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Legendary Witches Zero: Before the Liberation
Chapter 12: Classified 1934 Part 7
-Kye-
June 16th, 1934
I woke up early. By the time Doran got up and met me on the flight deck, I had already sat at the bow of the ship for an hour.
"Penny for your thoughts," he said.
"A penny isn't going to get you much. You need at least thirty pennies to equal a yen with current exchange rates."
"Yen for your thoughts?"
I giggled.
"Two yen?"
I smiled at him.
"Three, final offer."
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"I ain't budging from three. Take it or leave it, Missy."
"You haven't called me that since I was a little girl in the Light Kingdom."
"Back when you were an innocent little turd."
"Turd is my word."
"Nope, you got that from me. Don't even try to deny it."
"Hmm... maybe."
"Admit it."
"Nope."
"Three yen."
"You're funny." I giggled again. "Doran?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you going to fight for real in this battle?"
He didn't answer.
"We've trained a lot in three days, but I don't know if we can do it without risking it all."
"The only reason I came here was to see you. Michelle threw a fit when I told her I was coming here."
"I'm not surprised. You two have been together a lot longer than we have."
"She'll be fine once I go home."
"Come home now and I won't be mad at you."
"I heard that, too," I said.
"Come on, Michelle, you can wait a little longer," Doran replied to her.
"I expect compensation when you're done."
"Now where were we...?" Doran mumbled.
I grinned slyly at him. "I think we were getting to the part where you kiss me."
"Oh?"
I nodded.
"Hell, I'd fuck you if it would make you happy."
"Oh? Right here on the flight deck?"
"Stranger things have happened."
"As erotic as that exhibitionist act sounds, I think I'll take a raincheck. I don't really want to show all of these sailors my sixteen year old body."
"You're turned on by the idea, though. I know you are."
"I know I am," Michelle added.
I giggled and gestured for Doran to sit down by me. "We'll have plenty of time to pleasure ourselves after the mission is done. Let's just sit here for now."
Without a word, Doran sat down and gazed out at the sea ahead.
"Kye, when you asked if I'd fight seriously... I've already made up my mind to do that. You should know I don't use my blades in combat or training if I'm not serious."
"I wanted to hear you say it."
"Kari?" I called out from within the confines of my mind. I was standing in a meadow of purple roses as I called her name.
She appeared quickly, knelt before me. "Yes, Master?"
"Stand," I said. "Kari, I can hear Joey's voice, but my memories don't include her unless I go back five thousand years or more. Unless I go back to before the ancient war was ended by a Miyafuji ancestor, who also happens to be named "Yoshika". Kari, do you know where Joey is?"
"Yes and no," she answered. "Focus on that time frame. When the Yoshika of that time fought the Neuroi, she carried Jouten."
"Yes, I see that, but I also carried Jouten... wait..."
"Focus on those memories. I know it is difficult with the mind of a mortal, but you must do it."
As I focused, the scenery in my mind changed. Kari and I were suddenly standing on top of the witch shrine in the mountains. Ancestor Yoshika and another copy of myself were also there. It was me from before my rebirth, when I was one person. Both were translucent.
"Well done, Yoshika," my ghostly self said. "You have mastered the power of True Zen. I am proud to call you my champion."
"Thank you, Goddess," she said. "I understand the meaning of True Zen. Talking my ancestor, Yuko Miyafuji, helped more than I could have imagined. I know what I must do. The Zen Serenity must be cast. But... Ancestor Yuko failed in this task. She was not able to cleanse the cursed Neuri Tribe before her death!"
"Indeed. She mastered True Zen not long before her death and attempted to cleanse the Neuri Tribe. While she understood True Zen, she did not understand the Zen Serenity until after her death."
"I don't understand the Zen Serenity either! How do I cast it?"
My ghostly self placed her hand over Ancestor Yoshika's heart and said, "Look within. The answer must come from your heart." My ghostly self then presented a second Jouten to Ancestor Yoshika and continued. "You crafted a fine blade, Yoshika. This blade, imbued with a portion of Jouten's being, will be of great help to you."
"Thank you, Goddess. But, knowing that the Neuroi are humans in cursed metal bodies, how can I hold a weapon to them?"
"Remember this, Yoshika. The greatest peace is preceded by the greatest strife. You will have no choice but to fight them before you can heal them. Do what you must, but keep your heart strong. Do not let your heart waver from your goal."
Ancestor Yoshika nodded, and the vision faded.
"Joey's being was split in two," I said. "I can still hear her voice." I held out my hand and focused on the voice.
"Mother..."
"Joey!" I called out her name and willed her to my hand. The blade of Jouten materialized in my hand. I ran my hand over the purple ito silk that wrapped her tsuka. Gripping it, I pulled her from her saya. "Joey, come out please."
The sword transformed into a black cloaked sixteen year old girl, a near identical copy of me, but with small breasts. I pulled her hood back and gazed into her eyes. Tears welled up in my eyes, just as they did in hers.
"Momma!" she called out as she jumped into my arms. "Momma, I missed you."
"I missed you, too, Sweetie," I said. "I missed you, too."
She cried into my chest for a while before she pulled back and greeted Kari.
"Kari!"
"Hi, Joey. I missed you, Squirt."
She instantly pouted at Kari. "I am not a squirt!"
Kari grinned at her. "Sure, you're not."
I smiled at the two as they went back and forth. A happy reunion.
Joey turned back to me after a bit and said, "Momma, I can sense the Neuroi. One that is coming is very powerful, too powerful without the Awakened State and Zen Aura. I want to help."
"Joey, my mortal body isn't strong enough for the Zen Aura yet. I'm barely strong enough for the Light Aura now."
"Then use us both!" Joey said. "A double Awakened State will be enough with the Light Aura."
"Joey, you know she could die."
"I won't allow that!" Joey said adamantly. "Kari, if we synchronize, we can give Mom at least one minute of double Awakened State without the risk of death."
Kari nodded at her and both looked at me. "One minute."
"One minute," I repeated. "Thank you. How long until the Neuroi reach the carrier."
"If you do not intercept them, one hour," Joey said. "Your radar crew will find the Neuroi within half an hour."
"Okay, then I need to return to the real world."
"Our sword forms will both be on your lap when you open your eyes," Joey said.
I nodded. "Welcome back, Joey."
The miniature me nodded back as I closed my eyes. I opened them to find myself back at the bow on the carrier, with both blades in my lap.
I held Joey in my left hand and Kari in my right hand. My faithful companion, Kuro, materialized in front of me, ready to go. I nodded at him and said to all three of them, "Let's do this."
(A/N) The next chapter will be the big battle!
The overhaul for Worldwide Liberation will be coming after Before the Liberation is completed. It will be much easier to fix inconsistencies that way. I have also decided to cut down the number of story arcs that this story will receive. At the moment, I am planning to finish the 1934 story arc, then the 502nd story arc, then the 1937 Fuso Sea Incident arc, and finally wrap up the story after that. I still suspect upwards of 30 chapters, but we only have two (at most three) left in the 1934 arc, then a few in the 502nd arc (I don't have an exact number yet). But I intend to be finished with both the 1934 arc and the 502nd arc by roughly chapter 20-22.
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