Sorry for the long delay. I should explain what's been going on in my life.

During the summer, I was busy with a new job and wrapping up my studies. No longer will I be working part-time at a fast food restaurant. I worked full-time at an engineering company that gave me a decent hourly pay. I couldn't stay long since it was an internship, but they enjoyed my work; believe me, it was far more than they expected. They even said if I want to go back after my final year, I can do so at any time should they have an opening for me.

That means I won't be around as much as I wish, but I'll still be updating now and then. Hopefully, I can get something done once every month or so.

Also, I'm hyped about the two upcoming SRW games. Valvrave, IBO, and Rayearth are getting their debuts! Been playing the first two's first openings ever since I saw the news. Not to mention Bebop…

Anyway, we're about to wrap up the battles between the Bureau and the Arm Slaves, so enjoy.


Up north from the Grand Cathedral, Vita was having a rough time with her opponent. After dealing with the "Pyrethroid" disc drones that swarmed the Belkan Church region, the Hammer Knight was tasked to deal with the large threat that was bearing down on the sacred structure.

Vita was no stranger when it came to big enemies. As the Hammer Knight, she was made specifically to destroy the biggest of opponents. Only that the enemy in front of her, the Behemoth, was a far more challenging opponent than she hoped.

The massive Arm Slave stumbled around on its flimsy legs, which indicated that the pilot was still new to piloting it. As someone easily familiar with the weapons, piloting AS units were no easy task. However, the power of such a machine more than compensated for that.

Raketenform!

Vita propelled herself in mid-air to increase speed. She barely got enough to dodge a grab from the red giant's left arm. She circled the machine to gain enough velocity before turning back to the Behemoth. Her point of impact was its right arm, which held its massive AS sword that looked more like a club.

Although her attack pushed the arm to the side, it didn't drop its sword, nor did it dent the machine even the slightest. As Vita clicked on the lack of damage, the head of the massive Arm Slave turned to her position. She moved away as it swung its large arm in retaliation.

Simple swings are getting us nowhere.

Vita dodged another swing form the Arm Slave's club as it raised the dirt it impacted.

I'll need more force to deal with this.

Vita landed on the uprooted ground on the Behemoth's right side. Now her hat got messed up thanks to all of the dirt, which sparked the typical rage mode.

Inside the cockpit, the short blonde student from Misurugi screamed out.

"I'll smash you!"

The voice sounded incredibly dark as the Behemoth raised its left arm. As it clenched into a fist, it descended onto the stationary Vita. The Hammer Knight then raised her hammer in response, which released a few empty cartridges.

Gigantform!

Her Graf Eisen transformed into a large, blocky hammer with gold, octagonal faces. Vita used the time to collect strength for the machine.

"Giganthammer!"

As the Behemoth's fist descended upon Vita, she countered by swinging her hammer head-on. A second or two passed when the collision between the two weapons released shockwaves from the blast area. The ground around Vita pushed away to form a wide crater around her, but the Knight was still going strong.

The blast still wasn't anything to laugh at since Vita barely held her ground against the immense force of the machine. The mechanical arm was huge, which meant a lot more weight than typical Arm Slaves, but the red aura surrounding it played a factor. Branches and leaves blew away from her as the fist drew closer to her face.

Vita was far from finished. As soon as she got a foothold, she drew whatever ounce of strength she had left and overwhelmed the mechanical arm. The arm didn't crack, but Vita started against momentum. She used her momentum to complete her of her large hammer and shove the arm away.

The Behemoth flung itself backward from the force. To prevent itself from losing balance, the Behemoth took a few earth-shaking steps backward while Vita regained her energy. The attack cost her much more mana than she should've used up. But right now, she was in better shape to keep fighting compared to the Behemoth, that struggled to regain balance.

Vita cruised towards the stumbling machine, but not with the intention of taking it head-on. For what she knew, the Behemoth's pilot operated the machine from its head. However, the head not only has its Lambda Driver that provided near impenetrable defenses but also had its four machine guns by its eye-like red lights. She then took the easier approach by raising several balls into the air.

"Schwalbefliegen!"

The struck balls homed in on the Behemoth's head, knocking backward again. One managed to take out one of the cameras, blinding the pilot in that section. The Behemoth rebounded throwing itself and its left arm at the Hammer Knight, forcing her to strafe backward while covering her from the gusts of wind.

The AS then retaliated by opening four tubes on the arm, firing a barrage of homing missiles at her. Vita traveled at a lower altitude to break from the missiles. The missiles collided with the nearby trees and a log cabin that exploded into countless pieces. The last one hit the ground and knocked Vita off balance, causing to stumble onto the ground.

The Behemoth stood upright while directing its head at Vita again. One of the four guns burst into flames following the attack on one of the cameras. The irritated pilot pressed buttons on her controls that fed 30mm rounds into the nearby guns. Vita regained ground as she heard the guns warming up on the machine. She broke off just when the guns spat out bullets on her position.

Vita hid through the trees and green fields as it created a line of mulch behind her. She moved around a couple of laps back and forth to deplete its ammunition, hoping it'll run out of ammo soon enough. The line additional broke apart a nearby church, forcing Vita to avoid the waves of broken stones. One of them got her in the eye, which caused her to tumble onto the ground. Before she could be ripped apart like swiss cheese, the hailstorm of bullets stops less than a meter behind her.

The angered pilot inside the Behemoth watched the Hammer Knight through three remaining screens as the operating system reported to her.

"30mm machineguns overheated. Please wait for cooldown before continuing."

But the girl continued squeezing the trigger in vain, hoping that something would happen eventually. After a few tries with the last one squeezing the AS handles as tightly as she could, she gave up on the idea. She could only stare at the Knight that was giving her so much trouble. Her orders were to advance to the church that she could observe a few kilometers away. The red-headed pest gave her so much trouble, so she had to crush her before moving on.

Just when she prepared her AS sword, however, another alarm went off in the cockpit. On another screen, there was another hostile approaching towards her. This one was much bigger than the signal that Knight was giving off. Even though she couldn't tell what it was, it indicated that something bigger approached her, and it did so very fast. She turned the machine's head to the unwelcomed guest. As the cameras zoomed in, her eyes glared at the machine.

"What?"

Intercepting the Behemoth was the Villkiss, traveling in its Flight Mode that was faster and more comfortable for Angelise and her main companion.

"Look, there it is!" Momoka pointed out as they approached the red mechanical giant. Her eyes startled for the machine's incredible size despite its seemingly thin legs and small joints. "It's huge!"

"I know…"

Angelise didn't bother to stop. She made her decision to back from a fight, especially when people's lives seemed to be in danger. She could not afford to turn back now.

As the Behemoth raised its arm carrying its large club, Angelise picked up speed with the Villkiss. Its sword was high in the sky, waiting to strike when the princess got close.

As the club-like weapon swung downward, the Villkiss went into its human form. Angelise threw her machine's left hand at the large weapon as the two collided. The Behemoth's weapon had more momentum than her unit's thrust could handle. Momoka and Angelise closed their eyes as they felt the crushing force inside the cockpit.

"Stop this, Lady Angelise! We're going to get crushed!"

The maid was completely unaware that she said it out loud through the Villkiss's speakers, loud enough for the Behemoth's pilot to widen her eyes. Her frozen body causes her to stop pushing the Villkiss, giving the absolute edge this time around.

Angelise was already not giving up. She put more force into the unit's controls, and the thrusters increased dramatically until they were even. Once Angelise got the advantage, she pushed one of the control handles and pressed one of the buttons.

It started as a flash in Vita's eyes, but something blue or green fired from the palm of its hand. A second later, an explosion of crystalline ice erupted within the sword. The extra push from the Villkiss snapped the huge weapon in half. The top half flung around a hundred meters. It landed on the ground, causing a small quake and sending a huge shockwave through the forested area. The knockback also caused the Behemoth to drop the other half of its weapon. The impact was softer when the handle hit the ground and buried deep into the soil.

As the gigantic AS regained balance again, Vita recovered from her injuries. Not that she wasn't injured at all, but she was the type of girl would endure the amounts of pain that most people could not. Vita took a few deep breaths to regain her composure.

Her primary focus was the Villkiss hovered in midair. It turned away from the kneeling Behemoth and went to the Hammer Knight by her side.

"Are you alright…It's you, Vita!"

Angelise quickly recognized her other companion. While they noticed a Mage confronting the giant robot thanks to Vita's red streak of light, they couldn't get a look at who would be their companion when confronting this machine. However, Vita was less than pleased.

"ANGELISE, YOU IDIOT! WHY DID YOU COME HERE!?"

Momoka and Angelise felt like they Vita suddenly stabbed them in the heart. Angelise retorted for such a remark.

"What is that supposed to mean!?"

"You're supposed to stay at the Church! What are trying to do, get yourself killed!?"

"And what am I supposed to do? Just stand here watching everyone die protecting me!? There's no way I can accept this ever!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself; you have no idea what you are…"

"I've seen enough."

Angelise attempted to assume authority while she turned to the recovering robot.

"As a princess of Misurugi, I can not allow others to die around me, especially at the hands of terrorists who are trying to cause havoc and kill innocent people. It is my responsibility to keep everyone else alive, even if it means risking my own life to do it! That's why I'm here! That's why I'm going to stop this beast right here and now…"

"Shut up, filthy beast!"

The booming, dark voice shook even the cockpit of the Villkiss. Angelise and Momoka shiver over the loud and sudden words coming from the machine's pilot.

"There's no responsibility for a someone who disgraces the royal family of Misurugi!"

"W-What?"

"I said, you're not a princess, you damn Norma!"

Angelise frozen over two reasons. The first was about someone calling her a disgrace of the royal family. Since the only thing that could make her disgrace is being a Norma, someone must've figured out who she was. The other thing was the voice coming from the pilot. Although it was a low voice, she was sure it was someone knew very closely.

"Who are you!?"

"That doesn't matter anymore. We were never your friends, to begin with, nor were we ever teammates or classmates!"

It took a while for her to recognize her voice. But of all the possibilities, despite by the low voice, she could recognize who was inside the machine.

"T-Tomomi-san!?"

"SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT CALL ME BY THAT NAME ANYMORE!"

The young pilot raised a large fist at the Villkiss. Angelise backed up her machine before it impacted while Vita hovered in mid-air. After the now seemingly former princess regained her balance, the pilot of her ex-classmate continued to rant.

"His Majesty, Emperor Julio, told us everything. You've been a Norma throughout your entire life, and your parents did nothing but hide the truth from you!"

"W-What!?"

"They lied to you from the beginning and arranged everything. We did nothing but play pawns in their game, all so that you can get the throne without anyone noticing."

The Behemoth lifted its arm form the ground while the pilot continued.

"As those who were played by your vicious games, we were chosen by His Majesty to deal with you ourselves."

Angelise widened her eyes over the statement. There were others who came with her?

"Reika, Maki, and I never knew what would happen. All that mattered was that we atoned for our mistakes by finding you and crushing you and all of those who conspired to protect you! They already destroyed the home that you live on right here and now."

"Our home…t-the Yagami place!"

Angelise froze up as the Behemoth raised its other arm, opening its missile tubes.

"NOW DIE LIKE THE SWING BUG YOU ARE!"

"You bitch!"

Cruising past the Villkiss was Vita with her Device in Gigantform and ready for a hard swing. Hearing their intention not only to kill the princess who her former classmates but also the Yagami family and her friends was more than enough to enrage her. She struck the hand in the palm, knocking the mecha back again while it fired its missiles blindly into the air. While it tried to home back on their original target, they exploded upon hitting the ground, throwing up dirt and debris below.

As the pilot's anger surged over the interference, the entire frame of the AS glowed. At the same time, several disc drones were activated as they intercepted the Hammer Knight and the now idle Villkiss.


Zafira dodged another round that impacted the street. He was in the middle of gunfire coming from the red Codarl unit fired randomly on the street. He got close enough to pounce the machine, only for it to put up the red barrier, forcing him to backward. Shamal then proceeded to heal whatever damage he received to keep up with the mostly undamaged Arm Slave.

The Guardian Beast and Knight of the Lake were at this for a while. They wanted to end this as quickly as possible, but not take any risks considering the technology of their adversary. The machine's damaged leg prevented it from moving too far, but it still had its special device that provided overwhelming strength. However, the mass weapons it carried had limited ammunition, and the pilot didn't seem to care about wasting rounds.

Thus, is the current strategy, continuing this hit-and-pounce type of attack until it runs out of ammo or the field goes down. It won't mean the endgame once that happens, but they'll have more options over what to do next.

That opportunity seemed to come already as he heard the rifle clicking from afar. From what he observed, the unit was using the same clip. The machine still had a few extra magazines on its belt, so the pilot should be able to reload. But Reika didn't seem to bother. Instead, she shook the rifle around while trying to figure it out.

"Come, shoot already! Why won't you keep shooting!"

Considering how much of an amateur its pilot was, he or she seemed not to learn even the simple method of reloading; even the Belkans had an idea of the need to reload thanks to the cartridge system. Although he doesn't understand why that was so, this was their opportunity.

Shamal, it's time! Use Steel Yoke to cover me!

Shamal emerged from cover, behind the shore wall near what's left of the Yagami residence. As she readied her spell, Zafira charged after the red AS. Reika, who was still unaware that her gun needed to reload, threw her gun after finding it futile to continue pulling the trigger. Zafira jumped over the large rifle and approached the red machine. She then chanted in conjunction with Shamal.

"Steel Yoke!"

The same Belkan triangle spat out pillars of light that trapped the red machine. It subsequently broke the pillars to break free, but the machine limped right after it tried taking another step, forcing it to kneel on its right knee.

That's when Zafira made his mode. Now in his human form, the Guardian Beast ran towards the machine. The Codarl tries leaning back to avoid the attack, but he struck the machine with an uppercut, throwing its arms into the air. The AS tried swatting him with its right arm, but he countered by blocking with the palm of his left hand then punching it with his right. The force of the attack tore the mechanical arm clean off with sparks flying around the severed limb. Zafira then finished the machine by pounding it in the head, sending the machine straight down onto the ground.

Zafira stood on the torso of his defeated opponent. At this point, he would tear the AS unit's cockpit open and arrest the suspect inside the vehicle. However, Shamal sensed something occurring inside the same, prompting her to call out via telepathy.

Zafira, get away!

Zafira sensed it as well, a sudden spike of mana generating from the machine. He jumped away as rays of light burst from the Arm Slave. The machine gradually lost its structural integrity as the machine glowed. The cockpit crumpled up in the process, overheating the inside as Reika struggled to get out.

"Somebody! Help me! HELP ME!"

The sudden self-destruction of the Arm Slave engulfed the pilot as debris scattered everywhere. Zafira and Shamal were in no danger, but they still shielded themselves with Panzerschild defense spells to block any shrapnel and parts. When they were no more bits of metal were going to hit them or anyone else, they lowered their shields to observe the wreckage.

"Zafira, is that what we think it is?"

"I know."

It was a bittersweet ending for them. The Arm Slave was destroyed and no one at the moment seemed to die aside from the pilot. They're still stuck with their wrecked home, but that's not the important matter. The two Knights had another matter going as they moved closer. Aside from the charred remains of the pilot including her severed right arm, they came across another recent discovery.

Before them, a small blue gemstone shone brightly in the center of the wreckage. As the continued its pulsing light, Shamal and Zafira took the necessary measures to seal it.


Likewise, Fate cruised on the other side of the overpass's pillars to dodge a stream of bullets coming from Maki's machinegun. The other Mages took cover as they prepared another sealing seal spell of the unit.

Right after clashing with the Codarl, the AS jumped back before reloading its machinegun. Unlike Reika, Maki seemed to have learned all the basics of Arm Slave combat from the formula she took. As the Mages took cover, they communicated through telepathy to stage a plan for capturing the machine or waiting before Signum arrived. Since the machine was after Fate, she used herself as a decoy while the Mages attempted another binding spell.

Fate wrapped around the pillars as the machinegun fire traced her path from behind. When she was on the same street as the AS, she zigzagged down the lane to avoid getting hit. In Sonic Form, her Barrier Jacket wasn't very strong, so it would be a serious problem if she went up against someone with powerful spells. However, the enemy only had with a machine gun and combat knife, so it wasn't a problem for her.

It was Maki who was having problems, wondering how her enemy was so fast and obtain magic despite being told otherwise.

"Stay still!"

The AS pilot realized that fighting Fate with the gun was pointless. She took a couple steps forward to get closer, putting her gun away to take out her knife.

The Mages finished with their binding spells. Several more chains appeared below the Codarl, wrapped around the machine. The number of chains was far less than the last time and held it like an X. Maki responded the same, generating strength to break the chains. But Fate then appeared before her with a new spell.

"Lightning Bind!"

Yellow, translucent cubes enveloped on the Codarl's wrists and ankles. The machine froze in place as it struggled helplessly against the binding spell that increased all electric attacks. Likewise, Fate responded with one of her signature moves.

"Thunder Rage!"

As more electricity known as thunderlight enveloped around the machine, some were charging up to finish it. However, an enraged Maki responded.

"Don't screw with me!"

The Codarl glowed red and broke all the binds including the thunderlight that surrounded it. It then projected a field just when Fate completed charging her attack. The lightning deflected off the forcefield and onto the nearby buildings where the Mages took cover. They avoided the debris as Fate's attack futilely clashed with the red barrier generated by the AS.

Right after the attack stopped, the stunned Fate attempted to fly back from the machine. However, the Codarl leaped towards her and snatched her. The pilot squeezed the girl with her hand before she flung her into the nearby intersection left of her. The impact created cracks on the road when Fate the hit ground. She rolled onto the ground with her body tattered and moderately injured. Her Barrier Jacket didn't have the same strength as the others, which made it worse than how other Mages had it.

"Enforcer Harlaown!"

The Mages called out as they tried to intervene. The red AS responded by firing another barrage on the buildings, forcing them to put up their barriers for protection. Even Cinque and Sein, who were still hiding all this time, exited the building with the latter's Inherent Skill to avoid the collapsing debris.

The Codarl turned to the downed Fate, who was recovering from her injuries. As she approached the Enforcer who she thought was Angelise, Maki aimed her machinegun in ager. Before she could fire, the sensors showed an incoming projectile. She dodged the attack that looked like a flaming red arrow from the other side of the perpendicular road.

Fate ducked to avoid getting hit, and although didn't get an exact glimpse, she was sure what the attack was due to the intense heat. She was right as the flame-based attack burn out, with the Knight approaching from behind her.

Captain Signum, you're here!

Sorry for the delay. I was busy leading civilians away from the war zone. Are you okay?

I'm fine, but we have to deal with this Arm Slave.

I understand.

Maki was distracted from the recovering Fate as she turned her attention towards her new attacker. Her anger transformed into shock when she discovered her new adversary, the rose-haired knight who transformed her bow back into a sword.

"L-L-Lady Signum?"

Signum immediately charged at the AS, prompting Maki to retrieve her knife.

Schlangeform!

Signum responded by having her Device in a form like a whip. The extended range allowed her to attack the AS from a distance. Just when it grabbed its knife, Signum lashed Laevatein upward, tearing the arm off along with its weapon.

"W-What!?"

The startled Maki froze for a moment before she aimed her machine gun. Signum ducked under the rounds before destroying the other arm with her Device back in sword form.

With both of its weapons gone, Fate moved in with Bardiche. She bound the armless machine before proceeding with her attack.

"Thunder Rage!"

After a few moments, the lightning attack tore the torso and head from its legs. The force was limited to the pilot can survive, but the central piece traveled quite the distance. It rolled around down the intersecting road, tossing the pilot inside around the cockpit. It stopped rolling around a hundred meters and skidded before coming to a complete stop.

Inside the wrecked machine, a barely conscious Maki found herself impaled through the chest. Alarms went off through throughout the cockpit as electrical sparks flew around her. Her eyes gazed on the barely functioning camera; when there was no static, the camera would display the Belkan Knight of whom defeated her.

"Lady Signum…is that you? Why are you…fighting…alongside Angelise?"

Was it something she didn't know? Did His Majesty hide something her and the others besides the Belkan Knight fighting alongside a Norma? She only knew about her because of her recent debut as a mascot across Mana. And yet, she's found here, standing alongside someone with mana who looked very much like Angelise. Or perhaps she was wrong, as she found her companion having burgundy eyes, unlike the former princess's pink ones. Perhaps…she was wrong all along.

"Curse you…"

Maki's words were cut when the machine exploded, sending scrap metal in all directions. Fate, Signum, and the other Mages raised their hands but didn't bother put defense spell. The explosion was too small, and their Barrier Jackets were good enough to deflect any tiny debris.

The machine self-destructing became a curious thing since they did their best to render the AS inoperable without hurting the pilot inside. Something else must've triggered it, which prompted the agents to investigate the wreckage.

Fate and Signum were first to find remains of the pilot. Neither were disgusted by the discovery of a ripped torso stabbed by shrapnel and torn from her legs and arms. Fate was more depressed than anything.

"I pity the poor girl. She must've been so young."

"That uniform. I've seen it."

Signum pointed with her Device. Although it wasn't much, there were tattered remains of a brown uniform that the girl wore aside from the AS pilot outfit. The revelation startled Fate a moment.

"You've seen it?"

"Yes. According to Angelise, this is the uniform for the Ho-o Institute."

"Then that must mean she came from the World of Mana."

Fate responded with less surprise to her voice. It was that Signum didn't reach the same conclusion, but the Knight turned towards her mentioning the name.

"What makes you sure?"

"Before you arrived, she mistook me for Angelise. Someone knew she was here on Midchilda."

"And whoever it was must've told this girl about it and prompted her to go on a revenge spree."

The two went to the same conclusion to no one's surprise. There were questions even there, but they were distracted by the Mages behind her.

"Captain Signum! Enforcer Testarossa! You need to see this!"

The two officers went to what remained of the AS unit's cockpit, which contained a blue gem in the center. The other Mages held back with their Devices ready while one pointed out.

"A Jewel Seed was in that machine?"

"Seal it immediately! We got a new priority here!"

The discovery prompted the Enforcer and Knight to order the Mage to contain the Lost Logia before moving on. The two had a higher priority considering the attack, the machines used, and who their main target was. Despite being completely unaware, the Mages sealing found themselves bewildered over the discovery.

"I can't believe someone would use Lost Logia to power a dangerous mecha. Just what in Midchilda is going on here?"


Vita dodged another stream of gunfire coming from the gigantic AS, finding cover on the right side of the machine. Unable to target her from that angle, the Behemoth slowly swung its fist at the girl. Vita avoided the slow-moving arm at it hit the ground harmlessly. She countered by hit the arm again with her large hammer, swinging it away as she avoided another trial on 30mm rounds.

Vita found tackling the large AS head on to be a chore. At this point, she wasn't getting anywhere. She decided to get behind the machine to attack the machine where it was vulnerable.

The Hammer Knight snuck around on the right side. But to her surprise, the round shoulder opened a gun port that revealed a cannon. It aimed at Vita and fired close to her position, nearly sending her flying. She recovered from the attack by rolling until she was able to get back on her feet.

"Damn, how many weapons are even on this thing!?"

Like anyone caught in such a surprise attack, Vita cursed over the machine's firepower. But that was no longer her concerned.

Still facing the Behemoth was the Villkiss. However, unlike Vita, the machine seemed to only hover in mid-air. By the time it started moving, the Behemoth already fired its machine gun bullets that pelted it. Surprisingly, the machine had high durability, and it continued to take the shots. But she couldn't last forever as the limbs started to become sluggish while moving.

"Lady Angelise!"

The princess screamed as she moved around to avoid the gunfire with her eyes closed. She was having serious trouble concentrating, especially after the recent revelation. It was everything, from the fate of her parents to her role as a princess, to another own status as a Norma. If she was no longer a princess, then what was she now?

"Lady Angelise, watch out!"

She jumped over Momoka's scream. When she lifted her eyes, she found the Behemoth's right fist aimed right at her. The AS pounded the Villkiss with tremendous force, slamming it to the ground on its back.

Vita glared as the Villkiss remained idle. She assumed the pilot was just like the Villkiss, under so much shock that she's unable to move.

She must still be disillusioned after the whole thing.

At this point, Vita had to change priorities from saving the Grand Cathedral to saving the princess that was getting her ass kicked. There was no way she would see Hayate by watching such a traumatized girl die like this.

The red AS opened vents from the back. Steam blew off, apparently cooling the entire machine. This procedure happened a few times by now when the machine was using its special that gave it energy-like attacks. But first, she had to snap some sense back into this girl.

She cruised behind as she went underneath the vehicle to avoid the shoulder cannons. The machine also fired its machineguns for a long time, so she didn't have to worry about it thanks to overheating.

When the former princess woke up, she noticed Vita coming at her. She screamed out with her hammer in tow.

"ANGELISE!"

She landed on the Vilkiss's cockpit seat as she banged on the screen.

"Angelise, open up!"

She didn't know what the Hammer Knight was doing, nor what she was screaming for, but she unconsciously did was she told her. At that moment, Vita raised a fist.

"LET'S SEE YOU GRIT THOSE TEETH!"

Vita's punch made even Momoka jump as she slugged Angelise jaw. The force threw her back onto the seat that further banged her head. At long last, her mind came back into the real world with an upset Vita standing before her.

"Have you snapped out it yet, former princess Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi?"

"V…Vita? Why…Why are you so…"

"Protective of you? Hmph, don't think that just because we're magic users doesn't mean we care nothing about you. We, Wolkenritter serve Mistress Hayate's will, and her will was to keep you alive no matter what. If you think I'm wrong, then I continue to beat you until to stop doubting yourself."

"But Tomomi-chan…"

"Who cares what she told you! What matters is that this bitch is trying to kill you!"

Vita turned to the red AS that blew less steam by the second. It won't be long before the entire machine cools down and resume its operations. Angelise was still not convinced while Momoka could just watch.

"But I…but I…"

"So, what if you're not a princess anymore!? So, what if you are a Norma who can't use Mana? Does that mean your role is to stand here and watch yourself die!? Where's that pride and upstanding strength you used to have!?"

"I…"

"How will explain yourself to your family if you die? How can you explain your actions to your so-called friend, Akiho and the others who were killed by the Huckebein on your planet? How can you explain yourself to Momoka, who's all so loyal and standing right here before you!? How…how…how will I be able to explain myself to Nanoha-chan…"

Angelise and Momoka noticed the Hammer Knight's eyes starting to tear. It appears that even tough girls like her had a soft spot for Nanoha.

"Nanoha already suffer for far too long…If cannot save someone like you, how can I ever save someone like her?"

"Vita…"

Vita left the stunned Angelise from the Villkiss's cockpit. Her hammer ejected several cartridges in preparation for a strong attack.

"If you care about us, or even Momoka herself, then you can stop this mad girl before she kills anyone! Because even there's no way I can make your decision, I can make mine; I refuse to let anyone else die!"

Vita eyed on the groin of the vehicle, most of the steam vents were. Vita found it a means to stop the machine for good, or at least prevent it from using its energy-like device. Standing up from her ground, Vita had one shot at this with her surprise attack. She transformed her hammer into Raketenform. Even though it wasn't her strongest attack, it'll have to do she somehow can't reach even Hayate, who had the means to unlock that power. At least she found a weak point, with most of the steam from underneath the Behemoth's torso.

She spun several times to gain as much energy as she can. After gaining enough speed, she aimed her weapon with all her might against the machine.

"Stop spinning around!"

The dark alteration of Tomomi's voice said as she threw a fist at the Hammer Knight. That was the moment Vita moved forward and cruised underneath the machine. She then used whatever maneuverability she had as she completely turned around against the now exposed back. The two shoulder cannons fired rounds that failed to hit her as she shouted.

"Raketenhammer!"

Angelise gazed at Vita attacking the enormous robot from behind. The tip of Graf Eisen pierced into the back of groin as she pushed deeper. She finally managed to crack the thick armor protecting the inner workings of the machine. All she needed was to get a little deeper.

However, the pilot seemed to notice as the AS leaned forward from the force of the hammer. She activated the Lambda Driver that enveloped around the unit, preventing Vita from drilling any further. The Behemoth released a spherical blast of red energy that created a crater by its feet and throwing several trees into the air.

Angelise's eyes widened as Vita hit the ground. She didn't bother with the sudden shockwave since the Villkiss was already deep into the ground. But something from Vita's words sparked her attention. Right now, she was in a desperate situation and need her help.

The Behemoth slowly turned around with its back turned against Angelise. It now faced the injured Vita.

"I won't let you interfere anymore. Now disappear with this freak of yours!"

"NO!"

As the Behemoth raised her fist, Angelise finally acted. She engaged the thrusters as the ring glowed. The Villkiss closed its cockpit seat as she cruised towards the large AS that threatened to kill Vita.

"I WON'T LET YOU KILL HER!"

"Lady Angelise!"

Momoka held on tight as Angelise opened the weapon choices. She took out the rifle and armed a Freeze Bullet within the palm.

"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

Aiming for where Vita attacked, Angelise shoved her rifle and hand stuck onto the hole the Knight created in her first attack. She started by firing the freeze bullet inside the machine, which wedged through the inside of the components inside. She then squeezed the trigger, firing every single round she had in the rifle's clip, ending with firing two missiles. The blast of the missiles and ceasing of her thrusters caused the Villkiss to fall. The machine was still very active, but the pilot was too exhausted.

As for the Behemoth, the entire machine stopped cold. Inside the cockpit, Tomomi was figuring out what just happened. Although the attack on the waist section with the damage that didn't seem too bad, her immense machine paused whatever it did the moment the Villkiss fell. All the lights went out as if the machine suddenly turned off, except for the computer inside the machine.

"Cooling apparatus damaged. Lambda Driver function offline. Chance of recovery, zero."

"E-Eh?"

"Behemoth can no longer operate without the Lambda Driver. All systems shutting down."

"No...No! NO! NO, I HAVEN'T KILLED HER YET!"

Tomomi fiercely gripped the controls in vain as she glared at the collapsed Knight. The computer then warned.

"Collapse inevitable due to overweight. Self-destruct sequence initiated."

The legs were the first to go. Without any extra support, the tiny feet gave into the extreme stresses as the hunchback machine sank to the ground. The metal and wires on the arms went next. The right arm buckled before it completely snapped off from the torso. The two arms landed with the machine already broken apart into sperate piles of scrap metal. The torso and head were the last to break apart as pieces flaked off the now fragile frame.

"Uuhh….e-eh...EEAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!"

Tomomi's last screams were silenced as the top of the Behemoth's heavy frame crushed her from below. Many sharp pieces of metal impaled her body as the top of the cockpit flattened her.

Unknown to Tomomi and Vita, who recently collapsed, Angelise rested with her Villkiss laying flat on the ground. Although she noticed an increasingly glowing red light at where the massive robot collapsed, a shadow obstructed her view as Momoka called to her from behind.

"Angelise, are you okay? Angelise!"

Her words didn't reach her. She was too exhausted to hear anything else. All that mattered was that she accomplished something. The former princess of Misurugi relaxed as her mind lost consciousness.

I did it, mother…Vita…everyone…I finally did it…

At the ruins of the Behemoth, a hovering red crystal glowed intensely by the second. As the main source of the machine, the crystal became unstable as a result of the AS unit's destruction. Now it gathered energy at an alarming rate, shooting out beams of light show signs of instability.

The crystal then turned into a glowing sphere before it gave in, shining light that engulfed the Hammer Knight and the other mecha.

BOOM!

The resulting explosion devastated the area, sending shockwaves into the air and uprooting the nearby trees from the ground. The vegetation in the hemisphere of destruction seemingly disintegrated was they could not stand that sudden release of energy. By the time it was over, the area had turned into a large wildfire with scores of trees burning in the area. Smoke quickly rose up that altered the nearby Belkan Knights and TSAB agents.

Hayate was among those who discovered the site first. She remained in mid-air with her device as she and the Knights under her and Carim's command took care of the Pyrethroids infesting the area. They already had a crisis regarding wounded members of the attack, but the destroyed Behemoth was another manner.

"A Relic?"

That was the first thing that came to her mind, glowing red crystals with immense power and could cause needless destruction if left unchecked. For that reason, they were a high priority to contain among the known Lost Logia.

Besides containing the relic and dealing with the wildfire, she now had to worry about her friend Vita. He found no sign of her since she ordered her to intercept the AS that threatened to destroy the Grand Cathedral. But Vita was nowhere to be found, which prompted her to order the Knights.

"All agents and Knights get over there and contain that wildfire! Search and rescue for any survivors at all costs!"

As her allies converged onto the zone, Hayate proceeded with her. Vita was tough as a brick, but even she could now handle everything. That's exactly why she oversaw the area personally; nothing will stop her from saving her family.


Carim remained in her office. Nouera remained outside to rescue the wounded by her orders. She already witnessed the destruction the explosion set the area ablaze from afar. However, she wasn't that concerned, especially when it came to a person of interest.

Her prophecies didn't come true until at least half a year at earliest and several years at the latest. Even though it wasn't something she could highly rely on, she had her suspicions about the princess she met no so long ago. If she was right, then there was a high chance that she'd be okay.

Carim's real concern is what would happen afterward. If she was correct, then they might be in a crisis far greater than they could imagine.

For that reason, she opened a screen and contacted a man named "Chrono Harlaown." It wasn't long before a young man with dark blue hair and a TSAB Navy uniform appeared before her.

"Admiral Harlaown speaking."

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Chrono?"

"So, it's you, Sir Carim. What brings you here?"

"I need you to open a line with the High Admiralty."

"For what purpose?"

"A new prophecy has come up, and this requires the full attention of the TSAB command. If you can, include former Admiral Harlaown as well."

For once, the man named Chrono shook as she referred to his mother. There was nothing wrong between him and her mother, but they have all been close accomplices of a few personnel, specifically the Three Aces.

"I-I understand. I'll get them right away."

Carim took a deep breath as she waited. As the prophecy stated, someone was going to be part of some turning point to determine everyone's fate. If that's so, then it could be either an end to the world…or a new beginning.


And so, that concludes the last battle against the Behemoth. There'll be two more chapters including the epilogue before the arc comes to an end. As you figured, this is not the end of Angelise, not even by a little bit.

As for how these girls managed to operate the Arm Slaves' Lambda Drivers, that's not until the third arc when I'll share that kind of info.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed the reading.