Chapter 1: Light and Truth
The Fallen Capital City of Pallordia Kingdom, on the World of Etolia.
Pallordia was widely known to be a very unfortunate Kingdom. Natural disasters occurred there more often than in other worlds, and it seemed like the threat affecting the other nearby worlds affected them much more seriously. For these malignant circumstances, some blamed the ruling family.
It was a common sentiment outside of the Kingdom that the Pallordia Blood Line was cursed, ever since a world shaking event years ago.
Erio supposed that he should not have expected a giant, sprawling place out of a Final Phantasm video game when he volunteered for a mission to inspect Pallordia Kingdom. In fact, he supposed he should have asked how they were being assigned to inspect such a place.
The place was, in all ways, shapes, and forms, a mess. He looked about, pitying the people who had to flee the place. It was most likely because of fierce isolationism that things got this way, and so Erio decided some of the blame rested on the King's shoulders.
Rubble littered the ground, the proud towers depicted in the books and guides all ruined and decrepit. The Palace? A chunk of the roof was missing, and the doors were wrenched off their hinges. The monsters that did this had even slung one of the huge doors right into a tall building, causing the whole thing to collapse.
The things that did this were called demons, mostly due to religious connotation and resemblance to certain figures in scriptures. They were not, in any way, a force from some holy book become real.
They were discovered by the Bureau to belong to a "World of Darkness", and had expanded outward to claim a place in these worlds by force. Their "World of Darkness" was basically just a planet almost entirely submerged in the Dimensional Sea's energies.
The effect this had on the demons was very easily seen. Apparently, force and violence were the only ways demons knew how to handle their problems. A very bizarre, frightening group, though some had decided to live peacefully with humanity.
They even liked the name the humans had called them so much they even addressed themselves as such now. On the ship leading to Pallordia, the guy who had told them about the area was one of them. When Erio asked why they liked being called demons, after the evil things in religion, the demon had answered simply.
"Because it makes humans want to fight us."
That bloodlust was evident in the scars of Pallordia Kingdom. Signs of battle permeated the area. Old bloodstains on the ground, sword devices resting on the ground. Thankfully, there were no dead bodies laying about.
Erio, however, did not want to know if demons devoured their dead human adversaries. He really hoped that they did not. He wanted to keep what lunch he had managed to eat on the way there in his stomach.
Another fact Erio had heard was that there were a lot of good Sword Devices made in this Kingdom, and that a craft like that died out like this was sad and ironic.
Nobody knew what happened to the majority of the Pallordian Citizenry, though an estimated 40% left the Kingdom a while back, just after the Scaglietti Incident and entered other worlds.
Despite this, there was no information on what exactly had happened there. Though it was generally agreed upon that whatever it was, it was beyond what Pallordia deserved. Though it looked to be the work of demons, Erio knew that it was rarely that simple.
The last King of the place was recorded as King Bradley Pallordia, a person who defined himself through dislike – borderline xenophobia – toward the TSAB, and pursuing solutions to the demon problems that plagued his world and its neighbors.
It was a bizarre contrast in traits. Xenophobia directed at one group, while others received benefits from his presence nearby. Was there just a grudge between King Bradley and the TSAB?
If so, Erio had to wonder why. He had seen some of the more morally dubious things the TSAB had done, mostly like a certain person named Jail's whole creation,
Precia Testarossa trying to reach Al-Hazard by any means necessary, Jail attempting to control an ancient Belkan Sankt Kaiser, and who knows what else would be coming out of the woodworks...
Apparently, whatever was out here was giving off a massive magical signature that almost matched that of a Lost Logia. Perhaps another factor in this depressing result was the Lost Logia which apparently rested there. Hayate was oddly urgent about this job. It was like she had prior experience there, but none of them had ever been there before.
Caro was using Friedrich to get an aerial view, while Subaru was looking through one of the nearby outposts. The sky above was seemingly always cloudy and lent an unpleasant air to the Kingdom. He had to consider, if this was the capitol, then the countryside would be at least twenty times worse.
Nearly every street corner had been modified so as to provide a defensive base, more evidence as to how bad it had gotten. Yes, if the demons were that fearsome, then that could definitely be a tell tale sign of it.
But as far as official information, the actual word on it was apparently classified! Whatever it was, it was pretty big, and apparently top secret.
Erio grimaced, "Well, with so many people hurt, I have no idea why they'd classify the whole thing. Don't people deserve to know what happened to the Pallordians? Are they really that hated?" In anger he stomped his foot on the floor.
And as a result, stomped on a section of floor that was not really that stable, sending him falling through the street into a sort of under street. He looked around. It looked like this area was in a bit better shape. Not as much rubble, though there was still a lot of fallen rocks from heavy impacts and Abyss Ion Spells cast up on the surface.
While Abyss Ion was a spell almost impossible for humans to cast, the demon race seemed to have the ability to cast it much easier.
Erio direly hoped he did not run into one down there. While there had been a peace agreement made by the TSAB between the rival forces, granting some land to the demon race, in a place like this he might run into one of the hanger ons from the campaign.
Looking around, he found the symbol of the Pallordia Family on one of the walls, seemingly branded on there for a random reason. Was this a special area or something? He tapped the symbol several times, and then thought he heard something.
For now, he ignored it. This area was branded with the symbol, and as he looked around, it did not exist anywhere else in the tunnel.
It was interestingly not smudged or destroyed in the least. He had heard the symbol was Decalogue, the Sword of Dark Light that all Kings of this country wielded.
There were some rustling sounds further down the tunnel, and then something began approaching, but seemed to be carefully moving about.
As if it was stalking Erio.
He readied his Device and Barrier Jacket, and called out, "Hey, is anyone down here? We're from the TSAB, investigating this area for big magical signatures. Anyone down here?"
He was not prepared for what occurred next. Six golden orbs flew out of some moss growing on the floor, and another two from a vine growing down the wall.
He had to wonder what all this was...
He had no time to think on it, though, as the orbs all exploded at once, throwing the teenage Mage backward, and hitting his head against a wall.
As he looked down, his vision blurring, he saw someone walk out of the darkness. He could make out no features, other than the faint outline of the sword symbol of the Pallordia Kingdom on the person's shoulder.
Was this...one of the Pallordians who had stayed around? Why was he attacked? What had he stumbled into? And with those questions in mind, Erio passed out.
He awoke in the base camp later, to see Subaru and Caro looking down at him, worried sick apparently, "Hey guys, did the plants attack you too?"
Subaru was incredulous. Did the hit against the wall mess with his head? She sighed, "No, but Caro was worried about you, just dropping down into those tunnels...so, do you know what happened down there?"
She did not want to believe something about plants attacking people, but she supposed she had heard weirder and seen stranger.
There had been the time with the cat and six rogue Mages that basically sealed the deal on that count.
Erio responded, "Its like I said. The plants down there attacked me. They generated some exploding golden orbs."
He could not make that up if he tried. And apparently there was someone else down there.
"And...there was someone down there. He walked out after attacking me, I think. He had the sword emblem on him."
Subaru was forced to concede that Assault Plants was more than just the title of a horrendous B-Movie, and decided to look into the story. It was almost definitely magic of some kind. Though for a plant to create a magical attack, rather than a Device...
But for someone's magic to generate not out of a Device, but out of a plant? And why would someone here attack Erio? If anything, a survivor of the Pallordia Kingdom would be desperate for help, not for a fight.
But if it wasn't a Pallordian, and rather some sort of demon or criminal, then that would make more sense.
There had been rumors of demons still hanging around, and treasure hunters of a distinct lack of scruples hanging around and trying to find the actual sword of the Pallordia Family.
Then that would mean this person would jeopardize their search in the near future, and in future TSAB missions there.
"Caro, make sure Erio is alright," she finally stated, "and ensure he heals fully. Head wounds can be tricky. I am going to look around."
She had to admit that, if the attack ruined Erio's Barrier Jacket, damaged his Device, and did as much to him as it did, then whoever it was might be a threat.
She circled the area at maximum speed a few times, but could not find anything, and when she passed mossy areas or overgrown patches of plant life, they did not open fire.
And with those thoughts in mind, she felt a subtle nudge as a telepathic link became active, it was Hayate, who had arrived at their main base. [Subaru, return to base for now. For now, we cannot afford to send anyone out alone.
And so she left to return to base, feeling oddly like she had been watched her entire time to and from the base. Their enemy, she decided, might as well have been all the plant life in the Pallordian Capitol City.
As Subaru left the area, three people walked out of the ruined chapel nearby.
One, a tall and handsome man carrying a rose, sighed, "Such a beautiful young maiden, oh, if only we could approach her..."
He carried himself like a warrior, had a sword type Device, and wore a black trench coat over a black shirt, slacks and boots.
Leaning against a wall was a brooding young man with blond hair, a scar over his right eye meeting a scar on his jawline, and of a more rough, lean look than his foppish ally.
"You do realize she is on the look out for the person that blasted that public servant, right? She'd punch that pretty little face of yours as soon as kiss it."
The near-parody of a bishonen almost dropped his rose, though he almost immediately picked it back up, "N-Not my face! Jagger, you're so mean, scaring me like that!"
Jagger chuckled a little, it could be some fun to poke at Jean. More fun than could be found in this dreary duty.
Jean was about to shout when the third person spoke up, "Remember, we don't know how far her abilities were amplified by the cybernetic implants. We have to be careful and not directly engage until we learn the enemies strong points and weak points."
The new speaker was a rather withdrawn looking silver haired young man, who wore large, blocky glasses, and two long coats, one directly over the other, and both covered a black shirt, khaki pants, and boots.
Jagger nodded, "Good call, Kaoru. We'll wait for Master Saburo to return, given he has probably looked them over by now."
Jean sighed, "Its so loathsome...having to fight a pretty girl..."
Kaoru sighed, his allies were utterly bizarre, but nobody doubted Jean's capabilities. Yes, he was only serious in a fight once in a blue moon...
But when Kaoru saw the last time that blue moon occurred, he knew their employer made the right choices.
While the others in the main organization were away, it was up to them to hold the fort there.
And Kaoru did not want to let down the expectations of their leader. After all, his magic was of an extremely powerful sort...it would simply not do for him to make a poor show against police officers.
And while they were standing around, Saburo returned, seeming to climb right out of the ground, "I have tested TSAB's Ace, Erio Mondial, but it appears he was unable to detect me. Thus, our fight does not count, as he was ill prepared for engagement."
Saburo was a tall, tanned young man of a lean, muscular appearance. He wore a shirt with sleeves that reached half way down his arms and which was of a beige color, with the Decalogue symbol on the right shoulder area. His slacks had a number of green and red patches of cloth and he wore armored boots.
His stride and nature reflected a stoic though confident personality which enjoyed testing challenges and limits.
Jagger beamed, "Such is the wisdom of my Master." Jagger was, needless to say, extremely proud of his Master's capabilities. It had been about three years ago when Jagger requested that Saburo teach him how to use a similar Earth Magic style.
Saburo sighed, "I thank you for the praise, though I am undeserving such loyalty." And Saburo was convinced that there were better sorcerers in their organization who would be able to give Jagger a better education.
Jean asked, "So, what are we going to do next? We were instructed to hold the fort. If those TSAB Mages stumble into anywhere important, the King will be pretty pissed."
They all nodded at that. They would need to make a plan instead of just rushing in there. While they all had formidable abilities,
Saburo nodded, "Indeed, while The Gate was used to take that area out of here, we still need to make sure our home base is secure. Together, we will attack their base and force the young one to summon her dragon Voltaire, whereupon..."
Jagger looked down, "Then, I'll do my thing. Dragons are my specialty." Jagger supposed this was personal for him.
Subaru looked over the base as she walked through it.
Her meeting with Hayate basically confirmed that, indeed, someone of high magical power had attacked Erio. Most likely treasure hunters or criminals hiding from the law in Pallordia's Ruins. Such was incredibly disrespectful to a fallen power like Pallordia.
Though that apparently only one did that was cause for alarm. They would need to be careful out there and watch for surprise attacks. If the enemy could attack through plant life, then his range was virtually unlimited. There were even some grassy patches near the base and inside it in some places.
But it would do no good to simply be paranoid about it. They'd face whoever it was as they came.
A/N: And we're done. Please Review and PM me any questions. Just as an explanation, the bracket speech is telepathy, the time period is three years following the Scaglietti Incident. And just a fun game; spot all of the Shout Outs.
