Previously on the Disciple Arc...
Homs, Nopon, and High Entia alike have joined forces in order to fight against the Mechon forces once more on Sword Valley. At the same time, Ajia found herself with a crush on Korekiyo and with support from Gonta, Tsumugi, and Gita, she was able to confess to him face-to-face and he accepted it. Now, it is time for the Second Battle of Sword Valley to begin and for everyone involved to give it everything they got!
Disciple Arc Chapter 11: My War, Our War
Oh boy, this is it. The Second Battle of Sword Valley.
I knew it wasn't going to be easy, so I was on one of the Havres that Lorithia helped the Ministry of Research design with Kallian, Angie, Kokichi, Mirai, and one High Entia guard at the front while me, Bea, Machamp, Tsumugi, Ajia, and Gita stood further back. The karate master had her eyes closed as she and her Pokémon felt the wind flow by them, her silver hair and the end of her dress flowing a bit behind her.
"Ah. The breeze feels so good." She said.
"Yeah." I responded, feeling the breeze through my ponytail behind me. "You can feel it more easily from up here and in a flying vehicle like this one."
"Hey, guys! Take a look at that!" Gita called out to us.
We looked ahead to see Galahad Fortress in the distance. It was amazing to see it along with Sword Valley at this height. Now I know how Ashe, Pearl, Marina, Rose, and Mei must've felt.
Machamp let out a sound of amazement before Ajia spoke up. "I've never thought I would see the day we would get to see this place from this high up."
"Hey, I think I can see the allied forces from up here." Tsumugi said as she looked down, able to see the united force of the Homs, Nopon, and High Entia on the ground.
"What a glorious sight." Kallian said. "The coming together of the all the peoples of Bionis."
"Yes, sir!" The High Entia guard with us agreed.
Angie bowed her head a little sadly. "This is how it should always have been."
"T-Then perhaps Father would n-not..." Kokichi added before closing his eyes.
"Your Highness." The guard said, causing the gamer to open his eyes.
We glanced to our right to see Dickson, Kiyo, Miyadera, Murakumo, and Minori flying alongside us in their own Havres. They looked over to us and gave a nod while Minori held a thumbs up with a wide grin which I thought was pretty sweet of her while Bea giggled a bit.
"We're lucky that Dickson and the rest informed us of the enemy's new weapon." Mirai said. "Our defences are ready."
Kallian lifted his gaze, raising his voice so that it carried to the nearest Havres. "Today we start our campaign against Galahad Fortress. Just beyond the fortress lies the imperial capital of Mechonis. This is a battle to determine not just our own fates, but the future of all life on Bionis! We fight for future prosperity and the glory and honour of all! Troops! Advance!"
Within the next day and restless night, the Second Battle of Sword Valley went on. There was no time to sleep at night when the Mechon were always coming at us.
"Advance, Nopon heroes!" I heard Dunga shout as Pterix carrying Nopon flew over Sword Valley.
Looking down at the ground below, I saw the Homs force run towards the Mechon force ahead, High Entia defence drones hovering ahead of them and creating shields. The two sides exchanged fire, and there were already casualties to both the allied force and the Mechon. People cried out both in challenge to the machines and in pain as they were hurt, and unpleasant smoke hung in the air from where the shots struck the dry ground and tore it up, scorching it.
The Havres that Dickson, Kiyo, Miyadera, Murakumo, and Minori are using swopped down to where Otharon stood with the mobile artilleries, the machines providing support from behind the ranks of soldiers.
I soon heard laughing and turned to see Gita standing next to me.
"Otharon should stop screwing with Dickson and just tell him he really does have a soft spot for Shulk and Sharla!" She said while still laughing.
"You could hear that?" I asked. "I'm pretty sure that's at ground level, so how could you hear that?"
The guitarist smirked. "What can I say? My hearing is hella boss!"
"Division 4, defend the barrier." Angie ordered, surveying the battle from her vantage point in our Havres. "Division 6, assist any wounded Homs."
With the defence drones providing shields, the Homs charged forward recklessly, led by the colonel of Colony 9, Vangarre Hinotama.
"Bring it on!" He yelled defiantly, readying his gun. "These High Entia may be a bunch of sissies, but they've got some pretty nifty gear!"
"That idiot!" Otharon growled as he watched Vangarre charge forward. "He'll get his head knocked off at this rate!"
The Colony 6 colonel raised his arm, gave a signal, and the mobile artilleries opened fire, their shots smashing through the approaching Mechon.
Several great fat-bodied Mechon advanced on the allied force, but then a Pterix swooped at one of them, the Nopon in the basket hanging from it's neck battering at the Mechon.
"Keep it up!" Dunga exclaimed encouragingly as another Pterix swooped at the same Mechon, it's passengers attacking fiercely. "Show everyone the power of the Nopon!"
Slowly, the Mechon tipped to the side, falling over and crushing several smaller units in it's demise.
"Go, Nopon, go!" the Nopon cheered as the Pterix swooped upward. "Fight like our Heropon, Riki!"
The Mechon ranks couldn't survive the combined efforts of the Homs, High Entia, and the Nopon. Machines fell down and the army advanced towards Galahad Fortress.
"It looks like we've gained the upper hand on these junk bots!" Mirai exclaimed, gazing down at the battle with her uncovered cherry red eye.
"Sire." The High Entia guard spoke up to Kallian. "If we hold our current position, a great victory is within our grasp."
"It is still too early to come to that conclusion." Alvis said. "The enemy still has hidden forces."
"Your Highness!" A High Entia called as his Havres flew down beside ours. "Enemy reinforcements approaching from above. It's a Face squadron."
We looked up at the bulky bronze Mechon flying in, watching as they split apart and readied their large spears.
"T-They're here!" Kokichi shouted in fear, gripping the rail in front of him tightly.
The Faces threw their spears down, the massive weapons smashing through the defence drones, crashing through mobile artillery, knocking over people when they did not kill them outright. The Mechon then landed and retrieved their weapons, killing those around them.
We watched as the allied force began to falter, and then we only had the barest impression of a spear streaking through the air to our left before it struck the Havres beside ours, causing the aircraft to explode and tumble out of the sky, causing some of us to let out sounds of surprise.
"Divisions 1 to 3!" Angie called out as she looked away from from the fallen Havres. "Continue supporting the Homs and encircle the Faces!"
"Lady Angie, think of yourself and the others!" The High Entia guard shouted in worry.
"Once the vanguard is taken down, we have to join the fight!" The dancer responded as she turned to face the guard, her expression fierce and determined unlike anything I've ever seen. "Better that than die as cowards! MOVE!"
I looked down and as the forces on the ground regrouped, Dickson, Kiyo, Miyadera, Murakumo, and Minori flew low, gunning down Mechon. The machines tried to shoot them down, and even a couple Faces tried to strike them, but they dodged them all, the bladesmith expertly maneuvering the aircraft.
The confectioner laughed a bit, giving the others a grin and the bladesmith returned it.
"Stick this in your exhaust pipe and smoke it!" Miyadera yelled as they destroyed a pair of Faces.
There were several more of the bronze Mechon waiting overhead, drawing back their arms in preparation to throw their spears, but they dodged all of the weapons as they came crashing down, and then they flew up toward them, the wind whistling in their ears. They activated something on their aircraft, and a claw caught the last spear that hurtled toward them.
"Who didn't have a taste yet?!" Kiyo demanded, glaring at the machines.
"EAT THIS!" Murakumo shouted as she activated the controls.
The spear flew up at the Faces, smashing through two of them and killing them instantly. They looped their Havres backwards, gunning down several more Faces, and then they glanced back to see the destroyed machines fall to the valley below.
"Should have stayed at home!" Dickson called out. "Lousy junk bots!"
I then heard Lorithia speak up from her own Havres. "They're doing rather well. I do so enjoy a good show. But they have yet to unleash their power and fulfil their true potential."
I believe it was the next day after this war began that we seemed on the verge of winning. We had to stay transformed no matter what, that's just something that happens when you get wrapped up into a war like this one.
I noticed that Alvis was completely quiet with his eyes closed, af if it seemed like there was something bothering him.
"Is something wrong, Alvis?" I asked.
"I have… an unpleasant feeling." The seer responded.
"A-A vision?" Kokichi asked in worry.
"No..." The silver haired man said. "But something is not right. The Mechon are neither attacking nor defending. It is as if they abandoned the fight as soon as it began."
"Impossible." Kallian said. "This is a key strategic position. They would never abandon it.
"Perhaps they have forces hidden on Mechonis somewhere?" Mirai suggested.
"Hidden forces..." Alvis repeated quietly before gasping, his eyes snapping open. "Could it be?!"
I nearly backed away from the sudden intensity in the seer's silver eyes as he continued. "Your Highness, Shulk, Sharla, and the others are in danger. Will you grant me and the others the use of a Havres?"
"You intend to aid them?" Kallian said in surprise. "I need you and the others here!"
"I did not have a vision." The silver haired man said. "But nevertheless… I can sense something."
We all looked past Sword Valley and Galahad Fortress, up to the head of the Mechonis with it's many glowing red eyes as Alvis finished. "The Mechonis is awakening."
"What?" The prince breathed, turning quickly. But the Mechonis stood just as still and lifeless as it had done for thousands of years. "Will we have a warning?"
"Yes." Alvis responded. "If a catastrophe were imminent, it would naturally be preceded by a sign. We still have time, but not much."
"Very well, then." Angie, Kokichi, and Mirai's adoptive older brother obliged, watching as one of the bronze Faces fell down below, blasted apart by the soldiers on foot. "Go aid them."
Alvis quickly led me, Bea, Machamp, Tsumugi, Ajia, Gita, Angie, Kokichi, and Mirai to the Havres the seer had asked to use. I tried not to look down as we were really high up. Don't ask me how we got on in mid-air, it's pretty complicated to me.
As we flew out of Sword Valley, I couldn't help but speak up. "Hey, Alvis, what is this unpleasant feeling you were talking about?"
"You said something about... Shulk, Sharla, and the rest being in danger, am I right?" Gita added.
"Yes." The seer responded. "We have to go to the Fallen Arm of the Mechonis. I have friends that own a vehicle capable of a quick rescue."
"You're saying you're friends with the Machina? Pull the other one!" Mirai said with a laugh.
"I'm certain that he means it." Bea said thoughtfully. "I've always thought the Machina were the stuff of legend really."
"Not everyone on the Mechonis is a bad person." Ajia said. "The Machina have their reasons to hide their existence from the public. Something happened many years ago that caused them to go into hiding on the Fallen Arm."
We landed in the Hidden Machina Village and quickly ran inside Junks to warn Miqol Kinzoku and Linada Kikainasu of the danger Shulk and Sharla were in. They reacted quickly and got Junks up and running before taking off.
Gita could hear their screams from miles away and gave directions to where they were. They landed on the dock and Dickson, Kiyo, Miyadera, Murakumo, and Minori jumped off their Havres to greet them with open arms.
When we landed back at the village, I knew what all of this meant in the future.
It's almost time for the secret to be out and for Zanza to reawaken once more to bring the Killing Titan War to it's climax.
Next time on the Monado Arc...
Sharla has been left heartbroken by the fact that Gadolt can't remember her because of Egil and Brigitte wiping his memories. However, she has to stay strong in order to give Brigitte the duel she wants and to save Gadolt in order to restore his memory with Meyneth's help. She and her allies will also discover that there is more to what happened all those years ago then what was already known.