Track 21: Song of Battle
The Viruses stood like tall shadows that obscured the moon and stars. Tightly packed in a yard circle around the Tuners' apartments – given to the best of the best robot fixers and makers as a part of their payment by the Vocaloid companies – Lily could see them from where she looked out the window. To the naked eye the creatures merely seemed like thick, impenetrable night fog. Only when 'fog' touched a car or building or anything then smoke from dissolving flesh – whether real or synthetic –would waft through the dense air and the tower in the sky. The producers, who knew all of this as the Virus Hunter told them, drove the quintet of Voclaid and parked far from the circle's edge. While most producers would walk on their hands if Miku requested it, the request she gave for a ride to the infested building only yielded two volunteers. "This is as far as we'll go." The driver said, his teeth chattered softly after. His fear was so blatant Lily was quite glad he stopped when he did, last thing she needed was to feed the creatures she was about to fight.
"Are you all sure you can do this?" The woman producer in the passenger's seat asked.
Lily wasn't sure, actually."Of course!" Lily lied. She unbuckled her seatbelt along with everyone else. "Anything you guys can tell me about Sakine – san that the Virus in her might use?"
"Sakine Meiko is actually good with close combat. Much like Megpoid over here was program to have an affinity with guns and projectiles. Sakine has always had a 'knightly' image. We made her microphone able to morph into a sword, but the western kind, not a Japanese sword like Kamui's." Lily, Gumi, Gakupo, Ryuto, and Miku piled out of the car. "Maybe we should call the police instead." The female in black muttered.
"The police would get themselves gnawed to the bone for their troubles." Lily said frankly. "Get out of here and don't come back till sunrise, if I haven't gotten all of the Viruses yet –" 'or if they got me' is what Lily wanted to say– "at least they'll be easier to see with the sunlight. Understand?" They frowned but both humans nodded. "Good. Go."
The black van peeled out of park, speeding away. It wasn't a moment later before the androids made a run for the Viruses.
BOOM!
"Mosh!"Lily quickened her pace till her partner came in view. The bronze – colored robot with sunglasses grimaced as he shot another dusky monster across the street onto a shiny Toyota. Two more dove over him. Lily opened her mouth to sing.
"Hey!" Ryuto sunk his microphone into both of Mosh's attackers. "Don't hurt my friend!" They hooked into the silver pole Ryuto brandished, trying to dissolve it, but the young looking Vocaloid spun in a half – circle, tugging the Viruses around and away.
"Save your breath and your battery, you're the one who's supposed to save Meiko – nee – chan." Miku advised, whacking a creature that chewed on her arm with a mini-microphone.
Gumi shot three Viruses in front of them; they fell back for a moment. "We're going to clear a path for you again! Then while you deal with the Virus in Meiko we'll distract these guys!"
"But –"
"We're fine here!" Gakupo cleaved clean through a large Virus. As it tried to zip itself back into a whole the purple–haired android chopped it down again. "We'll follow you up when we can, but Yakuto – san and Meiko need you now."
Lily groaned. She had to put aside her fears and let the others push aside the Viruses until she reached the back door of the building. She ran through the empty, eerily mute halls and stairwells, but he blonde heard quiet tears and soft mutterings from every room door she pasted. Every too-loud click of her heeled boots caused a new whimper.
They're afraid, that's what's fueling the Viruses outside. An idea hit Lily a beat later. But they know what song I sing to kill the Viruses, so if they hear it... Lily started her song:
"The light of the moon wraps itself around me
The reverberating sound swallows my body whole
Until I no longer feel afraid of any–"
A Virus leaping on her cut the music short, but she had built up enough power to blast it off with notes. A next one lurked closer and closer from the doorway, the last doorway till Yakuto's office. Lily resumed her song and aimed at the creature. It slithered out of the away twice before rising. Big mistake. Lily chucked a handful of notes at its center. Instead of dissolving like usual, the Virus exploded.
"Come out if you can, coward." Lily mocked. "You send your goons out instead of dealing with me yourself. Viruses aren't that smart but following orders from someone like you is stupid even for them."
"They follow me because I'm the eldest." Meiko came out. As the producer had warned Lily, the red-clad android had a sword in hand. The humans didn't tell her anything about Meiko's rust eyes changing to dim gold, however. "The first of Mother's many children, the best."
"Well, bring your mommy dearest out here too." Lily held up her hand and curled her fingers, gesturing for her to come closer. "I'll take you both on."
"Aren't we strong?" Meiko moved in flash. Only a reflexive block by Lily kept the microphone from piercing her throat. Lily backed away. "Mother is stronger still; you'd be a speck in her universe." Lily charged again, aiming for Meiko's head. Meiko ducked, pulled Lily forward, and kicked her down. Lily rolled to her side, narrowly avoiding being stabbed in the back. "You really are just a doll, a soon-to-be broken toy."
I'm not used to fighting people…Lily jumped back up, dodging the next sword thrust. But I won't let that stop me! Lily slid her own mike over Meiko's weapon and pulled forward. The older Vocaloid lost her balance. Lily released one hand from her silver pole and swung the mike across the brunette's head. Meiko swayed. Lily ran to Yakuto's office, singing as she did:
"The voice of tomorrow beckons to me
And all my hate is painted over…"
"Mhm?" The moan was Yakuto's, she glanced up and saw him bound to the ceiling said. He had been looking out his window before. "Lmi?!" Tape garbled his words. Lily was fighting her smiles and frowns. Smile at the fact he was still alive and his brown eyes broadcasting how happy he was to see her. Frown because a puddle of red dripped from his side to the ground next to his cracked glasses.
She reached up to pull her friend down.
"You…"
Lily felt herself be torn away for him.
As she swayed sparks of electricity spat out of her side. Skin and metal were both gone. She hit the floor. Lily held on to her mike to pick herself up. The blonde stuttered one lyric but it managed to make notes fly Meiko's way. Too bad those were so sluggish, the Virus – possessed Vocaloid was easily able to dodge them. "I worked too hard for this body for you to go denting it up now."
Meiko moved from the next set of notes Lily set at her. Lily got herself back up, trying but failing to ignore the words that blared in her mind:
Project Lily plus V2 – Status Report
Notable Damage
Power: 83 %
Recommend: +REVERSE
Thanks, I had no idea! Lily mentally griped, partially at the unhelpful advice, partially at Meiko bearing down on her. Her left leg lost all of its power, Lily fell and the brunette stabbed her palm. The blonde androids grit her teeth and merely managed to tear the blade out of her before her right hand gave out. The annoying wail of "Notable Damage" was almost mute compared to the bells ringing through her head after "Extensive Damage."
Lily gripped her microphone and sang, but the elder android kicked it out of her grip. Meiko then held the blonde down, easily gripping Lily's throat while she attempted to squirm away. "Shut up." Meiko said wearing a gleeful smile the Virus placed on her face. "I'm sick of your songs…" A no longer dazed Yakuto above them screamed and writhed, inadvertently adding the Virus' strength and Lily's damage. Lily could only whisper at this point but still kept on.
Meiko's arm shuttered. The pressure on the Lily's neck softened. "What?! No!" Meiko's arm would shrink back when it neared Lily, as if something inside her moved it. "The machine!" Meiko hissed. Hope bloomed in Lily. "Die already, Sakine Meiko! You have no place in this world anymore, in my new body!"
"Heh." Lily's laugh was more like a croak. "Don't you have that mixed up?" Lily, her fist filled by notes the Virus hadn't paid attention to, swung at Meiko. Her fist went straight through the brunette's forehead. With her good leg she kicked the android off and out the window.
Lily sighed.
Project Lily plus V2 – Status Report
Extensive Damage
Power: 62 %
Recommend: +REVERSE, Seek immediately Tuner assistance
"Meiko – nee – chan!" Lily heard Miku cry out.
Crap. Lily crawled to the window, dragging useless limbs. Miku, with large chunks missing from her legs and stomach, knelt and cried. She held her broken big sister. Gumi had one arm hanging like it was dislocated. Yet, she still forced the badly burnt Ryuto behind her and towards the wall as she reloaded. A Gakupo and Mosh leaned on each other, the former had his half of his torso cut into ribbons, the latter was wobbling – his battery was probably waning more than hers even. With only Mosh able to stop their enemies for good, the Virus number hardly dwindled.
From out Meiko's head a dark, smoggy thing came out and sauntered to Miku.
Crap! "Miku – chan! Get away from her!" Lily cried. Without waiting for the teal – haired girl to look up with bemused shock, Lily forced herself off the third story. She sang, having her notes swirl around her like a shell. She collided with the Cyrptonloids. An explosion of gold followed.
She heard writhing from the eldest Virus and from other viruses that encircled them. When the glow faded, it was only she, Miku, and Meiko in a clean space.
"Sorry." Lily said hoarsely to Miku. The dual wielder was more torn up than before she was when Lily leapt, the Virus had managed to do some damage before it died and so did Lily's notes. "It was going to go after you next."
"That's fine!" Miku said with a grin. "I'm the one who said I'd rather die first!"
Before Lily could respond the comment, the warning came back:
Project Lily plus V2 – Status Report
Critical Damage
Power: 45 %
Recommend: +REVERSE, Seek immediately Tuner assistance
Not yet. Lily told herself. "Mosh! Help me out!" She sent the last of her notes to him. In those last golden bits she poured the rest of her song, the rest of her energy; she gave everything and threw the notes to her partner. Mosh seemed strengthened by the sight of them, at least. He tried to upright himself fully and he sent out his waves. The night became bright and warm. The glided notes grew and grew: flowering into innumerable bunches of music, burning through the skin of every Virus in sight and some that weren't. They fizzled and melted. They dissolved until nothing was left but the androids in the lot outside.
Lily fell on top of Meiko.
Project Lily plus V2 – Status Report
Critical Damage
Power: 2 %
Recommend: -$$^%Y&%^ - ERROR
Lily smirked, "but at least it's over."
A/N: Sorry it took so long. I wanted the final chapter to be good. Thank you all for the faves, alerts, and comments - I hope you liked Lily's Flowering Days and will stay tuned for the epilogue "Bonus Track" coming up - much sooner than this update I might add! After the epilogue Blood of Mine and Tangled in Fate will be updating again.