The Gift of a Curse

by xchrispx

He wanted to protect his friends. She wanted to protect him. He had a curse he couldn't shoulder on his own. She wanted to help carry that curse. He would change the world. She would crush all who dare oppose him. They say behind every great man is a great woman. Haruto is that great man. Saki is that great woman. Haruto x Saki, L-elf x Lieselotte, L-elf x Shoko triangle.

1. The Beginning of a Journey

A/N: So here it is. The first Haruto x Saki fic. I had to write this story for two reasons.

1. I love this pairing.

2. The writer of this anime is a A-hole. Seriously, that was messed up what he did in the season finale. He just dangled those two getting together right in our faces and just snatched it away so fast.

Just cruel.

And that whole kid with Saki at the beginning.

What the hell was that?!

I was so exciting going into that episode. I thought that there was no way they were not going to get together. I was looking forward so much to season 2, but now just thinking about it feels like a punch in the get.

As you can see I'm taking it hard.

But that all led to this story.

I'm not sure how frequently I'll update this story. That being said, don't expect an update in a couple of weeks, but don't think I'll disappear for like a year. I like where this story will go and the pairing so I'll try to be somewhat frequent. What I can tell you to expect is each chapter being at least 10,000 words long.

Ok, wow. Just got finished watching Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S Episode 15. (Bleep)ing epic. Way better than the original.

The Tou-man got hands.

Time to wrap things up.

I hope I got the characters down right. I'll explain a few things at the end of the chapter.

So, enjoy.

P.S this takes place right after episode 10.

"Words"

'Thoughts'

"Past words"

"Words through communication devices"

[Text]

---

"S-Saki? W-What's going on?" Haruto's mind was racing, trying to put the scene in front of him together. Trying to figure out why he and Saki were both naked with different pieces of his school uniform covering them.

Saki on the other hand was wondering if she could somehow lie to him about what happened. She knew he would be guilt ridden for the rest of his life once he learned about what he did, even though he wasn't in control of his body.

Yes, it wasn't his fault.

He was cursed.

"I'm sorry." she apologized completely catching Haruto by surprise. He wasn't one hundred percent sure, but it seemed like he should be the one apologizing. "You were right."

"R-Right?" Haruto questioned as he scooted closer to Saki. "About what?"

"You really are cursed." Haruto flinched at her words. Did that mean he. . . "I never believed you when you would always say that. I always took it lightly, like a game. But for you, Haruto, it really is a curse."

"Then. . . . that means I. . ." suddenly he couldn't breathe. Haruto began to hyperventilate as dread and disgust filled his being.

How could he do that to Saki?

How could he-

His downward spiral was quickly cut short when he was pushed to the ground. Before he could react, Haruto felt a pair of lips forcefully press against his. A few seconds later, Saki pulled away leaving a completely dumbfounded Haruto under her.

"Don't." Saki stated before she put a finger to his lips to keep Haruto from responding. "It wasn't your fault. Like I said before, you're cursed. If anything, you should be glad it was me that was here when you lost control."

"What?! How could you say that!?" Haruto yelled from his position on the ground. "I-I-I-" before he could summon the strength to say the words, Saki gently placed a hand on his cheek and gave him the most tender look he's ever seen.

From anyone.

"It wasn't your fault." Saki reiterated before she blushed and looked away as if she was trying to summon the courage to say something. After a few more moments she was able to speak up. "Besides, I. . . . I sort of. . . . . enjoyed it." her blush deepened as the words left her mouth.

"W-What?" Haruto stuttered as a blush took hold of his face. "H-How could you-"

"I don't know!" Saki buried her face into his chest, (the fact that it was bare was not lost on her) too embarrassed to look at him. "After I . . . ." how could she word it. ". . .realized what was going on and accepted what I had to do . . . . I . . . . began to enjoy it. It was like there was something-"

"Pulling from inside your chest?" Haruto finished for her causing her head to look up at him. That's exactly how it felt. Like there was something inside of her trying to break free.

"Yeah." Saki exhaled. "How'd you know?" she asked even though she knew the answer.

"That's how I feel before . . . I lose control" Haruto trailed off before finishing.

"I see." Saki replied before she laid her head against his chest, allowing her to listen to his heartbeat.

Now she could understand how Haruto felt.

Just a little.

That made her happy.

The one boy who she . . . . who she what?

What was Haruto to her?

Was he her best chance at fame and nothing more?

Saki liked to think that she was a better person at the moment then she was when she first came to Sakimori High School. That being said, Saki hoped that it was something more than just her desire to be famous once again that made her so willing to come between the Haruto and Shoko, who, as much as she hated to admit it, were in love.

She couldn't be so willing to go that far just to be famous could she?

Even she knew going that far was not right. Especially, since she, no matter how many times she wanted to deny it, was kind of beginning to like Shoko.

So, perhaps that meant she was fighting for Haruto for another reason.

.

.

.

.

Who was she kidding?

Haruto was the boy she loved.

No matter how much she tried to deny it, she loved that idiot.

That would explain why she was glad to finally being able to understand what he felt when he loses control.

She wouldn't call it rape because if she really wanted to, Saki could've knocked Haruto out. She didn't at first because she was caught off guard, but after she recollected herself, she understood that Haruto truly was cursed. So, she decided to indulge "Haruto" and let him unleash his curse on her. Haruto needed someone to help shoulder his burden, and Saki wanted to be that person.

She was the only one that could be that person.

Her.

Not Shoko.

That brought a smile to Saki's face.

That smile turned into a frown when Haruto pushed her off him.

"Haruto? What was that fo-" she cut herself off when she saw him stand with quaking legs and no shirt to cover his nude figure. "Haruto, are you ok?" she stood up to go after him, ignoring his naked backside, barely, only for him to snap at her.

"No! Stay back!" Haruto yelled as he turned towards her, allowing her to see him changing once again. "Run! I don't think I can control myself much longer!" Haruto stumbled towards a tree and reached out to keep himself balanced. The pain in his chest was unbearable, along with the desire to take Saki right then and there.

But he couldn't give up.

He couldn't do that to Saki again.

He needed to-

His train of thought was cut off when he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. Turning around, Haruto couldn't help but be surprised when he saw Saki looking at him with a gentle smile on her face and a fire of determination in her eyes.

It completely caught him off guard.

Her determination and, rarely shown, gentleness were the two traits that Haruto found so appealing about her. That was the reason why Haruto became entranced when he saw those two traits appear together on her face, so entranced that he didn't notice that the pain in his chest died down along with his urges.

"What are you still doing here? You need to-"

"It's ok." Saki reassured as she placed a finger on his lips once again. "You don't need to hold back."

"What?!" she couldn't be saying what it sounded like she was saying, could she? "Don't tell me-"

"Yes." Saki said as she dropped his jacket that she was using to cover her chest, revealing her naked form to Haruto. "You need to rely on someone when it comes to your curse. We both know you don't want anyone to know about this, so it's only logical that I be the one to help you."

"I won't force you to do this for me, Saki!" Haruto refused only for the pain in his chest to explode. "Ahhhh!" Haruto screamed and fell to his knees as he clutched his chest.

"Haruto!" Saki screamed as she knelt down next to him. "Please, let me help!"

"No! I won't force you-"

"You're not forcing me!" Saki stood up and screamed at the top of her lungs. "I want to help you! I want to be the one who you rely on! Please, let me help!" the pain in his chest died down again as he stared up at Saki.

Haruto always knew Saki wasn't as selfish and hooked up on stardom as she acted. She was a kind person deep down inside and was just too scared to show it. He didn't know exactly who hurt her so much to force her to close her heart out to people, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't glad she seemed to be opening it up for him.

But could he really place this burden on her?

Could she handle it?

Stupid question.

Saki was one of the strongest people he knew, and she was right when she said he needed to rely on someone. If he kept losing control he would end up attacking more people. He needed someone to be his release. Someone who could take on his curse.

And who better than Saki?

No one was better fit for the task.

It definitely couldn't be Shoko.

She could never know what he became, they lived in two different worlds now.

Two separate species.

Two different existences.

Saki was the only who could be there for him because she too was no longer human.

"Are you sure?" Haruto couldn't help the sense of relief at the idea of Saki being the one he could rely upon. The prospect of facing his curse by himself kept Haruto up at nights and this new development would only make it worse. Hopefully she wouldn't back down from her words. "Who knows how longs these 'urges' will last for. They could be forever."

"Then, I'll stay by your side forever." Saki couldn't understand why she was so devoted to being by Haruto's side but it felt so right. "You need me, Haruto." and he believed her.

He needed her.

"Ok." from then on, Haruto blacked out and instinct took over.

Saki was caught off guard for a second when she was all but tackled to the ground, but quickly recovered. She couldn't help feel a little nervous when she felt "Haruto" enter her once again, but she asked to be the one who shared his curse.

Her.

Just her.

No one else in the entire universe would be able to shoulder his burden but herself. Those thoughts caused the same feeling of enjoyment that she felt not too long ago to arise once again.

She found that feeling curious.

That feeling was the reason she was able to enjoy their . . . first time together.

So, Saki decided to embrace that feeling.

The moment she did, her whole body relaxed, and a feeling of being completed engulfed her. Saki's body began to move on pure instinct from that point on.

Her backed arched as "Haruto" thrusted.

Her moans filled the air along with his grunts.

Her hands clawed at his back as his gripped her hips.

Her legs wrapped around his waist as he increased the speed and power of his thrusts.

For a split second, as they climaxed, Saki's eyes turned blood-red before going back to their usual violet color. After their climax died down, Saki slumped against the grass as she watched Haruto regain his senses.

She almost laughed as she watched him blink multiple times from his position over her, both arms placed beside her head to hold himself up, before his senses came to. As Haruto realized what he once again did, he couldn't help but follow his natural instinct of apologizing along with hating himself.

"Shush." Saki placed a finger on his lips for the third time that night to stop his apologizes. "I told you already, I want this." she didn't give Haruto the time to reply before she grabbed his head and hugged it to her bare chest.

"S-Saki?" Haruto stuttered taken completely by surprise by her actions.

"Shhhhh. Please . . . just for a few minutes." Saki pleaded. 'Just let me enjoy this.'

To Saki, she and Haruto were in their own world at the moment. The deed of sharing Haruto's curse gave Saki the feeling as if they had their own little world to themselves.

A world that no one could enter, and no one could take away.

Just the two of them.

Unfortunately, they would have to leave that world. That's why Saki wanted to savor it as much as possible, because even though they had their own world, Saki still wasn't sure that was enough to make Haruto pick her over Shoko.

"Thank you." a madly blushing Haruto muttered against Saki's breasts.

"Anytime."

---

A few hours later, Haruto found himself dragging his exhausted body to his dorm room. He was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. His life was nothing more than one big mess. Now, he had to add turning into a sex crazed animal to his list of problems.

At least he had Saki for that problem.

Speaking of Saki, that girl was amazing.

Could anyone really blame him for thinking that?

There he was not even five minutes after raping her (no matter what Saki said he would always blame himself) and she wasn't afraid of him.

She didn't start crying.

She didn't freak out.

She didn't call him a monster and run away from him.

Haruto wouldn't had blamed her if she did any of those things. In fact, he thought he deserved all of those reactions and more.

But, Saki did none of them.

Instead, she actually offered to be the one who he released his curse on. How could someone not find her amazing? Haruto wasn't even sure if Shoko would do that for him. Of course, he would never give her the option.

Shoko was too innocent to get caught up with that kind of stuff. Saki however, was already involved, so she was perfect for the job. That thought calmed him, yet at the same time, made him feel horrible. He felt like he was using her as a tool or something.

Was Saki truly happy about being the one who he unleashed his curse upon?

Or did she feel obligated to be the one, seeing as there was no other choices?

After all, who could be happy about being used as a. . . . well, he didn't want to think of a word that would describe Saki's role. A role that no one could be happy playing.

A part of him thought it was her just putting on a façade and acting like she truly wanted to help shoulder his curse, when in fact, she was just doing it because she felt obligated to since she was the only person who could fill that role.

The only thing that kept Haruto from completely believing that was the fact the he liked to think that he was pretty good at reading Saki and telling the difference between when she's serious and when she's acting. Of course, it wasn't like Haruto had any talent at reading people and figuring out what was going on in their minds (he wasn't L-elf) but he felt like he knew when Saki was being truthful. And Haruto felt that she was telling the truth when she said she wanted to be the one he relied on.

He hoped she was.

'When did my life get so complicated?' it felt like an eternity ago when his only problem was trying to gain the courage to confess to Shoko. Now, he was worried about a curse that takes over his body, how Saki felt about her new role, and keeping everyone alive.

He needed some sleep.

---

He needed an aspirin.

These students were complete idiots.

Why would they choose that girl as their Prime Minister?

Oh right, because she wanted to throw a fair or festival.

Ridiculous.

Did these people not understand what their situation was?

Who their enemy was?

Satomi Renbokoji, was obviously the best candidate they had to choose from. He actually had a plan, along with leadership experience. That being said, it wasn't like he was capable of leading a nation, albeit a very small one, but a nation nonetheless. He would never be able to handle the pressure. That was his main fault, and that fault alone was enough to make him incapable of leading.

But, the fact remained that Satomi Renbokoji was the lesser of three evils. The other two candidates shouldn't even had been considered, in his opinion.

The girl was too soft and too emotional. She would never be able to make the tough decisions that would come with the job. Like the ones that would save people at the expense of others.

That was just one example of many.

The last one. . . .was a complete idiot.

L-elf was almost positive he called himself "lightning".

Or was it "thunder"?

The fact that he called himself one of those two was enough said.

But, in the end it all didn't matter.

When it came down to it, L-elf and Haruto were the real ones in charge. They would be the ones who decided the fate of the independent nation. L-elf would make the decisions and Haruto would object if he didn't agree. The students and their opinions meant nothing to him. As long as he had Haruto and the other pilots following him, his plan would succeed.

And getting them to follow him would be easy.

All L-elf had to do was show them that their goals and his were one in the same.

Kyuma Inuzuka.

Raizo Yamada.

Haruto Tokishima.

They all had the same goal.

To protect their friends.

As long as L-elf did all he could to save the student's lives and never sacrificed them, he could keep them on his side.

Saki Rukino, was another story.

It wasn't that the girl didn't want the students safe, it was just that they weren't her top priority, and he needed her almost as much as he needed Haruto. But unlike Haruto, Saki's real use wasn't fighting, not that she wasn't capable.

No, Saki was cunning, manipulative, quick thinking, and most importantly, willing to use her body swapping ability. He would need her to move on to the next phase of his plans.

Which meant he needed to know what she wanted.

If he knew what she wanted he would know what line not to cross.

And he knew what she wanted.

He knew what line not to cross.

The line?

Haruto.

He was what Saki wanted.

L-elf could see the look she gave Haruto at times. He was sure that she wasn't even aware she was giving Haruto those looks.

Saki wanted Haruto.

The second L-elf lost Haruto's trust and coöperation (something he didn't plan to do, he needed him) was the second he lost Saki's. She would not follow him, or anyone, if Haruto was against him. Her loyalty belonged to Haruto and Haruto alone.

L-elf knew that.

It was to be expected that L-elf knew what made them tick. He had been watching all of them the moment they became Valvrave pilots. So, that's why he was positive that Saki Rukino would not hesitate to rip the throats out of anyone who tried to endanger Haruto.

Saki Rukino was a dangerous girl.

---

Saki Rukino was a happy girl.

Which was strange because she was never a morning person. But that particular morning was different. The night prior was still fresh in her mind and she was still on cloud nine. Honestly, she thought her reaction would've been different when she woke up the next morning.

But, no, that didn't happen.

She didn't suddenly realize what happened last night and flip out.

Nope.

She was just . . . . happy.

If she were a normal girl, last night's experience would've freaked her out and caused her to fear and or hate Haruto.

But, the opposite happened.

She realized one important thing in that act of . . . . taking Haruto's curse upon herself.

She realized that she, Saki Rukino, loved Haruto.

Recalling back, she was positive that the moment she realized, subconsciously realized, she was in love with him was when she accepted him and his curse, instead of fighting him off.

Which she could have.

Yes, now that she had time to truly look back on it, replay it in her mind, she could see things more clearly. She knew that was the exact moment she finally understood her feelings for Haruto along with the reason for them.

It was strange, how at the moment when she should've been the furthest from him, hate him, be disgusted by him, fear him, was the moment she felt the closest to him.

When the spirit took over Haruto's body and attacked her, her mind was instantly defending Haruto, completely beating down the normal reaction that was threatening to bubble up in her.

It screamed at her that Haruto wouldn't do that to her.

That it wasn't his fault.

That Haruto was too kind to do such a thing.

That Haruto wouldn't hurt anyone, unless it was to save the life's of his friends.

He needed to be forced to hurt another soul.

He trusted people.

He believed in them.

He was naïve.

Childish.

Even after all he's seen, the death of their friend Aina, the consistent battles, there was still a part of him that was still pure, untainted by the world.

He wasn't like her.

No, she was cynical, manipulative, and distrusting, even to the few people she called friends. Saki was always prepared to be hurt by them.

It was just a matter of time.

But, the night earlier showed her that she wasn't like that with Haruto. She was never afraid of trusting him. She never thought once that Haruto would betray or hurt her. The thought never occurred to her.

That's why she mentally defended Haruto so adamantly.

How could she have been so blind to not notice it?

It took a spirit possessed Haruto attacking her (she would never blame him for that) to realize how special he was to her.

What the hell was wrong with her?

Who realized they loved someone when they were getting attacked?

That just showed how much the world tainted her.

But not Haruto.

He was still so innocent.

Saki wanted to protect that innocence.

To keep him from turning into someone like her.

But she wasn't delusional, Saki knew the path they walked was a path that would slowly change Haruto. But, even if it that was true, Saki would protect at least a part of his childlike innocence. As long as she could save just a speck of his innocence by the time it was all said and done, then that would be enough for her.

Yes, now Saki Rukino knew who she really was.

What she wanted to accomplish.

She was Saki Rukino, the girl who loved Haruto Tokishima. The girl who would love him even if he chose Shoko over her. The girl who would protect and support him even if she became a monster.

There was nothing she wouldn't do for him.

Nothing.

---

Disgust and relief were not the combination of feelings Haruto would usually wake up with. But, unfortunately, those were the exact two things he was feeling.

Haruto was once again thinking about Saki.

Now that she had a night to sleep on it, he wondered how she felt about what happened the night before.

Surely, she now had come to hate him, right?

It was only normal.

'But Saki isn't really normal, is she?' Haruto sighed as he walked through the halls of his school. When everything began, Haruto thought it was a great idea to continue classes. It seemed like a good way to keep everyone from thinking about their situation.

But now, after all the battles, after the death of Aina, it just . . . . made no sense, and it really irked him that he couldn't find the same joy of having a little piece of normalcy like he once had.

All he felt from it now was anxiety.

When was the next attack coming?

Would he be able to protect everyone?

Who would be the next person he failed to protect?

Those were the thoughts that ran through his head during such times of peace. Nobody knew, not even Shoko, that Haruto was a guilt ridden person. Ever since he was a child, Haruto always shouldered things that he felt were his fault.

He never forgot.

He never forgave himself.

From the smallest of things like forgetting someone's birthday to being the reason for their constant fighting with the Dorssia Military.

Yes, Haruto blamed himself.

After all, he was the one who lost all self-control after Shoko's "death" and tried to get revenge. He was certain if he didn't retaliate the Dorssia Military would've just taken the Valvraves and left.

That's what he believed.

So caught up in his guilt ridden thoughts (which were putting him in a depressed mood) Haruto didn't notice a figure sneaking up behind him. Before he knew it, he felt something kick his foot just as he lifted it causing it to get caught behind his other foot.

Haruto struggled to keep his balance as he stumbled forward causing the person who tripped him to giggle.

A giggle he recognized.

"Saki?" Haruto questioned as he turned around and blinked dumbly at her.

"Yes?" Saki responded with a tilt of her head as she held her hands behind her back. As he looked down at her, a blushing Haruto couldn't help but become speechless. He always found Saki attractive but at the moment she was beautiful.

But what was so different about her today?

.

.

.

.

It was her smile.

Even though it didn't look any different from her usual smiles, the feeling it gave off was completely different. Her smile radiated a feeling of warmth and happiness that he had never felt before.

"Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to say something?" Saki mirthfully questioned.

"I- Uh. . . . Huh?" Haruto was literally at a lost for words, something Saki found absolutely adorable.

"Well, while you're busy trying to figure out how your mouth works, I'll make sure were not late for class." Saki chirped before she wrapped her arms around his left arm and dragged him to class.

Due to his mind still being stuck, Haruto could only get out one word as he was dragged to class.

"Huh?"

---

'Is she really fine with what happened yesterday?' Haruto inwardly questioned as he watched Saki from his desk.

Haruto's desk was located at the second row from the back and the second row from the windows that were at the left side of the class. Saki's desk on the other hand, was at the closest row to the windows and the second row from the front of the class.

They were both in their class and seated at their desks as the teacher, Rion Nanami, taught the lesson for the day. A lesson that Haruto was ignoring as he opted to watch Saki.

Out of concern of course.

He wasn't some type of creepy stalker.

Haruto just wanted to see if Saki truly was as happy as she acted in the morning, or if it was just an act to keep him from feeling guilty. He wouldn't have put it past her; Saki could be a lot more considerate than people thought.

At least that was his opinion.

But, being considerate was one thing, and being as happy as Saki was (pretending?) another. She seemed genuinely happy though, happier then he's ever seen anyone.

Ever.

But, was that possible?

It was one thing, an extremely unlikely thing, for Saki to not hate him (he was still astounded how she didn't hate him, if that was true) but to be THAT happy after last night just didn't seem possible.

Could she be happy about something else?

'No, she didn't have time for anything else to happen.' Haruto thought as he shook his head. He had walked her home after he . . . . attacked her. On top of that it was late, technically early in the morning, so he doubted that she went anywhere but straight to bed; Haruto also doubted anything happened to her on the way to school.

"You're not forcing me!"

"I want to help you! I want to be the one who you rely on! Please, let me help!"

Her words from the previous night rang through Haruto's mind.

Why was he fighting so hard to not believe her?

Why couldn't he just thank God that he was lucky enough to have someone who was willing to share his curse?

Because, it wasn't possible for someone to be so willing to take on his curse, that's why.

Yet, there was Saki a few rows in front of him, happily humming a tune while she took notes.

She usually stared out the window during class.

She must have been in a really good mood.

'I need to talk to her.' and he would get that chance sooner than he expected.

Due to him forgetting his History Book in his room.

"That's ok." Rion, their teacher, assured after Haruto admitted he forgot his book. "Just try not to make it a habit, ok?"

"Yes, teacher." Haruto sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"Would anyone like to share their book with Haruto?" normally when someone would share a book with their classmate it tended to be person who sat next to the person who they would share with.

"I'll do it." Saki spoke up.

That surprised the class.

Saki usually minded her own business and tried not to get involved in much. She couldn't be described as a complete loner but it wouldn't be to far off the mark. So, her not only volunteering, but cheerfully doing so, really caught the class off guard.

Haruto himself was wondering where she would sit.

It didn't take him long to get his answer.

"Scoot."

Without giving him a chance to question her or do what he was told, Saki swiftly slid into his seat causing him to slide off half of his chair. Unaware of, or just plain not caring, the looks the whole class was giving her, Saki placed her book on the desk and opened it to the appropriate page.

Haruto on the other hand, was trying his hardest not to blush as he felt Saki's thigh pressed up against his.

He felt like a pervert to even think it, but they (assuming that the other was the same as the one he could feel. It was) were perfect as far as he could tell. They were thick, yet not too fat, and they weren't skinny like "chicken legs" as some people would put it.

'Well, it's not like I have much experience.' Haruto mentally defended himself.

It was true.

If Haruto were to exclude him spirit raping Saki and Saki kissing him, he never really had any romantic interaction with the opposite sex; that includes Shoko, they both were far to shy to ever try anything.

Now that he thought about it, any interaction Haruto had with girls that wasn't friendly and leaned towards the romantic side of things, was with Saki.

'I wonder what that means?' as Haruto inwardly questioned himself, he couldn't help but turn his attention to Saki who was busy reading along with the rest of the class to notice.

Or so he thought.

"As flattered as I am with you staring at me so much today," a smirking Saki began as she turned towards him, "you should probably pay attention to the lesson." Saki advised.

"Don't you always stare out the window instead of paying attention?" finally he was able to get his mouth working around her.

"Oh?" Saki's smirk increased as she leaned in to whisper into his ear. "Does that mean you've been watching me, Haruto?" Saki couldn't help but giggle when she saw him blush madly. "I didn't know you were such a pervert." she couldn't help it, he was just too damn cute.

"Wha- No- I-" Haruto stammered before Saki placed a finger on his lips, something she's been doing a lot recently, effectively shutting him up.

"Getting back to your previous question," Saki began, "yes, I don't pay much attention in class. Yet, I'm always top five in our class in grades and top ten in the entire school." Saki shrugged.

"You do? How?" Haruto never knew she was so smart. Hell, she could classified as a genius if she got those grades and yet never paid attention in class.

"Just lucky I guess." Saki responded before she turned her attention back to the book, leaving Haruto to finally notice someone in class was missing.

"Where's Shoko?"

"Hmm?" Saki lifted her head to look back at Haruto. "She's busy with her duty as Prime Minister." Saki answered.

"Oh right, I forgot she won. Good for her."

"Yeah." Saki had to suppress an eye roll along with a growl. Sure she liked Shoko but that didn't mean she liked it when Haruto thought about her. The joys of having a love rival. "I'm sure the festival will be a big hit with all the effort she's putting into it."

"Yeah." Haruto smiled. "The festival's gonna be-" Haruto's smile faltered when Saki's words registered in his head. "Wait, what? What the heck are you talking about?"

"The festival." Saki reiterated, earning a confused look from Haruto. "You know, the festival that won her the election." Saki sighed at Haruto's ever-growing confusion. "She promised to throw some huge festival before we get to the moon. It's suppose to raise people's spirit's or something cheesy like that." Saki couldn't help but roll her eyes when she finished speaking.

"Are you serio-" Haruto cut himself off when he seen the class turn to him. "Uh. Sorry about that." Haruto nervously chuckled for his slight outburst, before the class turned away from him, allowing him to question Saki once again. "She's throwing a festival?"

"Not just any festival." Saki wagged her finger at him causing Haruto to wonder if such a small gesture should be as cute as it was when she did it. "A 'grand festival'. Or so I've heard."

"But-" Haruto stopped himself to lower his voice to a whisper. "We could be attacked by the Dorssia Military any minute. Shouldn't she being focusing on something more practical?"

"Hey don't look at me. She's your childhood friend." Saki responded. "I'm surprised you're so against it. Usually you'd be all for something like this."

". . . . You're right." Haruto replied after a few seconds of thought. "I just . . . . can't. I want to, but I can't." he couldn't help the hint of sadness that leaked into his voice. Saki herself was also feeling a wave of sadness well up inside her, but unlike Haruto, she knew why she was feeling that way.

She was sad because Haruto's innocence was already beginning to dwindle away, but at the same time, Haruto also needed to grow out of somethings and realize their situation if he wanted to carry out his goals. And Saki would be there to guide him so he wouldn't lose himself to said changes.

'Might as well start now.' Saki sullenly thought before she spoke up. "Although the festival isn't the smartest idea, I can see why Shoko chose to throw it." Saki commented drawing Haruto's attention.

"Look at them all." she motioned with her head towards the rest of the class.

Everyone else was happier.

More cheerful.

A whole lot less tense.

It seemed Shoko's festival idea was already working.

That brought a smile to his face which in turn brought one to Saki's.

That was the innocence Saki wanted to protect.

Who else but Haruto would take joy in someone else's happiness?

No one she knew.

Except Haruto of course.

"Now, compare everyone else to those two." Saki once again motioned her head, only this time it was to the two other Valvrave pilots.

When Haruto saw the faces of his other two pilots, his smile dropped.

Raizo and Kyuma were both tense.

To Haruto, it looked like they were ready to go to battle at any moment.

Just like him.

"It's strange right?" Saki questioned drawing Haruto's attention once again. "Even though we're in the same class, same school, it's like we're in two completely different worlds."

She was right.

Raizo, Kyuma, L-elf, Saki, and himself were in a different world from the rest of the school. And he could even take it further and say that himself and Saki had their own world within that world.

That reminded him.

"Saki, I need to talk to you." the seriousness in his voice and face quickly registered in her mind causing her to let out a frustrated sigh.

"Should've known you wouldn't have accepted it so easily." she mumbled under her breath. Haruto opened his mouth to begin the talk but was stopped when Saki, for what seemed like the hundredth time, put a finger to his lips.

"Do you really think here is the place to talk about that?" Saki whispered in a serious tone while Haruto mentally smacked himself. Of course the class room wasn't the place to talk about. . . that. He just couldn't think straight. "On the roof at lunch. There we'll talk."

"Ok."

Hopefully his talk with Saki would help give him some peace of mind (as much as someone who was as guilt ridden as he was could get) because even he knew that going into battle without a clear mind wasn't a good idea.

"Now in the meantime," Saki's stern look melted into a playful smirk,"if you pay attention to the lesson your grades might become as good as mine." Saki winked at Haruto who in turn pouted.

"How do you get such good grades if you never pay attention in class?" he couldn't but question her again in the hope of getting an answer.

"Because, I'm a genius?" another wink and his pout turned into a blush. "You're so cute." Saki couldn't resist pinching his cheeks.

She wasn't sure why, it could be because she finally came to terms with her feelings towards Haruto or because of the strange feeling that settled within her during the first time they shared his curse, but she couldn't help but tease and touch Haruto. They were just little gestures, yet they made Saki feel so good when she did them. Almost like what a starving person would feel like when they were fed.

Well, it wasn't like she was complaining. Better yet for her, Haruto wasn't complaining either.

---

Three hours later, Haruto and Saki found themselves walking through the halls of their school so they could have their private talk on the roof. The atmosphere between the two was rather awkward to say the least.

Haruto spent the past three hours debating what he really wanted, what Saki really wanted.

The same debate he was having since the night before.

The same debate that he was making no progress in.

Did he really want her to be the sharer of his curse?

Sure, it felt like a gigantic weight was lifted off his shoulders with the prospect of having Saki beside him, but that weight off his shoulders was replaced with a weight on his conscience. That weight was multiplied tenfold when he saw Saki that morning.

She was just so happy and bright.

Almost like a ball of sunshine.

He felt disgusted with himself at the thought of defiling her further especially after seeing her in such a radiant mood.

He couldn't do it.

But her words still echoed in his mind.

'What if she really is happy?'

Great, he just confused himself again.

So Haruto was once again beyond confused, Saki on the other hand was rather irritated.

She made her decision.

She stated her decision.

And yet Haruto was still doubting her.

It was irritating.

.

.

.

But, it was also really sweet.

If it was anybody else in Haruto's position, once they got over the shock of what they were turning into and what they've done, they would've jumped instantly at the life jacket Saki was providing.

But, not her little Haruto.

Oh no, he was too worried about her and how she felt to even think of himself.

'Poor, sweet, little Haruto. As much as I love that about you, don't you know what that will do to you in the long run?' Saki couldn't help the bitter-sweet smile that made its way onto her face.

His selflessness was one of the many reasons Saki fell in love with Haruto, but unfortunately, it was one of the reasons why she wanted to protect him.

The world was a cruel place.

A place where Haruto's selflessness wouldn't be rewarded or praised but abused and spited. That's why she would be the one to think of him first and foremost.

Because he wouldn't.

As they opened the door to the roof, an alarm rang out.

The Dorssia Military was attacking yet again.

"You have to be kidding me." Saki groaned. "I really hate those guys."

"Worst possible timing." Haruto muttered.

"I guess this little talk will have to wait tiger." Saki gave him a wink before continuing. "Come on, let's go kick some Dorssia ass." with that said she bolted down the stairs and towards the elevators that lead to the lower levels of the module they called home.

"Worst timing ever." Haruto grumbled before he took off after Saki.

---

"Finally, a chance to kick some Dorssia ass!" Raizo shouted as he zipped up his orange piloting suit. Saki, who was in one of the many personal changing rooms inside the pilots locker room, felt a chill go down her spine.

She said words very similar to his not too long ago.

'Please tell me I am NOT turning into anything remotely like him.' in her opinion, he was an idiot. Becoming anything like him was a terrifying prospect.

"Try not to get too worked up, Raizo-"

"It's thunder!" Raizo cut off Kyuma who continued nonetheless.

"-you gotta keep a level head when going into battle." Kyuma calmly finished his advice.

"He's right." Haruto spoke up. "You have to calm down, Raizo."

"It's thunder!"

"Leave the idiot alone." Saki stated as she came out of her personal changing room.

"Who the hell you calling an idiot, girl?!"

"He's one of those people that gets stronger the more they get worked up." Saki finished as she used a hand to flick a few strands of hair behind her shoulder.

"Damn right, I am!" Raizo proudly shouted as he slammed a fist against his chest.

"I advise you four stop lazing around and get to the hangars." L-elf's voice sounded through the speaker system. "We have roughly fifteen minutes before the Dorssia Military gets within firing range. That gives you five minutes to get into position."

"That guy is a real slave driver." Saki muttered as the four Valvrave pilots ran through the halls and towards the Valvrave hangars.

"Yeah, but he's the only one here that knows what he's doing." Haruto defended.

"Speak for yourself!" Raizo roared.

"Don't yell at him!" Saki glared at Raizo causing him to flinch slightly. Anymore talking was cut short when the four separated to go to their personal Valvraves. That allowed Haruto time to think over the hypocrisy of his words towards Raizo.

He was NOT in a calm state of mind.

He, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't get what happened between him and Saki out of his mind. Although, at the moment that thought was quickly pushed back and replaced by what he was becoming. The reason for the switch was because he would soon enter his Valvrave.

The Valvrave was what turned him into a monster.

What would happen when he entered it again?

His "condition" changed last night.

Would anything else change when he began piloting his Valvrave?

"I guess, I'll find out." Haruto mumbled to himself while he put on his helmet.

As slowly climbed into his cockpit, the feeling of anxiety and nausea grew tremendously inside of him. His breathing began to quicken and for the second time in twenty four hours, he was feeling to hyperventilate.

Maybe it would be easier to breathe without the stupid helmet.

He took it off, it didn't help.

Has the cockpit always been so small?

Has his suit always been so tight?

Haruto couldn't help but tugging at it.

"I can't do this." his hands started to shake at the controls.

Sweating and dizziness followed next.

"I have to get out of here!" just as he began to get up out of his seat, Saki appeared on his screen with a concerned look.

"Haruto, are you ok?" her voice froze him in his tracks.

Saki wasn't sure how, but while Haruto was having his panic attack she couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with him. That prompted her to check in on him. She never expected to find him in such a state.

"What's wrong?! What happened?!" she feverishly questioned. They were working against the clock. The Dorssia Military was right on their doorstep and they had to get into position fast.

"I can't do this! I have to get out of this thing!" he shouted. Saki couldn't help but cringe when she heard the desperation and fear in his voice. She never wanted to see or hear Haruto in such a state. It was such a far cry from the usual happy boy she knew and loved.

But as much as she wanted to run to him and comfort him, they didn't have time for that. She needed him to refocus himself.

For his sake and for the sake of the others.

She just wished she didn't have to be so blunt about it.

"Get it together, Haruto!"

"No! I cant-"

"If you don't pull yourself together everyone will die!"

That caught his attention.

"We NEED you! The three of us can't protect the entire module without you! So man the hell up and get your ass in gear!"

The image of a dead Aina flashed through his mind before being quickly followed by the images of a destroyed and burning school; its students also burning, screaming for help.

'I can't let that happen!' as determination welled up inside of him, the previous feelings he was experiencing were forcefully pushed down. "I will not fail again!"

---

"I will not fail again!"

The feeling of relief that Saki was beginning to feel when she saw the determination fill Haruto's eyes was quickly replaced with confusion when she heard his last words.

Fail again?

What did he mean by that?

As far as she was concerned Haruto never failed yet.

So, what the hell did he mean?

She, unfortunately, didn't have more time to try to figure out the meaning behind his words as she and her Valvrave were launched out into space. Looking to her left, she saw Haruto's Valvrave flying not too far away from her's, and immediately flew to his side.

[Open channel link requested.]

Picking the option to establish the link, her screen showed the faces of the other three Valvrave pilots along with the Command Room and its occupants.

"So, what's the plan?" Haruto calmly questioned L-elf. If she didn't know any better, Saki wouldn't have believed that Haruto was not too far off from a complete breakdown just a few moments ago.

"You would have to ask Saki Rukino for that."

No one responded right away, they were all too shocked to form words. Haruto would be the first one to finally regain the ability to speak.

"W-What?! What are you talking about L-elf?! Aren't you the one who's suppose to come up with-"

"It's time for all of you to grow up." L-elf calmly stated while cutting off Haruto.

"What does that have to do-" Saki began only to stop when another window opened up on her screen. The same happened to everyone else's. "T- That's . . ." Saki trailed off in shock at what her screen showed.

"That is a Heavy Fire Squad, or in short reinforcements." L-elf finished while ignoring everyone's shocked faces.

"R-Reinforcements? You mean there's more of them?" Takahi Ninomiya dumbly questioned causing L-elf to scoff.

"Of course. You didn't think that all we've gone up against until this point was all the Dorssia Military had to offer, did you?" the looks everyone in the Command Room was giving him told him that they did think that. "Don't be naïve. If the Dorssia Military put enough man power into it, they could destroy us in less than a few hours." L-elf bluntly stated.

"Are you serious?!" Yusuke Otamaya blurted out, fear evident in his voice.

"Yes." L-elf replied.

"T-Then why don't they just do that?" a frightened Rion Nanami asked.

"Because, not everyone within the Dorssia Military or Royal family has Cain's desire for the Valvraves."

"Why is that? Shouldn't they know by now how strong the Valvraves are?" Kyuma interjected.

"Spite. Pride. Prejudice." L-elf named a few traits before getting to his main point. "Dorssia believes themselves to be a superior race than the rest of the world. Using the Valvraves, a weapon designed by JIOR, would be a stain on their pride, while others just simply don't want to help Cain in any shape or form."

"If that's true than why did they send him reinforcements?" Saki spoke up. It was hard to believe, but she was beginning to hate the Dorssian's even more. 'Conceded bastards.'

"The success your Valvraves have had against the Dorssia Military can only be overlooked by the higher-ups for so long." L-elf explained causing Haruto to speak up.

"It almost sounds like the more we win the harder things get for us." Haruto couldn't help the slight trepidation that entered his voice.

No one could really blame him.

They all, excluding L-elf, thought they were making progress. Turns out their progress only made things harder for themselves.

"That's exactly how things are for us." L-elf didn't sugarcoat it one bit.

They needed to understand the situation.

"Then shouldn't you be taking control more than ever?" Satomi Renbokoji desperately asked.

"That would be suicidal." L-elf responded dumbfounding everyone but one. That one person was Takumi Kibukawa who spoke up before anyone could question the meaning behind L-elf's words.

"He's right. Relying on one person with no real chain of command is a good way to get everyone killed. Think about it." Takumi continued before anyone could speak up. "What would we do if for some reason L-elf was incapacitated or killed?"

The room and Valvrave pilots grew quiet at that prospect.

No one ever gave that much thought.

L-elf dying almost seemed impossible.

"Like I said, it's time to grow up." L-elf restated. "You four alone will decide the fate of every one of your friends. That being said, you all have to become more than just pilots. Not all battles will be fought with your Valvraves, you need to become complete soldiers in all aspects if you want to survive this war."

"But shouldn't you like, oh I don't know, teach me how to strategize first before throwing me into the fire?!" Saki screamed in frustration.

Seriously, what was this guy thinking?

"That's why it's called trial by fire, Saki Rukino."

Ass.

She hated that guy.

But, now that she thought about it, this was a good opportunity.

She didn't trust L-elf.

Never had, never will.

Couldn't afford to.

He could do too much damage if he betrayed Haruto.

She knew people like L-elf.

He was a person that had a goal in mind and would stop at nothing to achieve said goal. Hell, SHE was like that. The only difference was her goal was to protect and support Haruto, while L-elf's goal was to. . . . well, she didn't know what his goal was and that was why she didn't trust him.

The only reason L-elf and Haruto were able to walk the same path was because their goals coincided with each other.

But the future was uncertain.

Who knew if their paths wouldn't split in the future. It was possible that they could even be enemies if something changed. So, if she could become a capable strategist so they wouldn't have to be solely reliant on L-elf, than his possible (her cynical side was showing) betrayal would have less of an impact.

The question was: Was she capable of leading?

If she failed, everyone could die.

That would mean failing Haruto.

"You can do it, Saki." speak of the devil. "I believe in you." Saki couldn't be anymore grateful for her helmet because she was blushing up a storm after hearing Haruto's words.

"Ok, let's do this." Saki stated after she took a deep breath to collect herself. "First things first, we need to deal with this first wave before that Heavy Fire Squad gets within firing range of the module. Yusuke."

"Y-Yeah?" Yusuke stuttered not only surprised at being called but surprised by Saki's commanding demeanor.

"How much time until they are within firing range?"

"Well, their second unit is being led by three Walkit-Class Heavy Space Cruisers, so ten maybe fifteen minutes."

"We'll assume ten. You three hear that? Ten minutes to take these guys out!"

"Right!" the other three Valvrave pilots shouted in unison before flying forward to engage the enemy.

The first wave of enemies were the standard Waffes.

Annoying little bastards but they could deal with them.

Three groups of Waffes, each group consisted of three, closed in on Saki and began opening fire upon her. Using her Multi-leg Spine propulsion system, Carmilla performed multiple accelerated jumps in a number of directions easily dodging the shots and eventually finding herself above her opponents. Before she could launch her Spindle Knuckles to counterattack, Haruto swooped in from behind and used his katanas, otherwise known as Z-Edges, and destroyed them in one long swing.

"You know, I could've dealt with those three easily, right?" Saki questioned Haruto with a raised eyebrow.

Normally, if it was anyone else, she would've be offended by what Haruto did. She was NOT some damsel in distress that needed saving, but the fact that it was Haruto . . . well, she was happy to say the least.

"I know, but I just thought it would be smarter to tag team against these guys instead of fighting individually." Haruto explained as he pulled out his Strike Brace to shield himself from the other six Waffes.

The Strike Brace was a gauntlet-like defensive armament that also functioned as a cooling system for the Z-Edge which tended to overheat quickly. The Strike Brace consists of a small physical shield, a set of spikes to use as a punching weapon, and a saw-like blade along the inside edge. Each weapon has its own specified role: the shield is a thick sheet of armor designed to take severe punishment that would normally destroy the Valvrave's frame, the spikes are used for close combat, and the blade is used in tight situations when Valvrave I doesn't have time to draw its other weapons.

"Well then," Saki smirked before she launched her Spindle Knuckles which curved around and cut through a trio of Waffes that were coming at Haruto from behind, their explosions flashing in the background, "shall we dance?" Saki asked as Carmilla held out a hand while eighteen more Waffes encircled them.

"Sure." Haruto's Valvrave reached out and grabbed Carmilla's just as a shower of beam bullets were fired at them. Before the beams could hit their target Saki made an accelerated jump upwards while taking Haruto along with her. Without a word spoken between the two, Saki threw Haruto to the outside of the encirclement while she jumped to the opposite side.

Before they could react, Haruto used his Variable Vulcan, ( a pair of rapid-firing weapons mounted in the head) Hand Ray, (a small hand-mounted weapon that fires anti-personnel lasers) and Volc Arm (a large hand-held gun that can switch between solid ammunition and beam projectiles) to destroy nine Waffes in the span of two seconds. Saki on the other hand destroyed the other nine by using her own Variable Vulcan and her Spindle Knuckles.

An annoying beeping sound within their Valvraves alerted the two of more incoming Waffe along with multiple Ideal-Class Mechanized Annihilators (A/N: I'm gonna call them Annihilator for short) bringing up the rear.

"Haruto, pull back!" Saki ordered and Haruto complied. Her order was well placed as the Annihilators began firing its electromagnetic strip ammunition from within the spaces between the Waffes.

Saki had to refrain from launching her Spindle Knuckles and instead used her Variable Vulcan and two Hand Rays to shoot down the electromagnetic strips; Haruto on the other hand used his Volc Arm (with both hands for increased accuracy) along with his own Variable Vulcan.

"Haruto, get behind me!" Saki once again ordered but this time Haruto wasn't so quick to comply.

"What?! I'm not hiding behind you! I won't use you as a shield!"

"I'm flattered Haruto, I really am, but think about it. If you stay behind me you can use your Volc Arm to take down those Annihilators without worrying about being hit by them." Saki calmly, yet quickly, explained.

Haruto gritted his teeth.

He knew Saki was right.

His Volc Arm was the more potent ranged weapon between the two, excluding Carmilla's Spindle Knuckles, and with him being behind her, that gave Saki the perfect position to protect both of them from the magnetic strips.

"Alright." Haruto conceded.

Shifting his Valvrave behind Saki's as they continued moving backwards, Haruto took aim with his Volc Arm and fired. Only to have a Waffe move in and shield the Annihilator he fired at. He then quickly changed his target to another Annihilator but the same thing happened again.

"Damn! I can't get a hit!" Haruto punched the side of his cockpit in frustration. "Sorry, Saki."

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Saki reassured before asking a request. "Can you switch spots with me, Haruto? I need a few seconds to think."

"Sure." Haruto replied as he and Saki switched positions.

'This is a dangerous situation.' Saki thought. 'With their formation all we can do is hold off their attack, but the longer this goes on the closer they get to the module. On top of all that the reinforcements are also getting within range.'

She had to think of something quickly.

Time was against them and that ass L-elf put all the responsibilities on her shoulders.

Ass.

She had to succeed.

Out of the corner of her eye Saki saw multiple explosions, explosions due to a certain idiotic Valvrave pilot.

'That could work.' Saki mused before she addressed Haruto. "On three, I want you to dive down and begin to open fire."

"Uh, sure but what good will that do?"

"I'll be doing the same thing but from above. The point isn't to destroy but to bunch them up as much as possible."

". . . If you say so." Haruto shrugged before the countdown began.

The moment the countdown hit three they split instantly and began opening fire, trying to force the Waffes and Annihilators on the outside closer in.

"Hey 'thunder'!" Saki couldn't hold back the eye roll before continuing. "Who's the strongest one out here?" normally, Saki wouldn't try to boost the idiot's ego but like she said before, he's the type of person who gets stronger the more worked up he gets.

"I am!"

"Then prove it." Saki smirked as she used her Spindle Knuckles to force two Waffes back into the rest of the group. "Destroy these guys. . . . . If you can."

"Is that a challenge?!" Raizo roared as he turned Nobu Lighting towards their direction. "Challenge accepted!" a green glow from Nobu Lighting indicated the start up of its Chain Saucer ( a pair of sub-weapons mounted over the shoulders, that can fire disk-shaped Hard Afterglow projectiles) and Armstronger Cannon (the main weapons of the Valvrave III, the cannons were capable of long-distance bombardment by utilizing the energy amplification of the Mirror RAVE engine. In addition, they can divide into eight arm units that were more than capable at close range combat).

"Haruto! The second he fires break away! Kyuma, cover Raizo." Saki stated as she and Haruto continued to fly around the group while firing.

"I was gonna do that anyways." Haruto replied.

"Already on it." Kyuma moved in and activated his IMP shield to cover Raizo from the group they were recently dealing with.

A few more seconds later Nobu Lighting unleashed a powerful bombardment that completely decimated the group Haruto and Saki were boxing in.

"Alright. Let's finish the rest of these guys off so we can deal with the reinforcements."

---

"Wow." Rion exhaled in awe. "Saki's amazing." she, along with everyone within the Command Room, had a perfect view to watch Saki show what seemed to be an unknown natural talent.

"I never knew she was so good at commanding." Satomi muttered as a pale white fist was being clenched to his side.

"A good strategist can be taught but a great strategist is born." L-elf restated a saying his teacher, Cain, once said to him.

"Indeed." Takumi agreed while keeping his eyes glued to the screen. In all honesty, he wasn't surprised by Saki's ability to command. She, in fact, was one of the top candidates to pilot a Valvrave. Of course, since Dorssia attacked, the Valvrave program turned into a run away car.

No direction and no one controlling it.

Interesting.

"Those two are really kicking ass." Yusuke commented.

L-elf himself mentally nodded his head in agreement. He wasn't sure what happened between Haruto and Saki Rukino but whatever it was, it turned them into a more than capable duo. The jump in their effectiveness was too good to be true.

It made sense if one logically thought about it. Saki's Valvrave had unbelievable change in direction and closing speed. Having Haruto hitch a ride with her was an ideal way to get him into striking range, seeing as Hito was most, and almost only, effective in close range combat. But it wasn't just Haruto who benefited from their team up, Saki herself had an easier time taking down the enemy due to Haruto's dangerous close combat prowess. Once closed in on the enemy, Haruto would draw a lot of attention from them, allowing Saki to manipulate her Spindle Knuckles to come in from behind.

It was almost as if their Valvrave's were made so their fighting style complimented each other and made each other as effective as possible.

L-elf didn't believe in coincidences.

---

"I think that's all of them." Haruto said as he cut through an Annihilator.

"Now we just have to deal with the reinforcements." Saki turned Carmilla to face the fleet led by three Walkit-Class Heavy Space Cruisers.

How would they deal with them?

Well, for starters, she couldn't let those Space Cruisers get any closer. Saki wasn't sure if the module's defense system could withstand an assault from those things.

They looked like they could pack a punch.

'So, stopping those things should be my first priority.' Saki mused. "Raizo, I want you to start firing on them and don't stop. You have to keep them from getting any closer to the module."

Normally, Raizo would've yelled at Saki for not calling him by his bad ass nickname, but he stopped himself. Even he knew that it wasn't the time and place for that.

Saki giving him a mean glare when he opened his mouth also helped shut him up.

"Cover him, Kyuma."

"Right." he responded as he moved his Valvrave so he was behind yet above Raizo's Valvrave, said Valvrave let loose a salvo of lasers just seconds later.

The Space Cruisers unleashed their own salvo in retaliation.

'Those things are big but I doubt they can keep up with me and Haruto. We can use their size against them.' Saki thought as she stayed behind Kyuma's Valvrave for protection.

"Haruto, were going to flank them from both sides and take down those Space Cruisers first. We're faster than them so keep firing and don't stop moving." getting a nod of acceptance, Saki and Haruto took off, one to the left and the other to the right.

Unfortunately, things didn't go so easy for them. As the two closed the distance enough to start firing, the Space Cruisers didn't return fire, Saki saw the opening and decided to take it.

"Haruto, close in quick. Don't give them time to react."

That was her first mistake as a strategist.

It wasn't a life ending mistake but her first mistake nonetheless.

She would remember it like she would remember the time she lost her virginity.

She could never forget that.

---

"She fell for it." L-elf stated catching everyone in the Command Room's attention.

No one had time question him as the Space Cruisers fired what seemed to be a metal, ball-like shell. But the shells weren't aimed directly at Haruto or Saki, it was more like they were aimed in their general direction.

The next thing they knew, the shell seemed to shatter and quickly disperse metal strips in all directions.

"What is that?!" Takahi exclaimed as they all watched the immediate vicinity around Haruto and Saki become showered with strips of metal.

"That's X-Eins showing the difference between an amateur and a professional." L-elf vaguely answered.

Just because Saki Rukino was a natural strategist didn't mean she could match the likes of X-Eins.

Not yet at least.

---

"Damn it!" Saki gritted her teeth as she tried her best to fire at the metal strips while using her accelerated jumps to dodge as much as possible. "I can't believe, I fell for that!"

'They baited me in with a false opening!' a trail of blood dripped down her lip as she bit it in frustration. 'Idiot!'

"What are these?!" Haruto yelled as his Volc Arm began to overheat. "Damn! Not now!" he needed to change its cooling barrel so he could continue to use it, but if he did that than he couldn't use his Hand Ray's. That would leave him with just his Variable Vulcan to fend off the seemingly endless metal strips and that wasn't enough.

The sound of metal clamping on metal reached Haruto's ears forcing him to look down at his Valvrave's legs.

A second later the Valvrave became harder to move.

"These are electromagnetic strips?!" Saki's eyes widened when she heard Haruto question himself outwardly.

'If these are electromagnetic strips than that means they made some sort of electromagnetic strip bomb.' that wasn't good.

She had to get to Haruto.

Utilizing her Multi-leg Spine propulsion system, Saki quickly made her way through the storm of electromagnetic strips and to him.

"There's too many of them." his Hand Ray's and Variable Vulcan simply didn't have a fast enough firing rate. Also, the fact that the Space Cruisers fired those shells at certain intervals so Haruto and Saki never had time to recollect themselves didn't help. That resulted in Haruto's Valvrave slowly becoming covered in magnetic strips, making it even harder to move.

Another shell was launched towards him but luckily Saki accelerated by him while dragging him away from the shell. It still wasn't far enough as the shell went off forcing them to hide behind a close by asteroid.

"What do we do?!" Haruto questioned as he switched his Volc Arm's cooling barrel. "I doubt they're going to run out of those things anytime soon."

"I know. I know. Just give me a few seconds."

How the hell could they get pass those electromagnetic strip bombs?

Having Raizo and Kyuma help was out of the question.

They couldn't be pulled away from their positions, unless she wanted to leave the module unprotected.

Haruto wanted to protect everyone within the module so that wasn't an option.

Maybe she could use herself as bait and draw their fire towards her.

No.

Haruto wouldn't let her do that.

Even if he did it wouldn't work anyways.

The electromagnetic strips that were already attached to Carmilla were slowing her down. She wouldn't last long due to that and she was sure Haruto would come to her rescue if she needed it.

Which would of course put him in danger.

Definitely not an option.

Then what?

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They could use the asteroid they were hiding behind as a shield and slam it into the fleet. It wasn't that big compared to others she's seen but it was enough to cover them and do some damage, so it would have to do.

Unfortunately, the time she took to think was the cause of her second mistake. So caught with finding a solution, Saki made the mistake of not paying attention to her opponents movements. That all added up to her being taken completely by surprise when a horde of Waffes and Annihilators surrounded them and began opening fire.

"Saki, look out!" seeing the assault at the last second Haruto moved his Valvrave in front of Saki's and backed up into her, pushing her against the asteroid. He then pulled up his forearms and activated the Hard Afterglow Emitter that was installed in all Valvraves.

Hard Afterglow, also referred to as "light", is a strange green light that can contains a variety of properties which make it different from anything found in nature. It can be molded into a solid structure, resembling glass or crystal, which can be used as a barrier to temporarily block incoming attacks until the structure is finally broken through and dissipates. Hard Afterglow can also be fired as a beam, with enough power to destroy a Waffe with a single shot. In addition, Carmilla's Hard Afterglow Emitter can also be used to transfer power its Spindle Knuckles when their in use.

Haruto at the moment, was using the Hard Afterglow as a shield to protect himself and Saki from enemy fire. They no longer were firing electromagnetic strips; instead, they were firing either solid ammunition or beam projectiles, and Haruto's Hard Afterglow shield was beginning to crack.

'Fuck! I screwed up!' Saki mentally screamed as she clenched her fists. 'How can we get out of this?' her mind was racing for some kind of escape but she couldn't up with anything. On top of that, she couldn't fight back because Haruto's Valvrave was pushing her back against the asteroid, not letting her move. Firing her Spindle Knuckles was also not an option, seeing as if she did they would hit Haruto.

"Saki, we got a problem!"

"What is it, Kyuma!? I'm a little busy right now!"

"The Space Cruisers are getting closer to the module!"

"What?! I thought that idiot was holding them off?!"

"He was, but they put up some type of shield! He can't get through fast enough!"

"Damn it!" her teeth grinded together as she realized the trouble they were in.

She and Haruto were trapped and wouldn't last too long if she didn't come up with something.

Kyuma and Raizo were stuck with the Space Cruisers and whatever Waffes and Annihilators that weren't trying to kill herself and Haruto.

She screwed up.

She let the little success she had earlier go to her head.

"Shit! Yusuke, what was hit?!" Saki was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Kyuma's words.

What was hit?

The module was hit?

Her breath became caught in her throat as she waited for the response.

"They hit a main water distribution pipeline! . . . . . Shit! They also damaged the Water Purification Center!"

"So, no one was hurt?" Saki wasn't surprised when she heard Haruto's question.

It was just like him to be worried about others when his own life was in danger.

And she was failing him.

She was given the opportunity to finally support him and she was failing.

On her first damn try!

What a worthless piece of trash she was.

She should've known something like this would happen.

She couldn't understand why she kept on trying to prove him wrong when time and time again she continued to fail.

Saki wasn't meant to be happy.

That's why the world kept taking her happiness away from her.

And this time it was going take Haruto away from her.

She wasn't stupid, even if the Dorssia Military couldn't kill them they would most likely imprison them for the rest of their eternal lives.

She would never see Haruto again.

"Saki, what's the plan?!" her head lifted up at Haruto's question as she tried to blink her tears away.

"I-I'm sorry, Haruto." she managed to choke out. The feeling of not only failing but failing Haruto was too much. "I c-cant-"

"What's the plan, Saki?" Haruto firmly persisted.

Normally, Haruto would've been more sensitive with Saki (especially after hearing her sound so vulnerable) but they didn't have time for that. Things were falling apart quickly and they needed her to think of a way to turn the tables on the Dorssia Military. So, just like she was with him before the battle started, he would be with her.

"I-I can't think of anythi-"

"Yes, you can. You will." she couldn't help but be taken aback by the trust she saw in his eyes. "Didn't you say you wanted me to rely on you? Well, I am. Are you gonna fail me?!" he felt like a bastard for using her words against her, but they didn't have anymore time to spare.

Saki felt a drop of determination drip into her pooling emotions of negativity. Haruto's words were true, she wanted to help shoulder his burden, all of it, not just his curse. She also wanted to shoulder the responsibility of protecting everyone.

Which meant she couldn't fail.

If she failed, she failed Haruto.

She would fail the trust he put in her.

She refused to do that.

As her resolve began to grow and her mind began to swirl with ideas that could turn their situation around, Haruto was inwardly panicking.

Was he too harsh?

Maybe he shouldn't have taken that approach in the first place.

It worked in him so he thought it would work on Saki too.

But maybe that approach didn't work so well on girls as it did with boys.

"Saki liste-"

"In five seconds, I'm going to need you to give me some space, Haruto." Saki's voice cut him off, but her voice was no longer shaky or doubtful. It was strong, reassured, and confident. In short, she had a plan. "Zero!"

Haruto moved his Valvrave forward (which wasn't easy, due to the still firing Waffes and Annihilators) giving Saki enough room to turn around and punch the asteroid with her Spindle Knuckles. The asteroid quickly broke into pieces that soon began to spread around in all directions. She then reached back and grabbed onto Haruto's Valvrave, before using her accelerated jumps to move between the pieces of asteroid, said pieces also acted like shields, taking most of the fire from the enemy.

As they made their way through the asteroid pieces, Saki took in the other half of the battle while Haruto was using his Volc Arm to fire at the enemy.

"Saki, can you slam me into one of the asteroid pieces?"

"What? Of course not. Why would you ask that?"

"I was thinking that these things," Haruto motioned to the magnetic strips that were still attached to his Valvrave, "can't be too tough. They'll probably be destroyed if you slam me into one these asteroid pieces."

"...Fine. I'll scrape you against them. Not slam." turned out Haruto was right, but Saki really wasn't paying attention.

She was, once again, thinking.

Thinking while dodging.

The Space Cruisers were far closer to the module then they were before she and Haruto got trapped, and they were giving the module's defensive a run for its money. She was also able to see water spraying out of the bottom side of the module, before it instantly evaporated.

When she saw that they were losing water, her mind began thinking about how she could fix the problem.

'On top of losing our water supply the Water Purification Center was damaged. Not only will we not have water but we won't be able to recycle either.'

The Water Purification Center was a useful yet, if one thought about it, disgusting process. To put it bluntly, it cleansed the water they already used and sent it back to be used again.

That meant it also cleansed their urine.

It was clean to use but nasty if one thought about it.

'Without the ability to recycle our water, that water supply is too valuable to lose.' as she finished her thought, a solution clicked in her mind.

"Raizo, I need you to turn the module around so it's between the sun and the water leaking out. Kyuma, you need to try to push back those damn Space Cruisers. Haruto, you and me need to take out these guys so we can hit the Space Cruisers from behind."

From that point on, Saki began to direct the flow of the battle with utmost precision.

The water that was being lost and evaporated, began to freeze when it was no longer being hit by the sun's rays. That was due to how heat traveled in space. If a person were to float in space unprotected, the part that would be facing the sun would be burned, and the part not facing it would be frozen. That's why the water was evaporating when it leaked out of the module and it's also why Saki wanting the water hidden behind the module.

If the water evaporated in space it was lost forever, but if it was frozen they could recollect it and melt it later.

After Raizo finished turning the module, Saki eloquently ordered him to "go nuts" and Kyuma to use his wings to collect the water, now ice, and bring them within the module. All the while, herself and Haruto decided to use a pair asteroids (a little bigger than the previous one) to their advantage by pushing them towards the Waffes and Annihilators that were still pursing them.

As the asteroids closed in on their targets, Saki launched her Spindle Knuckles, effectively breaking the asteroids to pieces. The Waffes and Annihilators that were quick enough to avoid the pieces fell prey to Saki's Spindle Knuckles and Haruto who swooped in with his Z-Edges.

Now no longer hindered, Haruto and Saki were now able to attack the Space Cruisers from behind. As if to emphasis that point, Haruto's limit meter reached six hundred and was steadily climbing.

"I'm almost at 666 Saki." when Saki heard those words, she couldn't help the devilish grin that adorned her face.

They could wipe out the rest of the Heavy Fire Squad.

Maybe, if he was there, they could take out that bastard Cain.

Oh, she hated that man with a burning passion.

In her mind, he was her greatest enemy, because he was the one commanding the attacks. He was the one that was consistently opposing and endangering Haruto.

And she had a feeling he would be around for a long time if they didn't take him out now.

"When it's ready-" Saki cut herself off when she saw the remaining Dorssia Military spread apart and retreat in all directions. 'Their retreating? Did they know that Haruto was going to use the Harakiri Blade? If so, then does that mean they hacked our frequency? Or maybe they learned how to time how long it takes for Haruto's Valvrave to reach its limit.'

"What do we do now, Saki?" Haruto questioned. "Do we go after them or-"

"Of course, we go after those bastards!" Raizo roared as he followed after the enemy.

"No, stop! Raizo, get your ass back here!" Saki's words went ignored causing her to curse. "Kyuma, grab that idiot!"

"On it." Kyuma quickly caught up to Raizo and used its wing like shields to restrain him.

"Why aren't we going after them?" Haruto questioned. It seemed like a good opportunity to take out as much of the enemy as possible, but then again, Saki proved herself far smarter than himself.

So, maybe she saw something he didn't.

"I won't fall for the same trick twice," Saki started to explain, "They're spread too far apart from each other. If we attacked, even with your Harakiri Blade, we wouldn't do much to their numbers."

"Then why don't we go after the Space Cruisers?"

"Because, they would probably surround us and we would find ourselves in the exact situation we were in not too long ago. Besides, we're going against a superpower that controls almost one third of Earth. A few Space Cruisers mean nothing to them."

"That makes sense." Haruto muttered to himself. "I should go help Kyuma with Raizo." Haruto said causing Saki to turn her attention to the other two Valvrave pilots.

"Let me go damn it! We can't let those bastards get away! I said let me go!"

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"Idiot."

---

A sigh escaped Saki's lips as she removed her helmet and Carmilla powered down.

She was tired, to say the least.

But, her fatigue couldn't hold back the feeling of accomplishment she felt from successfully commanding a battle. Sure, she may have screwed up at one point but she was quick to learn from it.

Unfortunately, whatever good feelings she had were squashed when she remembered how she treated Haruto before they left to fight the Dorssia Military.

"Ugh. I was such a bitch." Saki groaned as she hung her head. "He's probably hates me now."

As she went into a standard teenage girl romance "depression" she heard knocking on the outside of her cockpit. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out who it could be.

If it was L-elf there to reprimand her for screwing up, she would kill him.

Pressing the button to open the cockpit, Saki couldn't help but blink dumbly at who was there.

"H-Haruto? What are you doing here? You're not here to yell at me are you?"

"What? No." Haruto gave her a confused look as he floated down in front of her. "Why would you think that?"

"Well . . . I was kind of a bitch to you before, when you were . . . . you know."

"Oh." he muttered as he thought back to when he was freaking out. Haruto's remembrance of said event had the unintentional effect of Saki misinterpreting his silence for anger which showed on her face. "I'm not mad at you!" he sputtered.

"You're not?" she asked her voice hopeful like a little school girl.

"Of course not." Haruto smiled. "In fact, I'm grateful. If you didn't give that kick in the butt, I don't think I would've pulled myself together. So, thank you, Saki." she couldn't help but blush when she saw the smile he was giving her.

"You're welcome." Saki mumbled as she shyly averted her eyes.

"So, does this mean you're not mad at me?" that question caused Saki's head to snap towards Haruto.

"What are you talking about? Why would I be mad at you?" she wasn't sure if it was even possible for her to be mad at him.

"I was a bit of a jerk when we were trapped earlier." Saki stared Haruto for a few moments before bursting out in laughter; Haruto himself was nothing short but flabbergasted. 'It's better than her yelling at me.'

"I-I'm sorry, Haruto. It's just- hahahahahahaha." after a few breaths to calm herself down, Saki was able to speak clearly. "It looks like we were both worried for no reason."

"Then does that mea-" Saki smiled at Haruto as she used her hand to cup his cheek, effectively shutting him up.

"Of course, I'm not mad at you, Haruto. You were right. When I said, I wanted to be the one you rely on, I didn't just mean your curse. I meant everything. I won't fail you, no matter what." now it was Haruto's turn to blush.

"Uh. Thanks. That means a lot." he mumbled before he pushed off the floor and began floating out of the cockpit. "Oh yeah, I forgot." Haruto turned towards her and gave her a bright smile. "You did great out there. You were really impressive." with that, Haruto left, leaving a red-faced Saki in his wake.

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"He thought I was impressive."

---

A/N: This authors note was going to be longer but I'm tired as hell right now so I'll keep it short.

First I need to clear something up. While editing this story I found out Saki's a 1st year student, Haruto and Raizo are 2nd years, and Kyuma is a 3rd year. So they wouldn't be in the same class, but in my story let's say they're all 2nd year students.

Moving on.

I added the whole guilt thing with Haruto because he's a nice guy and nice guys tend to blame themselves. The guilt is also a big motivator for him and will be even more so in the future.

Which isn't too healthy.

Also, I know I wrote that Saki's trying to protect his innocence which she will, but that doesn't mean he won't grow and mature. He will, but he'll also keep a small bit of his younger self.

As for Saki, well, she's going to be a downright capable. In about everything. As you seen she's going to be taking the role of strategist more and more as the story goes on. Eventually in the far future she'll be able to match L-elf in strategy.

I know she was ooc but that's the way I want to write her. Haruto has earned her trust and love, and from the past I'm going give her that's not something she easily gives. So when she does trust and love someone she's all in. To sum up her past, let's say, she lost people she loved, seen horrible things, and been abused in more than the physical sense. That's why she was so hooked on fame (at least in this story) because she saw it at her chance for an escape.

Ok, that's about it.

In the next chapter I'll talk about where I plan to go with this fic.

Until then.