Previously on the Disciple Arc...
The maids' desperation to kill Sharla has eventually led to them being crushed to death along with Mumkhar, taking Dunban down with them. Meanwhile, Bea finally confesses her feelings to Gonta and he accepts her confession, falling in love in the process. This also leads to Bea and her Pokémon partner Machamp becoming the Disciples of Ferocity and becoming more involved with the Second Battle of Sword Valley against the Mechon forces.
Disciple Arc Chapter 10: This Means War
The next day, we were all in the Audience Chamber with Kallian. I watched as Dickson, Kiyo, Miyadera, Murakumo, Minori, Otharon, and Dunga arrived with Homs soldiers and a few Nopon as well.
"Such a diverse group." Bea muttered.
"This is an allied force after all." I snarked. "So it makes sense for all races on the Bionis to get involved."
"Dearest Homs and Nopon representatives, my humble gratitude for accepting our invitation." Kallian began. "I am Kallian Antiqua, regent of the High Entia."
"We all know who you are." Otharon said with a hint of annoyance in his voice as he crossed his arms. "You High Entia have kept yourselves safe, remaining spectators to our destruction. Why call upon us now?"
"As stated in my invitation, it is our intention to form an allied force from the peoples of Bionis, with which we will confront Mechonis." The prince continued.
"Hah. Look at you." The colonel of Colony 6 snarked. "One little scratch and you're already crying for help."
"We can't deny that." Angie said. "The attack did serve as a catalyst. But the fact still remains that things have changed."
"When we needed help at the Battle of Sword Valley, our cries were ignored. Give me one good reason why we should bother."
Dickson laughed a bit and Murakumo let out a yelp of subtle fear before Kallian spoke up. "I understand your anger. Our selfishness was inexcusable. However, please hear what I have to say. Listen to why our stance has changed."
"Hmph. Start talking if you like. But no promises we'll stick around till the end."
"We High Entia were mistaken. We believed that if we were attacked by the Mechon, our power alone could repel them. But a brave group of young heroes showed us the error of our ways."
"When the Mechon descended upon Eryth Sea, Shulk fought with a courage we've never seen." Mirai continued. "Kallian was surprised to see a group of different races."
"Homs, Nopon, High Entia, although different, they trusted one another as friends." Kallian said. "As just one inhabitant of Bionis, I desired to... No, I felt compelled to become strong, like them."
Otharon seemed to realize something. "Their strength came from the Monado. Bravery only gets you so far in this world."
"T-Then you're n-not joining us?" Kokichi asked.
"Hold your horses, son. I said they didn't win with bravery alone. But they wouldn't have got far without it." The Colony 6 colonel clarified. "All right. You can count on our help."
"The Nopon will join too!" Dunga exclaimed with pride. "The Hom Hom and Bird People are friends of the Nopon. We will fight together!"
Dickson seemed to realize something and he, Kiyo, Miyadera, Murakumo, and Minori turned to leave.
"Dickson, are you and the others leaving?" Mirai asked.
"Yeah, it's just I felt this sudden pain in the neck." The bladesmith responded.
"Is that your response?" Kallian asked in concern.
They turned to face him as Miyadera spoke up. "Don't jump to conclusions now, Prince. We'll leave the colony's forces with Otharon here. You can use them however you want."
"We've got somewhere we have to be." Kiyo added.
"And where to exactly?" Angie wondered.
"A-A battle's more than j-just a head-on a-assault." Murakumo said before turning to face us. "T-The sooner you r-realise that, the b-better. W-We're going to r-remind Shulk, Sharla, and the r-rest."
"So you know of their whereabouts?" Kallian pondered.
"We've already told you guys." Minori assured. "We've got a pretty good idea, come on Bea."
They turned to leave while Bea and Machamp followed them but they were stopped by the prince. "Guys!"
"Yeah?" Dickson said simply.
"If you should meet Shulk and Sharla..."
"What?"
"I have something I want you to tell them."
I didn't hear what Kallian told them but they were off. I turned to see Ajia with a light blush on her face, Tsumugi and Gita must've noticed as well since they approached her.
"Ajia, are you OK? You're blushing." The seamstress asked.
"Do you have a crush on someone~?" Gita added in a sing-song tone.
"I... Yes, I do." The sushi chef admitted.
"Oh! Who's the lucky boy then?" The cerulean haired girl asked in excitement.
"I'll tell you outside the palace. I don't want to make a scene in front of Kallian and the rest." The black haired girl advised.
"Hey Angie, can you come to us when it's time to head to Sword Valley?" I said to the dancer. "Me, Tsumugi, and Gita are going to see who Ajia has feelings for."
"Ooh~! Alright then!" She agreed before I went after the seamstress, guitarist, and sushi chef.
I caught up to them at the Fountain of Eternity and decided to speak up. "So, who do you have a crush on?"
"It's Kiyo. I'm in love with the Ultimate Calligrapher, OK?" Ajia responded. "I want to confess to him when he comes back, but I don't know how I should go through with it."
"I get it. You want to confess to him but you want him to accept it and you don't know how to do so." Tsumugi said.
"Don't you worry about a thing, Ajia! Your angels of love will help you out!" Gita exclaimed. "I know you can have the courage to tell him. I can feel it in my veins."
"Yeah, we've got your back in every way." The seamstress added.
"Thank you, but I'm not sure if it's just believing in myself it takes." The sushi chef responded.
"I'm sure it'll all be OK." I said. "Bea confessed to me and I accepted her, making her the disciple she is now. So I'm certain Kiyo will accept your feelings as well. If you get emotional then cry all you want, it doesn't matter. He'll still accept you for not just your feelings but the fact that you found the strength to believe in yourself so you can tell him your true feelings."
Ajia looked at me completely awestruck. I smiled as she let out a sound of bravery. Tsumugi and Gita watched as they waited for the sushi chef's reaction.
"Believe in myself..." She muttered. "Gonta, Tsumugi, Gita, thank you. I think I can go and tell Kiyo how I feel now."
"That's the spirit!" Gita exclaimed.
Tsumugi turned to see Dickson, Kiyo, Miyadera, Murakumo, Minori, Bea, and Machamp returning. "And here he comes now!"
"This is it. Wish me luck." Ajia said as she went off to confess to Kiyo.
Inside the Face Maintenance Bay in Central Factory, Egil and Brigitte were looking at memories of past Faced Mechon. One in particular really got on the Machina man's nerves.
"Why did that Face betray us?" He muttered. "And that light. No. That's not possible."
Brigitte knew it was partly because of Meyneth's power, so she decided to bring up the other reason. "It was probably remnants of memories from her former life that made us lose control."
"Memories." Egil repeated. "They are what limited the potential of Metal Face as well."
"With the destruction of the Faced Mechon I've made, we both know now that we must erase every single trace of who they were like we did with Topaz Face." The engineer said. "All our servants need is the instinct to fight."
The leader of the Mechonis gazed into the memories of another Faced Mechon. "This Homs female, Sharla Kuhlauf I believe is her name. She was with the boy who wields the Monado. The light of her memory. It shines strongly in this one."
The Jewel of the Mechonis turned to the closest intercom. "Bring us Face 20814!"
A short time later, the Face was within the chamber before them. They stared thoughtfully at it; it was one with a unique frame, not one of the mass-produced bronze ones. This was Jade Face, so named because of the green color of the metal used on it, armed with a cannon on each shoulder.
"So it is this male." Egil muttered before looking back on a memory from Galahad Fortress. "The boy, Shulk, and the girl, Sharla, remain thorns in our side. I will enjoy watching our minion crush them."
They activated the controls, then, and within the chamber Jade Face twitched horribly as surges of lightning crackled through him.
"Hold still, our servant." Brigitte called out. "We see that your memories cause you much suffering."
She looked down as the Faced Mechon convulsed, crying out as the brainwashing continued.
I'm sorry Sharla, but if you want to come to me so we could have our duel, then you'll have to go through your fiancé first. She thought to herself.
I couldn't quite recall what happened, but Kiyo accepted Ajia's confession and they shared their first kiss together. Me, Tsumugi, and Gita were all proud that the sushi chef believed in herself and that the calligrapher was willing to accept her feelings for him.
But when Angie called us to the Audience Chamber to prepare to go to Sword Valley with the Allied Force, we knew we were about to risk our lives.
We got to the Audience Chamber and the only people in the room were Miyadera, Murakumo, Minori, Kokichi, Mirai, Bea, and Machamp.
Silence went on between us before Mirai spoke up as she pulled out her soft pink Battle Gem with a symbol like the one on her eyepatch on it. "So, this is it, huh?"
"Y-Yeah, everything has b-been leading up t-to this." Murakumo confirmed, holding her midnight blue gem with a wolf's head on the top.
"Zanza hasn't reawakened yet, but still..." Tsumugi muttered, holding her soft blue Battle Gem with a symbol of an evil eye like Monokuma's on it to her chest.
"At least I got the cure to my lung cancer from Lorithia before this." Miyadera said as she tossed her red gem with a four-pointed star lightly in the palm of her hand.
Kokichi gripped his purple Battle Gem with an eye on top tightly as he nervously spoke up. "I-I'm a little s-scared, what if s-something goes w-wrong?"
"Regardless of whenever or not something doesn't work, we will succeed." Kiyo said in response as he softly held his soft gold gem with a diamond on it in his hands.
"Right! It's all to reawaken Zanza in the aftermath after all~!" Minori exclaimed, holding her pastel pink gem with a candy on the top in her right hand.
"She's telling the truth. He will reawaken soon, just not yet." Ajia said as she pulled out her light blue gem with a koi fish on the top of it.
"We just have to keep the secret for a bit longer." Angie pointed out as she juggled her pastel yellow gem with a lightning bolt on it between her hands.
"So we have to be prepared for anything from here on out." Bea said as she gripped her pastel orange gem with a fist like the symbol on her outfit on the top that she recently got in her right hand.
Gita tossed her green Battle Gem with a treble clef up before catching it with her left hand and she spoke with a confident tone in her voice. "Alright! I know what that means!"
I laughed a bit as I pulled out my Battle Gem. "I know what it means too, Gita. Everyone, transform!"
Machamp took a few steps back as the others nodded in confirmation and held out our hands that held our Battle Gems toward the center of our little circle, causing our gems to glow brightly.
"XENOBLADE TRANSFORMATION!" All of us shouted in unison at the top of our lungs and the transformation began.
Gonta's eyes were closed as he felt bursts of ether circle around his body. He stomps his left foot down and dark light surrounds it. The same happens at his other foot. The dark light begins to crawl up his body, revealing black hunter boots with black soles have formed on his feet. The dark light goes up his body starting at his legs and stopping at his hands. Revealing dark grey dress pants, a black belt with a silver buckle, a sleeveless dark orange top with a darker orange sleeveless waistcoat and scarf around his neck with black details, and dark orange gauntlets with metallic black details. His hair is put into a low ponytail, his glasses vanish and a metallic black headpiece appeared around his head in a ring of dark energy. Gripping his sword, he performs a jumping slash attack, creating his final pose.
Korekiyo is surrounded by golden yellow chains and he closes his eyes to let the chains wrap around his body. The chains wrapped around his arms, chest, and legs, which he grips tightly onto and pulls on them, breaking them to reveal a dark blue jumpsuit, black armor with golden details, diamonds on the armored boots, spiked shoulderpads, three black and gold tendrils at his right hip, and black gauntlets with gold details. A small chain appears around his forehead and breaks to reveal a golden circlet with black and gold horns on it reaching the sides of his face. Gripping his double-sided scythe, he spins it a few times before holding it behind him with both hands as he gazes at the 'camera', creating his final pose.
Miyadera's right arm is engulfed in flames as she makes arm gestures ending with the flames engulfing her when she swings down. Starting at her feet, the flames reveal her wearing a red strapless leotard with silver details encrypted on it, crimson feathered talons around her midriff, crimson elbow-length gloves, silver heels with grey soles and red gemstones on them, and a silver necklace with red gemstones on it with the center gemstone looking like a fireball. A small burst of light forms a silver crown-like headpiece with a red gemstone shaped like the center gemstone on her necklace on her head and dust-like crimson winds causes her hair to become more wavy. Gripping her twin blades tightly, she pulls off a jumping spin with them, creating her final pose.
Tsumugi is seen silhouetted as she takes off her glasses and tosses them aside before becoming engulfed in a dark liquid-like light. It reveals her wearing a black cardigan, a black-and-white tie, a red miniskirt, and mid-sized black boots with platform heels and red laces. Her nails were now red and her hair became tied in two large messy pigtails held by white and black bear heads and has turned from cerulean to strawberry blonde. With a smug grin on her face and holding her broadsword with both hands, she swings it at the 'camera', creating her final pose.
Angie is seen curled up into a ball as orbs of fire, water, lightning, wind, earth, and ice surrounded her. She crossed her arms in an 'X' formation as the orbs went into her, revealing her to be wearing a sleeveless yellow dress with a three-layer ruffled skirt going into white, a large fabric talon made out of white lace on it, and silver details on her chest. Streams of various elements engulf her legs and arms and vanish to reveal a pair of white dress shoes with silver soles and white ribbon going up her legs and reaching near her shoulders with bows and long ribbons at her wrists. Wind elementals cause her hair to become curled and wavy with two buns on either side of her head and a small silver crown appears on top in a flash of light. Pulling some jump kicks and causing the flails on her ankles to fly all over the place, she swings one close to the 'camera', creating her final pose.
Kokichi watched as his Battle Gem glowed brightly before being caught off-guard as it flew out of his hands and engulfed most of his body in purple flames. The flames fade away to reveal a white shirt with black and purple armor over it, a grey quarter-sleeved jacket with black and purple details on it, black jeans with purple details encrypted on them, several black and purple belts, and white and purple hunter boots with grey laces and black soles. A silver headband appears around his forehead in a small burst of flames and he equips his gauntlets onto his arms and he punches at the 'camera', creating his final pose.
Music notes spin around Gita as the hair covering her left eye is revealed and a burst of emerald flames come from it. Slowly but surely, the flames and notes engulf her body and reveal a black and emerald green outfit that looks like one from a technomancer with the stars replaced by treble clefs like her hairclip and Battle Gem. Her ponytail holders become emerald green bows in a flash of green light. Spinning her quad-handguns for a bit, she points the one in her left hand at the 'camera', creating her final pose.
Ajia is seen silhouetted as a dragon koi fish spun around her before going into her body in a massive splash of water. She is soon revealed in a light blue and silver armored swimsuit with silver armor going down her chest from her shoulderblades, dark blue and silver armored boots reaching above her knees, dark blue gloves reaching near her elbows with silver armor on them, and a silver headband with a koi fish on it on her head. With three swords in either of her hands, she takes a battle stance while gazing at the 'camera', creating her final pose.
A wolf made of light spins up Murakumo's body before she reached out to it and it went into her body. The resulting energy burst slowly revealed her in the wear of a Sengoku period warlord, clad in armor and red flower trimmed haori. Spear and cleaver in hand, she pulls off a jumping attack with her spear, creating her final pose.
Minori spins around energetically as dust-like light engulfed her body, materializing into a green choker around her neck, with a small, round bell attached to it, a pastel yellow and white dress, with short, wide white sleeves with pink trimmings, as well does the front part of her dress. She also has a large pink bow tied around her waist, and has a small hamster clip on her dress. She stomps her feet on the ground before white and yellow striped stockings and pastel pink boots with little pink bows on them reaching her ankles formed from the dust-like light. Large green bracelets and anklets formed on her wrists and ankles from rings of light and a large pastel yellow hamster backpack appeared on her back from the rest of the dust-like light. Holding her bucket in her right hand, she pulls off a cute pose with it, creating her final pose.
Mirai snaps her fingers before being engulfed in a dark liquid-like light. Slowly but surely, the light is blasted off to reveal her wearing a black, white, and dark teal frilled dress and bonnet with cat ears, cat tail, black angel wings on her back, white stockings, and black dress shoes with black ring anklets with cat heads on them. With her umbrella in hand, she holds it near her right shoulder and points a finger gun at the 'camera', creating her final pose.
A burning aura comes off of Bea's Battle Gem before she grips it to her chest and she is engulfed in a flaming aura. The aura fades to reveal her in a white into orange Asian dress reaching above her knees with gold details encrypted on it, black leggings, white and gold huntress boots, black fingerless gloves reaching near her elbows, and a white and gold headpiece with spiked details on either side on her head. Gripping her knives tightly, she leaps towards the 'camera' with the one in her left hand being closer, creating her final pose.
With all of us transformed, it was time to head out to confront the Mechon on Sword Valley.
We went to where the Allied Force was preparing to leave from and Kallian, Dickson, Lorithia, and Alvis turned to face us.
"Now you're ready, there's no going back." Dickson warned.
"Is everyone ready?" Alvis asked.
We all nodded while Machamp let out a sound of confirmation and I decided to speak up with words I knew would impact us all.
"We're ready as we'll ever be. We all know what this means. This means war."
Next time on the Monado Arc...
Sharla and her allies must go inside the Mechonis to go after Egil and Brigitte who are waiting for them at the top. However, the climb up will be shown to not be easy when travelling through the Mechonis Field, as Sharla comes face-to-face with her fiancé who Otharon thought was dead but still believed to be alive, but it'll turn out to be in a way no one could expect. All of this happens while Shulk's powers change under mysterious circumstances.