeonous crustacean with the help of their new allies and head back to their respective dimensions just in time to see the vortex closing in.

Chapter 3: Sage Trent

Jap: 第３章：賢者トレント
Back at the house, Calcao tells of a mystical being called Sage Trent residing deep within Wendel Forest that could help them find their way to Lustera. The duo decides to investigate and head to the woods, where they meet with Toryu, vice Archdemon of Hell. He accuses the Demon of siding with the Angels and engage the duo in a battle. The Celestial duo wins, however, and Toryu is forced to retreat. The party discovers a large tree with a face on it further down the road. Turns out the tree is none other than Sage Trent himself and he welcomes the Children of the Celestial Realm to his humble abode. Upon hearing them wanting to find a way back to Lustera, the sage entrusts them with the quest of finding the legendary Mana Sword and unleash its power onto the waterfall. The duo thanks the wise being and head back to Miste Town.

Chapter 4: Messenger of Light

Jap: 第４章：光の使者
Citizens have reported spotting a ball of light coming down Mt. Manten and the Celestial duo head there to investigate. They find the light source on a dead tree atop a mountain trail which transforms in to a Celestial being. The Angel immediately recognizes him as Vibra, the second Archangel who claims he's here to help them. Vibra opens a path for the two of them, telling what they are looking for is there. The Demon tries to stop the Angel, insisting he can peers into his thoughts and that they are suspicious. However, she presses on and they end up being trapped in an enclosed area where they face off against a large snake. They slay the creature, but the Angel feels guilty about being fooled by a fellow Lusteran. The Demon replies he saw his inner thoughts revealing even the second-in-command Archangel has something to hide.

Chapter 5: The Mysterious Desert

Jap: 第５章：フシギの砂漠
Back again in Town, the Celestial duo hears a Beastwoman talks about the Kakkara Desert holding mysterious powers. They settle on exploring the wasteland. After scouting the place for a while with no clues in sight, they finally notice a large hole next to some quicksand. They hear a faint sound coming from it which belongs to an enormous sand spider sprouting from the gap. The duo destroys it, but this feat yields no more information for them, and they have no choice but to head home again.

Chapter 6: Trent Returns

Jap: 第６章：トレント再び
Back at Miste Town, the Celestial duo shares their frustration with Calcao of not being able to find the holy sword. With no more leads to choose from, they decide to head back to Wendel Forest to ask Trent about the sword even if the chances of him knowing more are slim. The team depart for the woods but they are quickly ambushed by Vibra, who tells the Angel they have committed a sin and they must be eradicated before it's too late according to the Heavenly King. The Demon tells the Angel that Vibra is only interested in getting rid of them. The Second Archangel in command draws its blade and starts attacking the duo, but ends up being the one defeated. He laments the fact he cannot be at full strength in the mortal world but comments on the benefits of the Angel and Demon merging strength to survive before leaving.

Shortly after, the duo is met with Toryu again claiming she won't be defeated so easily this time. The Demon asks her why the Demon King Merai would track them down. Toryu replies they have committed an unforgivable crime and they should be executed before they get to do something worse. The Demon asks them why Toryu seem unscathed after spending some time in the mortal world, to which she replies it is all thanks to the power of the Demon King. She then forces the duo to battle her, but ulimately kneels before them. Humiliated, she quickly flies away.

The duo finally get their audience with Trent and ask where is the Holy Sword again. However, The Great Tree spirit doesn't know how to respond to that, filling the Angel and the Demon with great despair. As they leave the forest, Treant is seen discussing of the two Children of Heaven's fate with an unknown person.

Chapter 7: Deepest Part of the Cave

Jap: 第７章：洞窟の最奥
A villager told the Celestial Children of a temple lying deep within the Salvira Cave. Despite the vague advice and their unsuccessful expedition in Kakkara Desert, the duo decides to give it a try and head inside the cave. They find the bandit who disclosed Cacao's location during her kidnapping while searching for the temple. Reading his mind enable the duo to solve a wall riddle to reach the sealed structure. After successfully activating the four seals and opening the entrance to the temple, however, the Angel has a bad feeling about the place, suggesting the party gear up before they venture any further.

Chapter 8: To The Temple

Jap: 第８章：神殿へ
The Celestial duo shares their findings with Calcao back in Miste Village. Their friend tells them to be careful on the way in as they journey into the Temple. They stumble on the man from town who told them about the ruins. Turns out this was Vibra in disguise. He reveals to have lured the protagonists inside the temple with the intent to bury them. The Angel replies they will keep on fighting even if they considered Vibra a comrade in arms. Vibra mocks the remark and quips he was only spiteful of their higher position. He draws out his weapon and start attacking the Celestial Children, only to be defeated by their hands. He questions his inability to win and ponders if the power of assimilation is behind his loss before leaving the duo. The Demon suggests they head back to the village since they cannot find a way further in.

Back to Calcao's house, the Demon shares their wish to venture deeper into the temple. They ask to be alone with the Angel, then gives them a pep talk about not giving up even when times are tough. The Angel thanks them and they vow to resume their quest to get back to Lustera.

Chapter 9: The End of the Mystery

Jap: 第９章：謎解きの果てに
Back at the temple, the duo decides to check out all the suspicious places they can find. They discover a inanimated machine golem with a soul voice telling them that the key is the wall and that Joe means "open". They spell the words together in front of a light symbol on a dead end, which reveals an entrance. Together they solve another similar puzzle that leads them to the heart of the temple, where they find an altar. Their presence triggers an alarm that summons a large Chess Knight and two Guardians they must brawl with. As they defeat the threat, a mysterious sword appears out of thin air wedged into the altar. They retrieve it and take it back to Calcao's.

Chapter 10: The Flame of Devotion

Jap: 第10章：執念の焔
The next scene shows the Celestial duo discussing with Calcao about the holy sword. They wonder if the weapon is genuine since it lost its sparkle after they got it out of the pedestal back at the temple. The protagonist notices Cacao isn't here but Calcao assures them she was there a moment ago. Despite her young age, the Demon confides in that she might want to get away from her father at times. Calcao panicks and runs off to get her. The duo agrees to look for the young child. A young girl outside claims that Cacao was with strange adults a second ago. A boy comes to the heroes, giving them a message to hurry to Homura Volcano before Cacao gets in danger. Fearing the worst, They head to the aforementioned place.

The duo manages to climb at the top of the volcano where they meet with Vibra and Toryu holding Cacao hostage. The Angel and Demon confront Vibra and Toryu for their evil schemes but they rebuke the accusations, telling it's their fault for pushing them this far. The Angel tries to reason with the antagonists, urging them to fight if they want to, but to let Cacao go since she go nothing to do with this. Vibra retorts that Calcao help them in their quest, so he must pay the consequences. The evil archangel hoists the little girl with his magic. The Angel attempts to save her, but is knocked off by Toryu, all the while Vibra lets the poor girl plummet into the lava. The Demon switches places with the Angel, shouting they will tear them to shreds. A violent battle ensues in which the Celestial duo ends up victorious.

Vibra and Toryu escape once again and the protagonists rushes to the cliff to see if they can save Cacao from a firey grave. Unfortunately, she is nowhere to be seen and the Angel and Demon have no other choice but to pray for her safety. This triggers the holy sword by emiting a bright light from which Cacao is reborn. They hug and head back to the village. Meanwhile, the evil duo is seen wondering how they can defeat the Celestial Children. A mysterious woman interrupts them, claiming to have the answer...

Chapter 11: The Unruly

Jap: 第11章：コりない連中
Cacao seems to have disappeared again. Calaco went to search for her and the protagonists have once again agreed to look around for clues. A townsfolk informs them that a group of thieves have appeared not too long ago inside Salvira Cave. They find a lone Chobin Hood scurrying around town, then heading toward Calcao's house before running off. They find the holy sword missing inside. The duo trails the robber all the way back to their hideout inside the cave, where they find Cacao holding the holy sword and surrounded by thieves. The Bandit Thief orders her to hand over the weapon, but she doesn't comply. They try to use force on the little child, but the heroes manage to stop them. The sword shines a bright light while the party defeats the bandits. The Sacred Sword stops emiting light once the threat is gone and the heroes escort Cacao back to the village.

Chapter 12: Gaia the Wise

Jap: 第12章：賢者ガイア
The Angel and Demon ask Calcao about how they can return to heaven with the help of the Holy Sword. The man tells Gaiam the Earth Spirit who lives deep within Kakkara Desert might know more about it. He warns them it's not easy to meet him, but they should nonetheless be able to do it. The heroes leave and start looking around suspicious spots in the desert. The Holy Sword is seen reacting to several fossils, giving off a clue as where to search. The last fossil reveals the location of Gaia being behind a sandfall. However, the party encounters a large beholder monster they must slay before resuming their search. The duo finds Calcao's insights to be rather dubious, as if he was testing them. Before they can conclude anything, they press on to find Gaia, the face of the earth, sleeping soundly.

The Holy Sword glows before him, waking him up. The Wise Spirit is pleased to see an Angel and a Demon merged together. He asks them where they got the sword and for what reason. The Angel replies they need the Holy Sword to return to heaven according to Trent. The Demon then asks Gaia if the sword is genuine, and he says yes. They can, however, only return to their homeland should they harness the Holy Sword's power, as in this unstable state, they cannot climb up the Mana Waterfall. They must acquire a shining soul in order to do so.

Chapter 13: Assimilated Warriors

Jap: 第13章：同化戦士
They report back to Calcao and asks him where they could find a shining soul. However, the man doesn't have a clue of what a shining soul is. The team has no other choice but to pay a visit to Trent again to get more information. During their journey trought Wendel Forest, they encounter a dazed Toryu infected in an eery red glow. They manages to best her, but she doesn't seem fazed by it and happily flutters away. Later on, they meet with a comatose Vibra surrounded by a similar blue aura. He has a similar response to Toryu as he flies away after being defeated. As they approach Trent's lair, Toryu and Vibra reappear before them to fight once more, this time with the power of merging. They lose once again, but claim they can fight them anytime now with their newfound power.

Now with the antagonists gone, the Children of Heaven can meet with Trent and ask about how they can obtain a shining soul. The Forest Spirit, unfortunately, cannot understand their question. He replies that just like the Holy Sword, he knows that it exists but doesn't its whereabouts. The Demon tries to get an answer as to what the purpose of the shining soul is, but Trent remains silent. He replies they have no choice but to gain a shining soul through their own efforts. If they already know what it does, it won't be helpful at all in the end. The heroes decide to head back to the village after that.

Chapter 14: King of Heavens

Jap: 第14章：天の王
The Celestial duo shares their findings with Calcao, saying they will as around town for more leads. A townsfolk mistakes them for Vibra and Toryu, saying they saw someone dressed like them at Luhia Beach. The Angel and Demon decide to head there to find out more. They find both antagonist distressed about their merging predicament. A mysterious lady appear beihnd them, saying their assimilation was tweaked to spike their attack power. The woman is revealed by the Angel to be the Heavenly King, but the Demon swears that she is the Demon King. She tells them they are both correct as she both rules over Lustera and Obscura. She states her name to be Folon. The Celestial Children are in disbelief and ask why they both sides are at constant war with each other. Folon replies that while this this is a legitimate question, she has no obligation to answer it now. She orders instead her immortal warriors Vibra and Toryu to fight the protagonists.

Despite their win, Folon taunts them for being the first Archangel and Archdemon adding that she needs to make some adjustments on her warriors. She ponders about the meaning of all this then bids them farewell, hoping they survive the next onslaught.

Chapter 15: Brilliant Training

Jap: 第15章：輝ける修行
Back at the village, Calcao is surprised to learn that the Heavenly King and the Demon King's identity is both one and the same. He finds it strange for the Angel and Demon not to know the name of their own ruler. The Devil replies they've always called them by their title, and the Angel agrees on their side as well. Calcao wonders if this Folon is really their respective ruler, but the Celestial Children tells him they're no doubt about it based on the amount of energy she gave off. This leaves Calcao in his own thoughts, but Cacao rushes in to tell the party that someone in town is talking about a shining soul. The duo agrees on finding this person.

A Beastwoman named Guru Leist is preaching near the Mana statue that the ending is nigh as the demons are about to raid the earth. The world will be enveloped in darkness, flowers will wither, animal will die and people's mind will be in turmoil. The Demon quips that they don't even have that kind of power, but the Guru is making the population restless. She claims there is a way to ward off demons as they must call upon the might of their archnemesis, the Angels. They can apparently summon the Angels by getting their hands on a radiant soul, protecting them from harm's way. She urges the townsfolk to train with her to acquire the legendary item as only those who have endured the rigorous training regiment will by granted the shining soul. The Guru adds she will go train at Fieg Snowfields and her attendees will be offered a special low price. The Demon is disgusted by her fraudulous ways but the Angel is concerned about the fact they know about the shining souls. They settle on investigating this shady business down at the snowfields. They inquire about the training, but Guru Leist tells them it is only given to adults. She gives them a special task to find a small hut in the snowfields to serve as a replacement.

The protagonists head to the Fieg Snowfields to look for the snow hut and cross path with many townspeople along the way, hoping to get their very own shining soul. The Demon criticizes them for being so gullible. The party eventually finds the snow hut they've been asked to but neither of them seem to have acquired a shining soul. They are about to turn back when a giant snow monkey jumps out of nowhere, attacking them. They successfully defeat the creature and leave the premise. Folon is seen appearing behind them, claiming people of the human world are worthless.

Chapter 16: The Red Ending

Jap: 第16章：紅い結末
The Demon vents their frustration at Calcao, who replies he cannot do anything about it. Despite their ultimate goal of returning to heaven, they still have to deal with Folon and the fact they will be probably be shunned by their comrades from above even if they succeed. The Demon fears of Lustera and Obsura joining forces and attack the human world. Calcao wonders if their true goal isn't to get back to heaven, but Cacao runs to him before he can further elaborate. Apparently, rumors are spreading about Mount Homura erupting soon. The townsfolk are saying that a ball of light fell into the volcano, making it active again. Miste Town will surely disappear should the volcano erupt since it is quite close. Hearing this, the Celestial Children head steadfast to their next destination.

They climb to the top of the mountain, only to find Vibra shooting fireballs at the crater. The Angel tries to warn him of the town being engulfed in flames should the volcano erupt, but Vibra is doing it on purpose so that everyone will perish. The Holy Sword suddently shines a dazzling light hurting the immortal warriors. They start fighting and the Celestial Children end up victorious once again. The Angel then asks why they are purposely trying to make the volcano erupt, which Folon replies it is to simply save time. The Goddess then summons flunkies to stall them. Folon had fused multiple angels and demons thanks to testing the power of assimilation with Vibra and Toryu. Despite slowing down the soul circulation inside them, the mergings were successful. The Goddess then calls upon a ball of dark energy she hurls onto Vibra and Toryu, who falls into the volcano. The emotional outburst felt by the protagonists calls upon the Holy Sword, which shines its Mana power onto them. Upon witnessing this, Folon disappear along with her guards.

Chapter 17: Calcao

Jap: 第17章：カルカオ
The Celestial Children are seen discussing Vibra and Toryu's fate with Calcao. He walks out his house without notice, which makes Cacao worry. The young girl doesn't know where he went and starts crying. The protagonists start asking around town for him and learn he crossed the entrance gate just a moment ago and that he was heading deep inside Salvira Cave. The heroes wonder why he left Cacao behind, but believe he went into the Temple.

They head over there and start looking for the room where they discovered the Holy Sword. They solve the structure's many puzzles and finally gain access to the altar chamber. They hear a conversation between a man and woman arguing about the Holy Sword's name and purpose. According to the man, the activation of the sword is a manifestation of Mana's will and thus it must be time. Folon's voice also can be heard questioning the man's narrative. She argues the dolls were able to draw out Mana's will. Cacao is seen approaching the protagonist. The man berates Folon for calling the Celestial Children dolls and the Goddess's arrogance is a direct cause of the world's distortion. Folon then asks the man what he knows about Mana and comment that she won't let that girl alone and won't mind sacrificing everything to protect her. The Goddess shouts at Calcao to stop interfering otherwise she'll erase him right there. Cacao runs toward her father upon hearing this, with the protagonists tailing her behind.

Folon calls out Cacao the daughter of Calcao and Shartis for getting in her way too. She gloats that both parent and child should disappear from this world and sends a ball of dark energy toward Calcao and Cacao. The Mana Sword is triggered and blocks the incoming attack, sending it back to Folon, who winces in pain at the impact. Upon seeing the heroes, the Goddess summons immortal warriors to back her up and charge at them. The Celestial Children defeat the evil cavalry which Folon understands as the Mana Sword's weakning her army's power. She claims she won't approve of it and disappear into thin air. The heroes see Calcao and Cacao out the Temple.

Chapter 18: Road to Heaven

Jap: 第18章：天に向かう道
Calcao explains to the Celestial Children that both the human and the heaven worlds are creations of Folon. The real human world and heaven exist in a different dimension. Its inhabitants are not fake per se, but are akin to the body assimilation technique the protagonist have been using for some time. The Demon now understand why the Goddess called them dolls back in the Temple. Folon did use the merging technique by herself to create the fake world. Calcao reveals Folon to be the Goddess of Time floating in the eternal flow of time. However, Calcao states he cannot reveal why she created this world. The Angel explains that Calcao can probably hear the soul voices just like them and asks him if he's one of the gods himself. Calcao replies he was one back in the day, along with his late wife. Cacao may be a little different on that aspect.

The Demon then urges the Angel to locate Folon and confront her, but the Angel is against making hasty decisions. Calcao adds that Folon must be in heaven now and they can reach it in their currrent state. The pair agrees to go to Mt. Manten and use the Mana Sword onto the waterfall. As they reach the falls, the demon mentions they haven't found any shining soul yet. Before they can climb it, however, they are attacked by Toryu, Vibra and a pair of Jackals. The protagonists manage to defeat them. The Demon states they start to understand what a shining soul is; when the mind and heart are linked together in a balanced way, the Holy Sword shines its power onto them. They come to realize they have become good friends by sharing their experiences together. They can now summon the blade at will. The heroes decide to return to the village one last time before their trip to heaven.

Chapter 19: Folon

Jap: 第19章：フォロン
Back in Miste Town, Calcao is surprised to see the protagonists back as he thought they were eager to reach the heavens and confront Folon. The Demon replies they were tired and needed some rest before the trip. The Celestial Children remark that Cacao might be able to use the Mana Sword and Calcao agreess. The young child has a balanced soul of black and white energy, making it a shining soul, making it unsual since most souls lean toward one side or the other. Just like the soul voices appear only in black or white energy, most souls and the whole universe is built on that principle. However, not even Calcao knows how Cacao's soul is perfectly balanced. The Demon then asks why they cannot see Cacao's soul. Calcao replies it's because it doesn't exist since her soul has no sides at all, being in equilibrium. The Angel remarks that they cannot see Calcao's soul as well. He surmises that they cannot perceive it since he is a former god. The heroes both thank the father and daughter for their help and head back to the Mana Waterfall.

They climb the passage to the Heavens with the help of the Holy Sword and reach Lustera. They meet with Folon there, and she claims to already know their question they want to ask her. She wanted to create a world that would last forever. The protagonists' sin resides in the fact they have the ability to end this fabricated world, which she cannot forgive. She then summons two immortal warriors to assist her and engage the Celestial Children in battle. The heroes end up victorious, but claim they don't want to fight anymore. Unortunately, Folon is irate at the thought of destroying her beloved world and flees toward a temple behind her, erecting a barrier so that nobody can get to her. The protagonists are teleported back to Miste Town thanks to the Holy Sword.

Chapter 20: Thoughts of a Goddess

Jap: 第20章：女神の想い
Despite Calcao's surprise to see his friends back in the human world so soon, he realizes they've let their guard down. The Angel wonders if there is a way to break the barrier Folon set up in the heavens. Calcao tells them they might want to use the Mana Sword and head to the Mana Sanctuary. The protagonists agree and depart immediately after.

Back in Lustera, the heroes use the Holy Sword on the force field, neutralizing it in the process. They head into the Mana Sanctuary. Based on what they heard, this Temple beneath Salvira Cave was build by Folon, probably for hiding the Holy Sword. The team presses on and eventually find the Goddess of Time staring at a mural at the end of the temple. The painting is a depiction of the Mana Goddess, whom she calls her irreplacable sleeping beauty. Unfortunately, even Folon doesn't know when the Goddess is going to wake up. She created this false world for her, so that she doesn't feel lonely when she wakes up. She begs the heroes to leave this world as it is since this world is made to be eternal if untouched. The Angel replies that in this world, humans fight each other and angels and demons are at constant war. Would waking up in such a world benefit the Mana Goddess? Folon tries to shut them up, telling they don't know anything. The Angel replies that even if they are dolls to her, they have souls and won't let her meddle with everyone's lives. This affront deeply upsets Folon, who swears to destroy them even if she ends up being destroyed. She warps herself and the protagonists to a place akin to the Scion World and takes the guise of a monstrous appearance. The Celestial Children draws their weapon and beging their final battle against Folon.

The party ends up victorious as the Goddess reverts back to her original form. She claims to have already known they would be against her wish. The Holy Sword starts resonating with the Mana Goddess mural, and her voice echoes. The Mana Goddess tells Folon that everything is going to be alright. She is grateful of her kindness but she will now resume her sleep. The Mana Sword appears before Folon, who tries to reach its hilt, then disappear into thin air. With the Goddess of Time gone, the protagonists wonders what to do next and decide to undo their merging. The Angel tells the Demon they want to watch over this world. The Demon agrees, despite some reluctance. They do the assimilating technique again and head back to the human world. One last scene depicts the Mana Goddess mural telling she entrusts the future of this world to the Children of Heaven. They will face many disasters from now on. For the sake of the kind-hearted Folon, she entrusts them to become the hope of this world. The Sword of Mana disappears as the protagonists are welcomed back to Calcao and Cacao's house.

Chapter 21: Subtle Modulations

Jap: 第21章：かすかな変調
The protagonists lament the fact the world is the same as before, even though Folon is gone. Monsters and humans are still fighting. Their conversation are cut short by Cacao, who tells her father that angels and demons have come down to the human world. According to her, they have been spotted inside the Ice Wall Cave. It's a desolate place visited by only a few people. The Demon questions how Cacao knew where the angels and demons were in the first place, but they have more pressing need to attend and depart for the Ice Wall Cave.

They discover a trio of angels and demons fighting each other deep inside the frigid labyrinth. They warn them of the danger of not assimilating in the human world, but the two parties are resolute in their intent to combat the opposing side. The Angel invites them to watch over the world instead of fighting, but the troops still hold grudges from felling their comrades decades ago. The Celestial Children have no other choice but to defeat their comrades. They leave the Ice Wall Cave with heavy hearts.

Chapter 22: Visitors

Jap: 来訪者たち
The heroes head back to Calcao's home and express their disappointment for not convincing their fellow angels and demons to make amends. A mysterious girl enters the room, claiming her lord is request an audience with the Demon and to go to heaven to meet him. She leaves almost immediately, leaving all subjects in a state of confusion. It is unclear whether the girl is an angel or a demon.

They travel to Lustera and meet with the girl and her lord. He praises the fake world made by Folon. The Angel asks him if he's one of the gods, but he denies it. He introduces himself as Nakiri, a faithful servant of a god. He asks the protagonists to join him in destroying the fake world. This world exists as long as souls run through it. A soul becomes life, then reverts back to being a soul and the cycle repeats itself. This fake world has been created to enforce this soul cycle. Humans and monsters, angels and demons have fought countless wars to unknowingly perpetuate this endless cycle of death and rebirth of souls between heaven and the human realm. If the fake world were to be destroyed artificially, it would be troublesome for the other gods. Nakiri wants the Angel and Demon's help to properly eradicate this false world. However, the Demon is against this idea. Nakiri lets his mysterious sarcophagus comrade Irion threaten the duo to make them change their mind.

Irion doesn't stand a chance against the Celestial Children, but this amuses Nakiri, who quips about all this being according to plan. The Demon tries to make them go away, but is quickly knocked back by Nakiri's spear. Despite being more troublesome than expected, he tells them he'll let them alone for a while and blasts them away with his weapon.

Chapter 23: Storm

Jap: 第23章：暴風
Calcao is glad to see that the heroes are safe and sound after hearing about them being kicked out of heaven. He reveals Nakiri is also called "Storm Nakiri" and is the mercenary in service of a certain god. Their main job is to destroy anything that is deem unpleasant to the gods. He got his nickname by how easy it is for him to wreck havoc on anything he touches. The situation seems dire, as his presence would signify that he wants to destroy the fake world. Calcao adds that even if he would get to enter heaven again, he'd get blown away. The Demon suggests they should ask Trent for advice.

As they walk deeper into Wendel Forest, they encounter the mysterious girl who calls herself Chloe. She tells them they don't have permission to call her by her name, however, and adds she is here to purge them. By depicting such disrespectful behavior toward her lord, they are obligated to pay back with their lives. She lunges at them, but is ultimately bested by the protagonists. She leaves before they can say anything, with the Angel remarking they have become unpleasing to the gods.

They finally meet with Trent at the back of the woods and ask him how they can get rid of Nakiri. Unfortunately, his identity is still shrouded in mystery, more precisely hidden by a certain god. He was once a normal human being and he was made a mercenary to make him more useful. The Demon is getting impatient and wants to know how to defeat him instead. Trent replies he has no other choice but to ask the Children of Heaven to break the Mana Sword's seal. The power of the Holy Sword is currently being suppressed.

Chapter 24: The First Soul

Jap: 第24章：第一の魂
The Celestial Children return to Calcao and share the information they got from Trent. Calcao is intrigued by the Mana Sword's seal. In order to draw out its power, the seal must be broken. According to the Angel, they must awaken the souls sleeping in the four lands. Doing so will awaken the power to break the seal. The four lands are the Valley of Flame, Fieg Snowfields, Luhia Coast, and the Dark Forest. They probably must have concealed the souls to prevent the sword from being used carelessly. Should they do not possess the appropriate strength of heart, things could go awry quickly. The heroes settle on exploring the Valley of Flame first.

They find a small stone altar deep inside the valley whose writing tell them they are foolish to awaken the slumber of fire. Upon reciting those words, a blue will o'wisp burst out of the stone and transform into a large monkey monster. After defeating it, the Mana Sword shines before the stone, summoning Salamander the Mana spirit of fire. He asks if they are the heir to the Holy Sword and lends them his power by assimilating with the sword. As they depart for the next soul, Chloe can be seen observing them at a distance.

Chapter 25: The Second Soul

Jap: 第25章：第二の魂
Back at Calcao's house, he is impressed by the fact Salamander fused with the Mana Sword. He ponders it a bit then surmises they don't have other choice but to awaken the other three remaining elemental spirits. The Angel speaks of their next destination being the Fieg Snowfields.

The party is ambushed by Nakiri and Chloe during their expedition to the snowfields. The Storm declares they are going to go to great lengths to fight him. The Angel replies they aren't going to fight, rather they want to watch over this world. Nakiri then asks them how they can be so free when they are a doll like him. A doll's role is to obey their master and nothing else. He then stops in his speech and asks Chloe to go play with them as he needs to get ready. The duo best the warrior girl once again, but then ask her what is this preparation Nakiri is doing for. She reveals he will free all of those who are tormented by the gods. She then disappear before saying anything else.

They eventually reach another stone altar whose text tells of a warning from a awaking the slumber of earth. A giant beholder enemy emerges from it, and the Celestial Children emerge victorious from the battle once again. Gnome, the elemental spirit of earth appears immediately after felling the monster, understanding his awakening as something serious going on in this world. He agrees to lend his power to the Holy Sword and assimilate into the blade.

Chapter 26: The Third Soul

Jap: 第26章：第三の魂
Calcao seems a bit spaced out and reveals he cannot shake a strange feeling he has. He feels like his soul is being pulled upward. The Demon recommends him to take some rest until they find the next soul. Their next destination is Luhia Beach. There, they find an underwater cavern, but a almost instantly attacked by Chloe and Airion. The living sarcophagus insists on taking them alone and can't wait to unleash his true strength. He is nonetheless defeated yet again at the hands of the Children of Heaven and is ordered by Chloe to retreat despite him desperately wanting to fight them again.

The protagonists find yet another stone altar at the end of the cavern with a similar inscription lamenting their own cruelty for disruption the slumber of water. Three giant machine golems are summoned after reading the stone and must be eliminated in order to retrive Undine, the water elemental. Despite the Demon's best attempt at wanting more information from her, Undine readily assimilates with the Mana Sword without explaining anything like the other Mana spirits.

Chapter 27: The Fourth Soul

Jap: 第27章:第四の魂
Mr. Calcao is getting increasingly silent whenever the heroes return successful from their soul hunting. He keeps muttering about something happening above, to which the Angel think he might mean something in heaven. They figure it's probably Nakiri's doing. The Demon wonders what he is trying to accomplish by absorbing souls like that, however they cannot stay idle for too long and must proceed to the Dark Forest before it's too late.

While searching around the woods, the Demon asks why their souls aren't consumed as it would benefit Nakiri to weaken them in that fashion. The Angel doesn't have an answer to that question and they press on deeper into the woods. They find the last stone altar who reads: Those who seek to awaken the slumbering wind, worry about your own laziness. Two fierce jackals emerge from the stone and are slain as usual. Their defeat makes Jinn, the elemental of Wind appear before the heroes. The spirit is glad to see a shining soul emerging from the Celestial Children. The Angel asks if the seal will br broken on the Holy Sword since they've gathered all four souls. Jinn replies the seal won't break yet as they have only earn he right to encounter the power to break the seal. The power is said to reside in the Ancient Tower. On those words, the wind elemental merges with the Holy Sword.

Chapter 28: Awakening

Jap: 第28章:目覚めのとき
Back at Miste Town, the protagonists ask how Calaco is doing. He's decided to put up a barrier around himself, but he lacks to power to proctect the entire town in that fashion. The Angel asks him if it is alright to break the seal onto the Mana Sword since if such as strong seal was put on it, the blade could yield tremendous power. Calcao comforts her, saying the Goddess of Mana blesses life and there would be absolutely now way she would had created a weapon intented to harm people. Reassured by those words, the Angel teams up with the Demon to look into the Ancient Tower for more leads.

They climb the structure and come face to face with Airion again. The metal-clad warrior swears he will never let them through even at the cost of his life as he made a promise to both Nakiri and Chloe. Airion is ultimately destroyed by the Children of Heaven with a small, alien-like creature can be seen peeking through the dismantled armor. He tells them they will never understand how hard it is to be left out of the loop. Lord Nakiri had given him strength and confidence but Airion failed being more helpful in return. The warrior utters his last breath before vanishing for good.

The party resume their search and eventually reach a bridge where they reunite with Chloe. She is glad Airion gave his best and she intend to do the same. She proceeds to transform into a large white serpentine dragon and the battle ensues. Even at full strength, Chloe is no match for the protagonist and is defeated just like her partner Airion. She recalls being being helped by Nakiri when she was persecuted as the reincarnation of a white dragon. She bids her master good luck before disappearing for good.

They finally reach the highest room of the tower as the Sword of Mana shines throught them. A single familiar is brought to life in the middle of the room. The creature calls themselves a Faerie and reveal she looks like a familiar because she is used a their prototype. She is surprised to see two voice coming from the same body, but quickly understands once she sees them switching side. The Faerie asks the heroes if they want to break the seal on the Mana Sword since she has the power to do so. The Angel replies she doesn't know much about the Mana Goddess and that's why she's apprehensive about what power the Holy Sword holds. If Calcao says it's okay, then she probably has nothing to worry about. The Faerie replies that Calaco seems pretty shady and asks what would they do if the true power of the Mana Sword would be used to destroy the world. The Angel replies that she wouldn't use it, but keep it nonetheless. Faerie is a little taken aback by this comment, but since they've got a partner, it should be alright. She then proceed to remove the seal onto the blade by merging into it. With the Holy Sword at full power, they hurry back to Calcao before heading to the heavens.

Chapter 29: Nakiri

Jap: 第29章:ナキリ
The heroes report back to Calcao that the seal on the Mana Sword has been broken even though its appearance hasn't changed. Suddenly, the Sword shines before their very eyes, informing them through Cacao that Nakiri is in Obscura. Despite the danger ahead, the protagonists are resolute in their decision to stop the Storm from raging on.

They head to Obsura where Nakiri is seen channeling a large energy ball. He tells them this ball is a collection of souls of people from pseudo worlds. The Demon recognizes it as the reason why Calcao and the townsfolk are feeling ill. Nakiri wants to clash this Soul Bullet with the real heaven as defiance to defeat to prideful gods. He adds that if they leave this false world alone, the gods will eventually destroy it and he thought he might ask them out for help. However, the Soul Bullet still needs more souls to be sacrificed in order to put a real dent into the god's den. The Angel asks what will happen to this world if every soul it contains merge into that Soul Bullet. Nakiri scoffs at their question, stating its inhabitants are mere dolls of little importance. The Demon tells otherwise, as the people here a living in peace. Nakiri retorts they will never understand his suffering and that they are making fun of him. He summons his lance and points it in their direction which triggers the Mana Sword.

Nakiri is defeated by the Celestial Children, but he won't be easily defeated. He calls forth three balls of dark energy and traps the protagonists near his blade. He is about to unleash a giant energy wave at then when the Holy Sword acts as a shield for the heroes. The commotion creates a blinding light that teleports the protagonists in the middle of Miste Town.

Chapter 30: A Single Hope

Jap: 第30章:ひとすじの希望
Outraged at the fact they were kicked out of the battlefield before they could finish Nakiri off, the Demon urges the Angel to go back to Oscura to end it once and for all. However, the Mana Sword shines its light again, informing Cacao that Nakiri is not in Oscura anymore but rather in the Mana Underworld. Calcao describes the place as the Sanctuary of Mana's dark side so to speak and is similar in appearance to the Sanctuary of Mana located in Lustera.

Now in the Mana Underworld, the Demon asks the Angel why Cacao is the only one able to speak with the Mana Sword. The Angel guesses she might have a shining soul as theirs is two souls combined in one. They find Nakiri deep inside the sanctuary staring at a similar mural of the Goddess of Mana found in Lustera. The Demon asks what happen to the Soul Bullet. Nakiri replies that everything was destroyed because of their intervention. He now stands before what he states as the body of the Goddess of Mana. What the Childen of Heaven saw at Lustera's sanctuary was the Goddess's spirit. The Angel asks why separating her mind and her body, but Nakiri replies they will have to ask Folon for that. The Storm is facinated by the Mana Goddess's beauty. He then faces the heroes, claiming it's now time for payback, but they ask him why doesn't he just leave this fake world. He says it's impossible. Nakiri then summons balls of dark energy, stating he will make them taste the power of the Storm. He transforms into a larger, monstrous version of himself and start attacking the protagonists.

With the help of the Mana Sword, Nakiri is vanquished as he reverts back to his original self. The Demon asks him why they didn't suck out their souls since it would had make them easier to deal with. Nakiri replies they are becoming a dangerous existence after all. He thanks the Angel and Demon for setting him free from this hopless way of life. He vanishes as he awaits his new life once reborn. With their mission complete, the Demon asks the Angel how they can protect this world from the gods, as they still feel uneasy about it. The Demon then separates from the Angel and states that the world of Ayen was created by Folon for the Goddess of Mana, a world that operates by forcibly moving souls back and forth between heaven and the mortal realm. Even though the Demon thaught they were acting on their own they were manipulated like a puppet. However, seeing how humans, beasts, angels and demon all trying to living out their best lives, they changed their mind. In the end, the Angel and Demon settles on protecting this pseudo-world, use the assimilation technique again and head back to the human world. A voice can be heard from a distance, stating that the Goddess of Mana may awaken soon. Her sister left them something interesting that they'll use to the best of their ability. The Mana Sword is seen shedding its light silently.

Final Chapter: A Long Journey

Jap: 最終章:はるかなる旅路
Calcao has decided to visit the Goddess of the Night, mother of all gods to negociate the preservation of this pseudo-world. According to him, she's the one who wants to destroy this world the most. The stakes are high and the plan might not even work, but it is worth a try. If the Calcao were a god he could travel freely to the real Heaven but he doesn't have this kind of power anymore. He has no choice but to ask the Mana Goddess about it. He then asks the Children of Heaven to go to the Sanctuary of Mana in Lustera and awaken the Goddess. They will do so by using with Holy Sword's power. The heroes accept the task and head to the Heaven.

Deep witin the Sanctuary, they encounter Folon in front of the Mana Goddess mural. She tells them she's here to eliminate them since she cannot let those who try to defile her sister roam freely any longer. She then summons Toryu and Vibra to assist her in battle. After a long and grueling fight, Folon and her flunkies are defeated. The Goddess of Time notices their shining soul and asks the Mana Goddess to help her. The Goddess of Mana agrees and use the Holy Sword to modify the pseudo-world. Folon tells the protagonists that this world will become an ark and can now travel freely between dimensions. The rest is up to the heroes to safeguard this world. They can meet with the Goddess of the Night or even travel between the ocean of dimensions. Folon adds to tell Calcao to try his best too before leaving. The Mana Goddess tells she was glad to meet with the protagonists even for a short time. She will soon resume her slumber and wishes them to become the hope of this world. Despite having many unanswered questions, the heroes return to Miste Town to report to Calcao.

Ending screen

It was called a pseudo-world
Heaven where angels and demon exist
The human world where humans and monster exist
The first archangel who dwells on the light side of Heaven
The first archdemon who resides on the dark side of Heaven
Due to untimely circumstances, their bodies were merged
And together overcame various obstacles.
As time went by, they sought to make things right
And ultimately challenged the Goddess of Night
The God of Death, the God of Air and his son
The battle that ensued was extremely fierce.
At great sacrifice
This peuso-world was allowed to exist by the gods
As an ark
Fated to travel the oceans of dimensions forever.
To the three kind-hearted goddesses of love, time and life
While being watched over...
FIN

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Rise of Mana.

References

• Seiken-RoM Gamemerch

	Randi --"Whoa! What's a Rabite doing in a place like this?"
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