Yet, the ascent had been a solitary pilgrimage. He'd tackled countless missions, leaving a trail of foes and friends alike, while unearthing corners of the world he once only dreamed of. He had achieved the unimaginable, yet a melancholic tune tugged at his heartstrings.
"I wonder how Saga-san's doing?" he murmured, his gaze lifting towards the pristine azure sky. The name resonated with a forgotten warmth, a flickering memory of a bronze-skinned mage who'd shared his first tentative steps into the Rune Knight fold.
Saga, a phantom now, a whisper in the halls of the Headquarters. Their paths had diverged the moment they'd intertwined, leaving Toga with a lingering question that surfaced on this cloudless day. Was it the nature of reaching the summit that prompted reflection on those left in the valley below?
The Dragon Slayer's rise had been meteoric, his prowess and determination propelling him through the ranks with an almost ethereal swiftness. From a fledgling Private to a decorated Colonel, he'd navigated the labyrinthine structure of the Rune Knights with an intuition that defied his inexperience.
But the climb had been a lonely one. Toga's focus, unwavering and laser-sharp, had left little room for camaraderie. The bonds forged in the heat of battle were ephemeral, fading as quickly as the echoes of clashing steel. Saga, with his enigmatic aura and quiet strength, had been a stark counterpoint to Toga's fiery nature. Their brief encounter had sparked a curiosity that now, months later, reignited with unexpected force.
Perhaps it was the weight of his accomplishments, the realization that he stood on a precipice few dared to scale, that drew Toga's mind back to that initial connection. Was it a longing for the shared innocence of those early days, a yearning for a simpler time before the burdens of leadership settled upon his shoulders?
Or was it simply the haunting nature of memory, the way it resurrected faces and voices from the depths of time, demanding acknowledgment even when the present clamored for attention?
Toga didn't have the answers. He only knew that as he continued his stroll through the heart of Rune Knight territory, the ghost of Saga walked beside him, a silent companion on a journey that had taken him further than he'd ever imagined. And as he contemplated the path ahead, he couldn't help but wonder if their paths would ever cross again, if the phantom would solidify into flesh and blood, if the questions that lingered would find their answers in the fullness of time.
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