Chapter 8 – A Clear Premonition
"Mari, how many more panel shield generators do you need to install?" Elesis asked the Ether Tech she was covering. She had just created her Genocide tornado, sending any nearing enemies into the spiral. It was a delaying tactic to buy some time.
Mari wasn't giving an overstatement when she said that the Violet Mage Guild was being swarmed by monsters. The number of enemies was roughly twice the number of mages there, and that was after Lire's Arch Ranger Big Shot. Having spent their energy on stronger spells a while ago, the Violet Mages could only perform small bolt spells and buffs to help out the girls fighting for them.
"Just one more, but the area has a massive aggregate of monsters. It needs to be cleared first," Mari answered already moving in a 2 o'clock direction from her last device. Seven of the eight required set-ups were placed in an octagonal formation surrounding the headquarters. "Lire, status report," applying pressure to a device on her ear. A portable communicator she had given each of them a while ago.
"Not good," Lire replied from the gadget, "there are monsters going towards the South-West and East-South shields. That's the fourth and the sixth. I'll take out the fourth, but someone has to handle the sixth. The mob might come any moment."
Elesis was about to rush over when Amy came whizzing past. "Allow me," she called.
The dancer held her cleo upright as she ran towards the sixth-placed generator. Sure enough, there was a group of Anmon dashing as well towards it from the opposite direction. At their current speed, Amy would reach it a moment before they did. Upon getting there, she positioned her cleo in front of her, pointing in the direction of the ant-looking monsters.
"Scream!"
Amy released a high-pitched sound, which got amplified and concentrated as it passed through her cleo. The Anmon were pushed back by the sound waves that also hurt their hearing senses. One by one, they fell down unconscious, unable to take the frequency.
"And that's how you beat bad guys without blood," Amy said, turning around to Elesis.
"Ow," Elesis said, "So that's why my ears hurt when I was talking to Mari. That skill has some serious reverberations."
"Girls, first and fifth, repeat first and fifth," Lire interrupted from their ear devices, "I'm still busy with the fourth here."
The two girls nodded. "Roger."
Lire was atop the building, sniping at the enemies nearing the fourth generator. She was using a mixture of explosive arrows and accurate shooting in her aim stance. Beside her, Arme was standing in the middle of a magic circle to channel mana.
"Lire, don't you think we're spread quite thin? Is it really alright I stay here and just concentrate?" Arme asked, worried about her friends below.
"Don't worry, they can handle it down there," Lire assured her, "Everything would depend upon your success on this spell."
Arme nodded, resuming her mana channeling with her battle staff held horizontally in front of her.
"The final shield is already in place. Your signal is after Elesis and Amy clear the first and fifth ones," Mari said from the intercom.
"Bravery!"
Elesis swiftly cut through the Anmon that were going towards the first shield. Her sword slashes blazed, hitting enemies she wouldn't normally hit with her blade. A final downward slash sent a shockwave that sent all of her foes flying. "The first is clear," Elesis said.
"Pink Death Parade!"
Amy took out a hologram projector and a pink dinosaur outfit from her Pandora's Box. In five seconds, the suit and machine were on, and a 50-foot hologram of a pink reptile loomed over the Anmon there. They were unfazed, thinking it was just an image, after seeing what Amy did. The Sistina released a small giggle, before readying her right foot high in the air. She stomped, the ground shook, and the Anmon were lifted twenty feet off the ground. She stomped her other foot just when they were about to land, making them airborne longer. The dinosaur opened its mouth and spewed a flame laser at the monsters, which exploded on impact with the ground. "Fifth is clear!" Amy announced.
"Initiating Code Delta Activation Sequence," Mari said.
"Understood. Arme, now," Lire called.
"Got it. The End."
The sky turned red. Countless massive meteors could be seen falling towards the Violet Mage Guild Headquarters. Just as one was about to hit the building, a blue force field flickered and blocked the meteor. The attack continued, wiping out all the monsters that were trying to make their way towards the Headquarters.
After a while, everything was clear and the violet mages, one by one, sat down to rest. And so did Elesis and the others with them, in their own circle.
"It's a prototype model for a Mana Drive Shield Panel Generator I have created," Mari explained, finding the inquisitive stares of the mages at the blue light flickering now and then surrounding their building.
"I would like to thank you personally for helping us, Grand Chase," a woman with long lavender hair said to them.
"High Mage Clara," Arme recognized, bowing sheepishly before her.
"Hello, Arme. I see you're doing well."
"Yes, Ma'am. We came here finding out that this place is connected to the disappearance of Master Aerknard Sieghart, the mana trail of the one who held our evidence passing by."
"Evidence?"
"Yes. Here," Mari said to her. She showed her a cloth wrapping that contained the note and the necklace in it.
"My, this is very bad. That shade of purple does mean that it came from someone that is connected to the Violet Mage Guild. And the damage to this necklace, it's very disturbing that it can be recreated."
"Does that mean it's not Elena who broke that necklace?" Arme asked.
"I'm afraid not. The magical damage to the necklace is of the same magnitude, rendering it useless. But, Elena has the ability to make the physical damage of the necklaces more subtle, faking that it was an accident."
"Oh."
"And, as for the mana trail that led you here. I think I have something that can help."
"Really?" Elesis suddenly asked. Her energy went up a bit, feeling tense with what Clara was about to say.
"It was a night four days ago. On one of my nightly rounds, I noticed a young man a distance from the Guild. I couldn't make out his face, but he had white hair. A moment after, he walked off. I didn't see him since. But, that was the last night I had in peace, before the Anmon came and attacked us for three straight days. Most of the mages have already drained all of their magic and have collapsed in the infirmary."
"The white-haired guy... Was it Lass?" Lire asked.
"NO! Lass and I had a quiet walk that night! Don't make him the bad guy!" Arme interjected.
Everyone just snickered, and Arme realized she just divulged a secret of hers.
"Don't worry, Arme," Clara said, "I assure you it wasn't Lass. This man was much too tall and much too loud to be him. It seemed he was in an angered state, stomping off. I could hear his footsteps clearly that night. We are in peace with the Silver Cross Thieves. Their leader has no need to personally go to us and cause conflict."
Arme thankfully sighed.
"Would you happen to have any leads as to where this man went?" Mari asked.
"Sadly, he left nothing for me to be able to trace him. I'm sorry."
Mari nodded.
Clara looked at Elesis, and abruptly gasped.
"High Mage Clara, is something wrong?" Arme asked.
"Two hearts that affect one
Causing sadness and confusion
A scarlet dream
An emberred flame
An earthed desire
An emotional quagmire
There is always one who'll be in pain
And one will end up not fully sane"
Everyone was silent after that.
"A reading of three..." Arme murmured. She was shaking when she realized what she had just heard.
"I'm very sorry, Arme," Clara told her, "A reading of three is not the best of prophecies, and I didn't want to tell it either. But, she's part of it, and it's important she hears."
"I understand, High Mage Clara."
Clara nodded, and walked back towards the resting mages.
"Arme, what was that about?" Lire asked. The redhead was also looking at her with a worried expression.
Arme put her head down, saying, "She had a prophecy concerning Elesis. But, I can't tell what it means. It's one of those things that she has to learn by herself." Arme looked at Elesis, her eyes starting to become wet. "I'm sorry."
