The Promised Canaan Episode 6 Part 2

Dagon starts narrating about remembering the good old days. Back then, the people of Canaan smiled, and Dagon was there smiling with them. His successor Baal and Baal’s childhood friend Astarte smiled as well.  Dagon had thought this was the height of happiness, the place where he belonged. But one day, unprecedented ruin rained down on the world.

The faith for Canaan wavered, as did its System. This faith was stolen, and so the world fell to destruction. The angels came to attack, and Dagon remembers what the World Representative Baal had screamed like it was just yesterday.

Baal: Stop! Don’t lay your hands on my friend! Stop attacking our world!!

Astarte: *(is struck down)*

Baal: Astarte! Curses! Curse you all! If I had more power this outrage would never——!!

Dagon was still a Pillar back then, and he was destroyed by the invading forces. His palace was reduced to two pillars as it was destroyed along with the rest of Canaan. He thought that was the end of the world. He was saddened, he grieved, and then he knew. He learned that this was not the end of things.

A sliver of a tentacle that clung to his Pillar was all that remained of him at the time, and Dagon drifted through the cracks between the worlds. One day it washed up on a particular island. Time passed, and several islands were drawn together and stitched to each other. There, he made a promise with Triton, the man he had strong ties to.

Triton wished for the safety of his students. Dagon wished for his own destruction. Triton says he’s ready and swears to uphold the deal but insists that Dagon keeps his word. Dagon says he will because Triton is him. Dagon enters Triton’s body then and begins to act in ways to carry out his goal.

Dagon used Triton as a vessel while battling the drifters from another world. Finally the time came for his wish to be granted, and Triton returned to his beloved students. Dagon was envious that Triton had people worth protecting, envious of how warm his heart was in his thoughts towards his students. That was to be his last comfort as he went to his own fate. That was the time he thought his world would truly end.

But once again Dagon awakened, and he agreed to recreate Canaan from his memories despite thinking it would be over earlier. He never thought he would be doing this, but he learned something by doing it. Even when a world ends, there’s always something that comes after. New possibilities and new encounters spread from there. Only that which reaches and hits the wall that is the end of the world can know that.

Dagon says he wants you to remember this one thing if you ever come up against a wall and feel like breaking apart. If an obstacle stands in your way, a new world is waiting for you just beyond it.

Back to the present, the angel mobs continue attacking Dagon, and you try to intervene despite the numbers. Kijimuna tries blowing them away with his powers, but Bael calls him World Pillar of Nirai Kanai before commenting on what a horrible thing it is he’s doing. He says that Kijimuna’s efforts are causing Dagon needless pain, which Kijimuna is shocked about.

Bael talks about how the world would already be washed away and reset from the beginning if Kijimuna weren’t there. As it is, he’s preventing Dagon’s final memories from playing out and prolonging the attacks the angels are throwing at Dagon. Kijimuna is distressed by this, but Dagon tells him to ignore what Bael is saying and refuses to let another loop start again. You are able to stand up again, so you don’t need this world’s protection anymore.

Bael says he figured Dagon would say that but asks what everyone else thinks. How much can anyone else bear to see Dagon attacked like this? You either ask what Bael is trying to achieve or figure out what that is. Bael talks about how Dagon will relive his memories to where he’s cut back down to a tentacle, but none of you would be able to handle it going that far. You’ll eventually wish that this never happened.

Should that come to pass, the world will revert. Even Kijimuna would be affected, and his artifact wouldn’t be able to help him. You are either alarmed by this or ask what would happen afterwards. Bael says the memories would cycle in an endless loop of repetitions. Every time you remember will cause a greater shock, and the futility of your actions will sink in. You’ll eventually say you want to go to another world, and Bael will happily take you to Tokyo then.

Dagon calls out Baal and Bael as separate people as he criticizes them for their actions. Bael says Dagon would never understand since he just keeps to his own position. This is what it means to have a battle between World Representatives. The length of a repeating history is used as a starting point for a fight where you smash your opponent’s faith and heart.

Dagon asks Baal why before being beaten on some more. You call out to him, try to find some way to turn it around, or start to despair. Bael says you’re already cornered, and your only choices are to give up now or give up later. You try to deny this or you can say you feel something is wrong.

A voice speaks to you and agrees that you have no need to fear Bael. They comment that Bael is being forceful before asking if he’s actually afraid inside. They say they can see a part of Bael crying within, afraid that someone will point out the disconnect within him.

Everyone including Bael is surprised as attention is focused on Astaroth. The Analyst plays as Astaroth says that a majority can be overturned at any time, including the one inside Bael. Bael is shocked into asking what Astaroth is talking about, dropping the honorific he’s been using for everyone the entire time he’s addressed anyone. You also start asking before you stop talking and notice Bael seems panicked.

Astaroth notes that Bael dropped the honorific and his flustered emotional state. They then talk about how being stubborn is a sign of weakness one wants to turn away from. The stronger the stubbornness, the more fragile one seems. And come to think of it, Astaroth comments that Astarte had noticed this a long time ago.

Bael blusters and demands that Astaroth stop talking. You however ask what Astaroth is getting at. Astaroth says the way Bael tried to wave his authority to put Astaroth off was, to use his earlier words, a bad move. Thanks to that, Astaroth noticed who it was Bael was really talking to and who it was he wanted to deceive. Astaroth then asks if Baal can hear them.

Bael and Baal desynch enough that Bael struggles to keep his power. You are able to see this, and Astaroth says the figure you see must be Canaan’s proper World Representative Baal. They figure Bael must have worked his way in, got intoxicated by the power, then showed false desires.

Astaroth says that Baal borrowed a body and became World Representative again. They ask, however, whether the sad memories of his destroyed world is clouding his eyes. Astaroth also says that Astarte noticed that Baal wasn’t himself.

A quick flashback pops up to that time where Astarte mentions not knowing what Baal has been thinking lately, and Astaroth elaborates that Astarte wasn’t talking about Bael becoming Baal. He never was Bael to begin with, and she only ever saw him. She must have noticed the change since she’s sensitive to disconnects and he was her close friend.

Anyways, Astaroth talks about how in the original history Astarte had chosen Baal. They then ask if Baal originally wanted to corner her and cry about wanting to be World Representative. Baal seems shaken while Bael continues to struggle, demanding that Astaroth stop talking anymore. Baal seems to separate, and the power Bael was giving off weakens.

Astaroth notes that Baal seems to have lost his composure, wondering if it really is alright for things to continue as is. This breaks the majority that was going on inside Bael, which then revokes his status as World Representative.

Bael rasps out a question about the change in Astaroth’s mental state before bringing up that they once said that they didn’t care about people they’ve never met. He tries to bargain, saying that Astaroth can live there forever if they stop. It’d be foolish if them to give up the dream of having the body they always said they wanted.

Bael’s offer upsets Astaroth and brings them to tears a little. Bael pushes the point and says if they join him, they can obtain eternity. He offers to swear that after bringing you back to Tokyo, Astaroth can spend forever in the body they wanted down there.

Astaroth speaks up to talk to you, ignoring what Bael is saying. They ask if you find what they’re doing laughable. They talk about having always mourned the disparity of the body they had and the body they wished for, a thing they do even now. But here Astaroth is about to throw away the chance to correct that disparity. Do you laugh at them for doing so?

You tell Astaroth you don’t and remind them of what you said the first time they asked. They thank you as they refer to you as her friend. Happy and sad tears stream down their face, unstoppable. They lived with her, sharing sadness, anger, laughter, and surprises. The reason they ever fought and laughed together was because their distortions were so similar. And their surprises came from how their wishes were the opposite of each other.

Astaroth says they’ll never forget that moment of surprise nor will they ever forget that connection. This came about because of their sense of disconnect, so Astaroth says that it’s a part of their identity. Should their happiness and sadness disappear, they feel they won’t be themselves any more.

Astaroth goes on a bit about how sad it is, but then says to Astarte that the time she chose not to push her troubles onto you was when she was proud and beautiful. She faced the gap between her ideal and her reality head on and accepted the pain of it. They want to be like her in that way, able to become proud of themselves.

Bael yells angrily at Astaroth asking if they know what it is they’re doing. He says that even if he stops being World Representative, that just means his goal fell apart. That also means that nothing would have changed for the people of Canaan he says as he points at them all in his anxiety. He repeats that if the living all leave, then all the shadows there would be forsaken. If you guys don’t leave, you’ll never escape the endless cycles of resets. Those are your only two choices, Bael insists.

Tangaroa says that it may look that way as things are now, but it’s possible to find a new choice by crossing over worlds and joining hands with another. Bael is shocked by this, and you ask what Tangaroa is talking about. Tangaroa says that Astaroth and Bael showed him how it could be done, mentioning that the disconnect they talked about also exists within himself. By which he means he never really talked to the one within himself, so he starts by addressing Yam.

Yam appears I guess and Tangaroa asks him what he wants. Whatever it is isn’t shown to us and Tangaroa doesn’t repeat it for our benefit. But whatever it is, Tangaroa says it means the two can come to an agreement.

Tangaroa declares himself the successor of the shell dragon who once used his own body to create the land, sky, and people. He then describes Yam as the king of water dragons, the one who brought life to this world and the sea itself. By combining their wishes and their powers together, they can create a miracle that surpasses the world.

Tangaroa and Yam’s giant body turns into light, the brightness of which you comment on. When it stops, Yam is incarnated while Kijimuna is shocked that Tangaroa has returned to his original size. You ask where the giant body went, and Nomad wakes up while Resheph incarnates as well.

Nomad asks what’s happening as he gets up, mentioning his head feels a lot better like someone who was there is suddenly gone now. Resheph compares the feeling to being crammed in a room for one with someone else before suddenly going back to normal. Both notice each other and take a moment to process this before stepping back in confused shock.

Nomad asks if his double is Resheph, the one who was inside him all this time. You are surprised that Nomad is two people now and that Resheph has his own body now before turning to Tangaroa. Tangaroa tells you he basically used the original Tangaroa’s power to create new vessels for the people of Canaan.

Asterius is relatively subdued about his surprise at seeing Moloch. Kurogane is a lot more open about freaking out about having a doppelganger while Kothar-wa-Khasis is totally excited about what’s happening. The citizens of Canaan also materialize, and you turn around to see Astarte take form too.

Astarte acts like she’s waking up, and Astaroth is shocked to see her. Astarte is surprisingly quick on the uptake when she sees them and figures out that her body is real. Kijimuna happily points out that everyone is here while Dagon is amazed by this turn of events. Bael attacks in a fit of rage, and you turn to face him as the episode ends.