Proto Merkabah.
A massive space station of scientific wonder. A lost relic of technology long outdated, but still quite impressive by today's standards, especially when admired by one whom has dedicated her life to science, namely myself. A place as enigmatic as it's creator, with no clear purpose given to its development, save for the cryptic fact that it was meant as a bridge for human and Realien unity. And, quite surprisingly, the key factor in the creation of MOMO, whose small frame could easily get lost in this virtual labyrinth, if left unattended.
But now was not the time to admire the achievements of a historically branded madman, or ponder the mysteries surrounding his inventions. This station has been seized by another madman, who seeks to use its deadly weapons as a means of judgment toward the unsuspecting, countless citizens of Second Miltia, my home planet. And the fate of those billions of people living there rested solely on my shoulders. I always knew that by creating KOS-MOS, I was contributing my services in order to bring order and peace for humanity. I never thought that I would be taking a more active role in protecting the universe, or that I would be aided by both KOS-MOS, and a small but wonderful group of people who I may never have met under normal, peaceful circumstances. Time was running short, and with the Federation fleet still recuperating from Merkabah's previous assault, the six of us were truly the only ones who could stop it, and give the citizens of Miltia a chance to embrace the morning light again.
According to MOMO, the power source of Proto Merkabah's cannons was just a hallway away from us. It certainly wasn't an easy task getting this far, and not just because of this station's size. Instead of the ghosts of old, there were Gnosis lurking around each and every corner of the way, possessing far greater powers (and even more bizarre forms) than the ones we've encountered in the past. We were almost there, as I could faintly make out a huge generator in the distance that had to be the reactor we were seeking. As we made it closer to the object, it became visible enough that I could confirm my suspicion.
As we neared the reactor, I could feel an ominous presence in our surroundings. The lighting around the room was slightly dimmer compared to the rest of the station, and a low sounding wind could be heard all around us. It was unsettling, no doubt, but nobody seemed to show signs of being intimidated. However, I did notice Jr picking up his pace, moving himself to the front. His back was facing me, but I didn't need to see his expression to understand his sudden haste. After all, no one knows more about our enemy than he does, so we shouldn't take his cautious attitude lightly. Finally, we've reached the end of the hallway, and sure enough, there was the reactor, standing right before us. Jr paid little attention to it, however, as he frantically looked around the room, as if searching for something. Before I could ponder what that something was, the answer shot back at me with a sudden outburst.
"You're late!"
The voice came from above. Adjusting our sights, the unseen carrier of the voice made his presence known to all of us, standing atop the reactor.
"I was about to give up on you, Rubedo."
Albedo, the aforementioned madman. The one seeking to play god with the lives on Second Miltia. We've only just recently met this man about a few hours ago, but he has quickly risen to be our deadliest enemy by far. There he stood, the mere sight of him sending shivers down my spine. I shouldn't be so surprised, since he was the one who seized Proto Merkabah, but I was secretly hoping that we didn't have to face him again. I could already feel my confidence fading away as he pierced us with his eyes, illuminating with fire and insanity, yet without a single spark of humanity in them. The only thing more unsettling was his smile, a twisted expression outlined with absolute arrogance and wickedness. Seeing his confidence pouring from his face actually restored a bit of anger within me, probably because it made me think back to when he…
"Take a look. This thing has a full belly already."
I hadn't even noticed that he took his eyes away from us, focusing on the reactor itself. Despite his rather crude statement, it was clear that he was telling us that the reactor had reached full power. Now he had all the resources necessary to destroy Second Miltia. Billions of lives will be lost at the mere push of a button if we didn't stop him. And yet, I wondered if the reactor was already full before we even made it this far, and if so, why hadn't he fired the cannon yet? Could he have been that eager to settle the score with us, and with Jr?
Without warning, Albedo dropped from the reactor, falling effortlessly, and then landed softly on our level, which was surprising given the large distance between us and the reactor's top. A normal human might have broken his legs from a drop that high, but Albedo was clearly not a normal person, if even human. He was more like a mythical being my brother used to talk about. What was it called?
"Well then, what shall we do now? Shall we continue where we left off?"
Hearing that, there was no doubt in my mind that he could have destroyed Second Miltia already, but chose to wait, giving in to Jr's prior challenge. What happened between these two, to invoke such hatred? Before I could ponder this, a strange bluish light started to surround Albedo, growing larger and expanding across the room. The light then started to take shape, but it was almost impossible for me to describe. It almost looked...ghostly, like a spirit hovering above Albedo, complete with blinking eyes that shared the same piercing glare that Albedo had. I was at a complete loss. Being a scientist, I couldn't just accept this as some spiritual phenomenon. There must have been some natural explanation.
It seemed Jr shared my concerns, as I could hear him struggling for words, questioning Albedo about his ability.
"Don't be so surprised;" Albedo retorted. "This is the power of will, a fundamental power that exists within everyone. What you are witnessing is simply your perception of it". And you know what? Perception and pain are but one and the same."
Even with that explanation, I was as confused as ever. Just what was he trying to say? Was he even capable of making sense? Jr seemed just as confused, but he also looked anxious. Whatever this power was, it must be a threat to us, and Jr looked ready to attack Albedo right now, before he could unleash it.
"So, go ahead…" Albedo mocked, as if he read Jr's mind, "Feel my pain for yourself!"
The dark energy shrank in size, flowing back into Albedo's body. In a matter of seconds, all of the bluish light was gone, save for a small amount emanating from Albedo's hands. He then made a small gesture with one glowing hand, his fingers giving a small wave. The message was clear: He wanted us to fight him. But his face, ever grinning with malice and arrogance, gave off a more accurate message: He wanted us to 'entertain' him.
Jr, Ziggy, and chaos moved to the front of me, and each put their guards up, preparing for the battle. I briefly considered bringing out my MWS, but decided not to use it just yet; for fear that it might cause Albedo to make the first move. And we needed every second to work out some kind of strategy.
"Shion."
I was surprised to hear my name. It was a faint whisper, but I knew it came from Jr. Before I could acknowledge his call, he whispered to me again.
"Me, chaos, and gramps here are going in first. Tell KOS-MOS to give us support, but not to jump in immediately". I understood what he meant. He must have set up some plan involving him, chaos, and Ziggy, and he didn't want KOS-MOS to rush in with them. It made sense not to lay all our cards out at once. We needed to fight smartly for this battle, instead of rushing in blind, and Jr knew that.
"One more thing." I could hear his tone becoming more serious, so I made sure to listen carefully, since this next order must be crucial. "I want you to stay right here, and keep an eye on MOMO. Protect her at all costs, and if it looks like we're losing, I want you to take her with you and escape from here. Don't let that scum go anywhere near her."
This last order had caught me completely off guard. I wanted to protest, tell him that we all had to pitch in for this battle, and that I would never even think of leaving any of my friends behind...
But it only took me a couple of seconds to change my mind, and understand completely about Jr's decision. I tried not to think about it, how MOMO must be feeling now, to see this horrible man again, after just recently being subjected to his cruelty. It was always in the back of my mind, but I was too afraid to look back, to see her reaction. I decided to glance behind me now. Sure enough, MOMO looked stunned, her soulful eyes displaying absolute shock and fear, and her mouth displaying a small yet noticeable trace of quivering. She was in no condition to fight, and if I were a more capable leader, I would have given the same order.
"Shion," Jr called out once again, "Promise me."
This is the first time Jr asked me to promise him anything. I decided not to question his orders. I understood his feelings, all of our feelings, for her. "Alright," I replied, "but you have to promise me that you'll come back alive."
Without looking back, Jr gave a nod, and started to walk forward, with chaos and Ziggy following behind him. Before letting KOS-MOS join them, I turned my head around and began speaking to her, using the same whispering tone Jr used.
"KOS-MOS, let them make the first move. Don't interfere until they've finished their plan. Only provide rear support."
KOS-MOS turned to face me, her expression unchanged as usual. "I should advise you that I have calculated our chances of survival decreasing 58.81% if I do not participate in the first assault."
I decided to pay little attention to KOS-MOS' calculations, since they've proven to be more trouble than they were worth. I have to trust in Jr's decision. "Just do it, KOS-MOS." I answered back, my tone hardening just like Jr's.
"Affirmative, Shion." KOS-MOS tended to disagree a lot with me, but whenever I used a strong tone, she immediately followed my orders. She was like a child in that sense. KOS-MOS began to follow Jr and the others, who were now just a few feet from reaching Albedo. Jr suddenly stopped, and Ziggy and chaos stopped behind him as well. Jr stood tall and proud right before Albedo, who's menacing grin suddenly extended further around his face, as if pleased with Jr's sudden display of confidence. His lips started to form words, which I was unable to hear from this distance. By the movements of Jr's shoulders, I could assume that he was also speaking back, in a possible exchange of intimidating taunts.
I decided to take this time to comfort MOMO. Without looking back, for fear of missing the first wave of the attack, I extended my left arm behind me, and called out MOMO's name. I could hear a tiny breath of surprise, confirming that she heard me. I then began to speak to her.
"MOMO, whatever happens, I promise that I won't let Albedo harm you ever again. I know you must be scared, but know that we're all here now, and we will all protect you no matter what. Have faith in us, MOMO. Have faith in me." The sincerity and warmth in my voice surprised even me. I never knew I was capable of sounding so confident, so strong. It seemed to have been effective, though, as I felt MOMO's small hand clasp with my own. I tightened my grip slightly, feeling the warm, smooth skin from her hand. She may not have known it, but in this case, MOMO has actually comforted me with this gesture. I felt so bad over what happened to her, it truly pleased me to know that she still trusted us, even though we were unable to protect her in the past. I tried to let it go. I tried to tell myself that Albedo was merely just removing data from her mind. But recalling the twisted expression of joy in his face, and the painful cries that came from MOMO, I knew that Albedo's invasion of her mind had more psychological effects on her. I lived in denial, thinking that no human being could ever be so cruel, so capable of harming an innocent child like MOMO.
I wished it happened to me instead. I wised I were the one who had been dealt that horrible lesson in reality. MOMO was the last person to deserve such torment. I hated myself for not being there for her. I could only pray that her mind was too young to fully understand what happened to her, or better yet, that this experience soon becomes lost in her memories over time. I felt like shedding tears, but I had to remain strong, for her. I decided to turn my head and look at her. Her eyes met mine for the first time. Though she still seemed afraid, I could tell that her fears have calmed somewhat, as her eyes regained a spark of hope and focus.
It was then that her eyes changed into a shocked look, with an accommodating shout behind me. Despite my best efforts, I had missed the first attack, as I could hear the sounds of gunshots, screams, and other warlike effects occurring around the room. I turned my head so fast I thought my neck would sprain. As I feared, the battle had begun.
It was a visual display of blazing acrobatics and pyrotechnics. It was impossible to register everything at once. It was a much different experience when you were witnessing a battle, rather than taking part in one. On one end, I could make out chaos, unleashing his bizarre power through his fists, spending little time standing still in one spot. Closer to my field of vision was KOS-MOS, who was following orders and keeping a good distance from the boys in their first strike, and with none of her weapons drawn. Jr would have been especially difficult to track, if it weren't for his distinguishable yells, as he was firing his guns with absolute rage coming from his throat. I've never seen Jr so worked up so quickly, though given his opponent, I couldn't blame him. That only left Ziggy, who I couldn't trace at all. In fact, I couldn't make Albedo out either, which made it look as if Jr and chaos were fighting an invisible enemy.
A split second later, Ziggy finally appeared within eyesight, and Albedo soon followed, parrying Ziggy's blade with his own bare arm. Apparently, the two of them were moving at such speed, it was impossible for me to follow until this brief pause. Jr and chaos ran to assist Ziggy, but Albedo had already vanished ('wisped' is more like it), before the other two could catch up. I've never seen anyone move so fast, even Jr, whenever he used his Ether technique. He probably had already cast it on himself and the others, yet even with that increase, they still proved no match for Albedo's speed. Soon, the monster made himself visible again, this time a good distance away from Jr and the others.
A small cackle filled the room, which outlined Albedo's reaction to the battle. After all the effort the three of them put out, it was all a mere game to him. I truly hoped Jr wasn't out of options, or else all of us combined wouldn't stand a chance against this creature. From here, I could make out some gestures going on between Jr and chaos, ending with chaos giving an accompanying nod. It looked like Jr was now ready to set forth his plan. But would it really work? With little time for recovery, chaos suddenly rushed forward towards Albedo, ready to meet with the madman in a full frontal assault. But what could chaos be thinking? He's never resorted to brute strength before. Albedo remained in his position, with that same devilish smile on his face, unhindered by chaos' head-on charge. At the last second, chaos suddenly jumped high into the air, right over Albedo!
He looked up at the boy, who was still suspended in mid-air, and that was all the time Jr needed to fire a charged blast, which landed directly at Albedo's face. Now it all made sense. chaos' uncharacteristic charge was merely a distraction for Jr to catch Albedo off guard, and it paid off. The blast exploded at Albedo's face, a rising layer of smoke and energy surrounding his head, hiding away any possible wounds. But before the dust settled, Ziggy decided to take his turn and rushed toward Albedo. In a mere second, Ziggy reaches his prey, and thrust his arm blade directly into Albedo's chest! It seemed even Jr's last move was just another ploy to distract the villain, with Ziggy's final blow being the real attack. Such a cunning strategy, and it succeeded in it's precision! The smoke cleared, and although Albedo's face contained little damage, his expression had shifted to a surprised look, as he glared down at Ziggy's blade pierced right into his torso. Silence filled the room, as we awaited Albedo's next remark.
The silence finally broke, but what filled the empty room was not Albedo's final death throes, but an amused cackle. Some words escaped his lips, but once again were inaudible from where I was standing. As he spoke, his hand wrapped around the blade stuck inside him. Slowly, he actually began to pull the blade deeper into himself, his face showing a grin that outlined his irrational satisfaction. Then, in one clean swoop, he tore the blade upward through his shoulder, his blood shooting in every direction! The room filled with our united gasps, but the one that caught my ear was MOMO's small whimper coming from behind. Before any of us could register Albedo's action, his shoulder muscles suddenly started to form back into himself, as if they were being sewn back together. Within seconds, his body completely regenerated, the only drop of blood left being a stain on Ziggy's blade. Jr's strategy had failed, but the boy still looked determined, as his posture remained strong and defensive. It seemed this time, we had no choice but to let Albedo make the next move.
I wanted to continue giving MOMO comfort, but how could I, when I too was starting to doubt our chances of survival? I couldn't bring myself to turn around, to see her expression, no doubt in fright. Right now, my primary concern was Ziggy, who was still mere inches away from Albedo, and thus the first who must deal with his counterattack. Without a warning comment or snide gesture, Albedo delivered the anticipated blow, a strike from his right arm. The assault appeared as nothing more than a slap, but Ziggy's entire body was thrown across the room as a result. I cringed as his metal body crashed against the smooth floor. Ziggy lay there, unmoving, his grunts of pain the only confirmation that he was still alive.
"Ziggy..!" MOMO's whispered cry came from behind me, her reaction emulating mine. How could such a large and powerful man like Ziggy get tossed around like a rag doll, and by a mere slap from Albedo, no less? Before I could ponder this, Jr and chaos jumped on the offensive, both rushing towards their attacker. chaos picked up his pace, leaving Jr a few feet behind, and soon met Albedo with a barrage of punches. The madman, however, managed to dodge each and every blow that chaos produced. As an attempt to help out, Jr ran across to Albedo's right side, and began firing a double blast of gunfire towards him. Impossibly, Albedo jumped high into the air, evading the bullets and chaos' attacks completely. Gracefully, Albedo landed right behind a surprised chaos. Before he could fully turn around, Albedo immediately dropped to the floor to deliver a swiping kick on chaos' legs. His feet removed from the floor, chaos was momentarily knocked into midair, but that split second is all Albedo needed to deliver a second blow from his hand toward chaos while his body still struggled with gravity.
The blow brought out a brief but sharp cry of pain from chaos, who was soon thrown across the room even farther than Ziggy. He crashed onto the floor, and passed out instantly. Now both Ziggy and chaos have suffered Albedo's merciless attacks, leaving only Jr and KOS-MOS left. I was ready to shout out to KOS-MOS to switch to the offensive, but this proved unnecessary, as she already began rushing toward Albedo, who's back was turned, no doubt planning to engage Jr next.
But even KOS-MOS was unable to catch this villain by surprise, as he immediately turned around. Oddly though, rather than directing his fists toward KOS-MOS, Albedo instead punched straight into the ground. Suddenly, an odd, black colored ball of energy emerged from the ground, and then hovered toward KOS-MOS! I tried to shout to her to avoid that strange ball at all costs, but the orb made contact with her body before my pleas even escaped my lips. The orb exploded on impact, a cloud of ink-like smoke covering KOS-MOS' body for a brief moment. I strained my eyes in an attempt to make out any possible injuries, but KOS-MOS appeared completely unharmed, with not a dent seen anywhere on her. My relief soon proved premature, though, as KOS-MOS suddenly kneeled on her hands and legs. Her face showed no signs of pain, but I could tell that she was definitely injured from that last attack, perhaps drained somehow. My suspicions proved accurate, as KOS-MOS began making a few stubborn yet futile attempts to stand up. How serious was her condition?
I wanted to run to her, to try and heal her. I would rather die than let that monster make her into his plaything, like he did with MOMO. But ultimately, MOMO is the very reason why I couldn't help KOS-MOS. I promised that I would look after her. I had to put my feelings aside, just as Ziggy once said. Jr may have been the only one left standing, but considering his apparent experiences with Albedo, perhaps he could still manage on his own. However, as much as Jr might know about Albedo, the reverse could be true as well. I remembered, at the Song of Nephilim, the pain in Jr's voice, the anger he vocally spewed toward his enemy. Albedo knew exactly which of Jr's buttons to push. Now, these two rivals were facing each other, exchanging piercing glares, and private threats and taunts. Despite Albedo's advantage in size, Jr never appeared taller to me than he did now.
And so Jr drew his gun, and the resulting shot started the battle. I couldn't tell if the bullet made contact or not, but Albedo whirred to the left, unhindered either way. Jr attempted to keep up with him, firing an endless fury of bullets, with Albedo continuously shifting to the left and the right. Surely he couldn't dodge all the bullets? At least Jr was keeping him on the run. But now Albedo decided to stop running, and unexpectedly rushed toward Jr, fists clenched and eyes burning with fire. Jr saw this attack coming, though, and proved this by flipping toward the air, completely evading Albedo's attack. However, instead of landing a safe distance away, he landed right on top of Albedo's shoulders! Jr wrapped his legs around Albedo's neck, and like a caged animal, the monster retaliated by violently writhing his neck about, trying to break free. Realizing how futile this was, Albedo then stretched his hands toward Jr, but it was too late. Jr was given more than enough time to charge up his gun, and delivered a dazzling but deadly shot toward Albedo's face. It was an attack that Jr had used many times before (I believe it was called 'something nortune'), but was it safe for him to unleash such a blast up close?
As the lightshow dissolved into dust, Jr's figure was knocked backward, hitting the floor hard. Both MOMO and I gasped as Jr lied in the ground, but it only took a few seconds for him to rise back on his feet. The boy stumbled a bit, and grabbed his left shoulder. He clearly took some damage from his own blast, but it looked like he was prepared for this small sacrifice. Was this the result of desperation, or a gung-ho attitude? In either case, the blast definitely hit its target, but had Jr's new strategy succeeded where his previous one failed?
The answer appeared right before me, as Albedo suddenly materialized in front of me, but immediately turned to Jr, who was unaware of the danger lurking behind him. I cried out to him with all my might, praying that my warning reached him before Albedo did. Jr immediately turned around, but it was too late. Albedo had already taken him by surprise with a strong punch to his abdomen, the resulting blow filling the room with a thunderous boom. The look of surprise and pain on Jr's face only complimented the fierce thud, as well as his immediate decent toward the ground, both hands wrapped around his waist. Albedo towered over the injured boy, looking down on him like a hunter toward his wounded prey. What came next was unthinkable; Albedo gave another fierce blow to Jr, this time toward his face. With another accompanying boom, Jr's body was sent flying a good couple of feet away, until he crashed upon the hard surface, his cries of pain echoing throughout.
"JR!!" His name was called out by MOMO, the shock and concern in her voice ever apparent. As if in response, Jr slowly rose from the ground, but only managed to achieve a kneeling position. Jr lowered his head, and then expelled a dangerous amount of blood from his mouth, forming a puddle on the ground. The sight was unseemly to me, but to Albedo, it was a sign of triumph, as he once again tormented us with his horrible laughter. He then began to mock Jr, perhaps to give him a chance to recuperate. His words were once again inaudible to me, but from the rising anger in Jr's face, Albedo once again proved that he knew just what to say in order to enrage Jr. His anger forming into newfound determination, Jr immediately rose to his feet and threw an array of punches toward the arrogant monster (were his guns lost in the previous assault, or was he trying a new strategy?).
This did little to intimidate Albedo, however, as he skillfully dodged each and every one of Jr's punches, all with a wicked smile that fueled Jr's anger even more. Jr tried to convert that anger into adrenaline, increasing his number of punches, and even adding a kick or two, but not a single blow successfully connected. No longer amused by Jr's fury, Albedo began to retaliate with his own barrage of punches, each one connecting and injuring Jr further. Three blows to his head, two to his stomach; soon it became too unbearable to count.
I could hear MOMO softly sobbing behind me. By all accounts, I would've joined her, as I was truly starting to believe that none of us would be able to defeat this creature. How could this happen? After countless battles with the Gnosis, some larger than Second Miltia's tallest buildings, how could we lose to a single human? This man was pure evil, an insane monster that preyed upon the small and helpless, and yet he still displayed a power that can bring all of us down to our knees. Seeing Albedo now, with his hand wrapped around Jr's arm, ready to torture him further, I then recalled the name of the creature Jin once described long ago. The name that I found most fitting for Albedo.
"AAAAAHHH!!!"
A demon.
Jr's arm was cleanly dislocated. The injured boy grabbed his shoulder with his free arm, as he tried desperately to suppress his screams of pain. The demon loomed over him, enjoying every grunt and whimper from his wounded victim.
"Shion, please, you have to help him!!" MOMO grabbed my left arm, pleading to me. I turned around, surprised by her sudden outburst. Of course I wanted to help him, but what could I do? Also, there would be no one left to protect MOMO.
"Shion, don't worry about me!" MOMO answered, as if she read my mind. "Please, they need you!"
There wasn't much I could do. Though I could try using my Medica abilities to heal them. In fact, would it have been better with me aiding them from the start? Was it a mistake to stay behind and look after MOMO? Was it a mistake to bring her along in the first place? What should I do? With all these thoughts lingering in my head, I looked hard into MOMO's eyes. Those large, beautiful eyes, full of pain and sorrow, instead of their usual glimmer of kindness and innocence. That look didn't suit her at all. It all became clear to me. I decided that I wouldn't let anyone else endure that same pain and sorrow. I will restore the kindness back in MOMO's eyes, as well as her hope.
"MOMO, listen carefully," I spoke to her, my tone firm and commanding. "As soon as I rush in to attack, I want you to make a run for it. Run as far away as you can, back to the Elsa, if possible." I could see the confusion and protest in her eyes, but I had no time to convince her. "Just go, right now!" Without staying around for her response, I immediately turned around, ready to finally take an active role in this battle…
….But without even moving an inch, or with my MWS barely materialized on my hand, there he stood, right in front of me. Was I so wrapped up with MOMO that I hadn't even noticed him creeping up behind me? Albedo cast a shadow above me, covering me in complete darkness. His face was mere inches apart from mine, his inhumanly cold, icy breath sending shivers down my neck. His eyes, bleeding in a purple-like hue, cast a piercing gaze on me that felt hypnotic. Slowly, his right hand began to move, slithering toward my face, stopping just before contact, as if to examine my demeanor. Whatever horrified expression I must've been giving, Albedo looked perfectly bemused by it. He then moved his hand further, lightly touching my left cheek.
Time stood still for me. I forgot where I was, what was going on around me, and even for a moment, who I was. Despite the unusual gentleness of his touch, His hand burned like acid through my face, his sharp nails lightly pricking my skin. My entire body was stiff with fright. My eyes felt soaked, but I couldn't shed any tears. My stomach twisted into knots, but I couldn't vomit. My legs shook, but my knees couldn't buckle. Is this what it felt like, to have death cast its look on you?
Is this how MOMO felt, when she was at Albedo's mercy?
Thinking about her provided the motivation I needed. I could feel my anger rising, the grip on my weapon tightening, as I imagined how that poor girl must have felt. This man wasn't a demon, he was a coward. And I won't be intimidated. I will fight back!
But then, as if sensing my resilience, he pulled his hand from my face, and replaced his grotesque smirk with an expression that has witnessed something grotesque instead. Looking as if I appeared offensive to him, Albedo raised his hand again, though with much more malicious intent found in his tightened grip. As he prepared to strike me, one clearly audible word escaped his lips.
"Disgusting."
Before I could contemplate the meaning of his comment, or prepare my defense, a large blast suddenly appeared behind Albedo, exploding upon impact. Slowly peeking to the side, I could see chaos and Ziggy, both recovered from their last assaults, and moving toward Albedo with great speed. I felt a small sense of relief that I was no longer alone in this fight, but that quickly faded away as I looked towards Albedo's face, which had been focused on me the entire time. Whatever I did to sicken him seemed to have worn off, because he had reverted back to his twisted expression of glee. Did that last attack actually fill him with excitement rather than pain?
I could hear Ziggy and chaos' footsteps reaching closer, but Albedo's gaze had been set to mine the whole time, still grinning. Did he not consider them a threat, or was he too preoccupied with me? Just as my friends had gotten close enough to attack Albedo, he suddenly leaped straight up! The three of us looked up, as he soared high into the air, much higher than chaos reached previously. Before nearly escaping our line of sight, he suddenly stopped, just a few feet from reaching the ceiling. Although he was too far away to make out, I could feel his gaze peering down on us. Immediately, a large blaze of fire surrounded Albedo, quickly expanding in every direction, almost forming a pattern. It seemed to resemble…a bird. Even though it was created by Albedo, I couldn't help but admire the beauty of this enchanting 'fire bird'. My mind snapped back to reality by Ziggy's sudden warning. As if on cue, the pattern of fire suddenly rained itself down toward us!
The three of us frantically ran in separate directions, but I could already sense that we wouldn't evade the inferno in time. I felt the strong heat pressing into my back, and I could feel my entire body beginning to sweat. As I braced myself for impact, my eyes violently dashed around the room, the only visible objects being KOS-MOS, who was still on her knees, and MOMO, who was looking directly at me, her expression full of absolute shock.
Please, lord, no matter what happens to me, please find it in your mercy to let MOMO and KOS-MOS escape unharmed. Kevin, if you're there, please watch over both of them for me. Don't worry about me, because I would only be too happy to be with you again. Until then…KOS-MOS…please…..
To be continued…