Note: Nearing the end here, not long now and not very much SnS orientated for a while.
Chapter 7
Shana saw the bright blue beam of energy zooming towards her and banked to the right to avoid the attack without slowing down. She knew her opponent before she saw her; but the distinctive clothes and Hougo were unmistakable: Hecate, the Master Throne.
"Out of the way!" Shana screamed as she charged Hecate who, as per usual, remained silent as she fired off more of her ranged attacks. Wilhelmina and Margery were close behind and they spread out to flank Hecate; but Margery's path was blocked by Sydonay who appeared in a flash of green light.
"This is getting beyond déjà vu, Senpen." Margery greeted her old enemy and the Lord of Guze grunted his agreement.
"We really are starting to form a bond, it's a shame we're on opposite sides." He replied.
"Enough chit chat, it's time to finish this, my lovely goblet, Margery Daw!" Marcosius cackled and the Flame Haze agreed as they once again transformed into the bear form. Shana was now in melee combat with Hecate, sword clashing on staff with no room to use their more powerful ranged attacks.
Wilhelmina's bandage like material wrapped around Hecate's ankles from below and swung her down into a building which collapsed around the Master Throne.
"Go ~ de arimasu." Wilhelmina said and Shana nodded before flying into the Serei-den alone. She honed in on Yuji's presence and headed straight for it.
"It seems that The Flame of Heaven's Flame Haze is coming for you." Bel-Peol commented to the Mystes chained to the wall behind her. Yuji tried to look out the window the Lord of Guze was to see her.
"You knew she would." He accused her and the triclops glanced back at him.
"That's right. It's part of our plan, we need her for the experiment."
"Experiment?" Yuji echoed.
"Yes. The power of existence in a Flame Haze is extraordinarily high; but if that can all be extracted then their powers as a Flame Haze are temporarily removed. What would happen if their power of existence was extracted after that?"
Bel-Peol's implication was quite clear; and Yuji could only fear for Shana.
Himura stood among an endless expanse of flaming corpses and sighed with relief.
"You're late!" He shouted at the hundreds of Guardians filtering into the area with swords drawn. At least four hundred knelt on surrounding rooftops with bows in their hands having torn apart the enemy army.
"There was a buffer force to delay us." One of the Council members shouted to Himura.
"Better late than never, I suppose. I feel a great deal safer fighting alongside you again, Gordon." Himura spoke and the two grasped hands. Not a hand shake but the classic military formality, looking for weakness in the other and finding none.
"Sir Bryan has taken the First Division to help Lady Elena and then to reinforce the Flame Haze." Gordon debriefed Himura who nodded his head. Gordon thought he saw a look of resignation on the boy's face but it quickly passed, the long time soldier's face falling into the warrior's cold mask.
"Then that means I'll have to deal with Him." The more senior officer looked up at the solitary figure who glared down at them with contempt, apparently oblivious of the hundreds of expert bowmen training their weapons on him should he move into range.
"We can draw a net around him." Gordon suggested but Himura shook his head.
"There will be casualties, a lot of them. I'll fight him alone until Bryan shows up." Himura unsheathed his sword and white wings sprouted from his back, stretching to a majestic span.
"You're sure about this?" Gordon tried once again but his superior declined his help again and launched himself up into the air. The enemy above smiled cruelly and awaited his opponent.
Elena sheathed her sword and a Guardian carried over her discarded bow which she took gratefully and slung over her shoulder.
"Where's Sir Bryan?" She asked and the Guardian pointed over to where a group of uniformed Guardians were in a circle around a tall figure who was gesturing and speaking rapidly. As Elena approached the group dispersed as the soldiers hurried to do their jobs.
"In the nick of time, Sir Bryan." Elena greeted him and the commander turned around to see the owner of the familiar voice and a tired grin broke over his face. He looked haggard, as if he had not slept for days. He probably had not. Bryan bore a striking resemblance to Himura; but his hair was darker and his eyes were stormy grey, his face giving the impression of someone used to hard labour.
"I'm glad to see you're unharmed, Elena. We need to use our temporary advantage to storm the Serei-den and help the Flame Haze. A force of Tomogora has appeared and we're currently in a dead lock. You and I will spearhead an offensive into the base itself and so force Bal Masque out." Bryan's brusque manner implied that time was crucial but Elena was hesitant.
"Bryan, you can sense that He is here. Surely you should head over there to fight him? You are the only one capable of defeating him." Bryan turned away from her as he stared towards the distant battle raged in the sky. On one side was Himura and their ultimate enemy, the other were Tomogora and their Flame Haze allies.
"I can defeat him; but not kill him." Bryan finally and stared right at her, his eyes were pained but resolute. "Only Himura can kill him for sure. We will stay out of the fight and accomplish our other objectives before we return and aid him if we can; but I suspect that we will be a hindrance."
"Last time Himie fought against Him-"
"That was a long time ago. You know as well as I do how much stronger he has become. He is far stronger than I am and he is the only one capable of this feat. Believe in him and pray he comes back safely; but we have a job to do in the mean time Elena. You know Himura would agree with me on this." Bryan interrupted Elena's protest and his eyes were unyielding and commanding. Elena gave in and the two flew off to the battle.
Shana burst through the glass window into the room and the first thing she saw was Yuji chained to the wall.
"Yuji!" She cried in relief but it was short lived as Bel-Peol's odd weapon; of what appeared to be two pairs of three metal cylinders melted together in the centre attached to each end of a long metal chain, zoomed from out of her peripheral vision and slammed in her back and sent her sprawling the ground, winded.
Shana fell hard onto the ground and as she forced herself to stand, coughing as she tried to force air back into her lungs, she felt uneasy. She had the feeling that she had been forced into her present position.
Her instincts proved true as a whirring sound announced the activation of some kind of machinery. As the sound began Shana felt herself weaken and she fell back onto her hands and knees, her injury from Bel-Peol's attack feeling distinctly more painful than it had before.
"The Seeking Researcher again. We've seen this before!" Alastor warned but it was unnecessary for Shana could barely move as her strength as a human was pulled away as well.
"Thaaaaaaaat's correct! A new technology for the leeching and draining of a Flame Haze's very life!" The Seeking Researcher's voice sounded over an intercom device somewhere in the room.
"Shana!" Yuji shouted but the girl's arms and legs had given out and she collapsed forwards, arms and legs spread out as she stared towards a wall as her vision became blurry. Bel-Peol nodded in satisfaction and was turning away when two winged shapes burst in through the window. One, with a smaller pair of wings, landed by Shana and picked the limp girl up and then carried her away from the draining circle. The second shape turned to Bel-Peol, a sword held forwards as if issuing a challenge.
Elena ran over to Yuji after laying Shana gently down on her back away from the mechanical device and cut him down. The Mystes boy immediately rushed to Shana's side and gently lifted her into a sitting position and softly called her name in an attempt to wake her up but she seemed tired, paler than he had ever seen.
"She's exhausted. It will take some time before her strength returns." Elena assured him that Shana was not actually dead, just unconscious.
"It seems now would be a good time to make our leave." Bel-Peol said as she observed the powerful figure of Bryan opposing her over his sword blade. She disappeared in a ball of red flame and outside the other Lords of Guze also abandoned the battle. Somewhere there was the sound of rockets igniting and the retreat of the Seeking Researcher was made.
"We need to take her somewhere where she's safe and can rest." Bryan said as he sheathed his sword and turned back to the group.
"What about Himie? We have to go help him!" Elena protested but Bryan shook his head firmly.
"We will just hamper him, Elena. We can only watch. If things take a turn for the worse I will step in and drive Him away; but it is better for all of us if Himura kills Him here and now."
"You say he can do it; but will he be wounded like last time? He barely survived it and it's doubtful he'll survive a second injury like that."
Bryan gave her no answer.
