Unmei Force Solitary Legends: Young Spirits

by Xovercreator

A black-haired saviour, a nekomata shikigami, a forest witch and a royal guard step into the world of Orience, determined to change the land's fate for the better. Will Richard be able to prove to be above the laws of Tempus Finis, or will the doomed future repeat?

6. Chapter 5

Unmei Force Solitary Legends: Young Spirits

Chapter 5: The First Battle of Judecca

---

In the airship port of Akademia…

Class Zero and Richard's group finally stepped back onto Rubrum lands, as they exited the airship, as Kurasame was there waiting for them.

"Reporting back, sir." Eight addressed his superior, as the rest of Class Zero respectfully lined themselves before him.

"Submit your mission report. The consortium may choose to open an inquiry." Kurasame stoically answered back.

"You mean that's all you have to say- after everything we just been through!?" Cater exclaimed with outrage.

"Cater, Kurasame knows that procedure must remain for these kind of situations." Gunter calmly stated. "I know you are unpleased with the recent events, but there is no time to let this matter go out of hand."

"Just tell us: Why didn't you answer our transmissions?" Ace asked Kurasame.

"We didn't receive any. Our communications couldn't reach out either." Kurasame answered back.

"What a load of crap, yo! You saying that all of our COMMs just died all at once, huh!?" Nine snapped back with fury.

"I gotta agree with hot-head with this." Chen added, earning a 'Hey!' from Nine. "Say, Kurasame, you don't think that sounds fishy?"

"The inquiry board believes you may have intentionally cut off communications." Kurasame answered back.

"No way, our COMMs were jammed." Chen denied fiercely. "If it really was interference on both sides, then yeah, that's reason to suspect, but think about it like this, do we really want to hide like rats with the shit-fest this world is turning into right now, Kurasame? Well?"

"...Welcome back. You are free to rest until further notice." Kurasame responded back with a slight pause, as Chen scowled, while Nine was about to burst, before King stopped him.

"Let's go." King stated, as Class Zero left the airship port, while Chen, Gunter and Flora followed after them.

Just as Richard was about to join them, Kurasame placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"I need to speak with you, urgent matters." Kurasame stated. "Walk with me, Spade."

Richard obliged, as the two of them left the area, as they made their way through Akademia.

"Kurasame… Do you really believe that we had a hand in the assasination plot?" Richard asked back firmly, in just a low enough voice to avoid any eavesdropper picking up his words through standard means.

"If I am to be honest with you, you have the means to do so easily, and there is much evidence pointed to you." Kurasame admitted. "However, you are right about one thing. I am not without doubt about it. It does not fit your ideology, for you have no quarrel with Concordia that I know of. That does not mean others trust you as I will."

"Shame on that, I can only bear it." Richard responded back. "You'll have your debriefing report soon. I have learned many interesting things that can be useful for us, and our 'war' against Concordia. But that's not the only reason you called me so urgently, is it?"

"The Chancellor wishes to speak with you." Kurasame answered back. "I know not why he has called you at this moment, but I fear that it is a serious matter indeed. It could be the fact that you are suspected as the assassin of the Concordian Queen, or it could be anything worse. Either way, I can only-"

"Don't pity me. I'll be fine. Rubrum and its council has seen much value in my power and leadership. Otherwise they would have not let me operate freely, even within the bounds of Class Zero and you." Richard interrupted. "Take me to the meeting room, I'll speak my words with them. You address the students."

Kurasame nodded, as he guided Richard to the meeting room, before then leaving, but not before giving Richard a firm glance filled with a hint of sympathy. Richard then turned to the massive double-doors before him, as he slowly creaked them open, enough to peek and listen at the meeting in progress.

"...They certainly made the situation worse for us, that's for sure." The provost, a wizened old man with spectacles stated.

"Without a doubt, Class Zero and the Cardinal Suits are to be held accountable for the turn of events." The Commissar, an old woman with a combed hairstyle remarked. "Still, if we're to regret our failures…"

"Ridiculous." Arecia scoffed, taking a puff from her smoking pipe.

"Ridiculous!? Might I remind you, those cadets, and these… anomalies are your-" The commandant burst, before Richard took this moment to announce his presence, slamming the doors open audibly.

"Correction, hers and MY responsibility." Richard stated firmly, before he then took his place beside Arecia, as he addressed everyone present in the room. "Provost. Cadetmaster. Comissar. Commandant. And most important of all… Chancellor Chival VI. This is the first time I have had a formal meeting with your council. Apologies for the rude outburst, but the Commandant's words do not please, on top of recent events."

The Commandant then released as Richard spoke those words, that the young leader's gaze was squarely upon him, as he felt a sense of oppression and animosity pointed at him, enough to cause his breath to waver slightly, before he wisely turned away, as Richard di the same.

"So this is the leader of the Cardinal Suits, Space, before me." Chival responded back, as he was a man with a short beard and short straight hair. "Although I do not approve of your barging, I suppose that it is expected, since I was the one to invite you here for particular reasons. As for the topic, that's enough about your charges and your own group, Spade. Right now, we must focus on addressing the looming crisis that is unfolding before us."

"True. The Milites-Concordia coalition force is preparing to invade our territory as we speak." The Commandant stated. "If we don't take the appropriate measures-"

"That is already been considered." Chival answered back. "Which is why I have made two decisions. The first is to utilise the Verboten Eidolons."

This decision elicited surprise and shock from all council members, save for Arecia, who merely looked back with no visible tell, and Richard, who merely nodded his head in affirmation.

"But the Verboten Eidolons have not been allowed for use even since the Great War!" The Commisar declared strongly.

"You, more than anyone, must know why they are banned, Chancellor!" The Cadetmaster raised her opinion.

"To begin with, I don't mean to offend you, but there is not a single person alive who is capable of controlling Verboten Eidolons!" The Provost added.

Richard merely scoffed loudly at them, clicking his tongue in disdain, as it was noticed by the Provost.

"Is there something you like to add?" The Provost growled at Richard.

"You are right, Provost." Richard answered back. "But however, that is the only point I will state is correct. The power of Verboten Eidolons is not something that even a l'Cie can use on a mere whim. However, just that alone, and you're dissuaded from using your one and only trump card to turn his war to our favour? Of course I must object. Firmly, if I may add."

"Do you even know what Verboten Eidolon is, you-" The Provost fumed.

"Eidolons considered so powerful, that they are considered to be gods in their own right, just below the Crystals, and that summoning one for even mere moments will cost the lifeforce of hundreds, if not thousands of highly-powered magic users?" Richard interrupted, before his expression creased with annoyance. "Don't patronise me, just because I am a leader who fights on the battlefield most of his time, and most of that time in the vanguard of our operations. I am a studious man, Provost, no minor details slips by me, especially for important terms like this. Which is why I will make my own argument, and you'll know that your paranoia is unwanted."

The Provost scowled, but silenced himself, as Richard spoke his argument.

"You all claim that a thousand willing lives is too much of a cost to destroy an enemy who will seek us purged to the last man, woman and child within these lands. I admire such idealistic views… if it weren't for the fact that none of you possess such values." Richard stated, before he then pressed down on the table. "Your mistake is believing that the Militesi will not commit the same atrocity they visited upon the Kingdom of Lorica. May I ask if any one of you are forgetful enough to let that impactful event slip from their minds?'

The council itself was silent, as even the Chancellor was left speechless, and Richard took their silence for an answer.

"Exactly. You all failed to account for the one thing that contributed to the Chancellor's decision to use that measure." Richard continued. "Are you all naive to think that the Milites will suddenly decide to play nice and drop no more Ultima Bombs in this entire war? HAH! You all know as well as I do, that the chances of that happening, is the chance that it takes for a Tonberry to lose its lantern. They will not hesitate to erase us the same way that they did with Lorica. All of this fighting and invading, it's a front to ensure that they make another Ultima Bomb to wipe region after region of our people. So tell me then, whose lives value the most? The soldiers who chose to die to save their nation, or the nation that the soldiers would have sacrificed themselves for? Think carefully about that choice, before you make any hasty retorts to me."

Another moment of silence ensued, before Richard leaned back. "I rest my case." He firmly stated. "Chancellor, if you're confident in your choice, then tell me who will be the one to conjure the Verboten Eidolon then? Who will be the catalyst?"

"That choice was made by Lady Caetuna." Chival responded back.

"The l'Cie Caetuna? She's going to help us?" The Commandant stated.

"Can we assume, then, that Lady Caetuna believes there to be a genuine threat to the Vermillion Bird territories?: The Commissar added.

"Well, if THAT is the case, there is nothing more for us to debate - is that correct?" The Provost remarked.

"About this matter, yes. But there is another matter I must discuss." Chival nodded back, before turning to Richard. "Spade… In light of current circumstances, I hereby enact the Exitium Protocol."

At that statement, the Provost paled, and the Commandant was left sputtering, while Arecia merely hid a smirk under her lips, while Richard remained stoic, although internally, he was truly delighted about the choice.

"I see. Is this a result of the current situation as well?" Richard asked back.

"C-Chancellor, I beg you to reconsider that choice! You don't know what you're asking-" The Provost begged, his former calmness replaced with panic.

"The Exitium Protocol… Chancellor, why have we not been informed about this?" The Cadetmaster asked back. "As Cadetmaster, I should be made aware of any classified information regarding the cadets. Even though I am not able to do so with Class Zero, why is it the same with the Cardinal Suits."

"Because it is a protocol that was agreed upon, with the approval of Spade, myself, the Porovst, and many other Rubrum officials." Chival responded back. "Then I should make a clear explanation about the Exitium Protocol. It bears the right for the Cardinal Suits to operate with minimal restrictions and orders, and that they bear supreme responsibility for their actions, meaning that save for my direct orders, they are the highest authority amongst themselves. What's more, is that it also means that they are obligated to use their full power to fight, regardless of the consequences."

The Commissar and Cadetmaster were shocked to hear about that, while Richard cleared his throat.

"To offer us autonomy, despite the fears of the many." Richard remarked. "You trust me that much, Chancellor Chival? Then by your wish, we'll use the full extent of our power to put a pointless end to this war. Unlike the Ultima Bombs, which exist to cause indiscriminate destruction in large regions, our actions will be surgically precise. Key enemy positions will fall like wheat to harvest, their greatest warriors and weapons, all laid to the ground. And there will be so little death among the non-combatants, that they'll be wondering years later, if the war had purpose."

"You can't possibly offer them this much power and privilege, Chancellor!" The Commandant exclaimed with outrage. "Do you even know what they could do, if they had any-"

"Do not interrupt." Richard spoke with a cold and stiff tone, facing the Commandant with an equally cold tone. "If this is about trust, and I say this to all of you in this very room… Let me tell you something that you should take a note of, and memorise it carefully: Don't throw stones in glass houses. If you can't understand what I mean, then you're not fit to criticise neither the Chancellor's or my decisions. Besides, Commandant… I would be careful who you paint as an enemy, lest it draws suspicion on you. I've been hearing interesting rumours from a curious little kitten... about you."

The Commandant was left pale by Richard's words, as he recalled Chen's threat to him, as he silenced himself immediately. Chival, noticing that the situation is getting tense, quickly spoke up.

"If there are no objections, then I would like to conclude this meeting." Chival responded back, as the members silently filed out of the room.

"So… I assume that your threat to the Commandant is no bluff, is it?" Arecia asked, filling her smoking pipe, as the two walked down the hallway.

"Diamond found out that he's been spying on us. I cannot tell you now the details of it, but I have attention directed to dealing with it immediately." Richard answered back. "You should head to Sorcery, as soon as you're available. Heart is waiting over there, and she's got a major concern that needs addressing."

Arecia was silent, before the two of them parted ways, heading to their respective destinations.

---

In Sorcery…

Flora entered the building, as Arecia was right there, waiting for her, as the building was empty, save for the both of them.

"You've come." Arecia stated, before she then walked over to the young witch. "Tell me, Flora… What is it that troubles you so much that you would ask for me at this very moment…"

"Arecia… You knew about Rem's illness all this time, didn't you?" Flora asked with a serious tone.

"...I suppose that it would have been made obvious to you. You who healed the wounds of the cadets so many times before." Arecia sighed. "What do you know about it, right now?"

"I know that this illness is not as simple as it looks." Flora responded back. "I have tried many forms of curative magic to even ease it slightly, but all failed. Tell me, why haven't you tried to find a way to heal her yourself? You're…"

"One does not simply flaunt their powers, especially when they're closely watched by their peers." Arecia answered back, taking a puff of her smoking pipe. "Of course, I could have cured it myself with little ease, but that would mean exposing myself to the Crystals, who would react accordingly. And you should know that this is not an ailment of the body, but instead…"

"The soul… the phantoma…" Flora finished, as her hands clenched to fists involuntarily. "How could such an illness exist…? Od and phantoma are derived from the same source of the human soul, but why can't I be of any help, even if I found analogues of the ingredients I used to cure the spirit…"

"I'm afraid that you are off the mark then. Even though some of your patented methods still are as effective as ever, phantoma and od are expressed and formed in different ways. While od may be a flowing stream… phantoma is an ethereal mist within a body." Arecia stated back. "I admire your conviction to cure her… But I'm afraid that as you are now… you can't achieve it."

"Then am I fated to let her pass away then?" Flora asked with a sullen tone.

"No… You may not be able to cure her, but you can at least prolong her life by revitalising her body. Perhaps you might even find the cure that you're looking for, before her demise… Either way, it is too early to give up hope, Flora." Arecia assured her. "You haved saved many lives back from where you lived, despite the darkness it permeated… so it would not do you well to give up, just because you face an impassable obstacle."

"I… You're right." Flora answered back. "Thank you, Arecia Al-Rashia, I think that I feel much more hopeful about all of this."

Flora then left, as Arecia took a puff of her pipe again, and looked up at the ceiling. "Richard… Your friends have created a massive impact on these lands… I wonder what kind of results you would create, when you step into the main conflict itself…"

---

In Class Zero…

The entire class was gathered, in the midst of another sortie siren, as Richard and his group came not too shortly after, as Kurasame was already there to brief them on the situation.

"There have been orders for us to crush the Imperial Army at Eibon." Kurasame briefed the present individuals. "The purpose of this skirmish is to fortify the Concordian border, before the two armies combine their forces to prepare their own offensive. As there is also the threat of the Imperial army assaulting the Militesi border, Class Zero and Cardinal Suits are ordered to participate in this operation, considering our record with these kinds of missions."

"...So, I suppose that it's time for us to split up again?" Ace asked Richard.

"You've been trained by us well. I'm sure that you can handle whatever we may face on the field, save for a l'Cie." Richard answered back. "If that happens, just draw them to us, and we'll take care of that problem."

"Got it." Ace answered back.

The two groups immediately prepared themselves, as they left Akademia, before using Chocobo mounts to reach the regrouping point for the Dominion forces, as they took their position in a small front-line base, in a region, where there was a large pillar-like tower in the middle of a large lake.

"Woah… That thing is so tall." Chen remarked.

"That's the Tower of Agito… It's a place shrouded in mystery…" Queen stated. "There are many dangers within it, and no-one knows what lies at the summit of it."

"It's best that we let such myths rest for the time being." Gunter answered back, before gesturing ahead, as Imperial troops were already being deployed.

The two groups split off immediately, as they provided support to the advancing Dominion troops, managing to take out the nearest bases and capture them for additional reinforcements. However, despite how easy their initial advance was, they suddenly encountered a problem.

"We're in trouble, kupo!" Mog informed the groups. "Enemy units from Domains 3 and 4 are heading straight for our Main Camp! And they're strong!"

"Tch… this complicates matters." King cursed, before communicating with Richard. "Spade… what shall we do…? If the main camp sustains heavy damage, it'll hamper our efforts to take over the rest of the region, even cut it short if we are careless."

"Leave the main base to us." Richard answered back through the comms. "Just keep on taking the bases, forge a path to Toguagh, if we take it, then we have a supply line to assault Eibon directly!"

"If you say so… we're counting on you guys." Nine remarked.

Richard quickly warped back to the main base, as he could see that there were sizable battalions of Imperial soldiers, led by their magitek armour, including the smaller Warriors, and the far larger Colossi.

"Tch… Don't give them an inch!" Richard ordered his group, as they attacked the advancing enemy forces.

Flora immediately used some of her nature magic to bind the smaller enemies, and slow down the Colossi, while Gunter slew his enemies with powerful focused strikes, as he used the force of his attacks to also topple the Colossi by taking out their legs, and piercing through their armour with long thrusts, which managed to destroy them. Chen had little problem dealing with all types of enemies, as she managed to climb into several Colossi and tear their pilots from the inside, as she left trails of blood while she fought. Richard hung back to a distance, as he used elemental magic to devastate the enemy, and support his teammates with covering fire from his own spells.

Eventually, the enemy assault was winding down, as Richard noticed from the corner of his eye that allied reinforcements came, in the form of a squad of elite soldiers.

"Looks like we're here… Now, let's have some fun!" The leader of the squad remarked, before turning to Richard. "You're Spade, of the Cardinal Suits, right? Enra Unit, at your service."

"Glad to have some aid here. The enemy wasted their troops trying to penetrate through our defences. Now's the time to sock it to them." Chen stated, as she cleaned her claws of blood. "Who wants to smash some entitled fuckers a new one!"

Her brash statement was met with rallying cries, as they marched towards the enemy camp, and took it over quickly, by raining destruction on the garrisoned troops.

"Alright then… Now we just have to-" Richard remarked, before his comm rang, which he answered quickly. "What's the situation?"

"Other than the fact that there's another one of those flying machines that we saw back in Togoreth?" Jack asked back. "Dude ripped up a few of our bases in his run. We managed to beat him back, but we definitely know that he's gonna come back stronger. He's stationed at Toguagh, so we gotta take that place down, if we're going to stop him from doing more damage to our guys."

"Then do that. We're carving a path around for a flank on Eibon. The base on the other side was where the Colossi were coming from, so we should be able to get our jobs done in time for the flank attack." Richard answered back.

"We're trying our best, sir." Queen answered back, as the comms shut off again.

"Alright, time for some proper application of power. I did promise the Chancellor that I would deal with this matter quickly." Richard stated, flexing his hands, before he then took aim at the enemy base ahead of him, as he slowly aimed for it, and then released a burst of earth magic that disabled most of the Colossi inside, allowing the elite Enra unit to make short work of the enemy base, as they captured it, providing a good staging point for the flank attack.

"Class Zero, report status." Richard called to Class Zero.

"The enemy MA escaped to Eibon. However, we managed to get Toguagh quickly, once he was driven out." Cater answered back.

"Just in time, tell the troops to launch a full offensive, Eibon is just ahead!" Richard exclaimed.

The two groups immediately led their divisions of Dominion soldiers towards Eibon, as they sieged the major fortress, as their attacks whittle down the barrier protecting it. Eventually though, the aerial MA that Class Zero mentioned before, showed itself.

"I will not let you go any further!" A male voice rang from the MA, as it fired vulcans and cannon blasts at the sieging troops.

"Says who!?" The leader of the Enra Unit exclaimed, before the entire squad fired on the MA, damaging it and drawing its attention. "Hey, we got this heap of scrap handled! Take care of that fortress for us!"

"Roger… Class Zero, commencing infiltration manoeuvres." Trey stated, as Class Zero was the first to charge into the enemy main base.

Flora noticed that the MA was tearing the Enra Unit apart, as they were suffering heavy casualties with each attack they made.

"Spade…" Flora was about to plead to Richard.

"No more needs to be said." Richard answered back, before he then charged up his magic, and fired a spread of magic lasers which struck the MA's armour, turning its attention back to him. "Hey, your real opponent is right here, Militesi dog!"

"What gives!? We can handle this ourselves! You need to take that fortress right now!" The Enra Unit leader shouted back.

"Don't worry, I'll be done with them soon. Heart, healing duties for Enra Unit, now!" Richard ordered, as he fired a barrage of spells that damaged the MA, while evading its various forms of attacks.

As magician and machine duelled, Flora walked over, as she used her curative spells to quickly heal the casualties, before their injuries would become fatal. The Enra Unit leader could only watch with shock and awe, as Flora saved his men one by one.

Eventually, Richard cornered the MA, which was smoking with damage. 'You're through!" Richard shouted, before he then fired a spread of wind blades that severed a few of the machine's thrusters, causing it to wobble in the air.

"Is this… the end?" The pilot of the MA remarked, before growling, and retreating from the field.

"Holy… you literally made fun of that bastard…" The Enra Unit leader remarked. "Jeez… and I thought that we're going to be taking a lot of dead from this one fight… Guess I owe you one, Spade of the Cardinal Suits."

"No problems. Can't have men dying left and right, not good for morale." Richard answered back, before turning back to Eibon. "Alright, Cardinal Suits, infiltration manoeuvres!"

The group broke through the front gates of the fortress, as they followed the trail of corpses and blood left by Class Zero, before finding them fighting an assorted mix of Warrior MAs and soldiers.

"Ah, just in time. The way to the enemy command center is unimpeded. We'll take care of the fight here." Sice remarked, as she used her scythe to disable a Warrior by killing its pilot through impalement.

Chen nodded, as she dashed across the field, and right into the command center, as the staff tried to fire at her, only for their shots to go wide, and killed with claw-swipes through their necks and chest, before she found the commanding officer, as she dodged a few hand-gun rounds, and then plunging her claws right through the chest of the officer, as he gurgled blood, before collapsing dead on the ground.

"Mission complete." Chen stated, as she turned on her heel, and left the corpse-ridden building.

Class Zero and Richard's group noticed that the survivors of the attack were surrendering, as they quickly left the battlefield, their jobs done.

---

A few days later, in Class Zero's classroom…

Rem rushed into the room, as she came just after Cinque, while the others, save for Machina, were already there waiting for them, including Richard and his group, as well as Kurasame.

"I'm so sorry! I'm late!" Rem apologised to everyone.

"You're never late, Remski! Did you oversleep?" Cinque asked Rem, turning around to face her.

"Uh, yeah… heh heh…" Rem awkwardly chuckled, trying to hide her inner worry, although some of those present saw through it. "Hm? Where's Machina?"

"He hasn't gotten here yet." Ace shook his head, as Chen suppressed the urge to scoff loudly.

"It's odd… ever since the liberation of Eibon, he has never been as punctual as he was." Gunter pondered.

"Either way, that's no excuse to delay the briefing on the mission that is about to happen in a few hours." Richard answered back, before turning to Kurasame. "Kurasame, if you will…"

"To defend against the joint Militesi-Concordian Invasion, Rubrum's entire force will be divided into two groups. All cadets and trainees will take part in this operation." Kurasame declared.

"The trainees, too?" King asked back.

"Sounds like if they don't, it won't be much of a contest." Queen theorised.

"Class Zero is tasked with dealing with both fronts, which may be considered unfortunate for you all." Kurasame continued. "On the eastern front, you must aid the airship fleet and its escort in defeating Concordia's fleet of dragons. This operation will be assisted by Lord Zhuyu, in order to even the odds."

"A l'Cie taking part?" Trey asked back.

"Wait, then what about the western front!?" Nine shouted out. "What are you going to do about the Militesi!?"

"The Rubrum Army's main force will form a wall along the Militesi border, and a select unit of cadets adept at magic will engage the Imperial forces. I will personally be joining this fight." Kurasame stated.

"Wait, but aren't you-" Flora was about to say, before she was hushed by Richard's gesture.

"That means that they're REALLY getting desperate out there." Cater stated.

"Yeah, but that ain't going to be enough. Hey, you got a plan for all of this, or do we have to carry the entire army of our backs?" Chen asked with a frown.

"We have a plan. Lady Caetuna will summon the Verboten Eidolon, and my unit will assist her." Kurasame answered back.

"You mean two l'Cies are in this fight?" Deuce asked.

"Hah, there's that plan." Sice remarked with crossed arms.

"They're finally taking this seriously. About time I say." Jack answered back.

"Yeah, but what are these 'Verboten Eidolons', anyway?" Cinque asked back.

"They're Eidolons no mortal can control, kept under wraps by the Sorcery Division." Kurasame explained. "So hazardous is the very act of summoning such Eidolons, it can only be performed by the likes of a l'Cie. This is Rubrum's last resort. In fact, everything depends on this one battle. There are a few hours before your mission commences. Take your time to fully prepare , but be aware that you are not authorised to leave Akademia for long."

"Now, adding something to Kurasame's announcement, I have one to make of my own." Richard responded back. "As of now, by the direct order of Chancellor Chival VI, the Exitium Protocol has been activated, meaning that we Cardinal Suits will be holding nothing back at all. Expect us to ensure that these missions that Kurasame stated… they will have a success rate of 100%, even if we have to raze the entire land to achieve that."

"Wait, what!?" Jack exclaimed, as he was taken aback by the development of the situation, as was the rest of Class Zero. "What is the 'Exitium Protocol' anyways? How come no-one heard about it until now?"

"It was a secret held by the Consortium of Eight, which limits our prowess to certain levels to avoid causing a breach of war regulations. However, the activation of these protocols means that the term 'any means necessary' is applied to us as of now. No price will be too high for victory, even if it means the total annihilation of the enemy forces, surrender or not." Richard answered back. "Hopefully, we won't have to exercise ruthless tactics to achieve results… but if we must do so, to keep Orience from plunging into chaos… it is a small price."

"And I thought that they were beyond all of us before this…" Trey remarked. "Hah.. Looks like we effectively got a quartet of l'Cie-level allies solely to our benefit. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at all of this."

"You won't really have to cause destruction, do you, Spade?" Deuce asked Richard.

"Look, Deuce. It's not like we enjoy the slaughter and murder of our enemies. This is war, and I bet Spade stressed that point a lot. The Militesi crosses lines that shouldn't have been crossed, and they constantly prodded at our buttons with all this bull-shit." Chen stated with a heated tone. "If they whine when we do the same to them, then that's their own fault for being hypocrites. Before this war ends, the Militesi will learn a lesson about the fact that if you can't win playing dirty, then you deserve the societal and governmental fall-out it brings. And we aren't losing to the likes of them, no matter who thinks otherwise."

The rest of Class Zero is left silent by those words, before Gunter broke the silence with his own words.

"Before we let ourselves agonise over the meaning of this war…" Gunter stated. "I suppose that we should explain the composition for the two groups that will be handling the separate fronts. Heart and I will take care of the western front, with the assistance of Deuce, Cater, Sice, Eight, Jack, King, and Rem. Spade and Diamond will take care of the Concordian dragon fleet, with Ace, Trey, Cinque, Seven, Nine, Queen, and Machina joining them."

"If there are any complaints with these arrangements, state them now. But note that this has been discussed thoroughly with the Cardinal Suits and myself with considerable time invested on the choices." Kurasame answered back, before he was met with silence. "Fine then. Make your preparations. Nothing but your best will be accepted in the fight to come."

---

A few hours later, in the airship port...

The first few cadets arrived at the airship port, as it consisted of Ace, Sice, Rem and Jack. Rem looked around, as she was disappointed that Machina still hadn't arrived.

"Machina's still missing. Where could he be?" Rem pondered.

"To think he would flake out before this big a mission…" Sice stated. "I guess that this raises some questions."

"Yeah…" Rem said, as her voice trailed off with a sigh.

"Well, I'm sure that he'll be back soon." Jack stated with optimism in his voice.

"Hah! My, aren't we the eternal optimist?" Sice joked.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere." Jack answered back with crossed arms.

"It's NOT flattery." Sice responded back, her tone turning serious and annoyed.

Soon, the rest of Class Zero arrived, once again without Machina, as they prepared to board onto their respective airships, in order to head to their designated frontiers.

"I guess that this is where we part ways until our front is dealt with." Richard remarked. "If I have to say something to you all before we move to our decisive battles… Have hope in yourselves. You are not as weak as you believe compared to us. What you can do, the other cadet classes can only dream of. You took entire towns and cities by yourselves, and you slain many dangerous beasts, save for the most wanted ones. Our lessons have had a great impact on you. So remember our teachings… and you'll live to see tomorrow. And don't forget… as long as we're here, Class Zero will return with nothing more than a few gashes and bruises."

"Sir…" King remarked with a respectful tone.

"Spade is right, the battle ahead might be momentous, but we cannot let ourselves despair at this time of need." Gunter added. "We have come this far to ensure that this war will end with as many survivors as possible. To do that, we must ensure that we give our enemies no quarter, so that they will understand that the best option for their actions is to surrender peacefully."

"Well said, Club." Richard nodded, before he then tossed something to Gunter, who caught it, as it revealed to be a dark crystal. "...When the time is right, you know what you need to do with it."

"Your concern is noted." Gunter responded back, as he pocketed the crystal.

"Heart… take care of Rem. If you cannot, then ensure Club is by her side. She needs someone to rely upon, without Machina beside her." Richard told Flora, who nodded back.

"Alright, enough sappy talk. Let's go kick some dragon ass on our side, and some Imperial asses on your side!" Chen shouted.

That statement elicited a few chuckles, and some smirks as well, before the two parties left on their airships, which went in different directions.

---

In the skies above the Strait of Judecca…

The fleet of Rubrum Airships sailed through the air, as the one containing Richard, Chen and their half of Class Zero, was one of the vanguard towards the left side of the formation. The entire air-fleet sailed through the dark stormy skies of the region, as there was a large tornado in the distance.

"Huh… stormy skies… This is going to be interesting." Chen remarked.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Nine asked back.

"You really don't get it, do you." Queen sighed in frustration. "Diamond is referring to the fact that the storm may prove to be a disadvantage on our side, because of what the Concordian forces can make from the clouds and vapor. If I were to take a guess, they might actually-"

"Five-Star Dragon ahead!" One of the airship crew declared, as the group turned their attention to a distant image of a flying white serpentine dragon, as it was charging something in its maw.

"Evasive action! It's charging up an attack!" Another crew-mate declared, as the air-ship lurched.

Ricahrd immediately reacted to this, as he dragged his arms out, creating a large barrier of flames, which ate away at his magic reserves. As the crew of the ship tried to figure out what was with the fire barrier, suddenly the entire formation was struck by the icy breath of the enemy Five-Star Dragon, as it shook the formation apart, as the air around them froze instantly, creating a mid-air prison of ice for the majority of the allied air-fleet, with the fire barrier almost completely negating the effects, save for a gust of cold wind across the deck.

Richard then de-summoned the fire barrier, as he winced slightly, while Queen grimaced. "...Just as I thought. The enemy would flash-freeze the air around us, so that it would make us easy pickings for their infantry-grade dragons." She remarked back, before turning to Richard. "Spade… you predicted this, and you managed to save us from meeting the same fate as the others."

"Sorry, but I only have enough control to save our one." Richard spoke with a grim tone. "The others… I'm afraid that they've fallen into the trap completely. And your prediction is about to come true too… look."

Class Zero looked over, as they saw that the vanguard of the Concordian dragon fleet were navigating through the ice, as they could see that the magitek barriers around several airships were being overwhelmed by the swarm of dragons, before they tore the vulnerable air-craft to exploding pieces. The screams and shouts of the trapped Rubrum legionnaires and cadets echoed through the skies, before a majority of them were silenced by a beam of light that obliterated all in their path, from the same Five-Star Dragon.

"By the Crystal…" Cinque gasped in horror. "All those poor people, being trapped with scarce hope of escape. This is just…"

"The reality of war." Chen interrupted, with a scowl on her face. "The bastards caught us with our pants down. We're going to be pedalling this fight up-hill in this current state."

Suddenly, there were two flashes of blue light, as the same Eidolon that Class Zero summoned back during the liberation of Akademia, Odin, and a large metallic dragon with mechanical wings, the Eidolon Bahamut, appeared, as they fought against the enemy dragon fleet, cutting down a great number of them.

"Looks like the Autonomous Summoning Platoons are pulling their weight now." Seven remarked. "That should even the playing field."

"No, I don't think that's enough." Ace remarked with uneasiness in his voice. "...We haven't even confirmed if Concordia brought their l'Cie to assure their victory here."

Suddenly the Five-Star Dragon fired a beam of light right towards Bahamut, as it destroyed it, before the beam directed itself into one of the surviving airships, destroying it. It then focused its target on Odin, which galloped through the ice lattice, before it took was destroyed by the next breath.

"Not good… that definitely is a l'Cie, if it could make quick work of the Eidolons like this…" Trey remarked. "We should be careful."

Suddenly, there was a falling star of flames that descended into the beam's path, as it created a wall of flames that blocked the beam, before it then turned into a phoenix that rushed towards where the enemy l'Cie was.

"What the… Was that Lord Zhuyu right there?" Nine remarked with surprise.

"No doubt about it." Richard agreed. "Both sides have played their trumps against each other. It's down to us to ensure that while Lord Zhuyu keeps that l'Cie busy, we win the fight around them.

"Enemy units inbound at 5'o clock!" The communications officer aboard the air-ship declared. "All hands, prepare for battle!"

"Looks like it's our turn." Chen remarked, before she then walked to the edge of the deck, and turned to Richard. "Hey, Spade, you got what I need right now?"

"Take it. Just don't try to interfere with the fight between the l'Cie." Richard answered back, before tossing a clear solution of water, to fool the surrounding people that it was a concoction of importance, as Chen popped the cork off it and chugged it down. "Your main job is to ensure that this airship doesn't go down, got it, Diamond?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got that crystal clear. Hey, kiddos. Want to see a magic trick?" Chen stated, while smirking, before she then clambered onto the side-rails, and fell backwards off it, shocking the entire group save for Richard, before Chen rose up, flying through the air, eliciting cries of surprise and shock. "What, you think that l'Cie are the only one who have the ability to fly free in the air like walking? Guess what, now that I don't have to pretend to be locked on land, I can actually fight like I'm supposed to."

"S-She's flying!?" Nine exclaimed back, before Chen darted off, as she rushed into the surrounding airspace, before she then switched to her danmaku, as she fired intricate patterns of coloured bullets that took down dozens upon dozens of enemy dragons. "And she's… Okay, I think that I give up trying to make sense of this. You Cardinal Suits are damn crazy, crazy beyond words!"

"Then you haven't seen anything yet." Richard answered back with a taunting smirk, as he pulled out the X-Stone, as Ace noticed that it was the same stone that Richard used to summon Cirno.

"Is that…?" Ace asked.

"That's right. Cirno was one of the less powerful summons as an Eidolon." Richard answered back, as he raised it, creating the same summoning sigil it did last time. "To fight the dragon fleet… It takes someone who knows the skies like the back of their hand. With the Exitium Protocol authorising the use of my full power… I shall show you the very queen of the skies!"

From within the summoning sigil, a woman with short black hair and dark-red eyes appeared, with a red tokin on her head, a white and black kimono with a red sash with black laces around her waist, with rectangular sections that spread around her legs, red geta sandals on her socked feet, and a pair of large dark black crow wings that flapped from her back. She had a serious expression on her face, with katana and tengu fan in her hands.

However, the serious look on her face didn't last long when she saw Richard, as she smiled in a smug yet also warm manner.

"Well, well, seems that an old friend has been missing me for a while." The female tengu spoke with a slightly teasing tone. "I suppose that you couldn't help but summon me because you believe that I'm the best at making quick work of all of this?"

"That is correct, Aya Shameimaru." Richard answered back with a nod. "...You can see that you're not the only one from your lands who is fighting here. I suppose that you wouldn't want your glory taken by her, do you?"

"Ha, you wish!" Aya laughed back, before she then regarded Class Zero for a moment, smirk still on her lips. "Looks like you're a teacher once again. I bet that Keine would be extremely interested that you're a war-time teacher."

"Save that for later. We got a dragon fleet to take out. And make the most of your time here, it's not much, perhaps not enough, even for you." Richard responded back.

"Well, time is money after all, so I'm jetting off!" Aya exclaimed, as she flew at subsonic speeds that kicked up a gust of wind.

"Is that… Your summon's focus is on speed?" Queen asked Richard, having recovered from the shock.

"That's right. When it comes down to Aya… She's got speed that would make the diepverns blush." Richard answered back. "From what I know, nothing can out-speed her even sprinting with all of their energy. For these dragons? She'll run laps around them before they can even turn course. She and Diamond are enough to ensure that the other fronts achieve victory. However, for our side…"

Richard then grabbed one of the mounted magitek cannons, as he infused power into it, controlling the flow to prevent overloading, as the deck cannons suddenly powered up from the donation of magical power.

"Deck cannons are operating at… 400% efficiency!?" One of the bridge crew remarked. "...By the Crystal… Spade of the Cardinal Suits… he is truly a unique existence."

"Mog might say this after me… But get your hands on the autocannons. Focus on keeping our ship in the air." Richard ordered the Class Zero cadets, as he gripped the cannon in both hands tightly.

The cadets let out a collective 'Yessir!', as they manned the cannons, as they shot down the surrounding dragons, as they didn't even have a chance to get close enough to attack their air-ship, thanks the enhanced power of the buffed auto-cannons.

"Sixth fleet, en route to support Lord Zhuyu! We have also detected the allied Eidolon fighting against the bulk of the Concoridan vanguard with Diamond of the Cardinal Suits!" One of the fleet officers declared through the comms.

Suddenly, the group suddenly heard the sound of wind whooshing, as it came from the ship's stern, as Richard turned to see that one of the larger dragons have conducted a manoeuvre that kept it out of the autocannon's sight and range, and got it close to the stern.

"Rrrgh… Trey, Seven! With me!" Richard growled, as the two cadets turned to him. "We got an unwelcome guest at the stern. The rest of you, do not let up your defence of the ship's bow!"

Richard, Trey and Seven rushed to the ship's stern, as they found that the dragon was moving about the stern deck, blasting it in an attempt to damage it, before Richard used a ice blast to force it to cease attacking the ship.

Trey immediately nocked an arrow on his bow, while Seven cast Thundara spells to keep it from attacking back, with most of its movements devoted to dodging the bursts of lightning magic, before Trey fired his arrow right through one of the dragon's wings, causing it to shriek, as it tumbled down towards the deck, as Seven followed up and beheaded the falling dragon as it slid across the deck, leaving a trail of blood.

"Enemy down." Seven stated, before she shook the blood off her whip-blade.

The group returned to the ship bow, as they saw that the bow was well-guarded by the rest of the cadets, as Richard, Trey and Seven re-taken their position on the autocannons, helping the ship out.

"We've engaged a Five-Star Dragon! Send help at once!" A male officer's voice was heard through the comms. "All hands, fire the magic autocannons, hurry!"

"There's no end to the dragons! It's like they've mobilised their entire military for this fight!" A comms officer shouted through the comms.

Richard then looked around, as he noticed that Aya and Chen were in the nearby distance, as they were engaging a large swarm of enemy dragons.

"Jeez, these lizards really don't compare to the likes of the ones we have back at home, eh Aya?" Chen asked her companion, as they were back-to-back, as the dragon swarm surrounded them like a sphere.

"I'll give it to them, they know how to trap a bird… But whether they're capable of making that cage of theirs sturdy… I'll be the judge of that." Aya answered back. "Say, what's the score right now between you and me? I counted no less than 250 downed dragons, if not more."

"Screw you, if you care about your pride so much, then I'll have you know that I took down at least 300 of those bastards myself! I don't have just purely speed, but also the fact that I got the fire-power to actually send them to the earth by the dozen!" Chen shouted back, annoyed.

"Fine then, if you want to settle this, then let's see who takes the most out of this swarm!" Aya answered back, as she drew a Spell-Card.

"Think that you're the only one thinking that!? I'm not the same weak pussy-cat who needs to hide behind Aunt Ran or Aunt Yukari!" Chen shouted back, drawing a Spell Card of her own.

"Declare Spell Card! Wind God 'Storm Day'!"

"Declare Spell Card! Child Sign 'Dharmapala's Rampage'!"

With those two spell-card declarations, the entire swarm was blasted apart in a matter of mere seconds, as all witnesses watched as a blossoming burst of green and blue danmaku bullets tore into the sphere of encircling dragons, with the blue sphere of bullets assaulting the dragons from all sides, and the green bullets in streams that snaked outwards, hitting any dragon unfortunate enough to be in range of the attack. Meanwhile, Chen turned into a rolling sphere of black fur, as she rammed right into the dragons, crushing through them with unimaginable force, while leaving small clusters of red and blue bullets that acted like claymores that shred any fool who got too close to them.

After both spell-cards timed out, the entire detachments of dragons were destroyed, while the two of them stared at each other.

"So… how's that….?" Chen asked back, slightly winded from her continuous flying. "Think you can bridge that gap?"

"...Nah, actually, that's gotta be your win right there. Looks like you really grew up, Chen." Aya chuckled whimsically. "I'm sure that if either Yakumo were here, they'd be proud of what you accomplished. Who knows? You might actually be one day acknowledged as one of the powerhouses of Gensokyo at this rate, with that close friend of yours and cute enigma, Heiwa."

"Heh, you bet I will. Ain't going to let anything stop me-" Chen stated, before she then heard the sound of metal groaning, as she turned around to see a falling Rubrum airship, which was burning up with critical damage, as it was dropping down to where she was, as she quickly evaded. "Woah… looks like this fight ain't over just yet."

Suddenly, they noticed a multi-headed scaled dragon behemoth flying towards them, as it was the cause of the burning air-ship earlier.

"Hah, looks like the head honcho of those dragon whelps has shown itself." Aya grinned. "Wish I had my camera to take pics of the fascinating stuff here, but I'm not here as a reporter or photographer, I'm here for serious fighting business, and I don't intend to disappoint Richard at all."

"So, you got a plan to take that bastard down?" Chen asked Aya.

"Only one. Let's see how he handles some 'death by a thousand cuts'!" Aya remarked, activating another spell-card. "Declare Spell Card! 'Peerless Wind God'!"

Aya then disappeared, as she appeared a flash of red, that tore into the behemoth from thousands of angles and directions, as each attack cut at its scaled armour and skin, causing it to growl in pain, as it tried to attack Aya, who was far too fast to even be touched by its fire attacks, even with all heads focused on the flying tengu.

However, after a while, Aya suddenly backed away, as she suddenly saw that her body was fading away, as her summoning time was coming to an end.

"Seriously…" Aya scowled, before she then turned towards Chen. "Well, guess it's your turn to deal with this big one here. I'd say good luck… but I know that you ain't going to need it."

With a quick two-finger salute, Aya faded from the skies, as Chen turned around to face the large threatening dragon.

"Alright, big and ugly… Time for you to go down!" Chen exclaimed, as she immediately engaged the dragon, as Class Zero and the airship crew watched the fight, as Richard sensed a twinge of familiarity from looking at the large dragon.

"Celestia…?" Richard thought, before he then turned to Class Zero. "It seems that there is another Five-Star Dragon. Diamond might be able to hold her ground against it, but you must provide assistance immediately! Target the dragon, but do not harm Diamond!'

"You've got to be kidding! Fire! FIRE!" A comms officer shouted through the comms, as the nearby airships launched ordinance at the Five-Star Dragon, and Chen, uncaring of whether the attacks have Chen in their line of fire or not, as the nekomata was forced to dodge attacks from both sides.

"Check fire, damnit! That's my squadmate you're firing upon!" Richard shouted back through the comms. "She's the only hope of you all beating that Five-Star Dragon without further casualties!"

"But Diamond is moving around too much, the main cannons can't get a proper shot on the Five-Star Dragon without endangering her!" Cinque argued back. "Our only hope is to use the auto-cannons to pelter and weaken the enemy… Do you think that it will be enough."

"I can only hope…" Richard responded back.

"Lord Zhuyu is engaging Soryu. Nearby units, evacuate immediately. I repeat, evacuate immediately!" Another comms officer reported through the comms.

Richard turned towards where he deduced the fight would be, as he could see that the fight was quite distant, as both dragon and phoenix were clashing against each other fiercely, tearing the skies around them, and the fight was approaching their area.

"Damnit… Diamond, pull back!" Richard cried to Chen. "We're withdrawing from the front!"

"What!? But I've still got more than enough to put this dragon down!" Chen shouted back.

"The l'Cie fight is getting close to us. If we're in range of it, we'll end up getting torn by the resulting fight-" Richard argued.

"Soryu at twelve o'clock! It's using a breath attack! Prepare for impact!" The comms officer exclaimed with horror through the comms.

Richard turned to the specified direction, as he saw that there was indeed another breath attack coming, as it was coming too fast to properly form a defence.

"Class Zero, cease fire and BRACE!" Richard roared the order, before the cadets rushed to him, as he created a barrier around him to soften the resulting impact.

Chen noticed her enemy fly away, as she was about to pursue, before she found herself right in the beam's path.

"Oh, you've got to be fucking-" Chen swore, before the beam passed through her.

As the ice beam died down, Richard lowered the barrier, as their entire airship was frozen, with most of the on-board crew frozen as well. He looked around, and only found a few unaffected crew-members, and Class Zero, who he protected. Around them was ice thick enough to be proper ground.

"...It seems that our role in the air-to-air combat ends here." Richard responded back, before he then looked around for Chen. "Wait, where's Diamond? I didn't see if she-"

"Get me out! Get me out of this ice!" Chen shouted, as she was frozen entirely, save for her head, as she tried to wriggle her body out of the ice encasing her.

Class Zero immediately rushed over, as Ace launched a focused Firaga Spell to melt the ice from Chen's body, as she fell forwards on the ice ground face-first. She then slowly rose up, shivering and sniffling from the extreme cold.

"Wow, you really are a tough one. I thought that you were going to become a popsicle." Nine remarked with genuine surprise.

"F-F-Fuck off!" Chen shivered, before Richard used some fire magic to warm her up some more. "I like to see if you could handle a faceful of ice-breath from that l'Cie, Nine!"

"Calm down, Diamond. We need to try and stay calm at this moment." Ace told Chen. "We should continue on until we have our next-"

"Class Zero and Cardinal Suits, we need you to engage in hand-to-hand combat on top of the frozen clouds." Tachinami stated through the comms.

"We've encountered Concordian troops! Be careful, they're using monsters!" A comms officer reported through the comms.

"Surely a few monsters won't be too dangerous for us, right?" Richard asked the Class Zero cadets, as they nodded firmly back. "Just as I thought, let's move."

The group fought through the first few waves of monsters, being Flans and Bombs, before they fought the four-legged bulky caprine Demonicorns.

"Class Fourth here. Currently engaging the enemy. We're unable to find our rescue targets!" A female voice commented through the comms.

"A battle has broken out on the frozen clouds. All units rally together." A comms officer ordered through the comms.

The group continued, before they found themselves attacked by a aerial dragon, as it swooped to attack the group, before Richard pinned it down with pillars of earth, before Cinque landed a crippling finishing blow to its head to put it quickly out of its misery.

"Move, we have no time to waste, if we want to save the rest of our armada!" Ace declared.

"Send the Valor Brigade!" A dracoknight declared, being a soldier clad in full armour and wielding halberds, as they dashed through the field, joined by more of his kind. "Divide the Dominion forces! Do not let them join up!"

"Dracoknights! We need to limit their mobility if we are to properly fight them…" Queen remarked.

"Or just be damn faster than them!" Chen interrupted, as she beheaded one of the dracoknights herself. "Come on, just because they're fast, doesn't mean that they're agile enough to whirl around you people! Just predict their movements, and retaliate!"

Class Zero followed Chen's strategy, as they used feint attacks to bait the draco knights into certain angles of attack, which ended up getting them hit with heavy attacks which slowly became their demise, as Queen impaled a jumping draco-knight with her rapier, barely dodging the halberd swing above her head by ducking, as blood dripped down her blade.

The group then continued on, as they found themselves facing a diepvern.

"Continue your advance! I'll keep that dragon busy!" Richard shouted back, before he used a pulse of wind to blast the diepvern back, and give the Class Zero cadets room to get through the area.

Ace and Queen looked back at Richard, as the diepvern smashed its hooves onto the ice, creating pillars of fire that shot towards him, as he evaded it deftly, before the cadets continued, finding that there was a pair of cadets being attacked by a wyvern and some draco-knights.

"Damnit! Why you… I'm going to kill you!" The male of the pair declared, as he tried to use his blade to fight the draco-knights, although he was taking hits while the draco-knights evaded his, as his partner cowered behind, trying to charge a spell to attack, although her attempts were shaky.

Seven immediately drew her whip-blade out, as she jumped into the air, and wrapped it around the neck of the unsuspecting wyvern, and then pulling it back with a flick, as the serrated blades tore the creature's throat open, as it shrieked in agony, before falling dead. The draco-knights were taken out with a series of quick headshots from Trey's bow.

The male cadet collapsed, before Queen rushed over with a Cura spell, healing most of his injuries, before she then looked around, helping the unconscious and injured cadets that arrived in the area.

Ace then noticed that Richard had returned, as he was still fairly unscathed from the fight, before Richard then looked around, noting the scarcity of cadets rallying here with a grim expression.

"This is Class Third. They got us! It was a Five-Star Dragon. Even we cadets didn't stand a chance." A female voice was heard through the comms, before it was cut short by the sound of the dragon's roar, and then a short scream that was cut off suddenly.

"What the hell is going on…" Nine growled.

"We can't do much here. We should look for other survivors." Richard answered back, before he noticed that there was a small passage leading out towards another section of the icy battlefield. "Come."

The group fought their way through the frozen battleground, facing more Dracoknights and various native monsters, before they reached a large open area.

"The 21st Platoon has been wiped out, along with the 42nd Platoon. Retreating now!" A comms officer declared.

"We're losing troops at an alarming rate… At this point, the front is likely to collapse." Seven noted.

"Right then, that just means we need to get through faster-" Chen remarked, before she heard a roar that she recognised. "Oh, hell, we got a Behemoth here!"

The aforementioned Behemoth revealed itself, as the group dispersed to avoid its charge. Focusing their efforts as one, the cadets crippled the monster, as Ace sliced into one of the hind-legs with his cards in a spinning ring-like formation orbiting him, while Queen applied several rapid Blizzaga spells onto the other hind leg. Seven tore out both of its eyes with a single swing of her blade, and Nine impaled its foreleg with a mighty thrust of his spear. Cinque, not wanting to fall behind, immediately charged up her attack with the mace, before unleashing a powerful swing that powderised the bone and crushed the flesh of the Behemoth's remaining good leg. This caused the Behemoth to thrash in agony, rooted to the spot, before Ace fired off a powerful Firaga spell that fried its brain from the explosion.

After watching the cadets take care of the Behemoth so easily, Richard let out a impressed whistle, while Chen clapped in approval.

"Jeez, look at you all now. When we started, you guys had trouble handing a Behemoth, but with coordination and practice, you finished this fight so easily." Chen chuckled in good-will.

"Well, you're the one who taught us to fight, you crazy girl." Nine chuckled back with a genuine smile.

The group then advanced, as they found one of the downed airships, as Richard examined the area, sensing for any magical signatures to indicate survivors, before he found a few, albeit weak ones.

"Up there! To the deck!" Richard shouted, as he took flight, before noticing that there was a weakened cadet trying to run from a large dragon and its rider.

Richard noticed that the dragon was about to fire the finishing blow on the cadet, as Richard thought fast, and fired a large ice shard that took the brunt of the blow, as the cadet was surprised that he wasn't dead, while the rider and the dragon was less than pleased.

"The black-haired avatar of ruin…" The rider growled. "I'll deal with you later!"

The cadets finished climbed up to the deck, just as the dragon left with its rider, while Richard pursued after him in the air, but not before gesturing for the cadets to quickly follow, which they did while taking care of the enemies ahead of them for the incapacitated cadet's safety.

"Get back to the rallying point. You'll get your help there. We need to take care of the others." Ace told the cadet, who complied and ran off.

When the cadets reached where the dragon-rider and Richard was, the two were clashing against each other, while the stranded survivors avoided getting close to the confrontation.

Without input from Richard, the group took out the surrounding monsters that were threatening the cadets and securing a path of safe return for them. Richard then noticed the safety of the survivors, before he then fired a burst of magma that seared the large dragon, causing the rider to force it to move to another location.

Wherever the dragon-rider flew, Richard was right on his tail, intercepting him before he could hurt the separated survivors, while the cadets and Chen did the job of evacuating the survivors to the rallying point. After a while, when all survivors were confirmed safe, the dragon-rider and his own mount was at the verge of death, while Richard was still after him, still powered up with the intent to finish him.

"Damnit, how are you able to push me back time and time again…!?" The rider shouted with frustration.

"Because I will not let more die on this front." Richard responded back, before tracing a magic circle, powering his next spell up. "I'll give you a choice, leave this area and give up on your mission to hunt the survivors down, or perish here. I do not enjoy the slaughter that comes with war, but if you would hunt down those who cannot fight anymore, then I will not spare you any longer."

"Never!" The rider shouted, before his dragon charged up its breath, launching a massive fire-ball at Richard.

Richard merely closed his eyes, shifting the magic circle to one hand, and wielding Desidero in the other, before he then rushed forth, cutting the fire-ball in two with a swift cut, as the bisected pieces exploded behind him, before he then created a massive earth spike from the magic-circle, which impaled the dragon in the cranial region, killing it. As the rider was panicking, he shifted course and claimed the head of the rider with a single flick of his main hand.

"It's done… A formidable man…" Richard answered back, as he slowly floated down, landing on a knee. "It took me a fair share of my magic to beat him. If his mission was to distract me from the other fronts of this battle, then I consider his objective well-achieved."

Richard then slowly rose up, after taking a moment to recover his stamina and magic, before they then proceeded through the area, before hearing a series of human-like cries that sent chills down their spines.

"What… What was that?" Cinque asked.

"Nothing good, I suppose." Chen responded back, before they moved closer to the source of the cries, before it was accompanied by the sounds of flesh being chewed, which made the chills even stronger.

Soon, they found that there were human-like creatures, who looked more zombie-like than actual humans, with tainted blue skins, distorted faces and little hair on their heads. And what disturbed the majority of them, was the fact that they were consuming a dying dragon, which was whimpering and wailing the entire time it was alive, as blue blood pooled under it.

"By the crystals… what is this atrocity…!?" Queen exclaimed in a rare bout of horror.

"They're… consuming the dragon…?" Ace remarked.

"Oh my god, this is…" Cinque gasped in horror.

"This is really messed up…" Nine added.

"A creature of power dying like this… it is truly a tragedy." Trey said.

"What are these creatures…?" Seven stated.

Before their questions could be answered, they suddenly felt pairs of arms burst through the ice beneath then, and drag them down through the hole, all while hearing the creatures cackle in a deep tone.

Richard immediately reacted by disintegrating the creatures with a burst of well-aimed fire, before they toppled on the ground. One by one, they rose up, as they found themselves in a large ship, which looked more like an underground structure with rock-like walls and stony paths.

"Where… is this?" Ace asked.

"Now's not the damn time to be curious!" Chen complained. "We're getting out of this hell-hole ASAP-"

"Feed me…" They heard a deep voice stated, as they turned to the source, as it came from one of the zombie-like creatures before.

"Did… Did it just talk…?" Cinque remarked back. "And it sounded so human as well…"

Richard remained silent, before Ace ended its misery by cutting its head from its body. They descended down the entire area, all while listening to the bone-chilling sounds of dragon flesh being consumed and the creatures' laughter and eerie statements, and seeing the bones of countless dragons who were consumed by the horrific creatures.

"Please, no more…" Another groaned in the distance. "Feed… me…"

"Spade… do you have any idea what this is…? You look so pale when seeing this…" Ace asked Richard, who was indeed a shade of pale.

"...I don't know,and truthfully, I don't intend to." Richard answered back with a stiff tone.

They soon reached the bottom deck, where they found an exit to the ship. However, when they stepped towards the middle where the ship core was, the entire structure collapse, as they were surrounded by the creatures who jumped from above.

"Argh… we don't have time for this!" Richard growled, before he then stomped the ground, creating a stair of earth pillars for the cadets to escape from. "Move, now!"

The cadets quickly complied, before Richard fired a delayed magic mine right beside the already unstable ship core. As soon as he was sure that they were out of the expected explosion's reach, he activated the mine, as it created a chain explosion that destroyed a large portion of the sunken ship and with it, the creatures within.

"Jeez, it's safe to say that we're all going to have nightmares about this… Shit…" Nine remarked.

"We've encountered an enormous dragon! Is it… eating?" The voice of the cadet that Richard saved personally before said. "WAAAAHHHHH!"

"That doesn't sound good. We gotta move!" Ace exclaimed.

As they advanced, they noticed that the entire rallying point was desolate, save for the same Five-Star Dragon that the group were engaging before, as it rained attacks on the opposing air-ship.

"That… was supposed to be our exfil, right…?" Chen remarked, as she received silence for her answer. "...Crap."

"Alright, here's a new plan: RUN!" Queen shouted, as the group quickly rushed through the entire area, as they avoided engagement with the enemies pursuing them, although some of them left behind magic traps to slow their pursuers.

Eventually, they found that there was a large airship waiting at the end of the passage.

"The airship! Everyone, come on!" Cinque exclaimed.

As they moved towards the airship, they heard a distressing announcement from the airship crew itself. "Our footing won't last. We're taking off!"

"Wait!" Trey shouted, to no avail, as the air-ship left before they could arrive. "Just great… We might have to hold the point."

"We don't have any other choices." Seven agreed, pointing at the massive amount of pursuing enemies approaching.

"Don't let your morale falter! We can survive long enough for the airship to make another pass. They must have seen us!" Richard shouted back, before he hit the enemy group with a magical barrage.

Class Zero, Richard and Chen fought ferociously against the enemy assault, constantly supporting each other, as they slew enemies by the dozen, no matter if they were Dracoknights, the dragons, various monsters, and even the same zombified creatures they found in the ship before.

"That's all of them." Queen remarked. "Now we should be able to-"

Before Queen could finish, the Five-Star Dragon appeared before them, floating before them.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…!" Chen cursed.

"As per the code of war, I will use my full power against you. Behold the Guardian Dragon, Akatoki!" Celestia's amplified voice rang from the dragon's maw.

"Well, we drew the short straw. Never thought it would be us against Celestia, except she really intends to kill us." Richard dryly chuckled.

"Wait, that's the woman who tried to stop us at Ingram, right? I thought we were-" Nine argued, before the entire group were blown away by a massive cyclone created by the flapping of the wings and Celestia's roar.

As soon as the winds died down, they found themselves on a circular platform of ice, with no escape path to be seen in the murky darkness around them, with the only light being from the fires of burning wrecks and the occasional flash of lightning storms in the distance.

"Where even are we?" Cinque asked.

"A place where there's no escape." Seven answered back. "We cannot run from her here. Our only option is to fight."

"As much as it pains me to say it… Try to fend her off." Richard responded back. "Even a single attack will annihilate you, so don't let her aim for you."

Soon, they saw the red glowing eyes of Celestia, who took refuge in the darkness. Richard immediately cast a barrier spell to protect the ambushed cadets from a barrage of fire-balls although the spell was shattered by the end of the attack.

"Damnit...!" Richard answered back. "This is a different level compared to Militesi's l'Cie… Of course it would be, to sacrifice form to gain the power of the divine dragon combined with l'Cie potency… It seems that I'll have to employ a change of plans."

Richard immediately charged up his magic, while the rest of the cadets tried to evade Celestia's attacks, only for them to be taken down one by one, as the attacks blasted them instantly into unconsciousness, until Chen was the only one still standing, and she was already beginning to slip in her evasion.

"Goddamnit, Spade, you better have an idea for fighting this one! I don't have enough power to actually utilise any spell-card powerful enough to stick it to her!" Chen shouted, as she jumped over Celestia's tail-swipe.

"Only one…" Richard answered back, before he used the accumulated magic to create an island of floating earth large enough for the cadets to safely lay on. "Get out of here, the only chance I can beat Celestia while she is Shinryu, is to use another of these Eidolons."

"Wait, are you fucking crazy? You just used Aya! You summoned one fine, but who knows what happens if you push yourself to summon two, especially when you're in damn peril!" Chen compalined.

"We DON'T have a choice!" Richard shouted back. "Diamond, I order you to see to it that the Class Zero cadets safely make it out of this! That's a damn serious order!"

"You… Ah, goddamnit, I hate it when you seem like you know what you are doing, even when it's going to hurt you…" Chen grumbled, before she then collected the bodies of the cadets and hefted them onto the island, before boarding it herself. "...You better not mess this up. You're not sacrificing yourself just because of something like this."

Richard's only response was a nod, before he swung the island at a fast speed, that it pierced through the surrounding darkness, while Chen watched as the island sailed through the sky, before it was found by the same airship, which quickly collected Chen and the Class Zero cadets.

"You would stay behind to face me alone…" Celestia remarked, as she halted attacking for the time being. "I would say that you would be foolish to assume that even if you can beat a l'Cie, you cannot fare against me in direct combat. To be a l'Cie, and be one with the powers of Akatoki… these are two different standards of power, are you aware?"

"I'm well aware. But I will not die here today against you." Richard stated with conviction. "No matter what your strength is, I have a measure to ensure that this fight will end with your retreat."

"Oh? Then your conviction, prove it to me." Celestia stated, as she immediately continued her attack on Richard, who dodged and defended against the attacks, while he made a connection to Arecia.

"Doctor, Doctor, you can hear me, right?" Richard asked through the comms.

"Richard… I assume that this connection is private, if only I receive this message?" Arecia asked back.

"...I'm facing Shinryu Celestia… She is a foe too formidable for me, even with the freedom the Exitium Protocol gives me with my powers." Richard answered back. "My only option to win against her, is to use an extremely destructive method, to use an Eidolon that the Exitium Protocol would entirely forbid against."

"Is that so… Then tell me who it is that you would summon?" Arecia asked back.

"...Utsuho Reiuji, also known as the inheritor of Yatagarasu, the Solar Crow God." Richard responded back. "To use her would be akin to you using Bahamut-ZERO to handle this same fight, should all of us fall. I do not wish for you to use Bahamut-ZERO, because you must conserve your trump card for when it is needed, and when it will be most effective. And Utsuho will not only defeat Shinryu Celestia, but also destroy the Concordian fleet in its entirety. But you are well aware of the consequences of using such a power."

"You do not fear the fact that you cannot control the Eidolon: You fear the fact that her power might be as destructive as unleashing an Ultima Bomb in this battlefield, if not worse." Arecia responded back, before a moment of silence followed. "If you believe that this is the price to handle the foe before you, then I cannot convince you otherwise. Only be aware that your actions will always have consequences."

"I see. Then my choice is made." Richard answered back, before he then swapped to communicate with the nearby Rubrum forces. "To all nearby airships and deployed battalions! This is Spade of the Cardinal Suits! Due to the circumstance that the five-star Dragon has caused major casualties among Class Zero, I am in the process of unleashing a destructive Eidolon on it! To those who are within my last known location, evacuate immediately. The resulting destruction will be indiscriminate, and there is a very slim chance that you'll survive even at the outer reaches of the Eidolon's attack range. I repeat, all units nearby, evacuate the area until the clear signal is stated!"

After he made his statement, Richard then turned back to Celestia, before pulling out the X-Stone. "Alright, Claes Celestia Misca Sancest… In respect of your words earlier, I will hold nothing back as well. Remember that we vowed that the next time we meet, we will fight with the intent to kill… I might not be in a state to fight you as I am, but my Eidolon, she will handle the rest." He stated with a determined tone.

Celestia heard the declaration, as it made her attack Richard faster, with desperation shown in her actions, as she could tell that an Eidolon summoned by Richard alone would be no mere creature. Richard weathered the attack, while focusing his energy to make the summon, as his personal barrier was beginning to give way.

After a while, Richard noticed the summoning sigil's completion, just before he was hit directly by a powerful barrage of fire-balls from Celestia, sending him flying across the ice, stopping dangerously close to the edge, and looking half-dead from the attack burning his flesh and damaging his internals from the force of the attack, as he coughed some blood up, although a triumphant smile appeared on his face.

"Too… late… She's… coming…" Richard wheezed, before he then fainted immediately.

Soon, out of the portal, a pair of majestic black raven wings appeared from it, before the body they were attached to revealed itself, as it was a young girl with white futuristic armour around her chest and sides, exposing her bare stomach, and she had a large green skirt that was layered with armour plates, while one leg had a rocket-propelled boot on it, while the other was encased in a case of corium, like the Elephant's Foot. She had long flowing black hair, and her eyes were closed, and she had a large cape behind her, which had the interior looking like cosmic space itself, and in front of her chest, there were a darkened red crystal eye on it, and one of her arms had a orange control rod attached to it.

Celestia watched as the girl righted herself mid-air, before her eyes opened, revealing that they were a shining gold, and an arrogant smirk appeared on her face.

"Your… Eidolon, is this?" Celestia asked.

"Eidolon? So this is what my kind would be called in this land." The girl spoke with a heavily dominaning tone, which reverberated with power. "I have felt myself drawn here, along with my vessel, with my mind in dominance. How amusing."

She then turned an eye down to where Richard is, as her smirk merely widened. "So he has summoned me, uncaring about his own situation. Such folly, but what can I expect from the likes of him, who has done this reckless act many times over?" She continued.

"From whence have you come?" Celestia asked back.

"I have no obligation to answer the question of those I hunt and destroy." The girl answered back without any warmness in her voice, and a frown. "But since you are the first one in a long time, out of Gensokyo, which will answer your question, that actually has the potential to fight back, and give me a decent challenge I yearned for… I will tell you who I am, as you will carry that name when you perish into oblivion. My name is Yatagarasu, god of the sun. A mere lizard like you… cannot even hope to expect victory here. You are powerful by the standards of mortals, yes… But do you believe yourself equal to a god in flesh?"

Celestia remained silent, as Yatagarasu let out a bitter laugh.

"So you fear me too much to answer, so it seems. Or perhaps you believe that I'm bluffing." Yatagarasu remarked, before she then pointed her control rod to the side. "Then as an act of undeserving benevolence on you, allow me to educate you on your foolishness."

She then charged energy into the energy rod, as the energy build-up could be seen, before she fired a orange orb into the dark area, before it then exploded into a miniature sun that lit up the entire darkness, banishing it, as they found themselves in the stormy skies once again, except the storm is disappearing, with the first rays of sunlight appearing, as Celestia was shocked at what happened, which only made Yatagarasu sneer at her.

"Like all mortals, you find yourself fascinated by my power. After all, I am the sun that you can only envy, because you'll never stand above me, or even beside me." Yatagarasu arrogantly stated. "Such is expected from a lap-dog with a narrow view of greater things. A potent lap-dog, but in the end, still one."

"And you would proclaim that you are any better?" Celestia answered back. "You are a beast of destruction, a rabid beast only tamed by the leash of your summoner. He is unconscious, so you are no more than an uncontrollable beast to be slain."

"So you would mock me then. If it is between being a stray beast, or a lap-dog, I would remain stray. Because I will retain my freedom to live as I please, without being controlled by those who believe themselves above me. My power is exactly why I am feared, and I approve of it. I only require reverence, fear or respect. If a person cannot provide either, then I will force that decision upon them." Yatagarasu scoffed, before she then pointed the control rod at Celestia. "But I wasted enough time debating such pointless topics. Why would I care about your motives and ideals, when you are my enemy? There is nothing more to be said. Become ash in the wind, and scatter to the four corners of this world."

Yatagarasu then raised a finger, as a sphere of light appeared from the tip of her finger, before it then fired a circular spread of burning yellow orb-like danmaku that turned into straight streams that attacked Celestia from all angles, as the dragon tried to shoot down the streams with her fireballs, only for the attack to be unrelenting, as her entire body was being seared by the powerful attack.

"Oho? So this attack makes disadvantage from your own size. How pathetic. I am not entertained by your measly attempt. Perhaps it would be more suited if I destroy you with a proper attack." Yatagarasu stated, before she then procured a spell-card in her hand. "Declare Spell Card! Atomic Fire 'Uncontrollable Nuclear Reaction'!"

Yatagarasu then fired a random stream of blue danmaku bullets that sprayed everywhere, while firing large red house-sized energy suns around her. Celestia noted that she wasn't going to win by fighting Yatagarasu head-on, as she focused on weaving around the attacks, before attacking Yatagarsu through the gaps in her attack formations, as it helped to dispel the spell-card, irking Yatagarasu. Noticing the vulnerability, Celestia sped up, as she rammed into Yatagarasu, sending her flying across the skies, before she then righted herself.

"Interesting, interesting." Yatagarasu smirked, before she then spread her wings out. "I'll make sure that you'll pay for that attack.

She then immediately streaked across the battlefield, as she left behind trails of danmaku wherever she went, as the lines limited Celestia's movements, causing her to be hit by more of the danmaku, even when she tried to clear them with claw and tail swipes.

"Oho, where was that defiance you showed me earlier? Was that speed of yours a mere burst you used to try and break my previous Spell-Card? Then your efforts are hopeless. I have plenty more spell-cards to use." Yatagarasu stated, before she then drew another spell-card. "Declare Spell Card! Blazing Star 'Ten Evil Stars'!"

Yatagarasu tackled Celestia hard enough for the l'Cie to be pushed back, before she then fired off a pair of rings made out of five large miniature suns, as the inner ring spun anti-clockwise, and the outer ring clockwise, creating a revolving formation, completed by the ring-like waves of pink danmaku spheres. Celestia quickly noticed the flaw in the spell-card, as she kept pace with the large miniature suns in the inner circle, while tanking most of the pink danmaku, firing fireballs rapidly, which knocked her out of her spell-card.

"...I'll give you credit, dragon. You have managed to survive two spell-cards in such a state. Not many can boast the same claim that you can. However…" Yatagarasu remarked, before she raised her control rod with a darkened expression. "I tire of watching you dance around me. I promised that you would perish into ashes, so I will make true that promise right now, along with the rest of your measly fleet."

Celestia noticed the danger in Yatagarasu's words, as she noticed that her allied fleet was straying too close to the fighting, as if believing that they would help Celestia defeat the Yatagarasu, unaware what the flying goddess was planning, with a cruel smirk on her lips.

"As I said before… all of you will become ashes… and scatter to the four corners of this world." Yatagarasu stated, as massive amounts of energy built up in her control rod arm. "Declare Spell Card! Explosion Sign 'Peta-Flare'."

She then fired a multitude of red spheres into the fleet, so small that the ships could easily dodge them with the slightest shift of their course, much less the mobile dragons. However, Celestia easily detected the immense concentration of magic power in each and every one, as she found herself surrounded by ten of them in an inter-locked formation, as if Yatagarasu intended to obliterate her.

With a single snap from Yatagarasu's fingers, each and every sphere of magic exploded with the force of a miniature nuclear bomb, as the entire sky was vapourized clean of any Concordian dragons, while Celestia screamed as the explosion seared every single inch of flesh in Celestia's body, as she began to plummet from the pain, disappearing under the sea of clouds.

"Feh, it didn't perish like the rest. No matter. I doubt that it would live long after being torn like this." Yatagarasu growled, before she then turned her eyes to Richard. "As for you…"

She then slowly,flew down, before standing over Richard's unconscious form.

"Oh, how vulnerable you are, out cold in the open where any creature could snap you in your jaws and crunch you into bloody mush." Yatagarasu spoke with a sickeningly sweet tone, before the tone disappeared quickly as it came. "I thought that the one who managed to bring me and Utsuho to a mutual understanding would never be seen in such a pathetic state. But I suppose that I too have a bleeding heart for the faithful. You will live through today, Richard Liu, and you will soar to greater heights. After all, that is what Utsuho Reiuji wishes, and I cannot defy that will. For now, rest, rest until you awaken and continue your role in this world. I will allow that chick to savour being your saviour."

Yatagarasu scooped Richard up in her arms, before she then closed her eyes, and opened them, as they are brown, while the large crystal eye on her chest lit back up again. As if she was a different person, she looked around, unaware of the body in her arms.

"Where am I? I remember being with Satori-sama, before I-" The vessel of Yatagarasu spoke, before she then looked down and saw Richard unconscious in her arms, which shocked her. "Eep! Richard's… in my arms…?"

The vessel looked like she was about to break down emotionally, as her cheeks blushed red, and she was muttering 'hawawawa' under her breath, before she then took a deep breath and adopted a determined expression.

"I have to find Richard's allies…" The vessel spoke, before she then looked around, seeing the carnage she created, as she winced slightly, before she then saw the air-ship that Chen and Class Zero was on. "Oh, at least someone I know is here, is Chen going to ensure Richard is alright?"

She then immediately took flight, as she ran into sight of the Rubrum air-ships, who noticed her, although they didn't do anything, thanks to Richard's earlier warning, as well as the fact that she was carrying Richard in her arms. After a while, she managed to reach the air-ship, as the crew rushed to meet her.

"Utsuho?" Chen remarked. "Spade brought you here of all people? I suppose that he wasn't kidding about bringing someone destructive. Is he…"

"He's only knocked out and slightly injured." Utsuho answered back. "Er… will I be staying here, because this place kind of makes me slightly uncomfortable, being outside Gensokyo…"

"No, you'll be back in Gensokyo soon." Chen shook her head. "You are just here to save Spade's ass and take care of that dragon fleet. Well, actually, it's Yatagarasu who did the heavy-lifting for you."

"Oh… Well, I'm glad that I've at least helped him.." Utsuho stated, before she then laid Richard on the deck softly, as she began to fade away. "When he wakes up, could you please tell him that I'm happy that he relied on me for this?"

"Heh heh, a done deal." Chen chuckled, before Utsuho disappeared in a flurry of yellow sparks.

After a while, with Queen giving Richard several chained Cura spells to heal his injuries, Richard slowly stirred awake, clutching his head. "Ungh… I suppose that Utsuho did her job successfully?" He asked the group around him.

"That's an understatement, considering the destruction done on the Concordian forces. They've already sounded retreat, and while your Eidolon fought Celestia, Lord Zhuyu pushed back Soryu." Seven explained.

"I must say I'm intrigued by your taste of Eidolons, Spade." Trey remarked. "All of them are girls as young as us, if not younger, and yet they possess powers that put the standard-issue ones to shame."

"Well, it takes a wild card to beat one's trump card sometimes." Richard explained, getting on his feet. "Will we be returning to Akademia due to our early decisive victory? And any news on the other front?"

"None, sir." Queen shook her head.

"But considering that Club and Heart are there, considering how powerful they are in their respective fields… And with Lady Caetuna there, victory on that front is definitely assured." Ace guessed.

"Perhaps…" Richard muttered, looking out to the clear skies. "Perhaps…"