Previously on the Disciple Arc...
The Second Battle of Sword Valley has begun and all involved had to give it everything they got against the Mechon forces. However, Alvis brought Gonta and the other disciples to see the Machina on the Fallen Arm after getting a sense that Sharla and her allies were in danger. Saving them in the nick of time, it's finally time for the Killing Titan War to reach it's final climax.
Disciple Arc Chapter 12: The Secret is Out
The next day, it was time to get to the Mechonis Core so Sharla and her friends can defeat Egil and Brigitte for good. I felt tense since Dickson told me it was almost time to reveal our secret to them and that the final climax to the Killing Titan War is fast approaching.
Junks' engines started up. The ship rose into the air, leaving the Machina village far below, and as it gained height, it's wings opened, it's engines began turning, and then it blasted toward the Mechonis. I remained deep in my tense thoughts as the ship flew towards the titan.
"Gonta? Are you alright?"
I turned to see Bea standing beside me looking at me with concern clear in her silver eyes. We were still transformed, mind you, gonna have to if what Dickson told me is right.
"Oh, I'm fine. It's just that... Dickson told me it's almost time for the secret to be out." I said. "Do you think... that some of us might die during the climax when the secret is out?"
"Death is simply inevitable in a war like this." The karate master responded. "But I feel like the Killing Titan War will be the last time the people of this world have to fight in the current state of our situation."
"You think?" I asked.
"Yeah." She confirmed before she gripped my hands softly. "I'll promise you this, I've tracked information from Brigitte before she reunited with Egil a while back, she mentioned something about some Battle Gems holding the capability to become stronger along with it's user when they believe in themselves via a heroic resolve of some kind or a strong heart. I promise that as long as you believe in yourself, you can be somebody that not even Zanza would expect you to become by the end."
I blushed intensely before I spoke up. "Thank you, Bea. I'll remember that. Besides, we're getting closer to the Mechonis. It's best if we stay in here with the others."
Of course, getting close to the Mechonis would not be easy. Countless Mechon waited, opening fire as Junks came close. But the pilots were skillful, dodging blasts as they flew past the titan and then swung back around. Even so, several shots struck, leaving the hull blackened and blasted.
All of us gathered at the bridge before Alvis spoke up. "Shulk, Sharla, good news from His Highness. The allied force retreated in time. Casualties were kept to a minimum."
"Glad to hear it." Shulk said in relief.
"That's great news." Sharla added with a nod.
"All areas are being prepared for evacuation." The seer continued. "We can only hope they make it."
"We won't let them down." Zellium said. "This is one fight we can't afford to lose."
"Heropon Riki all set!" Riki exclaimed. "Riki bounce some heads!"
"We'll go with you." Dickson said. "Can't beat strength in numbers."
The rest of us nodded before Shulk's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"
"You guys sure are tough." Murasaki said admiringly.
"The old man and his group of misfits want to tag along?" Sae asked in surprise. "As long as you don't slow us down."
Minori laughed. "Let's see who makes it through the battle!"
All of us braced ourselves as Junks flew towards one of the cooling ducts, blasting it open with it's own cannon. Then they flew swiftly through the tunnel, dodging support beams, several Mechon giving chase. The ship dodged blasts as well as those beams, and as it drew near a blockade of Mechon, it shot them, eliminating all of them, until finally, it docked above a massive fan.
"W-We're here." Murakumo said. "E-Everyone ready?"
"Ready." Melia said, giving her a nod.
"Anytime!" Zellium agreed.
"Leave it to Heropon Riki!" Riki exclaimed, flapping his wings and hovering slightly above the ground.
However, while the rest of us seemed ready to forge on ahead, Shulk hung back.
"Shulk?" Zellium called out to him. "What is it this time? Stop worrying and let's go."
"The Monado isn't at full strength." The mechanic said. "I don't know if it can beat Egil and Brigitte."
"You're talking about the Apocrypha?" Sharla's Pokémon partner asked. "Don't worry! They're no match for all of us together!"
"The last encounter allowed us to gauge how they fight." Sae said. "We can't screw this up again."
"The core is directly linked to the Apocrypha Generator." Vanea said. "Destroy the generator, and the Apocrypha field will deactivate, allowing Shulk's Monado to function properly again."
"Now you say that!" Murasaki exclaimed. "I wish you've said something earlier."
"Big brother!" Minori called out. "Did you and Sharla hear that? Looks like you're gonna get your wish after all!"
"Something's not right." Shulk said.
"Oh~?" The confectioner muttered.
He turned to face all of us. "Egil... Brigitte... They called me Zanza. The same Zanza who... devastated Mechonis. What did they mean?"
"They were just trying to get to you." Zellium said.
"I told you before, right?" The blonde haired boy asked. "I haven't had any visions lately."
"Yeah?"
"But I still know... if I concentrate... I feel like something will happen, and it does."
"Just like what happens to me." Sharla added before she and Shulk both closed their eyes.
"Are you two saying you don't need a vision to know what comes next?" Mirai asked. "Pull the other one!"
"Gita, you're going to scratch your head with your right hand." Shulk said, just as the guitarist did exactly that.
Machamp let out a sound of surprise while me, Bea, Murakumo, and Ajia gasped softly.
"What are you talking about, Shulk?" Gita demanded. "Don't screw around."
But then she stared at the two, who both stood with their heads bowed and eyes closed. They hadn't seen her scratch her head, and yet, somehow they knew.
"Ohh..." She muttered, a little unnerved. "But... how did you do that?"
"We can't work it out!" Shulk responded, opening his eyes along with Sharla. "Ever since we came to Mechonis, my abilities have been changing. Why would that happen? If it's true that Zanza used the Monado to lay waste to Mechonis, then... is it right for me to use it? Is what I'm trying to do really the right thing?"
"Shulk!" Fiora called out in concern, gripping his arm.
"Sorry." The mechanic said. "I just... I think I just need to walk."
"All right." Meyneth's vessel responded, releasing him. "I'll come with you."
"I'll go with you as well." Sharla added.
"Thanks." The blonde haired boy said.
The rest of us went after them a little later, only to see Shulk collapsed on the deck screaming, the Monado slipped out of his grasp, and Sharla and Fiora kneeling beside him.
"What's wrong?!" Melia cried out as all of us stepped out onto the deck.
We rushed forward, clustering around Shulk, unable to do anything to help.
"It's just like what happened to Dunban a year ago!" Sharla shouted. "Shulk! Hold on!"
Abruptly, the lightning dissipated, and Shulk stopped screaming. He sat up, gasping in air, shaking.
"Are you alright?" Ajia asked.
"Yeah." Shulk said breathlessly. "It's OK. I'm fine now."
"Damn..." Zellium muttered.
"Your control of the Monado has always been flawless." Murasaki said. "It never crossed my mind that this would happen to you too. Are you sure you're OK?"
"Perhaps you are suffering this much because you put all your energy into fighting the effect of the Apocrypha." Melia theorized.
"Don't you remember what Reyn said back at the mine, Shulk?" Sharla asked. "If something's wrong, you have to tell us. He wasn't just talking about visions, he meant whatever is on your mind. All right?"
Shulk nodded. "S-Sorry, Sharla."
"You don't have to apologise." The sniper said. "I've noticed it from the start when I joined your cause back at the camp, really. Let's get one thing straight. You've still got a promise to fulfill with me."
"Thanks." The mechanic responded with a smile, but then the expression faded, replaced by a confused, troubled one. "No."
Fiora looked at him in concern. "Huh?"
"This wasn't caused by the Apocrypha." The blonde haired boy said, lifting his trembling right hand and staring at it. "It's a completely... different kind of power."
"Shulk..." The former pilot of Face Nemesis muttered.
"What's... happening to me?" He muttered in fear.
Once Shulk was back up on his feet, we made our way to the core of the Mechonis. Upon noticing that Shulk and Fiora were lagging behind, I decided to speak up.
"Hey, you two!" I called out. "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing!" Fiora responded.
We walked through the hallway, arriving in a large empty room with a great rotating machine on the far wall.
"This... machine." Shulk muttered. "Is this..?"
"Yes." Vanea responded. "The Apocrypha Generator."
"Alright!" Zellium exclaimed. "Let's take this thing down! Once we do, Shulk will be back in the fight for good!"
"He should be." The Machina agreed. "It is a miracle that you have been able to use the Monado at all."
Sae smiled. "Did you hear that?!"
Shulk grimaced in pain.
"Are you really all right?" Melia asked in concern.
"Y-Yeah." He muttered. "I'm... fine."
"Vanea, we need to find Egil and Brigitte." Sharla said.
"The control core is directly above." The Machina explained. "It is not far."
Suddenly, Brigitte's voice echoed across the room and everything shook.
"ALLA TILL MIG!"
"Hold on!" Murasaki exclaimed as the room seemed to tilt. "It's moving!"
"No!" Vanea cried. "We're too late!"
"You mean..." Shulk muttered in growing alarm.
"The Mechonis' functions have been restored!" The Machina cried out.
"No, it can't be!" Zellium exclaimed.
"Yes!"
It was Egil's voice, magnified, sounding across the world.
"You puny pests are too late!"
We felt the Mechonis shift, and then a violent tremor ran through all of us, the entire place shaking.
"They've gone and done it." Dickson said grimly. "The Mechonis has struck. Not good. I think it must've hit somewhere on Bionis."
"No!" Sharla cried out.
"Move out!" Sae shouted. "We still got a job to do!"
"Right!" Shulk agreed.
We ran towards the generator, but suddenly red light flared at it.
"What?!" The mechanic exclaimed.
"Activating Apocrypha Generator defense protocol!"
Brigitte's voice echoed across the room again as a great metal sphere, the centre of the generator, emerged, four smaller spheres hovering around it.
"What the hell?! A defense protocol?!" Zellium exclaimed in shock. "Guys! Let's take it down!"
"Right!" Sharla agreed before pulling out her Battle Gem. "Everyone! Transform!"
"While you do that, we'll distract this bitch!" Mirai said before turning to face the rest of us, gunbrella in hand. "Charge in, guys!"
I wouldn't ask how, but we managed to to distract the generator long enough for Sharla and her allies to transform and take the fight from where we left it. They managed to take it down quickly. The spheres all fell, crashing to the ground, twitching slightly before falling completely still.
The generator continued spinning for a few more seconds before stopping abruptly, some of the lights around it shutting off.
"Nyapakapow!" Riki and Minori shouted enthusiastically.
"Take that, Apocrypha!" I yelled. "We did it, Shulk!"
"Shulk?" Gita and Sharla asked at the same time as the three of us stared at the mechanic.
He held the Monado before him, staring at it intently.
"Hey!" The guitarist exclaimed.
"This is..!" The sniper muttered, seeing the symbol on the Monado.
Abruptly, the blade of light burst out, longer than ever before, a more brilliant white than usual.
"Woah!" I breathed as I stared at it.
"What's happened to the Monado?" Sae asked.
"It must have changed just as the generator was destroyed." Ajia theorized. "It's amazing!"
"This is definitely Monado Cyclone! It must be." Murasaki said in amazement.
The blade returned to it's usual length and hue, and then it disappeared as Shulk deactivated it. He hung it from his back, his fingers lingering on the hilt.
"Now we're talking!" Zellium exclaimed. "Next up, Egil and Brigitte!"
"Can you go on?" Melia asked.
"Me? I'm all right." The heir to the Monado responded. "Come on. We have to stop Egil and Brigitte."
Me, Kiyo, Miyadera, Murakumo, Minori, Dickson, Alvis, Tsumugi, Angie, Kokichi, Mirai, Ajia, and Gita watched as the others hurried through the transporter that would take them to the Mechonis Core.
"Back on track, just like I said." Dickson said with a proud smile. "The kid'll come through."
"Naturally." Alvis agreed. "Everything is falling into place."
The bladesmith looked at the seer with a smirk. "You can say that again."
But as he, Tsumugi, Minori, Mirai, Angie, Kokichi, Kiyo, and Miyadera strode away and stood by the transporter, Alvis stared thoughtfully.
"But only as long as we remain within the margins of fate." The silver-haired man said quietly. "I know not how things will proceed from this point."
"So this is it." Bea muttered. "It's time to break our secret."
"Yes." Ajia confirmed. "Shoku, Kenko, Seiyo, Saki, Dora, Beshi, and Kiba are ready to go with the Telethia."
"Let's do this." Gita said as all of us except for Alvis made our way to the transporter to the Mechonis Core.
Here we go... I thought to myself.
We arrived, Shulk and Sharla were talking to Egil and Brigitte on top of Yaldabaoth. Dickson aimed his sabre at the mechanic and...
BANG!
The blast rang through the stillness of the scene. Shulk's back arched as the bullet punched through his chest, his eyes wide with surprise.
Egil, Brigitte, and Sharla gasped with alarm and shock while Melia and Fiora both gasped at what they just saw.
"No!" Sae breathed as Zellium gasped.
"Shulk!" Fiora screamed.
Shulk pressed a hand to his front, struggling to breathe, Sharla noticed what was on his hand when he brought it away, and they both turned and looked down at all of us. The others turned to see us and Riki yelped in dismay upon seeing us.
"Dickson?! Everyone?!" Murasaki breathed in shock, hardly able to believe it even though we stood right there, Dickson still pointing his sabre at Shulk.
The bladesmith smiled sinisterly, prompting the rest of us to do the same as he spoke. "You shouldn't have done that, little brat."
"Shulk!" Sharla shouted before Shulk gasped in pain, clutching at his chest, and then he fell, knocked out of his transformation, bouncing off Yaldabaoth. Egil and Brigitte caught him with one giant hand, and then they lowered the mechanic to Fiora, Melia, and Vanea as they rushed forward while the sniper climbed down the golden Mechon to reach the others. Murasaki, Zellium, Sae, and Riki hung back, glaring at us in anger and betrayal.
"Everyone! Why?!" Zellium shouted.
"Hey, you bastards!" Sae yelled. "Are you all out of your damn minds?!"
Dickson lowered his weapon, uttering an irritated sound. "You should know by now, Saeyimur. You and Brigitte used to work for us, but you decided to leave us in favor of these kids that don't seem to shut up."
"We're just doing our jobs. As always. Right, Brigitte?" Mirai said.
"Who are you?" Fiora asked as Sharla pressed her hands to Shulk's chest, trying to stop the bleeding and hold him still as he twitched.
"You guys..! All of you..!" The engineer muttered, remembering that she did work for us before she left.
"It... it's you!" Egil scowled.
"Yes." Dickson said. "Now you remember. It's been a long time, hasn't it, Egil? Too long."
"Zanza's... disciples." The Machina and Jewel of the Mechonis growled at the same time.
"Zanza's disciples?!" Murasaki repeated. "Egil, Brigitte, what do you mean?! Everyone, what are you?!"
"We don't have to explain anything." Bea said. "After all, seeing is believing. Now, witness it with your own eyes."
"The moment of Lord Zanza's return!" Gita exclaimed.
"Konoyo no kami o mezame saseru!" Ajia shouted as she made a gesture with her right arm that caused white light to blast out from Shulk as he suddenly rose into the air, still clutching the Monado. The light blasted outward, knocking the others away.
"Zanza!" Egil yelled. "We won't let you do this!"
He and Brigitte raised their left hands, blue light building there, and they hurled it at the shining figure. But Shulk, still hovering, raised his hand, stopping the light before it reached him. He seemed to draw it within himself, and then he sent it blasting toward Egil and Brigitte, throwing them back against the far wall.
"Brother!" Vanea cried.
"Brigitte!" Murasaki breathed in horror.
The light swelled around him, becoming white-gold, and then then he collapsed, though a new shining figure remained hovering upright, holding the Monado. As soon as the mechanic landed, his Battle Gem fell out of his pocket and hit the floor, somehow not breaking into pieces.
Fiora and Sharla hurried forward, the mech pilot kneeling beside Shulk and cradling his body while the sniper fell onto her knees, picked up his Battle Gem, and held it close to her chest. It's clear that she noticed that the gem didn't shatter like Reyn and Dunban's did, the mechanic's gem was intact.
I turned and saw Zanza in front of everyone. He looked like Shulk appearance-wise, lond hair falling nearly to his shoulders, wearing a white outfit covered in golden lines.
"Zanza..." Egil and Brigitte muttered in horror, sparks coming off Yaldabaoth.
"Do not be surprised." Zanza said in a voice disconcertingly similar to Shulk's, opening his blue eyes. "Everything in this world is dictated by the passage of fate. As all that exists is interconnected, time can flow only towards the inevitable. That is the vision of which I, the Monado, am the origin. That which will be, will be."
Light seemed to condense behind him into wings made of delicate circles and lines of white light. "This was all predestined. Ever since I came to reside within Shulk."
"What do you mean?" Zellium asked.
"Zanza grew tired from our battle..." Meyneth explained, speaking through Fiora. "...And then the High Entia ancestors trapped him. His flesh was sealed away on Prison Island. His soul, and hence the Monado, was confined to Ose Tower."
"In those ruins?!" Sae said while deep in thought. "But what does this have to do with Shulk?"
"Did you forget?" Murakumo asked, breaking her stuttering. "Who discovered those ruins?"
Sharla gasped in horrified realization before I spoke up. "Who happened to be there?"
"Who was the 'survivor' we found?" Minori added.
"And who brought back that survivor?" Miyadera finished as we began to walk forward slowly.
"What are you saying?!" Murasaki asked. "You guys planned all this when Dickson found Shulk?"
"Jackpot." Dickson said with his cigar clamped between his teeth. "It was all for this day. In fact..."
"There was never anyone called Shulk to begin with!" All of us exclaimed together.
"WHAT?!" Sharla, Murasaki, Sae, and Zellium shouted in shock and anger.
"My soul existed inside the Monado." Zanza said from where he floated high above. "It was fated that I be released. It was shown to me in a vision. At last, the time finally came. And then..."
"The people who found the Monado, and freed it, awoke Zanza." Kiyo explained. "He sucked the lives from them so could live. Shulk was among them."
"Shulk was already dead?!" Murasaki cried. "That's impossible! He, Reyn, and Fiora grew up together!"
"They grew up with an empty shell." The god above us responded. "He appeared to live because I became his life force. That is until he had matured as my new vessel and become worthy of wielding the Monado, allowing me to truly awaken and finally return."
"L-Lord Zanza is the s-soul of the Bionis, b-but he still needs a l-living body." Kokichi continued. "J-Just like Meyneth o-over there."
Tsumugi laughed scornfully as she looked at Fiora cradling Shulk's body and Sharla holding his Battle Gem. "You and she who defies fate call that corpse a friend? Don't make us laugh!"
"But why use Shulk..?" Melia asked. "What was it that made you select Shulk as your vessel?!"
"There was no particular reason." Zanza admitted. "Shulk merely happened to be there at the time."
"There you have it!" Angie exclaimed. "Anybody could've worked nicely. As long as they can swing a sword around, at least."
"So then..." Zellium muttered. "Shulk's ability to use the Monado..."
"And those visions that he used to help me save us!" Sharla said breathlessly, standing up and holding Shulk's Battle Gem to her chest.
"All because of Lord Zanza." Bea responded as Dickson threw his cigar to the ground. "Lord Zanza can see the passage of fate. He simply led you to the inevitable. The destruction of Colony 9, the death of the High Entia emperor, and Gadolt's despairful demise. All of it!"
"You evil..!" Melia snarled as she rushed towards us.
Dickson struck her with his sabre, and only her instinctive raising of her staff to block the blow saved her life. She crashed to the ground, and then Dickson jammed the end of his weapon against her face.
"There's more." He said grimly. "We haven't even got to the best part!"
"What are you guys going to do?!" Zellium demanded, enraged.
"Don't you get it?" Mirai asked, facing the others. "You're just in the way. The lot of you. This world was created by Lord Zanza. By the very Bionis itself. Then you bitches think you can just pop up all over the place."
"All life that is born from me must be returned to me eventually to complete the cycle." Zanza said. "For me to continue my existence as before, then all must be restored to it's former order."
"In other words..." Ajia began.
"The destruction and recreation of the world." She and Gita said together.
"Nothing more to it." I said.
"First we must eliminate my greatest obstacle." The god continued, staring down at Fiora. "You, Meyneth. The Mechonis!"
Blue light blasted out of him, the Bionis' eyes lit up, and it's horned head began to move, slowly, unpreventable. Then the titan leaned back, a great, world-rumbling roar sounding from it.
"The Bionis!" Murasaki cried out in disbelief.
Slowly at first, the Bionis moved it's arms, almost as though it were stretching, rising up, moving limbs that had not shifted in what was clearly millennia.
"Bionis moves!" Riki exclaimed fearfully.
We stared up at the moving titan before walking to the transporter. We rushed past Alvis and headed for the Ventilation Conduit where Shoku, Kenko, Seiyo, Saki, Beshi, Dora, and Kiba were waiting for us with a bunch of Telethia.
"No time to explain! Zanza and the Bionis has reawakened! Let's go!" Mirai shouted as we climbed onto separate Telethia and flew out of the Mechonis.
As we flew high above the endless sea below, Shoku decided to speak up. "I can't believe that actually worked. Now what?"
"Lorithia's with the allied force at the moment." Ajia responded. "So we'll have to wait until she shows herself and breaks her secret to everyone."
"Then again we do have quite the impressive army of Telethia with us." Beshi snarked.
"Uh, guys?"
We turned to see Seiyo watching Junks fly out of the Mechonis. "I don't think she'll show up before the Girl who Defies her Destiny escapes with her allies in time."
"They're escaping! After them!" Kiba cried out as Dickson took the lead and we flew towards Junks with the Telethia following as well.
As we flew towards the Machina ship, Zanza controls the Bionis to attack, the Mechonis, controlled by Egil and Brigitte, protects the ship so it can get away.
"Don't you ever GIVE UP?!" Zanza demanded furiously.
"Never!" Egil said, his voice filled with pain. "But hear this, Zanza! They will judge me not in life, but... DEATH!"
With the last of his strength, he thrust the Mechonis' right arm forward, the hand smashing into the Bionis' chest. The Bionis slammed it's hand down, breaking off the Mechonis' arm. Then it raised the Monado high, preparing to give the final blow.
"DIE!" The god shouted angrily.
The Monado slashed down on the Mechonis, which fell to its knees. Blue light burst from the fallen titan, consuming it. The light completely consumed the Mechonis, and it finally burst apart, leaving behind a lifeless, ruined shell. Egil and Brigitte have both died saving Sharla and her allies in the climax of this cruel war.
"The Mechonis!" Saki breathed. "It's... gone!"
"Don't lose focus!" Beshi shouted. "We're almost there!"
The numerous Telethia surrounded Junks, as well as Sharla and her allies. The large Telethia that we were on flew up from beneath the Machina ship, circling around and allowing us to leap to the deck from their backs.
"You're not getting away!" Dickson shouted as we stood upright.
"Everyone!" Murasaki growled, hatred in her voice.
"Listen, it's over." Bea said. "Time for all of you to return to the Bionis. Nice and quietly."
"That's enough!" Zellium shouted. "How could you, guys?! What caused you to act like this?! Dickson, Shulk looked up to you, respected you!"
"Everyone!" Sae pleaded. "Don't let Zanza control you all! Wake up!"
"You can quit your damn bellyaching!" I exclaimed scornfully. "We're all in complete control. We've always been like this! Dickson's even been like this long before any of the rest of us were born!"
"Before we were born?" Murasaki repeated.
"Now you get it! It's just like Egil and Brigitte said. We're Lord Zanza's disciples." Murakumo said with a smug grin. "Your sins end here!"
The Telethia roared, swooping down and allowing us to leap back on them. Then before anyone still on the deck could react, Dickson's Telethia attacked.
It flew straight at them, crashing into Murasaki and Sae and sending them flying. Zellium shot at it, but it lunged towards him, knocking him over. Melia shot her Mind Blast, which seemed to anger the Telethia, for it retaliated by shooting a freezing beam at her, hitting Riki as well. Fiora activated her drones, but then the Telethia struck her.
Sharla aimed at it, but then the Telethia struck her and swept her aside, knocking her out of her transformation like the others. She picked up Shulk's still intact Battle Gem and held it close to her chest as Gita laughed.
"You're really desperate, aren't you?" She mocked. "Keeping that corpse's Battle Gem close to you as if it actually means something!"
She looked up at us, pushing herself up, holding the gem closer to her body before squeezing her eyes shut. Murakumo decided to speak up. "Why can't you understand? Even though you knew the future ahead of time, several events that weren't supposed to happen have taken place because of you."
"You're wrong!" Sharla shouted. "It doesn't matter that I knew what was going to happen. What really matters is that I believe in myself and my friends. I believe that no one has any control in what we do or say, that everyone can choose their own destiny!"
"Can I kill them now?!" Beshi asked and light built at the head of Dickson's Telethia.
Suddenly, blasts of green light shot at the Telethia, disrupting it's attack and forcing Dickson to jump to avoid being hit.
"What?!" The bladesmith cried angrily. "Who was that?! Show yourself!"
"Melia, are you all right?"
We all turned to see Kallian fly in with a whole squadron of Havres.
"Brother!" Melia called out in relief.
"Kallian!" Zellium shouted. "Dickson and the rest! They all work for the Bionis! He shot Shulk in the back!"
The prince's eyes widened in shock. "Is this true?!"
Upon getting confirmation from his younger sister, he turned to face us. "Everyone. This ends here. Your Telethia are no match for our Havres squadron. You cannot win!"
"Maybe you should focus on your own people instead of yelling at us." Ajia retorted.
Kallian gasped before Mirai spoke up. "Looks like you forgot your fucking destiny. Right, Lorithia?"
"Lorithia?!" The prince repeated, turning to look at the researcher standing in a nearby Havres. "Are you involved in this as well?!"
"Your Highness." She said with a smile. "Your naivety is quite charming. But it is also your undoing."
She let out a little chuckle as green light began welling from her Havres before continuing. "Me, Angie, Kokichi, and Mirai had much fun playing with you and your father."
"Wh-What is this light?!" Kallian asked as all the Havres began shining.
"Ether particles emitted so that the Bionis can be destroyed and reborn." Angie responded. "Your race taught me everything I needed to know about how divine ether can be! That was unknowingly your ultimate undoing!"
Lorithia laughed, leaning on the railing. "What do you get if you cross high concentrations of ether with High Entia?"
"N-No!" Kallian gasped, horrified. "You wouldn't! Lorithia!"
"AWAKEN MY DARLING PETS!" The researcher shouted as the Telethia transformation began.
Kallian was clearly struggling to avoid being fully transformed, I didn't hear what was said between him and Melia, but light flared, signifying the end of the prince's transformation.
"Brings a tear to my eye!" Dickson said mockingly.
"These moments are to be treasured." Lorithia agreed with a smile.
But as the light around the newest Telethia faded, the researcher, Angie, Kokichi, and Mirai gasped in horror.
"How?!" Mirai cried out.
The huge Telethia turned around, Kallian's face still visible on it's front. He surged upwards, towards all of us.
"Brother!" Melia shouted.
"Melia!" He shouted back, fighting to keep himself from being completely subsumed by the Telethia. "Father's wish, and the future of the High Entia, are in your hands. Yours, Sharla's, and Shulk's!"
"Telethia! Destroy him!" Lorithia ordered, voice panicked.
They began preparing blasts, but Kallian smashed through them, destroying the creatures, light building around himself.
Most of us gasped in shock and horror as he charged straight for us.
"Dickson!" I called out urgently.
"I got it!" The bladesmith assured.
"Too late!" Kallian shouted, flying straight towards him.
"Damn him!" I yelled before bracing myself for impact.
The prince collided with Dickson's Telethia, and a brilliant explosion lit up the sky. All of us screamed as Junks flew off towards the Bionis.
Once the explosion was gone, I opened my eyes and saw some of us groaning in pain and rubbing at various parts of their bodies.
"You guys alive?" I asked.
"Just barely." Kiyo responded as he scratched the back of his head.
"Did Kallian do that out of brotherly love for his sister?" Miyadera wondered.
"It sure seems like it to me." Minori said.
"It's a miracle that we're still transformed even after that explosion." Ajia pointed out.
"Yeah. But what do we do now?" Gita asked.
"I will take care of His Majesty in the Bionis' Interior." Lorithia explained. "The rest of you will pull off a Telethia attack on Colony 6. That is where Junks was heading for."
"Got it. We're gonna have to rest while the Telethia take us there." Tsumugi advised. "It's already became night while we were inside the Mechonis.
"Makes sense to me. We'll need all the energy for the attack first thing tomorrow." Murakumo said.
"Alright, you guys get some shut-eye." Dickson agreed. "I'll take the lead from here."
My Telethia let out a sound of consent as I laid down on it's back and went to sleep.
The attack on Colony 6 happens tomorrow. Sharla better be prepared for her toughest battles yet from here on out.
The Killing Titan War has finally reached it's true climax and everything is about to come full circle.
Next time on the Monado Arc...
Sharla and her allies must go inside the control core of the Mechonis to confront Egil and Brigitte for the final time and put an end to the war between the Homs and the Mechon. However, a sudden turn of events will lead to more blood being spilled and for Sharla's true feelings to emerge at last when Shulk's promise to her comes full circle, but not in the way anyone expected it to be.