The White Devil
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha © Masaki Tsuzuki
All Characters © Respective Owners.
Lyrical Record 2: Can I Touch the Sky (nano)?
"The sky sure is amazing, isn't it?" said Nanoha blissfully
Staring up in the sky was always one of Nanoha's favorite activities, right up there with beating up bad guys and trouncing Alisa at video games. She didn't know what it was that captivated her so; maybe it was the element of freedom that they sky represented and she was one of very rare few that could exploit that freedom. Or perhaps it was just her own thoughts of flying beyond that wide blue sky into the endless abyss beyond, visiting other worlds and gaining new experiences. Knowing the existence of the TSAB certainly pushed for the latter. But then again, like Kyouya always says, she's just overthinking things.
Alisa Slapped Nanoha over the head, bringing her back down to Earth. She had almost forgotten that Alisa and Suzuka were even there. It was one of the few times that neither of them had to head off to cram school or piano practice, so Suzuka suggested they get together and do something after school. Nanoha firmly rejected the idea of hanging out at Midori-ya. She loved her dad to bits, but he could be so embarrassing around other people.
"You're always getting your head lost in the clouds," Alisa complained loudly. "If it wasn't attached to your neck, I bet it would have floated off by now."
"Mou, that's mean, Alisa-chan!" Nanoha whined.
"Don't mind her, Nanoha," said Suzuka, giggling. "Alisa is a simple-minded person. She's not the type to appreciate deep and thoughtful conversations."
"Yeah, I guess it was too much to ask for Alisa-chan to understand something complex as philosophy," said Nanoha, smiling.
"HEY!"
"So you were saying something about a new café?" Nanoha said to Suzuka.
"Don't change the subject!" Alisa yelled.
"There's a new place that just opened up a few blocks from Midori-ya," said Suzuka. "It's called The Rabbit House. I hear they sell dozens of different blends of coffee and have the cutest rabbit breads. Oh, and their mascot is a cute angora rabbit named Tippy. It's the cutest little thing you've ever seen, like a fluffy little marshmallow!"
"STOP IGNORING ME!" Alisa shrieked
"So cute!" Nanoha squeaked. "I wish we had a cute little mascot at our café. Don't get me wrong, Yuuno-kun is nice and all, but he's not exactly – "
A loud explosion echoed in the background. Nanoha, Alisa, and Suzuka shot their heads straight up. They had been passing by the main headquarters of Seaport Enterprises; the multi-purpose company owned by Mizuiro Kaiju (or as the White Devil knows him, the Leviathan). Smoke was coming out from one side of the building close to the top, most likely where the explosion had originated. A moment later, something shot out of the smoke and zoomed across the Uminari skyline, leaving a vibrant-red blur in its wake. It was only for a split-second, but Nanoha could definitely tell that there was a man inside that blur.
"What was that?" Suzuka asked worried. "It look like something went off inside. You think anyone is hurt?"
"Who cares?" said Alisa coldly. "That's Kaiju's company. If anything did happen, I'll bet he probably deserved it. Ain't that right, Nanoha? …Nanoha?"
Alisa and Suzuka turned around; she was gone.
Nanoha didn't agree with Alisa….Okay, maybe she did a little. But the White Devil didn't; she's supposed to protect people, even if it was men like the Leviathan. So when Alisa and Suzuka weren't looking, she slipped away into the nearest alley and took cover behind an overflowing dumpster; her nose was really going to hate her for this later. Nanoha slipped her hand down her shirt and pulled out her necklace, holding it up to the air, and said:
"Raising Heart, Onegai!"
"Stand-by ready! Set-up!" said Raising Heart.
Raising Heart covered the alleyway in a blinding white light as Nanoha's clothing were ripped apart and reformed into her White Devil uniform (and if any readers are imagining a nude ten year-old girl, please report to your nearest police station.) Armored up in white-and-blue padded clothing, the White Devil tossed Raising Heart in the air as golden pieces of tech formed from nothing and fit together like a puzzle, forging an arc around the jewel. A pink-and-white rod extended from the bottom, which the White Devil grabbed, twirling the staff between her fingers.
"Magical! Lyrical!" the White Devil chanted, putting on a heroic pose.
Now that that's out of the way, back to the story…
The White Devil rocketed skyward, turning sharply in the direction she had seen the flying man escape. His neon trail had already dissipated, but Raising Heart's scanners picked up the runner's vapor trail, showing the path in the air with a holographic screen in front of the White Devil's face. The trail led very far from Newport Headquarters into Uminari's downtown district, which left the White Devil rather impressed by much distance he was able to cover in short amount of time.
The White Devil flew as fast as she could and covered the distance between them in under two minutes; it seemed like the airborne criminal had made a stop at the top of the general hospital. The man was kneeling, looking inside a shiny silver briefcase. So the criminal wasn't just a bomber, but a thief too. This made the White Devil feel a little better about helping the Leviathan.
The White Devil pushed out more Mana through her feet, giving her a big boost of speed, and stamped her feet on the hospital roof as hard as she could, forming a spider-web pattern in the pavement. Overdramatic sure, but one of the things the White Devil had learned is that theatrics are a great tool for making the villain take you seriously. Apparently it worked; the criminal slammed the case shut, tucked it under his arm, and spun around with his arm held out; he had a thin laser projector attached to his wrist.
"Hey, Speedy, don't you know Uminari has a strict 'no flying' policy?" said the White Devil.
"Uh…Master…?" said Raising Heart awkwardly.
"I know; I heard myself," the White Devil groaned.
The White Devil took a quick look at the thief, paying close attention to his tech. His suit was made from a reflective black material that looked like it was made up of millions of interwoven hexagons. Some of the hexagon plates were red in color, creating line patterns around the boots and gloves, and in the middle of his chest was as large round ruby that bared a striking resemblance to Raising Heart. His helmet was made from the same material; black hexagons with a V-shaped red visor. The White Devil caught a quick peek over the thief's shoulder, spotting what looked like a backpack made from the same hexagon material as the rest of the suit.
"Nice tech you got there," the White Devil complimented. "You steal that from Leviathan – sorry, I mean, Mr. Kaiju?"
The thief stayed silent.
"I'll be the first to admit that I'm not Kaiju's biggest fan," said the White Devil. "But what kind of hero would I be if I just let anybody do what they want because I'm a little biased? I can just hear Lt. Yagami chewing me out now."
Once again, the thief remained silent, still pointing his laser project to the White Devil's head. She grimaced.
"Hello? You understand Japanese?" asked the White Devil awkwardly. "Er… Können Sie mich verstehen? Me entiendes ahora? Klaatu barada – bwah!"
The thief took a shot with his wrist mounted laser, firing a thin beam of red energy. The White Devil fell backwards, narrowly dodging the energy beam by a hair's breadth, and roll over the edge of the hospital roof. The White Devil straightened herself in the air and floated for a quick moment as she looked up. The thief had leapt over the edge of the roof with a running start and zoomed through the Uminari skyline; his pack created the same neon-red trail in his wake. The White Devil leaned forward, pushing out Mana through her feet, and rocketed after him with an echoing boom!
"Strong and silent type, eh?" The White Devil shouted after him. "Not as much fun, but I think I can work in a pun or two! Like um…hey, what's the rush, chatty? Ha! Nailed it!"
The armored thief, ignoring the White Devil's attempts at witty banter, turned a sharp left down a stretch between two buildings. The White Devil took the same turn, but couldn't decelerate in time and hit the concrete on one building and then bounced off the opposite side. The White Devil had never been more thankful for Yuuno's paranoia for adding extra padding to the Barrier Jacket; a crash like that would have killed her. Shaking off the blow, the White Devil did another quick boost to catch up to the flying thief, who turned another left at the building corner. This time, she had the sense to slow down before making the turn, but the moment she was around the corner, she saw the thief flying back towards her with his arm thrown out. The White Devil let out wheezing gasp as the thief clotheslined her across the chest and pushed her back into the side of the building with enough pressure to make a huge crack in the concrete. The White Devil coughed and held her chest, trying to catch her breath.
"That was…a cheap shot…and you know it," the White Devil wheezed.
The thief stayed silent as usual, only turning his back to the White Devil and flying off again. Taking a big gulp of air, the White Devil kicked off the wall, not caring that she completely wrecked the office of the guy behind it. With the thief in the lead and the White Devil following behind, both fliers zoomed up back and forth around and between the buildings of Uminari's Downtown District. The armored criminal maintained his lead over the White Devil at every corner, possessing an uncanny ability to make impossibly sharp turns without losing speed while the White Devil had to slow down just to avoid crashing. With every moment that the White Devil failed to catch up with the criminal, she started feeling more agitated.
The White Devil was never one to consider herself conceited, but the sky was her territory and she didn't want some…creep stealing that away from her. Around six office buildings and under a freeway, the White Devil managed to keep the thief in her sight, but the distance between them was growing wider by the second. Just one good turn, just one slip-up on the White Devil's part, and he would make his escape. She couldn't let that happen; the White Devil had lost enough of her pride as an aerial mage already.
The thief made steep dive towards street level and the White Devil followed. The armored criminal pulled up at the last second to avoid hitting the pavement and was now zipping down the road, dodging oncoming traffic. The White Devil stayed several feet above the traffic flow, watching the thief weave around cars and truck so easily, not at all feeling jealous that he was better than….White Devil took a deep breath, motioning two fingers across the air in front of her, forming eight Mana balls.
"Divine Shooter!" said Raising Heart.
Eight Mana balls were on target with the flying criminal, but barely even a few feet away from him, and suddenly they scattered into varying directions, exploding off of street signs and passing cars. Thankfully, the Mana balls were strong enough to cause any real damage; she didn't need to give Signum another reason to hunt her.
"What happened?" asked the White Devil confused.
"It's the drag, Master," said Raising Heart. "Target is moving at a rate of exceptionally high velocity and his suit has been specifically designed to reduce wind resistance. At that speed, the wind pressure is sliding over his body at an unprecedented rate, making it impossible for lighter-than-air assaults."
"So I can't hit him with magic now!" the White Devil screeched. "What else can go wrong?"
Almost as if he had heard her, the armored criminal turned around, flying backwards while expertly dodging traffic, and lifted his arms at the White Devil. Red beams shots from his wrists, hitting the White Devil square in the chest. The White Devil flailed out of the air and crashed on the windshield of the car below her; the car screeched off the road and collided with a lamppost, which fell over and smashed the car's roof. The White Devil pried herself from the cracked windshield and looked around, but the flying thief was already gone.
"Dang it!" yelled the White Devil, pounding her fist on the hood.
"Devil!"
And if things weren't bad enough, the car the that White Devil landed on just happened to be Lt. Signum Yagami's squad car. The White Devil chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her head, as Signum glared through the windshield.
"Hey, Siggy," said the White Devil nervously. "So…how's your day?"
Lt. Signum Yagami was still frowning as she walked in on the crime scene at Newport Enterprises. Not only had she failed to catch the White Devil when she had the chance, but her insurance company said they didn't cover superheroes. So, taking a deep breath, Signum walked around the room while her co-workers investigated the area. The crime scene was one of Newport Enterprise's computer labs and besides the obvious hole in the wall, nothing looked broken or out of place. This wasn't corporate sabotage, Signum thought. One of the sergeants was interrogating Marco Lawson, Mizuiro Kaiju's personal assistant, and the CEO himself was facing the hole in the wall, staring out into the distant sky.
"Mr. Kaiju," said Signum politely, walking up to him. "Mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Ah, Captain Yagami," said Mizuiro, turning around. "I always have time for you. How is your sister? Is she feeling well?"
"Hayate is getting along," said Signum.
"That's good, that's good," said Mizuiro. "After what happened last year with her becoming paraplegic, I was a little concerned. But this is not the time or place for that. You wanted to ask me some questions, right?"
"Yes, I did," said Signum. "Getting straight to the point, it doesn't look like your lab was destroyed, so I can only assume that something was taken. Do you have any idea what it was?"
"That's actually the strangest thing," said Mizuiro. "After the explosion, I had Lawson do a quick inventory. I looked like whoever attack us had stolen a program from our Panacea Program."
"What exactly is the Panacea Program?" asked Signum.
"It's a revolutionary new idea our Head of Research, Dr. Scaglietti, came up with before he left the company," said Mizuiro. "The idea was to create a program that would detect foreign or diseased blood cells inside the human body, and then, using specialized nanotechnology, would expunge the diseased cells from the body and replace them with healthy blood cells. This was to essentially be the cure for all diseases including cancer and tuberculosis."
"I can see why anyone would want to steal it," said Signum. "But you said there was something funny about the robbery."
"There was," said Mizuiro. "When we did inventory, the only thing missing was the program we were going to use to locate the dangerous cells. Everything else was left alone. Without the extraction program, the detection function wouldn't serve any valuable purpose."
"Perhaps the thief was afraid of getting caught and left before he could take it," said Signum. "Any idea who would want to steal from you."
"I am one of the most successful business men in Japan," said Mizuiro. "I have hundreds of business rivals that would love to see me ruins: Tsukimura Enterprises, Alchemax, LexCorp, you name it."
"Well, that doesn't exactly narrow down our search," said Signum. "Don't worry, Mr. Kaiju, we'll do everything in our power to catch this guy."
"Oh, I have a good feeling that the thief will be caught," said Mizuiro. As Signum walked away, Mizuiro turned back to face the hole in the wall and continued in a low voice, "but I don't think it will be you who catches him."
Out of the corner of his eye, Mizuiro Kaiju caught a glimpse of white-and-blue before it disappeared around the corner.
Nearly an hour later, Nanoha fell back in the couch of Lindy's apartment as Raising Heart made calls to both Alisa and Suzuka, apologizing for her abrupt disappearance. For being one of the most successful captains of the Dimensional Navy, Lindy's taste in accommodations was surprisingly modest. She rarely splurged on anything beyond the essentials and since she started living on Earth, Lindy gained an appreciation for Japanese culture, especially its tea ceremonies. Sadly, she has yet to clue in that the Japanese do not drink green tea with large amounts of sugar, which made Nanoha's stomach churn every time she watched.
"I'm really sorry about this, guys," Nanoha said apologetically to Raisin Heart. "I really wanted to visit the Rabbit House with you. Honest."
"It's okay, Nanoha," Suzuka said through Raising Heart. "We understand. I hope Yuuno-kun is all right. Not a lot of ferrets can walk away from a fight with a bulldog, a stray cat, and a garden snake. Thank goodness he wasn't hurt too much."
"I always thought Yuuno was a smart ferret," said Alisa. "But he sure does a lot of dumb stuff. Remember last week when he put his tail in an electric outlet?"
"Or the week before that when he got a tummy ache from drinking a bottle of hot sauce?" said Suzuka.
"Or the week before that – "
"Okay, I get it guys," said Nanoha, chuckling nervously with Yuuno the Ferret glaring at her from the table. "I'm sure Yuuno-kun will be fine. He's a tough little guy. Promise we'll go visit the Rabbit House next week, okay?"
"All right, take care, Nanoha," said Suzuka.
"You're buying!" Alisa demanded.
Raising Heart clicked off; Nanoha fell back into the cushions with a deep sigh.
"Why is it that all of your excuses involve me getting hurt?" said Yuuno.
"Because if I said it was my papa or onii-chan, they'd ask mama or onee-chan what happened," Nanoha answered like it was obvious. "Ne, Lindy-san, you found out anything about Tailwind yet?"
"Actually, I – Tailwind?" said Lindy, tilting her head at Nanoha.
"What? S.T.A.R. Labs can name their supervillains, but I can't?" said Nanoha. "I thought of Tailwind because he was so fast and it just sounds cool. So whatcha got on him."
"I didn't find anything on…Tailwind exactly," said Lindy. "But I have found a few news articles on six high-rise robberies taking place in major companies all over Japan over the past month, including the one from today. After some investigating, I found two connections between them: witness reports talk about a flying man fleeing from each scene and all the items stolen were related to Hematology."
Nanoha stared clueless.
"Blood science," Lindy explained. "Knowing this, it should be easier to narrow down his next target; not a lot of major companies specialize in the study of bloodwork. Just give me a moment to look around."
"Why would Tailwind go through all the trouble of stealing blood tech?" said Nanoha. "You think maybe he's sick and can't afford treatment and now he's stealing stuff to save himself. I feel kinda bad about beating him up then. Or maybe…maybe he's secretly a vampire! That's why he was wearing that suit; the sun would burn him otherwise."
"Pretty sure Tailwind is working for someone else," said Lindy. "The way he coordinates his thefts and the technology he used – these are way beyond anything Earth people could build. I would normally point out the Leviathan as the culprit, but the fact that Tailwind stole from him disproves that theory. And the suit itself – " Lindy narrowed her eyes, watching a video of the chase that had been taken by Raising Heart. "It definitely looks like Mid-Childan tech, but nothing I've ever seen before. Where did he get it?"
"I just want to know how I'll be able to catch him," said Nanoha. "Yuuno-kun, it's there some spell I can use to give me a supersonic boost or something?"
"There isn't a spell that can make you go faster," said Yuuno. "Well, there is, but you're body isn't strong enough to withstand the pressure of an A.C.S. just yet."
"Then there's no way for me to catch him?" said Nanoha in a whiny tone.
"I didn't say that," said Yuuno. "There are going to be many times in the future where you won't be able to defeat your opponent with straightforward methods. That's the time you need to resort to unconventional methods. What I'm saying is, rather than trying to outfly Tailwind, you need to outthink him."
"Outthink him, huh?" Nanoha hummed.
"Not to ruin this little moment you're having," said Lindy suddenly, "but I think I think might have found out where his next target is going to be. If he is still in Uminari City, then there is one company left that has a division working in hematology." She tapped her, bringing up an image of a large building with a giant 'A' on the screen. "Alchemax."
"That new company that sprung up six months ago?" said Nanoha. "Every time I fly by that building, I still can't believe they ripped off the Avengers logo."
"I've always thought it was strange how Alchemax just appeared out of nowhere and suddenly climbed to the top of the corporate world," said Lindy. "I also don't like how there are no public records of the CEO, Tyler Stone, prior to his appearance at Alchemax's opening. But we'll have to look into that further later. Right now, Alchemax is hosting an entire division devoted to Hematology and even has its own blood bank. I have no idea what they're doing with it, but if we follow the pattern, I can almost guarantee Tailwind will be there."
"And I'll be waiting for him," Nanoha said determined.
It was late that same day at Alchemax Headquarters and Tailwind had already made a decent headway into his job. Disabling the silent alarm was easy. Hacking the camera feed to loop, child's play. Flying to the twenty-third floor and searing a hole in the window; it was like Alchemax was inviting him to rob them for everything their worth.
Tailwind touched down inside the Hematology laboratory and wandered over to the far-side wall, where there were ten industrial freezers, each one marked from 'A' to 'Wo'. Tailwind opened the first freezer, freezing cold air flowing over his suit, and found rows upon rows of tiny test tubes, each filled with a frozen blood samples. Tailwind scanned the rows, sorting through unnecessary samples, until he found what he needed. He took the sample out of the rack and closed the door, inspecting his target in the moonlight. There was a label on the side of it: B-7-33-D. Nodding to himself, Tailwind started to pocket the sample when – "
"You know…"
Tailwind jumped; the blood sample slipped out of his fingers and smashed on the floor as he spun around to the window where the White Devil was floating with her arms crossed.
"If you don't want people to think you're a thief," said the White Devil, "don't dress like a thief."
Tailwind threw up his arm as his wrist-mounted laser was charging. The White Devil beat him to it; she fired a Divine Shot through the window, blasting the laser cannon off his suit. Ripping off the now useless laser, Tailwind took a running start at another window and smashed his way through the glass, shooting off into the city skyline, leaving a red blur in his wake.
"Hey, you gonna pay for that?" The White Devil shouted as she chased after him. "That is so not coming out of my allowance!"
The White Devil stayed close behind Tailwind as he started weaving between the buildings, trying to lose her around the corners like he did last time. However, the White Devil decided against following him at the turns and instead maintained a straight path while keeping an eye on Tailwind from afar. As Tailwind winded around another corner, he suddenly stopped in front of the White Devil with his remaining laser cannon charged and fired a ballistic barrage of red beams. The White Devil eye's went wide and quickly stopped herself in midair, throwing out her hand.
"Round Shield!" said Raising Heart.
The pink barrier appeared just in time to block the shots, but when the White Devil looked back at Tailwind, he had already taken off with a sizable gap between them. The White Devil quickly shot after him, but there was no way she was going to catch up to him at this rate.
"Ugh, it's no use," the White Devil groaned. "He's too fast! I'll never be able to catch him the way I am now….But maybe I don't have to. Like Yuuno-kun said, I shouldn't try to outfly him, I need to outthink him."
The White Devil took a sharp left behind the next building.
Tailwind zoomed sharply around the corner and speeded down the avenue, passing both Tsukimura Enterprise Headquarters and the police station; every stared up wide-eyed as he passed. Not hearing the usual annoying ramblings, Tailwind spun around, flying backwards as he looked down the street. The White Devil was nowhere to be seen. Tailwind silently nodded; it looked like he had finally given the little demon the sl –
Wham!
A powerful blow struck Tailwind in the back of the head, sending him spiraling down to the street. Passersby quickly sprinted off the sidewalk as the flying thief bounced off the pavement and slammed into a lamppost, causing it to bend awkwardly. Tailwind shook his head and looked up to see what had hit him. He visible stiffened; the White Devil was floating overhead with her arms crossed and a confident gleam in her eyes.
"Should have paid attention to where you were going," said the White Devil. "Remember kids, always keep your eyes ahead when driving or being hunted down by magical girls."
This message was brought to you by the Society for the Awareness Magical Girl.
Tailwind shook his head and quickly zoomed off into the sky again, sliding past the White Devil and taking a sharp right down the road. The White Devil didn't chase after him; she glided down a street in the opposite direction.
Tailwind zipped around an apartment complex, dived under a freeway overpass, and squeezed his way through a narrow opening between two buildings before turning down a dingy alleyway. Tailwind made certain not to look back and check on the White Devil; his eyes were firmly locked on the path ahead. But because he was focused on moving forward, he failed to notice the White Devil coming in from the side until she shoulder tackled him into the wall, leaving human-shaped imprint in the bricks. Tailwind stared down at the White Devil pressing against his chest; her eyes shined with mirth. He pushed her away and made a direct shot upwards; the White Devil flew down a nearby lane.
Once he was above the buildings, he sharply turned in the air and speeded in the direction of the docks. There was plenty of open space above the ocean; if he made it past the ports, there would be no way she could catch him by surprise. However, he had barely managed to reach the edge of the harbor when he suddenly stopped in mid-air. He felt a strong tug that kept him in place and looked down; a pink chain of energy was constricted around his right leg connecting to the roof of the building below him. Tailwind reached down and pulled as hard as he could on the energy chains, but they wouldn't break.
Tailwind heard someone clear their throat above him and apprehensively turned around. The White Devil was floating a small distance away from him. It took him a moment before Tail realized that she was floating outside a perfect sphere of at least forty to fifty Divine Orbs, all of them lined up in the air with no openings for him to escape.
"As much as I hate to admit it," said the White Devil, "but when it comes to flying, you're better than me in every way. But even though you may be faster than me, I've lived in Uminari City my entire life. I've memorized the entire layout; every street every shortcut are all memorized up here," she added, tapping the side of her head. "All I had to do was cut you off at every turn until you were desperate enough to think you would be in the clear once you reached the water, where I had already set my trap up beforehand."
"Cluster charge ready!" said Raising Heart.
"You're in for it now!" shouted the White Devil, aiming Raising Hearts head at Tailwind. "Raising Heart, fire!"
"Sacred Cluster!" said Raising Heart.
The sphere of Divine Shots struck from every direction all at once and the best Tailwind could do was throw up his arms as the Mana orbs exploded around him. The rapid succession of explosives took a full minute to complete, which even Nanoha though may have been a little over-the-top. The explosions eventually subsided, leaving a large cloud of black smoke floating in the air. Then a red-and-black blur dropped from the bottom of the cloud and landed on the roof below with a loud crash.
The White Devil floated down to the rooftop, tilting her head curiously. Tailwind's suit had sustained heavily damage; several areas of the black hexagon material were either chipped or missing completely. His jetpack was sparking and large puffs of smoke were coming out of it. A chunk of his helmet was missing, showing a tuft of blonde hair underneath. Tailwind looked like he was trying to move, but either his body was too weak from the attack, or the damaged suit paralyzed his movements.
"Doesn't look like you're going anywhere soon, Mr. Tailwind," said the White Devil, taking a seat next to the villain. "I already sent an anonymous tip to our favorite police lieutenant, so they'll be here any moment. While we wait for them, mind telling me who you were working for?"
"Forget it, Devil!" said Tailwind; his voice was very high-pitched and unnaturally squeaky. "You ain't getting a thing out of me!"
The White Devil stared at him...then she burst into laughter.
"Stop laughing! I'm being serious here!" shrieked Tailwind angrily.
"I-I know!" said the White Devil, laughing uncontrollably. "But that-that voice is-is-it's so unfitting!"
"Grr…I won't forget this, Devil," Tailwind declared. "One day, I swear I'm going to – STOP LAUGHING!"
The White Devil couldn't stop. Neither did the police when they arrested him.
The White Devil went back to Lindy's apartment later that night to celebrate her victory over Tailwind. Nanoha was so proud of her achievement that she was able to choke down Lindy's over sweetened green tea.
"Excellent work out there, Nanoha," Yuuno complimented. "You overcame a tough enemy tonight and you did it by thinking things through."
"I've always been proud of my flying skills," said Nanoha, "but tonight reminded me that they're not my only strength. For now on, I'm going to work hard to improve myself in all of my skills so I can be a better hero."
"That's the spirit, Nanoha," said Yuuno.
"Did Tailwind ever say who hired him?" asked Lindy.
"He didn't know," said Nanoha. "The guy who hired him sent everything anonymously: the suit, the weapons, the money, even detailed schematics of the security and floor plans of all his targets. And he made sure that everything he sent couldn't be traced back to him. Whoever this guy is, he's extremely thorough."
"I can't help but wonder," said Lindy, taking a sip from her mug. "Who could possibly benefit from stealing blood related technology?"
Meanwhile, at the Alchemax Hematology Laboratory, the blood sample of test tube B-7-33-D stained on the floor, glimmering with a sinister shade of crimson under the moonlight.
And then it crawled away into the drain.
Yukari Tamura: The city trembles in the wake of a new adversary and a young girl finds herself pressed into a dangerous situation. But help comes from an unlikely ally; a child who has lost her freedom to touch the Earth. But her mind stretches beyond the limitations of her body and reaches out to help another. Next time on the White Devil…
Did the Earth Shake (nano)?
Nanoha: Magical! Lyrical! I'll do my best!
