Author note: I'll be rewriting this story and updating more frequently if everything goes well.
From the time of my last update with this story I went through a lot; went into the military, went out of the military, going to be starting college, and other various life things that kept me from writing. Now that I have more time I'm going to be trying to keep up writing fanfiction as it is both fun to me, and is good practice for my writing skills if I want to publish a book one day.
Despite her patience, the normally calm and orderly Mio was near her breaking point as the cart rolled along the dirt road. She must have bumped her head a good three times as she fell on her side when ever the cart hit even a small pothole in the road.
~This is ridiculous...~ She thought with a sigh, she was tempted to go on foot. ~This is for the missions sake.. you can endure Mio...~ She thought to herself, holding her sword in front of her, trying to enough the landscape atleast.
"Its been a while since I've gotten to enjoy Fuso's beauty...maybe this retirement wont be so bad.." She said quietly, resisting falling off the wagon as it hit another pothole...at least relief was in sight as her destination neared. "Such a small town...but i guess if this is where that potential witch is..." She muttered as they entered the small town of Kusamugen.
She had read up on that particular town for a while before arriving, learning all that she could about her potential targets. One of the most important things she learned was the possibly identity of her mark; The town had survived for over 400 years due to the barriers that were used to keep out invaders. Miyo learned as well that maintaining the barriers had been a job for three family lines for all that time, yet only one family remained to maintain that barrier.
A fresh breeze blew ruffled Mio's hair as she descended from the wagon, bringing the scent of the herbs and other plants that were traditionally cultivated in town. Along with the breeze came a small pulse of magic that Mio could feel travel through her body as she stepped closer to the town. "This doesn't feel like a very old barrier...It must be rather well maintained..." She said to herself as she rolled over the possibilities in her mind while waving to the driver of the wagon as he went on his way.
As Mio entered the town proper she felt nice and refreshed just from getting off of the wagon, now free to continue her task. Finding sources of magic would normally not be a problem for the older witch, but the barrier around the town was like static to her brain; the hum just at the edge of one's hearing when a tv is on in another room would be a similar thing.
While trying not to stare for too long at the calming scenery, Mio headed for the local hotspot; A simple open air market that had the feel of a close knit community. "Excuse me, could you tell me if the Masayoshi family still lives in this town?" The major asked of a small grandma running a herb stand.
The older women seemed a bit surprised at the question "Of course they haven't, we would be in trouble if they did! Right now it is just the twins though; if you were hoping for the priest and his wife, sadly he passed away a few years back." The woman would say as her face moved into a frown.
"Twins? They're the only ones left?" Mio would ask as she wondered on the quality of the inlet she had been given. "Even if it is just their children that would be fine. Could you tell me about them, such as where to find them?" Mio would inquire as she expanded her senses around for any more magic going on.
"Ah those two, little geniuses they are... Can you believe they fix the barrier all by themselves? It used to be a job for the three families combined. They've even improved it I hear! Such good kids... It was a shame about their parents though." The woman would sigh around the end, not enjoying talking about old deaths with the town being so close knit.
"I suppose you might want to meet them then? See the Obelisk in the centre of town? It's in the middle of their property; you will more than likely find them in the smaller house there, not the main house." The woman would advise as she began to serve a customer and sending Mio off with a smile.
"Thank you Ma'am, that is all I need." The Major would say and nod back. The witch would head down in the direction of the landmark with a brisk walk. ~Looks like what controls the barrier, sounds about right then...~
The sound of a song being hummed echoed through the Masayoshi house as a small statured girl drifted around, wiping off the dust that began to accumulate while she waited for the water to boil. The sound of knocking knocked the song out of her mind; The ideas of who might be visiting replaced those thoughts as she set her cloth down and headed to the source.
With a bit of effort the girl pulled open the stubborn old door to get a look at a older woman in a eye patch. ~Somehow... It feels like I recognize her...~ She thought as she put on a smile for Mio.
"Hello there, my name is Major Mio Sakamoto, could I take a moment of your time?" She would ask courtiously while looking over the girl. A girl around Hartman's height with long auburn hair, emerald green eyes, and traditional shrine maiden garb. To Mio's amusement she noted the girl's chest would have made Lucchini quite disappointed.
It took a few seconds for the girl's brain to catch up to her as she processed it. "S-s-Sakamoto?! It is great to meet you! My name is Aki Masayoshi; I help take care of the shrine with my brother. Please come in!" She said excitedly as she guided Mio to the entry room; a small room in modern fashion with two couches and a aged coffee table.
"It is nice to meet you as well Miss Masayoshi, this is a rather nice place." She would comment as she settled into the couch. Her gaze would drift to the various scrolls lining the walls, some of them showing their age as the edges appeared brown and brittle. What caught her eye the most was the ornate Naginata placed on the wall... It gave off a certain vibe that told her it's own age and power.
"P-please just call me Aki. Thank you for your praise Major Sakamoto..." She said with a light blush on her face as she settled into the couch opposite of the Major.
"Now...I'm not one to beat around the bush so I'd like to ask some questions if that is alright. I was told you have experience with magic?" She would ask as she focused on the smaller girl. For a moment she did feel a small pulse of magic from the girl, almost too faint to detect if she hadn't been paying attention.
"I-I suppose I do... I work with my brother in keeping the town's barrier up and our work at the family's shrine." Her nervousness was written on her face as she tried to meet Mio's one visible eye, she thought she could feel the eye behind the eyepatch watching her as well though... It truly felt like being under a microscope. Aki didn't think Mio came all the way to them just for a blessing.
"I see...That is good, I don't often find witches with too much experience under their belts. How old are you?" The Major would ask as she kept feeling around the area. The older witch's eyebrows would raise a bit as she felt a good deal of magic coming from the direction of the obelisk. With her head turning towards the source of the magic in the backyard, she must have looked confused.
"I'm Fifteen Ma'am... My only experience though is just shrine work and some healing." Aki would reply as she blinked at the woman. Using her own senses she figured out what had gotten Mio's attention. "You don't need to worry about that, it is just my brother Yuki working on the barrier control since it's his turn today. He should be in soon I think." She would note as another pulse of magic came from Aki herself.
"Fifteen isn't a bad age to start a professional career with your magic, especially if you have experience. Hmm... I'd like to meet this brother of your's as well..." Mio would say as a couple thoughts ran through her mind, she just might get some entertainment from this recruitment assignment if her suspicions were correct.
"Whew...That should be good for today..." A lone voice would say as he wiped down his forehead with a small towel, keeping it from dripping onto the base of a large marble pillar he was kneeling by. He had rushed that day's maintenance a bit as he wondered just what was getting his sister so riled up.
With hasty steps a boy of about 15 years who looked a good deal like Aki, if Aki looked into a gender bending mirror that is. One of the main differences between him and his sister was his wearing of glasses and his black and red shrine priest outfit... He for one hated wearing it, but his sister insisted on it while he was working. She had it easier with the shrine maiden wear, it looked a good deal better.
For all his hate of the traditional wear that he put up with, the boy Yuki would not look out of place in the shrine maiden's outfit himself, which Aki tended to remind him of. He for one had wanted to look less girly but couldn't part with his hair; such is the fate of twins.
Yuki wanted to head immediately to his room to change, but figured he should see what was so urgent that Aki was spamming vague messages to him mentally. She should know he wouldn't be able to understand what she wanted unless she concentrated more...
The shrine boy wrapped the towel around his neck as he tried to shake off the fatigue of heavy work. Taking a moment to ascertain Aki's position, Yuki made a b line for the entry hall. "What is it? Do we have guests? I'm pretty sure the Koga's were supposed to stop by To-" His mouth stopped moving just as his mind did the same as Yuki entered the room, his minding skipping over Aki and stopping on the uniformed woman on the couch. That eye patch...
Seeing a near look alike of Aki walk into the room, the Major stood up to face the shell shocked Yuki. "Judging by your reaction it seems you might know me. I am Major Sakamoto Mio of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing. It is a pleasure to meet the both of you." She would introduce herself while holding out her hand. When she first saw him she thought she had misheard Aki earlier talk about a brother, there was no way he could be a guy.
"A-ah sorry.. I'm Masayoshi Yuki, It is a honor to meet you Major Sakamoto...We've heard quite a few stories about you even way out here from the bigger cities." He said as he gained control over himself. He seemed far more composed than his sister who was just now getting her bearings on what was going on. "If there is anything we can do for you please do not hesitate to ask me or my sister." He said with a friendly enough smile as he shook the offered hand... while almost getting said hand crushed in her grip.
At his words Mio had to gather her thoughts for a moment. His voice was still a bit feminine, yet it was possible to tell it was a male. "Mhmm there are some things I do need to ask. Earlier I felt a large amount of magic being used, that was you correct?" She would ask with a good deal of interest.
Yuki seemed to take a moment to figure out the answer, or more precisely, the answer the Major wanted. He couldn't tell if she was upset or pleased by her face; He didn't know she might react to his answer. "Yes that was me, the barrier needed it's daily maintenance." He would answer as the smile seemed to leave his face as his mind worked.
At his answer Mio would only nod as if confirming something she had been thinking on. "Good, this is good. I've been tracking down the rumours of a genius secreted away here, or more of I was sent to find who it might be. As you might have heard, back in Romagna, the 501st suffered loss of two witches combat power; Myself and a young Fuso witch I had been training. As such... We are short handed lately; while we've had a lull in fighting it was decided now would be a good time to find new witches to fill in the ranks." She would say as she cleared her throat.
"I'll be blunt, I want both of you two come join the Strike witches, we need every hand we can get these days to fight the Neuroi; we have no idea where they might strike next after Romagna." Mio would say as she looked at both of the twins seriously.
Neither of them looked extremely excited at the mention of Neuroi. Aki was the first to break the silence as she stood up while looking troubled. "I-i'll go make some tea.." She mumbled out as she headed past Yuki and Mio.
Yuki would take a nice deep breathe as he pondered on Mio's words. "I can understand the need for witches... In which case I could see why you would pick up on my sister; Me on the other hand, I'm a Guy, males couldn't possibly become witches." He said in an agitated voice as he began to clean his glasses on his sleeve.
"Hmm.. I could see why you might say that; even now there is not one male witch... Or should I say warlock fighting against the Neuroi in any capacity. Despite that... it is well documented that warlocks exist; that is males who can use magic as you've already admitted." Mio would press as she stepped a bit closer to the boy.
Yuki would shake his head a bit as he replaced his glasses. "Even if I can use magic it is surely a bit different than a witch's magic, I cannot even use healing magic; I doubt I would even be able to make a striker unit work." He said with a sigh. "Even with what you said, even if I joined, there is not a chance they would let a male join a witch unit even as an experiment." Yuki said as he suppressed his emotions. "As much as I want to Destroy every last Neuroi... my sister and me... We can't just abandon the village! Our family has kept this barrier up for four hundred years already, we can't just leave like that with no one else to look after the village..." He said while looking down.
Mio blinked and took a good look at the boy in front of her, at his fists shaking by his sides at the mention of the word Neuroi that he spat out like a curse... She stepped back from Yuki to let him get his composure back again. Walking slowly across the room to the window Mio took a look outside. ~Looks like a storm is coming...But I can't leave until I get these two...~ She thought as those dark rolling clouds reflected the last rays of sunlight ominously.
As Yuki and Mio gathered their thoughts Aki returned carrying a tea set. Setting it down at the coffee table, Aki could feel both of the strong willed magic users around her near the boiling point, almost like the boiling hot tea she poured into cups for them. "Lets all calm down here, come sit." She said as she took a seat herself with tea.
As Yuki and Mio seemed to calm down a bit, they both returned to the couch with Aki. Seated across from the twins Mio took a sip of her own tea to gather her nerves... It was almost never this hard to get witches to join thanks to the media attention around them. "If you are worried they wouldn't accept you into the witches, let me be clear that I don't care if I have to step on A Lot of toes to get the higher ups to accept it. I know my girls are young enough that they can accept some change without much trouble. I can sense both of your power even now, all that untapped potential going to waste here...But I can understand not wanting to abandon this village...What is this barrier for?" Mio would ask the two of them.
Yuki seemed to be digesting her words as he enjoyed the soothing effects of his sister's tea. Aki took the chance to get some words in as she set her cup down. "In the past it was used to keep out invaders, evil spirits, and even wild animals that might hard the livestock and fields. One of the new things we put in is weather control to a limited degree. Rain is good for the crops after all... But heavy rain and winds are pretty bad, so the barrier takes the edge off of storms to a certain extent. Yuki that was your design I'm pretty sure." Aki pointed out to further show off her brother.
Yuki frowned a bit at being put on the spot but nodded "Yes... In my spare time you could say I'm a bit of a researcher... mostly magic, I like efficiency in my spells; not many ways just two magic users could keep a barrier this size running right without some work arounds... Those old spells were extremely wasteful..." Yuki blinked and adjusted his glasses as he went off on a tangent.
Mio smirked a bit at how easily his sister could mess with him. "That is a pretty impressive system... I see the rumours of genius twins wasn't far off the mark. Earlier I also noticed something like.. a pager system with magic between you two... you kept shooting off small pulses of magic, was that something else?" She asked out of curiosity.
"Yes." they both replied at once with small matching grins. "One of the perks of being twins, our magic is... sort of on the same wavelength, it is a bit like telepathy, just only between us." Yuki explained as he finished off his tea.
Mio gave a nod as she moved to get back on track. "And how about you Aki? Have any interest in joining?" She would ask with a smile at the shrine maiden girl, and watched her fidget on the spot.
Aki seemed to be giving it heavy thought as she looked at Yuki who seemed to be in his own world with his thoughts. "I... I think I want to sleep on it..." She said as she smiled in an apologetic manner at the Major.
"That is fair I suppose... speaking of which, do you know where an Inn might be in town? It doesn't look like the weather will be holding up very much longer." Mio noted.
"Sadly there is no; Kusomugen doesn't get too many visitors, we have plenty of rooms available if you wish to stay here though Major Sakamoto." Aki would say, like she would let The Major Sakamoto stay out in the cold rain... Or anyone for that matter.
"Thank you for that, as well as the tea it was delicious." Mio said with a light smile. The tea was far better than some of the other drinks members of her own group would bring... such as Perrine's awful dandelion tea...
"Then I'll go set it up for you then. Heh... Thanks you..." She muttered shyly as she slipped away to prepare a guest bedroom.
Yuki watched her go with a smile "She is a gentle spirit...Too gentle for her own good. When... ours parents passed away in Gallia... She was a mess for months...I just want to protect her like our parents would want...She is the only family I have left after all..." He explained with a grim expression.
"You really care a lot about her..." Mio said quietly, feeling a bit touched by his dedication.
"Of course, being a twin will do that to you, she keeps me in check after all." He said with a shrug. He carefully took off his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose as he bounced his thoughts around. "I couldn't bear to see her go off on her own...So I'll make a deal; If my sister decides she wants to join then I'll come along as well..." He said with a deep breathe.
Mio blinked for a moment before grinning, this was progress! "It's a deal then. Now then... is there anything more you want to know?" She would ask to pass the time a bit.
While crossing his arms, Yuki thought for a moment about anything immediately important. "Hmm.. What are the Neuroi like? I heard they use beams to fight?" He asked as he wondered if he might be able to try using beams somehow...
"They do indeed, I'm not a scientist though so I don't know the specifics about it...But they are fast attacks, some can shoot multiple beams at once at you, eventually you're dodging on instinct. Their armor is hard enough sometimes that lower powered rounds don't even chip at it, its why we have a variety of weapons to use. Have you ever shot a gun?" She asked.
"I actually have, my Dad left behind a few and I picked up on how to use them a bit. I'm not very good with them yet... If I don't use magic to reinforce my shots I can't aim very well along with my wrist hurting..." He said with a sigh.
"Oh that isn't that bad, shooting while flying a striker, you have to use magic if you want to hit anything." Mio said as she peered towards the hallway Aki disappeared to, right before she appeared...
"Major your room is ready when ever you want to retire, I also filled the bath. Your room is down the hallway, third room on the left." She said as she stretched out a bit. "I think I'll head to bed as well... Goodnight Yuki, you as well Major Sakomoto." She said as she tried to hide the frustration in her mind before leaving.
Yuki gave a sigh as he could feel the turmoil in his sister's mind as she weighed helping the world, over helping just this village. "I'm sorry if we're being difficult... we just have a lot at stake in this village...Our parents entrusted us to take care of this place..." He said as his own mind felt heavy.
"I don't blame you, joining the military is a big decision after all. Most people still do jump at the chance to join the witches though, it almost makes me feel bad how little thought some of them put into it... I can't blame them either though... Most witch candidates are at an impressionable age, and it isn't like we can choose anyone older. How old are you two?" The Major would ask as she remembered the time when she herself joined the Fuso navy and became a witch.
"We turned fifteen two months ago actually." Yuki said as all this stressful talk certainly made him feel older than her was.
"Older than most witches when they start, guess it is to be expected you would think a bit more in depth on it. I was only Thirteen when I had to start fighting in earnest against the Neuroi. The Fuso Sea incident was pretty small now that I think about it, at least compared to what I've fought by now... I wonder if the Neuroi will target Fuso again..." She thought as she stood up. "Well that is enough heavy talk for today, I'm going to turn in for the night. Goodnight Yuki, I'll see you in the morning." She said with a nod of her head before retiring towards the room that was prepared for her.
"Goodnight Major Sakamoto." Yuki said quietly as he waved her off. Left alone in the entry room, Yuki was just with his thoughts which flew over each strange topic he had been over that day. "A Witch eh... Or Warlock..." gathering up his will power, Yuki got up to head for his workshop; he had some ideas he needed to look over.
"A little moooore... There..." Muttered a rather tired Yuki. Looking at the clock Yuki despaired over his misuse of his sleeping time. Despite it being three in the morning the young warlock could not sleep, and kept himself busy engraving matching designs on his pair of handguns on his desk. It was not just the nervousness of potentially joining the Fuso Navy that kept him up; the howling winds outside were brought by an incredible storm, despite there being no rain. There was plenty of high winds and a large amount of thunder, yet no rain. For some reason it filled him with a sense of impending dread.
"That's it... I need some air..." Mumbled the tired boy. He would get some air and try to get some sleep. Out of a strange whim Yuki placed his pair of large pistols into holsters under his armpits to get it worn in. Heading into the kitchen Yuki could see a bit better than normal, and soon saw the sliding door cracked open, letting in bright flashes of lightning.
Going along with is original plan Yuki headed out back and saw a silhouette in the darkness of his porch. Going by the outline and the random flashes of light Yuki could guess who It might be. "Couldn't sleep either Major Sakamoto?" Yuki would ask sleepily as he walked up next to the elder witch.
"Not a wink... Something about this storm has me on edge...Are you getting that feeling also?" She would ask as she kept her eyes on the storm that seemed to be centred over the next town over.
"Yeah...It doesn't feel natural, where is all the rain? The barrier should be able to only keep the worst of the storm off us, but there is no rain at all... and the heavy wind is still getting inside..." He said with a sigh.
Mio gave a nod as she decided to take a closer look at the storm. Lifting up her eye patch the Major strained herself to get a look at the centre of the storm. Ever since the Romagna incident she hadn't been able to invoke any magic in the least. The only thing that seemed to have been spared was her magic eye, but even that she could only use for a few moments before her head ached from using magic she didn't have enough of.
Replacing her eye patch and paying her new headache no mind, the Major clenched her fists before slamming them on the wooden rails of the porch. "Damn...Dammit all! No no no..." She cried out a bit as she knew what the bits of red that stood out in all that blackness were.
Giving a small jump Yuki would look at the Major curiously "W-what is it Major?" He would ask as he gulped in a bit of air. His gaze was alternating between the storm and the woman in front of himself. He knew it had to be something bad to make the other wise composed Witch scream out in anger or grief, he didn't know which.
"...Neuroi... Yuki I need a radio of some sort! Anything I can use to transmit!" She said as her heart raced. Neuroi! In Fuso! This was just what she didn't need... an invasion when she couldn't even fight!
Yuki closed his eyes for a moment as he concentrated on something. "Aki is on her way, see her and she'll let you into my workshop, I have a radio in there. I'm going to check on the barrier, I might be able to stall anything getting in..." He said as he leapt over the raining, and rushing towards the pillar in the backyard.
The Major watched him for a moment as she remembered what one of the purposes of the barrier was, repelling invaders... She doubted it could stand up to a Neuroi assault though...
With her heart in her chest, the Major rushed back into the house. The witch nearly ran over the panicked Aki, the poor girl seemed like she didn't know what was going on... All Yuki told her was that Mio needed the radio and it was an emergency. She was Never allowed in his workshop! This told her that what ever was happening must be something huge...
"Major what is going on out there?" Aki would ask as she quickly began to walk towards a deep part of their house, and opening up a craft room sized area. Inside it looked like a mess, with scrolls of magic formulas mixed in with blueprints for equipment both original and older. Situated in the corner, half buried under clutter, an older two way radio machine sat collecting untold years of dust.
"A Neuroi invasion... You should go see if your brother needs help, I'm calling for backup." Mio said as she calmed herself down a bit so she wouldn't scream into the radio. Taking out a small booklet from her jacket Mio searched for the radio codes for the Kurugi Navel base where the Witches were currently visiting on their way to Orussia.
Aki seemed to shake as she realized just why Yuki was panicking... She had to help him keep the barrier up... Without a word in reply the younger girl rushed to the backyard.
Mio clicked her tongue as she finally found the codes she needed... Wiping off the displays and dials on the machine the major began to enter the radio codes. With a faint green light the radio showed it was ready. "Attention to Orders! This is Major Mio Sakamoto of the 501st Joint fighter wing! Ready level 5, all available forces requested at grid... G7 Kusomugen prefecture. Relay to Fuso high command and to the 501st! This is Not a drill; A Neuroi hive is taking shape over Fuso soil!" Mio ordered into the mic, surely scaring the hell out of whoever was on duty for the night.
After a few moments of static the radio beeped once. "M-message received Major, I need your confirmation code." The soldier over the radio asked as it waited for a predicted outburst.
"Confirmatio- Dammit there isn't time for that! It's 584912A! Hurry! Lives are at stake soldier!" She yelled before slamming the radio mic down. This was turning into one hell of a night...
Yuki could feel panic rising in him as he worked over the stone obelisk that controlled the barrier. With his hands on the marble he pumped magic through it, lighting up the delicately carved runes over it's surface. Overhead the barrier would briefly become visible in places as a large Neuroi would brush against it, causing it to let out a high pitched screech that he could only think of as screaming.
~Don't panic... Don't panic...This thing has years of magical energy stored up...Just them hitting it is taking up so much energy though...~ He thought as he was attempting to imprint one of his barrier designs as a new layer over the old barrier, one he made to be more physically sturdy...Working under pressure was making his less efficient though as he repeatedly had to start over while using just his memory of the design, even designing on the fly in places.
He sensed her before he even felt her hand on his shoulder, his sister was sharing some of her magic power with him as his rapidly drained from working on the barrier... Normally a big a project as adding a new layer to the barrier would take months of planning and preparation!
"Almost.. done... I think..." He whimpered out as overhead the entire barrier lit up, bathing the town in light. The barrier in it's entirety was quite beautiful to behold as hundreds of thousands of bright blue lines wove a pattern over the town in a dome shape.
On the porch the Major headed outside after finishing her radio call. "...Incredible..." She muttered as she could only look up at the display of magic above, something far more complicated than anything she had ever seen. As she watched certain area of the barrier were changing, sigils woven in light morphing into other shapes as Yuki changing it's structure in real time.
All that beauty began to unravel as the first beam of red light struck the side of the dome, striking it as it was vulnerable. The barrier seemed to ripple like a wave as hundreds of beams began to emerge from the clouds above, intent on smiting the barrier and the town beneath from existence like the hammer of the gods.
With a sound akin to glass shattering, a crack formed in the top of the barrier above, which seemed to explode from that point to the entire barrier. "No! Not... yet...!" Yuki yelled as he desperately was trying to mend the forming cracks. Some of those cracks began to fill back in, with the lines repairing themselves, yet it was a battle of attrition that he had no chance of winning. For each crack repaired, ten appeared around it as Yuki's magical supply just drained for his efforts.
Collapsing on his knees Yuki could only feel the wind howl as that barrier ripped apart like a fragile piece of silk against the might of humanity's most deadly enemy.
Kurugi Navel Base.
All was quiet on the base; all except for one area, the recreation room. Every light in that building was on as the sound of yelling echoed out.
"Seven ball corner pocket~ eight ball side pocket~" called out a confident voice as the red head Shirley seemed to be engaged in a battle of pool with her good 'friend' Barkhorn.
The game was seemingly quite one sided as Shirley ended Barkhorn's misery with two balls at once to win the game while using the stick to shoot between her sizeable breasts. "So what was that about Karlslanders being masters of Pool?" the girl asked with a mischievous grin at the fuming girl across the table.
"Shut up you...Playing in such a...lewd way...I-it is unbecoming of a soldier!" Barkhorn shouted as she wanted to snap the cue stick in her hands.
Stuck between eyeing the sight of Shirley crushing Barkhorn in Billiards, in... assets, and on concentrating on her best friend Lynette (and her assets), Yoshika Miyafuji chatted in an otherwise sweet reunion. "Yoshika I'm glad you were able to make it!" said Lynette as she grabbed the younger other girl's hands, giving them a squeeze.
"Me to... I nearly didn't make it before the base closed the gate to visitors...How are all of you?" She asked with a bit of a sad expression, she missed being with them all honestly.
"We've been alright, the Neuroi have been quiet over in Britannia. Next is to free up Orussia apparently. Sanya has Actually been excited! I've never seen her show that much emotion..." Lynette commented before looking around... and finding a heavy glare from Eila... she expected as much...
Barkhorn walked over to set her Cue down against the wall. "So any luck with your magic Miyafuji?" She asked as delicately as she could. The older girl didn't want to dig up any wounds, but it felt a bit empty without the young Fuso maiden around.
With an even more sad smile, Yoshika shook her head "Not at all...I can't even feel my magic... Or even heal even a little bird..." She said with a sigh.
"I see...I'm sure it will come back in time, just keep working on it! You of all people are not allowed to give up Miyafuji." Barkhorn said with an encouraging smile, and a light punch on the shoulder.
"We all know you just want to dote on her like your sister Barkhorn..." commented a rather sleepy looking blonde who was sprawled on a nearby couch. Erika sent a grin at the blushing Barkhorn as it looked like the Karlslander was going to have another outburst.
As they all prepared themselves for the two aces to go at it, the door slammed open. Stepping into the room a rather irate looking Minna appeared. Normally their commander was quite calm... "Everyone! Get to the hangar and prepare for battle!" She yelled as she looked around at all the blinking faces. "Do you think I'm kidding?! A Neuroi hive just a few towns over! All available witches Will fight!" She shouted before heading out.
After a few moments of dead silence a loud siren began to ring out over the base as each alarm started, it would appear the radio operator contacted them first after all.
Jumping up off the couch Hartman began to rush towards the door with the others. Lynette look around in a panic as she finally focused on Yoshika "I-I'm sorry I have to go..." She said as she knew her friend must be feeling down.
Yoshika just shook her head with an accepting smile "It's fine... Go on, they need you..." She said as she watched her friend head off to battle. "Neuroi in Fuso...What should I do..." She thought as she flopped onto her side on that couch. She worried for those people in danger, but she was secretly glad inside that her family's town was a good while away.
"Forces are on their way you two... It would be best to get out of here though...People are already starting to flee. There isn't time to pack." Mio said as she kept her eye on the sky.
"Wait! I just need one thing!" Said Aki as she rushed back to the house against the wishes of her brother and Mio.
"Dammit Aki... Now isn't the time...Unless she is getting that...So what is the plan Major?" He would ask as he shakily stood up. Unclasping his guns from their holsters under his shirt he gave them a quick look over. "Should have brought extra bullets maybe... didn't expect I might need these tonight..." He said with a sigh.
"...You're going to break your arms with those kid...The plan is to get as far away as we can before the Witches get here; It will be about 20 minutes before they do though..." Mio said with a sweat drop as she stared at the large handguns. Coming in with a barrel length of over 10 inches the guns looks huge in his tiny, feminine hands.
"It isn't so bad If I use magic with them at the same time...I've made some adjustments to them also." He said with a grin as he brushed his fingers over the engravings on the side of each gun, sending a small bit of magic into it.
"Yuki! I'm ready to go Wah-!" shouted Aki as she emerged from the house with the Naginata from the living room, she was also surprisingly in her shrine maiden outfit...
As she left the house, one of the Neuroi up above let out a heavy screech, right before a red beam fly down towards Aki. Showing that the Naginata was not just a decorative piece, Aki seemed to block the beam with the blade's edge... Unfortunately it split the beam in two, with it blowing away the house behind her spectacularly.
"Be careful Aki! Use a shield dammit!" Yuki complained as he looked up at the sky, it seemed they were zeroing in on the Naginata itself, as if they sensed it might be a threat to them. "Lets run! I'll cover us!" Yuki said as Aki leapt over to them.
Both the twins pushed more magic into their respective weapons as all three began to run through the destroyed wall that seperated the Masayoshi compound from the rest of the city. Mio looked between the two and saw they were both sporting a pair of fox ears the same color as their hair, along with bushy fox tails behind them.
As they started to move towards the side of town that Mio arrived at, the attack began...With ear splitting screeches, beams of light began to rain upon the poor village. The screams of the village as it began to catch fire didn't escape either of the twin's notice... "Dammit...Isn't there anything we can do..." Yuki mumbled as he took stock of his current magical supply... He felt he was at about 50 percent...
Aki was more or less at full power, yet she only had a melee weapon on hand...Yet she could feel the gears in Yuki's head turning. "Major... We're going to fight here... We have to hold them off till the villagers can escape..." Aki said as she felt Yuki working some magic as they stopped running.
Yuki double checked his magazines in his guns. "Got the plan Aki?" He would turn to his Twin as they mentally communicated while getting a count on the number of Neuroi in the sky... Too many for any pair of people to fight.
"Are.. you two insane? You don't even have striker units! That gun is a Fifty Caliber right? At this distance that won't even dent those larger Neuroi! What do you expect to do?!" Mio would demand as she looked at the surprisingly calm twins.
"It isn't like I want to fight..." Mumbled Aki as her Naginata started to glow a bit. "But I don't have a choice right now..." Said Yuki as he pointed his gun towards the handle end of that Naginata. "Ready Aki?" I'll support you from down here." He said as a golden magic circle of small size formed beneath her Naginata.
"Don't worry I'll be fine...Just don't neglect your own shield down here." She said as she grasped her Naginata with both hands. Mio could only watch with clenched fists as those two gave a wordless signal to each other... and that magic circle exploded in a burst of flame! Aki became almost like a rocket as she was sent in a straight line into the sky, towards the nearest bomber class Neuroi.
Mio shook her head as she saw the teamwork of the two as Aki flew right into, and through that Neuroi, her Naginata letting out a bit of flame as she left a hole in the bomber. Staying still in the air for a moment before beginning to fall again, another burst of flame came from the back end of her blade; With a screeching sound the Neuroi found itself cut in half as flame began to envelop it, before shattering into thousands of glass like pieces.
Yuki acted quickly as the other Neuroi seemed to focus their attention on them now... With beams flying in every direction towards the still Airborne girl. Another small magic circle gathered above Aki and exploded yet again, sending the girl back down towards the ground to avoid the dozens of beams aiming to skewer her.
Aki seemed to land safely on another magic circle of Yuki's as they both looked up at the sky. "That got their attention... Let's not do that again though..." Aki said with a shaky sigh. Mio watched the two of them and noticed they were shaking ever so slightly.
The trust these two put in each other was rather... extreme to her. "You've done it now you two..." She muttered as she wondered how they might get out of this one...
"Sorry Aki... We're playing defence now...we have to hold out..." He said as he gave a strange look at Mio "Please stay behind us Major... I don't know how many shields I can put out..." He said as he prepared himself...
"Please be safe Mio..." Muttered Minna over her mic as she led her entire squadron of Witches at full speed towards Kusomugen. The older witch could already see the massive black clouds swirling over the town forming the bulk of the Neuroi hive.
In the town the group could see all the larger bombers circling around one point in the town, while occasionally shooting down their beams in an attempt to smite their target to dust. From this distance Minna could make out three forms fighting for their lives against that onslaught.
The village around them was in ruins as beams split the earth. From above Minna could identify them as three girls, with one in a ruined shrine maiden outfit, and another in a Fuso navy uniform. "Mio! Everyone Delta formation! We need to strike fast and hard! Lynette, Shirley, Hartmann head down and grab them! We're not sticking around, the defensive line is being made 2 miles back!" Minna said over the radio as she got a reply from each of her witches.
Separating from the pack the three witches that were selected flew down towards the group of three, with Mio easily standing out from the crowd.
As the beams stopped Yuki and Aki looked up and saw the flying figures arriving! "...we survived.." They mumbled together as they both were nearly on their knees from exhaustion.
With Shirley and Lynette carefully picking up Mio and Aki bridal style (With care being given to the bladed weapon of Aki's) Hartmann hovered near Yuki for a moment and peered at him before swooping near him and snatching him up ~Surprisingly light~ She thought as she gave a lazy smile at the dumb stuck Yuki.
It might have been from lack of energy and the near death experiences, but that girl looked like an angel to his fading conciousness. It would appear Aki had also passed out, but by then all three of them were being flown away from the smouldering village...
After downing three more Neuroi the group of witches began a tactical retreat away from the now active hive. Minna flew over to look at the Major up close "Mio! Getting yourself into danger still! Stop being so damn reckless!" She yelled with a few tears in the corner of her eyes, she thought she was done with her friend putting herself into danger she couldn't handle...
"I couldn't have known a hive would appear..." The Major complained as she gave a tired smile at her best friend. "But I succeeded in my mission I think..." She said as she looked over Lynette's shoulder and at the twins in Shirley and Hartmann... who seemed to be peering at Yuki curiously...
"So I see... those two any good?" Minna would ask as the Neuroi stopped chasing after their retreating forms.
"Oh...They are pretty interesting... I think you will be happy, now... lets just get back to base..." She said with a sigh as the Witches finished their rescue mission in silence.
Author Note:
Thank you for reading anyone who does, I'll be trying to put out a chapter a week as my writing practice to get back into this.
