A pair of soldiers within the lowest window of the capitol building suddenly snapped in alarm as gunshots ripped out around them, piercing the window in the chamber. Both of them quickly went for cover as they whizzed by, but looked to the source. To their surprise, bullets were ripping through the window into their room. That by itself was surprising. The glass was made of the latest in shatterproof construction and was supposed to be impervious to almost all types of arms fire. Only an advanced armor piercer should have gotten through it, which meant this was no ordinary shooting. At any rate, the bullets continued to come until the window was completely shattered and fell out, leaving a hole.

Although the soldiers were too high to be in range of a lobbed grenade, they nevertheless immediately expected a follow-up assault. In response, both ran out with guns raised, preparing to counter whatever threat was there. They expected some sort of zipline, or perhaps an individual scaling the side of the building. At worst, they counted on a sniper, so they made sure to approach from the sides and only just look out the edges of the window. Yet on approaching…they saw nothing. At least, nothing readily apparent. If it was a sniper, they couldn't afford to look out the window too much. It could be from any of the adjacent buildings, or even the ground this low. With security as spread thin as it was, there weren't a whole lot of units to make sure everything was secure, even with automated defenses. After a few moments of seeing nothing, one of the soldiers reached for the radio to sound an alert…

When, to the shock of both soldiers, two people seemed to "shimmer" into existence right next to them, a woman with a sword and a large man with a golden-colored staff. Both snapped in surprise to them, but the shock kept them from firing instantly…and they seized on it. The larger man proceeded to punch one soldier in several key areas, disabling him and dropping him in an instant, while the woman pulled out a sword, and the soldier barely had enough time to register it was of Esthar issue before he was struck down.

As soon as the two soldiers were down, Dael let out an exhale. It seemed the sword worked well enough when the opponent was flesh and bone…but she still felt winded after that distant teleport. Nevertheless, she turned back to the window and soon teleported back out again. As for Jalab, who had come with her, he quickly looked around at their surroundings. It seemed they were in some sort of side hallway adjacent to the main corridor on this floor. It led to nothing more than a pair of bathroom and a vending machine or two. No soldiers had come by yet, but he quickly stood to one side of the hall, braced his staff in front of him, and waited for more opponents to come.

A moment later, and Dael teleported in again, this time dropping off Quaren. She was breathing a bit heavily at this point, but she soon teleported once more. As for Quaren, he looked up and around, keeping his rifle out with a fresh clip after shooting out the window. He couldn't see any obvious hidden cameras in this small hall, and there was a chance they had lucked out with this entry point. Nevertheless, he didn't take any chances. A few moments after that, Dael teleported one more time, this time with Taraketh. Yet the moment it was done, she wobbled and stumbled over to a wall, nearly falling over, and started to pant heavily. The drain on her was too much. She was seeing black and stars…

The others noticed this in short order. When that happened, Taraketh quickly approached her. He reached for his side, and came out with a vial. After taking the cap off, he put it up to Dael's head and let the scent of whatever was inside flood her nostrils. She remained listless and exhausted only for a moment, before blinking and suddenly becoming alert again. She soon raised up afterward, and then looked to the High Child.

"What…was that?" She asked.

"Herbal ether." Taraketh responded. "The scent goes away quickly so it's only good for one use, but it's a folk remedy that's been implemented for thousands of years. The herbs are rich in the same planetary 'Lifestream' that runs through the world, and taking a whiff if it actually restores the 'spiritual stamina' of who takes it. The only problem is they're very rare and hard to make. I only had one on me…"

Dael blinked for a moment on hearing that last part. He only had one…and yet he gave it to her when he was the one with better magic? Especially with how much he had been using today?

"…You should have used it on yourself."

"I can handle it." Taraketh answered. "After all…I might be a Sorceress Knight pretty soon. But you're better at teleporting than me, and you're going to need it."

Dael shook her head. "I don't see how Carbuncle does it, but forget that." She looked up to the others. "Anyone come by yet?"

"No, but I have a hard time believing only those two noticed me shooting out a window, captain…" Quaren grimaced in response. "We're in the building, but I don't think we can just 'fight' our way to the top."

"We only need to get to that elevator we were at last time for starters." Dael responded. She reached into her pocket, and a moment later emerged with what looked like an elevator service key. "I was given this along with my supplies back in the Fort Morningstar depo. Works pretty much the same as that lightning trick we were doing back in Leuco. It will trigger a lockdown situation in the elevator platform…which means all elevators are recalled to the top floor, which is where we want to go in the first place. All we have to do is get there. To be honest…" She looked around a bit. "I'm not sure how far we are from the main hall that we took last time. We started off on the bottom floor, after all."

"There's going to be tons of automations and weapons waiting for us." Quaren grimaced. "We'll never be able to get through it all unscratched."

"Distraction." Jalab spoke up, not looking away from guarding the hall.

Taraketh nodded. "He's right. We should create a diversion…then bust through to the main corridor. I don't remember much myself, but based on our entry, it's going to be first toward the center, then down toward the corners of the building. The nearest one should be that way." He pointed. "Toward the south."

"That's well and good…but what do we have to make a diversion?" Dael asked.

"We don't even have any high explosives on us." Quaren threw in.

"I might have one." Taraketh answered. "But we'll need to find a good spot for it."

Exhaling a bit, Dael finally gave a nod. "In that case, let's get moving."

Dael moved to the front in spite of her bad weapon, but Jalab was left to take the lead, acting as a shield for the others. Keeping his staff crossed in front of him and bringing his own keen senses to bear, he began to advance. Dael came next, keeping a hand on her Mage Gun and the other on her sword. Cid had given her six minor shells, a Thundaga bullet, and another Gravija bullet. The latter she hoped to save for a certain someone if he made an appearance. It might work better than a Flare bullet, after all. Taraketh moved in behind her, pulling out his kusarigama but drawing the chain taut around either hand. That left Quaren to bring up the rear, gun out and still armed with armor-piercers.

The first hallway wasn't much. Just a basic service corridor to offices. Luckily, the lower floors were low priority. She was sure there were security cameras, but on a building of this size, there was little chance that a few guards used to watching the same boring black and white "reels" every day would be alert enough to pay attention and spot them right away. She immediately saw two collapsed panels for auto-guns, but assuming they had entered on a personnel-intensive, low-security floor…she knew they would be inactive. They wouldn't turn them on unless the floor was cleared of human soldiers and they were on alert. There was indeed a troop of guards on patrol, but luckily, Dael managed to peak around the corner and utilize the somewhat-reflective metal walls that were paneling everything to see shadows coming. As a result, the group quickly went into the nearest bathroom and waited for them to pass, and then snuck out again. Dael heard the sounds of security robots whirring down the hall beyond, and she knew, alert or no alert, the scanning lasers would identify them as non-personnel in seconds. But luckily, the corridor was curved, and the group moved to the side and snuck down to make sure and stay out of sight.

In spite of the fair amount of security, the group managed to make their way along the hall bit by bit. Occasionally, they had to duck down other side corridors, but again they were in luck, for it seemed that most of the lower-level employees had either been sent home or were taking shelter, leaving all the side offices locked and abandoned. They were free to hide down side corridors to let security patrols and drones pass when things grew too "heavy", and then inch their way forward from there. It took a bit of time…frankly, more than Dael wanted, for she knew everything was on schedule…but they managed to stay out of sight.

At last, the area seemed to open up ahead into the foyer. Although they had entered on the third floor, they were already even with the main platform elevator, just as Dael had seen it the first time they had come in. The same high-arched ceilings, lined with tinted metal to make it look more fiery and golden, and all of the emblems and symbols of the power of Sybenia and its heritage, as well as the emblem of the Guiding Hand. They could only get so close to it, unfortunately. Although the hall was arranged like a great vestibule, rather like a cathedral would be, and as a result the arches hid most who would look in from the sides, it didn't change the fact that anyone who looked out into the rest of the foyer would, in turn, be visible to everyone else.

The group ducked into the nearest hallway to the foyer and hid. After that, Quaren quickly got out his binoculars, activated the "angled" function, and crept up toward the opening into the foyer. Once there, he looked out and scanned around momentarily. Dael and the others patiently waited, ready to give a signal to him if a drone came by. Luckily, none came around as he looked, and finally he came back and moved into the corridor as well.

"Well, there's quite a bit down there." He explained. "Aegis Armors, deployable turrets, and some of the bigger Citadel-type mechs. You know…the ones that are about nine feet tall and can take a tank shell? Plus, they have soldiers mounted on the upper floors with sniper rifles too. In short…they could wage a war defending the foyer all the way to the elevator shaft. Granted, we bypassed some of it, but…still enough to cause some problems."

"I can take care of it." Taraketh answered. He began to move out.

"One more thing." Quaren called, stopping him. "One of those Citadels is up on this floor between us and the elevator. We'll need to get past it in order to get to the platform."

"Slice of pie." Jalab answered as he rose up.

Dael gave him an anxious look in response. "Sir Tierras, I know you're powerful, but even you have trouble with the larger tanks. This thing is far more armored."

"Training. New power." Jalab answered with a nod. He patted his own chest. "Trust."

The captain paused for a moment, but didn't dispute him. She finally just nodded.

Taraketh continued to move out, creeping much as Quaren had. Jalab followed behind him. With little reason to wait until the attack was sprung, Dael and Quaren soon moved out and brought up the rear, making sure to look for anyone spotting them. Quaren, on his part, kept the rifle up to take out the ocular lens of any drone that happened to catch them. Dael had a minor Fire bullet loaded in her Mage Gun. It would be enough to drive an enemy squad into confusion, but not much else. The four soon made it back to the opening.

Once there, Taraketh took the initiative. He looked to the ceiling, in particular, Dael noticed, to the large crest of the Guiding Hand hanging from the ceiling. For the first time, she noticed that the great metal emblem was suspended by thick metal chains, almost looking as if the emblem had been "draped" over the foyer like a medal. The High Child looked to this momentarily, and then closed his eyes and focused. He began to chant arcane words soon after. Unlike his standard spells, he focused for longer on this one, and Dael realized something big was coming. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes, and his aura blazed…hopefully not bright enough to attract anything…and he pointed his hand at the ceiling.

Immediately, at the base of the chains…an inferno erupted. The air rippled only for a moment before massive balls of fire, practically erupting and exploding, burst forth and began to burn over the bases of the chains. The fire was so large and massive that it send burning flames pouring over the entire upper third of the crest and up along the chains…not just the target spot. Naturally, the sounds of these fires bursting, to say nothing of the heat…which even Dael could feel from this distance…soon alerted everyone. Both the mechs and soldiers alike turned and looked up to see the raging inferno bursting on the metal, so hot it seemed as if the metal itself began to burn…or, at the bare minimum, any impurities that were long enough to be worked out.

However, the heat was burning so strongly, that it wasn't long before the entire metal crest began to drip iron slag down below, causing whatever guards were there who hadn't already fled for it to run. The drones, which had no similar sense of danger, were tagged by the molten steel and immediately began to deform and warp. Some managed to get back with only light damage, but others were hit in a key spot and began to spasm and malfunction. Yet that was forgotten moments later when the chains, unable to take the weight plus the heat stress, suddenly snapped free all together…and the massive, half-melted metal crest dropped to the ground and smashed down on the stairs of the main foyer, the same ones where Dael and Taraketh had first seen Rozan Hierarch.

Not only did the impact crush half of the steps in its wake, but the resulting slag that broke from the still-burning crest suddenly sent a deluge of molten iron running down the steps. Anything that was burnable immediately was set ablaze, and the soldiers and drone alike fled as fast as they could as the deadly material began to run off toward them. In moments, the fire alarms went off as the stairs were lit ablaze, the troops below were cut off, and the loose, molten, iron chains overhead flung one way and another, setting alike the banners and upper floors when it tagged them. The foyer was soon ablaze in multiple locations, and the defenses broke and scattered in panic. Fire alarms went off, and the sprinklers began to come online…but at the onset, all they managed to do was scatter more molten slag pieces everywhere.

Dael realized this was their chance, but so did the others. As the last of Taraketh's Firaga spell finished its work, he began to rise. Yet Jalab was faster, and already taking off past him for the platform.

The four had scarcely turned the corner when the spotted the Citadel mech. Essentially looking like a great, rigid block of iron and power, it wasn't as powerful as an Iron Giant, based on an earlier design, but it was designed to act as a "damage sponge" and mobile shield for an entire regiment of troops. It hadn't moved an inch. After all, even if the slag hit it head on, its reinforced hull was too strong to be burned through anything less than a radioactive-tipped armor-piercer…and even that would need three direct hits to finally hit something vital. So when Jalab began to charge it, the massive machine simply turned to him and stood its ground. Its huge arms began to rise, either one bearing three small cannons on it, with the intent of knocking him down or blowing him apart.

Yet Dael soon felt the air charge powerfully again as Jalab ran, shifting his staff to one hand and charging straight for the metal colossus. She knew what that meant. He was summoning his chi again, but never before had Dael felt it grow so powerful. Even as he was running, he was building strength. She could see his muscles tightening and thickening, and each step he made seemed to shake the upper tier as he went for the Citadel. Long before it had its guns up high enough to fire…he was on it. He froze only for a moment…and then let out a rather loud "KIYA!". Even over the din of Taraketh's diversion, it had to have been more than enough, considering the echo, to alert everyone in the chamber. Dael feared that for a moment…but soon forgot about it as Taraketh's aura blazed so strong and bright that one would swear he was wrapped in white electricity, or had set off a "magnesium fire" in his very being.

At once…Jalab tossed his staff in the air, and then turned into a blur. But unlike his flaming image attack, it was all him now. He simply moved so fast that he seemed to form eight different images, who all surrounded the Citadel mech, looping around it as if in orbit, and all striking again and again against him. To everyone's surprise, not only in Dael's group, but even among the soldiers, each punch and kick he delivered to the machine seemed to transmit a bit of his own chi into it. Each blow he inflicted on it left a mark gleaming with the same burning light. The machine, on its part, was dumbfounded and helpless. It could only sit there as Jalab coated its metallic hull with one hit after another.

By the time Jalab was done, his own aura was gone…but the Citadel was so lit up, it seemed as if it was the one burning now. Only a few bits of metal were left behind, poking out here and there from the gleaming fists prints and kicks. As for the monk, he merely came out of the attack right in front of the machine, sliding out a short distance in front of it…so powerfully that he left a pair of rifts in the ground. He stared forward, his back to the machine, and held for a moment…

He didn't move…but Dael, Taraketh, Quaren, and everyone else quickly looked away and braced themselves when the Citadel robot suddenly exploded in a brilliant flash, scattering pieces in all directions. The power was so great, the metal punched through the floor to the lower tier, and sent fragments flying across the entire foyer, smashing so hard into the wall they forced the snipers to duck and dodge for it. Of course, almost everyone had to duck to avoid the blast itself, especially the brilliance from it. About the only thing that wasn't hit was Jalab…who acted as a "break" for the other group members.

Although the eruption was so loud it sent a resounding echo through the foyer that hurt Dael's ears, it died down fast enough for her to look up…and saw Jalab still in that last pose. However, he soon rose to his feet, and extended an arm…just in time to catch the staff he had tossed into the air. Immediately, he turned and ran for the platform. All that was left of the guardian mech was a pile of scrap metal, at this point…at least, whatever metal hadn't already been blown to the four winds. Dael was overwhelmed…so much that she couldn't move for a moment. However, her mentality kicked in, and soon she ran after Jalab. The other two quickly followed.

The soldiers gradually recovered too, but they were still blocked by the melted crest and the molten slag, both of which were only now starting to slow down due to the cooling of the sprinklers. Everyone else who was close enough was too distracted from the combination of the fire and Jalab's incredible move, which had honestly left the nearest soldiers scared and too stunned to pursue them. A few people did manage to fire by the time they neared the platform, but it was already too late by then. The group quickly charged on board, and Dael went right for the console, key already out. In moments, it slid into the hole, turned, and immediately engaged the platform. Just as soldiers began to fire…the entire lift took off into the air, shooting straight up for the top floor.

The four took a moment to catch their breath. Dael was amazed at how remarkably well that entire opening assault had gone. They had managed to evade quite a bit. However…it naturally would only grow harder from here. They were only going to the uppermost level, what Dael assumed was the "central tower" suspended by all the others. From then on it, it would be private elevators and lots of elite units.

However, in the interim, Quaren took a moment to look over to Jalab. "Sir Tierras…what was that?! I didn't think even you could punch through one of those!"

"That was Buuthanrahmha." Jalab responded. "Means 'Dance of the Phantom'. Put chi into limbs, strike enemy, put chi into enemy when strike. When all go in, concentrate, and call chi back to you. Shatter opponent at kahr."

Taraketh looked a bit unnerved on hearing that, and explained. "In Jalab's order, the 'kahr' is the core of the physical being of a person…where it taps into the center of its existence, its spiritual connection…even what 'holds it together'. Supposedly, if you hit anything there, according to their belief, it is destroyed…even a mountain or a sea."

"Hard to get right. Learned only last year…mastered only one month ago…too afraid to use before now." Jalab added.

Dael hesitated momentarily, and then looked up to him. "…Did your training ever tell you what would happen if you tried to do that to a living thing?"

Jalab turned to Dael at this…and looked visibly shaken. Immediately, his face turned a bit grim as he bowed his head.

"…If get right…person shatter."

That was a rather grim thought, Dael had to admit…but she didn't dwell long on it. It might end up being rather useful before the day was out. With that in mind, she put her sword to one side and got out her Mage Gun. She looked to the others as she did so.

"Everyone…get ready to unload everything you have when we get up to the top. We're going to need to move to the stairwells, and I'm sure there's going to be a lot standing in our way."

"How do we know where to find the stairwells, captain?" Quaren asked.

"Easy." She responded. "The elevators will be locked down. Wherever the opposition is coming from… Just be ready to bust through."

Taraketh quickly began to loosen up the hammer on his kusarigama. Jalab crossed his staff in front of him and began to focus his power again. As for Quaren, he kept his rifle at the ready but his sidearm unfastened and grenades prepared. To top things off, Dael chanted to spread a barrier spell over all of them.

Moments later…the platform began to slow, and everyone tensed and prepared. As Dael looked forward, the lip of the top floor came into view, exposing the interior. While it slowly pulled up, she saw it…a mass of soldiers in Aegis Armors, two turrets, and, just for a moment, she caught a glimpse of something more in the back…one of the Kaiser Raidens.

She picked this all up in an instant, but didn't wait for them to open fire or call out to "halt". Immediately, she squeezed the trigger on her Mage Gun, and the fight was on.

The Fire shell lacked the power to do serious damage to the Aegis Armors, but when it shot through the air and splashed into a group of them, it covered them with flames, stunning them. The group charged forward during this interim, with Quaren quickly whirling his rifle around and firing into the barrel of one of the turrets…nailing the shell inside and turning it into a fireball. The other one still managed to fire, but the group was too fast for it, and soon its powerful guns shredded the console of the elevator platform. Good luck for them, Dael wagered, as it meant no one could use that lift to chase after them right away. As for Taraketh and Jalab, they scattered the remaining troops within moments. The former immediately cast a powerful ice spell and sent a shower of large crystals flying at half of them. Again, even if the crystals weren't direct enough to "hit", the sheer impact knocked their gauntlets aside and made them fire wildly in other directions, and forced them back as well. As for Jalab, he was more direct, diving into the midst of the group and swing out his staff like a streak of sunlight, smashing four of them away with sufficient force to critically damage the armor and make them fly into their allies, the result of which bowled them all back.

The Kaiser Raiden had been hanging toward the back before now…but started its approach at this point, bouncing up alongside the nearest corridor wall with the intent of launching itself at Dael. However, as it attempted to fire off the wall, it was halted a moment too soon. Quaren raised his rifle and, in a super-human moment of gunnery that took only a heartbeat, he aimed and fired at the foot joint of the robot before it could launch itself, damaging it. The split second was too much for the machine to compensate, and it went "askew", launching itself high, outside, and toward the back of the group. In the meantime, Dael quickly swung around with her cleaver-like blade into the nearest Aegis Armor while it was still recovering, and then left the sword embedded there a moment as she quickly snapped out another mage bullet, a Thunder one this time, snapped over to the remaining turret, which swiveled to her, and fired…sending a shock that stunned it momentarily. Jalab, bringing his staff back, began to swirl it around at a dizzying rate, and smacked aside two more Aegis Armors as soon as they rose with sufficient force to peel their armor off of them, before sending a focused beam at the stunned turret. An eruption later, and it was gone. As for Taraketh, swinging his own sickle around to ensure that no enemy would close, he chanted another spell…and soon sent the Aegis Armors flying in all direction, smashing most into walls or other debris hard enough to knock them out.

Dael wasn't wasting any time. Immediately, she charged the Kaiser Raiden, which itself recovered very quickly. She launched an attack on it in the form of a rapid overhead chop, for all the good it did. Two of the blades crossed and met it, and Dael soon felt the power of the machine firsthand as she felt herself being pushed back. Anyone else probably would have had their arms dislocated from the sheer pushback force. At any rate, in moments, the Kaiser Raiden fully stood and began to advance, slashing and hacking at Dael just as rapidly as it had against Bahamut and Taraketh back in Leuco. The Esthar's Hawk, however, kept her cool. She quickly began to backpedal and adjusted as best as she could with her sword, parrying it all the while. She knew this sword wouldn't last long. The blades of the Kaiser Raiden were already heating up and trying to cleave through it, and she could feel it buckle underneath as she struggled to back up. However, her tactic had worked. Because the robot was focused on its nearest opponent, it again ignored Quaren, who made it pay for that. As Dael struggled to fend off two blades and it raised a third for an overhead chop, and shot rang out from his rifle, and the wrist joint was obliterated, causing the machine to drop the sword and swing nothing but a mostly useless limb afterward.

With the turrets gone, Jalab quickly put down any remaining Aegis Armors that weren't already disabled, unconscious, or deceased. His staff and fist lashed out again and again, seeming to ignore the metal all together and beat through the machines and the people beneath. As for Taraketh, he soon spotted Dael's situation. Even with only three arms, the Kaiser Raiden had compensated and was attacking even faster than before, forcing her back and striking down again and again so hard that Dael thought it was either trying to break her sword or her arms…whatever would give first. And frankly, in spite of her enhanced strength, she was sweating and buckling under it. With the greater speed, Quaren was forced to shoot more randomly rather than hit the joints, and the only non-moving target was the armored chest, which could take multiple bullets. However, the High Child soon leapt into action. He quickly shot past, wide of the robot, using its one clear weakness…its ability to only focus on one target at a time. As soon as he went by, he quickly whipped up his hammer, swung it around a few times, then shot out to snare one of the legs of the Kaiser Raiden. It was still lumbering after Dael, and so he used the next moment to swung the other end out and hook the sickle around the lip of the raised platform. A second later, and as the robot advanced…the chain was pulled taut and it was tripped, staggering forward momentarily and exposing its upper torso. Not wasting a second, Dael shot forward and stabbed her sword deep into the shoulder joint, severing not one but two connections, and leaving it down to one arm with a blade and one unarmed limb.

The Kaiser Raiden still wasn't done, however. It quickly began to tug sharply on the chain, starting to rip it free from the lip of the platform, tearing the metal it was anchored to. Yet as it reared back to try and pull itself free one last time, Taraketh quickly ducked in, seized his chain, and loosened both ends with a snap of his hands. Quickly, he began to recoil both of them…while the robot itself, meaning to snap loose, suddenly found itself freed and staggered forward yet again. Dael quickly backpedaled, but managed to slice out one more time as she did so…removing its remaining sword, and hand, from its body.

In spite of all of that, the machine still reared up and prepared to fire with one last weapon. Its ocular lens began to light up, no doubt meaning to vivisect the opponent before it. It fired quickly, but Dael was expecting it…and quickly dropped flat to the ground, letting the shot sail over her body harmlessly and cut a hole into the floor. It realized its mistake and cut off briefly…which was a mistake for it, as Jalab seized on that opportunity. Giving a minor yell, not as strong as the one on the bottom floor but still quite powerful, his aura blazed, and he dashed forward like an artillery shell. The machine raised up to fire on him…only to be smashed into solidly by the monk with incredible power.

In spite of the Kaiser Raiden's size and power…it was ripped clean off of its feet by the sheer power and sent flying…not just back to the platform, not just over and by it, but all the way to the window of the skyscraper…where it smashed right through the supposedly shatterproof glass and was cast out into the air beyond. The machine flailed about, trying to find something to grab onto with its remaining intact limbs, but with no way of grabbing, it merely scraped futilely against the walls before it fell down, beginning its long descent to oblivion at the plaza below.

The group paused for a moment. All were breathing a bit hard. Taraketh was feeling the "burn" from his spells still, and Dael's arms were still sore from fighting off that metal behemoth. She could see how she never would have stood a chance against two of them…possibly even one-on-one.

She didn't even have time to congratulate or rally anyone, however…because silent alarms soon began to go off all around them in the form of flashing lights, and the sounds of more troops coming down the hall in the distance began to near. Dael turned to the noise, as did the others. Letting out an exhale, she popped open her Mage Gun barrel and paused only long enough to load another shell, and then motioned to the others.

"Follow me. Punch through…and don't stop."

With that, she took off immediately into the hall, and the others soon followed in behind her, each one ready for more fighting.

The next few minutes were a blur. Dael only made it to the first junction before she spotted another squad coming their way. No longer were they relying on conventional troops up here. Everything was an Aegis Armor with lasers and even micro-rocket launcher mounted or advanced sentry robots. More than that…there was another Kaiser Raiden in the midst. But the group didn't stop. They burst on through, Dael leading the assault with another shot from her Mage Gun. This time, it was a Bio bullet, spreading a cloud of infectious magical disease over the front line. It might not have been as strong as what Raven was capable of, but it did cause the entire front row to collapse, letting the group dig into the next team. A blast from Jalab sent one of the drones packing, and a few shots from Quaren disabled another. Taraketh himself called on his earth powers to smash into the Kaiser Raiden. It tried to dodge as it had back in Leuco, but the High Child was more experienced and the area was smaller he was able to pin it with a column of earth to the ceiling, and as it slowly cut its way free, the group ran right on by.

Another team soon followed…this one with two Kaiser Raidens. In spite of his growing exhaustion and the cramped quarters, Taraketh summoned Quetzacoatl again for the lead-in, striking the entire mass with lightning. Unlike conventional magic, the power of a Guardian Force was on a whole different field. Reflection was useless in most cases, and soon the Kaiser Raidens were being shocked the same as the other machines and systems. The group ripped by, slashing, pounding, blasting, and shooting furiously. Though sweat mounted on everyone's brow, they continued to fight and plow through, for the ones in the last group they tore past had recovered and were coming after them again. Dael managed to slow them down with an Ice bullet to the nearest Aegis Armors, freezing them in place and making them a blockade, but still they were hard-pressed to stay ahead.

However, at last, they began to come to a heavy metal fire door with an "Exit" emblazoned over the top of it. Dael led the group straight for it, hoping that it led further up the tower rather than only down from this floor. Already down to only four shells left, and only two of them "conventional", she loaded her next shot as she ran for it. Right before reaching the door, she froze and snapped around, letting Jalab come forward and shatter the lock with one well-placed strike from his staff. As for the captain, she fired her shot into the floor just as the attacking units behind her neared. It went off…and the new front line soon had spheres of light burst from thin air around them, and then begin to rotate "backward" in a counter-clockwise format. In response, it looked as if a pocket of time had "slowed" around those men, and they moved at a vastly reduced pace. Their normal-moving cohorts soon arrived behind them, only to be blocked. After a moment of delay, they began to push by, just as one of the recovered Kaiser Raidens bounded forward and used a wall jump to clear them entirely before barreling straight at the group…but by then it was too late. The door was open, and the four ran inside.

The Kaiser Raiden immediately dashed forward and struggled to bust through, but it was too large for the single doorway, and soon had to use its own red-hot blades to try and slice its way in. The group, on their part, didn't wait. They quickly began to run up the stairwell, taking the stairs two at a time. They only went up about two flights before Quaren paused long enough to pull the pins on two grenades and toss them down the shaft. By now, the Kaiser Raiden had managed to squeeze part of its body through, but could go no further. A moment later, the grenades went off and pierced it with shrapnel. It wasn't enough to seriously damage it…but it was enough to gum up some of its workings, leaving it immobilized for a few moments.

However, the group only got up to about the sixth floor of this incline before soldiers overhead began to fire down on them. Apparently, more units were coming down from above to try and counter them. And unlike the ones in Leuco, these ones were using targeting lasers and infrared to try and hit them. Dael quickly switched to casting a magical barrier instead, which acted to repel some of the shots, while Jalab broke into flaming images and sent them skyward, punching and kicking at every soldier they could reach. Luckily, the stairwell itself was fairly compact and overlaid. There were places to duck, even for the microlasers, and the group kept pushing itself upward. But by the time they got to the eighth floor…the armors still above had not only increased in number, but Dael soon heard a "whooshing" sound as the nearest ones fired off the microrockets.

Taraketh, straining himself even more, quickly snapped up and cast a wind spell of considerable power. It barely managed to work in time. The rockets literally got within six feet of the nearest one of them. However…in the end, they were forced back up the shaft, and soon detonated on the upper floors, rocking the shaft, busting up the stairs in multiple places, and shaking everything with a deafening boom that made everyone recoil and try to get their bearings momentarily.

Yet when Dael looked back up and above and below…she saw the situation hadn't done more than buy them a few seconds. The Aegis Armors mostly took the blast, and they were regrouping. Not only that, but more were coming…and she saw a rather nightmarish sight of a new Kaiser Raiden beginning to climb down the shaft itself like an overgrown spider. She looked below afterward, and was just in time to see the one below dislodge the last of the debris and burst out into the stairwell. It immediately began to climb while more Aegis Armors poured in behind it.

She exhaled. "…We don't have time for this. We'll have to get off on this floor and find another way up."

"I don't think we'll find much with these things chasing us…" Taraketh answered. "Everyone…get to the exit door. I'll bring up the rear this time."

Seeing that he was clearly preparing another powerful spell, Dael looked to him uneasily. "You're on your last legs. You need to save what power you have left."

"I can handle it." He insisted…struggling not to pant and wiping some sweat from his brow. "I'm a High Child, after all…"

Dael really didn't have time to argue, and so she did as he said, and quickly ran for the nearest exit door. Jalab, however, was one step faster, and reached there first and pounded it in. Once he burst through, he quickly looked around, and then advanced further. Taking this as a sign there was no hostiles waiting for them, Quaren followed. That left Dael, who went into the door frame, but paused and looked back momentarily.

Taraketh moved out as well, but hesitated long enough to close his eyes and concentrate. Based on the amount he put into it, he was either more tired than he looked…or he was summoning considerable power. Dael opted for the latter. As the Aegis Armors and the Kaiser Raidens closed in…his eyes opened and blazed with power before his aura erupted large and bright, and he swung his hands out.

Not even waiting to see the full impact of his spell, Taraketh snapped around and began to run out. Dael took that as he cue to move as well…and a good thing too. Abruptly, the walls exploded around the narrow stairwell. Pieces of concrete went mobile and burst forth from the walls in multiple places on the stairs above and below, deforming them, twisting them, and sending them falling. Men in Aegis Armors cried out, and one of the Kaiser Raidens slipped and fell into the other one…but the entire shaft soon grew unstable and began to fall apart. Soon, everyone was falling down in a deluge of debris as the structure collapsed.

Dael, now outside of the stairwell, saw clouds of dust beginning to pour out of it. The rumbling wasn't dying down, and she feared that Quaren had gone too far, especially when the ground in this hall began to shake. It was, after all, nothing more than a building suspended by the other support-like towers. There was a chance it could snap loose and send them all to their deaths. However…as they continued to run, the trembling ceased, and the ground stabilized. More than that, there wasn't any immediate resistance on this floor. It seemed to be a basic hallway, not even with any military purposes in mind.

Nevertheless, Dael soon saw that there were auto-gun emplacements here, and at any moment they could become active. With that in mind, she motioned ahead…toward a set of what looked to be gold-plated, heavily-etched double doors.

"In there!"

The group soon ran up to them. They were locked again, but, as before, Jalab had little trouble breaking it open and then leading the group inside. As they did so, Dael paused only a moment to look at the doors. They were made of rich wood, heavily and ornately carved, and the plating wasn't just gild…it was real gold. She was actually a bit stunned for a moment to see that. There was definitely no other door like that in the building that they had encountered so far… At any rate, she slipped inside, and closed the doors behind her.

Now in the new chamber, and having earned a moment, the group paused to catch their breath. Even for superhumans, they were pushing themselves hard to stay alive and keep moving. All of them were rather drained after being in this operation for hours, almost all of it spent running one way or another. This room was both quiet and cool, and in the silence, Dael almost could hear her heart beating in her ears. Yet what truly focused her attention was what was in the room, the same with everyone else.

It seemed like they had gone into an "exhibit" or "antique" room of some sort. There was carpeting in here, better climate control, more "aesthetic" lighting…and, most of all, long rows of glasses cased filled with valuables. Some seemed to be more "heavy security" than others, but all of the cases looked to be locked rather solidly. Inside were all manner of things. Some were more "obviously" valuable, such as gold trinkets, precious jewels, and a few things made of fine mythril. Others held value only to those who had a sharper eye for such things, such as ancient jugs or pottery or tools or other artifacts. Most of those had some sort of plaque on them to accent why they were valuable or historically significant.

Dael and the others looked about only a moment, before starting to advance through this area. A room this large probably had an exit on the opposite side for fire code if nothing else. Perhaps they could use it to cut through. At any rate, this place probably had its own security systems. She was sure the stuff was worth a considerable amount of gil. In that case, it wouldn't do well to linger too long.

"I think our pirate friend would probably have preferred to come this way…" Taraketh mused as they moved along.

Jalab looked over a few of the more secure cases, and soon pointed to one. "Pallas artifacts. Old world." He stated. "Illegal to take from sites."

"Something tells me that if the Guiding Hand cared so little about shipping people off to die in Leuco, they probably didn't care too much about a little grave robbery and plundering of historical sites…" Dael answered with a frown.

As they walked on a bit farther, the room opened up more…only to reveal even more rows and "lanes" inside it. A bit to Dael's surprise, this place was practically a museum. The articles grew more rare as well. The security measures increased in the process. By now, the glass was over an inch thick and, in spite of being crystal clear, it was impossible to move through. Dael doubted even armor piercing bullets would get in. She saw sensors on other parts as well. She knew tripping them would definitely alert someone. At any rate, as the room just seemed to extend further and deeper, with no end in sight, she couldn't help but exhale a bit.

"It seems Rozan likes his luxury…" She exhaled.

"More than that, Dael." Taraketh stated as he looked over some of the artifacts. "This is one of the old Pyroeldwichs…better known as a 'Fire Rod'. A stave that actually has magical power in it." He turned his head to another. "And over here…one of the naturally occurring mana crystals…what they used to make materia out of when the old mako reactors were still working…" He looked further up. "And that…" Suddenly, he trailed off momentarily. His eyes widened a bit. "…That looks like a second or third addition of one of the original books from Mysidia…the ones that talk about the Jade Passage and Sunfire…"

"Is that something important?" Quaren asked. He gestured up ahead to another case. "Some of this just looks like junk. Look in that case…a whole case to itself, and all that's there is some old metal torch."

Taraketh looked to this, and immediately gasped. He actually ran ahead of the group for a moment and nearly pressed himself against the glass, gazing inside in shock. A moment later, he looked back. "Do you have any idea what that is?!" He gasped.

Quaren paused, as Jalab and Dael kept moving. He shrugged. "…A torch?"

Taraketh looked down to the plaque, and his eyes widened more before he looked back up. "This is Egil's Torch! The standard of the old kingdom of Kashuan! Wielder of the Sunfire flame! This torch once saved a quarter of the planet by casting Sunfire into the heart of the first military airship: the Dreadnought!"

Quaren blinked a bit. "But…what's it do now? Can you even use it as a regular torch?"

The High Child frowned. "…Is that all you can say?"

"Sorry…" The corporal answered as he turned and continued to walk. "I mean…I'm sure that was great at the time, but…now it's just collecting dust. It would be better off in a museum instead of some private collection. I'm more interested in things that would still have some use…" He said as he turned his head forward…and soon froze in his step again.

"…Like that."

Dael had halted as well at this point, as had Jalab. It seemed all routes in the room fed into one hexagonal case in the middle, guarded by every security measure possible that wasn't lethal. The chamber had to have a laser net and temperature sensors as well as the standard thick glass walls locked and sealed with thick metal framing and electronic locks. Yet just as before, what was inside was quite clear.

It was a sword. From the side of it, it seemed to be somewhere in size between greatswords and bastard swords, and it was definitely old. The period appeared to be somewhere prior to the War of the Magi, based on the décor. One could tell from the guard on the blade. It seemed to be entwined and "winged", looking like a combination of angel wings and vines, like from a rose. At first glance, the blade appeared used, due to being notched. However, that was part of the design. It was interlinked at the stronger points and emblazoned with runes. Not only that, but despite the fact it was well lit, the blade almost seemed to radiate a soft glow… It was both powerful-looking and well-made…better made than most other swords in the world, not only in terms of modern common techniques…but of all time.

Dael looked at it only a moment…before her own knowledge of blades told her what it was. When that happened, her eyes widened slightly, and her own mouth slackened.

Seeing this reaction, Quaren looked to Dael a moment, but then advanced to the case and looked to the plaque on it. "This must be a pretty impressive sword." He mused. "According to this, it's…"

"Save the Queen."

Quaren, Taraketh, and Jalab looked up to her at that, as she continued to stare at the weapon in wide-eyed awe. After a moment of silence, however, Jalab blinked in confusion.

"We must…save…a queen?" He asked.

"No, that's the name of the sword." Dael answered, not looking away from it as she began to walk closer. "The 'Save the Queen'…the sword of Alexandria. The blade that was supposedly the greatest sword ever made by purely human hands. That cut through over a thousand soldiers and, though its years of service, never once even needed to be sharpened. It only ever had one bearer: General Beatrix of Alexandria, the last of the Paladins. They said she was unstoppable with it."

Taraketh looked up at this. "I know that history…and the legend. Supposedly, Beatrix became too cold and ruthless, too obsessed with battle. She forgot her own Paladin heritage and became a butcher. Although she atoned for her crimes, she lost the will to fight. She claimed the sword 'lost its edge' in spite of being so powerful and unchanged by battle. She said it only worked while she defended Alexandria for the new queen, Garnet til Alexandrios…but when she left the throne, she hung up the sword forever. No one ever used it again."

"A thousand soldiers without growing dull…?" Quaren echoed. Suddenly, he had a look of realization. "Wait…you mean that Save the Queen?"

"The one and only. No one else ever made another like it." Taraketh answered. "It took two years of the best swordmakers in Alexandria, Burmecia, Lindbulm, and even ones from Cleyra to make. The latter is what gave it its holy power…the only weapon they ever collaborated with the other nations to build. Since all four were destroyed and only two of them rebuilt, they could never make another."

By now, everyone was gathered around the front of the case, looking inside. Even now, it seemed as if the runes shimmered with an inner light.

"…And no one has used it since?" Quaren asked.

"It might just be a rumor…but the legend has it that the sword has a mind and will of its own." The High Child responded. "After Beatrix abused its strength to massacre the women and children of Burmecia and Cleyra, it gradually began to fail her. Now, its true power only lies in being used to defend others. That's why no swordmaster can just come along and take it, because they only want to use it for their own power and glory."

The group stared a moment longer, seeming to forget temporarily about the mission. At last, however…the statement was made. Jalab looked to Dael.

"…Take sword."

Immediately, the woman turned to him in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Take sword." Jalab answered, gesturing to it. "Use it. Need better weapon."

"Hey, that's right, Dael." Quaren answered. "I'm sure that would be a heck of a lot better than that oversized cleaver you're using."

Dael turned to him next, still looking as surprised. "You want me to steal an antique blade and use it?"

"Normally I'd be against theft…but seeing as this is Sybenia, you might as well do something good with it, Dael." Taraketh responded. "And 'antique' nothing. I'm sure that blade is just as deadly now as it was nearly 2,000 years ago. It's not even rusted."

"But…" The young officer began to protest. However…she could come up with nothing. This seemed almost too convenient. However, more than that…there was the fact that this blade was the stuff of legend. There were only a handful of blades in the world that had made it to the history books, but this was one of them. Supposedly, it was even a match for the Excalibur and the Masamune. And it was precisely because it was so historically significant that she was nervous about taking it. She had respect for historical warriors and great blades…and, to be honest, she didn't feel "worthy" about taking this one. Besides, if the legend was right, and all the people she had killed who were innocent, even if inadvertently…would she really be able to use it that well? And it was so much larger and broader than what she was used to…

Yet in spite of all of her fear, a voice of reason went through her mind.

You really can't afford to be "respectful" right now, Dael. You need that weapon. If the worst happens, you can't fight an Elite Hound with this oversized knife. You need something that actually has some power to it. This sword, if it really is still good after 2,000 years, is better than anything you could wish for.

Besides, if it doesn't work out…you can always just leave it behind. What good is it doing gathering dust in a display case? If this mission is successful, all it will be is looted by whoever wants anything of value in this building…

With all of this in mind, Dael finally exhaled.


It was downright eerie.

Getting the blade itself had been easy. For all the security measures, it seemed as if an Eris Bell was not in effect on the upper levels. That seemed odd, but Dael didn't question providence. There was nothing stopping her from teleporting inside and simply taking the sword, then teleporting out. Remarkably…it felt very light. Perhaps it was her enhanced strength playing tricks on her, but she felt she could manipulate it as easily as her old katana. In fact, it seemed so light that she doubted its power momentarily, until she did a practice swing on a pane of bulletproof glass. At first, she thought she had some how missed it or there wasn't any glass there to begin with…for the sword cut right through with almost no resistance. The blade was indeed still sharp. What more, despite not being a Western-style blade…Dael felt so natural and "right" using it. Like she had been training with it for years.

She could barely contain her excitement, and anxiety, at the fact that she was actually wielding Save the Queen. At any rate, it seemed to "accept" her, so she quickly readjusted her side sheath. If she made it go high, it was just good enough to keep the blade from dragging. She supposed she'd get it a proper scabbard later, but for now it hung loose as she ran along.

Luckily, the "treasure room" seemed to span the entire floor, which meant that by running to the opposite side, there would be another stairwell waiting for them. Hopefully one that was unguarded. After moving to the opposite side of the chamber, Quaren took the front and moved to the door. He soon cracked it open slightly and looked outside.

After a moment, he ducked his head back in, shutting the door again. "There's two sentry robots…Obelisks, by the looks of them. And there's a Kaiser Raiden in between them."

The one good thing about automatic drones is that they keyed in on living things. Hence, if something mechanical moved about, they might look at the motion or sound, but wouldn't fire due to not seeing anything organic to target. So long as they didn't present themselves visibly, they didn't have to worry.

Quaren sighed. "The hall is too narrow…we'll have to take it out, and that won't be easy. I think I've got eight more armor piercers and that chassis is too thick to be breached with one hit."

"I could try using another earth spell…that's the only thing I have that can negate reflection." Taraketh added. "But it will make some noise. So will a summon, and…frankly…" He let out an exhale. "I really can't pretend I'm not draining myself anymore."

"Can Jalab do the same thing he did to the Citadel?" Quaren asked.

"Only one target." The man responded grimly. He patted himself. "Body…become weak…brittle…during attack. Other drones would hit. One shot…likely kill."

Dael hesitated for a moment after hearing everything. The group paused. After a moment, Taraketh looked like he would attack anyway…when the woman exhaled and stepped forward. One of her hands grasped the hilt of Save the Queen. She could almost feel power ebbing through it as she did so…

"I'll do it." She stated.

The others looked to Dael, as she exhaled again and drew the sword. She held it before her with both hands, already focusing her power into it…getting ready to move fast, and hoping this sword was half as good as the legends said. She cracked her neck once, and then inhaled. "Let's see if this really is a mythical blade…"

The others opened their mouths to protest, but she didn't sit around and wait for it. No doubt, some camera or security system had already spotted them. They needed to move while the defenses were at least somewhat lax. With that in mind, she pushed open the door…just enough to see the small hallway with the Kaiser Raiden and its cohorts, and then spoke a few arcane words to teleport.

She thought she saw the robots beginning to use their scanning lasers to spot her even when the door was open. For that reason, when she teleported into the air above the Kaiser Raiden, she hoped she'd at least get in one good slice with it completely off guard. No such luck. Like the crack of a whip, she had barely begun to descend, bringing her blade up for a downward slice, when the top of the machine rotated around on a pivot, and soon two of its four swords were igniting with heat and rising to meet her. Yet it was too late to worry now. She had to go with it. Tightening up, she swung her sword down with all her might in a forward slash…already seeing it was too little, too late. The machine was reacting fast enough to bring not one but two swords up to intercept…

…for all the good it did.

The Save the Queen seemed to nearly light up with a white aura as it flashed down and made contact with the swords. Dael did feel some resistance, but she had been putting everything she had into this swing. As a result…she soon saw the burning ends of the blades go flying to the ground as her sword sliced easily through them and cut a long, deep, slash across the entire Kaiser Raiden from the side of its head through its entire torso.

Although one wouldn't have guessed it from how fast she moved…Dael was shocked. The sword had a longer blade than her katana, and so the hit went deeper than she intended. It wasn't a clean hit to the head, but it still had to have sliced into either part of the CPU or its connections with the rest of its body…and the sword dipped right through the chassis as if it was little more than soft sheet metal. By the time she landed, the Kaiser Raiden's arms went limp, and it spilled backward…the "wound" through it still gleaming on the edges, as if they had become locally heated when the Save the Queen cut through them.

In spite of this, Dael wasted little time. Her reaction speed was too great now, even with surprise, and immediately she swung the blade up and around as she advanced to her left. As the Obelisk was still turning to her, she sliced again, once more focusing her power…and this time cutting her target cleanly in half. Quickly, she pivoted backward, and then sliced out again…removing the "head" of the other Obelisk. Shortly after doing that, the Kaiser Raiden itself collapsed to the floor at last. It was hissing, spitting, twitching, and had the sounds of loose gears grinding and smoke and sparks pouring from its wound. It might have still been active, but it wouldn't be doing anything else.

The other three were likewise shocked…but, fortunately, Quaren was an Esthar's Hawk as well and stayed on task. Quickly, he led the charge out of the doorway and ran for the hall. It took the others a moment, but they soon followed. Dael herself hesitated…honestly overwhelmed. The Obelisks were bad enough…but a Kaiser Raiden had enough armor to survive a few successive armor-piercing hits. Yet the Save the Queen cut through it with no more effort than a sharpened knife cuts through a carrot. She was honestly in awe. Even if the blade hadn't "chosen" her…she was quite happy with this result. And despite not being a katana, it moved just as easily as her family sword. With that in mind, as Quaren reached her, she spun around, putting the blade down to her side, and running onward.

"That was amazing, captain!" Quaren couldn't help but exclaim.

"I'll boast about it later…once the mission is over." Dael answered as they neared the exit door at the end. "For now, we've still got a job to do."

In seconds, they were at the door. Dael was suspicious that the Save the Queen had been dulled or was brittle after close to 2,000 years of disuse. However, as she paused to inspect the edge while Jalab opened this door as well…she saw that wasn't the case. The blade was just as sharp and flawless as ever. Apparently, time had made it lose none of its potency, or it had at least been restored and kept well over its 2,000 years of sitting idle. She actually trembled again at the thought. The last time this sword had cut anything had been when the hands of General Beatrix were holding it. She was the only person on record to have ever slain anything with it aside from her, even if it was a robot she "slew". It was humbling to think about, but she didn't dwell long. She led the charge up the next stairwell.

Their speed seemed to be their greatest asset. Even if they were being spotted, they were moving far faster than anyone normal. No doubt, the guards had thought if they went for the elevator, then they would have at least been slowed down by the Kaiser Raiden. Yet Dael had disabled one in moments, and now they were flying up the stairs again. Even the brief respite in the antique room hadn't exactly left them in much of a state of recovery. Stairs were hard for anyone, and all four were huffing and puffing by the time they went up to the twelfth floor. They slowed down visibly by the fifteenth, but still didn't stop. Dael ran them all the way to the top, pushing herself on in the process.

At the twentieth floor…the stairs finally gave out. Dael came to a halt here, and took a moment to catch her breath, in spite of the danger. The others did much the same. They needed all the help they could get for this final push, after all. Dael was certain the last few floors were accessible only through private elevators and hidden stairways. She was also certain whatever security was left from this point on was of the hardest variety. If they wanted to stop them…it would be soon. With that in mind, as soon as she caught her breath, Dael loaded her final shell into her Mage Gun. It wasn't much…just a basic Hold shell. It wouldn't even work against a strong enough mind or a machine. However, if a Kaiser Raiden was truly "driven" by biologic components…maybe it would stop one...or if nothing else, someone she caught off guard. With that done, she looked to Quaren. While Taraketh was normally the one who would handle the door locks, he moved in this time. Using his own fire magic, he applied just enough of a spell to melt out the lock from their side. That done, he pulled back and readied his gun with the last few armor piercers. Dael exhaled, then grasped her sword tight and kicked open the door, jumping out and ready for a fight.

However…there was nothing there to greet them but an empty hallway. It was definitely fancier and better decorated than the rest of the building thus far. The metal plating on the walls, which before seemed merely gilded with brass, now looked to be plated with gold. The tile was fine marble, and the hall was lined with windows looking outside to the red-tinted sky, the burning tops of the skyscrapers, and the city far below. Dael realized the tunnel had to be in one of the very supports in the inner tier of the main tower. That meant there were four of these leading into the center…perhaps in all directions, just as in the lower floor. At any rate, up ahead…there was a set of gold double doors that looked reinforced and were guarded with cameras. There were autoguns as well, but they were inactive.

"…No one here." Quaren stated. "But the guns aren't being used."

"That doesn't make any sense. This would be the perfect place for a bottleneck." Taraketh answered.

"Don't assume we've reached that point yet." Dael answered darkly. "We still need to find a way up, and my guess is any higher from here is restricted access…in that there's only one way in and out. Let's go."

Dael led the move to continue going forward. In spite of the situation, she kept her eyes forward on the auto-guns, watching and waiting for them to become active. However, they stayed collapsed…which only made her more nervous. This had all the looks of a trap, and the Hounds had been quite good at that in the past. The others stayed close behind, looking around as they followed along. Quaren made sure to note that Tiamat was no longer visible…at least in the brief time he looked out the window. But neither were the airships… At this point, one couldn't be clear if the fight was still going on and he simply couldn't see it…or if it was all over.

The captain reached the door and checked the handles. She expected some form of lock or alarm…and found neither. They simply opened up. She froze. There was no way that there wouldn't be some sort of security measure there. She paused and looked to the others.

"…This is definitely a trap."

"No way around it, Dael." Taraketh answered with a frown. "We can't just sit here and wait for things to come at us. If it makes you feel any better…I'm not feeling my powers hampered. There must be no Eris Bell here."

Sighing slightly, Dael turned back to the door and immediately kicked it open, before aiming her sword before her and whatever was inside.

On the other side was nothing but a wide, open chamber, after a short hallway leading within. Just as she thought, there were four hallways leading into this, and what it seemed to be was nothing more than a foyer. It was large and extensive, although not as large as the lower floors. Apparently, the building tapered a bit. Yet still…it was large enough for a small ballroom. And with all of the marble and high-ceilined lined with white, gold, and ivory…it seemed to make sense. There were windows inside which allowed sunlight to provide the bulk of illumination, and in the center of the chamber was a "golden monolith", a pillar that looked like it housed an elevator that went higher. This one did indeed look security locked, so it would probably be a hassle to get on. Other than that…nothing. No drones, no wall turrets, and no soldiers.

The others paused only a moment, but then were about to enter. However, they froze when they saw Dael wasn't going anywhere. Her eyes were focused hard on the inside. She stared only for a few moments, before calling out.

"…I know someone in there is watching us…intending us to walk right into our doom. This is far too easy. I find it impossible to believe there isn't something in here waiting for us. So why not just pop out? Are you that afraid that if you don't get the 'first hit' that you can't stop us? I can wait."

Dael's voice echoed loud and long through the chamber. Time slowly ticked by as it gradually faded. Only silence greeted it for a moment.

Then, at last, without a sound…a man with long black hair and a black coat walked out from behind the central pillar…one that the group recognized immediately. They instantly tightened up.

After a moment, the man turned his head and looked to Dael.

"…But you can't wait, Valkyrie." Raven darkly answered her. "You only have a brief window to come in here and assassinate Rozan Hierarch, yes? My guess is, you being an Esthar's Hawk, you're relying on expert timing. You have only a narrow frame of time to escape after this is done…and if you aren't in the right place at the right time it will be you against all of Sybenia…and even you can't handle those odds."

The Elite Hound crossed in front of the elevator, came to a halt, and turned to her. His sword was still on his back…but Dael couldn't help but feel cold inside. She had put everything she had into their last fight, and she knew she had barely improved since then. She honestly had no idea how she was supposed to win the fight now. Although she had been expecting him to show himself again on this mission…in all honesty, she was still scared. It was taking her everything she had to swallow down her fear at the sight of him. Even maintaining the level of focus needed to combat him with tiring.

However, after a moment, she began to advance, keeping her blade out and in front of her as she neared. The others followed behind, keeping their own weapons up as they did so. That gave her a bit of comfort. After all…at least she didn't have to do this alone now. Yet even as they neared…the ground shook a bit, and the building with it. It actually rattled momentarily, although no dust came from the ceiling.

Raven gestured around them. "Time is more against you than you think." He answered. "Hierarch is above…unleashing his greatest 'pet' upon the attackers. And yet, that creature is nothing but a raw engine of destruction, living only to ruin and kill just as it did thousands of years ago. Not since Bahamut's destruction of Alexandria was such an event recorded."

Dael didn't react to that at all. She was familiar with that story…and Bahamut had long since explained how it was his usurper brother who had been behind that. It was even in at least half of the history books, although the fact had never been "officially" proven. Nevertheless, Bahamut did react a bit, but kept advancing.

"Now he tries to both rein it in as well as vent its wrath, all in the same token." Raven continued. He let out a snort. "…Foolishness. There are things in this world that are born to kill. That is their purpose. You cannot both deny their nature and tell them to show it at the same time."

His gaze narrowed.

"The same could be said of us, Valkyrie." He finally stated. "Which is why it does not matter to either of us that all it would take is one loose shot, either from Tiamat or from one of your airships, to kill us both. That is why you come here now, in spite of the danger…in spite of obviously realizing by now how many of your actions are nothing more than the orders of another, being pulled on the strings of a master puppeteer. It's almost laughable…how we are both nothing more than dancing dolls in the grand scheme of things… You know this, even if you know it only deep down in your heart-of-hearts…and still you come." He paused. "Such is our destiny, Valkyrie. As countless ones before us…we exist only to kill."

"I've heard enough of your philosophy, Raven." Dael flatly answered, planting her feet, now solidly in the room with the others, and aiming her sword at him. "I'm not like you. I don't sell my soul for the sake of eliminating my ennui. You're just a mission to me…something standing between me and Rozan Hierarch. And I'm not going to play your game and let this just be a one-on-one beatdown. You're going against all of us now."

Raven stared for a moment, and let out an exhale.

"…Perhaps you're not like me." He admitted after a moment. "Perhaps you are less. I find fulfillment in the fight. I find purpose and understanding both of myself and others in every strike of my blade. I find meaning. I find life. What do you find, Valkyrie? The joy of having your masters pat you on the head and throw you a biscuit? The reason you are so predictable…the reason you can be found in times like this time and again…is because you can always be relied on to do nothing more and nothing less than as you are told. Would we have ever even met if someone hadn't started giving you orders one day, captain?"

Dael, in spite of her resolve, felt something inside her quaking. It was best to break it off now. This opponent was hard enough. She didn't need psychological warfare tearing her down too. She aimed the point of her blade at him. "I said I've heard enough. If you want your 'meaning', then let's get this over with."

Raven stared blankly back for a moment of silence, indifferent to Dael's face as it grew tight and impassioned.

Abruptly…a loud hiss followed by an echoing clang, like a huge load of metal dropped on a sheet of iron, went off behind Dael. In spite of facing down her deadliest opponent, she snapped her head behind her…just in time to see a thick metallic cover, pretty much the size of the entire short hall they passed through, slam down over their entrance. She looked back forward…and was just in time to see no less than eight holes open in the ceiling, from panels that had been so seamless before that neither Dael nor anyone else could have spotted them. In response…eight Kaiser Raidens dropped from the ceiling and landed on the ground, all around the others. However, in addition to that, the other three hallways were soon flooded as nine separate Elite Hounds, each one armed with dual vibrating blades and armor…and moving so fast that they already had to have taken the drug…ran out into the room as well, quickly spreading out. As they did so, covers slammed shut over each hallway afterward…sealing off the last escape.

Quaren clearly began to look afraid, sweating visibly. Taraketh hid it a little better, but his eyes darted all around as the opponents surrounded them. Jalab refused to show fear…but Dael could see how uneasy he was. As for her, she looked around her only once…and then darkly looked forward to Raven.

As she did, she saw him slowly reach up and place one of his gloved hands on his sword handle.

"…Then again, perhaps I'm more like you than I care to admit." He calmly stated. "I was ordered to kill all of you. And you didn't really think that I was going to let these three intrude so easily on our fated hour, did you?"

Dael merely narrowed her gaze, and primed herself for combat. The others looked for a moment…but then realized they had no other choice. Jalab snapped around and began to twirl his staff even as the Kaiser Raidens aimed up at him, focusing his chi. Quaren forced himself to look around with his rifle up and out. Taraketh inhaled once, trying to push back his own exhaustion, and then began to swing his hammer around in a circle. And much as she hated it…Dael pushed the group out of her mind, as well as the opponents that she knew would soon overwhelm them. Her attention was forced to rest solely on Raven.

In a flash, the Deathbringer was out…letting out an icy chill through the chamber as it was aimed at her.

"You have the Save the Queen from Hierarch's private collection. I doubt it was coincidence." The Elite Hound stated. "You are the true heir of her blade, Valkyrie. Now…"

For the first time Dael had ever seen him, his volume rose.

"Show me her legacy!"

With a snap, Raven shot off for Dael. Despite it happening literally in the blink of an eye…the woman instantly launched herself just as hard, and the two connected as the other three broke. The fight was on.

Dael had never fought so hard and furiously in her life. She couldn't afford to pace herself. Couldn't afford to go easy. All of her focus…all of her training…all of her strength…it had to go into it right now. She slipped into "the zone" within moments, focusing her power to see the spiritual lines through everything, and forcing herself to be isolated to Raven's. It was the only way she could keep up. On the first connection with the blade, she thought she saw both swords ignite…one with light and one with darkness. In her "spirit vision", she could see the competing auras tearing into each other ravenously. Raven didn't hold back, using all of his speed and might against her. But Dael…furious…focused…and, above all, determined not to lose…met every blow. She couldn't afford to even let one slice get through. Their weapons danced through the air…clashing, swiping, and slicing at each other's heads and exposed body parts. Dael saw the full measure of the samurai style…but she could match it perfectly and continued to batter on. At one point, he deflected her sword and advanced, slicing first for her head, which she nimbly dodged, then for her legs, which she had to leap over, and then trying to stab forward for her chest. In spite of the speed and fury…Dael grit her teeth and snapped her body to one side, letting the deadly blade shoot by, not even tearing her clothes, and aimed a counter overhead chop at Raven…forcing him to abort and fall back. Not wasting a second, she immediately advanced on him, breaking his assault within moments. By now, she had fought him twice. His style had become familiar to her. She was actually holding up better than ever in spite of him bringing out "everything he had" as well.

Quaren's rifle thundered, and he never shifted weight as the enemy charged at him. The first bullet was aimed for a Kaiser Raiden, striking it in the arm joints to cause it to drop a blade. The next two shots went off to a charging one, landing both in the head region of the robot. It wasn't enough to take it down, but it shattered its ocular lens and made it stagger. The fourth bullet went into the head of the nearest Hound, moments from stabbing at him, and dropping him. He had no time for a fifth. The next soldier reached him, and, with a swipe of his blade, knocked his rifle to one side. However…he not only let it go down, but he rolled back with the hit as well. As his rifle touched down, he landed on his back, avoiding swipes from two more Hounds, and snapped his handgun out. Immediately, he took aim at the upper leg regions and opened fire at point blank range. They were more loosely armored…and whoever had designed it had clearly forgotten about the femoral artery, and how even a leg wound to that could easily kill someone. As he discharged his shots, he soon dropped all three of them…just as the Kaiser Raiden staggered forward and swung down with its two blades. He quickly rolled to one side, avoiding them as they sliced into the floor. Taking only long enough to put his gun down and pick up his rifle instead, he swung back the other way as the blades went down yet again, and then opened fire on the head with his last two shots. It seemed to work…for the robot spasmed, and then began to fall. Quickly, Quaren tossed aside his rifle, not having time to shoulder it, and snatched up his handgun instead, then rolled out from underneath it and avoided another stab from an Elite Hound, before aiming his gun at his neck and firing two more shots point blank, then quickly rolled backward in a reverse somersault.

Taraketh actually gave a yell of his own as he barreled forward, swinging his hammer out to bean the first guard, retracting, throwing out his scythe to cut through another, and then yanking both ends back, twirling them around, and quickly swinging the chains up and in a loop to snag four Hounds at once coming for him. The result was a "living wall" that bought him a precious few seconds. The Hounds quickly began to free themselves, and more ran in from the sides, but he closed his eyes and used the moment to focus. He had to open them only two seconds later, and was forced to use his own training to avoid being stabbed to death, first on one side, then on the other…before his aura finally blazed and he called out. Although it drained him terribly…and he had to quickly reclaim his chain before the Hounds could throw it aside on breaking free, then struggle to hold off against them as best as he could as the portal opened…and out came the sickly-looking, cruel, yellow-skinned woman known as Siren, who rang out a deadly song that caused the Hounds around him to freeze and grab their heads in pain and panic. However…two Kaiser Raidens were not stunned, and continued to charge forward. Seeing that, Taraketh quickly whipped up both sides of his kusarigama, twirling them so fast they rivaled Jalab for being "solid disks", and then barreled forward, striking down four stunned Elite Hounds as he went straight for the nearest large robot. It reared up its four arms, meaning to slice him into bits…but right before it could, he dropped down and slid forward on the slick marble floor…letting the blades cut through the floor instead, and stunning the partner, who didn't want to attack when he was so near its "companion". As for Taraketh, he hardly finished sliding when he snapped up, twisted around, and placed his palm on the Kaiser Raiden. A moment later, in spite of the fact it gave him a pounding headache, he called forth a powerful lightning spell from close range. The resulting bolt ripped out of the air and struck it…but did nothing, naturally, due to the translucent, prism barrier about it. However…the bolt did soon bounce off, shoot through the air, and strike its partner square in the chest with enough power to tear a massive gouge into the chassis and rip it backward.

Jalab cried out in fury as he ignited into a fiery burst, shooting into the midst of his opponents. Fast and strong as they were, he forced himself to go faster and stronger, darting about and smashing his fist into four of them, one after another. The others managed to dodge his attacks, including the Kaiser Raidens, but they were also powerless to fight back. When he stopped moving…he was in the midst of three of them, with the remaining soldiers to his back. The robots were actually stunned a moment, before one of them advanced, blades dancing. Yelling again, Jalab grasped his staff firmly, and charged straight at it, with sufficient force to drive the stave forward and connect solidly with its chest, actually knocking in a dent as it kept charging. Giving another yell, he squatted, arched back…and proceeded to flip the entire robot over his head and behind him…casting it into the charging soldiers and knocking them down. The next nearest Kaiser Raiden charged toward him…and immediately Jalab snapped around, twirled his staff, and fired his aura beam at it. It was a sustained blast, and incredible powerful…yet nevertheless held more force than anything else. The armor slowly began to melt away, but the robot held on and continued to push, trying to tear through it. As for the third, it approached Jalab from his backside, raising its blades to swing down on him. Jalab grit his teeth and held a bit longer as the Kaiser Raiden continued to push harder and harder… Right before the Kaiser Raiden behind him could stab, however…he cut off the beam and dove to one side. The one the beam was forcing back suddenly felt nothing pushing it anymore, and it shot forward for its partner…who drove its blades down into it and stabbed it in several locations, two of them being key. The monk didn't revel in his victory, but kept coming, launching himself into the next opponent.

Dael continued to clash with Raven. Tightening and focusing…she snapped forward with a powerful overhead chop. After all, she was hurting from blocking his blows. Each one he made was like a bar of steel slamming against her muscles. She tried to respond in turn, drive him into some pain and straining. And for a moment, the two blades locked so hard that spectral sparks emitted from both blades. However…she realized that was foolishness. Even taking into account both of their respective powers, he was still the stronger of the two. With a bit of a grunt from him, he forced her blade up and away, and darted in to slash for her middle. In response, however, Dael quickly applied her own power into a nimble backflip onto the ground, letting the deadly blade slice over her head. Luckily, the swing was strong enough to delay Raven for only a fraction of a second, and with a snap of her back, she was back on her feet, and launched herself at the dark warrior with renewed force and vigor. She was already shedding bullets of sweat everywhere, but didn't let up for a moment. Her assault was true, actually forcing him backward a few steps. However, her muscles began to weaken…and soon she knew he would try and fight back. Knowing a scratch would be all it would take…she quickly locked swords again with him and pushed in, using both her weight and power. Although she couldn't win the clash, it bought certain muscle groups a chance to relax for a few seconds…

Quaren's initial assault soon began to fall flat. The soldiers moved in on him quickly, slashing and stabbing at him again and again. He exhausted his handgun bullets in no time, but couldn't find time to reload his weapon. He was familiar with some hand-to-hand combat…but with fists against blades, he could do little but move back. Even so, he felt the blades slice into his clothing, and one of them actually managed to slice his flesh. They were forcing him away from his rifle, and, worst of all, a Kaiser Raiden was behind them. The only reason it didn't cut him already was because the other Hounds were in the way…ironically giving him a human shield. Deadly as they were, they wouldn't cut down their own allies. Yet Quaren realized he couldn't keep this up… As a result, he waited until one stabbed for him, moved out of the way, grabbed his arm in response, and then drove his fist forward into the throat of his attacker, which was lesser armored against blunt force. It caused him to gag, enabling him to rip off his gauntlet and shove the blade into the next nearest attacker's middle. Then, using his own enhanced strength, he lifted the man up the ground, gave his own yell, and barreled forward, breaking through the others as he tried to get back toward his gun. The move surprised the assaulting units, but only until he got to the Kaiser Raiden. At that point, it stopped him and tried to slice into him…but Quaren released his "human shield" and moved to one side. The Kaiser Raiden still swung down its blades, which forced his pursuers to break for a moment…just long enough for Quaren to pull out another clip, slap it in, and then snap around on a Hound coming in from behind and opening fire in his legs to drop him. After that, he quickly backpedaled to avoid having his head taken off by the third blade of the Kaiser Raiden…

Taraketh was panting hard now, but not stopping. His kusarigama continued to fly and twirl, knocking down all Hounds that came after him. Unfortunately, some were strong enough to get up after his hits, and kept coming. In addition, Kaiser Raidens were continuously slashing at him. Eventually, they broke enough for two of them to come at either side at once. The High Child had been in this situation before…and wasn't eager for a repeat. With that in mind…he quickly reared his hammer back and twisted the sickle instead. As the Kaiser Raider came forward, he looked up to the nearest one's head, and then swung out with it, linking it around one of its arms as it reared back. Using that momentum, he launched off the ground and sailed straight for the robot. Luckily, it raised its sword arm…raising him higher…as he landed on its shoulder. Quickly, he began to scramble toward the top of it. As he loosened his kusarigama sickle and ran to the other side, still breathing hard and sweating, he told himself to start concentrating. It took a moment or two…for it was getting harder and harder now. He almost felt as if something was being driven into his skull… Yet in spite of the draining effect…and the fact that he nearly collapsed off the other side of the Kaiser Raiden…the sky turned dark again, and a portal opened once more. As the Kaiser Raidens turned to go after him again…they were greeted by a woman made of ice bombarding them with ice crystals sharp enough to pierce their joints as well as freeze the rest of them in place. Taraketh, on his part, continued to come at the charging Hounds…but staggered as he did so…

Jalab continued to pump his aura as he swung his staff around in a blazing circle, smacking away one blade after another and answering with a titanic overhead blow. The Hounds fell one after another around him…but it was only a matter of time before the Kaiser Raidens moved in to fill the void. Although several of them were taking damage at this point…only the one that Quaren had shot in the head was fully disabled, and the remaining ones still had two or more arms active plus ocular lenses as they moved in on him. The nearest one was missing blades, but still drove its arms forward for him. Gritting his teeth, he smacked the claws away, although he winced and groaned with each deflection of the powerful metal arms. It soon threw in its blades as well, making it worse and forcing him to backpedal. Another came in and soon joined, forcing him to move faster and back up more to keep them away. Gritting his teeth, he let loose another blast of an aura, this one aimed at the head of one opponent…but not only did it barely force it back, he had to abort it quickly when the other Kaiser Raiden moved in and stabbed. As he began to grow sweaty and sore from the constant pounding, he realized he had to do something. With that in mind, he suddenly snapped back and fired another beam…this one at the ground beneath him. The result, much as it had been in Leuco, was to fire him upward and over the attacking robots, past the few soldiers left piling beyond, and landed on the other side of the room, in a "clearer" spot. Although another Kaiser Raiden spotted him and came for him, he had a moment to quickly whip his staff around his head a few times, and then swung outward…his chi erupting and forming into cutter-like shapes that sailed through the air, slicing through the remaining soldiers and hitting the Kaiser Raidens. One had an arm lopped off, while the other was struck in the torso, ripping it back and sending it to the ground. Yet he couldn't follow up for a kill. The other robot was soon on him and attacking…

Dael, meanwhile, was beginning to feel herself buckle. She had gone all out at the start, but she felt her muscles beginning to ebb and weaken a bit. She continued to keep up with Raven…but she realized he had seen her fighting style at this point as well, and he handled himself even better now that he had a sword in his hands. It seemed he hadn't used one for some time…because she could feel him slowly getting better and faster with it. In spite of all of her effort and focus, she realized she was slipping. She was holding him for now, but each one of his blows was hard to stand up to, and was faster than anything she was normally accustomed to. She continued to deflect, trying to formulate the next counter strategy…

When it happened.

It was all so fast she hardly realized it had happened until the moment had passed…but she saw the blade dart inward for her shoulder, and she tried to dodge…and she felt it. Suddenly, it was as if the skin and flesh of her arm had turned ice cold, and she could feel some invisible force like it was trying to rip it off of her bones… Not only that, but she actually let out a gasp and staggered backward as she felt a dozen icy knives seem to stab her heart at once. She couldn't see herself, but she actually paled for a moment, her skin turning gray and pale. Her feet locked and refused to move, but somehow she shuffled backward. Had Raven pressed his attack…it would have been over. She was an easy mark. Yet he held…because he knew what he had done. And as Dael looked at him pull the Deathbringer back…she saw it too in a bit of her blood staining the tip of the sword.

Yet as she felt darker and colder yet…she gave a grunt…and suddenly it was over. The numbness began to fade, and her body grew warm and alive again. She breathed hard for a moment anyway, trying to get her bearings. That felt…horrible. She looked down to her arm, risking a glance…and saw only a slice cut across her shoulder. It wasn't even that deep… Perhaps that was the reason she wasn't dead. The blade hadn't made contact with her long enough. However…she knew the truth now, and it frightened her. That sword really could kill with one blow.

She used the pause to glance around in her periphery…and soon wished she hadn't. In spite of her intention not to look at anything else except Raven…she saw the others were in trouble. Seven of the Kaiser Raidens were still standing and some weren't even hurt yet. Half of the Elite Hounds were down, but the others were enhanced enough to keep going. However…Quaren, Taraketh, and Jalab were all struggling. Quaren couldn't get back to his rifle, and had already exhausted his second clip. Now he was struggling not to get torn apart long enough to reload another or even pull a grenade, which was dangerous enough in close quarters, but couldn't get a moment. Taraketh looked on the verge of collapse, barely able to stand anymore after exhausting his power. Jalab seemed to be doing the best, but even he was weakening. He couldn't keep this up forever, especially since the regular soldiers had fallen back and let the Kaiser Raiden's at him. He might have been able to take them one on one…which was why they were going at him in groups of two or three.

Dael, in spite of her attempts to focus, was shaken up. Everyone had already thrown everything they had at everyone else. She had a few tricks in reserve…but she needed those all for Raven, especially now that she saw he could stab so fast she wouldn't even see it coming when it was too late.

Luckily, it seemed Raven was giving her a reprieve…although it only lasted a short while. He himself was breathing a little, but not nearly as bad as her. He hadn't yet broken a real sweat, while she was dripping. Suddenly, he snapped forward and advanced, but Dael, still feeling herself distracted and split, quickly advanced and clashed their blades together, once more putting her weight onto it as the two weapons hissed and sparked. Again, she saw she was the one struggling, while he was able to hold her back by planting her feet.

"You see now that the Deathbringer doesn't always kill…but consider that a mixture of fate and luck." He told her as he held her back, his voice not even tense. "Yet you tempt death every time I land a strike on you with it. You might die after the next slice or you might not…assuming the wound itself doesn't kill you."

Dael said nothing. She continued to push.

"How much kinder will fate be to you this day?" He asked her. "You are still holding back. I've seen better moves than this…and-"

That was as far as he got…when the world seemed to crash down around them.

The force of the blast was so strong that even the two of them, strong as they were and able to stand up to so much, felt pieces of debris as well as heat, flames, and force wash over them, and both snapped away from each other, breaking the clash and recoiling as the eruption went off. Dael, her mind shocked by the sudden event, struggled to understand what was happening. One moment, she was staring hard at Raven…and the next some sort of terrific blast forced her back. Slowly, she got enough wits to realize what had happened. Something had just blown up one of the walls of the circular chamber. It was the one she was farthest from, but in this relatively small space, it was impossible not to feel its effects.

She snapped her head up a moment later, looking over to the source. For a moment, she saw a curtain of fire and smoke…but it quickly faded as the explosion died away…and was replaced by a stiff, cool breeze and the sounds of chaos raging far in the distance. She found herself not looking at a wall as the smoke went away…but the skyline of Sybenia, the sky still tinted red, and destruction and flames far in the distance. Suddenly, one of the airships swept by…turrets thundering and cannons blasting. She didn't see against what…but she suddenly felt a sharp gust so strong that it literally sucked out the nearest soldiers to the new opening… Some of them were already dead, killed by the blast…but others screamed as they were ripped out and thrown to their deaths. An ear-piercing roar, painful and loud, came through the opening as well…the sound of Tiamat. However, after that, the airship rapidly pulled away…and the guns on the capitol building thundered after it, sending out shell after shell in an attempt to knock it out of the sky. She saw one shot hit it on the side and rattle it severely, making it pitch and yaw…but she watched no more at that point.

She looked down and tried to see what the result had been as her mind realized what had happened. A stray cannon shot had blown open the wall to the chamber. The resulting eruption and debris had killed a few other soldiers…but, most importantly, had smashed or shredded two of the Kaiser Raidens and knocked down two others. The sudden loss of their companions had caused the other machines to hesitate, no doubt uploading a new strategy. All other human opponents and allies had been bowled away by the eruption, although, as Dael looked, she saw that Quaren and Jalab were already putting themselves back on their feet again. Taraketh was slower…but he too was getting up faster than the rest. They all looked around only a moment later…before realizing they had one chance to swing the battle back in their favor.

Immediately, everyone reacted.

Quaren quickly dashed over to his rifle. One of the Kaiser Raidens became active, snapped to him, and began to charge. However, he had the lead and was a bit faster. He reached his rifle first, ripped it off the ground, and snapped around to the Kaiser Raiden as it neared. Its head was already damaged from earlier trauma, and he quickly fired the two last bullets in rapid succession into its "brain" through the lens…causing it to deactivate and crash. He quickly dodged to one side, letting it go by, as he yanked a grenade and threw it against another charging Kaiser Raiden. It was one of the "sticky" varieties, and adhered as soon as it touched. It wasn't enough to cause serious damage…but the blast knocked it back and off its feet again. Dael herself snapped to Taraketh and quickly whipped out her Mage Gun. As the nearest Hounds tried to recover enough to stab him while he was still rising, she fired the shot into a group of four of them…and soon, what looked like "electric circles" of light spun around all of them…and they were immobilized. Taraketh rose a moment later and, despite staggering, quickly laid into them and disabled them as well, eliminating them before twisting around and taking the last of the human guards. As for Jalab…he gave a cry and focused his energy again, and then quickly fired another beam of his chi into a Kaiser Raiden still trying to rise. Before it could react, it found itself struck by the beam, ripped backward, and flung toward the same opening. As it reached the edge, its talons shot out and seized the wall, holding it in place to keep it from being forced all the way out. Meanwhile, another Kaiser Raiden rose and began to go up behind Jalab. Yet as this happened, the monk closed his eyes and focused again… His body became covered with sweat, and his muscles began to twitch from overuse…but he cried out again, louder this time…and his aura doubled in size along with the beam. The sudden increase in power was too much for the one at the opening, and the wall was ripped away as it was flung into the skyline. As the other came up behind Jalab, he was still radiating power…and suddenly leapt up, swung around, and smashed his staff against the damaged unit's head so hard that it ripped it clean off. The rest of the machine soon fell down, inactivated. Jalab landed, his aura dying…and actually collapsed to one knee for a moment…but then forced himself up to keep fighting.

As for Dael…she already could hear Raven moving like a shot behind her. As she quickly slammed the weapon at her side back into her holster, she grabbed her sword with both hands and began to whisper again. A heartbeat later…Raven was behind her and drove his blade for her back…only to hit nothing but a sparkle of light. His eyes widened, and he turned around to counter, realizing what she had done…but was too slow. He too was stunned by the blast, after all, and as he spun around, he found himself having to abort an attack too soon and was unable to dodge in time. The long tip of the Save the Queen, which he wasn't used to, came down…and inflicted a deep cut over one of his arms.

To Dael's surprise…and delight…she actually saw Raven's arm falter a bit as a heavy amount of blood splattered on the ground, and the rest began to soak his coat. His face actually lost its stoic look, showing genuine amazement…and pain. He actually grit his own teeth as he raised his blade again…and when he did, she saw the tip waver ever so slightly.

That was a deep cut to his arm…it wounded him…

He's actually at a disadvantage!

Seeing that, and with renewed vigor, Dael advanced and continued to fight.

Quaren tossed his useless rifle aside, looking instead to one of the last Kaiser Raidens coming for him. It had a large gash in its main torso, but Quaren knew the grenades he was using wouldn't widen it enough to get inside. The "sticky" ones weren't as fragmentary. Instead, he actually stood his ground for a moment, looking tense and trying to think of something as it neared…and finally did something more unconventional for him. He closed his eyes and struggled to concentrate. He didn't have nearly as much practice at this as Dael did, and soon the machine was on him and rearing back to swipe, before he finally opened his eyes again. His own aura flared, although much weaker than Taraketh and Dael's…and a small spurt of flame lit up in front of its face. It wasn't enough to get through the barrier, naturally…bit it did cause the defenses to light up, obscuring its light vision and making its blow go wide. That was enough for the Esthar's Hawk to duck in and literally grab onto the machine for dear life. In response, the robot stamped and shook itself violently, trying to get him off…but although Quaren wasn't as strong as Ceja, Jalab, or Dael…he could hold firm through this. As the machine tried to bring its weapons around, he managed to reach to his side and pull out a fresh grenade. Yanking the pin with his teeth, he threw it into the chassis. However…he was then stuck. He couldn't get away from the machine without getting back in "blade range", and without protection he'd be cut in two. Luckily, a solution offered itself. Although Taraketh was hobbling at this point, he flung his kusarigama out at the machine while it was still stunned and lashed it around the neck, hooking the other end to a hole in the floor that had been blasted. The result caused it to "gag" itself…and while it struggled to cut the chain, Quaren leapt off and dizzily moved away from it. A moment later…the grenade ignited, sending explosive force and shrapnel throughout the machine's interior, "fatally wounding" it and making it collapse.

Jalab continued to push himself past his limits. He had to. There were only two Kaiser Raidens left, but both were coming at him at once, and more furiously than ever. They seemed to want to eliminate him before the other two could lend a hand. Yet even with their increased speed, Jalab continued to fight back, smacking away any weapon or claw that came near, twirling his staff as a speed impossible for anything short of a helicopter. His muscles bulged further even as they quivered, and droplets of sweat continued to roll off of him, but still he didn't stop. Finally, he made a change. As one of the machines grew near, he flung his staff out at the head and struck it solidly. The blow stunned it in mid-swipe, and, in a flash, he seized the arm, gave a yell…and then used his own massive strength to swing the machine around and smash it into its partner as it came in… The force was so strong, it actually damaged the interior hardware as it fell over…although it was immediately clear what was wrecked. As it struggled to rise, Jalab grabbed the still-stunned machine, gave another "KIYA", and then leapt into the air with such force that, despite the machine weighing him down, he actually sailed over halfway into the ceiling, before snapping the machine around along with his body and carrying it back to the floor…smashing it clean through halfway with a thunderous impact. He released just prior to driving it in…but sprawled out on his back and exhaled. As a result, he wasn't in much shape to defend himself when the one that had been damaged by the swing began to rise and approach him…but it didn't get far before, with a pained yell, Taraketh swung on it and used another powerful fire spell on its upper torso. This time…it landed. The damage from Jalab had destroyed its reflection field projector. The machine tried to "break through" and keep attacking…but the heat too intense. It slowed…and finally gave out completely, collapsing and breaking down.

Dael attacked with renewed vigor. In all honesty, Raven was still fighting back just as hard and deadly as before…but the fact that he had a wound made things slightly easier on her, and seeing that he was actually injured drove her on. Although he was a long way from defeated…this was as close as she had ever gotten. And so, she attacked with one hammering blow after another whenever possible. She was trying to strain his remaining "good" arm or drive the bad one into more pain. It didn't seem like she was having an effect at first. After sustaining two rapid hammer blows in succession, he managed to fling her weapon away and counter, advancing with a stab for her face. She quickly dodged out of the way and swung out her blade to knock the sword aside, but he quickly advanced again. Despite the size of the Deathbringer, he moved almost like a broadsword fighter in his rapid advance and hammering slashes. She deflected each one, before he swung his own large blade around and for her ankles to try and tag her. Unfortunately, as it didn't matter where he hit, he had an advantage of forcing her to deflect even the most errant blows. But he was still slowing due to the injury. Where normally, the hit would have been too much for her, she was able to swing her sword down and deflect it. He quickly snapped up for another slash, but she met his speed and blocked it, before he brought down for another slash, more rapid this time, but still she managed to counter that as well.

At this point, however, he suddenly reared back…and Dael, for the first time, caught his throat moving slightly…indicating he was preparing a spell. But before she could react, he snapped off a hand and aimed it at her, unleashing a green and purplish mist over her body. Again, her skin paled, and she reared and staggered back as her body quivered and began to lower to the ground. However, she also put a short distance away from Raven. The man only allowed her to have a second, and then charged at her again. He wasn't looking to give her a beating like last time. He was going straight for the kill. Yet as he neared and prepared to swipe his blade down…a few streams of light seemed to erupt from within Dael and surround her with a soft blue glow. Raven reacted only for a split second, pausing, before trying to bring the sword down…but it was too late. Crying out give her more power, Dael, having regained her color and her strength, snapped up and swung the Save the Queen upward at the same time, knocking the Deathbringer up and away before it could slash at her. She then stabbed out for his chest, forcing him to spring back more, and giving her the room to rise up and start advancing on him again.

After their last fight, in addition to trying to master her new spiritual divide, she had made sure to teach herself Esuna so well that she could recite it in her sleep. His poisoning wouldn't work this time, at least.

The advance didn't last as long. By now, Dael could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Sweat rolled off of her as she struggled to keep up the assault, but the sheer amount of mental and physical focus was taking its toll. She knew her strength was ebbing again. She had peaked…and now she was slowly declining. Even with that wound that she had given Raven, he was still holding his own very well, and his stamina was far greater than hers. He could keep it up much longer. He wasn't even seriously slowing yet, although she could now see sweat on his own brow. She began to slowly realize she couldn't win this head on… She didn't have the power…not through straight attacking and teleportation. She had to bring out her "special moves"…but she knew she'd never get the time to use them.

Finally, she slipped. After one rapid clash, Raven broke off his assault and suddenly stabbed for her already slashed arm. In response, she went wild to dodge…both at surprise of the blow, but, more importantly, memory of the hit. Raven knew that, she realized too late…and by overextending herself, he was able to start advancing on her again…faster and stronger than ever while she was already caught off guard and off balance. The blows he inflicted on her felt like tons being dropped on her arms now, unable to focus and properly brace herself. And in spite of his own wound, he hit harder and faster than ever. He had to be putting himself into agony…but he knew, and Dael knew, that she would give out long before he did. She was soon being forced to backpedal faster and faster, headed for a nearby wall. She didn't risk looking at it…but she knew once she got there, she'd be backed in a corner and unable to dodge. An easy target…

Yet even as she thought this…Raven suddenly looked to the side…just in time to see Quaren running after him with one of the blades, overextending it right in front of him. On seeing this, Raven was forced to break off from Dael for a moment, quickly ripping backward and lashing out with his sword, knocking it to one side. However, that seemed to be just what Quaren wanted…for he let the blade go flying while quickly snapping his hand down and coming back with his handgun. With all the speed of quickdraw…the gun was up and firing at Raven. The man snapped to one side…but Dael still saw a look of pain on his face as three bullets ripped his coat, and one grazed his side rather deeply. His face actually tightened in anger a moment, before his sword pommel smacked Quaren's head to one side, and he followed up with a kick to knock him away.

Dael tried to get to him before it happened…but the truth was she needed the brief breather that Quaren bought her. Even as his body went flying…the captain surged at Raven with renewed vigor. Although he intercepted her, the additional wound weakened him just enough for her to once again take the offensive, in spite of her growing pain. She was able to start forcing him back again with everything she had, going for every weakness she could manage, stabbing and slashing for both of his wounds, using the same tactic he had used…exploiting his aversion to pain.

She had managed to get him back a distance, however…when he suddenly pulled a surprise move. As she moved in again, he tapped her blade…but it was only a feint. Before she knew what was happening, he swung out and smacked her blade aside with surprising force. He clearly drove himself into a bit of pain to do it, but Dael, still exhausted, found herself wide open as a result, and left with her sword on the ground, exposed. He reared back to stab forward…and this time, she realized it wouldn't matter if the Deathbringer managed to instantly kill her or not…

But all that resulted was a flash of light and a clang. Jalab, himself on his last legs, forced himself forward and in the path, twirling his staff around him. The two weapons connected. It was a powerful thrust…and it actually made Jalab halt momentarily, his staff braced against the sword. However, giving a yell, he quickly forced it to one side again…before his chi exploded once more. As he had in previous occasions, he burst into flaming images, and all darted at Raven at once. Normally, he would have dealt with them immediately…but he was wounded in two places, in a bad position, and, quite honestly, growing a bit tired himself…

As a result, he could do nothing as Jalab's first image slammed its fist into his face as hard as it could, snapping his head back and making him stagger a few steps backward. The next blow drove hard into his stomach, which, for all its muscle and tone, still buckled, and made him go with it. As the third move came in, however…Raven suddenly came to life, and swung out with his sword in a blow that seemed to shake the room as it cut through the air. It connected with Jalab's staff within the image…and struck so hard that it cracked the weapon, and sent the monk flying through the air and smashing him into the nearest intact wall. The sheer impact fractured it terribly, and he peeled off and fell to the ground…his stamina loss and pain finally catching up to him. He landed flat, and only groaned as he struggled to rise.

Yet Raven didn't even get a chance to catch his breath. Still reeling from the two powerful hits that could have dented tank armor, he found Dael on him again, furiously attacking once more. The damage was starting to accumulate on him…and although Dael's assault was one of her weakest yet, he couldn't fight back against it enough to overwhelm her. The young officer forced her body to keep moving. Although her attacks grew less focused and more erratic, every move was at least designed to put him into further strain. She had to try and wear him down…sap his stamina… Even if she couldn't take him down, she could hopefully just make him weak enough for the others to finish…

But with her own strength failing, Dael had to resort to the same thing as before to catch her breath again. She swung her sword up and around, and locked with the Deathbringer again. Once more, she pushed herself inward, throwing all of her weight on it. The two sides held…but this time, even Raven seemed to need to lock himself in more and push back as hard as he could to keep from being overwhelmed. The two blades continued to grind and spark. Dael could practically feel their natures fighting as hard as the two of them were. A bead of sweat ran down Raven's brow, officially meaning he was "sweating bullets" now, and he continued to breathe hard, clearly putting in some real effort to keep her back…but the accumulated pain and strain was keeping him from pushing her off this time. She felt him try once…but she grit her teeth, grunted, and forced him back into the clash. He tried again, stronger this time…but she still managed to keep him pinned.

Raven glared hard at her, his normally cold eyes now fiery and fierce. Yet as he continued to fight, he glanced to the side momentarily. Dael did as well, matching his movement…and saw that Jalab was slowly picking himself up again. So was Quaren, and he was reclaiming his gun. The Elite Hound had to realize that they'd be up soon…and attacking him when he was already almost to the point where he had to devote all of his own power to keep Dael at bay.

That was when she saw it.

Where before, he was able to call the spell only in his throat…this time she saw his lips move and could hear arcane language coming from his mouth. Although she couldn't understand a word…somehow she knew from the language itself, deep in her own heart-of-hearts, what he was doing…and it filled her with shock. He was summoning his own Guardian Force… He couldn't have it hit Dael without hitting him too, but she doubted that was his intention. He was going to use it on the others…try to finish them while they were still weak…

Quickly, Dael tried to push away and free to stop him from chanting. But it was no good. Even though it took him longer to summon something, Dael was using everything she had just to stay in the clash with him. She had no more innate power. That meant only one other option was available to her. With that in mind, she narrowed her own gaze. She started looking for the "spiritual divide" more closely. Her only shot now was to hit him while he was still preparing…

Yet Raven's focus was greater than hers. In trying to prepare the attack, she lost her focus on the battle at hand. As a result, the Elite Hound swung his blade in one direction, forcing her sword out of the way, and then brought his foot up and around and slammed it in the side of her head. Even if the blow was weaker than normal…she didn't realize it. As in their first encounter, the world went black and numb, stars flying over her vision, as she was ripped off of her feet and slammed hard into the ground a good fifteen feet away from the sheer impact. Enough debris now littered the smooth floor to keep her from going farther…but pain radiated through her already throbbing skull and seemed to travel down to the rest of her body. She felt like dead weight…for she had little stamina left, and the hit had knocked a lot of that out of her. She just couldn't get back up. She barely managed to even groan and look back to him, her vision still clearing…to see he wasn't following up but raising his sword. He was getting ready. She could almost see his aura begin to flare as he nearly finished…

When a chain wrapped around his throat and yanked back…gagging him.

The spell vanished just as quickly as it had come as Raven's vocal cords were cut off. Dael blinked and managed to raise her head, seeing the source. Taraketh was somehow back on his feet and, despite looking barely able to stand, wrapped the chain of his kusarigama around the Elite Hound's neck and was yanking him back. It only worked for a moment, obviously, before the man snapped his head around and saw what had happened. Immediately, still moving far faster than any normal man, he backed up to loosen the chain, and then removed a hand from his sword, seized the chain, and gave it a rough snap to yank Taraketh in his direction.

Seeing this…Dael realized it was her one and only moment. Focus, focus, focus…

As she forced herself to get to her feet, ignoring the pain and dizziness and again focusing on the spiritual divide, she saw Raven bring the Deathbringer against Taraketh. He quickly responded by bringing up his sickle to block…only to have the sickle sliced clean off by the swipe and the power. Nevertheless…the curved surface, and the force that he was able to push off of, enabled him to avoid being cut down by the weapon. Yet that did little to help, as Raven quickly gave him the back of his hand with enough force to rip him backward and send him further than Dael. However…as he wasted some precious time doing this…the woman found the spiritual divide again…and this time focused on it. She considered only for a split second attacking immediately or taking just a bit more time…and, in the end, she decided on the latter. It worked…by the time Raven had knocked Taraketh away and went for his neck to undo the chain, ensuring it couldn't be used against him again, she was prepared…and charging. He got the chain off and turned back to her…realizing his mistake too late. He nearly raised the blade to block…but she was already on him.

For the first time…Dael heard Raven cry out in pain, his own face going tight with agony and his jaw dropping, as she sliced three time across his exposed chest. Even now, his body seemed so fortified that slicing into it was like cutting into steel…but she still saw his blood spill, and fiery energy erupt from the wounds, as she crossed once…sliced up and crossed again…and finally gave one final slash in the center. Raven's torso was briefly a glowing sigil, lit up with intense energy…before it erupted from him with titanic force. Dael herself was blown back and nearly off of her feet as the power ripped Raven clean off of his own legs, cast him violently across the room like a rocket, and smashed him into a wall much as he had smashed Jalab, cracking and fracturing it around him and leaving a human-shaped impression.

The others froze where they were. Taraketh was already on the ground and only able to look weakly upward, but Jalab and Quaren actually hesitated in open-mouthed awe and stared momentarily. They both still remembered the raw power that Raven had displayed in their first encounter…how he was practically god-like compared to them… But neither of them could believe he could have walked away from that attack that Dael had just inflicted. He had to be down… And so, they dared to think for a moment. Was it over?

The energy vanished on Raven…leaving a deep, bloody, "cross-slash" shaped wound across his chest…and with the power gone, he limply fell out of the crater he had made. For a moment, it seemed for certain he would collapse. Yet first, as he fell, he landed on his feet. They nearly gave out underneath him. He nearly fell forward. But, to the sound of an honest groan coming from him…he weakly kept his legs underneath him. As he dripped blood on the ground before him, soaking his coat, which had been torn and shredded by the rough impact…he somehow gasped and held the Deathbringer up before him again, and looked up…his look fiery, his face grim, and gasping for air. Yet he still stood.

However, it was only a moment…before Dael saw his blade begin to ripple with that same aura as before, and felt the air grow cold. She saw his lips begin to move…say the same phrase he had said in Leuco. Her eyes widened on seeing that.

No…!

"Get-"

She wasn't sure if it would have made any difference if she had shouted a warning in time or not, but she doubted it would have. At any rate, it didn't matter. As before, he swung his sword…and out from it came the wave of purple and black shadow…the cruel, merciless darkness. And neither she, nor anyone else, had the power to dodge even if it had been possible. She could only stand as he washed over her.

It was no easier than before. It was impossible to grow accustomed to this level of pain…which seemed to be something from out of this world and reminded one of just what if felt like to feel true agony for the first time. Again, she screamed…for it hurt just as much as before…if not more. Perhaps the pain of the wielder made it even worse. Again, she felt like Death grasped her heart and squeezed. She felt as if her veins were replaced with ice…and cursed with what brains she could muster as she felt her stamina drained from her in an instant.

So close…!

Giving one last moan of anguish…Dael fell to the ground limply. Through her pain-riddled senses and exhaustion, she heard the others do the same, one after another, in order from where they came. Somehow…she fell to her side, and as a result was able to look forward toward Raven. Rather…she landed in such a way with her eyes open and frozen to see him. She wasn't sure if the darkness wave had been enough to finish anyone completely… She feared it had been…but couldn't dwell on that now. Her opponent was still standing…

Barely.

As the wave faded, Raven's skin had turned ghostly, and remained pale as he suddenly began to fall. Just in time, he brought his blade down to act as a brace while he fell to one knee, but even then he breathed long and deep, like he had nearly been drowned. The light had faded considerably in his eyes, and he looked, in all honesty, to be as much of a living corpse as the rest of them after that move. He had taken a terrible risk with that attack. He was already badly wounded. In fact, his wounds seemed to drip more than before, as if all clotting had stopped. Dael remembered…he had to sacrifice some of his own life for that. It had hurt him as well. He had to be desperate…

In fact, as time went on, Dael began to wonder if he hadn't done worse to himself. The young officer's feeling only slowly came back, in spite of all of her pushing and straining. However, she had gone from writhing to beginning to get her arms and legs underneath her, while Raven was still immobilized…still in that position. She managed to get all the way to all fours, and with her Jalab…although Taraketh was still lying flat and Quaren was just beginning to move his fingers…when the Elite Hound finally caught his breath, and looked up to Dael. The look was so strong, it actually made her pause for a moment.

"Do you know…why…I seek…the perfect battle?" He said as calmly as he could through his slow breathing.

Dael didn't answer. She only tried to gain enough strength to roll back on her legs and push herself up again. It would take a bit longer, though…although her feeling was returning more quickly now.

"The same reason…a brother…can hate and despise and shun his own sibling for years…and weep bitterly at his funeral." Raven continued. He swallowed again, trying to get more of his breath. When he did, he spoke more smoothly. "No one appreciates anything they've been given until something takes it away or, at the least, attempts to take it away. In the same sense…no one appreciates their own life truly until they nearly lose it. No one is truly alive until they come close to death. You know that very well, Valkyrie…"

Finally, Dael rolled back onto her feet. Giving a mighty grunt…she forced herself to stand. However, she had to pause after that, and breathe heavy.

"…But I do not." He continued. "For decades, I lived as a shell. Robbed of the chance to feel fear or danger…my life lost all meaning. Yet now…now, after so very, very long…" He inhaled, and closed his eyes for a moment. "…I can no longer deny that I feel the Reaper close at hand. Not terribly close, mind you…but his eyes are upon me. Even now, I can hear his scythe being sharpened. It may be for you…in fact, that is still more likely…but I know it's also for me. He will have one of us."

Dael didn't like how he said very certainly that she was the more likely to die here, but she tried to lift her sword. Yet light as it was…that would take a bit longer…

Raven inhaled once more and opened his eyes. "I owe you everything, Valkyrie. I owe you for bringing me back to life. However…" His look became grimmer. "…There is one desire the living possess, without exception…the desire to go on living. You've made me appreciate life…which means that I am not eager to lose it. And that means I can't let you be my angel of judgment. I am eternally grateful to you…but now I will kill you."

At last, Raven removed a hand from his sword. It was a bit stiff, but still more smooth than it should have been. Dael tried to advance again, and managed to shift one foot and get her sword in the air…but she was still too numb to do more than that. As she heard Jalab rise as well behind her and Quaren get to all fours…the Elite Hound reached into his tattered coat…and emerged with something she had seen before.

A pill tin.

He used his finger to pry open the top, revealing a good number inside. He began to raise those toward his mouth…

The captain finally spoke. "Don't bother." She stated. "That won't help you. Crow tried it, and-"

"She blew up, am I right?"

Dael froze on hearing that, her face registering some surprise. Raven, in turn, formed a dark smile…one that unsettled her greatly. She suddenly wanted to move in much faster and stab him quicker…but her legs were still clearing up. She was barely able to start shuffling forward.

"That's because she always forced Siren to obey her. I'm certain the Guardian Force was more than willing to be rid of her." Raven continued. "…But I formed a 'relationship' or 'understanding' with my Guardian Force. You see…we're more the same than different. We both bring death…send other lives on to the great beyond…and he was more than happy to be one with the strongest warrior."

The young officer went a bit rigid. He wasn't serious, was he? He couldn't really…

"I have no choice now, either way…" Raven continued. "I doubt I can win if I don't. Now…now I'm afraid my feeling of fear will be gone…but I shall savor its memory for many years to come."

With that, he dumped the tin into his mouth and swallowed.

Gritting her teeth, Dael forced her body to start moving forward, but the blood was only beginning to pump again, and it took all her might just to walk. Quaren barely forced himself onto his feet, and struggled to raise his gun and stop quivering enough to shoot from a distance. Jalab tried to raise his staff and get it moving. But all of them were too slow. As they silently prayed for Raven to stay motionless a bit longer…they soon saw it was too late. Abruptly…more blood erupted from his chest as he heaved. His eyes bulged, and he let out a noise.

"Guh!"

His teeth clenched, and suddenly he arched back sharply. When he did…they could see every muscle in his body growing tight and beginning to sweat more than ever. The blood only flowed a bit longer…before it halted, and the raw power inside him began to close the wounds. His muscles soon started to swell. In fact, his overall size seemed to grow. The air around him grew supercharged again, and Dael could feel heat radiating off of him even from a distance. Suddenly, he cast the Deathbringer aside, and got to his feet in a flash. He stumbled a bit, but then solidified. He continued to grunt and strain as his muscles grew larger and more formidable. His eyes surged with new passion as the color returned to his cheeks…and Dael, seeing all of this through her "spiritual vision" as well as her normal vision, saw his aura blaze stronger and stronger than every as he grew larger and more intimidating. All traces of stamina loss, exhaustion, and pain…all were gone in moments. He was back at the top of his game. Beyond it…

Far beyond it.

Dael soon found herself thinking one thing, grotesque as it seemed. Blow up…blow up…blow up…please… Turn into a mutated pile of flesh…beg us to put you out of your misery…

None of that happened.

Instead, Raven, now rippling with muscle, flawless again, and without the slightest bit of exhaustion, was soon standing once more. He stopped straining, closing his lips and his eyes, and took in a calm, slow, deep breath. After that, he opened them again, not cocky, not arrogant…simply his cold, normal self…and began to step forward. Even nearing, Dael could feel her body trembling against the power. They all were. They were petrified. They knew there was nothing now that they had that could stop him…

"This will be over quickly." He stated simply. "But I think I'll give you a chance to do something."

With that…Raven vanished. It was no longer a trick of the eye. It was no longer "like" vanishing. He simply moved…and was instantly in front of Quaren. Dael and Jalab, both shocked, turned to him in open-mouthed horror. They hadn't seen him move in the slightest…and he wasn't moving now. He was standing calming in front of the corporal…who, naturally, was the most shocked of all. He staggered back in surprise, so weak that he nearly fell over. As for Raven, he looked at him quite calmly, and held out a hand…beckoning him to try something.

Quaren held only a moment. He had to realize, the same as Dael, that nothing he could do would save him. The young woman, on her part, tried to move again…but she was only now back to walking as she raised her sword. She didn't see how they could possibly win…but fighting was better than dying. Yet as she tried to advance, Quaren raised his gun and fired point-blank at Raven's chest.

The man didn't dodge…and didn't need to. All that resulted were a few sparks…possibly some red welts underneath it…and nothing else. Dael was so aghast that she froze where she was. He was bulletproof?

The corporal mouth snapped open as he gaped in shock…but Raven didn't wait for anything else. Raising both of his hands, he quickly did a disarming move on his handgun…that had so much power that it snapped one of his wrists while shattering the pistol in his hand. Quaren's shock turned to agony, and he began to cry out only a moment…before Raven drove his fist forward like a lightning bolt and smashed him in the chest. Dael heard the sounds of bones breaking before the wall was fractured again, this time by Quaren slamming into it, and bouncing off and hitting the ground. All of his air was knocked out of him, and he was barely writhing as he coughed up a wad of blood.

At this point, Jalab let out a cry, although a weaker one, and somehow got enough chi to fire on Raven again. The beam wasn't nearly as strong as it had been against the Kaiser Raidens…but he still fired a ray of aura strong enough to bowl over any normal opponent. Dael remained frozen in shock as she saw that Raven failed to even shift weight or brace himself. He stood immobile as the beam hit him…not leaving a mark. He didn't even bother looking at Jalab. The monk, drained as he was, could only fire for a few seconds before it cut off, and he hunched over and heaved, panting heavily and grasping his staff. Only now did Raven turn his head to look to him…

A split second later, and he now stood before the monk. Dael saw Jalab manage to raise his head for a moment, showing true surprise…before it tightened up and he forced his body upward again. He immediately brought his staff around and smashed it into the side of Raven's head with enough force that would damage a mech…and failed to make Raven even turn his head slightly. The staff, instead, was dented. Yet not stopping, Jalab drove his staff against his head two more times…with no more result than simply banging up his own weapon. As he came for a fourth one…the Elite Hound had seen enough. His fist shot forward and buried itself in Jalab's gut…sending him back four feet, ripping trenches into the tile floor, and making him double over and grasp his middle in total agony. The man couldn't even gasp. His eyes were bulging and he was stricken in absolute pain. A sweep kick later…and he too was flying across the room and smashing into a wall again, this time head first, before he limply came out again. Dael couldn't honestly tell if he was unconscious or worse after that…but he didn't look like he was moving…

That left only one more other than her…

She looked to Taraketh, but the High Child had barely been able to move onto his stomach. He was still struggling just to push up…but didn't get the chance. In another flash, Raven was on him…his foot already poised over him. Dael nearly felt herself cry out, for all the good it would do…as the foot came down and smashed on his side rather than his spine…and she heard the sounds of multiple ribs cracking. Taraketh reared back with new power inside him…but only to cry out in agony and writhe briefly before going rigid. Raven looked down on him darkly for a moment longer, but then removed his foot. Now, the High Child was in so much pain he couldn't even drag himself along, and already was too exhausted to use another spell. He could only lie there and slowly move his limbs.

Raven vanished again…and Dael saw it was only to get his sword. He reappeared nearby and reached out a boot, using it to flip the Deathbringer into the air and snatch it. Dael realized it was down to her now…but what could she do? She couldn't fight him like that…especially not with a sword. Her spiritual vision was useless now. He was moving too fast even for that. There was only one thing left…but…it needed time…and she still wasn't sure she could pull it off. And if she could, would it even make a difference?

Before she could decide to try, however…or even see if she had taken enough strain and stress after the darkness wave to try it…he appeared in front of her. His sword was at his side when that happened, and so she did the only thing she could think of that made sense. Ignoring the "spiritual divide", she raised her sword into the air and brought it down as hard as she could in her weakened state down on his neck, trying to cut deep into the arteries, muscles, and through the bone…

…It barely left a shallow cut.

Dael was so stunned that even if she had the strength for a deeper slice, she couldn't use it. Instead, she looked to Raven, who's stoic face winced slightly. It straightened a moment later.

"…I should have expected that. That blade is Save the Queen, after all."

In a flash, the Deathbringer was up…and had smacked the sword away. It left a bloody wound behind that ran down his chest and back…for all that meant. His other arm immediately went out and wrapped around Dael's throat in a crushing grasp…and she was instantly lifted off the ground. Her eyes bulged as she felt her airway cut off, and she removed one hand from her sword…the one that wasn't still jolting from taking the hit, and grabbed his wrist. It was useless. Even his skin felt like metal now…hard and unyielding. She still had a free hand…but even if it wasn't numb all over again from being hit, what could she do in time? She hadn't the power to drive it through him now…and if she even tried…all he had to do was clench a bit more. She could feel her arteries pumping around his iron-like fingers. He wasn't pinching them off on purpose…he wanted her to see this.

Dael struggled to think of an escape…but there was nothing. She couldn't kick him. That would be like kicking an aircraft carrier. She couldn't punch him either. Even if it would do any good…it was too far. No pressure points…his skin was too hard… Even now, she could still see the spiritual divide…see how blazing it was. It was easier than ever now, now that he was radiating with energy…but what good would that do? She couldn't even move her sword…and he wasn't going to give her the chance.

"…You, of all people, deserve this right…the right to die on this sword." Raven stated…as he raised the Deathbringer up again. He poised it for a fatal hit…but Dael knew any hit would be fatal. No mercy this time. No escape…no chance to recover. She could barely even writhe. Even now, her body refused to just die. She tried to writhe. She tried to fight. She tried to focus…but all of it was nothing compared to him…

It was over. There was no escape…nothing left to fight back with… All she could do was look him in the eye as he glared at her coldly, fiercely…with nothing more than a warrior's resolve…

And then…she saw it. Coming over his shoulder…

Blue ribbons…with light… Where have I seen…?

Suddenly, Raven's face contorted, first in shock as his calm look evaporated, his eyes widening and his teeth showing again…and then he arched back and cried out in agony. Before Dael could even realize what was happening, she was released. She immediately fell to her feet and, coughing and hacking, she staggered backward, clutching for her neck. After all, she had been throttled, even if the blood flow hadn't been cut. Yet she kept her hand on her sword, and looked up to the man as he arched back wildly, nearly losing his grip on his own sort as he stretched in pain. And she saw the source…blue ribbons of light streaking through the air and into him…drawing light away from him and back to someone else…someone on the floor…someone…

Her gaze turned, and she gaped…actually calling his name.

"Taraketh!"

The High Child's face was a mixture of pain as well as surprise…like he didn't even know what he was doing…but doing it none the less. One of his good hands had raised off the ground and was pointing at Raven…and light was streaming from it and into him. Dael was just as shocked as he was…but she realized what he was doing, unbelievable as it seemed…

He's using Draw Magic…just like that person in the lab! But how? How can he be doing it? He didn't get any of that chemical!

Unless…

…Leviathan seemed concerned when it sprayed into the atmosphere. It could have spread over a continent…over a hemisphere…and that means…

Dael snapped out of it, looking to Raven. She saw him spiritually…and saw that it was ebbing, and ebbing fast. Taraketh's, on the other hand, was growing. Not as quickly or as strongly as Raven's was fading…but it was getting much larger than before. As for Raven, she saw his body begin to shrink. His muscles decreased again. His prior focus and lack of weakness diminished once more. His stamina began to fade once again. Soon, he was returning back to his original shape…and Dael understood. That power he gave himself was supposed to be raw spiritual energy…just like magic…and Taraketh was draining it from him and giving it to himself…

Yet as the ribbons ceased…Taraketh collapsed again. His spiritual stamina was restored, but his body was still physically drained. He lay there motionlessly, trying to get his bearings together for a healing spell. Yet Raven…Raven wasn't done. Although his extra power was gone, when the ribbons faded…he was still standing. His stamina…his power…all of it had been restored to its normal levels. All of the wounds were gone still. Yet in spite of that, he was still stunned. He looked around himself…saw his body returned to its former weakness…and saw Dael still standing before him.

With that…his sword began to rise again. The dark aura slipped over it…and his mouth began to say the words again…

At that moment…it became clear.

Now, Dael! Use it now or never!

It wasn't just her spiritual sight…still focusing perfectly on the divide. It was everything. At that moment…she had a window of clarity…and all seemed "right". This was it…her one chance. She had to perform it now.

As she focused, Raven quickly finished. He said the fateful words once again…and Dael could almost hear the meaning instead of his language. Let our pain become one. As she brought all of her power to bear…all of her force…all of her focus and built-up spiritual threshold…she saw it come. The darkness wave again radiated from the blade, beginning to draw toward her…meaning to finish her…rob her of the last of her strength…kill her or leave her helpless for the final blow. There was only one thing left that might stop it.

With all the power she could radiate, she swiveled her blade up and swung it into the air…striking the heart of the spiritual divide within the entire room.

Immediately, all of her friends and the remains of the robots and soldiers were blasted back by a titanic force as the spiritual core of everything around her…not just her opponent…went off at once…and all was shattered and ignited into a blazing, flaming aura. Everything around her was consumed with spiritual light as the tremendous raw force of life itself was unleashed at its maximum. The heavens themselves seemed to break in something infinitely more beautiful and terrible than thunder…like the firmament of the sky itself was torn asunder and everything around the two shattered. Alone…poised in that position…Dael stood unharmed. But Raven…in spite of being fully recovered…in spite of being fully regenerated…cried out in agony as he felt his own spiritual energy inside every cell of his body appear to shatter. His darkness wave was swallowed up in raw energy. The Deathbringer in his hands stayed together only a moment…before it shattered like glass into a thousand pieces. In spite of the agony he was in…he still looked to the weapon as it flew to the four winds…and was shocked beyond imagination…


The ultimate sword technique of any of the great sword bearers…the Samurai, the Paladin, the Dark Knights…the move that shattered the spiritual "core" of everything in the entire area save for the one who had performed the move…known either by no name or by the general term of simply "Shock"…was performed correctly only by four individuals in history.

General Ophelia Beatrix of Alexandria.

Captain Adelbert Steiner of Alexandria.

General Leo Christophe of Vector.

And now…Captain Dael Levinson of Esthar.


The aura died after a few moments…and Raven was dropped to the ground. With one move…his body had been ravaged. It actually was smoking and seemed burned in places. Yet the exterior of his body was only part of it. Inside…he had been torn apart even worse. He had hundreds of internal injuries throughout his musculature, his nerves, his organs…his blood… It was a testament to his raw power that he somehow still stood…grasping the shattered remains of his sword handle. His face was frozen in shock…shock at the pain he was in…shock at the power that had been released… Somehow…his eyes turned down to Dael…who herself was barely standing. The move over, the sword had dropped again, and hung loosely and haphazardly… Yet her face was raw with fury…with determination…and she glared back at him with all the ferocity of the greatest warrior in the world…

In spite of his pain and torment…his agony…his body that felt like it was on fire…Raven looked…and began to tighten again. He was readying to fight on…even as he could hear the sound of the Reaper sharpening the scythe louder than ever…and now, he knew there was no question of who it was for. Impossibly…his face went cold and stern again as he stepped forward…

He got no closer.

"Ulp!"

That was the only sound made as Dael advanced and drove the Save the Queen right through his abdomen…cutting right through the lower spine and erupting out the other side of his body a full foot and a half.

Silence reigned. The whole world seemed to go quiet. Even outside had become still, and the wind seemed to cease to blow.

Dael didn't know if the others were up or watching this…and honestly she didn't care. She wasn't thinking of them right now. Her face mimicked Raven's now. Raven, who had gone wide-eyed and stared blankly, mouth open, eyes widened with pain or shock or a mixture of both. Her face was more just shock. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She couldn't believe what she was doing. This was a dream…unreal… The strongest warrior in the world…who hadn't even had his blood spilled in over a decade…was run through on her blade. The man who several weeks ago had turned her into a bloody punching bag…was defeated at her hand. She actually wondered if she was punch-drunk…unconscious…even dying herself. Was this a dream?

It was the sound of a soft wind, and a glow that snapped her out of it. She didn't move her gaze…but she saw a light coming from Taraketh…his healing spell. It was strong now. After all…his magic was fully recharged after absorbing that power. Yet that only served to tell her that this was real…that she was really here… She continued to look to Raven a bit longer…seeing that look on his face.

Suddenly, however, it changed. Letting out an exhale…it relaxed. His face smoothed…and he actually smiled a bit.

"…I suppose…" He said quietly, his voice straining a bit. "…I was wrong…to believe this wouldn't…be my end." His eyes looked up, and at Dael's face. "You are…my angel of judgment…it seems…little Valkyrie…"

With that, the last of his strength failed. After all, his legs were already dead after the spinal injury. He began to fall. Save the Queen was sharp enough to slice him in two just from his weight alone…but Dael didn't want that. Instead, she ripped the blade from his body, and let him fall completely to the ground, landing on his back. Blood soon poured from his wound. His abdomen was already covered, and she could see it pooling out behind him. She must have stabbed a renal artery or vein. She was stunned that he was still alive even after that, and even now seemed to only slowly be dying.

"Well…" He stated wistfully. "They say…transient joys…are the sweetest… I suppose…it's better to die…with a full appreciation…for one's life…"

Dael looked down on him, saying nothing. She felt little pity inside her. Even if her soldier mentality was gone…Li Juanhong had long since abandoned a warrior's honor just for the sake of his own satisfaction. His desire to "feel alive" had killed countless people. Yet even so…she felt some measure of peace in seeing this. She had no true desire to kill anyone outside of duty…but she could appreciate the power of a warrior. That look on his face…he seemed like he was dying an honorable death, at least in his estimation… And he seemed to accept it.

Perhaps he wasn't looking for the perfect fight to feel alive… He was looking for the perfect fight to finish him…for someone to strike him down while he was still at the peak of his ability.

As she stood there…she was gradually joined by Taraketh. His healing ability must have been top notch and indeed fully recharged, because he wasn't even limping as he moved up to the opposite side of Raven, looking down on him with far more disdain and aggression. After all…he had persecuted his "kind" more than most others had. Yet he forced himself to not look too hateful. The man was dying, after all…that was all he could get in retribution now.

After a moment, however, Dael lowered her sword to the ground and looked hard at him.

"…If you really respect me as a warrior, then answer me truthfully while you still can."

Raven's vision looked to be failing, but he looked to her none the less. He said nothing…but he was clearly listening.

"You were never a member of the Order of Hyne. Neither were the other two. You didn't know where the Guardian Forces were or about their power any more than I did when I junctioned to Carbuncle. You even admitted you didn't pass the trial normally. Tell me…who gave you your Guardian Forces?"

The dark warrior looked back silently. For a moment, Dael thought he'd take that to his grave. Yet after a moment, he exhaled a bit.

"The same person…who gave Sybenia…the essences that Esthar had stored in the Gordian Vault…" He answered slowly. He paused for a moment, long enough to take another deep breath, and then spoke one more time.

"…A Sorceress."

The room seemed to go silent all over again. Dael's jaw slackened. Her firm look evaporated. Raven's short phrase hung in her mind. She could almost see the words. She focused entirely on those two little words… She didn't look at anything else…but she knew Taraketh's reaction was far worse. Raven didn't adjust, however. He continued to look to her, unmoving.

"…What did you say?" She echoed after a moment.

"You heard me…quite clearly." He simply answered, in spite of his straining to speak. "You simply…aren't accepting it…"

Time ticked slowly by for a moment longer. The two words continued to repeat. A Sorceress… That was impossible, right? It couldn't be true. And yet…Raven looked perfectly serious. She had never heard anything from that man's lips that sounded like a lie. He might have been an enemy…but she knew he was honest in spite of that. And that meant…

He was right, her mind wouldn't believe it. How could she? After everything that had happened…after all the standards they upheld…after all they had done for everyone in their hour of need…

"…You lie."

Dael did look away from him at this point, looking up to Taraketh. Her face was shocked enough…but his face was livid. She could actually see him quivering in rage. He looked like he was able to seize the dying man and rip him apart with his bare hands. His eyes seemed to burn into him.

"Take it back." He finally stated coldly. "Take back that disgusting lie now…or I'll make your last moments agony. I'll burn you alive…"

Dael was actually stunned at this. Taraketh sounded serious. She could almost see his lips starting to chant the words. "Taraketh…"

"I do not lie." The Elite Hound calmly answered, able to say the whole phrase without pause.

"Yes you do!" Taraketh nearly screamed back. "You miserable wretch! You butcher our people by the hundreds…and now you're trying to stain the reputation of women who are worth thousands of you! I owe everything to the Sorceresses! I know them better than you can ever dream! I grew up at the side of Lady Mianyl! You'll take back that foul lie right now or you'll wish you were dead right here and now! You're speaking absurdity! Why would they be behind the slaughter of their own kind?! Why would they pervert those they worship as dieties?! Why would they want to see this world die?!"

Yet in response to all of this…all of this ranting and raving…all of this rage…Raven did only one thing.

He coughed a bit…and then smiled.

"In the field…there are the sheep…that are herded for the slaughter…and there are the dogs…who nip at their heels…and eat their remains while sleeping before warm fires…" He said slower, more weakly. "…But in the end…they both are the same…for they both only do…what their master wishes for them… Their lives…their deaths…they are all in the hands…of the master…"

He gasped a bit raggedly…the last of his life going out. His voice grew weaker yet.

"You…you all…are just like me…like everyone… A sheep…or a dog…and the time of slaughter…is nigh… Mine…just came…sooner…"

With that, he gave out one last breath…and went still forever.

Dael hesitated. She looked at him only a moment…before she looked over to Taraketh. He was livid in fury…more fury than ever, as Raven had died without recanting what he said. She worried about him more than anything else now. Yet even so…Raven's last words still rang in her mind. To be honest…they scared her. They scared her quite a bit… She didn't want to believe it. How could it be true? The question filled her mind so much…neither she, nor anyone else, seemed to feel the runes symbolizing the Doomtrain as they were etched into their hands like all the others. She didn't even look.

Yet even as she paused and thought about it, even a little…things in her mind started to fall into place…

She shook them away for now.

"Taraketh…"

Immediately, his head snapped up to her. "You know he was lying, right Dael?" He nearly shouted at her. "You know he wasn't telling the truth? That was just some last minute twisted mind game, right?!"

Dael paused for a moment. She stared back silently at him.

"Taraketh…is your magic fully recovered?"

He paused, his face turning to confusion. "My what? Dael, did you hear what I said?!"

Dael didn't change. In fact, she grew calmer and more straight-faced. "Taraketh, if your magic is recovered, then you need to tend to Quaren and Jalab right away."

He blinked. "Dael…you don't honestly believe him, do you?! You aren't actually considering-"

"Taraketh, I need you to-"

He wheeled fully toward her, actually getting aggressive. "You can't honestly think that that was anything more than a lie! After everything that Lady Mianyl has done for-"

"Sir Sabian!"

The sudden snap was so intense, and Dael's emotion suddenly so sharp and violent, that it was enough even to drive the High Child out of his current mental state. For a moment, he was simply shocked that he had been yelled at. Dael's face remained taut and slightly angry, but she spoke calmly and focused.

"You are in my task force and we are in the middle of a mission. We don't have time to debate this or suggest it. Any minute now, the Sybenians are going to find out that not only is Li Juanhong dead but there's literally nothing standing between us and Rozan Hierarch. They're going to send every last drone and soldier they have in this building after us and there's no way we can fight them off. By my count, we have only about fifteen minutes before that airship needs to leave…with or without us. We don't have time for anything else but the mission now. So shape up, get your head together, and get Quaren and Jalab back on their feet."

Taraketh hesitated a moment. Now that his anger had a chance to abate…she saw a different emotion, ever so briefly, in his eyes…something that the anger had been masking.

Fear.

However, that went away in a hurry. He inhaled sharply, slowly exhaled, and then gave a nod. "…Alright." He finally said after a moment, much calmer. "You're right…the mission isn't over. I'll get to work immediately…and I'll heal you as well afterward."

Dael gave a nod…and then added a bit more. "Thank you."

The High Child paused a bit longer, then turned and began to move to Quaren first, knowing he was the weaker of the two. Dael didn't watch him go. She continued to look down on Raven for a moment. In spite of what she had told Taraketh…the words that he said continued to echo in her mind.

Eventually, she pushed them away. Looking to her new sword…she got to work looking for a discarded cloth to clean it with. She wasn't going to let such a fine weapon be ruined so quickly.


To be continued...