For one horrifying moment the night turned bright as day. Domes of raw volt energy shot out and expanded vaporizing everything they touched. In that instant they all wondered if they would be caught in the blast.

Mercifully though the Pandoras using Accel were able to cover more than two thousand yards in the handful of seconds they'd been given. As fast as the explosion had been the force of it had been expended. The energy of the blast faded it left behind only a blackened circle amid the wheat. There was no trace of the battle or the fallen, everything was vaporized to ash.

At a safe distance the Pandoras dropped out of Accel and put their partners down. Many of them were bent over panting from exhaustion and with hands on knees. When Elizabeth stopped she did not look wearied though she did have some sweat on her forehead.

"Are you all right Kazuya?" Elizabeth asked.

A slightly shaken Kazuya nodded. "Yes… thank you for saving me sempai."

"You don't need to thank me. After all," she reached out and gently touched his face. "Partners take care of each other."

Kazuya blushed. "I still haven't said I will be your partner though."

"We are partners now and that is what matters." Elizabeth told him in a soft tone.

Kazuya wasn't sure how to respond. As he stood there thinking Chiffon marched up to him. Without hesitation she slapped him across the face hard enough to knock him down.

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth shouted at her.

"That is what I want to know." Chiffon said turning her attention to Kazuya who was on the ground staring up at her. Everyone else was looking on as well. The Academy's Laughing Monster looked furious. "What were you doing back there Kazuya? Who told you to attack without orders?"

"I am sorry Chiffon sempai, I heard you say attack and so I did."

"I said, 'Let's get ready to attack.' You had no reason to do what you did! Because of you we had no chance to organize things! What you did might have cost the lives of some of your fellow students!"

Kazuya looked around and saw the accusing glances of the others. A few of them were nodding.

"I just wanted to fight the enemy." Kazuya said and got back up. "I've been waiting the last four years for this moment. I've sacrificed everything for the sake of revenge. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds and apologize." He offered Chiffon a bow.

She did not look appeased.

"Revenge?" Chiffon said coldly. "Is that what this was about to you?"

"The NOVAs killed my sister and there was nothing I could do about it. The only thing left for me is to take revenge for her." Kazuya said in a firm voice. "I apologize for my mistake, but I do not apologize for that."

She slapped him again.

It was every bit as hard. This time though Kazuya stumbled back a couple steps but did not fall. "I don't want to hear talk about getting revenge Kazuya!" Chiffon told him sharply. "We are soldiers fighting a battle! We are trying to save people's lives not fight some vendetta. If you can't follow orders like everyone else tell me so right now and you can go back to the Academy. If you're going to put your own selfish wants ahead of the group then you are not needed."

"I apologize again for my actions and will follow your orders sempai." Kazuya said. "I won't take back my words though. I still want revenge on the NOVAs."

Chiffon's right hand twitched and Kazuya thought she was going to slap him again.

"Aren't you being just a bit unfair Chiffon?" Elizabeth said and slid in between them to deliberately shield Kazuya. "His sister as Aoi Kazuha, the great hero of the Eighth Incursion. They murdered the sister that he loved. He wouldn't be human if he didn't want revenge for that."

Elizabeth cast her eyes about imperiously. Most of the others immediately began to nod or lower their faces in acquiescence.

"While I don't believe in breaking the rules," Ingrid said as she came over to Elizabeth's side. "It seems what Kazuya did was an honest mistake."

"Kazuya froze four NOVAs leaving them easy meat along with taking one out himself." Annette said as she too came over. "I'd say that more than makes up for his mistake."

"He was totally amazing," Attia said and she too joined them. "You shouldn't blame him for wanting to fight."

"He's a hero," Cleo said coming up to the others. "He fought bravely. He doesn't deserve to be humiliated by you like this."

President Chiffon found herself facing Elizabeth's entire clique. Ticey came to stand by the President's side to show her own support. Chiffon did not back down.

"I am not saying that he didn't fight well or that he isn't brave." Chiffon said. She turned those perpetually closed eyes to Kazuya. "My problem with you Kazuya is that you did what you wanted without thinking about everyone else, without waiting for orders. Do you understand how dangerous that is? Do you understand that you are putting everyone else at risk for the sake of your own personal revenge? Everyone has a role and we all support each other. I can't have you ignoring everyone else because you have a score to settle."

"Do you want me to keep apologizing Chiffon sempai?" Kazuya asked. "I will if you want. I won't let it happen again and I will follow orders. If you are telling me to forget about vengeance that is impossible. It would be like asking me to just forget about Kazuha or the last four years of my life. I promise not to go off on my own; I'll be satisfied killing the enemy as just another soldier."

"There," Elizabeth said. "That should satisfy you."

"I'm not sure that it does," Chiffon said with a frown.

Elizabeth shrugged. "You can't send him back. He is far and away the strongest Limiter we have. We need him."

Chiffon continued to frown but did not disagree with her. "Kazuya, I can't deny that you're an asset and we need all the help we can get. The fighting is a long way from over. But nothing like this had better happen again. I won't let you put others in danger."

"I understand sempai and I won't let you down." Kazuya said.

Chiffon nodded. She then looked about. "Elizabeth, where is Andre? I was thinking he might talk to Kazuya about what it means to be a Limiter."

"Andre is gone." Elizabeth said displaying no outward emotion.

There were gasps amid stunned silence. Most of the people here had known and admired Andre for a year or more. He'd been the top Limiter in his class and a charming and suave fellow. Before Elizabeth had snapped him up he's been the leading heartthrob at the academy.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Annette blurted out.

"I mean there was no time to get both Kazuya and Andre," Elizabeth answered coolly. "I only had time to save one."

"And you chose Kazuya?" Chiffon could not keep the surprise from her voice.

"That's right," Elizabeth said dismissively. "I chose Kazuya. I suppose you would have rather had him die?"

Chiffon flashed Kazuya a guilty look. "I am not saying that, but you knew Andre for two years ad you performed the baptism with him."

"I know that." Elizabeth said in chilly tones. "Andre was a good man and good partner. I'll miss him. But you saw what Kazuya could do. Even if he was a bit too aggressive he is too strong for us to lose. Kazuya was more valuable and so I chose him."

Even the girls who had sided with Elizabeth looked uncomfortable with her calm deliberate demeanor. Among the others the words 'cold hearted' and 'icy bitch' could be heard. When Elizabeth turned her attention to the crowd no one would meet her eyes.

"I need to do a head count to see who is missing and who is wounded." Chiffon said turning away. "We need to get back to the helicopters and conserve our strength. We have a lot more battles still to fight."

XXX

A total of two Pandoras and seven Limiters had died, including all three of Miyabi's partners. Among the wounded were a number of minor cuts and bruises, none of the survivors were seriously hurt. All things considered the Third Years had gotten through their first real battle as well as could be hoped for. Many of them were shaken by it, but no one had run away. They'd managed through the initial shock and were real soldiers now.

Heading back to the landing zone everyone gave Miyabi and Elizabeth a wide berth. Kazuya was the only one to walk by Elizabeth's side.

"So do you consider me to be an icy bitch too?" Elizabeth asked just loudly enough for Kazuya to hear.

"No," he answered quickly.

They walked for a little bit in an uncomfortable silence. Kazuya kept glancing at her uncertainly.

"Are you expecting me to cry?" Elizabeth finally asked. "Are you waiting for some sort of emotional display?"

Kazuya twisted a bit, clearly unhappy with her question.

"Maybe I am." Kazuya admitted. "It's normal to hurt when you lose someone close to you. I cried when Kazuha died. I don't know how close you were to Andre, but if you want to cry I wouldn't think less of you."

Reaching out she took his hand. "Thank you for that Kazuya, but I'm not one for tears. They serve no purpose. I did like Andre and we were close. He was a good partner and a good lover and I am going to miss him."

Kazuya gulped at mention of his being a good lover. He also wondered at her calm display. If she really cared for him at all how could she be so dismissive of his death?

"Why did you choose me?" Kazuya blurted.

"Because you were the stronger Limiter and more valuable." Elizabeth said simply.

"Is that really all there was to it?"

Smiling she gave his hand a light squeeze. "I choose you Kazuya because you are the one I want. Does there need to be any more reason than that?"

"No," he replied slowly. "I suppose not. I owe you my life. I'll do anything you ask of me."

"Anything?" Elizabeth purred.

Though he felt nervous he nodded his head. She had saved his life at the cost of another's. He owed her a debt he could not repay. "Anything he said firmly."

"I think you already know what it is I want," she told him.

Again Kazuya slowly nodded. Even if she was not the one he truly wanted a man needed to pay his debts. "Will you be my Pandora and perform the baptism with me?"

Smiling wide she placed a light kiss on his lips. "I'd love to."