From the creator of Samurai Seed and Of Demons and Gods who was sooo angry as to why the anime ending was so fucked up, came his take on the Valvrave:
Valvrave: The Founding of an Empire
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AN: This story starts on Episode 7 of the anime… but with a different twist…
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Prologue:
Imperial Calendar, year 214…
Somewhere in space, with a planet overlooking an asteroid field…
A green and golden mech was flying across the asteroid field. A pair of glowing green wheels embedded on its shoulders. The mecha is humanoid in shape, but other than the normal pair of legs, mounted on its back skirt are a whole set of three pairs of extra legs, set about like a back skirt. Said legs are kicking multiple times, generating green halos that propelled the mecha left and right, dodging and dancing across the space rocks. Another point is that the humanoid mecha's head is crowned by a green glowing headcrest that also covered its optics. Following behind the gold and green Mecha is a pair of black raven like UAV Drones, flying closely behind the green mecha.
The mech flew elegantly, avoiding all obstacles… until suddenly, another mech burst out of the rock. Unlike the elegantly shaped green mecha, this one was of more robust and rigid construct, with its many cannons and weaponry protruding out. The mech was shaped like a bull's head. Complete with a horn that host a pair of energy cannons, and a pair of eyes that pulsed momentarily before it opened fire at the first green and gold mech.
The Green and Gold mech realized the attack a bit late, but one of its accompanying Drones moved in and took the shot. The destruction of one of its drones alerted the green and gold mech, and its pilot, a woman wearing an armored skin tight pilot suit of regal design with a matching green and gold color scheme. The pilot looked at the bull shaped opponent, and then she looked at the console depicting the status and identity of her mech.
Valvrave Unit IV: Carmilla Mk. 5. Next to the name of her unit, is a gauge with number 97 switching to 98 every so often, with the limit being 100. "Sigh… I guess this is my limit, eh?" The woman's voice was gentle and calm, heavily laden with experience. The Valvrave then extended its hand and the raven like drone landed on her arm, turning into a gauntlet. As soon as it did, the many exhaust vents of the Valvrave, which initially glowing orange hot cooled off almost immediately, and the gauge in the unit's console decelerated rapidly to the range of 30-45. As soon as the deed was done, the raven ejected a piece of its overheating tail.
The pilot of the bull-like mecha, a highly decorated and bearded man with a scar on his face growled in his cockpit. "Hah. Your weapon is just a relic of a bygone age, but you can withstand against the might of our glorious army for 7 justavs. As expected of one of the Golden Seven. BUT!" The bull like mecha suddenly transformed into a more humanoid form, and all its weapon loadout were brought to bear. Soon, the mecha opened fire with everything its got, raining Carmilla with shot after shot.
And yet the green Valvrave easily dodged the rain of shots. The enemy was relentless and fired even more fiercely. At one point, it looks as if the Green Valvrave had nowhere to run as the energy projectiles are coming from everywhere…until suddenly, the Valvrave suddenly split into seven identical units. Using its raven claw, the 7 Carmillas ganged up on the caught off guard opponent and ripped it apart, leaving it limbless and heavily damaged.
The pilot gasped in shock. "Actual physical afterimage? What kind of technology is that!?"
Said pilot barely recovered from his shock, Carmilla unleashed her finishing move, which is pulling out one of the green wheel like weapon on her shoulder and throw it straight at the now helpless enemy. The wheel's edge were glowing with green and gold hard-light, creating an energy buzzsaw that ripped the mech in two before it exploded full force as the wheel returned back to its owner.
The female pilot of the Green Valvrave sighed. But then, her sensor picked up another unit. "Oh my… this one must be a scout…"
She turned and behold, there's a whole army of such mech in their dozens, backed up by several huge battle ships appearing out of the warp jump. "This is it guys! Today we will bring down Carmilla of the Golden Seven!" All other enemy pilots cried their cheers.
Even when faced with such impossible odds, the girl can still find it in her to let out a chuckle. "tee-hee… oh my… this is bad… this is really bad…"
Suddenly, her sensor registered a massive energy spike appearing right behind her. "Oh?" her initial shock turned to a happy smile, recognizing this particular energy signature.
The enemy fleet suddenly halted. Apparently they registered that energy spike as well. "This… could this be… Oh no… It's HIM!"
All the sudden, a golden energy wave burst out from dark space and engulfed the entire opposing fleet, completely avoiding the Carmilla. In an instant, the large fleet was reduced to but a few heavily damaged and barely functioning mechs. Some of them gaped in shock as they struggled to take control of their mech, one of them even deigned to try to take a shot Carmilla, until suddenly another mecha appeared out of warp jump. This mech is heavy, large, with glowing silver coloring. Its design somewhat matched the Valvrave but more robust, and heavily armored. Another point of interest is that while Valvrave has a humanoid design, this one seem to evoke a wolf, with a pair of oversized arms, its fingers are armed with claws, and smaller legs.
"Is that… who I think it is?" One of the surviving pilots gasped.
"Who else?" The other responded. "There's only one being who can master those monsters… Only one can bend one of the Silver Nine to his will. Only he… only that One Demon Emperor."
Upon seeing the Wolf-like mech, the female pilot finally relaxed well enough to remove her helmet, revealing a beautiful black haired woman, no older than 17 years old, and yet her eyes gave out an ancient radiance. Hers is not youth… but agelessness.
"Saki? Are you okay?" The coms on her console lit up.
"tee-hee! Thanksies for the rescue!" The girl smiled sweetly at the person on her com.
"Inuzuka's gonna rail you again. Those warp-jump engines are expensive, you know?"
"Boo… not my fault that these guys blew that one up first thing in the morning!" The girl pouted.
"Sigh…" Kilometers away from the green valvrave, a black silhouette of another Valvrave stands in the darkness. The shape depicted the mech to be at least one and half times bigger than the Carmilla, with a more elaborate glowing golden colored head crest crowning its head, and golden runes engraved on the mechs entire being, glowing in the darkness. The said unit was also encircled by another pair of the Wolf-like mechs, escorting the unit like loyal hounds. A red glowing katana can be seen extending out of the darkness. The source of that blast. "Lucky for you my Warp Jump engine is perfectly functional. Rendezvous with me, time to go home."
"Ro~oger." Saki replied sing-songly as she piloted the Carmilla towards the said dark shrouded Valvrave.
"Why did you go so far from the perimeter anyway?"
"Well because…" Saki smiled as she pulled out a locket from her suit. She opened the locket and gazed lovingly at the picture inside. "Even after 200 years… a promise is a promise… right?"
Chapter 1:
Do you wish to resign as a human being? Yes or No?
200 years earlier…
Tokishima Haruto couldn't remember how things can go from bad to worse in so short of a time. It all started on what supposed to be a memorably normal day: that was the day he was about to confess to his childhood friend and the love of his life, Shashinami Shouko. And then, just before he said the word, Dorssian Empire, a super power nation attacked Module 77, the Dyson Sphere that has become the home of roughly several hundred students of the Sakimori High School. What exactly a super power nation would want with a Colony that only holds several thousand populace, Haruto didn't know… until, he get his hands on a Valvrave.
Do you wish to resign as a human being? Yes or No?
In normal circumstances, most people would say no.
But when he watched Shouko seemingly get vaporized right in front of him, his thought process was anything but normal. He unthinkingly answered yes. He activated the super mech, beat down the invasion nearly single handedly. When everything was said and done, he found, to his joy, that his childhood friend is, quite in fact, alive and kicking.
All is well.
"You Monster!"
Or not. Suddenly, the day ended with him no longer can be counted as a human race. He became… something more. More than just a human. And when she asked him to continue what she thought she knew he'll say… Haruto realized… there's no way she can ever know what he had become. And she doesn't deserve him: an inhuman monster. And so he lied, and he pushed her away. And things seemingly go back to the way it once was. He and Shouko are just… a close childhood friend. And though he's no longer human, that doesn't change the fact that he still loves her, and will do anything to support her decision. Such as when she decided to form an independent nation, he supported her all the way.
And to think that he thought the worst problem that can happen was when their environmental maintenance support system broke and everyone nearly died of hypothermia.
But no. Misery loves company. As if it wasn't enough that there's one machine that turned you into a body swapping monster, he found that there are another four of these things right beneath the school.
And the bigger mess started with a kiss from a certain black haired girl by the name of Rukino Saki.
"Rukino-san! DON'T! THAT THING IS CURSED!'
Do you wish to resign as a human being? Yes or No?
"It's okay, isn't it? I hate humans anyway! With this I'll become something special! So it's all okay!"
Yes.
At the start of that day, there's only one body swapping monster. Now there are two.
And this one has a problem when it comes to keeping things under wrap.
Rather… she thought it's her one way ticket to worldwide fame.
Finally, after the duet take down the latest Dorssian attack…
In the Module 77 hangar, Haruto and Saki stand before the whole set of Valvraves, his and Saki's included, along with the other three. Together with them are Inuzuka Kyuuma, Haruto's best friend, Nanami-sensei, their klutz of a teacher, Shashinami Shoko, Marie Nobi, Aina, Satomi Renbokuji the student council president and his vice president.
"Whoa… I didn't know there are more of them."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys." Haruto bowed his head down.
"Y-You don't have to apologize." Aina stuttered.
"Yep! You should be proud, Haruto!" Shouko supported.
"At any rate, this is some cache of weapons." Renbokoji suddenly began commenting. "Alright then. The Student Council will take command of these Machines."
"NO!" Suddenly Haruto roared. "No you can't!"
"Why can't I?"
Why can't he? Haruto has more than enough reason. Problem is… he can't say it. If he did… he'll have to tell them all… tell Shouko what he had become. "Just… don't." and he can't do that.
"You're not entitled to them in any way!" Renbokoji insisted smugly. "Vice President, please assign these valvrave units as property of the student council."
"STOP IT!" Haruto screeched. "I won't let you touch any of these Valvraves!"
"I'm the president of the student council! Elected democratically by the entire students! I represent all the students here!"
And still Haruto remained adamant. Shouko looked at this Haruto, looked at his eyes… and she understood. That meek half hearted Haruto who dislike competition and prefer compromise had found something he cannot compromise. Something he will not give up upon. "That look… I've seen it before." Shouko chuckled. "President, give it up. When he's like that, he won't budge no matter what."
Saki glanced at Shouko. "You… know him well… don't you?"
"Well… he did the same thing the last time we tried to run away!"
"No I didn't!" Haruto protested.
"Yes you did!"
"No I don't!"
"You did!"
"Don't!"
"DID!"
"Uh-hum!" Renbokuji cleared his throat to cut this childish banter short. "Guys…?"
Haruto and Shouko awkwardly turned to Renbokuji and the matter at hand. Shouko spoke up on Haruto's behalf. "Haruto pilots one of these machines. If anything else, he knew these robots best. I believe that it is in the best interest that we entrust their care to Haruto."
"Out of the question!"
"I agree with her." Saki suddenly raised her hand.
"Likewise." Marie, in her usual laidback and bored tone replied.
"M-Me too!" Aina stuttered again.
"Sorry, Satomi." Inuzuka Kyuuma also raised his hand in support of that decision.
And then Nanami-sensei also timidly raised her hand in support, much to Satomi's shock.
"Outvoted." Marie murmured in triumph.
"Welcome to democracy." Kyuuma grinned.
"Can the jokes!" Satomi is still unwilling to give up. "If that's how it's going to be, then we should ask every student's opinion!"
"Hold your horses right there kids!" A man wearing a white scientist coat came floating towards them. Everyone recognized him as their Physics Professor, Dr. Kibukawa. "Gotta take a look at them first! Nobody else gets in or claim anything until the checkup is done!"
"B… But!" Satomi tried to protest again. But the Professor was clear on the matter.
"A teacher's job is to ensure the safety of the students, right?"
At that point, Satomi finally realized he's licked… again. Grunting, he just jumped away from the crowd, followed by his fretting Vice President.
Haruto looked at the departing President in relief. Then he also looked at the one woman who understands him best… the one woman whom he can always rely on. A fact which he will always be eternally grateful. "Shouko." The girl in question turned to Haruto to see him smile lovingly at her. "Thank you."
Shouko warmly returned the smile. "You're welcome."
All this does not escape Rukino Saki's attention. And she'll be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit jealous.
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L-elf asked himself… What happened that it came to this?
He started by infiltrating a Jior Secret Facility for weapons development.
And what a weapon.
It was a weapon so powerful, its technology is light-years beyond anything science had ever accomplished… He would even dare to say it has gone beyond the realm of science. It's already bordering on magic and mysticism. Two things that he never truly believed in. But he knows what he saw, and it's enough to make him a believer. Or at least… partially a believer.
And if things can't get any better, it was in the hands of a witless civilian who had no idea on how best use this great machine. Easily silenced, he assumed, as he gutted him and then unloaded a few clips to destroy all his vital organs.
His first mistake.
He should've known it won't be that simple.
He doesn't remember anything after that, only the sheer pain when the supposedly dead civilian rise up from the dead and BITE him on the neck. And then after that, he had a huge hole on his head.
When he woke up again, he's inside the cockpit of the very machine he tried to take, poorly tied… and one complication: he's now charged for treason, the gravest of capital crime, punishable by death. Proof: he opened fire on his fellow officers, claiming one eye from A-Drei, his supposedly best friend. And the only proof of his innocence is that he doesn't remember doing any of the aforementioned actions. And when everything was said and done, he was put on chains and given to the Arusian army.
Given the fact he once slaughtered 5,000 of their men single handedly; his reputation did the rest of the job of making his situation worse and worse.
But that's hardly the issue. He is L-Elf, the one man army. There's no angle he cannot foresee, no murky situation he cannot get out of.
And then he assessed the situation calmly. Now, skipping the whole body jacking thing and the fact he had to butcher the entire room and every Arus soldier sent his way, he surmises two things: One: He's on his own. Two: he's gonna need the help of that civilian… that Haruto Tokishima, the only person, he found out, that can use that Valvrave.
Well, this should be pretty easy. The whole school is now under Arus occupation. It shouldn't be hard to convince the boy, and then the whole school, to be on his side. He just had to give Senator Figaro the right push. And like a well played puppet, the fool of a senator dug his own grave when he opened fire at the students, turning them all against him. L-Elf just couldn't see how his plan will fail when Haruto Tokishima took control of his Valvrave and stand before them all, defying the Senator, and by extension, Arus. At this point, only by joining with Dorssia… no… by joining with him can Haruto Tokishima hope to survive.
His second mistake.
He focused too much on Haruto Tokishima. He ignored another irregular point:
A girl by the name of Shashinami Shoko!
"WE SHOULD DECLARE OUR OWN INDEPENDENCE!"
And to his disbelief, with that one statement, all his plans go up in smoke all around him. For the first time ever, he was outmaneuvered. Not by genius or superior foresight… but by sheer unpredictability and dumb luck of a single overly gutsy girl. Enough ridiculousness to make him nearly laughed his brains out.
And then, after a little this and that, he reassess the situation and realized: he knew too little of this module and its occupants to try to do anything risky. So he decided to bide his time and explore this module inside out. He found several interesting facts: This Module host multiple Valvraves, and various kinds of facility and equipment needed to support them… and it seems every student here has been… altered with. At least, that's what he hypothesized when he saw Rukino Saki, a girl beneath his notice, successfully bonded with a Valvrave when an Arus Pilot failed to do so.
With that said… L-Elf suddenly realized he had everything… everything he needed to complete that which he wishes to do. Forget Dorssia, forget revolution… the accomplishment of that which he sets out to do is within his grasp. Right here. Now he needed a new plan. The first thing he needs to do is to split up two irregular points that had brought him into this mess: Tokishima Haruto and Shashinami Shoko. Together, they are unpredictable. But separate, they are less of a threat.
Now… that last attack that Valvrave Unit 1 and 4 repelled… It was led by X-Ein… but If Colonel Cain is in charge of that attack; that would be too straight forward.
At any rate… he need to take care of things here… and quickly.
That's what L-Elf surmised as he finished setting up his preparation… and then he looked at the camera that has been watching over him for the last few minutes. "Hmm…"
On the other side of the camera, a red haired girl gasped.
Minutes later…
Renbokuji Akira moaned and grumbled as L-Elf had just finished tying and gagging her. L-Elf looked at the equipment that red haired girl used… and he must say he was impressed. She had a good surveillance of the entire complex… nothing escape her attention…
Suddenly, a new idea brewed up in his head.
An idea that will tear Haruto Tokishima from Shashinami Shouko, bringing him to his side… for sure.
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If anyone dared to ask, then Rukino Saki would dare to say, she had tasted it all.
From the lowliest side of humanity, rising all the way up to the top of stardom… and now, to the normality of day to day school life… and finally, abnormality of an inhuman. What it's like to be a girl, and what it's like to be a man. She had tasted it all. All… except one.
Unconditional Pure kindness.
This much she knew: the world isn't kind. The world is not a happy place where everything will always fall in place. She had to fight, trade and struggle to get a disproportionately small amount of happiness. Even worse, whenever she had amassed that happiness, there are always those who will try to deceive her to snatch it away. Her world used to be a world where she had always had been on edge. She had to fight, and bleed to get her happiness… but not cry. No. Never cried. She never did. Do so, and she will be crushed without mercy.
When her career was suddenly brought to a halt, she thought that… this is it. This is the end, and she lost the fight. She was brought down from stardom to normality. She was brought into a school, where she met people who had lived in a world completely different with her. Not one of them, she felt, know what she had gone through. She became a stranger living in a stranger world. Well, at least it was a step up from her past life… but… seriously? Who likes being brought down? She thought that there's no way she can stand this. No way she can get through this… but…
"Because a friend of mine is crying right in front of me. So of course I want to help!"
When was it?
Tokishima Haruto. The first person who offered her kindness and hope… without asking anything in return. There's no condition, no strings attached, pure selfless kindness without even a hint of ulterior motive.
When was it?
When did she ever receive that from anyone? And before long, she became fascinated with that brightness. That glowing naivety and cheer which he spread to everyone without asking for a reprieve that it left a mark in her heart.
When was it?
And suddenly, her mind had even adopted this mindset: maybe mediocrity and normality isn't so bad… if there's a person like this in her life.
When was it? When did Rukino Saki became so… fascinated with this… Tokishima Haruto? Fascinated enough that she even considers abandoning everything if it meant for him?
And for a moment, she let down her well guarded solitude… but then…
"Shoko! There's something I want to tell you!"
Curse the remnants of her naivety. She should've known it was too good to be true. Shashinami Shoko. Haruto's childhood friend and the one person he obviously would want to spend the rest of his life with. There's just no way she can compete with that, now… can't she?
And then it all changes when Haruto suddenly became the center of attention in one night. And even more so, he transcends humanity and became something… not human. Something that distanced him from everyone else, even from his childhood friend.
And Saki knew a chance when she saw one. Haruto became something akin to her. Something that was distant from normality. He's not mediocre anymore. One hiccup: he took it a step further by being no longer human.
Fine. She'll stop being one herself.
Do you wish to resign as a human being? Yes or No?
"I want to become famous!"
Her only dilemma when she pressed yes on the Valvrave IV console was deciding was it fame she wanted… or something… someone else?
But she pressed it anyway. And now she's done it. The world now knows her, looks at her. She's the invincible super human that is beyond humanity… She could get everything back… everything she could ever wanted for the asking…
Or did she?
Before Tokishima Haruto, this is everything she could've asked. Before him, she would've been content to what she had achieved.
Is it wrong of her to ask for more… just… one more?
Well… like she always said, happiness is something you had to fight and bleed for. And she didn't get this far by giving up.
"Yosh! Gimme the salt!"
"Hai…"
"Thank you!"
"Uah… that looks…" Saki gulped upon seeing this eerie looking purple colored broth on a pot that looked like some bio engineered slime if not for the many ingredients jutting out of it. "…like it'll come alive and bite someone!"
But that is for later. For now… she had to tackle another form of normality: a cooking class. And as it stands, it looks more like… Shoko just put everything she can find and then boil it down on a single pot. "Looking pretty tasty isn't it?" She cheerfully smiled as she twist and turn the insides of that pot haphazardly. The content looked more like something you'll find in a witch's cauldron instead of a stew. "I put in a lot of vegetables and healthy stuff into it. It'll taste good, guaranteed! I mean just smell it!" She pulled a spoonful of that bizarre substance and actually took a whiff of its smell.
Marie looked at all this with her usual absent minded look. "This needs a taste test. Saki… you try it."
Saki twitched. Now there's another thing she never tasted before… "Uhh… no… I think I'm good… thanks?"
But Marie won't take no for an answer. She took the spoon and jammed the soup right into Saki's mouth without any riff raff. Saki gasped. Before she can taste anything, she needs to cope with the heat of an exceedingly hot soup coming straight from the still boiling broth. "MMMMMMMHHRMMMMHHH!" She grasped her mouth as the hot soup seared the insides of her mouth!
"Rukino-san! Are you okay?" Nanami Sensei quickly took a glass of water.
"It's okay! I put in all sorts of vegetable and they've all been cooked well! She won't choke or anything!" Shoko cheerfully replied.
Rukino struggled for a bit, building up the courage needed to taste this thing. As soon as the heat subsides and her tongue tasted it… she was surprised that she quickly swallowed it down without a problem, so delicious it was. "…it tasted good!" Saki blinked.
Shouko smiled in triumph and Marie merely chuckled. "Hehe… so when it comes to Shoko, taste won out against appearance eh?"
"Is that a compliment?" Shoko blinked.
Marie simply smirked. "You know it."
Meanwhile Nanami-sensei and the other girls had also begun tasting Shoko's cooking… and they had to agree with Marie: horrid appearance aside, it tasted wonderful.
Shoko chuckled and then she looked at Saki. "Say, Rukino-san!"
"Hm?"
"Thank you for helping us in this cooking class."
Saki blushed. "Think… nothing of it. I didn't do anything… I'm just paying you back."
"Hm?" Shoko smiled.
"Remember? Yesterday you cheered me on too." Saki smiled gently.
"Think nothing of it! That's what everyone would do, right!" Shoko further added with cheer. "Besides, it was pretty fun! Let's do it again some other time!"
"I don't think I want an encore…" Saki smiled nervously. Yeah. Talk about a steep competition. Truth be told, the biggest problem with trying to get in-between Haruto and Shoko has nothing to do with the fact that they're childhood friends. The problem is that Shoko is indeed an easily likable girl. Even Saki found herself liking her lively, cheerful disposition and innocence and couldn't find a reason to hate her. If they weren't after the same boy, Saki would be more than happy to her friend.
"Hoo… this does taste good."
That comment attracted everyone's attention, for it comes from a particularly cold eyed silver haired boy. Upon seeing and recognizing that person, Saki immediately went into high alert. "You…!"
L-Elf merely smirked. "Shashinami Shoko. I have a proposition for you. If you please read it." And he handed her a folder of papers.
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A little while earlier, down in the dojo…
"KORAAA!" Raizo Yamada flung the nth person overhead, slamming him to the ground. He wildly and eagerly looked around, searching for the next vict-erm-volunteer to be thrown overhead to the mat. "OKAY! WHO'S NEXT!?"
Up above, Haruto, Aina and Kyuuma looked at the commotion with a nervous smile. "Ever since he learnt there's more than one Valvrave, he's been training like heck. He's hoping to pilot one in the future." Kyuma chuckled.
But Haruto wasn't convinced. "He doesn't know…"
Moments later, the three are now in a computer terminal where Haruto was viewing the details of his Valvrave while Kyuuma observed the screen that views the hangar where the Valvraves were being hanged. Currently, Prof. Kibukawa, with the aid of Yusuke Otamaya, their engineering genius of a friend, carefully and methodically disassembles Valvrave I, checking its systems and components. Apparently the two really get along with the Professor complimenting Yusuke multiple times.
As Haruto looked at this, his gaze flew to the other Valvrave on standby. "I understand what Yamada-kun wants… but… he doesn't know that you had to give up your humanity in order to pilot a Valvrave."
"Haruto… is that why you hadn't told anyone about the Valvrave until now?" Kyuma surmised.
"It's terrifying." Haruto winced. "I was able to protect everyone because of it… but… to jack into someone's head… to walk in their shoes… literally… And when the frenzy hits… I really can't control myself… it's like… I'm being moved by someone else… this… immortal body…" Haruto grew more frightened at his body. "Don't tell me… I'm actually already dead?" His hands continue to shiver until suddenly, a pair of small petite hands grab hold of Haruto's.
Said hands belong to Aina, who smiled reassuringly at Haruto. "It's okay." Aina closed her eyes as she felt Haruto's pulse in his veins. "You're alive. And you're our friend."
Aina's calm and shy tone somehow allayed Haruto's fears. The brunette smiled. "Thank you, Aina-chan."
Ever the shy, Aina blushed furiously at that comment and quickly withdraw her hands, much to the knowing Haruto and Kyuuma's amusement. "W…What's more… Haruto-kun… I… I don't think you're a monster. More like… Holy Spirit… I think."
Haruto blinked as he pointed at himself. "Me? Holy Spirit? Are you referring to how I possess people?"
"No!" Aina jerked. "What I meant is… it's like… God had visited you and grant you power." Aina smiled shyly. "You're immortal and can control others… even pilot such an amazing robot. I think only God can do such thing!"
Haruto blinked. Kyuma smiled happily. "It's good isn't it?" he chuckled. "It is way better than monster, right, Haruto?"
Haruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I like it."
Aina smiled wider as her blush grew.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by an announcement.
"I address the citizens of the New Jior."
"Eh?" Everyone looked up towards the intercom.
"I, L-Elf Karstein have taken control of your country."
At about the same time, every door, emergency shutter and blast walls within the whole module rise and sealed itself shut. Every student within the Sakimori High was completely shut and caged. A wall rose up right in between Haruto and Kyuuma, with Aina stuck together with Kyuuma. "Wh… What is this?" Meanwhile, the announcement continues.
"All citizens are now subject to military conscriptions."
"L-Elf!" Haruto growled.
"You will submit your life for the glory of this nation."
Raizo and his gang also heard this announcement and growled. "I know that voice!"
Kyuuma glared up. "Is this… Coup D'état?"
Suddenly, the announcement addressed him directly. "By the way, Inuzuka Kyuuma… that place is not safe."
L-Elf was referring to how Kyuuma and Aina were standing right next to a fire extinguisher… which L-Elf had booby trapped. Moments later, the Fire Extinguisher blew up on his face, but Kyuuma shielded Aina before it does her any harm.
"Inuzuka-senpai!" Aina cried.
"As you can see, I've placed multiple booby traps across the school."
In a secretive part of the school, a teenager wearing a heavy Dorssian War armor also looked up, listening to that announcement. His silver hair extended to a long bang that covered one of his eyes, while the other bang was braided. A-Drei listened to every word of that announcement and grunted. "L-Elf… what were you thinking?"
L-Elf calmly spoke to the phone slaved to the school's intercom system. "If you value your life, mind your step."
"Why are you doing this? Heil-Elf!" Shoko screeched.
"It's L-elf. I'm doing this, because you are being foolish by rejecting my Army State proposal without thinking it through, Shashinami Shoko." L-Elf replied calmly. "How long do you think this country will last without a proper defense force to protect it? Dorssia is a super power nation with the most powerful military force in the world! Your 'army' consist only of two Valvrave pilots and a bunch untrained children. The road that you set them on… will lead them to their deaths."
"FUCK YOU!" A loud roar suddenly howled from the window of the kitchen. Yamada Raizo, carrying a wooden sword open the window jumped in, having just climbed all the way up there using the water pipe. "I'm Sakimori's strongest man, THUNDER!"
"Y-Yamada-kun! Where did you come from?"
"From the dojo!"
"B… But that's three floors below us!" Nanami-sensei gaped.
"NO GUTS, NO GLORY!" Raizo roared.
At the same time, Saki grabbed a knife and stand before Shoko, pointing the knife at L-Elf. "You stand here calmly; I'm guessing there's no trap here, right?"
L-Elf looked at his opposition: Rukino Saki, the second immortal at the front, and an untrained thug at his back. He sighed. "True… didn't actually foresee I'll be flanked by a pair of idiots."
Raizo growled angrier. "Time to pay you back, you Dorssian dog!"
L-Elf chuckled. "Can you make me?"
"We outnumber you two to one! How strong do you think you are!?" Saki took a step forward.
Both roared as they charged towards the silver haired boy.
Seconds later…
Saki and Raizo were both down on the floor, completely knocked out silly. L-Elf calmly brushed his hands. "Not even worth my time. Now then…" L-Elf turned to all the girls in the kitchen, particularly Shoko. They all look clearly frightened. "Don't worry, if you don't resist, it won't hurt… much. Besides… I need you to see something." L-Elf, in particular, addressed Shoko.
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Moments later, another announcement was made.
"I address the citizens of the New Jior. I, L-Elf Karstein have taken control of your country. Tokishima Haruto, head to class 2-B immediately. You will pilot Valvrave and became the core of our country's National Defense Force!"
Haruto growled. "That guy! Is he seriously going to fight off the entire school!?"
"H… Haruto!" Kyuuma choked from the other side of the sliding door.
Upon hearing the pained tone, Haruto immediately thought of the worst. "Inuzuka-senpai! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"I-Inuzuka-senpai t-took a blast to his leg…" Aina peeped, half choking due to tears.
"That explosion earlier?" Haruto gasped.
"It's okay Haruto! It's no biggie! I'm still in one piece and I can still walk! What about you?"
"I'm fine!" Haruto replied. "Are you trapped there… or is there a way out on your end?"
"Actually…" Kyuuma looked around and chuckled nervously. They were completely sealed shut. "I don't think we're going anywhere. L-Elf wanted to make an example of me… I guess."
Haruto sighed. "Alright. Stay there. I'm gonna try to do something."
"Good luck buddy." Kyuuma grinned as he can hear Haruto ran off. Then he turned to the other person, the crying Aina. "There, there, Aina-chan."
"B… But… Your leg…" Aina's lips trembled. Kyuuma's leg is anything but fine. L-Elf explosive was too strong, a shard of the trap embedded itself on Kyuuma's leg. It's a bloody mess, and even if they're not trapped… there's just no way for Kyuuma to go anywhere. But the worst part is that Kyuuma is losing too much blood. His skin grew paler and paler. "You did this for me… you…" Kyuuma could've easily avoided that explosion and he was in a safe distance. But Aina was the one in ground zero, and so Kyuuma took her place at the last instant.
"It's okay." Kyuuma looked lovingly at Aina's teary face with his weakening eyes. "You're worth it… Aina-chan."
"Inuzuka…senpai…" Aina blushed furiously.
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Haruto quickly made his way to the Zero-G hangar. There, Valvrave 1 has already been reassembled. Haruto quickly floated towards the cockpit. His initial plan was to use Valvrave to somehow deal with that one man army of a soldier. But before he entered the cockpit, he heard the sound of a gun being cocked right at the back of his head. "L-Elf?"
It was L-elf indeed. "I don't care if you're an immortal. I don't think even you can survive having your head blown off to bits."
"But… how did you get here so fast?"
"That was a recording, Tokishima Haruto." L-Elf explained simply. "I recorded that announcement 15 minutes ago, after I bound and gagged 20 female students in the kitchen, including your childhood friend, Shashinami Shoko."
"If you lay a finger on her hair-"
"But I've already done more than that, Tokishima Haruto. And not just her. Do you have any comprehension on how much damage I can do in that time period? I can kill every last one of the students in this school and you won't even know it until I say so." L-Elf merely speaks the facts. "You cannot save those who are dear to you if you continue to be this naïve, Tokishima Haruto."
"People who are dear to me?"
"I told you. A world without violence is a make believe dream!" As he said that, L-Elf suddenly pushed Haruto away as their spot were suddenly rained with gunshots. Haruto turned and saw another Dorssian Soldier with white hair and a long bang covering one eye, wielding an assault rifle. L-Elf looked at his former comrade in arms. "A-Drei. I should've known." Yes. He knew that full frontal assault by X-Ein is just too straight forward. That's Cain's style. Under cover of the battle's aftermath, A-Drei must've infiltrated the Module to spy on them.
"That's very well dodged, L-Elf! Even with one eye, I can still recognize you!" A-Drei began to ferociously open fire at L-Elf. L-Elf easily dodged the bullets, but he made it so that he floated towards Haruto, using him as a human shield. Haruto was shot several times on his shoulder and leg.
"I thought this place will become a battlefield someday." L-Elf calmly pressed a few buttons on his phone before he disappeared from A-Drei's sight.
A-Drei grunted. "Where is he?" He ignored the gravely injured Haruto in search of the bigger threat. All the sudden, the flashbang grenades L-Elf had set up as a trap sprang out and momentarily blinded the one eyed soldier. Moments later, L-Elf had already aimed a gun at A-Drei's head. "Don't move A-Drei."
A-Drei realized he couldn't do anything and lower his rifle. And then, still aiming a gun at A-Drei's head, L-Elf dialed a number in his phone.
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Back in the kitchen, Dr. Kibukawa had just managed to smash the door open and beheld the sight of multitude of girls and one guy being bound and gagged, squirming on the floor, all of them are either as angry as hell (as in the case of Saki and Raizo) or scared to the point of fainting (Nanami-sensei). The said teacher quickly woke up as soon as Kibukawa stripped away the tape covering Nanami's face. "Kibukawa-sensei! How did you get here?"
"Well… I'm a physics teacher…"
Suddenly, the intercom in the kitchen blared again, and L-Elf's voice echoed. "By now, I assume Dr. Kibukawa is there to rescue all of you."
Everyone looked up at the intercom as Kibukawa went full alert.
"To Dr. Kibukawa, I say this: prioritize rescuing Rukino Saki first. She's one of the Valvrave pilot, and right now, she's needed. A Dorssian army is right at our door, and I have a suspicion that this module's external defense mechanism has been offlined and the gates may have been opened. I would suggest you rescue her and her only, leave the rest and quickly prioritize on those who can bring the defenses online. That would be Satomi Renbokuji, still trapped in the Student Council office. The door will unlock automatically once it read your biometrics. I suggest you make haste. And please do not try to turn the monitor off."
"What does he mean by that last one?" As soon as that question escape Kibukawa's lips, the built in holographic screen on the Kitchen's whiteboard turned on, revealing a live streaming video of the event occurring in the hangar.
"What is this?" Kibukawa did as he was told and began freeing Saki first.
"I don't know." A very angry Saki took the tape off her mouth. "That L-Elf said something about wanting us to see something… Anyway… I'm off."
"Off where?"
"Carmilla! If those Dorssians are really coming I'm gonna tear them a new one!"
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A-Drei heard all this and couldn't believe his ears. "L-Elf! How could you betray us like this?"
"And what if I say I didn't betray you?" L-Elf replied calmly. "Would you forgive me? Even after I shot one of your eyes?"
"I would." A-Drei answered quickly. "You are the man that would become my right hand man!" A-Drei turned around as he let go of the bandages that covered his shot eye. "One eye is a small price to pay if it meant securing the ablest of hands!"
"I will not become anybody's hands." L-Elf replied. "Besides, I've found my own hand."
"What? Who!?" A-Drei couldn't imagine someone like L-Elf could find someone whom he found worthy of his notice.
"L-ELF!" Suddenly, a gunshot can be heard, missing A-Drei's leg by inches.
Both Dorssian Soldiers barely flinched. L-Elf turned and saw Haruto is on his feet and had somehow acquired a gun. However, with a hole on his shoulder and leg, he could barely stand. "L-ELF! FREE THE SCHOOL!"
"Stop before you make your injury worse. I know A-Drei. Even with one eye, he's a good shot. I'm surprised you're still standing."
"I… won't stop… before you free the school!" Haruto pant and gasped. "We… won't become your soldiers!" Haruto aimed the gun at L-Elf.
Seeing that, A-Drei growled and aimed his rifle at Haruto. "Drop your gun!"
Much to his surprise, L-Elf aimed his gun at A-Drei. "No. A-Drei. You drop your gun. This guy here is my hand."
It took a few moments for A-Drei to fully absorb what l-Elf had just said. This guy!? Seriously? A half dead civilian who clearly never even hold a gun?
"L-ELF!" Haruto roared again. "FREE THIS SCHOOL! NOW!"
"Don't you get it, Tokishima Haruto? This school… no… this country NEEDS me. From the very beginning I have no intention on undoing this country. Everything I break, I can remake. But think about it. Me, a single solitary man managed to bring your so called 'country' to the brink of destruction. Dorssia are filled people like me! What chance do you think you have to survive a full on onslaught from the full military might of Dorssia?"
"L-Elf! Come to your senses and return to my side!" A-Drei grew somewhat desperate, seeing little logic in what L-Elf is doing.
Alas, before the situation can be resolved, a white mech suddenly just flew in. The mech is simple in design, white in coloration. It bears a pair of thick rectangular shields on its shoulders, while its arms are mounted with Gatling Gun on one hand, and a pincer on the other. The mech has no legs, but it floats around easily enough thanks to a high powered main booster on its lower waist. A Waffe. Dorssian standard main battle unit.
"Q-Vier! I've unlocked the gates for you! Capture them!"
Alas, Q-Vier, a maniacal red haired boy, has trouble following orders. "Capture?" he insanely smiled. "Meh! What a bother. I'll just kill them all!" Suddenly he pressed the gatling gun and blasted the whole platform, nearly hitting L-Elf and A-Drei… but completely engulfed the still injured Haruto.
Once the fire settles, there were almost nothing left of Haruto's mangled body parts…
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All this was transmitted life to the screen in the kitchen.
Upon seeing the brutal murder of Haruto live, Shoko collapsed on her knees. "…H… haruto…?" she muttered. Tears forming in her eyes. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGHHHHH!" and she shrieked.
It wasn't just the kitchen. The event was being broadcasted life to every holographic transceiver in every phone and announcement board. The sight of Haruto's mangled remains can be seen by every student in the Sakimori high. Even to Kyuuma and Aina, who watched in horror as the disfigured remains of Haruto float in front of them.
Saki paused for one second as she registered what she just saw the screen of her Carmilla. "H… Ha…Haruto…?" An unspeakable rage that buries all reason exploded throughout her being as she gritted her teeth so tight her lips bleed.
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Meanwhile, Q-Vier couldn't care less of Haruto's mangled remains floating on his screen. He crazily chased after his main target: L-Elf!
A-Drei quickly regretted his choice for the intrusion force. Thanks to Dorssian's ruthless military regime, Q-Vier is a complete nutjob with lethal skills. "Q-Vier! I said capture him! NOT kill him!"
"Huhuhu… You're so trusting Mr. Prince! YAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Q-Vier wouldn't care less and start firing haphazardly allover the hangar. Even A-Drei was forced to hide behind objects.
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"I knew it. Sending Q-Vier there is a bad, bad idea…" H-Neun mumbled. He can just about imagine that maniac going crazy down there.
"Then why didn't you say anything?" X-Ein retorted.
"This is A-Drei's operation. It's his decision."
All the sudden, half a dozen manned and unmanned Waffes were sliced in half by energy Chakram from Saki's Carmilla. This clearly alerted the whole Dorssian forces waiting right outside module 77.
"You Dorssian bastards…" Half blinded by free flowing tears and uncontrollable rage, a half mad Saki roared angrily. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!" And the green Valvrave charged at them at full speed.
"Whoops. We got company."
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A-Drei wanted to approach the Waffe so he can board it, but with the insane Q-Vier firing allover the place, he can't get close. Throughout this mess, the largest piece of Haruto's remains, that of his bloodied mangled head and limbless torso floated right in front of A-Drei. A-Drei looked at the poor boy. He still finds it hard to believe that L-Elf would trust this boy over a comrade who had done and seen it all together side by side with him.
Meanwhile, Q-Vier continued to follow L-Elf, intent on seeing the look on his face when his gatling gun rip him apart, unaware he's walking into another one of L-Elf's trap.
L-Elf had already sprung it though. First he pulled down the lever that activates the Valvrave harness. Suddenly, the needle straps used to hold Valvrave on standby rise up and locked the Waffe in place. "Hoee? Needles?"
"I must thank whoever responsible for your 'good upbringing'…" Next lever activates the catapult and the Waffe, and Q-Vier, were literally 'kicked' out of the Module.
A-Drei looked at what supposedly his escape vehicle. "As expected of you, L-Elf." He sighed. "But I still find it hard to believe that you would choose that useless civilian over us, L-Elf!"
L-Elf looked at Haruto's remains floating behind an unwary A-drei. For a moment there, even he had his doubts… until he saw a familiar red glint. "One thing… about that hand of mine, A-drei."
"?"
L-Elf smirked. "He's an immortal monster."
"!?" A-Drei had just caught on with what L-Elf had just said when suddenly, he turned around and saw Haruto's remain was glowing eerily red.
Red glowing markings that looked like vicious bird scratch appeared on his half blasted head and his one remaining eye gleamed red. Blood red and gold energy particle burst from his mangled limbs, the same kind of energy bursting out of the Valvrave whenever it was going to use its Harakiri blade. Said Energy formed an approximation of arms and legs made of entirely of pure energy. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGHHHHH!" The berserk Haruto lunged at A-drei, mouth opened with fangs protruding out, ready to bite.
A-Drei, in horror, open fired at the berserk monster of a half dead human, a couple of his shots actually tore the creature that was Haruto's cheek and one landed right on his forehead. And still he won't fall. Too late and too shocked to dodge, A-Drei can only watch helplessly as Haruto ripped his armor like a wet tissue, revealing his neck. And without further ado, his fangs sank deep into A-drei's neck, earning a scream.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGHHHHH!"
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Outside, the Dorssian army was made to taste something hell hath not: a scorned woman's wrath. Upon seeing the mangled remains of her secret crush and unaware of what's happening in the hangar, Rukino Saki drop all façade of sternness and calm she was known for and went blood mad and wild, destroying Waffe left and right, manned and unmanned, screaming hysterically in her cockpit as she did so. By the time Q-Vier was finally returned back into space, the Carmilla had all but destroyed half of the invading army single handedly. Only the Ideal Annihilator kept their distance.
"Whoah… that is one angry girl." H-Neun gulped.
X-Ein frowned. "How did you know it was a girl?"
"Believe me, only a girl can fight like that. My intuition is never wrong. More importantly, she's angry. VERY angry." He looked at Q-Vier in his Waffe. "Who did you kill before they kicked you out?"
"Huuuh? Some guy! A civilian, barely worth mentioning." an unrepentant Q-Vier replied.
"Great. You just killed someone's boyfriend." H-Neun shook his head. "X-Ein, the red one isn't here. Let's just begin with it anyway before that girl wipe us all out, shall we?"
"Fine!" X-Ein nodded.
The Ideal Annihilator used by H-Neun charged towards the rampaging Carmilla. Saki saw the incoming elite units. "I don't care how many you are… I'LL TEAR YOU ALL APART!"
H-Neun pressed the button and launched the special weapon they've prepared: dozens upon dozens of electromagnetic boomerangs. The boomerangs quickly swarmed the Carmilla, and for a moment, Saki was brought back to her senses and saw all these boomerangs encircling her. Quite a few of them were strapped to Carmilla's leg. Warnings blared on the Valvrave's console, depicting the schematics of Carmilla's limbs, denoting its right leg was inoperable. Worse, the Valvrave's temperature, already on the verge of reaching its limits due to Saki's overuse, were rising sharply. "Eh… what is this?" Worse, Carmilla stopped responding to Saki's angry commands.
X-Ein smiled in triumph as he saw how the Green Valvrave became helpless. "Magnetic attachment Boomerangs designed for capture during security enforcements operations. With this, your dance has been cut short."
Saki's rage instantly subsides as she saw in horror as more and more boomerangs are attaching to Carmilla's entire being and electricity coruscate allover its body. Pretty soon, the warning signs spread from the legs to the Valvrave's entire body structure. In desperation and in anger, Saki pushed her controllers multiple times, but Carmilla remained unresponsive. "MOVE! MOVE! MOVE YOU PIECE OF JUNK! I NEED TO DO THIS FOR HARUTO!"
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Back in the hangar, Haruto dropped the catatonic A-Drei on the floor while his limbs had just finished reforming itself.
"Interesting." L-Elf commented. "So those bites can not only transfer consciousness… you can also use it to drain someone… using their essence… or whatever it is you drain to temporarily boost your regenerative powers."
"L-Elf!" Haruto hissed. "FREE THIS SCHOOL!"
"Have you heard nothing that I've said?" L-Elf chuckled. "It was never my intention to take occupation of this school. Besides, I already have what I want."
"What do you want, L-Elf?"
L-Elf pointed to his left. "You."
"What?" Haruto turned around and saw what L-Elf was pointing at: a hotwired camera. "What did you…?"
"We're live. Everything that is happening in this hangar is being broadcasted live to every holographic transreceiver in this school. Everyone in this module, including Shashinami Shoko, now knows what you really are… Tokishima Haruto."
True to his word, every student with a cellphone or an ipod or any electronic device with a screen had just watched everything that happened in the hangar. They just saw how Haruto Tokishima viciously bites a person in the neck and then regenerate whole limbs by obviously sucking the man's blood out, just like the vampire they used to read in comic books and animes. This also includes the still bound and gagged girls in the kitchen, who watched everything in horror through the screen, including one eyes wide Shashinami Shoko, who stared in disbelief at the monitor, seeing the creature that was once her childhood friend.
Haruto gazed with eyes wide, imagining hundreds of widened eyes behind that camera who just saw everything that had transpired. He fell on his knees in despair as he realized… his chance to regain back his normal life had just been destroyed… irrecoverably. "Why are you doing this to me?" He growled in misery and barely controlled fury.
"To show you what you really are, Tokishima Haruto." L-Elf knelt before Haruto as he pulled back one of his sleeves. "You're not a human anymore. Abandon hope of a normal life, you are a MONSTER! An immortal monster with powers beyond any normal human! Your friends will not accept you, just as the whole world will not tolerate your existence. If you want any hope of surviving it… I'm the only one who can help you now." L-Elf shoved his hand at Haruto.
Haruto, with dead eyes looked at L-Elf's pale skinned hand and realized he's asking him to transfer his consciousness to him. "Why… would I want to do this… for you!?"
"Not me." L-Elf replied. "But Rukino Saki and Valvrave Unit IV is currently out there, being butchered by Dorssian elite; each of them is completely out of her league. The loss of even one Valvrave is a severe blow. Even more so if Dorssia capture one and understand its workings. You need my help to survive this, Tokishima Haruto."
Haruto trembled and looked at L-Elf's cold logical eyes.
"Do it. Everyone had seen what kind of monster you are. Show them how much a monster you can be, Tokishima Haruto."
And Haruto gritted his teeth as he answered with trembling lips: "I hate you…!" He realized he had no choice.
L-Elf merely chuckled. "Never asked to be liked."
Haruto finally took the bite.
The next instance, he watched as the empty shell of Tokishima Haruto collapsed on the floor. Haruto, in L-Elf's body looked at his well muscled hand, and then he looked at the camera. He can just about imagine students are gasping, squealing and murmuring. The one person he just couldn't imagine was Shoko. He dare not imagine on how would she feel when she saw him like that. He looked at his body and A-Drei's comatose body on the floor. He silently took both bodies and brought them somewhere safe before he quickly boarded the Valvrave.
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Outside, Carmilla is finally reaching her overheating threshold.
Inside, Saki began to despair. Especially when she saw H-neun's Annihilator is approaching her, pincers at the ready.
Saki had stopped raging, and now, all she can do is cracking… badly. Her resolution to never cry shattered. And she cried. In her cries, she can only think of one name… one person who is now so far away… "Haruto…"
H-Neun was getting ready to take his prize. "I'm taking you home." H-neun smirked.
Saki cried one last time with the image of that brunette in her mind. "Haruto…!"
Suddenly, a green blast parted the two mech. H-Neun looked to the right and saw the red Valvrave 1 finally entered the field. H-Neun gawked. "I thought you destroyed that thing?"
"I thought I did!" Q-Vier moaned.
"HARUTO!" Saki cried tears of joy.
Valvrave 1 went to full throttle and in one red blur, half a dozen Waffes were shot down with only two shots. The Red Valvrave under the control of Haruto possessed L-Elf rampaged throughout the space. Saki quickly contacted Haruto. Much to her initial shock, the face that appears on the cockpit was that of L-Elf. "Haruto!?"
"It's me! I jacked his body!" Haruto's voice came out of L-Elf's lips, instantly allaying Saki's rage and fear even further. Saki quickly calmed down, wiped her tears as she once again hid her boundless joy of knowing the love of her life is still there behind the mask of professionality, and she quickly warned him. "Haruto! Be careful with those boomerang things!"
"Got it! You stay put! I'll deal with this." Haruto/L-Elf went full throttle on the Valvrave and charged straight towards the remaining Dorssian forces.
X-Ein quickly instructed: "Everyone! FULL ATTACK!"
Every Waffe and Ideals fired every muzzle of their guns, blanketing the space with projectiles. But against a Valvrave controlled by a super soldier, they might just well shoot air. The Valvrave rapidly opened fire, sniping multiple waffes with every shot, all the while it zig-zaged across the bullet storm at blinding blurring speed. H-Neun gaped. "What accuracy! This style of fighting is…!" H-Neun could've sworn he was fighting L-Elf… AND A-Drei in one body.
Indeed, something happened to Haruto. Before, he used L-Elf's body instinctively. But now, all the sudden, he knew what he had to do, what he can do, and what it will do. Memories and information came pouring in. Names: H-Neun, A-Drei, L-Elf, Q-Vier, X-Ein. Weapons skill: melee, command and control, Commando, Shock Trooper, Long range engagements… He had every information on everyone he's facing, what they can do, what they will do. What's more, L-elf's intellect was boosted by additional information coming from the one that Haruto brought with him: the intellect and skills of A-drei. He knew what he had to do. After the last Waffe was skewered with another shot, the Valvrave turned towards H-Neun's Annihilator.
Haruto frowned as an image of a blonde haired man with dark brown undertone and an ear piercing appeared on his head. 'H-Neun has a tendency to go close combat…' memory just poured into his mind without him trying.
H-Neun had yet to realize what sort of enemy he was facing. "Close Combat? Interesting!"
"H-Neun! DON'T!"
Ignoring X-Ein's warning, H-Neun charged forward, just as the Valvrave answered his challenge and charged as well. Both mech are closing their distance at a very rapid rate, but at the last moment, Valvrave changed direction and moved to the side, catching the Annihilator off guard. "WHAT!?" H-Neun gaped in shock.
Haruto-L-Elf aimed at one target: the Annihilator's arm that hosts the boomerang launcher. With one shot at the right angle, Valvrave's rifle blasted said arm and nearly hitting the Annihilator's cockpit, much to H-Neun's surprise.
X-Ein quickly contacted H-Neun. "H-Neun! You alright?"
"Sorry… I let down my guard."
"You… didn't."
Their conversation was interrupted when a broken encrypted transmission entered their coms. H-Neun and X-Ein recognize that voice as A-Drei. "A-Drei?"
In the Module 77's hangar, a very weakened A-Drei managed to get a hold of a communicator to transmit his voice to his comrades. "Get out of here… you can't beat that thing…"
"A-Drei…" H-Neun gawked in horror. "You're still in the hangar!? Hang tight! We can still get you!"
"NO!" A-Drei screeched. "No! Don't. You'll only… kill… yourself. Retreat!" A-Drei gazed weakly at the red glow in space that is the Crimson Valvrave.
"That thing… is controlled by L-Elf's body, L-Elf's skills, L-Elf's talent…but even worse, it has absorbed my skills and abilities… pooling them together into L-Elf's body… creating an abomination of nature… but the mind controlling that abomination is an even greater monster, the likes of which the world has never seen. An immortal invincible being that cannot be killed…!" Everyone who heard A-drei's words looked at the blood red Valvrave in horror, imagining the monstrosity at the helm of that machine: L-Elf body and skills, A-Drei's tactical mind, under control of a immortal monster. H-Neun and X-Ein couldn't imagine what kind of creature that could instill such horrifying terror in the heart of their prideful prince. A-Drei pants and gasp, close to fainting. "L-Elf… had awakened a monster… Go! Report back to Colonel Cain! Module 77… is a lair of a demon!"
H-Neun and X-Ein looked at each other through the coms and they reluctantly obliged their team leader. "Blitzendegen."
And the Dorssian forces finally retreated, and module 77 was saved… again.
Meanwhile, Saki's Carmilla had cooled down well enough to move again, and the boomerangs have all come off. The first thing she did was fly close to the Red Valvrave. "Haruto! Haruto! It's you right? You're still alive?"
"Yeah… I'm okay."
Saki clasped her mouth, and her tears flew freely. She doesn't care anymore if anyone will see her cry. She just want to cry now and so she cries to her heart's content. "Come on. Let's go back!"
Upon hearing the word go back, Haruto paused and remembered what happened.
Saki contacted the command and control to report that they're coming back and prepare the docking bay. Usually, she'll get a cheerful yes backed up with cheery background sound… now… she gets no response. "Guys? Haloo? Anybody there?"
"It's no use… Rukino-san."
"Eh?'
"They know." Haruto muttered under his breath. "They know."
"They… know?" It took a moment and Saki finally understood what happened.
Haruto looked at l-elf's hands and start chuckling bitterly. "Hu… Huhuhu… huaHa… haahahahahahaha… what is this talk about Holy Spirit? Thinking I can still try to live normally? Ahahahahahahahahahaha… hahahahahahaha…!"
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Yep. I'm changing a lot of things. The nature of the curse, Magius, the way their Rune power works. Who lives and who dies… a lot of things.
Plus, I'm making this in my stride. Just to clear my head off a bit after the New Year. Things are really getting heavy in Samurai Seed and I need a refreshment from the limitations of medieval to the technological freedom of the far future.
Happy New year 2014.