CHAPTER 2 - ASCENDANCY AND FAILURE

"She will be coming for me, and when she does, she'll wipe out all your little Pandora…"

"The former Wraith of the East isn't dead…"

Office of the Headmistress, West Genetics, May 2091

The slight tapping of the rain droplets on the thick pane of glass kept Amelia's attention as she stared out into the night. The former 3rd Field Major of Genetics America stood troubled, pondering all the events over the past few months. Her increasing migraines slowly wearing out the once powerful Pandora.

"Eva was overwhelmed by the humanoid NOVA. The Genetics recovery teams found evidence of her remains, but nothing decisive was determined. That entire area was annihilated by those dimensional aliens. How could she have survived? Nothing makes sense! It doesn't matter now, I…failed to stop her."

Amelia clenched her fists as she recalled her defeat – she lost everything to Eva on that terrible day in October. Shaking, she folded her arms and kept her gaze on the beads of rain as they slid down the window. She had accepted her destiny, but the tragic deaths of her teammates and Limiter hung like links of heavy iron around her neck.

The pain of losing her close friends and life partner lost its sting over the years, but what mostly frustrated the middle-aged woman was that she couldn't remember the words they had spoken to one another before parting ways for the last time. Sliding her hands to flatten her long white dress, she scrutinized the distorted reflection in the window. "I'm a coward and a fake…I killed them."

Her attention was then immediately drawn to the thin clear tablet resting on her desk - the blinking incoming message flashed repeatedly as the device patiently waited. Taking a deep breath, Amelia went and swiped the transparent blade. Tapping the new message, Amelia began to read.

Greetings Headmistress, in my care is a man whom you may know; Minato Osuka. This Fall, form a team of Pandora and have my daughter lead them here to Belarus. I promise our actions will be swift and discreet. It's never a good time to thin the herd. Nightfall's plans are moving swiftly and we'll need your support when we target the weapon. Ask your assistant, since she should already have the details about Minato and Kallie Osuka in her A.N. file. - Marta

Gritting her teeth, she flung the lightweight device across the room; shattering it into tiny plastic pieces on contact with the wall. Amelia's destructive behavior caught the attention of Nana Hayashi, who quickly entered the office investigating what had happened.

"Headmistress? Are you all right? I heard a crash."

"Nana…" Amelia stood strong, with fists at her side – her breathing heavy and labored.

"Is…everything okay?" Nana inquired, noticing that the headmistress was quite troubled.

"How long?"

"Ma'am?"

"How long?" Amelia repeated more forcibly.

"I don't understand the question ma'am."

"…have you been working for the Allied Nations?"

Nana grew silent as the former Pandora towered over her; the assistant just able to see the visible glint of energy emanating from Amelia's left eye.

"Ma'am?" Nana asked, trying to deflect the confrontation. "Are you feeling well? Would you like me to brew more passionflower tea again?"

"How long have you really been studying me?" Amelia asked, still tense in her body language. "Are you aware of the hostage situation in Belarus?"

"Sister Amelia, I'm feeling uncomfortable, please permit me to return to…" The former Pandora quickly reached out and grabbed the young woman's arm. The grip was excessive as Nana instantly lost feeling in her fingertips.

"Do you think of me as an ignorant fool?"

"No…" Nana responded sternly, finally expressing her true feelings, "You're being manipulated by the NOVA, and are secretly dealing with Nightfall. At present,we can't ascertain your current motives and you've become unpredictable - confusing and distracting our surveillance team. Right now you're acting violent and erratic. Release me at once!"

"Would you like me to describe to you the intense feelings of conflict and rage I'm experiencing?" She asked coldly. "Would it help your team understand how powerful the Prime's control is over me?"

"You're…hurting me…Amelia."

"It's difficult for me to quench the urge to end your life."

"I'm surprised that you have the courage to consider doing it!" Nana responded with animosity.

Irritated, Amelia pressed tighter, bringing more pain to Nana's bruised forearm. As her anguished peaked, Nana's legs buckled and the young woman slowly fell to the floor gripping at the Pandora's wrist with her free arm. "Headmistress, you're…breaking my…arm! Please stop!"

"You humans are so fragile." Amelia's tone sounded deep and sinister; overlapped with the dark voice of another, "In time, your resistance will come to an end…"

"No!" Nana struggled helplessly to pull herself free. "Let me go! Let me go! Please!"

Suddenly, Amelia seemed to shrink in stature which prompted the immediate release of her terrible grip. Within a few moments, the headmistress became aware of her behavior, as Nana Hayashi remained on the floor.

"The NOVA was here, oh Nana…"

The young woman trembled as she held her deformed arm parallel with the ground. She carefully crawled backwards - the tears streaming down her face as she shook her head. "Sister Amelia, how could you?"

"Nana what happened to me?"

"The NOVA reached out to you again…"

"My God, your arm…"

"Just stay away from me!" Nana exclaimed, moving to the open doorway. "You've done enough already, don't…worry about me."

"Nana, please forgive me. It takes all my strength to not let its influence corrupt me."

"It's just…never mind. I'm fine."

"Nana, please wait." Amelia looked down at the floor. "What did it say to you? Tell me."

"It said…your resistance is coming to an end!" Finishing the statement, the young woman vanished through the door, leaving Amelia alone and embarrassed.

The energy necessary to fight Purity's power continued to grow; every time it reaches out, Amelia loses more of her ability to resist its will.

Just as the drained woman went to sit down, Nana was back through the doorway with someone standing close behind. "Headmistress, General Kun is here on urgent business and requests your time, I'm sorry."

"Show him in Nana, and…please have your injury attended to immediately."

"That looks like a nasty break miss…definitely get that taken care of promptly." The general advised as he quickly entered the living quarters, his haste evident of his extreme urgency.

"I'll be back shortly Headmistress, please excuse me." Nana bowed as she closed the door.

"A pleasant young woman, if you don't mind me saying." Kun said respectively. "It's been very hard on her, working covertly under you for the A.N."

"I…revealed to Nana that I know everything."

"Oh…" Kun exhaled as he sat down, "Does that explain her unfortunate injury?"

"I can't fight it for much longer. Its influence is growing. My other officer doesn't have the same level of tolerance I possess, so she can't resist the urges as frequently."

"Yumi Huhn should be able to keep its control in check, but Brittany on the other hand…she's another story as we fortunately found out after GM870 defeated her."

The headmistress, nodded. "Summer is nothing of what we expected her to be. Now that she's in complete symbiosis with her aunt's sacreds, she's going to further exhibit more abilities due to her family's past lineage of Legendary Pandora."

"We'll need her incredible skills if we're going to defeat the NOVA and Nightfall."

"Agreed, but how can the A.N. allow me to continue in the position of Headmistress? I'm compromised by both enemies."

"I don't think the Allied Nations fully understood the gravity of the mission they assigned to you - the countries agreed that taking this risk to ensure humanity's survival was of paramount importance - despite the odds. It's extremely dangerous, but you were the only Elite Pandora left." Kun looked away for a moment. "We lost our pool of talented soldiers during the Great War, especially with your team in Section Three." Amelia frowned as Kun continued. "With Eva lost to Magda, you were our only hope."

"I never wanted this Kun."

"I know Amy Leah."

"She's alive…you know. I didn't want to believe it - those stories, and now Litvinchuk?"

The general grimaced as he crossed his right leg over his left knee. "There were vague reports, but nothing conclusive. She's become very discreet in her tactics over the years. One of our contacts in Varna, Bulgaria signaled that the former Wraith of the East may have retrieved Oren and returned with him to Minsk."

"I wasn't powerful enough to stop her back then, what makes you think I'll be able to defeat her now? I should resign my commission and focus on the mission without endangering anymore of my Pandora." Amelia stood and paced the floor. "Kun, I can't allow any more of my girls to be hurt or killed. Kim Okada's loss weighs heavy on my heart."

The general followed the tall woman as she walked the length of the room. "Instructor Okada's death was regrettable, but avoidable if you would have told the instructor everything."

"Don't you think I know that? Her death is my responsibility! She was killed because of me!"

"Kim's real mission wasn't to assist in Litvinchuk's capture!" The general retorted. "She was assigned to GM870! She was always assigned to her, even after your stupid stunt of removing her from duty!" Kun then relaxed himself, "Does Satellizer even know about Kim's sacrifice?"

"I'm sure the details have been reported to her by now." Amelia said, still wrangling with the guilt. "She was assigned to protect Summer, and I…"

"The young el Bridget-Aoi will survive. She's becoming a very powerful asset; a Sovereign - a true Pandora who's destined to save us."

Amelia bit into the nail on her right thumb as she circled the table. "Tell me more about Perses-Titan."

Kun hesitated before answering, "Perses-Titan is humanity's alternative answer to the NOVA. It's a gigantic rail gun that can project tremendous amounts of firepower onto a specified target on the planet's surface. The energy output is similar in scope to the levels of Anti-NOVA weaponry."

"Gavril wants that orbiting station doesn't he? Is that his plan?"

"Yes, we believe his most recent movements point to capturing this weapon."

"Unbelievable!" Amelia exclaimed, still pacing the room. "If Nightfall gets their hands on that facility…"

"Gavril Magda will rule over the Earth." Kun said, "Nightfall will govern over the nations through fear and intimidation. It will become an era of chaos for the free people, plus an automatic death sentence for anyone affiliated with Genetics."

"Doesn't he know that his plan is similar to that of the NOVA? If he destroys the Pandora, will humanity and this space-weapon be enough to stop another invading inter-dimensional force? Those aliens aren't going to stop if all the Pandora are wiped out." Amelia returned and sat heavily in her chair - taking in everything Kun had affirmed. "I didn't know my mission would be this difficult."

"Sister Amelia, you are the keystone to this operation. You will have to do your best and stop Nightfall and especially Eva Dalca." Kun stood from his chair and moved to the door. "Use GM870 as she was designed for; point her in the direction of the enemy and unleash her power."

"She's a living being, not just some weapon of mass destruction. It breaks my heart to manipulate Satellizer's daughter this way."

"These are the risks of being a Pandora headmistress." Frowning in pain, Amelia placed three fingers on her forehead. "It's apparent you need some rest, so we will continue this conversation later. I have to check-in with GHQ anyways; I lost a lot of men due to my escape from Nightfall. Marta and that cyborg creation of theirs are aware of our plan. They will use Minato as leverage against us, so we need to figure out a new strategy soon."

"The…rescheduled Carnival is happening this evening. It would honor me if you were to join me at the Citadel."

"Thank you headmistress, I'll consider it, but for now rest your head. Your Pandora need you more than ever, and all eyes will be on your new Ranked 1 sophomore: Summer el Bridget-Aoi."

"Is that a friendly prediction General?"

Kun smiled. "No, just a fact."

A secret stronghold in Wetzlar, Germany

"My dear! You've returned? And so quickly I might add!" Gavril exclaimed as his personal assassin marched into his office. "You look lovely today, not a hair out of place."

"I've returned successfully from my mission to Frankfurt." The woman stated with little emotion as she walked to the large display terminal.

"So serious..." The man teased. "I assume you were successful in infiltrating the A.N. base?"

"Affirmative, Master."

Gavril smiled wide, it amused him to hear her speak so complacently. Her autonomous nature never became tiresome - his conditioning and mind control over the ex-Pandora was a monumental success. "…and the data my dear?"

"All plans, documents and materials were duplicated without incident. The Operational Commander didn't notice the breach, and my men and I were in and out within the time parameters."

"Wonderful. As expected of my Pandora."

The tall brunette huffed with indignation as she moved from the wall display board to the computer and inserted the data drive. Tapping and swiping across the smooth input surface, she activated the screen and transferred the information from the portable device.

Dimming the lights, Eva Dalca presented the information to Gavril. "Perses-Titan, is a top secret orbiting space facility with a thirty meter long rail gun extending from its ventral module. The only way to board the station is through one of these three docking ports located along the trailing edge of its dorsal module." Eva gestured with her hand at the layered modules arrayed around the central cylindrical module. "Contained inside the core module is the power plant that not only powers the rail gun, but supplies energy to the station."

Gavril inspected the images studiously as Eva replayed the slideshow. "The station is massive." She said, pulling up the dimensional chart onto an adjacent view-screen. "Almost 120 meters by 90 meters."

"It really is a big weapon-station…" Gavril mused as he anticipated his final plans of attack and seizure.

"The station is also tiered with two decks along the central portion." She added as she tapped a few more commands into the input screen.

"Impressive. Eva, does the data contain the location of the SSTO launch facility?"

"Affirmative." The tall Romanian gestured as she manipulated the touch-screen. Within moments, a colorful image of a coastline came into focus.

"Master, the launch facility is located at the Chimborazo Space Port in Ecuador."

"Excellent, I've never been to South America." Gavril anxiously left his seat and rounded the side of the table. "Eva, pull up a real-time topographical map of that region."

As the dark assassin worked the computer terminal, an image of the space port filled the view screen. Pointing his finger, Gavril identified a long slender road leaving the east side of the facility and running up the tall mountainside. "Eva, is this the maglev track?"

"Correct, that's the SSTO's magnetic levitation launch system that propels the single stage orbiter into space."

"Exciting! My dear, it looks like you will be the first Pandora to leave the planet's surface!" As Gavril busied himself with surveying the real-time satellite imagery, Eva carefully touched the necklace still fastened around her neck. Over the past several months, its influence has slowly wavered, and the tall raven-haired woman began re-experiencing memories from a forgotten time. Soon, she thought, this living nightmare will end.

West Genetics, Citadel
Sophomore Carnival

The girls were simply not ready. Amelia's unyielding desire to hold the Carnival affected every sophomore Pandora. With the incident with Brittany Temple fresh on everyone's mind, the students weren't eager to participate.

The brief, pitiful training sessions leading up to the ranked battle were ineffective, and during the Carnival, victories were achieved under less than ideal circumstances. Several of the girls were performing sloppy attack patterns and implementing poor defensive formations. In typical fashion, the bulk of the participants were cut down within the first twenty-five minutes of fighting.

Nii Akuro's body fell heavy in the dirt as she recovered from another strike; her Katana held backward as she rolled away and jumped back to her feet. Her enemy was relentless, swinging her immense weapon in semi-circles toward the young Pandora. Nii avoided another thrust while spotting a ledge above. With a running leap, she grabbed the edge and hoisted herself up.

From below, Adriana sneered. "You're high flying tricks won't save you!" The tall woman cried, smashing away at the edge of the platform, causing rocks and small chunks of debris to crash to the ground. Then the fearsome brunette jumped, performing an impressive vertical leap, landing on top of the thin platform.

"Is this payback for getting stuck with your team?" Nii replied as she backed away, leveling her sword in Adriana's face.

"No, I've forgiven you already for that…"

"Whatever Lohman."

Adriana smirked, "Careful, you're running out of room."

As the two warriors faced off, a sudden blur from another combatant distracted them. In an awesome display of speed, Pina Marigold appeared beside the two women. "Pina!" Adriana exclaimed, "Right! Let's take out Nii together?"

The little Pandora frowned as Adriana realized that Pina had no intention of teaming up. With superhuman agility, she struck Nii in the chest with a roundhouse kick while launching herself forward, sinking her Kunai into Adriana's chest and neck.

Losing her balance, Nii tumbled over the edge while Pina smashed Adriana to the ground.

Adriana coughed up blood as she struggled under the weight of the little girl. "You…little…bastard…"

"I'm sorry Adriana, but I need this victory!" She whispered, "Don't worry, I'll get Nii for you next," as she violently ripped her knives free. Performing a somersault, Pina exploded in a Triple Accel and overtook the fleeing Pandora.

Pina gripped Nii's uniform and dragged the injured girl to the ground. With surgical precision, the small woman tore at her adversary's sword arm, and in one slash, rendered it useless. With the same knife, she dug deep inside Nii's upper chest and ripped through the layers of muscle and bone.

With uneven breaths, Nii glared wide-eyed as Pina thrust the other Kunai into her lower side, adding to the wounded Pandora's suffering. Lifting herself up, Pina nodded and quickly moved on to another sector of the battlefield, while the medical aircraft above the battlefield readied its crewmembers to rescue and evacuate the two injured Pandora.

Larisa Tamm didn't expect to face her own teammate so soon. Davina Dahwan gracefully twirled her Pata in front of the tall Belarusian as she confidently sauntered forward.

"Your skill with that Yari isn't nearly close enough to the speed of my blade."

"Just shut it Davina…"

"Why have you been so cruel to me lately?" The black-haired Pandora asked, "What's got you all worked up? You're not yourself these days - your focus and aggression are misplaced."

"You're not going to defeat me."

"Bring it on Larisa." Davina challenged as the two fighters collided. Using her thin sword, Davina immediately tried to dismember her team leader with several sweeping arcs and short lunges. With a two handed grip, Simargl became a long defensive bar that blocked Davina's quick attacks. Adjusting her sword-play, the Mistral Lion of the West drove forward, feeling satisfied that her rapier plunged deep into Larisa's shoulder. Repeating the attack again, Davina back-flipped and distanced herself as Larisa panted from the dripping wounds. Accelerating, Davina dove forward to begin another assault. This time however, her team leader was ready.

Enduring the pain, Larisa blocked the attack and abruptly pulled her teammate in close. Shocked, Davina didn't have a chance to dodge as the tall blonde smashed her forehead into her enemy's face. Capitalizing on the tactic, Larisa swung her leg around and dropped her opponent to the ground. Stepping around the fallen Pandora, Larisa used her good arm to tangle Davina's hands together before dislocating her teammate's right arm from her shoulder. Still using her functional limb, Larisa Tamm gripped her adversary by the throat and drove her face into the rocky ground. Lifting Davina by a fistful of hair, Larisa mashed her faced downward for a second time.

"See?" The blonde exhaled as the blood oozed from her two injuries, "…told you…I'd crush you."

Limping away from Davina's unconscious body, Larisa made her way up and over a rise, seeking out her next target. Trudging through the dirt and gravel, Larisa cautiously looked for Summer el Bridget-Aoi. Ever since her rival vanished four weeks ago, Larisa's passion, drive and determination waned. It frustrated the Belarusian that an individual could create such an impact on her performance as a Pandora.

"GM870 is not doing as well as expected headmistress." The general said as he followed the young woman's movements with the aid of a portable view screen. "It's almost as if she's purposely missing opportunities to kill her opponents."

"I think Summer is unsure of her true potential, let's give it some time?"

"Perhaps, but it makes for a boring contest if all she does is simply incapacitate her classmates."

Summer el Bridget-Aoi jogged from the lower pits of the surrounding arena to the higher elevations of the staged urban zone. For the last forty minutes, Summer had listened to her aunt who continued to guide and instruct the young Pandora on the most efficient way to defeat each opponent.

"You are doing quite well."

"This is so weird, we are like one person Aunt Kazuha."

"Yes – a perfect relationship"

Summer stopped as she noticed someone running toward her. As her enhanced vision revealed the sprinting individual, Summer lowered her Volt Weapon.

"It's Pina Marigold."

"Yeah, it's Pina. I wonder why she's in this area.

"I sense lower than average compatibility."

"Yes, Pina has a low compatibility rate which hinders her abilities."

"Respectfully, her power output is on par with several upperclassmen. I wouldn't underestimate her speed and prowess."

"Agreed. She's developed quite a bit."

"The most efficient strategy is to eliminate her ability to move. A suggestion would be to break both her legs at the knee."

Summer winced, "I don't know about that…"

"You care deeply for this individual, more than some of the others. Explain."

"I don't know, It's hard to say exactly, perhaps I just feel closer to her than some of my fellow classmates."

"You have lingering feelings of protection for her. Don't let your emotional attachment hinder your goal."

Summer dropped her shoulders as she sighed. "I still don't know about this. Why are people treating me different? Everyone I've fought today has been really scared of me. I'm uncomfortable with this whole thing. "

"They sense your power and are afraid of it. We are weapons, created by my grandfather to defeat the enemy and become the next stage in human evolution."

Pina's tremendous speed was remarkable. Within seconds, the little Pandora was upon her former team leader. "Everyone says Summer isn't the same person, so I will have to exceed my abilities if I going to defeat her." She thought as she twirled her Kunai knives. Pushing herself beyond her limits, Pina's body became a blur as she engaged her opponent.

"Pina Marigold is an Accel Type Decoy. Alter your strategy to take out her ability to move and manifest her Volt Weapons."

Summer ducked, dodged and avoided every slash of Pina's weapons. Surprised by Summer's perfect balance, Pina tried moving faster.

"You've never been able to move like me! Pina cried as she jumped, lunged and slashed. Summer remained silent as she tilted and adjusted her body; always staying one step ahead of Pina's swift little blades. Growing impatient, the short Pandora extended herself further, which caught Kazuha's attention.

"She's vulnerable, slide your left foot 4cm to the left while reaching for her arms. Disable her ability to multiply her Volt Weapons."

Summer reacted instinctively, blocking Pina's left arm while grabbing at her right. With a loud crack, Summer fractured her opponent's right arm and spun the short girl around dislocating her left shoulder. With one final shot, Summer crushed her rib cage with a forceful body shot.

With both limbs immobilized, Pina tripped up and fell to the ground. The labored breathing concerned Summer as she stood over her former teammate.

"How are you…so fast?" Pina whispered as the pain overwhelmed her ability to continue. Then, with a slight smile, "…I was so sure…I could have lasted a…few more…minutes against you…"

Summer knelt down near her friend. "I'll see you when this is through." Pina tried to nod as the throbbing pain coursed through her body. Shaking, the short Pandora looked on as the tall brunette turned and left her to be rescued. Pina's twin pigtails fluttered as she looked to the hovering aircraft, readying to medevac her to triage.

Corraine Milford seemed surprised as her opponent collapsed through the broken doorway. Typically, Kallie Osuka is cunning and calculating, but today it seemed to Corraine that the slender Japanese woman wasn't performing anywhere near her full potential.

"What is this?" Corraine shouted as she knocked Kallie through a wall, "Are you toying with me?" Kallie slowly got back to her feet, her visible injuries soaking through her purple uniform. "You're a higher rank than me!" She swung her short-bladed Chekans, just barely missing Kallie's face. "What's your problem? Say something!" Corraine ran forward and delivered a roundhouse kick which sent Kallie's body outside of the building and crashing onto the rocky terrain of the battlefield area. "What's the matter with you?"

Unknown to Corraine, her opponent was in fact distracted and troubled. It had been many months since Minato left to return to the army. His regular messages relayed without incident until last month when he failed to send his usual scheduled update. As the days and weeks went by, Kallie began to imagine that her father was in trouble and not going to come home. The ultimate finality came when General Kun arrived at West Genetics Island without his entire compliment of soldiers. The report said that many of Kun's men died during their failed operation to capture Mavis. What hurt Kallie was that there wasn't any mention of her father in the documents. It was as if he never served in Kun's company.

Working through her uncertainty, Kallie firmly held her Kusarigamas as she rolled over and got back to her feet. Stepping over the rubble, she marched back toward her worried opponent, deciding it was time to end this destructive conflict.

Angrily, Corraine spun and drove her weapons forward. Suddenly the injured Pandora came to life, blocking her thrusts and striking the light-haired brunette in the face. Stumbling back in fear, Corraine climbed a hill of rocks as the expressionless woman followed.

"You're intimidation technique won't work! I'm going to defeat you!"

"Is that why you're retreating?" Kallie asked in her usual monotone.

"Shut up! I told you not to toy with me!"

Kallie reached the top of the pile and exchanged several more blows with her adversary until the dark-haired woman gained the upper hand. Swinging the weapons in an upward slash, Kallie removed Corraine's arm at the shoulder, then twirling, she executed a ferocious maneuver which left a terrible gash across Corraine's abdomen. The defeated Pandora gasped as her insides spilled open, covering Kallie's feet with blood and entrails. Shocked by what she had done, Kallie Osuka froze; her eyes tearing up by her uncontrollable aggression.

Summer slid to a stop as she witnessed Corraine's body tumble down the hill. With surprise, she studied her former teammate's expression as the crushed woman stopped moving at the base of the rocky slope.

"Your former teammate's excessive violence is unusual."

"That's obvious from what she just did to Corraine."

"I sense hostility, fear and worry."

"I wonder what could be wrong with her?"

Kallie faced her former team leader with a hurtful frown. Her red swollen eyes displayed the turmoil from within. As she positioned herself defensively, she tried to speak. "I…need you…to stop…me."

"Kallie?" Summer asked. "What's going on with you? Corraine needs immediate evacuation if she's going to survive!" Summer then approached her friend. "She was already beaten! Why did you assault her a second time?"

Kallie cried out in frustration as she blindly ran forward, swinging her imposing weapons in semi-circles.

"Parry with Virga on the upper slash."

Summer pivoted on her foot and dodged the upswing of Kallie's Kusarigama and rolled behind the distraught woman while blocking another attack. With a strong right foot, Summer smashed the back of Kallie's left knee and drove her sword downward into her shoulder and back.

Pinned to the ground, Kallie stifled her pain as Virga penetrated through to the front of her uniform.

"Th…ank you…" Kallie whispered as she lay motionless. "I'm sorry, for a moment…I almost lost my identity."

"Kallie? What's wrong?"

"There should be…only one left for you…now. I wanted you to stop me, so you could go and find… Larisa… Tamm…" Kallie exhaled, as Summer pulled the broad-sword from her mangled back. "When this is over…help me find…my father."

"What? Find your father? Hang in there, the medevac is coming."

"Larisa Tamm?" Kazuha inquired, "She's the current Rank 1 of the sophomore class?"

"Yes. It's happening again, but this time it's my moment to capture the top spot! I've never achieved Ranked 1 before and it's now within my grasp!"

"Our success or failure in the Carnival decides our rank, but we must never allow it to dictate who we are as Pandora. We all must serve to protect humanity, not just with our position from an assessment. Your 'real rank' should come from the quality of your training - from instructors, simulator intervals and positive influences from your fellow sisters in combat."

"I…never thought about it like that…" The notion of quality training and instruction made Summer think of Kim Okada.

Jogging away from the bodies of Corraine and Kallie, Summer looked back to witness the medical crews feverishly tending to the fallen warriors. As the scene of Corraine Milford's gruesome defeat lingered in Summer's mind, she tried to remain steady on finding the last opponent in the arena. Find Kallie's father? What does she mean? What the hell happened to my teammates while I was asleep?

Larisa Tamm braced herself against the side of a large boulder as she saw the medevac aircraft hovering above the scarred landscape. Wondering who the two victims were, she adjusted herself to walk along further down the path.

Catching a lone individual out of the corner of her eye, the tall Belarusian grew anxious - Summer el Bridget-Aoi was on the move. It looked like she's heading to the urban layout located in the eastern battle zone! Grimacing from the pain, Larisa followed the unsuspecting Pandora deeper into the war-torn battlefield.

"This isn't a Carnival." Kun complained as he watched the two final triangular icons move across the maze of pathways on his monitor. "The suspense of this contest is similar to last year. Will we see Larisa Tamm keep her title, or will Summer defeat her?"

"I think there will be a different winner this time. You indicated to me that you had every confidence in el Bridget-Aoi?"

"Yes, I guess I did say that."

"Kun, do me a favor and gather together some of your fellow generals and chiefs-of-staff from the A.N. I am planning on conducting a few simulation tests with GM870 after this Carnival concludes. My gut feeling is that if we can impress the top brass, they will reconsider Summer's tentative suspension from the Pandora Program."

"Suspension? How are you letting Summer compete if the Allied Nations haven't granted approval? I don't know what your underlying motives are, but I will definitely spread the word to my colleagues that the Sovereign of the West will be tested publicly and that they've been offered a personal invitation."

"Sovereign? You're using that label again."

"Amelia, GM870 is the real-deal, I've met with Wakahisa, and he's showed me Summer's makeup. That girl not only has a partial Stigmatic body, but her fluidic relationship with that alien material compares her to some of the old Legendary Pandora. We haven't had a soldier this powerful in a long time." The older man changed the subject as he sipped his drink, "In other matters, we need to accelerate our plans. Nightfall isn't going to forget about my little infiltration and I'm sure they will be forcibly responding against the Allied Nations and Genetics very soon. Getting Summer ready should be our top priority."

"I believe that our final opponent is following us."

"I'm sure she's…wait a minute! How do you know that?"

"I sense her presence less than a kilometer behind, my suggestion is a swift overwhelming assault."

"No, Larisa deserves a fair fight."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? She's a fellow Pandora, who deserves a fair fight. If we just destroy her…it wouldn't be…fair, right?" Summer suddenly seemed puzzled by her answer. "Aunt Kazuha, you guided me with the most efficient and respectful strategies to defeating my enemies. Why would you suggest I don't offer the same level of fairness to Larisa?"

"My niece, the world isn't fair, or the will of the enemy. Pandora are designed and trained to use their gifts for the good of all humanity. We fight and die to protect the human race. Fairness isn't an appropriate term, your fellow sister and current Rank 1 will not learn anything if she is offered favoritism and clemency. What did you learn after your severe defeat at Larisa's hands?"

Summer skidded to a stop as Kazuha's essence lectured. As the words burned, Summer thought back to the freshmen Carnival in which Larisa showed no remorse or mercy. Touching her smooth clean neck, Summer recalled the reflection of her injured face in the mirror at the airport restroom. On her flight home, she remembered the story she had to explain to the worried airline crew and passengers who inquired about her array of facial and bodily wounds. It was embarrassing to endure all of that.

She knew what she wanted.

Raising Virga into an offensive position, she flagrantly walked to the center of the urban battle zone and waited. "Fine. I'll end this right now."

No mercy… repeated itself over and over in Summer's mind. The young woman didn't realize her inner desire to exact revenge. It didn't seem natural for her to want to inflict the same level of injury she herself suffered, but something inside was driving her instincts.

Larisa appeared around the side of a building and immediately noticed Summer patiently waiting. Holding herself up against the side of one of the dilapidated buildings, she raised Simargl.

"el Bridget-Aoi…" She breathed, "I've waited for this moment."

"She's functioning at 56% power."

"How badly is she's hurt?"

"Multiple lacerations, and I believe she has internal injuries caused by significant impalements."

Summer held her ground as the Belarusian slowly approached. "So much…I've needed to say. So many things I want to say… Why did you leave us?"

"What are you talking about?" Summer inquired as Virga's direction stayed true and accurate.

"Where were you really?" Larisa asked as she lunged forward in a forcible thrust. "That chamber was empty!" Easily avoiding the attack, Summer glided gracefully to the left as she side-stepped. "There's something different about you. Something powerful. You're not the same person. Where did you go off to? What did Amelia do to you?"

"I detect a technique to invoke emotion within you."

"She's good at that." Summer agreed as she continued to stay on the defensive – parrying, ducking and avoiding each of Larisa's broad attacks.

"Her Yari is impressive, but at her current ability makes it clumsy at best." Kazuha fed Summer additional details on an appropriate strategy that will disarm her opponent. Finally, Kazuha finished her suggestion, "…I want you to execute it." Summer reluctantly understood as she dodged another swing.

Holding her weapon heavily in her hands, Larisa forced another labored breath. "My life this year was turned upside down! I've…dealt with traitors of all kinds, enduring personal embarrassment and then having to protect your own teammates!" Larisa grew more frustrated as another flurry of attacks missed their target. "I watched my father's close friend burn to ashes! All of my life savings and everything else in my whole life was taken away!"

"This Pandora is clearly disturbed." Kazuha added. "She will need some closure once this Carnival is over. I suggest an intervention."

"No argument here."

Larisa slid forward and turned her shoulder, colliding with her enemy. The shudder of her body-shot felt to the Belarusian that she had struck an immobile object. Summer stood unaffected, as Larisa stumbled to the side looking surprised. Retreating over some rocks, Larisa scrambled to higher ground - her heart pounding as Summer slowly advanced. "What are you?" Larisa exclaimed.

Summer didn't answer as Virga sliced through the air next to Larisa's head. Falling down an embankment, the current Ranked 1 crawled backward before getting to her feet. Out of ideas, Larisa lowered her weapon and dove at her adversary.

Grappling, Larisa clutched at Summer's sword arm, trying to wrestle the weapon lose. Driving her knee forward, Larisa attempted several techniques to force Summer into submission. In an elegant close quarters combat maneuver, the strong brunette pulled the Belarusian forward and shoulder-tossed her onto the ground.

Rolling, Larisa got back to her feet refusing to capitulate. The terrifying Yari whooshed through the air as Larisa shoved the long weapon forward - every time, missing its mark as Summer calmly tilted and evaded the incoming strikes. "What the hell? Stop playing defensive and just attack me! I know you can do it!" Diverting her remaining energy, she started to tease her opponent, "Are you afraid you'll actually hurt me, like I did to you last Carnival? Did you forget how you were lying dead on the ground at my feet? Your best friend ambushed before having an opportunity to save you? You're…pathetic! Yeah, you're…the failed Princess! You'll never be a true Pandora! You're a shame to your mother!"

Summer paused her advance as her face contorted; looking as if the young Pandora was struggling against something. Bingo! Larisa knew she had triggered something sensitive with the mention of Satellizer. Finally, she thought, I'm getting somewhere, but it wasn't the response the battered Belarusian expected. Hearing the taunt about her mother, Summer uncontrollably entered her Transcendent Form - her eyes glowing a slight shade of orange as the rage and aggression flooded her mental state. Slowly, her translucent wings developed - spreading out from her shoulders, sides and lower back. The vibrant radiance of her NOVA form rippled with energy. Unsure of what was happening, Larisa started to back away as the luminous individual turned her sword in a backwards hand-grip and rapidly accelerated.

As Summer's body vanished from normal space-time, Larisa's final thought was interrupted as she felt the intense burning of tearing flesh occurring across her entire body. Appearing behind the tall woman, Summer's cyclonic maneuver ended with the powerful brunette standing in a defensive stance with her Volt Weapon positioned in a downward direction.

Losing all her strength, Larisa clumsily released Simargl, which crashed to the ground with a mighty sound. Her vision blurred as she looked down at her blood-soaked arms and hands. She rapidly lost feeling in both legs, which forced the blonde-haired woman to helplessly fall to the ground.

Fear and wonder couldn't describe the feelings each of the spectators experienced watching the live-action scene over the television monitors – the almost slow-motion finale portraying the aftermath of Summer's Transcendental High-End Skill. Every attendant, guest and even the casual observer remained poised in front of their view-screens silent and unmoving.

Up in the Citadel's observation room, Sister Amelia quietly leaned back in her chair, folding her hands at Summer's effortless victory. General Kun, who up to this point had been vocal and adamant about the Carnival not producing the level of drama and violence he'd come to expect, sat paralyzed and inert. After a few moments, he quietly excused himself and reached for the door handle. "I'll…make arrangements for your interval demonstration…" He said softly, still in shock at what he witnessed. "Have a…pleasant evening."

Amelia didn't take her eyes from the monitor as Kun left the room. The former 3rd Field Major was completely at a loss of words as she studied the incoming data and figures from Summer's vitals; pondering how critical GM870's role will be for the future of mankind.

As quickly as it manifested, Summer's N3A form retreated, leaving the young woman normal in her appearance. With the student body witnessing the young Pandora's abilities, the situation surrounding her incredible power will not be easy to cover up.

Squirming in a pool of blood, Larisa fought through the agony of the severe gashes that blanketed her body. Shaking, she turned her distorted face, "…you..." she struggled to say as she cough and choked. "…I knew you could…do it…" Larisa's eyes slowly closed as she succumbed to her injuries.

Experiencing Larisa's loss, Summer didn't feel vindicated in the way she had hoped. She had won the Carnival, but her new ranking didn't have the desired effect on her self-esteem.

"I…just destroyed my rival."

"She will survive to fight alongside you another day."

"I know that, but it just didn't feel the way I thought it was going to feel. I wanted to enjoy the moment when I defeated her; the thrill of becoming West Genetics's Ranked 1 sophomore." The more she stared at Larisa's lifeless body, the more she dreaded the position. "During last year's break, I would tell mom how I wished I could have beaten her. Now that I actually did it, I'm not proud of anything."

"My niece, sometimes you will have to find your inner ability to move forward without the concept of closure."

Gengo Aoi Medical Facility

Satellizer and Kazuya held each other as they were finally reunited. The former Field Major's weeping could be heard down the darkened hall as she gripped her husband tightly. "You were so brave for doing this for Summer." Still burying her face in his shoulder, she tried to stop crying.

"I've given up everything…for her."

"I know sweetheart, I know."

Her muffled cries just barely audible as she pressed closer to his body. "I feel…nothing. Nothing Kazuya! I'm so…normal."

"You knew the risks with the re-implantation procedure. Your body always had a very low compatibility."

"I forced myself to believe…that there was a slim chance that I would have retained some of my power."

"Wakahisa believes that you've lost a significant amount of Volt Texture manifestation."

"I'm so useless, not even an average Pandora for reserve duty."

"You may have lost most of your amazing abilities, but think about our daughter! You saved her Satella, you alone saved her. You're still that hero from all those years ago."

"I know, and now she's the future. I understand it completely; everyone will now look to her as mankind's hope. The evolution of the human race is progressing." Satellizer forced a snicker, "Your grandfather would be very proud."

Kazuya squeezed his wife a little tighter as he jokingly tried to comfort her. "I think he would have wanted to experiment on her if he had the chance, but I'm sure Summer would have pleased him nonetheless."

"Kazuya, what's…going to happen to me?"

"Oh Satella, you'll probably go on living and grow old with me."

"Grow old? I was prepared to die for my past actions as a Pandora, and now I've been given another chance at life by giving up those abilities. It's funny how the world works."

The proud Pandora pushed away from her husband and looked down at her clenched fists. "I feel completely nothing. I don't have any of my physical strength anymore."

"It'll be okay, but I'm going to need you to try and be strong for something else - we have a serious situation that's developing out of our control."

"I don't understand, what is it?"

"Satella, Summer knows about the Octagonal tablet implantation."

Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter! Your opinion matters to me, so it would be greatly appreciated if you would take a moment and leave a review.