Chapter 38- Fuko's Wish

May 23, 2056

To say that the Battle of Ordinal Station was chaotic would be an understatement. It was hard for Fuko to even process what was happening around her as she acted as a protector for Yuna, the AI diva. The robotic Enemies that had spawned in were a lot stronger than the ones from the upper floors, making them much harder to take out. Asuna was practically working overtime to make sure everyone's health was up. Not helping them was that new Enemies kept respawning, making it impossible for them to make any real progress.

Then there was the battle between the two Galaxy dragons and their masters. Photon seemed to be holding its own against its rival, but the blue duel avatar could sense a greater power dwelling within the mechanical dragon. She couldn't help but worry about what would happen if that power was unleashed.

She kept tossing glances over at Black Wolf, who was struggling to hold back Lucius. Marth had donned his Dark Swordsman appearance, likely to boost his power, but his coat was already covered in cuts. If Lunara and Solaris weren't unbreakable, they would most likely be chipped from blocking Lucius's attacks or being repelled by his impregnable crimson shield.

"This isn't good," Fuko thought as she pierced a spider robot's face with a thrust of her right hand, killing it instantly. "At this rate, we'll be overwhelmed. But I can't do anything to turn the tide with my legs gone."

Meanwhile, Kirito was fighting like hell trying to cut down any robots that came his way. His dual swords lit up from the light of his Sword Skills as they went through metal armor like a hot knife through butter. He had to clear a path to his best friend as soon as possible. It took the combined might of all the Alfheim Warriors to fight the False Demon King Zarc to a somewhat standstill. Marth may be powerful, but even he cannot hope to defeat a demon lord by himself.

Unfortunately for the Black Swordsman, Brain Burst itself seemed to be against such an idea as the Enemies just keep respawning so quickly. Every time he cuts down one monster, two more suddenly appear. It won't be long before they are overwhelmed. If only he could summon his dragon. Stardust could definitely turn the tide if he appeared. Unfortunately the battlefield was too chaotic for Kirito to focus enough to even think the incantation to summon the dragon, plus there was Tachyon's looming threat. The mechanical dragon threatened to wipe out the party if any other dragon besides Photon interfered.

Kirito snapped out of his thoughts as he narrowly avoided a laser blade to the chest from another robot before blocking it with his right sword, sparks dancing in the air. The Enemy was putting intense pressure into the blade, as if it was trying to crush the swordsman into the metal floor.

Calm yourself, my lord, Stardust spoke up within his mind as Kirito struggled to get out of the swordlock. If things get dire enough, I will use my own energy to manifest myself in this world. Tachyon's threat will not stop me from my duty of protecting you.

"Thanks Stardust," Kirito said through gritted teeth. When his dragon implanted the incantation within Graphite Edge's mind, he also gained a basic understanding of how the dragons worked within the Accelerated World. They were sort of treated as tamed Enemies and had their own HP and special-move gauges. However, they also shared similarities with demons as they are able to enter this world via magic.

The first method involves their chosen partner saying a certain incantation while channeling their mana to summon them, with the partner acting as an anchor of sorts. The other method, and arguably the more dangerous one, involved the dragon using its own mana supply to summon itself, bypassing the incantation. While it was faster than the former, it leaves the dragon in a weakened state and will have to rely on a very limited supply of mana before inevitably fading away to recover. If their partner was skilled enough, the dragon could receive mana from them to maintain their form and use their abilities, but no one in Nega Nebulus are at that level, at least right now.

Kirito looked over his shoulder at the Photon Dragon. He could see its movements already becoming sluggish and struggling to fend off its fellow Galaxy Eyes. It was an unfair battle through and through. Not only did Photon have to use its own mana to come here, but it also took a direct attack to shield its master from Tachyon's cheap attack.

"Not good," he thought hastily. "If Photon Dragon is defeated, we'll be at the mercy of Tachyon. There's got to be a way we can even the odds."

As he was wracking his brain to think of a solution, Yuna was watching the battle unfold. She didn't understand what was going on or how that man managed to take control of all these monsters, not to mention the talking dragons, but she pushed those thoughts aside. This battle reminded her of the dark days of the Demon War. She could still picture the screams of terror and pain as people either fled to safety or battled the invading monsters. She also participated in that terrible war. Not as a combatant, but as a supporter, helping the fighters with her songs.

"Well then. It's time for the virtual diva to make her comeback," Yuna declared as she summoned a black-and-red circular microphone in her right hand. "Te ni ireru yo kitto…" (I'll definitely obtain it—I'm sure I will…)

Suddenly a purple light enveloped Yuna's body before it spread to the struggling Black Legion members, aside from Marth as he was too far away. Immediately afterward, a variety of different buffs popped up under their health gauges, like attack/defense increase to even health regeneration (albeit a slow one).

"What the…?" Klein said in disbelief as he felt a new power surging within him. Two robots attempted to jump the samurai during his pause, but his newfound speed allowed him to evade while his increased strength allowed him to cut them down with a single Sword Skill from his katana.

Kuroba, who had been fighting five mechanical Enemies at once to protect Sinon, took a short pause to process what just happened. "It appears that Yuna has the ability to buff players with her songs," she realized. "As long as she's singing, they'll remain active. This may be useful for us."

My lady, Black Rose spoke up, Yuna has given you an opening. Take advantage of it to destroy your enemies.

The Black King simply smirked at that as she readied her swords. "You don't have to tell me twice," she said before shouting, "Everyone, protect Yuna! Once we clear a path, we hurry to Marth's side."

"Right!" the others cried out in acknowledgement.

Suddenly Kuroba felt a deep pain from within her very being. It was as if her very soul was injured by an unseen force. While it did confuse her, she knew what it meant. Her beloved was losing against his opponent, and this battle may even cost him his life. She had to hurry before it is too late.


Marth was in trouble. He knew for certain of that. Demon lords certainly held true to their reputation of being the strongest demons in existence. His adopted mother, Rias, had once told him that the demon lords were once revered as the champions of the Shadow Goddess, Sinestra. Each lord possessed a certain aptitude, and by doing a certain ritual, would be infused with a part of Sinestra's power, making them even stronger than normal. They were all united to protect their Goddess and her lands from all threats. That is, until Zeta came and radicalized some of the demon lords with his words and brought about the Purge of Obsidia. Now the once respected title only brings fear to all people, whether they be human, fairy or demon.

Lucius was no slouch in combat. If he saw an opening, he would exploit it to no end. It took everything Marth had to minimize the amount of damage he took by either blocking or evading the man's attacks. It didn't help that Lucius was faster than him. Early in his days as a Burst Linker, the day that Kuroba had saved him from Araya's cowardly attack, she told the half-demon that he was the fastest Burst Linker to ever exist, that he could surpass even the Kings of Pure Color. The skills and reaction time that Marth forged in that game of death so long ago were what kept him above most Burst Linkers.

However, in all his years of fighting in VRMMOs, he has never fought an opponent who could move faster than him. The closest ones would be Asuna and Thorrnn with their lightning-fast rapier skills. Lucius, however, could run laps around them for all he cared. Despite wearing heavy armor, Lucius's movements were not impeded in the slightest. If anything, it was almost as if he was holding back by wearing it. Every move he made was precise and true.

Marth broke off from his opponent before he readied a Vorpal Strike with Lunara, the blade becoming a bloodred. Using the momentum of the Sword Skill, he pushed himself forward and lunged his sword with a howl. Lucius's face remained impassive as he raised his shield to defend. The black sword made impact with the shield but couldn't break through. Instead all Marth could do was harmlessly slide past the older opponent. However, as he did so, Lucius used that time to strike the younger demon in the waist, sending him crashing into a metal crate.

"Gaaah!" Marth cried out as pain flared across his body. If this was the real world, the impact probably would've broken some of his bones, but thankfully Brain Burst wasn't that realistic. He fell to one knee while using Lunara as support for his upper body. He struggled to even breathe. His body hurt that much.

Lucius slowly approached the downed teen, his footsteps echoing within the large room. He seemed almost…disappointed. "Is that really all you can do, Marth?" he questioned. "I know that Remnants essentially start from scratch when they are reborn, but I would have assumed you would have regained most of your power by now." He then eyed the core crystal on Marth's chest. "Is that thing responsible for this?"

"Ngh, I guess you can say that," Marth replied back as he struggled to gain the strength to even stand. He thought about staying silent, but he saw no point in it. "Let's just say that I haven't fully awakened yet."

"I see. How unfortunate." Lucius raised his sword up, his eyes full of pity. "I'm afraid this is the end for you. May your soul return to our Goddess's embrace."

Photon wasn't much better off as he was getting hammered by Tachyon's attacks. The battle may have started out as a stalemate, but because of Photon's summoning conditions and his master's inexperience, that stalemate quickly ended. Now the blue Galaxy Dragon was on his knees, unable to go to his master's aid.

What a shame, Tachyon said cynically. I expected you to put up a much better fight than this. Fine by me. Once I destroy you, I can become the strongest Galaxy Eyes to ever live.

Photon could only growl at that. The others will stop you and your master, he retorted. I assure you of that.

They can certainly try, but I wouldn't get your hopes up. Time to finish you. Dark energy began gathering around Tachyon's mouth. It was readying its breath attack.

"Nooo!"


Fuko couldn't believe her eyes. The Dark Swordsman, Marth, was lying defeated by the hands of the demon lord, Lucius. Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon's strength was drained as well. Thanks to Yuna's buffs, she and the Black Legion were making progress with defeating the remaining Enemies, but they would be too late to save their downed comrades.

Panic was surging throughout her entire body and her heart pounded against her chest. Marth had sworn that he would protect her and yet she can't do the same when he needs help the most. She is just worthless now. She couldn't hold back the tears and wept.

Get a hold of yourself.

Fuko opened her eyes and found herself alone within a dark room. It was silent and completely closed off. She was isolated from her friends.

"Where…am I?" she asked herself.

A loud growl could be heard within the room. It sounded like it came from every direction. Sky Raker immediately went on-guard for a possible attack.

Are you intending to leave that boy to his fate? He will perish if you do not help him.

"I can't," Fuko said weakly as she choked back a sob. "Without my legs, I'm worthless to Nega Nebulus." Once again, tears began leaking out of her eyes. "And it's all my fault. I knew that pursuing my wish to touch the sky would cost me something absolute, but I was too stubborn to stop. I chose to sacrifice my legs to power up my Incarnation so I could fly, but I couldn't reach the sky even then."

Anyone who knows about the Incarnate System knows that it requires the players to confront their own mental scars if they seek to master it. Powerful imagination could only be born from a powerful wish, and a wish was nothing other than the flip side of a lacking. Unless you can turned toward and occasionally entered the emotional holes that made up the core of your duel avatar, holes so dark you wanted to forget they were even there, you would never be able to obtain sufficient power to produce a large overwrite.

That's what Fuko did three years ago. She cut off her legs to purify this lacking within herself, and then used the Incarnate System to increase the power of Boost Jump she'd been given to the point where it was Flight. However, even then she could just barely reach the top of the old Tokyo Tower. Her wish nearly destroyed her friendship with Kuroba in the process.

The voice let out a groan. You sure love to beat yourself up, don't you? Neither Marth or Kuroba blame you for your decisions. You have friends that care for you. If you do not stand up, they will die.

"But what can I do?!" Fuko snapped. "I'm completely powerless as I am now."

No. You are stronger than you think. Remember…remember who you are…who you were.

The area around Fuko flashed with a strange light before she found herself on a meadow. There were countless numbers of flowers of varying color scattered all the way to the horizon, all under a clear blue sky. It was truly beautiful.

A cheerful laughter soon filled the air. She turned and saw two little girls in pale green dresses running around the meadow. The first was a girl with long platinum-blonde hair and amber eyes. The second girl had long brown hair and aqua-blue eyes. They both felt…familiar to her.

"You can't catch me, Edna!" the first girl said giddily. "I'm too fast for you!"

The other girl laughed in response as she chased after her friend. "I don't think so, Celine!" Edna replied. "This time I will catch you."

Fuko couldn't help but smile at the sight. But why did she feel so nostalgic over this? Before she could even question it, the scene changed once again. She was now in the courtyard of a black castle. It had half a dozen trees and a few patches of grass scattered within it.

The sounds of clashing metal could be heard nearby, revealing that she wasn't alone. There were two other people in the courtyard having a sparring match with each other. The first was a young man with shoulder-length black hair and bloodred eyes. He wore a black and red twin-tailed longcoat with red highlights, red gloves and pants, as well as black boots. He was wielding a black and gold longsword with a wing-shaped hilt that opened towards the handle with a white gemstone in the center. For some reason it reminded Fuko of two certain swords.

The second individual was a girl with long brown hair and aqua blue eyes. She was wearing sky blue armor, including a short chain-metal skirt, as well as metal gauntlets of the same color. Despite having a shorter attack range, she was doing well with keeping her opponent on his toes.

"Impressive, Edna," the swordsman spoke up as he blocked a barrage of high-speed punches and kicks with his sword. "At this rate, I may have to use my trump card to win this match. I can see why you serve as Celine's retainer."

Edna let out a chuckle as she continued her assault. "I'm honored you think so highly of me," she replied. "Prince Zane."

Zane?! As in Marth's previous life during the War of Light and Shadow? Then this was a memory from her past as well. She was a Remnant as well, just like Marth, Kuroba and Thorrnn. But how could this being know about this? Her memories of her previous life should have been lost upon her rebirth. Just what is going on here?

Reaching the sky is not your true wish, your true desire. You know what it is, deep within your memories. Think back to your past and remember.

"My past?" Fuko questioned.

Her past wasn't much of a happy one. Before she was even born, the doctors told her parents that she had a hereditary genetic defect that afflict her the moment of her birth. Rather than abort the pregnancy, her parents chose to allow Fuko to be born, but she lacked legs below her knees and was given a Neurolinker at birth to monitor her health. She later received biocompatible prosthetic legs to allow her to walk, but she still ended up silently questioning and resenting her parents for allowing her to be born as she was.

However, there was something else that she seemed to be forgetting. Something important. But what could it be and is it possible that it is related to Gale Thruster?

She shook her head to dismiss the thought while trying to fight back tears. "I don't deserve to fly. I hurt Kuroba…with my words, my attitude, and my heart. I hurt her. The fuel for my wings contains every tear she shed back then, which is why I can never use—"

Stop that thought immediately! The voice boomed, startling her. You know that isn't true. The Black King didn't understand the enormity of what you carry within you. She initially wanted you to do everything for her and felt that you betrayed her. She lashed out and resented you for a time. But she doesn't think that way anymore. Right now, as of this moment, she wants you to fly. Not for her. Not for your Legion. But for you.

Fuko let out a gasp in surprise. "How do you know all this? Who are you?" she questioned.

The voice let out a chuckle before a large white figure descended and landed in front of the Burst Linker with a loud boom. The figure's body was made of white light, making it impossible to identify. The only clear feature was that it looked draconic.

Because we are bound together by fate, the figure explained, its voice sounding feminine in nature. I know who you really are, and what you truly desire. Now is the time for you to remember and fly once again.

Fuko found herself struggling for words. Her mind raced through memories of the old days of the original Nega Nebulus, with her fighting beside her King, to her newer memories with her hanging out with Marth and his friends. Despite not knowing her for very long, the Dark Swordsman trusted her with the dark secret of his condition. Even now, after what she did, there will still people that cared for her.

Back at the bridge one month ago, Kuroba had reached out her hand to pull her back. Now it was time for Fuko to reach out her own and accept that gentle hand. Her wings, Gale Thruster, they were not full of her King's tears. They were filled with her hope, her kindness, and her love. There was no need for her to be afraid. She can fly without restraint. She knew what she had to do and the figure before her could tell.

Excellent, my lady, the white figure acknowledged. But you will not fly alone. I shall aid you and protect our comrades.

It was at that moment that Fuko realized who she was talking to. Her eyes became firm and nodded. "Thank you," she replied. "Let's do this, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

She instantly found herself back in the hanger in Brain Burst with no time having passed by. Her senses going into overdrive, she examined the situation and determined that Kuroba and the others could handle the remaining Enemies. Marth, on the other hand, needed help immediately. For some reason, Fuko felt that if he died fighting against Lucius, it could potentially kill him in the real world too. She couldn't let that happen, no matter what.

But she would never get to him in time on her wheelchair, which meant that she had to fly. It was her friend's only chance for survival. This was not the time to be afraid. This is the time for action. Her confidence restored, she threw out her chest and reached both arms out towards the ceiling. Then, as if singing, Sky Raker cried out the preset equip phrase loudly.

"Calling Gale!"

The whole battlefield seemed to pause as everyone aside from Marth, Lucius and the dragons looked up and saw a twinkling blue light appear on the ceiling before it turned into laser beams pouring down, locking on to Raker in an instant. The light enveloped her entire body before quickly concentrating on her back and materializing as the streamlined silhouette of the boosters of the Enhanced Armament Gale Thruster. Her white hat and dress melted into the light, as if their presence would interfere with the equipment, revealing the slender main body of her avatar.

"No way!" Kirito said in shock. "Is she doing what I think she is?"

"Fuko," Kuroba said in pride as she watched her friend in awe.

The wheelchair disappeared next, but Fuko didn't fall to the metal floor. Two strange sky-blue lights were gathered around her severed legs, keeping her up. Immediately after Gale Thruster finished materializing, Fuko flared it to life, a loud roar coming from the boosters.

Fuko surged forward, breaking through the Enemies' lines, a trail of flames tailing her like a comet. Her speed was greater than that of Marth's when he used the Gale Thruster himself. There was no abnormal light effect coming from the booster itself though, meaning that this speed isn't a result of the Incarnate System. This was the crystallization of effort, the vast quantities of burst points she had poured into the Armament for years.

She closed the distance within an instant. Lucius with his battle-hardened instincts sensed the coming presence and jumped back to evade, but he was not the true target. Fuko quickly scooped a rather stunned Marth into her arms and carried him away before landing on a nearby metal crate. As soon as she did so, the light below her kneecaps hardened and became slim metal legs. Her avatar was back to normal, her Incarnation not holding her back any longer.

"Fuko? How? You? What?" Marth said rapidly, his brain practically going into shock.

Sky Raker simply giggled at the swordsman's reaction before gently placing him on the crate before glaring at the demon lord. "That's enough," she declared firmly while getting into a fighting stance. "I won't let you kill Marth!"

Lucius eyed the girl skeptically before it clicked in his head on who the girl was. "Interesting," he said slowly. "So you were reborn as well. Unfortunately, it is my destiny to fight the boy beside you. Just as it is fate for Tachyon to battle Photon."

Marth's widened in fear as he saw his dragon down and battered from battling the other Galaxy Eyes. It didn't have the strength to stop Tachyon's incoming breath attack. Fuko, however, remained calm and focused her energy. A white light flared around her. Three green rings and four white stars suddenly appeared in front of Photon, as if trying to shield him from harm.

"Spread those wonderous and beautiful wings and strike down your enemies at the speed of light!" Fuko chanted. A pillar of light shot from below and traveled through the rings, consuming the stars, right as Tachyon unleashed its breath attack. "Appear now. Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

The attack hit the pillar, creating an explosion that shook the whole space station. A cloud of smoke enveloped the area around the dragons. When the smoke finally cleared, a third dragon could be seen hovering just in front of Photon. It was a white and black bipedal dragon with green crystalline wings and a long-striped tail.

"No way," Marth said in awe.

"Incredible," Silica added as the others were left speechless. Even Lucius had no words.

Tachyon, however, was less than impressed. I thought I said that I wouldn't tolerate any interference! He said venomously. You just signed for the destruction of your comrades, Clear Wing.

The white dragon simply shook her head. No, I simply couldn't tolerate such an unfair battle between dragons, she answered serenely. If you want Photon, you'll have to go through me first.

The mechanical dragon snorted in response. Very well. You will be an appetizer before the real fight.

The two dragons roared at each other, shaking the air itself before charging at each other to do battle. Meanwhile Lucius turned towards Clear Wing's master and pointed his sword at her.

"It appears we may have to fight as well if you continue to get in my way," the older demon said rather calmly. "However, even someone of your strength is no match for me. You will only delay the inevitable."

Unfortunately Fuko had to agree with him. She knew that Lucius was far stronger than any Burst Linker in Brain Burst. All she can really do is buy enough time for Marth to recover enough for them all to escape this losing battle. Clear Wing's appearance may have also bought time for Photon to recover as well, but Tachyon's strength was still superior. This will not be easy. She braced herself for the coming fight.

"She may be no match for you, but I am!" a familiar voice shouted.

Lucius quickly turned and just barely raised his shield in time to block a barrage of different spells, ranging from fire and lightning lances to orbs of water and shadow. A familiar figure emerged from the shadows. Fuko immediately relaxed as she saw woman's crimson red hair and fierce green eyes.

"Rias!" she cried out in relief.

This was the break they needed. Who better to fight off a demon lord than with another demon lord?

"I had a feeling you all were in danger so I came as fast as I could," the demoness explained, maintaining her gaze on the other demon lord. "And I didn't come alone."

For once during the entire encounter, Lucius's eyes widened in fear. Such fears were answered when a black and purple figure rushed through the air and fired a barrage of red spears, killing most of the Enemies instantly before finishing off the remaining ones with two crimson spears in her hands. The figure came to a halt right before Kirito. She had long purple hair and piercing red eyes. She wore a black and purple skintight suit, black gloves and heeled boots, small silver shoulderpads, and appeared to be around thirty years old but she had a presence of someone much older, and of someone not to be crossed.

Stunned by her form and beauty, he stumbled out, "Wh-who are you?" As he said those words, he felt some sense of familiarity towards the woman.

The woman cracked a slight smirk, not once lowering her guard in case the Enemies respawned. "I am a friend of Rias's," she answered calmly. "You may call me Scathach."

"Scathach?!" That name certainly sounded familiar. That was the name of the Gatekeeper of Eternus, and the foster mother of Zane and the first Kirito. So she's still alive after all. But what was doing here on Earth?

Everything became still within the hanger. Even Tachyon and Clear Wing halted their battle and watched the tense exchange going on.

"So, Arcanos was right," Lucius said finally. "You have come to Earth."

"Correct," she answered while brandishing her spear, Gae Bolg. "I will not allow another tragedy like the Demon War to happen again. Whatever you and Arcanos are planning, I will stop it."

Rias also took a fighting stance and already had several magic projectiles ready to fire. "So then, Lucius," she said coldly. "You have a choice to make. You can either fight the two of us and perish, or you can take your dragon and retreat. What will it be?"

"Personally, I hope you choose to fight," Scathach added. "I don't get many opportunities to kill a dragon."

Lucius could only groan as he found himself backed in a metaphorical corner. If it was just one of either woman, he at least had a chance of winning, but he knew better than to press his luck by fighting them both at once. Not even Tachyon at his current level could turn the tide since Scathach is famous for slaying large and powerful beasts.

With great reluctance, he dismissed his weapons and called his dragon back, much to the beast's disappointment. A teleportation circle then appeared under his feet. "You got lucky this time, Marth," he said slowly. "But don't think either of your mothers can protect you forever. We will finish our battle. You better keep up with your training if you hope to win against me." And with that, the male demon lord teleported away, returning to the real world.


Frank, Kazuto, Kuroba, Fuko, C.C., and Meg were heading back to the Hagino apartment alongside the demoness as soon as she had gotten off of work. The trip was relatively silent until they stood outside the apartment.

"Is she inside?" Frank asked his mother.

Rias gave a slight nod. "Yes. I told her to wait here for us. I believe we have much catching up to do with her."

The half demon nodded in acknowledgement before the demoness unlocked the door and they all went inside. Scathach was waiting for them in the living room, dressed in casual street clothes. She turned towards the group and gave a light smile.

"You guys sure took your time getting here," the Queen of Shadows spoke up. "It's good to see you all again."

"Uh, likewise," Meg replied nervously. Scathach chuckled at that.

"Relax, Meg, I'm not going to skewer you or anything. I would never hurt my surrogate daughter after all."

That briefly confused the girl until she remembered that the woman in front of her had raised her brother in their previous life during the War of Light and Shadow.

"I see," she said, gaining a bit more confidence. "Well it's nice to see you're still around."

"Thank you." Scathach then did something unexpected and approached the two young demons before pulling them into a hug. "I was a fool to let you both go so long ago. I will not make that mistake again. This time…I will protect you both. I swear it."

"Wait, do you know what happened to Zane and Lucia?" C.C. asked in confusion.

The Witch of Dun Scaith could only shake her head. "No, but I have heard rumors over my long years," she answered solemnly. "One particular rumor is very grim and its that they, along with several of the Paladins of Umbris, perished in a terrible battle after the war was over. However, we don't know how credible the rumor is though."

That made Frank and Kuroba pause. A terrible battle. They had both experienced flashes of one such battle earlier today. Could those memories be true? It was hard to say for sure. They would both have to wait for any other memories to return to help give those scenes some much-needed context.

Scathach later explained that she's got a mole established within Arcanos's forces and filled the teens in on what she had told Rias, minus the dragon cards and that Zarc was still alive. She wanted to save that detail for a later day. She later declared that she would be staying here until further notice, to which suffered no opposition because of how powerful an ally she was.

Seeing that the sun was setting, Rias and Meg began preparing for dinner, with Kuroba and Fuko deciding to spend the night once again. Kuroba was sitting at the kitchen table her friend, eyeing her boyfriend and second partner converse with the immortal spearwoman, likely swapping stories on fighting.

"Hey Kuroba," Fuko spoke up, causing the Black King to turn her attention to her. "I finally figured it out. I've learned the secret of Gale Thruster."

Kuroba's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes. After the battle, Kirito told me a theory he had after seeing me use my Armament again. He thinks that they're meant to be used to fly through space, not in the sky."

"So your avatar is space oriented?! Incredible."

Fuko couldn't help but smile at that. "Seems that way. I think I know why that is too," she continued. "When I was in elementary school, I once read this book in the school library about children genetically engineered with arms instead of legs to survive in a weightless environment. While I did struggle with the advanced reading, I still felt a kinship with the characters because of my…condition. However, once I was halfway through with it, the librarian took it out of my hands and removed it from the library. I tried begging my parents to get me a copy of it but there was no digital copy of it and the hard copies were too expensive. I was heartbroken by that and eventually forgot about it."

"I see," Kuroba said with interest. "That explains your avatar's abilities. It wasn't the sky you were reaching for, but space itself. The desire to go to a weightless world."

"Exactly," Fuko replied. "I owe Clear Wing my thanks for reminding me of that. Now I can use my wings without regrets."

The Black King cracked a light smile. It was good to hear that her friend has finally moved on from that incident nearly three years ago. "By the way, thanks for saving Frank back there. There's no way I could have come to his aid in time because of all those monsters."

"No problem. I care about him too. Plus I learned something interesting as well." Fuko then told her King what her dragon had shown her within the hanger.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Meg and Rias were joined by a certain digital idol.

"Not to be rude, but is there a reason why you're hanging around us, Yuna?" Meg questioned.

"You guys were the ones who woke me up, so I feel its right to repay you by sticking around," the idol explained. "Plus, I think I've proven how useful I can be for you all."

Rias chuckled at that. "She does make a point. Plus since she's a virtual being, we don't have to worry about her taking up space or anything. There's no harm in her staying with us."

Meg couldn't really counter that. She didn't even hate Yuna anyway. However she was curious as to how the AI even got to this era. Supposedly Yuna just found herself within Brain Burst one day with no explanation. There was something…unsettling with that.

"We're not supposed to be in this era either," she thought to herself. "Is time starting to become unstable because of our presence. We may need to start looking into how we can return to our era before the damage becomes irreparable. Then there's the possibility that Yuna wasn't the only one who got dragged here. I've got a bad feeling about this."

She wasn't alone in this sentiment as C.C. simply watched the group go about their business from the hallway, acting as a simple observer. "That was way too close for comfort," she said to seemingly no one. "You're the ones who notified Rias about Lucius's attack weren't you? …What? You're going to fill me in on what's happening in the Accelerated World?"

What C.C. was told would horrify even her for the rest of the night. She would have to wait for the right time before she felt it was necessary to fill Marth and the others in on what she just learned. As soon as her conversation with the mysterious being was over, she heard her name being called and moved to the kitchen table for dinner. The others noticed that she looked uneasy, but as usual, she didn't tell them anything.

She could only hope that Marth and the others could become strong enough to stop what was coming.


Somewhere in Eternus

Rufus Shinra was making his way to the lower levels of the Cayenne's castle, home to Croire de Cayenne, one of the several ruling lords of the shadowy lands. Rufus is a noble himself but he tended to act as Cayenne's chief of staff and tactician. He had just received a report from the lab that they were finally successful in their goal. He was heading there to see the results for himself.

It didn't take long to reach his destination. The stone room was well-lit as well as structurally sound to protect all the machines and lab equipment inside. Technology within Eternus has advanced quite smoothly over the several millennia. Cayenne wouldn't get here for another hour or so. Being a lord to an entire territory wasn't easy after all.

"Lord Rufus," one of the scientists called out in surprise. "We weren't expecting you until later tonight."

The noble brushed his long blonde hair aside before folding his arms. "I managed to make some time in my schedule for this," he answered back. "This is a big day after all. Is she ready?"

Another scientist nodded his head in confirmation. "Just about. Creating a homunculus from demon blood isn't easy, and that's even harder when we use blood from the Umbris family. Do you wish to see her?"

"Of course. Bring me to her at once."

The scientists led him through the medium-sized lab, passing by several human-sized empty tube that contained traces of an unknown green liquid. Soon they reached the end of the room where there was a single tube with a young girl, around twelve, floating inside. She was curled up and completely bare, not to mention hooked up with several cords to monitor her vitals. Her long white and black hair simply swirled in the green liquid as she rested peacefully. At the bottom of the tube had a name. Altina Umbris.

Rufus simply smiled at the sight. "Excellent. With this, we're one step closer to ruling all of Eternus. Lord Cayenne will be pleased with this."

Unbeknownst to him, a small fox-like creature with white fur and long ears was hiding under a desk and monitoring them. It was sent here by orders from its master while they went to speak with a certain goddess, and provide a status update. It seems that the Mage of Flowers will have to rearrange his schedule after all. The new sister of the Umbris children cannot remain in the hands of these people any longer.

To be continued


And with that, the Hermes Chord arc is finally over. Now onto the Chrome Disaster Returns arc. I'm really looking forward to that arc as two certain characters will play a major role in it. Sorry this took so long. I've had to deal with writer's block, plus I was busy playing new video games, mainly the Trails of Cold Steel series (I'm already on the third game after spending the last two or so weeks beating the first two games). Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!