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Little Wing It
Volume 2
Photon Art Online
Chapter 2
Five Hours At Inhelt
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I
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I got out of the way as the huge insectoid fell down face first onto the hard, unforgiving ground, which was now its resting place.
Firmly impaled on its back was an orange double saber, gripped by the perplexing petite redhead mercenary, Crimson Hunter Red.
I still think the name is redundant as hell.
"Another one for me! That makes five now!"
For some reason, she got it into her head to start an Astark hunting contest, and before me or Emilia could refuse, she was already keeping score.
That is to say, she singlehandedly killed one in record time.
For all the annoyance she's capable of bringing me and my partner, she's one of the most talented mercenaries I've ever seen. A fact that I regularly forget.
It deals a huge blow to my pride but I can safely say she'd beat me in a one-on-one fight. She's just that prodigious that, even with my experience and versatility, she's got the edge on me.
But even then, I can't see her as anything more than a juvenile troublemaker because of her antics.
It also doesn't help that she's a full head shorter than me.
"Heh. You guys plan on catching up?"
"Grr...! Kara, we gotta up our game!"
Oh, and of course, Emilia took the challenge, despite mainly being my support.
Really, despite how talented these two are, in their own unique ways, I still despair over the fact that I'm basically stuck with two kids for this mission.
Oh and by the way, the score was 5-3 in Red's favor. Not counting the small fry escapees.
"We've been at this for several minutes now, how many more Astarks left?"
Red asked as we caught our breath. Despite the Astarks not being terribly hard opponents, it was still three against many, frequently.
"According to the mission details, there should be one or two left."
"Oh, too bad. Looks like a tie's the best you can get!"
Why? Why is she approaching this too competitively? I get trying to boost enthusiasm but this feels completely different.
Almost like she's trying to prove a point or something. Bah, what do I know.
As I was not-so-deep in thought, I felt a slight tug at my sleeves. Turning around, I saw that it was Emilia.
What does she want, I wonder?
"Hey, Kara. We're not gonna let Red win, are we?"
Never mind, then!
"Gyaaoooooo!"
As I was in the process of deadpanning Emilia's childish question, a loud roar thundered along the nearby hallway, almost certainly an Astark.
I pulled out my new saber's hilt and activated it, feeling the bright beam of light extend and take the shape of an elongated blade.
Emilia and Red did the same, summoning their respective weapons and standing on guard as the loud thumping gradually loudened with each stomp.
And finally, after a few moments, a target appeared, the yellow exoskeleton of the Astark gleaming from the lab's bright lights.
"Alright, you know the drill, get in position. Don't engage head-on, avoid the poison breath, use distractions. Go!"
If there was something I was grateful for at that moment, it was that Emilia and Red both surprisingly follows simple orders like that.
They mostly do their own thing in combat, Red far more so, but I'm very very glad that they have the sense to listen to basic commands.
Arguing while in combat is probably the most pointlessly stupid and dangerous mistake to make.
The Astark roared loudly upon noticing us, and jumped up and rolled up into a ball. Upon landing, it quickly sped in our direction.
We dodged it successfully, but it ricocheted off the walls, picking up more speed each time it did.
It was like a heavily dangerous game of dodgeball.
After a while, it stopped, and we took the opportunity.
I released the charged handgun shot I've been holding since it cannonballed us at its face, bringing it off balance.
"[Rafoie]!"
Emilia went next, blasting the insectoid with a scorching explosion, the force of it creating a shockwave that dragged the creature against the hard, tiled ground.
The moment it managed to stop its backwards acceleration, Red was already in front of it.
A slash to the arm, a slash at the leg. A slash at the torso and a slash at the chest, followed by a quick somersault kick that tilted it backwards.
Mind you, that double saber combo happened in the span of two seconds.
And as Red leapt away, I was in the air, my saber secured in a two-hand grip.
Sorry, buddy, just business.
"Kara, watch out!"
"Huh- Gah!"
I barely managed to summon my shield in time, owing it to Emilia's warning and my own instincts.
And I was sent flying to the wall by a powerful strike.
A loud crash would have assaulted my ears if it weren't for the pain my body was feeling right now.
"Kara! You okay?! Come on, get up! Up!"
"Keep it down, noisy girl, I'm tryin'!"
I grabbed her outstretched hand and stood up, using her pull as support. I gave her a quick nod as thanks.
And right before us was not one, but two Astarks, looking genuinely hostile. Well, not that they don't ever look not hostile.
Before any of us could move though, a red and black blur shot from above and struck one of the Astarks in the face, disorienting it and making it fall down with a loud thud.
Red somersaulted bacwards and landed on top of the other Astark's head, her small size allowing her to do so, albeit with some difficulty.
She jumped to avoid an errant punch, using gravity as extra force as she slashed downwards twice in one stroke.
And the Astark's arm landed a few meters away.
Enraged and in great pain, the Astark trashed around and prepared to slam Red with its remaining arm.
It didn't work though, as Red dodged the strike easily and slashed the arm, blood gushing out.
And a slash upwards to the chin, double slash to the shoulder and she jumped away, as the Astark resorted to its poison breath.
As Red landed near us, the other Astark began standing up, still a bit disoriented but conscious.
"... Having fun?"
"Not as much as I'd like, no. That exoskeleton is damn tough."
She complained as she caught her breath, that entire sequence looked absolutely exhausting if not for the adrenaline rush.
Then let's make it brittle. I looked at Emilia to check if she got the hint. She nodded.
"Emilia, it's our turn."
"Right!"
Just in time, as the two-armed Astark charged at us. We jumped out of the way, as Emilia started casting.
"[Rabarta]!"
The blast of cold wind stopped the insectoid in its tracks, the ice forming in its armor's gaps.
Red quickly moved into action, unleashing a barrage of slashes on the semi-frozen Astark, cracking its armor in several places.
As I neared the amputated one, I set my saber on the third-option again.
Let's see how this works!
"[Rising Strike]!"
The blade started glowinh blinding red as I swung upwards, overdrive giving my strike the extra oomph to push the creature backwards.
But I wasn't done.
I leapt after it, sending yet another well-placed uppercut on its bloody chin, this time knocking it flat on its back.
I reversed my grip into a two-handed downwards grip, and planted the blade in the Astark's chest as I fell.
It tried struggling pitifully for a while, but it ultimately died in the end.
"[Razonde]!"
And a large bolt of lightning dropped down on the frozen and cracked other Astark, the explosion killing it before it started falling on its face.
After one final thud, all we could hear was each other's heavy breathing.
"... tie game, Red."
"Oh, come on...!"
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II
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"Whew, I thought we'd never get done...!"
My partner complained as we walked through the lab halls, accompanied only by the whirring of the lab equipment and our own footsteps.
And the alarm, which for some reason, was still blaring.
We'd basically turned this place into a slaughterhouse, what with all the dead monsters littering the place.
Thankfully, they're not anywhere near starting to smell yet.
"We just gotta report to the client and go home now."
"Yeah... Soft and comfy bed, here I come..."
Still the same old Emilia...
The mission report said ten Astarks at most, and any other escapees still within the premises.
I can safely say our mission is now complete. Time to get paid.
"Red how're you holding up?"
"Huh? Oh, just fine. Still can't believe it ended up as a tie, though."
She's been awfully quiet the last few minutes that I thought she'd been injured or something. Of course not. Turns out she was just being a child again.
"Then don't let Emilia get the killing blow next time."
"Grr. Crimson Hunter Red will have her revenge."
Really? I can't tell if she's almost as bad as Emilia or worse. They're childish, both of them.
Though, I'm still a bit curious about the name.
"... is Red your actual name?"
"Hm? Course not."
She answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Well, excuse me.
"So what's your real name?"
I asked. I was genuinely curious. If we're going to be working with each other, it couldn't hurt to know each other's real names, right?
Definitely not trying to obtain some blackmail material.
"No way, dude. Not at that stage yet."
"Heh. Guess not."
I wasn't disappointed, per se. If anything, it's more of a joke than an actual question.
Although I am still curious.
"So is Kara your real name or what?"
"Yes, it is. Got a problem with it?"
"Err, no, not really."
"That's what I thought."
I'm guessing she's learned her lesson by now. I just don't understand why she insists on throwing jabs if she can't take it.
An enigma, this one is.
We walked silently for a while, Emilia looking half-asleep so I'm not gonna bother with her for now.
"So, isn't it, like, hard for you?"
"Huh? What is?"
"Your name. Uh, don't the jokes get old?"
"They did a decade ago. I'm used to it."
She nodded in response and went back to her silent mode. The fact that she had one was the most surprising discovery of the day.
I have no idea why she's being friendly all of a sudden.
No, scratch that. With her attitude, I'm willing to bet she doesn't have that many friends, if at all.
Me and Emilia are probably the first ones she worked with for any significant amount of time.
Really, what a kid. A lonely kid trying to hide it. I'm not exactly unfamiliar to the feeling.
"Ugh... that stupid alarm. We took them all out, right? Why's it still sounding?"
Another complaint. I'd be annoyed at her if I wasn't asking the aame question. All the escapees are dead. Shouldn't someone have turned it off by now?
Or questions were answered, or at least, mine, when a man who appeared to be an Inhelt scientist came running towards us.
"*gasp, *pant, You're the folks from Little Wing, right? We've been waiting for you!"
"Why? The mission's done."
"Well, yes, although... You see, we had some synthetics out to put the escapees down but..."
"Let me guess, the synths have gone haywire."
The man nodded and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
Oh, boy. Trouble, my old friend.
What the heck? Is this place run by a bunch of Emilias? Then I better get the hell outta here.
"Synthetics on the rampage? How'd that happen?"
Emilia asked the scientist as she and Red approached. The man's appearance became even more pitiful as he answered.
"Well, to be honest. We have no idea. Though we're looking into it, believe me."
Kill me.
"What kind of synths are we talking about here?"
"Well, mostly GRM-made multipedes, and some swarmers. Ah, and a handful of Grinna Betes as well."
"All those different types going haywire at the same time? Did they have a leader? Something bigger than a Grinna Bete?"
"Er, yes, actually. We were testing a new elite model, the Reol Badia."
"Well, there's your culprit. My guess is that Reol's got a borked command circuit. If it's sending out confused signals, that could cause enough for your haywire synthetics. "
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?!"
What, really?
Fire them. Fire them all.
I take my earlier statement back. They're worse than Emilia. Not tooting my horn or anything, but if I knew all those technologies, I'd probably have figured it out.
And I'm not even that bright. Maybe I made a mistake. I should have applied to be a scientist here instead. The standards don't seem to be very high and the pay's gotta be better.
"Bolthead's got a funny way of figuring things out. That some talent of hers or something?"
"I dunno. She did it twice before so probably."
The relic site and the Kasch markings. Those were the two other times I got a glimpse of super-smart Emilia.
It's so different from her usual self that it's weirding the crap outta me.
"Let's worry about the job at hand first, shall we? We gotta take out that Reol Badia before the synths do more damage!"
She seemed to have heard us. Red only smirked at her in response.
I, on the other hand...
"Do we even have permission?"
"Oh, of course! You have my full clearance!"
Is he some bigshot employee that he has the clearance to give us clearance? Hell if I know.
I never got to ask, not that I ever intended to, as he started explaining things.
"The synths are frightfully close to our labs where we're working on our subspace generator."
"You're working on a subspace generator on a lower level, here?"
"Yes. If it weren't so vital, we would have abandoned the lab at the first sign of trouble."
Uh, oh. I hope she's not thinking what I'm thinking she's thinking. I'm really not in the mood to wage war against Inhelt.
"I'm extending your clearance beyond this point until the matter is resolved... you will help us with the synths, yes?"
"That's not in our contract."
"W-what?! B-but...!"
The startled look on his face was enough to brighten up my day. It was hilarious.
I'm such a nice person.
"What?! W-wait a sec...!"
My internal laughing was interrupted by a strong pull at my arm, bringing me face to face with Emilia, far out of the hearing range of the others.
"You heard what's below us! A subspace generator!"
She shout-whispered to me. I didn't even know it was possible.
"I know."
"Exactly! This could be our chance to... to check things out! There's bound to be some good info down there!"
After saying that, she left me where she dragged me to and returned back to the waiting scientist.
"We're on the job!"
She proudly declared to the scientist, causing his face to light up in delighted gratitude.
Well, looks like we're doing this, then. Never in my life did I thought I'd be trying to stop a robot revolution.
I'm the leader, damn it! Let me call the shots!
"T-thank you so much! If what you said is true, terminating the Reol should stop the haywire synths! Good luck, Little Wing!"
"Leave it to us! Let's go, guys!"
She said before running off. Well, she's certainly enthusiastic about this.
That's good if she didn't just accept a bunch of extra work that might get us into trouble.
I put my face in my palm, feeling a small headache forming. Red saw this and gave me her trademark smirk.
"Your hands must be so full because of that girl, huh?"
"Tell me about it."
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III
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"So, this is where they seek to delve into the secrets of subspace..."
Mika pondered out loud, as I assume her to be examining the area. She didn't get a chance to do so earlier, because things got hectic, real fast.
"Mika, wait. Can you be careful about when you choose to show up? I don't want other people, especially Red, getting the wrong idea."
"Don't you mean the right idea?"
"Shut up, you."
Mika chuckled at our little exchange, brandishing that radiant motherly smile that always puts us at ease.
Fortunately for us, Red doesn't seem to be hearing us. Or if she did, she's ignoring us. A wise decision, of course.
"Of course, absolutely."
"Right, thanks."
After thanking Mika with a smile, Emilia turned her attention back to me, the serious look on her face returning.
"Okay, moral dilemma. We could destroy the subspace generator now and solve this problem once and for all."
"... ya think?"
"No, I don't think! I mean, I do but... I know we can't do that."
"You don't say."
We could probably pull it off. In fact, if we leave the synths to their own business, they'd probably destroy the generator on their own.
But if we destroy them ourselves, not only would we make enemies out of the entire system, Kraz would positively, absolutely be SEETHING.
So, no.
"Still, it's hard to hold back when the solution is staring us right in the face."
Emilia lightly complained, looking like she's actually thinking of doing it.
If she declares she will, I'll smack her upside the head.
Mika chose that moment to reappear, looking like she has something important to share.
"Do not be overly anxious. There are immeasurable subspaces in the universe. The chances that the one they create here will reach Maghara, where the Ancients reside, are infinitesmally small."
Juicy info right there, folks.
I don't know why she waited so long to tell us. She was sharing a body with Emilia, didn't she sense all the destructive thoughts my partner was generating?
"Really? Oh. Okay. Guess we can leave it be, then."
"... amazing."
This kid just might be the one to make me lose all my hair.
"Of course, should all the keys be brought together, that would be a different matter entirely.
Hey, hey, hey, what now?
Keys? What keys?
"Huh? What keys?"
Well, we're on the same wavelength, it seems.
Before I could comment on that, and before Mika could answer, Red stopped walking and sighed.
"Look, I can tolerate you whispering sweet nothings to each other but... who the heck are you talking to?"
Ah. I guessed she'd catch on eventually. Great. Now she thinks we're crazy.
Oh well.
"I, uh... Um. Wait, what sweet nothings?!"
"Forget it, Emilia. Sorry, Red."
"Whatever. Hurry up or I'll leave you behind!"
Dragging the grumbling Emilia, we trudged on forward.
We didn't walk long before several fly-like drones interrupted us and promptly began firing lasers at us.
Yes, this is my life now.
I rolled out of the way, summoned my handgun and unleashed a few rounds.
The shots hit some of the drones, dropping them like... well, flies.
I got out of the way again as the remaining ones fired lasers at me.
"[Foie]!"
Several fireballs shot from Emilia's rod, destroying more drones than I did.
"[Barta]!"
The remaining drones were frozen solid by the blasts of ice, stopping them in midair.
Before they could fall down, Red swooped in and slashed all of them in two with blinding speed.
Red jumped away as the drones exploded, the smoke dissipating quickly.
"Well, that was a cinch. Wanna bet who destroys more drones?"
"Oh, it's o-"
"Forget it. Let's keep going."
Red just shrugged while Emilia pouted as we continued to walk.
Before long, we came across some stairs that led down to a pool of water.
There were no other ways through, and I can spot another stairway leading down to it across the water.
What, are we supposed to swim?
"Any ideas, guys?"
Emilia asked as she examined the pool.
"... wanna try swimming?"
"No! Besides, the water might be electrified or something..."
Well, that's certainly a possibility.
So let's rule that one out, then.
"Hey! There's a button over here! Let's press it!"
Wait, stop!
Beep
Goddamnit, Red!
To our surprise, the water began freezing over at a rapid rate. Soon enough, the pool was solid enough to walk on.
I guess that works.
"See? Nothing bad-"
A loud machinery starting up from behind us echoed loudly.
I looked back, and I saw a machine that looks like the sucker of a giant vacuum cleaner that wasn't there before. In front of it were two rods generating purple electricity.
And if that wasn't enough, behind the electricity was row of spikes.
And then it started moving towards us.
"... happened."
"W-w-what?!"
"Run!"
We jumped down the stairs and landed on the slippery ice. I'd have fallen down if I wasn't so determined not to get caught by that machine of death.
"Oof!"
I guess Emilia didn't share my determination.
"What the heck are you doing, bolthead?!"
"W-waahh!"
Idiot!
I grabbed her hand as she stood up, looking just about to cry.
I feel like crying too, honestly. The machine was steadily catching up to us.
We ran through to frozen pool, the pure adrenaline rush and survival instincts enabling us to avoid slipping, so far.
Even then, the machine was treading through the ice like it was solid ground. And worse, the machine spanned the entire width of the pool so there was no getting around it without being electrocuted and consequently shredded.
"I have an idea!"
Red exclaimed as she summoned a pair of twin sabers.
But instead of the usual beam swords, they were solid metal.
She raised them up and brought them down on both sides, the slashes impacting the ice and propelling her forward at an incredible speed as she slid.
"Woooooaahhhhh!"
"What the hell, Red?!"
It was an incredible miracle that she didn't fall on her face and erased it.
"R-Red's ice skating! That's actually pretty cool!"
Emilia complimented as we ran. Yeah, it was pretty cool and all but what about us?!
Wait, was that a pun...?
As Red reached the stairs, she quickly ran up and started examining the platform.
"Hey! Can you make it if you jump?!"
Probably not. I could possibly make it but Emilia sure as hell can't. And definitely not if I carry her.
But the shredder was now only a few meters behind us. And I don't feel confident in pulling the same stunt Red did with Emilia in tow.
"Ahhhh! Kara, we're gonna dieeee!"
Ah, to hell with it!
I brought up Emilia in a princess carry and turned towards Red.
"K-Kara?!"
"Hit it!"
Red nodded and started activating the mechanism.
While I still had solid footing, I put all my strength in my legs and jumped.
The ice cracked as it started melting, stopping the machine in its tracks.
I expected to land a short distance away, pray that the water was not electrified and swim to safety.
What I did not expect, however, was to jump the entire distance to the platform.
As we landed beside Red, I noticed her shocked expression. Great, because I'm willing to bet I had the same look on my face.
The machine sunk like a rock as the ice fully melted, bringing an end to that monstrosity.
"W-what the hell?! Did you just fly?!"
"N-no, I jumped and fell in style."
Well, let's just be glad to be alive.
I set Emilia down, who was now staring at my face like I had grown a third eye.
"K-Kara, your eyes! They're glowing again!"
W-what?
I hurried over to a reflective part of the lab walls and caught, for a second, my eyes glowing bright red before quickly reverting to normal.
"Okay, what was that?"
"To be honest, I have no idea either."
I answered Red, who now has her arms crossed and looking at me critically.
She didn't get a chance to interrogate further, however, as two large robot golems crashed down in front of us, beeping loudly.
"Grinna Betes!"
Emilia loudly called out in surprise, pointing at the golems.
As if to respond to her, one of the golems aimed its gun-like arms at us and started whirring.
I would have face-palmed if we weren't avoiding the barrage of lasers that followed.
No rest for the wicked, it seems. I'm beginning to hate this crazy place more and more with each passing second.
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IV
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"[Barta]!"
The blast of cold hit the spiderbot, stopping it in its tracks.
I ran forward and jumped above it, using my saber to slash it from above.
As I landed behind it, sparks flew from its body before it finally shorted out and laid limp on the floor.
Finally.
"Whew... That's gotta be the last of them...!"
I hope so, Emilia. I really really do. I don't think I can stomach another suicidal robot.
Yes, suicidal. These human-sized buggers scuttle around the place, their main bodies sans the leg rotating like a retarded little shit.
They then attempt to pin down a target and promptly explode.
Imagine the blast, pun intended, that we had trying to avoid and destroy these things.
Well, Red was, get this, laughing the entire time. At least she enjoyed herself, I guess.
We spent a few seconds catching our breath, amidst the sea of wrecked synth parts. Flybots, Grinna Betes, Suicidebots.
We must have destroyed hundreds of 'em by now and we were getting righteously sick of it. Where is that goddammned Reol Badia?!
"Hey, a door. Let's check it out."
Red informed us as she was inspecting a door we haven't been to yet.
One thing I learned about Red during this mission was that she was a highly curious individual, inspecting everything like the button before and this door.
I get curiosity, sometimes I get curious too, but I wish she'd be more careful.
The doors slid open as Red attempted to enter. Thankfully, there doesn't seem to be any traps this time.
Me and Emilia followed her into the silent hallway, the still blaring alarm notwithstanding.
"Well, this has certainly been an entertaining trip..."
Red pondered out loud as we walked. Well, entertaining would be one way to put it, I guess. Although personally, I'd use retarded, instead.
Emilia doesn't seem impressed, though, judging by the scowl on her face.
"Speak for yourself, you crazy idiot. How many times have you gotten all of us killed?"
"Ah, stop complaining, ya baby. It's good exercise, you know?"
"Exercise?!"
"Emilia."
"Urgh...! Fine..."
This caused a chuckle to escape from Red, as Emilia started pouting and grumbling incoherent nonsense.
It's amazing how my words have such am effect on these two. With Emilia, she follows my suggestions and orders. With Red, my clapbacks can keep her in line.
I don't know how it happened but I basically became these two's guardian of sorts. Their Little Wing guardian. Har.
Feels like it was just yesterday when I only had one problem child to worry about. Oh wait, it was.
I sighed as we entered another door that led out of the corridor. This time, we found ourselves inside a huge dome shaped room filled with bright lights and no other exit in sight.
This must be the testing room. But where's the Reol?
I didn't need to ask further, though, as a loud mechanical whirring noise assaulted our ears.
"W-what's that noise?!"
Don't add to it, you noisy girl!
"Hey guys, something's coming! Better keep sharp!"
Red warned as she summoned her double saber. Her warnings were proven correct as something big fell down in the middle of the room.
And I do mean big. We were like rats compared to it.
The Reol Badia crashed down loudly but lightly, its four tentacle-like legs supporting its giant saucer-shaped body very well.
Several guns and cannons activated along its body, topped off by a glowing laser cannon on its bottom's center.
My reaction?
"It's big, huh?"
"Big?! It's HUGE! How the heck are we supposed to take THAT down?!"
"I dunno, pull out the power plug, maybe?"
"Or flip the off switch. Think it has a remote?"
"Guys! Not helping!"
You think?
We jumped out of the way as a cloud of lasers and energy bullets rained down on our former general area, obliterating the ground.
Well, I guess the plan for now is to not get hit.
"Seriously, what's the plan?!"
"Go for the legs! We gotta take out its support!"
Red answered Emilia's question as we dodged yet another round of bullets.
She has a point. A very good point. The legs were the only thing keeping the Reol standing. If we take those out, we'll have a much easier time.
"Focus fire on one leg! Let's go!"
I shouted out as I summoned my saber. My handgun isn't gonna do jack yet.
Red started off our assault by dashing towards one leg and slashing it, sliding past it as it attempted to crush her.
"[Rabarta]!"
The cold explosion hit the leg head-on, freezing it in place.
I unleashed a quick three slash combo on the leg before jumping away. I don't want any part of that bullet hell.
"[Tornado Dance]!"
Red tore through the air, striking the leg before sliding off to the side as sparks flew from the spot she hit.
Perfect. It's working.
The downside to that is the ice encasing it was destroyed, allowing it freedom of movement again.
The upside is that our attacks left a hole in its leg.
I summoned my handgun and began charging a shot as I ran towards it, the constant barrage of lasers not allowing us a single moment of rest.
"Red, I need a distraction!"
"On it!"
Red charged at the other leg this time, slicing and dicing as she danced gracefully, not a single shot hitting her.
I started aiming the nozzle of my gun at the hole, the Reol Badia focusing its fire on Red.
"Emilia, slow it down!"
"Right-o! [Barta]!"
Emilia fired off a particularly large gust of ice, hitting the leg and dulling its movement.
I released the shot, most of it passing through the hole Red made.
A series of mini-explosions followed as the leg gave way, bringing along the entire part of the Reol it supported to the ground.
"Haha, yeah! Nice shot, Kara!"
"Three more to go! Don't get cocky just yet!"
I warned my overjoyed partner. True, there's a certain satisfaction you get from causing something as big as the Reol to crash down.
I guess we all have to curb our destructive tendencies sometimes.
I started approaching the leg Red was attacking earlier as Emilia moved to get a better spot to cast Techs.
But Red was nowhere to be seen.
"[Zonde]!"
The bolt of lightning hit the leg square on, the electricity causing it to lock up.
Photon Art Time.
"[Infinite Storm]!"
One slash, two slashes, three slashes. The concentrated attack destroying the metal armor slowly but surely.
"Kara, lasers!"
I moved out of the way as four laser beams burned my earlier spot, Emilia dodging her own lasers.
Really, today's been nothing but lasers.
One by one, though, the lasers started disappearing. And when I turned to look at the giant behemoth, I found out why.
"Is that...? Red! You crazy little...!"
"Keep distracting it! I'll take out all its guns!"
She replied as she took out the final laser cannon from atop the Reol, giving me and Emilia some relief.
Red must have climbed through the broken leg while we assaulted the other one. What a daredevil.
I raised my handgun and fired another charged shot at the second leg. A large chunk of it got blasted off as it fell down, totalling half of the giant synth brought down.
Red seemed to be hanging tough up there, evidenced by her continuing to disable the mounted guns.
"Take that, giant spiderbot! Two left!"
Emilia cheered from behind me. I honestly don't know why she feels the need to. It's not like it can hear nor understand her.
We were stopped in our tracks, though, by a bright blue light.
A mechanism rose up from atop the Reol and glowed bright, the cannon below the Reol also intensifying in light.
Ah, shit. The wave gun's finished charging.
"Run for it!"
"W-wait, hey!"
I grabbed Emilia and ran as the Reol fired its strongest laser. All I can say is that the laser can envelop our whole body and leave nothing behind.
So yeah, run away.
We did just that, but the Reol used its two remaining legs to rotate itself, causing the laser to scan the circular room.
Right now, me and Emilia were running from a literal advancing wall of death.
"R-Red, do somethiiinnnggg!"
"Hang on!"
I could see Red starting to panic as she started attacking the glowing mechanism at center of the Reol's top.
Meanwhile, the laser was gaining ground on us, fast, and my legs are just about ready to give way.
"Red, hurry up!"
"Reeeddd! This time, we really are gonna die! Aaaahhhh!"
"Stop yelling! Focus your energy on running!"
I can tell Emilia's running on fumes by this point. Whatever Red's doing, she better do it fast.
Thankfully, what she said next was like music to my ears.
"[Spiral Dance]!"
I could hear loud slashing and explosions as I felt the laser slowly die down.
It took a while, but finally, the Reol's last weapon has been disabled.
The laser cannon exploded after that, leaving a big gaping hole on the Reol's underbelly.
"Emilia, finish it!"
Emilia nodded as we stopped running, lightening her grip on her rod as she started casting with her remaining energy.
"[Rafoie]!"
What followed must have been the longest series of explosions I've ever seen.
The Reol fizzled and shorted out as its systems fried themselves one after another.
Soon, the remaining legs gave way as the giant saucer crashed loudly on the ground, the lights dotting it vanishing one after another.
And finally, finally, FINALLY, the alarms stopped blaring.
ooo000ooo
V
ooo000ooo
"Heeey! You guys still alive there?!"
"Haa, haa, I don't know... Are we alive, Kara...?"
"Yeah... I guess so..."
I breathed out a giant sigh of relief as I fell down on my behind, my legs turning into jelly as soon as the adrenaline wore off.
Emilia did rougly the same, except instead of sitting down, she slowly plopped down face-first on the cold hard ground.
Don't blame me if you get sick.
"I can't believe we did it..."
Emilia mumbled in a muffled tone, not even bothering to lift her face from the floor.
Red chuckled as she started sitting down, having finished jogging towards us.
Where was she during the explosion, I wonder? For a second, I feared she was blown up too but I guess she's too smart for that.
"How'd you avoid the explosion, Red?"
"Hmm? I leapt away as soon as Emilia started chanting. Speaking of Emilia, I'm surprised you were able to pull your own weight, bolthead."
"Keep calling me bolthead and I'll pull your weight...!"
Stop making this weird, please. This day's already crazy enough as is.
That aside, Emilia really did contribute. She dealt the final blow, after all. And she provided great support fire.
Surprising as it may be, she's really improving herself.
Red just shrugged and laughed, as glad as I am that this is all over with. Emilia raised her head up and I was afraid she'd start another argument.
But she just laughed along. I never thought I'd see the day these two would share a laugh. It's enough to bring a smile to my face.
Great, now I sound like a parent with two daughters who don't get along. Whatever.
"Looks like you got your grove back, Emilia."
I complimented as she was wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes. She just looked back at me blankly in surprise.
"Really? You think so?"
"Yep. Real groovy."
She smiled warmly at my response, her cheeks heating up slightly because of the praise.
She must not be used to those.
"Thanks. It's nice to hear that from you, you know? But don't worry, I know I still have a long way to go."
She looked away with a far-off expression, but still with a smile on her face.
It's good that she knows she's still far from 100% combat ready on her own.
I spent a second thinking whether or not I was feeling proud of her. Heh, I guess I am.
I just wish we wouldn't have a repeat of the De Ragan incident.
"Hm? Hey, someone's coming."
Red alerted us as she stood up, looking at the direction behind me and Emilia.
I stood up as well and offered a hand to Emilia, helping her stand up. The mystery person completed his approach.
"You're all from Little Wing, right? I'd like to thank you all personally!"
He said in a deep but polite old voice, as I turned to get a full look on him.
Indeed, he was old, gray hair and beard and all. He was wearing elaborate black clothing and he was holding a walking sti- an intricate black rod.
Wait, haven't I seen this guy on the news...? Ah, right, the show Chelsea was watching.
"We've confirmed that all the synthetics are back under control. You have done excellent work here."
"You are... Natsume Shu? Head of Inhelt Corp.?"
"That is correct. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
He answered with a slight bow. For a second, I pondered if I should bow as well but Red beat me to it by approaching the president.
"I'm a bit surprised the president came out to thank us in person..."
"You do understand that what we do here in this facility is of vital importance. We are the Gurhal system's last hope."
Last hope, huh? The thought of that sent shivers down my spine. A few hours ago, what this system's last hope may have very well been its doom.
And it can potentially still be, if all the die align perfectly.
The president knew nothing about this, and I thought it best that it remain that way, for now, at least.
"If any harm had come to the subspace generator here, our subspace research might have been critically delayed. You've done us a tremendous service."
"R-really, it's okay! We were just doing our job."
Emilia sputtered out, looking quite embarassed.
I'm guessing she was getting overwhelmed by the constant praise showered by such a high-status person.
While she's soaking up all this praise, I hope she doesn't forget that she was basically plotting to destroy all of this earlier.
"I'm just shocked that you're doing the subspace research here, on company grounds. I would've guessed you'd have picked a more, well, remote location..."
She has a point. Subspace has been getting quite a bit of attention, lately. And to build in the same place they keep their synths and monsters...
"We have taken unprecedented security measures... which of course turned against us this time."
Yeah, it really did. Although my heart stopped when president saw the look on my face.
Imagine my relief when he just chuckled good naturedly.
"So, what exactly is subspace?"
Red asked next. I guess she doesn't watch the news often as well. It's basically the same for all mercenaries.
No time to watch news and stuff like that. Just do what you're told. It's a living.
"We have been collecting artifacts gathered from Relic sites here. Artifacts from the time of the Ancients. To be frank, the ancients beat us to the secrets of subspace travel a long ago. Thus the secret of subspace is, as a practical matter, a study of the ancient civilization and it's technology."
History lesson, huh?
I'll try my best to remember this info, though. It's possible it can help us in the long run. Best to confirm it with Mika later.
"Um, are you sure it's okay to tell us this? Sounds kinda important..."
Emilia asked, looking quite uneasy. The president just chuckled at this and waved her concern off.
"Of course. All of this is public knowledge."
Really? Huh, how about that.
"Our people are strong, strong enough to repel the Seed invasion. But if we do not face our dwindling resource problem, our children will suffer for it."
The president explained as he paced around the room, looking away with a far-off expression.
True, though. We can fight monsters and synths all day long but if we deplete our resources while we're at it then what's the point?
It's the primary reason why destroying the subspace generator is a generally horrendous idea. I can see why they'd want to protect what they're doing here.
"Thanks for the update, pres. Hope your research goes well."
Red said, meaning nothing but good things. But it brought such a bone-chilling effect to me and Emilia.
Ignorance is bliss, I say.
"Well, time to move, guys. It was nice to meet you, Mr. President."
"Please, the pleasure is all mine. I wish you all luck in your future endeavors."
The president smiled as he bid us farewell.
For a split-second, I felt a dark feeling in the air, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.
The feeling was also vaguely familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
I scanned the room quickly but there was no one else besides us and the president.
All I could see was the concerned face of my partner.
"Kara? What's wrong?"
"Huh? It's... nothing. Come on, let's go."
ooo000ooo
VI
ooo000ooo
As soon as the mercenaries from Little Wing were gone from the room, Natsume Shu, president of Inhelt, let out a relieved sigh.
He walked towards the remains of the Reol Badia, examining the damages it endured.
Those Little Wing mercenaries were young, but incredibly talented. It was a good thing they seemed to be on their side.
"That was... far too close for comfort. We must make headway in our research... and soon."
Natsume Shu pondered aloud, not noticing the soft but firm footsteps heading his way.
"Father...? Who were those people?"
The mysterious person asked as he finished his approach, examining the obliterated giant synthetic as well.
Natsume Shu perked up a little when he heard his son's voice, a soft smile appearing on his bearded but regal visage.
"Ah, I did not know you were here, my son. Those were mercenaries from Little Wing. Security contractors we have need of, on occasion."
"Little Wing... I see..."
The mysterious person pondered, forming a smile of his own.
But the glimmer in his eyes was anything but.
"Interesting..."