Unmei Force Solitary Legends: Young Spirits
Chapter 6: Clash at Big Bridge
Near Big Bridge in the Meroe Region, inside the Dominion Staging Point...
Gunter quickly did final checks with the Class Zero members on his side,as Flora was already busy healing the casualties that were being ferried towards the staging point to the best of her abilities, as she was relieved that her abilities were of best use here.
"All assigned units, head to your designated locations, when ready." A female comms officer declared through the comms.
"Medic!" A nearby dominion legionary shouted.
"Move! Let the critically injured be passed to Heart! All others, have the medics treat and stabilise them!" Another legionary called out, as they brought another wounded legionary for Heart to heal.
"We've lost contact with 03 Batallion. No units have reached the bridge as of yet." A legionary reported through comms.
"Let's move. We need to prepare for the attack." Eight told the others in the group.
"Class Zero, I have a request for you…" Flora said to the Class Zero members present, and Gunter. "I must remain here, in order to ensure that there are as little casualties possible. In this kind of battle, I cannot provide much."
"No problem, Heart. We'll win this fight for you!" Deuce stated cheerfully.
"Thank you, Deuce. Let us hope that this victory will not come too costly for either side." Heart remarked, as she returned to her healing duties.
The rest soon met up with Kurasame, who was waiting for them.
"Good, you're here. According to intel, the empire is likely deploying another jammer-equipped MA. Stay alert." Kurasame told the group. "Once the jammer is activated, you will become our only functional unit. In what state our forces will be, depends on how quickly you remove that jammer. As such… Rem Tokimiya, you must remain in protection of Class Zero, as you cannot draw magic unlike the rest of Class Zero."
"I understand." Rem responded back.
"Everyone in the dominion is depending on you, so don't even think about dying out there." Kurasame stated, before leaving to prepare for his own orders from the Dominion army.
Gunter gestured for Class Zero to form a circle around Rem, as they marched forward, towards the frontlines, as they saw that the front Dominion vanguard was already preparing to set off.
"Eidolon released." A female voice rang through the comms, as a Bahamut Eidolon flew ahead of them. "Bahamut joining battle."
"This is 03 Composite Company. We're fighting a defensive battle with Wall. We can't move forward!" Another female legionary reported through the comms, before Gunter saw the green glow of the jammer activating, as it washed over the group, causing Rem to wince from the sudden loss of magic, while he saw that the Dominion forces were weakening from the lack of magic. "Enemy jammer activated! Air defense for 2, 3, 4 and 9 incapacitated!"
"Now our mission truly starts." King remarked. "Let us continue."
They moved further through the allied lines, before they noticed a mass-produced version of the same MA that Qator fought them with, was marching towards them, before taking flight, and aiming its vulcan at the group.
"This is the aerial model that caused the Dominion forces grief…" Gunter remarked. "It's agile, but well-aimed attacks can hamper its mobility. Ranged units, aim to disable the machine's thrusters. The rest of you, cast magic or prepare to strike when the enemy is downed."
The Class Zero members did what Gunter ordered, as Cater used her magicite-pistol to charge and fire several blasts at the MA's wings, while King used his revolvers to damage the thrusters, both of them weaving through the missiles and vulcan-fire aimed at them and the group, as the members of Class Zero, save for Rem, used Thunder spells to weaken the machine, which downed it, as it was destroyed by a joint strike between Jack, Rem, Eight, Sice and Gunterr, which was more than enough to scrap the MA.
"The enemy is pushing the assault. Several companies are taking heavy casualties already." King stated, listening into the frantic state of the Dominion comms. "We got enemies inbound, large-size MAs heading for the second defence line."
"So all we have to do is push them back, right?" Cater remarked. "We surely can do this!"
The group advanced to the first defence line, as they saw the distant sight of Colossus MAs marching forward into the defence line, as the group moved to intercept the MAs quickly.
"If this place falls, it's all over! We have to hold out until help arrives!" One of the positioned legionnaires called out.
"Then it's good news that we're all that's needed." Sice remarked, as the group engaged the Colossus, pairing up with another of their rank to double team each Colossus and efficiently dismantle them, before any of the summoned Bahamuts could move into position to provide firing support.
"Woah…" One of the garrisoned legionnaires remarked at the group's feats.
"Class Zero and Cardinal Suits, slip through the front line and destroy the MA with the jammer. I'm sorry, but-" The female comms officer informed the group.
"There is no need for apology. We are already planning on destroying the enemy jammer." Gunter responded back.
The group continued through the war-torn battlefield, liberating an encampment for the Rubrum Dominion, before they reached the East Bank, as Deuce's expression dimmed hearing the situation on the comms.
"01 and 08 are at the bridge, and 04 has been effectively annihilated.." Deuce remarked. "How many of our people have to die because of the jammer…?"
"Yeah, not a time to joke around." Jack winced. "Come on, we need to cut through all of these bastards."
The group pushed through the east bank, fighting off a Warrior MA squad, which they broke through easily, as they saw the famous Big Bridge before them, as sections of the bridge were being cranked up to impede their path, although it slowed them at a minimal rate with their agility, as the defending Imperial troops fall by the dozen, before slaying the enemy Capitan defending the bridge.
"We managed to take Big Bridge. Let's get moving to take out the jammer-" Eight remarked.
"Wait, Enemy reinforcements are coming from behind. You'll be caught in a cross-fire!" The female comms officer warned them through their comms.
Gunter turned around, seeing that there was a large number of MAs heading from the other side of the long bridge, as he growled.
"Class Zero, I order you to continue on." Gunter remarked, as he brandished his spear for battle. "Destroy the jammer."
"Wait, you seriously are going to take them all- Wait, what am I saying, of course you can handle them. Just… don't get hurt, teach." Jack remarked. "You heard Club, let's get moving!"
Gunter turned to see Class Zero continuing on, before he then turned back to the other side of the bridge, as he let out a war-cry and charged forward, as he leapt up and disabled a Colossus right through the cock-pit with his spear.
"There's only one of them! What are you doing!? Retake the bridge!" The commander of the assault force cried out, as the Imperial forces closed on Gunter.
"As long as I breathe, you will not live to cross to the other side." Gunter declared with finality. "Your machines of metal, no matter how refined they are built, are no match for proper strength and experience."
Gunter went on a one-man rampage, as he downed Colossus MA after Colossus MA, unfazed by the minor wounds he was accumulating in the battle, which shook the assault force's morale at how they were facing a spear-wielding demon. Eventually, the commander, who was riding a mechanical flight suit, was slain by Gunter with a rising thrust.
Eventually, Gunter trudged through back across the bridge, slightly fatigued from the countless numbers he slain, as their corpses and wrecks were seen across the field. As he rested himself against the side of the bridge, he saw Class Zero come soon after he heard the sound of magic being reactivated, as the cadets were only superficially damaged.
"The jammer's down. Rem's got her magic back now." Sice remarked, before she then saw Gunter's condition, and the body count he racked up, and whistled in awe. "Well, looks like you cleaned house here."
"I merely did my duty. No more, no less." Gunter grunted, as Deuce and Rem used Cura spells on him to recover his energy and heal his wounds.
"Defend the bridge until Lady Caetuna finishes summoning!" The female comms officer informed the group through comms, as several Bahamuts flew overhead to intercept the Militesi forces.
"So it's started…" Eight remarked. "We need to ensure that the summoning succeeds."
Nearby the staging point…
"...That much?" One of the summoning cadets remarked to Kurasame, as the summoning group has been gathered to assist Lady Caetuna, who was watching the entire battle on top of a cliff.
"Yes. The Dominion has never seen a summoner superior to Lady Caetuna, although Spade holds a close second." Kurasame responded back.
"The time has come upon us." Caetuna remarked, as she turned to face her group. "Do you, above all else, swear fealty to the Vermillion Bird Crystal, and obey its will?"
"Absolutely." Kurasame answered for the group. "All defenders of the Vermillion Bird standing on this battlefield sworn that oath."
There was a long silence, before Lady Caetuna turned around, conviction etched on her expression. "Very well." Caetuna stated. "Then… let us proceed with reverence."
Caetuna then flicked her hand out with a burst of fire, as her l'Cie symbol flashed for a moment, as a golden flower appeared above her raised hand, as Kurasame turned to the group.
"Send your magic energy to Lady Caetuna!" Kurasame ordered, as the group obeyed quickly, as magic energy transferred between them into Lady Caetuna's flower.
"Freed of the wedge, the gears start to turn one by one by one…" Caetuna chanted solemnly, as the golden flower sprouted open, and her eyes turned red. "One by one by one…"
As Caetuna continued to chant, Flora watched the entire ritual, with both shock and worry, unable to stay behind.
Back on the battlefield…
Gunter used her spear to crush through another of the aerial MAs, as Deuce boosted her fellow cadets, with King head-shotting a Imperial Heavy Gunner that tried to mow down his group, while Cater casted a Wall spell to deflect most of the ordinance heading their way, as they slowly advanced towards the Militesi fortress ahead. Suddenly they noticed that htere was a large artillery cannon atop the fortress's wall.
"Is that the empire's giant turret?" One of the legionaries remarked through the comms.
"Whoa- that thing could seriously damage Central Command." Another legionary added through the comms.
Suddenly, Class Zero heard the sounds of the artillery turret powering up, as it caught King's attention.
"We can't let that weapon fire into our back-lines. It will devastate our commanding structure." King stated.
"Then we have to push through the enemies! Don't slow your advance!" Gunter shouted to the others.
The group quickly pushed through the areas, as they were receiving reports regarding how battalion after battalion was being wiped out by the Militesi assault, despite the restoration of magic, as they fought through an air-base filled with the aerial MAs, before pushing into where the cannon's reactor was.
"Move aside, damnit!" Sice shouted, as she used her scythe to cut through a line of Colossus MAs, which toppled onto each other, while Cater sniped the soldiers on top of the catwalks.
After a while, the commanding officer protecting the reactor appeared, as he tried to shoot down the group one by one, only for them to evade his shots easily, before he was ended with a katana through the chest by Jack.
"Not doing so hot now, are you?" Jack remarked, as he snatched the key-card from the dying Imperial officer's chest, and withdrew his katana with a wet sliding sound. He then walked over and deactivated the reactor for the turret, before then bisecting the entire control console to deny access to it. "There we go, one big towering turret down for the count."
"The operation will launch shortly. All units on the frontlines, clear danger zones at once!" The comms officer warned the group.
"You heard her, let's get out of here, now that our job's done!" Cater remarked, as the group beat a hasty retreat, although they noticed that there were only a few Dominion forces that were retreating before them. "Well, it looks like we're part of the survivors, which isn't that many."
"So many lives…" Deuce remarked. "Is this victory worth it?"
"We don't have a choice. Sacrifices have to be made to achieve victory to prevent any more of these bloody battles from happening." Gunter responded back. "I understand your sorrow, Deuce, but hold onto yourself just a little longer, the war will end soon, I assure you."
"Class Zero, Cardinal Suits, respond…" Kurasame's voice trailed, as his voice was staticky from the massive concentration of magical energy disrupting the communication signals. "Your souls had infinite possibilities, and now you'll all chose your path. Good work."
"Commander?" Deuce remarked.
"That's odd, he doesn't usually say this kind of stuff in the middle of a mission, think he's getting sentimental on us?" Sice suggested.
"...Move forward." Gunter remarked with a grim expression. "We cannot slow down here."
"Class Second has been annihilated. They reported an encounter with some entity and then their signal was lost." The female comms officer reported. "Currently, Class Zero and the Cardinal Suits are the only classes left operating on the battlefield. Come back safely. May the Crystal guide you."
"An entity wiped a class out…" Jack remarked. "Have a bad feeling about this."
"We;re also getting reports of the defence lines being wiped out. Not to mention that there's a mess at the bridge, all kinds of forces are getting smashed to pieces there. Looks like we're inevitably going to meet this 'entity' ourselves." Eight remarked.
They soon reached the bridge, as they found that the entire bridge was blocked by a makeshift blockade of smoking Imperial dropship and vehicle wrecks, and on top of them, was a bulky man clad in red oriental samurai armour, black boots and a black cape behind him,, as he looked around.
"What is this place? Who… am I? I don't know…" The man spoke. "I don't know… I DON'T KNOW! I can feel it… Pillage, plunder… Leave nothing in my wake!"
He then flicked his arms out, as his l'Cie symbol appeared, as a great-sword appeared out of it, while purple mythical lines of runes formed a barrier that surrounded the entire area.
"What the hell is this guy!?" Jack exclaimed. "He's a l'Cie and he's not one of the Imperial ones… then what the hell is that kind of person doing here, and at this time too!?"
Gunter looked down at the dark crystal Richard handed him, as he tightened his grip around it.
"...Class Zero, when I engage the enemy, you must flee across the bridge. You will not be able to fight against this kind of opponent." Gunter remarked, as he slowly hefted the crystal in front of him.
"We know, but there is no other way through here, other than passing through that blockade, and the barrier the enemy has erected around us." King answered back.
"I am aware…" Gunter remarked, as he crushed the crystal in his armoured hand, as it released a dark mist that permeated around Gunter, as his eyes turned purple. "...So let me carve you that path then."
He then thrust his spear forward, as the enemy l'Cie predicted the attack, and the force it possesses, side-stepping from it, as the attack went beyond the reach of the spear, and sent the entire metal blockade flying in pieces, and cracking the barrier hard enough to leave a temporary opening for Class Zero to pass through.
"GO!" Gunter roared, his voice distorting to be deeper than normal, as Class Zero wasted no time to pass through the barrier hole, as it resealed itself.
The enemy l'Cie faced Gunter, as they circled around each other, neither of them making their moves.
"...How long has it been… How long has it been since I had let that corroding power take hold of my soul…" Gunter remarked, the dark aura flaring around him. "Ever since Richard spared me that day… His friends sealed this dark power within me, so that I can never betray my queen again, betray my own nation… However, I know that there is a time when such power is needed again. L'Cie… I acknowledge your strength. As such, I cannot afford to hold anything back. This fight will end with the fall of either of us. I am not afraid to die this day, if it means that the lives of Rubrum are saved."
The enemy l'Cie merely scoffed, before both combatants stopped where they were, still for a moment, before he then let out a roar, and brought his great-sword over-head in an attempt to cleave Gunter in two. In response, the black knight swung his spear up, as the spear blocked the attack, and much to the surprise of his opponent, the spear didn't even take any visible damage from the attack itself, and the entire bridge was blasted with a strong shockwave from the clash of two immense powers.
The enemy l'Cie leapt back, as Gunter did so as well, before the l'Cie charged Gunter, and going for a spinning strike, as Gunter ducked under the attack, and tried to hit the armour of the l'Cie, only for his attack to be deflected against it. Gunter noticed his attack being ineffective, as he avoided a over-head blow from the l'Cie, which strained the metal ground of the bridge, and left a rising light effect from where he struck.
Gunter let himself flow into a defensive stance, as he parried the l'Cie's attacks when he could, and evaded the rest. Even with his boost in power, the l'Cie's strikes took great effort to deflect, and there was no end in sight for his blows. However, the l'Cie then let his guard drop down slightly, trying to rebalance himself after his flurry of blows. Gunter took the opportunity, as he struck him with a thrusting strike, which unbalanced the l'Cie, as his armour loosened slightly. As Gunter attacked his opponent while he was vulnerable, he noticed that his attacks were actually getting through the armour, before the l'Cie rebalanced himself.
The l'Cie tried to grab Gunter with a thrusting hand, only for Gunter to weave away from it, as he knocked him back with the pole-end of his weapon, putting some distance from him. The l'Cie went back to swinging his great-sword around, before he tried to grapple Gunter amidst his combo of strikes. However, Gunter noticed that the l'Cie was vulnerable just before his grab, as he ducked under the grab, and thrust onto his chest, which unbalanced the l'Cie and made him vulnerable again.
The two warriors traded blows back and forth, as Gunter was beginning to tire, thanks to the boost in power, and the amount of effort it took to defend against his adversary, before both sides broke off, with Gunter sporting a few wounds, and his aura diminishing, while the enemy l'Cie had had his armour damaged, as the back-shield on his armour cracked on several sides.
"That's about enough." The l'Cie declared. "You are a worthy foe…. Next."
The l'Cie then dispelled his barrier, as he walked away from the battlefield, while Gunter collapsed on one knee, as the dark aura faded, and his eyes turned back to normal as well.
"Urgh… day by day… this is what Richard has to face…" Gunter groaned slightly, as he used his spear to slowly get him standing again. "I suppose that I am lacking in training still, if I cannot fight a proper battle like this without exhausting myself in using this forbidden power to bolster myself… But I cannot rest here, I must return to my men…"
At the cliffside…
Kurasame was still passing along his own magical power, as was the rest of the summoning group, although it seemed like that they were even using their own Phantoma to supplement the deficiency, evident from the red mist emanating from their bodies, flowing towards Lady Caetuna and her summoning vessel, as some of them had collapsed onto the ground, forever dead from the vacant look in their eyes.
"Keep at it! Concentrate!" Kurasame barked his orders, his voice ragged from the loss of energy he was experiencing.
"Bearing the chains forged by my acts, buried beneath the formless howl…" Caetuna continued to chant, as the golden vessel glowed ever brighter with each word spoken.
Flora could only watch in horror, as more and more of the cadets and personnel were falling dead at the moment, before her eyes focused on Kurasame, who was straining to continue funneling his energy towards Lady Caetuna.
"Lady… Caetuna…" Kurasame wheezed, before he then collapsed down on the ground, although he didn't seem to be dead at the moment, as he slowly pushed himself back up.
'No… NO…!' Flora thought, as she rushed over towards Kurasame.
"Crystal… guide… the dominion-!" Kurasame was about to scream with the last of his energy, before Flora grabbed his hand, as she pushed her own energy to help supplement Kurasame's. "Heart… What are you… You are not…"
"No more… No more…!" Flora exclaimed with grief and determination in her voice, as her own energy flowed out, a calming green compared to the bloody red. "Kurasame… you cannot die here… Class Zero… they are just beginning to warm up to you…"
"You… sentimental… fool… You'll perish… as well…" Kurasame stated, as his words strained from what remained of his energy. "Alexander… it requires… more power… even you… cannot… supplement… that all…"
"I know… but I will use all of my power… to ensure as many survive this act of sacrifice…" Flora declared. "I know what loss feels like… so I won't let it happen."
Kurasame could only remain silent, as the phantoma of the recently deceased flowed into Caetuna's vessel, as the final steps were being completed.
"May I emerge… in the heavens, sounding the cry… of eternal torment." Caetuna finished her chant, as the energy coalesced into the golden vessel, as it then burst into a massive blast of light that blinded both Flora and Kurasame.
In the skies, enormous summoning sigils were being created, as Flora could see, when the light finally dissipated, before the ground below the sigils began to rumble, as from beneath the earth, a massive titan made out of the ruins of castles and their towers rose, with the summoning sigils connecting both lower and upper halves of the massive Eidolon together, with revolving gears present in every part of its body.
From within the middle section of the Eidolon, a massive sweeping laser was fired into the Militesi forces, as it split into many more, sweeping across the battlefield like an automated cleaning system, as everything in its path was turned into ash, even including the large Colossus MAs and the large fortress the army was guarding, as the entire field was left barren of anything but the bare earth itself.
Flora could only look in horror and awe at the destruction wrought, as it reminded her far too much of what Grunbeld had done to the Great Spirit Forest. She then turned towards the towering Eidolon, as it began to decay rapidly, its purpose fulfilled, turning into falling rock and debris, which crumbled quickly upon hitting the ground.
"This… is a Verboten Eidolon…" Flora remarked. "Truly, to say they are the taboo of the world itself… is no exaggeration."
Flora then looked around, as she saw that all but Kurasame had perished in the summoning already, and Lady Caetuna was eerily still. As for Kurasame, he was still knelt on the ground, barely conscious, from his almost-closed eyes.
Lady Caetuna then turned around to face Flora and Kurasame, as she saw the countless bodies strewn on the ground behind her, as blood leaked from eyes and mouth, which made Flora gasp in slight horror at Lady Caetuna's condition.
"I see… So this is Divine Will…" Caetuna remarked, before seeing Flora still alive and standing. "...Oh, you must be horrified by my condition. Worry not, it will not matter soon enough. But you still live, despite the cost it inflicted. Even if you have not been present for the whole chant, the strain it puts on your own power is still immense. To be able to survive that easily… you are a powerful being, Heart."
"But what is the use of this power… if I could not save anyone…?" Flora asked, gesturing towards the dead behind her. "I know that there was a purpose for all of this, for all their lives to be sacrificed… but I wished that there was a way to save at least one of them. Even Kurasame…"
"He lives still." Caetuna answered back. "In this final moment of clarity, I have noticed one less soul funneled into the summoning of Alexander. However, I see that it didn't come without a cost from you… Your very hair is bleached of colour, and yet you are still lively. Your life was spared by divine mandate… so cherish it."
Flora took Lady Caetuna's words seriously, as she plucked a strand of her hair out of her head, as he could see that it indeed had turned white in colour.
"...It seems that I exhausted a considerable amount of my magic to stop Kurasame's sacrifice…" Flora remarked. "I am relieved… At least one life will not end because of this act of destruction."
Lady Caetuna then turned around to face the cliff again. "...Heart, is this your true name, or is it a moniker you adopted? I wish to know this small truth… before I finally sublimate." She asked Flora.
"...It's Flora. That's my true name." Flora responded back.
"Flora… a beautiful name… to describe a beautiful flower that blooms over the battlefield, after the destruction, as a sign of hope… I will remember that one name in my last moments." Lady Caetuna remarked, before she then pulled out a dagger, pointing a side to the skies, looking at it. "After a life of eons… It's finally over. I can at last see my destiny."
Lady Caetuna then fell onto her knees, dropping the dagger with a exhausted gasp, slowly wrapping her arms over herself.
"I feel so… so cold…" Caetuna gently whispered, as pink wisps of energy began to emanate around her, wrapping around her like a blanket of energy, as her body began to be surrounded by pink energy, as Kurasame finally fell unconscious, slowly falling to the side, as Flora caught him and laid him down softly.
Flora watched as the light faded, revealing that Lady Caetuna turned into a rose-pink crystal, shining bright under the sun.
"...Rest in peace, Lady Caetuna. Your fight has ended here…" Flora solemnly prayed for Lady Caetuna.
She then turned to Kurasame, before she then checked his pulse, finding that there was a faint one, but it was still there, and his breathing was audible to her.
"So Lady Caetuna was right… Kurasame… you will not perish here." Flora stated, as she gently lifted Kurasame, as his physique made it hard for her to carry him properly, although she strived her best to do so, slowly walking away from the gathering of corpses, and the sublimated Lady Caetuna.
In the cadet graveyard…
The entirety of Class Zero, save for Machina, and the Cardinal Suits were gathered, as they looked upon the row of graves, which had expanded since the decisive battle on two fronts.
"So many dead…" Flora remarked. "And had I not tried to save Kurasame… he would have been another one marked here…"
"He is recovering… Hopefully he'll return to his duties soon." Richard answered back. "...I'll say this to all of you in Class Zero… Many people died in this war. None of us may remember who they were. Perhaps they were acquaintances that we passed by each and every day in this place… perhaps they were truly close friends outside of this closely-knit class of ours… However, because we are condemned to forget the dead… We cannot truly mourn them. It's terrible, but we can only soldier forth, and ensure that no more will have to die for the sake of this war, so that they will not be forgotten like those who died for whatever purpose they served."
"Well said, Spade…" Ace nodded back.
"We can only remember that they lived here, in our world, in our time." Eight answered back.
"Yeah… When the future looks upon us, they'll be proud of the countless people who gave their lives to ensure that there is a better future for them to live in." Chen agreed.
The group watched, as the wind picked up, causing petals of flowers to scatter into the air, as if they were pieces of the souls of the deceased, floating into the afterlife where they belonged, as Richard watched with a solemn expression on his face.