Happy New Year, everyone! Wow, I really didn't think I'd take this long to post the next chapter, but here we are! I was really expecting to post this on New Year's Eve, but I guess that double feature in October really burned me out. Don't worry though, because I'm coming back full throttle!
November 6, S.1205 - Outside the Gates of Haliask
Three days.
Three days since Brigadier General Bardias invaded North Ambria with his jet-black Hector.
Three days to take over the surrounding smaller settlements such as Kilva and Liviri.
Three days to completely surround the capital with their battalion of Soldats and tanks.
General Aurelia Le Guin was truly a force to be reckoned with.
While her side might have lost during the Erebonian civil war, that was not due to any lack of skill or failure on her part. Had she been the head of the Noble Alliance, victory would have been assured and Rean would have been killed the moment he laid his eyes on her in Legram.
Yet here she was: a lioness who mastered both the Vander and Arseid schools of swordsmanship, forced to bear her fangs at enemies she did not make as punishment for her role in the war. While she did not hate the chancellor as much as the heads of the Four Great Houses did, it must have wounded her pride to have to bow to such a commanding presence.
She had given the Northern Jaegers six days to decide whether or not to surrender peacefully. Rather generous, given her position, but Aurelia was never known to be an outright cruel woman.
Rean remembered a time when Sara offered to take him to North Ambria. From the way she spoke, he was unsure whether or not she actually valued the desolate country as a home, but he knew that it still had a special place in her heart. It was a shame that the first time he ever got to visit was under the pretense of war.
At first glance, it was difficult to discern how anyone could call this place home. Even for him, hailing from Ymir, the cold was absolutely unbearable. No hot springs in sight and starting fires called for much more effort than he was used to. The snow here felt cold and lifeless like a frigid coffin waiting for you to freeze to death. And then there was the case of the Salt Pale.
While it had long been removed by the Septian Church, the lasting effects of the mysterious structure could still be felt today. Mixed in with the snow was the metallic smell of salt, a result of the salinification of three entire government districts in Haliask and one-third of the country's population. Even almost thirty years later and the country had still yet to recover.
Some kids have just accepted the state of being as normal. That they weren't allowed to play outside due to the danger. It was a pitiable sight.
"What do you think they'll do?" Rean asked, feeding the campfire with some dry wood they managed to collect. "The Northern Jaegers, I mean."
Sara scoffed. "I wouldn't expect anything but a last stand. They're a stubborn bunch, those guys."
From the way she and Claire spoke back in Alster, Rean had assumed Sara had been sent here on a mission issued by the Imperial Government. That sounded silly in hindsight, but the word "arrangement" came up in the conversation. Perhaps it was an agreement between the government and the Bracer Guild? He thought as much because it looked like Leman HQ had sent several other high-ranking bracers to help with the effort. Clearly not as purely combatants, but it eased Rean's mind nonetheless.
So why was he here, you might ask? He was here for an oh-so-important mission to punish the Northern Jaegers for their role in the civil war.
Back in June, the Imperial Government had submitted a liability claim to the government of North Ambria in response to the burning down of Celdic by the orders of Duke Helmut Albarea. Erebonia demanded compensation, but with the economic situation being what it was in North Ambria, they had to do all they could to avoid repaying the damages. The Northern Jaegers then interrupted the negotiations and occupied the government, ceasing any advancements on the matter.
With over a month of staunch refusal to any demands, the Imperial Government turned to military force. By official accounts, it was the Imperial Army that launched the attack, but it was being led by General Le Guin and her provincial army from Lamare. A punishment for siding against the government.
Rean's role was to assist in the invasion of Haliask once they're given the right of way. With how their armies stacked against each other, the jaegers had no chance against the likes of Soldats, tanks, and Valimar ready to throw down. Even with just the Golden Rakshasa and Black Whirlwind at the ready, their forces were pretty much doomed from the start.
That was why they had initiated archasims all over the city. The strongest of those machines are capable of taking down Soldats if they came in droves. Even the Imperial Army couldn't take an enemy too lightly if they had the backing of the society behind them.
"Is there something wrong, Rean?"
The young man turned to the voice. Worry could be seen all over Claire's face.
"...I'm fine. Just… tired is all."
"Even you're not used to the weather here, huh? It's not even winter yet, but it's already snowing." Claire let a soft giggle escape her lips. "I guess it's a little more for me, since I actually adore the colder weather."
"...I always assumed you were called the 'Icy Maiden' for your calculating approach to things. Didn't take you for a fan of the colder months."
"Well, now you know. Saint-Arkh is quite stunning during winter. Especially February. It might have been why I felt so at home whenever we were at Ymir during the civil war."
"Oh…?"
"Ah, perhaps I said too much." Her awkward smile was accompanied with a pink glow.
"Yeah, you did." Sara deadpanned. "Come on, there are people here. You're making me wanna gag."
"Sara…" Claire sighed.
"Haha, it's fine." Rean shrugged. "Though… I think I could use a walk. Some light exercise might help in this cold."
"Be careful not to stray too far from camp. I know I don't need to tell you that it's dangerous to be on your own in the cold."
He nodded. "Thanks, Major. I'll be careful."
He slung a bag over his back and held his trusty tachi by his side. He waved to the rest of the party and headed out towards the snowy woods by his lonesome.
What he didn't notice were a pair of green eyes tracking his every movement.
Being back at the camp suffocated him.
The expectant eyes of soldiers crept behind his back constantly. They heralded him as a hero - undeservedly - and wanted him in the frontlines with them. All they saw in Valimar—in him —was a weapon to be wielded to feign superiority.
Meanwhile, Major Claire hadn't made him feel much better. She tried her damnedest to make him feel comfortable, but her unadulterated kindness only made him feel worse. She couldn't change the fact that she was an Ironblood, a constant reminder of what - or rather, who - they were fighting for.
It was only for a brief time, but he missed the warmth that his grandparents provided back in Alster.
Rean drew his blade and dipped it back, striking a dead tree with a mighty swing. The cuts ran deep against the bark, accentuating his sword's sharpness.
He was tired.
The weight upon his shoulders increased in mass every passing day, only letting up in brief moments of reprieve. His sword was never meant to be used like this. To mercilessly take over neighboring nations in the name of a madman.
"Do you know how it feels? To be completely powerless as you're crushed beneath the heels of those around you?"
Juna's words resounded within the confines of his mind. She was right. He didn't know. Erebonia was always a superpower in Zemuria. In terms of military strength, only Calvard came close. He never knew how it felt to be powerless in terms of his country's political sway.
And now he was part of the problem.
His friends all worried about him, yet they knew that there was nothing they could do to help. Rean was forced to comply, unable to stand up for himself. He thought back to Crossbell and its oppressive air since the annexation. Each passing second was as if a toxic gas had been filling his lungs… only for it to catch ablaze the day Juna reprimanded him.
Was North Ambria forced to suffer the same fate? Will it be saved under the supervision of the Empire? Or will it crumble under the chancellor's heel? He didn't know these answers. And not knowing ignited a vengeful spirit within him.
He kept cutting away, relentlessly slashing to vent out his anger. Over the past few months, he found this to be the best course of action for him to let it all out. The last thing he wanted was to lash out at any of his friends or colleagues because he couldn't control his emotions. If he had all this pent-up rage, he might as well use it for something productive, even if that productivity was just put towards wildly flailing his sword.
However, it came at the cost of dulling his other senses. His ability to notice other people, perceive their location, and feel their energy was something he learned from his training as a swordsman. But it was still weak, unable to do much of anything when Rean's mind was in such disarray and chaos. As a result, he didn't foresee the events about to occur.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
Rean turned around and saw five men approaching him. They were adorned head to toe in navy blue armor and equipped with a multitude of weaponry: three with assault rifles and two with greatswords. Brown leather belts held their regimentals together, strapping over their joints and around their waists. He knew who these men were.
"The Northern Jaegers? What are you doing out here?"
The man standing in the middle, presumably their group leader, stepped forward. "We could be asking you the same thing, Ashen Chevalier. This is our country. You Erebonians have no right invading our lands."
"Says the people who came into Ymir and Celdic and made attempts to burn both into the ground; even succeeding on one account?" Rean retaliated. He knew better than to redirect blame, especially when he was privy to the fact that they were hired by Duke Albarea on both accounts. But he didn't care. If he had to take the blame for the actions of the chancellor, then he would point his finger in any direction he wanted.
The man shook his head, deaf to any possible justification Rean may have had to shift the fault. "You know as well as anybody that we were merely doing a job we were hired to do. I'm sure you've learned from Valestein that we resort to anything if it means survival. I thought you were better than that, Rean Schwarzer."
He sneered. Who the hell were these men to think they'd know anything about him? "Sorry to betray your expectations, but I'm not the hero people make me out to be."
"Clearly!" One of the men holding a rifle yelled. "Don't think we've forgotten what you've done to our men in Ymir. You've utterly crippled them! They can't do a damn thing anymore!"
"You all knew what you signed up for when you became jaegers." Rean readied his combative stance. Normally, he'd prefer to avoid a fight, but these men were looking for blood. His blood. "Speaking of which, I thought jaegers at least had some decency. At least the ones I've known. Cornering a single target when he's by his lonesome? You wouldn't do that unless someone hired you to do that."
"Ha, guess that just means you don't know jaegers as well as you think." The three men in the back trained their guns onto him. "We'll use every dirty tactic in the book if it means getting what we want. Purple Lightning and that Sylphid girl were just like us, once upon a time."
Rean growled, his grip on his sword tightening as flashes of ash colored his hair. "Don't you dare compare yourselves to them!"
The riflemen fired, finding Rean's outburst reason enough to engage. However, with one swipe of his sword, Rean completely deflected the bullet away.
A barrage of bullets flew towards him but none made their mark. In a burst of ghastly black energy, Rean bolted past the five men and swung with all his strength. A mighty shockwave blew through the air, pushing the jaegers back.
Despite regaining some control over his ogre form since the incident in the Infernal Castle, Rean would sometimes forget how much his power and speed improves as a result of using it. The strength of his attack would've been deadly had it had any sort of control or technique behind it. No, his attack consisted of pure power and nothing else.
"Wh-What the hell is he…?"
"You think I wanted this war?!" Rean cried, his power causing a reverberation in his quivering voice. "Do you think I wanted to become a pawn of the government?! To take over innocent lands for expansion?! To oppress innocent people?! "
He couldn't even tell what point he was trying to argue anymore. Was he trying to defend Sara and Fie's reputation? Was he trying to prove his innocence? Place blame onto these jaegers? He didn't know. Whatever overtook him blinded him to reason and coherence.
The two men in front charged, pushing back any fear that might have festered within them. They both swung their greatswords in tandem, one after the other. In response, Rean backstepped and dodged the incoming attacks. Upon missing, one of them was lodged onto a tree, preventing the jaeger from continuing his assault.
Rean swooped in, avoiding a downward strike from the free jaeger. He crouched down, readying his blade for an upward arc to target the unfortunate soul with his own blade still stuck. Realizing that retrieving the sword was a lost cause, he stepped back to narrowly escape Rean's attack, which utterly shattered his equipment.
"D-Did he just destroy the entire sword?!" The jaeger yelled, witnessing his once trusty blade broken up into useless chunks of steel. He pulled out a large dagger from his hip, holding it in a reverse grip to defend himself. "This guy's a damn monster!"
That struck a chord within him. He rummaged through his pouch and threw a sharp knife he had on hand with overwhelming speed. But the power behind the throw did not compromise the precision it hit its target with. The blade zipped through the vanguard and pierced the armor and flesh of one of the gunmen in the back.
The man yelled in pain, but Rean left the others no time to react. He ran like a lightning bolt, coming face-to-face with each man and disarming them all. With all the power that came with unleashing his ogre power, Rean knocked them all to the cold snow below with the pommel of his sword.
"Had enough yet?"
His voice rang cold, almost unrecognizable even to himself. The dark energy that was linked to his power grew greater and deeper. It felt like it consumed his every being.
"Ha… to think we got our asses handed to us by some kid… That's the Ashen Chevalier for you…"
"..."
The man weakly chuckled. "Come on. Do it. Just… finish us. There isn't anything back there for us anyway."
Rean stayed silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the radiation of the energy emanating from his body and the swirling storm of snow that fell through the surrounding area. He tightened his grip on his blade. Without any words, he brought up his tachi to prepare for an overhead strike-
CLANG
Only to find it colliding with a cerise-colored, double-edged sword.
"That's enough, Rean."
GET HER… OUT OF… THE WAY…
Dark thoughts whispered into his ear. With the strength he acquired through Spirit Unification, he could've easily overpowered Sara with raw power. At such close range, even the Purple Lightning couldn't speed her way through this predicament.
And yet… she still stared at him with such solemnity that he couldn't bring himself to proceed. Something within him compelled him to kill the man, the one accusing him of being a monster. Rean knew it was wrong. He knew that it would only substantiate the jaeger's claim.
It was faint, but he could sense two others behind them. Altina and Claire, he could only assume.
"V-Valestein! So the rumors were true!" The jaegers greeted with venom in their voice. "To think you'd betray your own country-"
A single shot was fired. The resulting shot landed abreast of the man's neck, piercing the solid snow beside him.
"Not another damn word from you." Sara shot back with an icy glare. "Has this what the Northern Jaegers become? Forcing kids to become killers? The Colonel would be ashamed of you."
"If I recall…" He heaved himself upward, barely able to stand, but no longer lying on the ground. "You became a killer yourself, Valestein. You became one of us."
The bracer closed her eyes, contemplating her response. "...Yes, and not a day goes by without that time haunting me. I refuse to let Rean - or any of my students - to follow the same path I did."
Rean's eyes grew as wide as saucers. He gently lowered his sword, no longer pushing to kill the man. His grip weakened as his hair reverted back to its original color. He watched his instructor remorsefully.
"In...Instructor?"
Sara's contemptuous visage never left the jaeger's sight. Her amber eyes almost appeared a deadly golden as she stared daggers into the man. She gestured back to Haliask using only her head, but maintained her eye contact.
"Go. If you want to settle old scores, this isn't the place to do it. You wanna fight back? We got the RMP and soldiers from the Imperial Army waiting to make their move. Don't think you'll leave here as free men if you so much as think about it."
The man clicked his tongue. Without another word of retort, he turned to all his fallen comrades. "We're retreating back to Haliask. No further engagements until the fighting officially begins."
"Ja!"
The five men picked themselves off the ground and marched back to the capital. Even in defeat, the jaegers coordinated themselves with professionalism and poise befitting of a trained soldier while stealing glances back to Rean and the others to ensure that they would not pursue.
Once they were out of sight, Rean collapsed.
"Rean!" Claire ran to him, catching him midfall. She laid him into her arms, carefully cradling him so as to not strain his tired body. His breathing was heavy, but steady at the very least. "A-Are you okay?"
He was too tired to speak, much less hold a conversation. The only thing he could do was nod.
"It appears that using his power is putting more strain on his body than initial results would indicate." Altina said frankly. "I'm afraid I never noticed it becoming this bad."
The RMP Major shook her head. "Don't blame yourself, Altina. This strange power of his has always been rather unpredictable. He was able to control it during the civil war, but even that must have its limits."
Again, Claire's words hit him like daggers. The exact opposite effect she intended - he was sure - but they had hurt nonetheless. It wasn't just that his control over this goddess-forsaken power had its limits, but that he had lost any semblance of control long ago! Now, the only thing it reacted to was his fickle emotions.
The last time he had any control over manifesting his power came during his scuffle against Lloyd Bannings. He hadn't even really activated it so who knows if he would have stayed sane during the entire battle. That would have been another thing he could've stolen from her…
Rean tugged on Claire's sleeve and made a gesture indicating that he wanted to stand up. With slight hesitation, she listened to his request and allowed him to regain his bearings. After a few seconds, he finally found his voice.
"Th-thanks, everyone. If you three didn't show up… I don't know what would've happened."
Claire shot him a comforting smile while Altina an assuring nod. However, Sara didn't bother doing anything. She didn't even look at him.
"In...Instructor?"
As if to match her namesake, Sara bolted to him and held him tightly in her arms. She stroked his hair as tears slowly streamed down her eyes and onto his shoulders. Confused didn't even begin to describe his current feelings.
"Sara…?"
She hiccuped. "You idiot… No matter how many times the others tell you, you never seem to listen, do you?"
"What do you…?"
"You don't have to deal with these things alone, Rean. Even if you truly believe things are your fault, you have us to rely on. We'll help you through it."
"...But why?" Rean quietly mumbled. "None of you have anything to do with it."
"That doesn't mean we should let you suffer in silence. You help us in our hours of need, so why shouldn't we?" The corner of her lips moved slightly upward. "You're not the only stubborn one, you know." She held him tighter and spoke in hushed whispers. "As a former jaeger, all I knew growing up was dust and blood. May Aidios damn me to Gehenna before I let a student of mine follow down that path alone."
"I'm not telling you to not worry about it at all. You probably understand that thing about as well as I do, which is not at all. But don't forget we're here for you. And if whatever that is takes over again, you'll be damn sure I'm gonna be the one to bring you back. That's a promise."
Those words still rang in his mind since last year's school festival. In truth, it was a distant time, well over a year since he and Juna had any semblance of a cordial conversation. And yet… he still looked back on those memories as if they were only yesterday.
If his friends here desire to make an effort to pick up the pieces, then he should do his part and allow them to do so. He will not make the same mistake twice.
"Thank you… Sara."
"Attaboy." She let him go, patting his shoulders with both of her hands. She sniffed loudly. "But man, oh man! Running all that way in the cold sure builds up an appetite! I'm starving! Ooh, I think I could use a drink too!"
"Sara…" Claire rolled her eyes. "At least try to have some tact. You were doing so well too…"
The A-rank bracer folded both her arms behind her head, shooting the major a cocky grin. "You're just jealous I got to play the role of big sister for once! I bet I sounded really cool back there."
"Oh, I'm sure you thought you did."
"Ooh, I didn't realize that Little Miss Major had some bite to her!"
The two continued to bicker on the way back to camp with Sara never missing an opportunity to make a snide remark while Claire always having an unimpressed reply waiting in the wings. It was only Rean and Altina left.
"...How did you know where to find me?" Rean asked.
The girl shrugged. "I've retrofitted Claiomh Solais with the ability to sense where you are at any given moment. I've been given the task to watch over you and I will perform to the best of my ability in that regard."
"...So you put a tracking device on me."
"That is incorrect. Claiomh Solais is the tracking device itself and is capable of finding you so long as you are within range."
"I'm not sure if I should feel okay about you invading my personal space." Rean deadpanned. Still, he felt grateful that they stopped him when they did. He patted the girl's head, much to her chagrin.
To escape his bad habit, Altina scurried away, following the receding images of Sara and Claire in the distance.
Though he enjoyed poking fun at the girl for her overprotectiveness, he couldn't exactly vocalize that without being hypocritical. Still, it didn't make him feel bad to have someone watching over him to make sure he was doing okay. It felt comforting, in fact. Despite their rocky start, Altina became a reliable ally that Rean could wholeheartedly put his trust in.
"...Altina, can I ask you something?"
As such, he valued her opinion, even if it can be a bit skewed due to her lack of experience in the world.
The young girl's ears perked up. She gave the black-haired boy a quizzical look, questioning his intentions, before returning his request with a prompt response.
"You may."
Rean clutched onto his tachi, pulling it closer to his body. "Are you… Do you feel safe around me?"
The girl squinted at him.
"Should I take that as you making an indecent pass at me? Perhaps I miscalculated your levels of degeneracy, Rean Schwarzer."
"That's not what I meant and you know it." He sighed. "I was talking about… Do you think I'm dangerous? Like I could harm you without a moment's notice?"
"I fail to comprehend…" Altina's eyes widened. "Oh."
Of course. The events of what happened that day. Altina sometimes felt she didn't live up to the Intelligence Division's name when she missed the subtleties of Rean's behavior.
"You don't… have to answer. If it makes you uncomfortable, that is." Rean stood back up, strapping his tachi back onto his waist, and started walking back to camp. "Come on, it's getting dark. We should go."
"No."
Rean stopped in his tracks and turned back to the Black Rabbit. She had not moved a step.
"I'm sorry?"
"No, I do not believe you are a danger to me."
A silence passed between them. One second, two seconds, three. The two just stared at each other, Rean in disbelief and Altina with her usual blank expression. The girl wouldn't elaborate any further and yet refused to follow him back to camp. Rean inwardly sighed, realizing that he would have to ask her himself.
"Why not?"
"Based on an analysis of evidence, I came to the conclusion that you would not harm me in that sort of manner. Therefore, I do 'feel safe' around you in that regard."
She had her hands behind her back. A notable tell of hers that said she had confidence in her answer. Rean had picked up some of her habits during these past few months.
"...What sort of evidence?"
"Your rampage at the Infernal Castle," Rean shivered as he recalled the event, "was due to the result of two main factors: the residual power of the castle itself and your hatred of Chancellor Giliath Osborne."
The hooded girl surveyed Rean from head to toe.
"You've used your power during our missions together and while you have lost control since then, you've managed to hold it back sufficiently well. Therefore, even if it is mostly conjecture, I believe you are no danger to my life."
"...I see." Rean responded rather lamely, he had to admit. Ever since the civil war, he had been spending a lot of time with Altina as he was forced to do the imperial government's bidding. So much so that he might've been around her longer than he had with any of his classmates.
Altina, on one hand, didn't understand emotions that well. Even though their personalities differ, she and Millium shared that same distinction as sisters. However, Altina was someone who would tell someone how she saw things bluntly. Sometimes too bluntly, but her honesty was one of her notable charms.
Her words rang true after all. At that moment, he fell into darkness because of his hatred of that man. He could think of nothing else but to take his life in exchange for Crow's. And while he didn't quite understand the logistics, the Infernal Castle did feed into his ogre power to the point of losing any sort of dominance he once had over it. Ever since then, his power fell to much more manageable levels and few problems had arisen to bring the issue into major concern.
So while Altina had trouble truly understanding how he felt, her cold and calculated analysis was something she wholeheartedly trusted in and that was enough to give him some semblance of assurance. It was enough to know that she cared.
"Thank you, Altina." Rean walked up to her and patted the girl on the head. "I… I really needed that."
"...? I do not understand your gratitude. All I speak of is the results of my analysis of the events I've witnessed."
"That's why I appreciate it so much."
"Your words confuse me."
Rean chuckled.
"Maybe you'll get it when you're older. Come on, let's go. They might get worried if we're out for too long." He paused before donning a massive grin. "Hey, Altina. Have you ever tried a s'more?"
She shook her head, her brows now burning with curiosity. "I have heard of it before. I believe it's a sweet treat consisting of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. A popular item in Ymir during the colder seasons, if I'm not mistaken."
"That's right. How about I make us some? I picked up the ingredients before we left Alster. It's a nice little comfort to have once in a while."
"I'll have you know, if this is a bribe, I will not fold," Altina returned his grin albeit far more subdued. "However, if it's your treat, then I shall partake."
"Glad to hear it."
November 12, S.1205 - Dnieper Gate
1200 hours.
The deadline was fast approaching and they had yet to hear a response from the Northern Jaegers. If they delay any longer, then by order of the Golden Rakshasa, North Ambria will be invaded by the Imperial Army and the fighting will commence.
Several skirmishes had stirred up since the initial proposal of the deadline, all of which Rean had refused to participate in. Not like they needed the help anyway. With the possession of Soldats, those minor conflicts were inconveniences at best. The wide open space offered the giant machines full range of movement, allowing them to utilize their fullest potential.
It made him feel slight pangs of guilt that he wasn't doing more, however. Sure, he may not have wanted this war to happen in the first place and he took no joy from robbing people from their homes… Well, frankly, there wasn't a good way to justify the iniquity of his lack of usefulness. Despite it all, he was still a government agent. He had to do his job, regardless if he enjoyed it or not.
However, something that General Le Guin had told him a few days ago stuck in his mind.
"We realize how reluctant you are to fight. Not very fitting for a soldier, but fighting without adherence to your personal beliefs isn't very fitting for a graduate of Thors either."
A surprisingly thoughtful comment coming from the Rakshasa. Rean had to admit that caught him off guard. For a woman who was known all over the world of martial arts as the demon who mastered both the Vander and Arseid schools, she was more compassionate and gracious than he initially believed.
Still, it almost made him laugh. Despite going to a military academy and performing near the top of his year, Rean just didn't have what it took to be a soldier, huh? He knew such a life was a rough one. Being a soldier meant that there would always be someone above you. And if there was someone above you, nine times out of ten, you'd be forced to obey a command that you didn't agree with.
And yet, here he was. Not even a soldier, but forced to comply with and adhere to the chancellor's every order.
So instead, he was tasked with helping the bracers with their evacuation mission and destroying any archaisms that push through the front line. Much easier to cut down a machine than it was another person.
As of that moment, he had already prepared, only needing to consume his breakfast before setting out. The food was surprisingly good for military rations. Perhaps it was the nobility being able to afford reasonably good chefs thanks to most of the war effort being led by the provincial armies. It was good now, but knowing how things were leading, it wouldn't last for long.
"Are you ready, Rean?"
He saw that Claire approached him, her own tray of food in her hands. From what he could tell, she was always a rather light eater, so the lack of much substance came at no shock to him.
"Yeah," he nodded. "Doesn't look like they'll back down without a fight."
It was decided that he, Sara, Altina, and Claire would lead the infiltration into the city with members of the guild and RMP before General Le Guin mobilized the army. In addition to helping the citizens, they were meant to apprehend and capture the higher ranking jaegers before the battle could be turned into a total bloodbath.
"It's rather regrettable," she let out an exasperated sigh. "I understand having their pride wounded, but it's making them not see straight. Had the demands been accepted from the offset, we wouldn't have needed to risk pulling the citizens into the crossfire."
Rean swirled his food with his fork, not really interested in eating to sate his non-existent appetite. "It's foolish… but I understand where they're coming from. They're doing all they can to maintain their livelihood and independence." His mind flashed to his encounter with the jaegers. "It's the only path they see before them, so it's the one they take."
"Do you know how it feels? To be completely powerless as you're crushed beneath the heels of those around you? I may not agree with how he went about it, but Crois was right about one thing: Crossbell deserves its independence."
"They'd rather die as free men than live as slaves."
Claire gave him a soft look. "Rean…"
"...Sorry. Just thinking out loud. Read that line in a book once and it stuck with me."
With a quiet farewell, Rean excused himself. He quickly finished off his plate and cleaned after himself to retreat back to his room. He gave his tachi one last polish as a last minute equipment check, letting out a satisfied whistle once everything had been given a thorough runthrough.
…
…
Though, something had bothered him.
The blade of his tachi was unusually clean. One would normally pay no mind about that detail - seeing as how he literally just polished it - but to Rean, it felt wrong. Unnatural . He thought about what happened the other day. About how he almost sent those men to the goddess's arms without a second thought until his instructor swooped in to stop him.
…
…
Rean dragged himself to a nearby mirror and stared at his reflection. He observed every part of his body and features that replicated itself inside the glass.
He ran his hand through his hair. Jet black, just as he had always known it.
He opened the lids of one of his eyes. Lilac, as the day he was born.
He looked as he always had and yet nothing felt like it had seemed. As if he was a separate entity living in a stranger's body.
He recalled Altina's words of comfort. That she had nothing to worry about because she was confident he would never lose control of his powers. He remembered Juna's words of comfort. That he'd always be the one known as Rean Schwarzer, no matter what.
Brief flashes of ashen hair and crimson eyes made him think otherwise.
"How are you feeling, Valimar?"
Needing to sortie within the hour, Rean thought it best to give his Divine Knight a visit before setting out. The ashen knight towered over him within the fortress's hangar, locked into place with retractable steel beams and platforms used for maintenance. The Zemurian ore tachi was hung beside him, enclosed within rings attached to the beams.
"My mana reserves have regenerated. I am ready to depart at any time."
"That's good to hear." Rean pulled up a chair and took a seat in front of the mechanical giant. "I'm sorry that I got you mixed up in all this. Guess you weren't really expecting to conquer neighboring countries so soon after waking up, huh?"
"I admit, I haven't given it much thought." His voice was contemplative, as if he only just now considered their actions over the course of the past year. "Us Divine Knights do not necessarily act as a conscience when it comes to the actions of our Awakeners, but rather as counsels when they seek guidance and weapons to be wielded in battle. While it may be presumptuous to speak for him, I believe the Azure Knight Ordine might have felt the same way with Crow Armbrust's ideologies. Whether we agree or disagree is irrelevant."
Rean raised a brow. "So there's something compelling you to follow our orders?" He hadn't even entertained the thought of Ordine disagreeing with Crow and his goals, seeing as how the Azure Knight readily followed Crow's commands.
"Something to that effect. Though there is also the fact that we feel a kinship of sorts with our Awakeners, regardless of who they are. After observing you for a year, it is simple to conclude that you disagree with these actions as well. I do not claim to fully understand human politics and social norms, but I shall do whatever I am capable of to support you."
He let out a relieved breath. "Thanks, Valimar." He liked the sound of that. The bond he shared with Valimar felt unlike any other. Part of him felt guilty seeing as how it seemed like he kept dragging the Ashen Knight to do his bidding and forcing him into uncomfortable situations, but another was glad that he did it to support him as best he could. Rean only wished he could do more.
Rean cherished these quaint conversations he had with his knight. Being how he was, Valimar usually talked to him as objectively as possible, only giving informed opinions based on data and observations. Now that he thought about it, Altina was much the same way.
"You're more than welcome, Rean. However, I suspect that that wasn't the only subject on your mind. Please, speak."
"Ha, can't get anything past you, huh?" Rean slunked down on his chair, fiddling with his hair. "Have you sensed anything dangerous around here? Any disturbances in the spirit veins?"
"Hmm… Nothing out of the ordinary, it appears. I have sensed something faint for the past few weeks, but I believe it to be traces of the Salt Pale. Truly a mysterious phenomenon for its effects to still remain three decades later."
Rean let out a sigh of relief. He was hoping that the operation today would go as smoothly as possible and it sounded like it would. With no signs of any supernatural powers surrounding Haliask, there could be no instance of his powers going out of control like it did in the Infernal Castle. Perhaps that time he nearly went berserk against the jaegers was a fluke.
"That's good to hear. The less problems we'll have to deal with, the better."
With the appointed time drawing nearer, both knight and chevalier knew that they had to bring their friendly conversation to a close. It was a shame too, seeing as Rean enjoyed these nice chats he shared with Valimar. But once he heard those footsteps echoing through the hangar floors, he knew it was time to go.
"Rean," Altina, his pursuer, greeted him. "I've been told to retrieve you. The infiltration begins shortly."
The two met eyes, Altina standing as nonchalantly as usual and Rean tightening his grip on his tachi.
"Got it. I'll be there in a bit." He turned back to Valimar. "We should probably expect to call you in during the operation. I hope it doesn't have to come to that, but the possibility is too likely."
"Of course." The giant machine nodded. "I am yours to command, my Awakener."
It was going to be a long day.
"They've broken through the walls! Open fire! Bring in the archaisms! Don't let a single one come any farther!"
"Ja!"
The cries of the Northern Jaegers echoed through the city; the commanding voices of their higher-ranking officers bellowed that Rean could make out traces of it from the surface. Just as they ordered, jaegers began hailing fire from various vantage points such as the roofs and towers throughout Haliask with archaisms supporting them on ground level.
"Crimson Slash!"
Rean unleashed a shockwave of flames from his sword, cutting through and incinerating the machines in front of him. The ones they currently faced were of the small to medium-sized varieties composed of the Tri-Attacker, Sneak Gunner, and Phalanx series. While Rean didn't understand the specifics of archaisms themselves, he did make an effort to learn how to differentiate between them and their unique abilities thanks to Altina and Lechter.
"Behind you!"
Speaking of the Black Rabbit, Altina leapt to Rean's blind spot, activating Claiomh Solais's protective barrier to block incoming gunfire. Once the barrage settled down, she fired a laser from her combat shell's core to break their ranks.
After sending her thanks, Rean and Altina continued their advance, scrapping every machine that came in their way.
Though it was hardly the time to be nostalgic, everything around him reminded Rean of the time he and his friends fought through Garrelia Fortress from the Imperial Liberation Front to stop the firing of the railway cannons. The cacophony of explosives echoing about along with the clashing of metal made the two experiences near identical when it came to his auditory memory. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Our goal is the parliament building farther within the city limits." Altina stated. "Our targets are the upper echelons of the Northern Jaegers that are currently occupying the building and preventing negotiations from proceeding. We are to detain and arrest them."
"Well, they certainly aren't making this… EASY!" Sara exclaimed beside them as she took a swing at an oncoming Phalanx, severing one of its missile launcher arms from its body. It exploded as a result, reducing nearby market display stands into cinders. However, with Sara's natural speed, she came out unscathed. "When I get my hands on them, I'll kill them myself! I'll strangle the whole lot of them!"
"Sara, we were explicitly told to not do that!" Claire replied, shooting hidden jaegers on the roofs with terrifying precision. "I get that you're angry, but please control yourself!"
If she weren't already occupied with an enemy, Sara would have crossed her arms and huffed in indignation. Rean expected that she might need to let out even more steam once this was all over.
They raced down the street, deftly hopping over and side vaulting through obstacles and barricades the jaegers had set up to bar passage. At least the jaegers had the decency to warn the citizens to lock themselves inside while the fighting occurred. If there were to be any casualties, it should only be between the combatants.
Or so Rean thought…
He spotted two figures in the distance. Quickly analyzing the situation, he sprung into action and leapt forward with his tachi drawn. With his left arm, he snatched away one of the figures - a young North Ambrian boy no older than ten - and used his sword to parry an oncoming assault from the second: a high-class archaism known as the Balancing Clown.
It was much larger than the other archaisms, about twice the measurements of the medium-sized Phalanx. It sported large mechanical arms that sprouted from various parts of its body in an unnatural manner opposed to the gunnery that the smaller models carried. Despite its large size and freakish design, it was able to balance itself onto a ball-like wheel, hence its name.
The boy in his arm whimpered, a desperate plea for help to be removed from all the fighting. Rean cursed under his breath, feeling guilty for contributing to the boy's fears.
The archaism pulled one of its arms back, ready to launch another attack.
"Altina!"
"Understood!"
Claiomh Solais manifested behind the machine and wrapped its bladed arms around the lunging appendage mid-strike.
"A " ⨅ э Ꞁ ᴋ" The black combat shell beeped, lifting the machine and slamming it onto the stone ground. It followed up with a powerful jab to the archaism's torso for extra measure.
Sara and Claire came in the nick of time, firing their orbal guns as the clown struggled to stand back up. With each interval between every shot, Sara creeped forward and drew closer to the machine as it regained its balance. However, the moment it stood up, she swung her sword right at the joint connecting its legs to the ball-shaped wheel and severed it completely. She fired one last shot onto its core, eliminating it once and for all.
Altina examined the wreckage. "That's surprising. Normally Balancing Clown models are used to defend Ouroboros bases and for their exclusive use. It is not an archaism they readily hand out."
"That is strange," Claire noted. "However, we don't have much time to ponder any possibilities. We still have our mission to complete. I'll keep a note of this, just in case though."
"There's our major! Diligent as always." Sara commended. "Have you ever considered taking a vacation?"
The Icy Maiden sighed. "Trust me, I've tried. With so much happening right now, even a vacation is filled with work."
"Oh… that's… that's too bad." Even Sara had to feel bad for her.
Thankfully, the moment of levity granted Rean enough time to check on the child. "Are you okay?"
The boy continued to whimper, but let out a nod. Thank the goddess.
"Do you know where your family is? We can take you back there."
He pointed to a street just slightly out of sight. The area looked to be in a state beyond repair, featuring broken street signs and crushed buildings. However, it looked as if the damage wasn't far from recent, indicating that the district itself was meant for beggars.
A hard look at the boy would corroborate his observation. He wore nothing but rags and used earmuffs. The jacket, gloves, and boots he wore were far too large for him and haphazardly stuffed with more rags of various deteriorating colors. They were clearly hand-me-downs.
Rean held onto his tachi tightly with one hand and locked palms with the child in the other. Together, they made their way to the beaten down district as the rest of the party planned their next move. The area was cleared of archaisms already, so Rean's absence shouldn't impact them severely.
The dilapidated streets drew up memories of the Old Schoolhouse and the back alleys of Heimdallr. Wooden street vendor displays were left broken and moldy and contained half-eaten produce. Trash littered the ground, building up to piles of garbage and other indescribable substances. This was the life the poorest of North Ambrians had to live with.
And it was a life that he was about to make even worse once the war blew over.
"There he is!"
"Get away from him, damn you!"
A middle-aged couple bolted towards Rean and the child. Paying no attention to any potential danger, the man tore Rean's hand away from the boy and pushed him to the ground. The woman, presumably the boy's mother, wrapped him in her arms tightly.
"Damn Erebonians," the man spat, "dragging us into your war! First, these mechanical monsters. Then, you invade our city. Now you want to harm our boy? It's because of you that the jaegers are more occupied in war than providing for their country! Rot in Gehenna, the whole lot of ya!"
Rean wordlessly raised himself up from the cold, hard ground. Though the man didn't do much to physically hurt him, the desperation and rage could be felt in his assault. Had the boy not been there, his father would have most likely attempted to kill Rean with his bare hands.
He looked at the family. The man's eyes were filled with seething anger, his fists balled so that he was ready to throw a punch should Rean try to resist. The mother also glared at him, her eyes just as intense. She held onto the child tighter with her nails as visible as could be as if she were a mother hound ready to pounce at a moment's notice. The child, however, looked terrified. Not of Rean, but of his own parents.
"P-Papa! M-Mama!" The boy's voice shrieked out. Even during the attack, that was the first time Rean heard him speak.
"Don't worry, honey," the woman cooed into his ear. "We won't let the bad man hurt you."
"Th-That's not it! He-! He protected me!"
The man cracked his knuckles. "Nonsense. Damn imperial dogs don't know what it means to protect anything ." He glared at Rean again. "You should stay down, if you know what's good for you."
Rean held his breath. It was clear that this man wasn't willing to listen to reason. Saying anything in defense would only lead to more ridicule and disparity. He elected to stay silent instead.
"...We should go. Before things get worse." The woman's voice was low, as if she were used to the situation. Rean heard countless stories about how financially poor North Ambria was. He could only imagine how much the lowest of the economic ladder suffered as a result.
The man clicked his tongue before sending off one last paralysis-inducing glare in Rean's direction. The young swordsman didn't dare respond.
Without another word, the family left. The father led the way while the mother held the child in her arms, the boy facing back at Rean. Despite everything, he still mouthed something back to him.
Thank you.
Even Rean felt like such gratitude was undeserved. However, he thought it best to take it as it was. Better that than let the child suffer because of him.
"...Are you all right?"
Altina's voice came from behind, her brows slanted slightly upwards in worry. Rean hadn't noticed it until that moment, but he had felt his legs shaking and it wasn't from the cold.
"I'm fine," he replied unconvincingly. "The mission still needs to be done."
Before long, Rean and the others made their way to the parliament building. Its spacious halls called for a large sweep of surveillance everywhere they went, causing the RMP and bracers to split into teams. Rean stuck behind the vanguard, watching the events unfold. Both teams worked like well-oiled machines, going through their motions with the utmost of care. The jaegers could be anywhere, so they couldn't do any less than their best.
Before long, Rean's team split off to survey a separate path on an upper floor. What the building lacked in height, it made up for in width. Even with multiple teams, it would take quite a bit of time to do a thorough sweep, especially if the jaegers ambushed them and forced them into skirmishes. Due to the tight hallways, the RMP couldn't make use of their heavier weaponry and had to make due with their orbal guns. Even Altina couldn't make full use of Claiomh Solais's capabilities without risking the building's collapse.
"Over there!"
Rean pointed to the door at the farthest end of the hall. Thanks to his abilities, he was able to skip through the rooms that he knew posed no danger. However, he could sense the presence of multiple people inside this particular room. He, Altina, Claire, and Sara all readied their armaments before the accompanying RMP officers busted down the door.
"Freeze!"
Firearms on both sides stared down each other, waiting for their opponents to make the first move. The silence was deafening.
The room was filled to the brim with fully armed jaegers. Most of them turned their weapons at the newcomers, but the rest had theirs trained on the heads of the other people in the room. Men and women tied together by rope and gagged with cloth tied around their heads struggled against their captors, but did little to attempt an escape. Not much they could with a barrel staring them down.
"You know how this goes," the lead jaeger spoke. "One wrong move and the senators here will be forced to meet with the goddess before their years catch up to them."
Rean gritted his teeth and his brows tensed. Even in the face of it all, he had no idea where to direct his anger towards. Was it the jaegers in front of him, wanting to defend their homeland while putting their own countrymen at risk? Was it his own government who demanded reparations from a country already suffering? Or was it himself for going along with these foolish orders only to serve a man whom he despised? He didn't have an answer.
But no matter the case, his own mistakes can now cost people their lives. He couldn't afford to mess up."
As she was acutely aware of everything, Claire spoke up, her orbal pistol still ready to take out any enemy who'd be foolish enough to make the first move.
"We are the Railway Military Police accompanied by the bracer guild to arrest you by His Majesty's command. Surrender now or else we'll be forced to take action."
The jaegers weren't having it. Before long, the spacious room quickly turned into a small battlefield with neither side letting up. Volleys of gunfire were exchanged from one end of the room to the other. However, even within the chaos, Rean had noted something strange.
"You see it too, huh?" Sara whispered, firing a quick shot from her custom orbal gun.
Rean nodded. "Yeah. None of them are even attempting to kill the hostages. It's almost as if-"
Another hail of bullets came their way. Luckily, Altina was there to shield them using Claiomh Solais's barrier.
"We will have time to ruminate on that later. For now, we must neutralize the current threat."
The two nodded and split up, Sara joining the bracers to find an opening towards the hostages and Rean taking point and joining the fray with the vanguard.
The rest of the battle became a blur to Rean. The last thing he recalled was linking up with Altina and taking out as many jaegers as he could with the young girl's and the RMP's support. One by one the jaegers fell, though not without any casualties on their side. Some time later, their side won out and the hostages were freed.
Rean stood back, watching as Claire, Sara, and their respective squads took care of the rest.
"You look unsatisfied. Is something wrong?"
Rean sent Altina a blank stare, his face not knowing what sort of emotion to put on display. He decided it best to keep as calm as possible to analyze everything he could gather.
"I wouldn't say 'unsatisfied'. Just… confused. I noticed it before, but the jaegers didn't even try to harm the hostages during this whole scuffle."
"They could have used them to make our side hesitate." Altina added on, following his train of thought. "It's quite possible that they had no intention of harming them in the first place."
Rean couldn't argue with that logic. "I guess that makes sense. Full-fledged jaegers still maintain some semblance of honor, even if their clientele can be rather shady."
"I surmise that you just felt everything to be 'anti-climatic' and are now sulking that you didn't get to do much."
His brows scrunched together in annoyance. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves now."
However, he did come to a similar conclusion. Why did the jaegers go down so easily? Even with all the firepower the Imperial army was packing, the Northern Jaegers were amongst one of the greatest corps in Zemuria. It was inconceivable that victory didn't cost them more.
…
Unless…
"Ah, sounds like our little Chevalier put the pieces together." One of the tied-up men grinned. Rean shot him a glare.
Claire's eyes narrowed at the man, her cold expression befitting of the Icy Maiden. "What do you mean?"
Another jaeger chuckled. "The future of this country is dead. It didn't matter if we intervened or not. Us jaegers were the backbone to its economy but with things being what they are, North Ambria is finished."
A third one joined the chorus. "But we didn't want to die kneeling. To hell with the Empire and its tyrannical rule! We'll destroy this country before you could claim it as your own! At least that way, we'll still have our pride!"
Sara bit her lip and mumbled under her breath, "You fools…" as her clenched fist shook, holding itself back from striking at the men she once called family.
"Perhaps we are, Valestein. But we do what we must."
CLICK
Rean felt the ground beneath him rumble. The shaking almost caught the young man to lose his balance. He propped himself up with a crouch, putting his hand on support duty as he tried to assess the situation.
Everyone else in the room was as rattled as he was, carefully trying to maintain their balance and figure out what the hell was going on. The tremors became intense enough for the windows to shatter.
"Wh-What the hell?!" Rean yelled out. He shielded his eyes with his free arm, preventing any glass getting into his eyes.
Suddenly a voice spoke in his head.
Rean.
"V-Valimar?! What's going on?!"
I sense a major fluctuation in the spirit veins. Something is approaching.
"Like what?"
Rean lowered his arm and peeked at the now devastated window. There wasn't anything he could see that could pose a threat outside of the shaking buildings, but he knew something was out there. He could sense it.
"Over there!" Altina had no problems storming through the tremors as she floated in one of Claiomh Solais's arms. She pointed outside, to an area that was obscured by a building. Energy was gathering to that specific point.
As the energy coalesced into a large single entity, it formed into a humanoid shape. Out sprouted mechanical arms and legs with extensive engines protruding from its back. A robotic head protruded from its torso to complete the body and it drew an oversized eastern sword from its waist.
Rean had recognized the mechanical beast. It was the same archaism that he and his classmates fought against when they rescued Chairman Irina during the civil war with one major difference.
It towered over them almost tenfold.
Pale imitation of the Eight Leaves or not, anything that large could easily level the city if it went on a rampage. Without hesitation and ignoring his friends' warnings, Rean sprinted his way forward, leaping out the window with all his might. He clenched his fist over his chest mid-jump and held it out after making a brief prayer.
"Heed my call! Valimar, the Ashen Knight!"
Just as he had done numerous times before, Rean's body glowed within a pale blue light as he felt the presence of his Divine Knight transporting behind him mid-flight. His body teleported into Valimar's cockpit as the knight's massive mechanical body made contact with the ground.
Rean drew his Zemurian tachi and readied his stance.
"I've heard about the Aions that went rampant in Crossbell, but there must be something different about this one," Rean mused. "If I recall correctly, those were powered by the Sept-Terrion. But with it gone now, there's no way another one should even be operational right now."
"That is correct. Without the Zero Child's powers, no Aions should be present. However, this one does not appear to be an Aion in the first place. However, even amongst archaisms, this one is… unusual."
"Unusual how?"
"Perhaps that explanation is best left to the intelligence agent."
BEEP BEEP
On the viewing monitor, a notification popped into being. A window opened up with an image of Altina on the other end.
"Rean, be careful of this enemy."
The archaism lifted its own sword onto its shoulder. A stance that wasn't very indicative of the Eight Leaves, but one that showed it wasn't playing around.
"That archaism is of the Regenenkopf series. The sophisticated computer system within its programming allows it to learn from human teachers and have fighting styles inputted into it."
"Yeah, I'm aware. My friends and I fought one back in Roer. Though it was, er, a bit smaller at the time."
"Regardless, this one is dangerous. Its larger size may be due to the immense disturbances in the spirit veins. And with the Imperial army currently on standby, you will not be able to expect any assistance from ally Soldats."
Rean growled. "Just you and me, huh Valimar? Well, it's not like these things were ever easy. Altina, you help Instructor Sara evacuate the citizens."
"Understood."
"Valimar, you and I are going to keep this thing busy. We'll have to make sure not to take our battle too far, otherwise we disturb those rescue efforts."
"Acknowledged!"
The two eastern-styled swords collided with overwhelming force. Both machines matched each attack, blow for blow. Neither side was willing to hold up. Before, when they faced the archaism in Roer, the struggle wasn't nearly as pronounced. But now, with him by his lonesome, Rean found himself at a disadvantage.
As soulless as its pale imitation of the Eight Leaves school was, the archaism could still overwhelm him if he wasn't careful. As Altina mentioned, the computer operating it in the first place was capable of dynamic learning. The longer the battle went on for, the more it could learn to counter his strategies and tactics. And boy, would this battle be drawn out.
"Gah, they just keep coming!"
Just like the previous model, this Regenenkopf could summon its supportive Shigure units from pods in its back. They were capable of repairing the main unit whenever it sustained significant damage, only to exacerbate the issue of fighting an enemy whose whole schtick was to learn on the fly. And the more Rean destroyed, the more Shigure units would come to take its place.
"Valimar!"
"I have finished the analysis. If we continue this stalemate, the enemy will only gain the upperhand before long. Thus, I have devised two ways for us to proceed."
Rean let out a sigh of relief. Here he was hoping for just one way to get out of this mess. Add that to the list of things he owed to Valimar.
"Either we must destroy the main computer within its body that provides it with dynamic thought, or we disrupt the flow of Shigure units to prevent prolonging the battle any further."
"And both are easier said than done…" Rean mumbled. His hands tensed over the controls within Valimar's body. "The first option would end this whole problem outright. We'd still need to put an end to the machine but without its learning abilities, that should be a cinch. However… we can't know for sure where that computer is."
Knowing Ouroboros, they wouldn't fit such a complicated piece of tech in an easy-to-find location. And hitting every body part wasn't wise either as that would risk doing harm to the city. Rean was already struggling to be careful where he swung his sword, so attacking willy-nilly would flush all that effort down the drain.
"That leaves us with preventing any more Shigure units from spawning. At least we know where those are coming from. It's just a matter of getting behind it. But then we'd also have to contend with the ones already deployed. It might lengthen this whole battle, but we have more to work with by going for the second option."
"Astute assessment, Rean."
"All right, so we got a game plan. Valimar, find the best moment for us to get behind and then we'll strike."
"Of course."
Rean went in for the next strike, varying up his attacks from his usual Eight Leaves arsenal in an attempt to catch the machine off guard. He stood Valimar upright, handling the Zemurian tachi with only one hand and graceful movements. He nimbly maneuvered around the buildings beneath his feet, mimicking Jusis's court fencing skills. With how much that particular style of swordplay relied on footwork, it was the best one to utilize when dealing with obstacles that restricted his movement. Rean felt it regrettable that he could probably replicate Laura's Arseid style to a better degree, but its focus on raw strength wasn't what he needed at the moment.
BEEP BEEP
Another incoming call?
"Rean! You doing okay?"
"Instructor Sara?!" Rean looked at the screen incredulously. The sudden call caught him by surprise, giving the archaism the opportunity to stagger him. Rean braced for the unanticipated jostling. "Not that I'm against you calling me or anything, but I'm kinda busy right now!"
"Ha, then I'll keep it brief. The bracer guild has fully evacuated the district you're currently fighting in. You're free to go ham as much as you'd like!"
"Sounds lovely! Though, I'd prefer to keep the city in relatively good condition. Lack of any evacuees or not, it would be good for them to have homes to return to by the time this is all done."
Sara sighed over the comm. "I thought you'd say that. Oh well, at least you don't need to worry about harming anyone. Well, besides yourself that is. Be careful, Rean. This one's gonna be a toughie."
The window closed, indication of the end of the call.
"Yeah, no kidding…" Rean muttered under his breath. "How are we looking, Valimar?"
"I detect an opening. We must act now."
"All right, let's go!"
With his spirit reinvigorated, Rean seized the opportunity to gain the upper hand. Valimar's body creaked as he knelt down, preparing for a mighty leap. The engines within his wings let out a roar. The archaism dashed towards the knight, its own blade drawn back to deliver a devastating blow.
Rean gritted his teeth as he glared at the machine approaching him. Time slowed down, each passing second creeping onto him at a snail's pace. Just a bit closer…
Closer…
Closer…!
…
Now!
Rean had Valimar jump straight into the air, narrowly dodging the archaism's attack thanks to the air boost provided by the knight's thrusters. Every once in a while, Rean forgot how limber Valimar can be in spite of his large size. With one aerial maneuver, Rean found himself behind the machine.
"It's over!"
Valimar swung the Zemurian tachi in a wide vertical arc, severing one of the back wings of the archaism. With another swift motion, he brought the sword back down to remove the second wing. Within moments, both components exploded, leaving naught but dust.
"That should take care of any possible reinforcements. Well done, Rean." Though his voice still had the hollow, robotic tone Rean was used to hearing, Valimar did seem to beam with pride at his display.
"Couldn't have done it without you! Now let's clean up this mess."
The Regenenkopf shifted back around, facing Rean and Valimar. Though it had no recognizable facial expressions, some playful part of Rean saw the machine as overtly irritated at his stunt. It was enough to chuckle at, but he knew still had to bring his A-game. After everything today, his stamina was running low.
Their swords collided once more with sparks flying about resulting from each clang. Without Sara or any of his classmates there to link with him, Rean was severely low on options. No access to arts left him with only his swordplay and whatever poor reflection he could muster up from other sword schools.
It didn't help that the archaism was learning at a rapid pace. With its supply of Shigure units now ruptured, the remaining floating machines backed away from the main fight to preserve themselves.
"It's grown wary of us. I doubt the same trick is gonna work again if our next target is the remaining support units…" Rean scanned his surroundings, unable to find any solutions to their new predicament. It wasn't until the archaism broke the stalemate itself by pushing its sword upwards to knock Valimar back a few arge away.
"Rean. I sense something… strange."
"What do you-?"
The eyes of the archaism glowed a menacing red light. Its sword dipped down and its body leaned forward, a position Rean was all too familiar with.
"Second… Form:... Arcane Gale."
The machine moved with blinding speed, practically vanishing from its original position before reappearing right in front of Valimar. Its attack was swift and undetectable. One slash forward only for the machine to land behind the Divine Knight. It continued its assault, dashing and striking from multiple angles and leaving no room for retaliation.
"AGH!" Rean screamed in pain as the damage Valimar received was directly inflicted upon him as well.
He knew this technique all too well. From what he remembered back in Roer, the original model had been implemented with the skills of the Divine Blade of Wind, Arios MacLaine. He had mastered the Eight Leaves's second form of Gale and knew how to utilize it to its greatest potential. While the machine made a mockery of the attack, it still hurt like hell.
Rean weakly forced Valimar back up, his mechanical legs creaking unnaturally. He turned to face the machine once more, only to be met with it crouched backwards, with its sword held by its side.
The young swordsman's eyes widened, knowing what was coming. He quickly held up his tachi to block the incoming attack, but the machine drew its blade from its invisible sheath, unleashing the powerful finishing blow of the improved Gale technique. A force of wind cut through the air, strong enough to knock Valimar off his feet and onto his back as well demolishing several buildings in the process.
Rean's heavy breathing echoed inside the cockpit with each intake of air only causing more internal pain than it was relieving. He could hear the archaism approach him, each lumbering step causing an intense sting of fear throughout Rean's entire being. He could barely lift his sword to protect himself, let alone getting back on his feet to fight further.
It aggravated him to admit it, but he had been outmatched. His skills had been subpar, being unable to even defeat this cheap, soulless imitation. He had far too much to go to even compare to a Divine Blade. Had Celine been there, she would've reprimanded him no doubt for thinking such thoughts but - as he was now - there was no way of winning.
At least the North Ambrians made it out okay. He could die without any regrets.
…
No, that would be an utter lie.
Images flashed within his mind in quick succession. First came all his friends from Thors, both in and out of Class VII.
I'm sorry, everyone. I'm really hopeless without you guys.
Then came his sister and the princess.
I'm sorry, Elise… Your Highness… I'm a failure of a brother.
That of a recent friend also sprang to mind.
I apologize, Musse. Guess I can't keep our promise so soon after making it.
And then…
Juna… I wish I could've told you… that there's nothing I wouldn't do to try to make it up to you. You deserved better.
Rean resigned himself to his fate, the only thing staring him down was a massive looming shadow of the sword that was about to end his life.
"Sorry, Valimar. Sorry that your Awakener—that I —couldn't meet your expectations."
Whether or not the knight could even hear him at this point was lost on Rean, but he felt he at least owed Valimar that much.
"-ean?!"
And now he was hearing things. He hadn't realized that the moments before death would have been this excruciatingly drawn out.
"Rean!"
Wait… he recognized that voice!
Before he could even react, he watched a red laser travel across the archaism's body, leaving explosions over its trails. The young man instantly turned his head to his left and his eyes grew as wide as saucers.
"Altina?!"
Her breaths were heavy and substantial, as if she had run as fast as she could to jump to his rescue. The power of her Brionac attack had left Claiomh Solais in a similar state: shaking and unstable.
The archaism turned to face the new threat, immediately halting its onslaught on Rean and Valimar. It removed itself from the knight to slowly approach the silver-haired girl and her beat up combat shell.
"Altina!" Rean screamed at the top of his lungs. "Get out of here! Run!"
She didn't listen. She crossed her arms, commanding her combat shell to summon a barrier to protect her from any incoming attack. But Rean knew better. That barrier wouldn't hold. If he didn't do something…
"ALTINA!"
Everything went white.
November 15, S.1205
Rean's eyes fluttered open. The bright lights from the ceiling pierced through his eyelids, slowly bringing him back to the waking world. He attempted to sit up, his languid movements exacerbated by the aching and soreness of his muscles and limbs.
From what he could gather, he was back in his assigned room in Dnieper Gate. Someone must have changed him into comfortable night clothes, as he awoke from probably the calmest sleep he had ever had.
Taking a few seconds to release his drowsiness, he surveyed the room once more to confirm his surroundings. He let out a soft sigh from his nostrils and steadily fell back to bed.
…
He shot back up, his eyes wide with panic.
Altina! Where is she?!
The thoughts swirled through his mind like a maelstrom. At that point, he didn't care if the operation was a success. The last thing he could recall was the haunting image of Altina on her last legs, unable to do anything but watch as the large archaism approached her. He needed to know if she was safe.
He bolted to the door, dragging his legs as he developed a minor limp. His entire body was in pain, but he needed to see Altina.
The door swung open, revealing a woman who had been waiting on the other side.
"Oh, you're awake."
Rean didn't pay attention, trying to run out the door. The woman stopped him. "Whoa there, hotshot. You're in no condition to be running around the halls."
The woman pulled him back with no effort and turned him to face her.
"In-Instructor Sara?" Rean asked meekly.
"You didn't even realize it was me? You must be really out of it."
"Where… Where's Altina? Where is she?!" His voice grew increasingly panicked. His breathing grew erratic and chaotic. He couldn't calm down.
"Just take a second and breathe, Rean. You're never going to find her in your state."
"B-But I have to! Just tell me where she is!"
Sara sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to listen to reason. She hated to do it to her own student, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
With her grip still on the young man's shirt, the bracer threw him back onto the bed. Due to his debilitated state, Sara was quite literally able to run circles around Rean. Utilizing her new advantage, she wrapped the comforter on the bed so tightly around his body so that his movement would be totally and utterly restricted. The only part of his body that was left visible was his head.
Sara almost would've laughed if it weren't for the fact that her student nearly died.
"Rean, listen to me. Altina is all right. In fact, you might be in worse shape than she is." The former instructor cracked a smile when she saw the boy visibly relaxed in relief. "She has you to thank for that, after all."
Rean blankly stared to the ceiling, processing what he just heard.
"Just… what happened out there?"
Sara looked away, wanting to hide her somber expression.
"Your power… it went out of control again. And it was even worse than how it was in the Infernal Castle."
His eyes widened as he turned his head to Sara. "Wha…?"
"Everything I know is entirely based on Black Rabbit's account. By the time I got there, it was already over…" Sara rubbed her arm, finally returning Rean's eye contact. "She said that you activated your ogre power the moment you saw her in danger. In an overwhelming show of force, you showed that archaism what was what and demolished it."
"...And then? I didn't… hurt anyone did I?"
Sara shot him a sad smile and shook her head. "Thankfully, you didn't. The moment after you destroyed the machine, you just sorta… froze. Valimar stood still and you wouldn't answer any of our calls. Once everything was said and done… you ended up being unconscious for three days."
"Th-Three days?! That long?!" Rean looked to his teacher for confirmation, to which she nodded. "What… What happened since then?"
"The Imperial army deployed the next morning with General Le Guin at its helm. Everything was finished by that afternoon. Any jaegers that were still fighting either surrendered or ran. We… won."
Sara bit her lip. A victory that meant nothing, but a victory nonetheless. She walked over to the bed, sitting by Rean's lying body.
"It was then the Soldats hauled Valimar back to the gate and removed you from inside. And the rest is history. The Erebonian and North Ambrian governments are now in the middle of talks to determine where we go from here, but I think we all know where that's gonna lead to."
Figuring that he had enough of his confinement, Sara unwrapped Rean from his blanket prison. Though, with a dark glare, he made sure to stay lying down to regain his energy.
Rean let out the emptiest of chuckles.
Of course.
Of course the moment he finally managed to conquer his fears and mastered his mysterious power, it backfires on him spectacularly.
It saved Altina, sure, but what if he made the situation worse? What if the power caused him to attack Altina himself? Or his other friends and comrades? He didn't even want to imagine the possibility.
"I know what you're thinking, Rean. But don't beat yourself over it."
"..."
"No matter what's going on with that power of yours, at least you and Altina are still here. That has to count for something."
"...Yeah."
"Just refrain from using it for now. You always wanted to become stronger on your own, right?" Sara said with a wink. "Just keep at it and I know we'll find some way to control it again. Remember that you have all of us to rely on."
"...Thank you, Instructor."
"Don't mention it. Oh, I almost forgot." Sara snapped in realization, remembering something she wanted to mention. "With the war over now, we should be expecting an award ceremony soon from His Majesty. Sounds like you just earned yourself a medal, kiddo!" She patted him on the back.
Rean stared at her quizzically. "But I didn't do much…"
"Yeah, well, the Rakshasa gave you most of the credit and she kinda outranks you in that regard. Oh!" The bracer scratched the back of her head and stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. "I wasn't supposed to let out that little detail about the medal. So when Le Guin tells you about it could you… pretend to act surprised? She'd really love to see your face and everything."
Rean continued to look at her weirdly but ended up laughing a tad half-heartedly. Still, he appreciated the attempt at lifting the mood. "I'll see what I can do. Though I can't say I'm too fond of my acting skills."
"Oh? But I hear your class did a musical at the festival and you were the main lead! Tell me, how did that go?"
The smirk on her face was unbearable.
"Who told you…?" Rean asked with a glare.
"Nice try, but mama's not letting her sources slip. Confidentiality rules and all." Sara's fingers glided across her lips to mimic a zipper.
"...It was Micht, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was totally Micht."
"Of course it was."
Rean sighed while Sara snickered. At least things were less tense in the room now.
Sara's lips curled into a brighter smile. She got off the bed and stretched her arms, letting out a relieved moan as her muscles loosened. "I'll tell Altina you're up. She's been worried sick about you."
"Thanks, Instructor Sara."
"Just make sure you get your rest. If you're hungry, just call me," Sara's eyes narrowed at him, "or perhaps you would prefer it if the Major brought you food. She could even feed you if you asked her nicely."
Rean arched an eyebrow. What was that about?
"Anyway, we're heading back to the capital tomorrow. Take it easy in the meantime."
Sara left the room without waiting for a response, leaving Rean with his thoughts.
He stole a glance at his desk, where his belongings sat. He waddled over and rummaged through the items, wanting to find one thing in particular.
He pulled out his favorite red fleece jacket that he had received for his 18th birthday.
He held it close to his person as its warmth comforted him in his suddenly cold room.
It wasn't going to get any easier from here on out.
Whew boy, this chapter was a challenging one. I'm pretty sure it's pretty obvious to see where I had to cut corners in order to meet my internal deadline. I ended up packing way more fight scenes than was necessary, so I had to trim them where I could. Hell, I had an entire scrapped premise for this chapter that I cut out completely because it just didn't work.
The Northern War was something of an anomaly to write. The only things I had to use for reference were what was given verbally in-game and the book you're able to read in CS3. All those gave me were a rough timeline on how the events went down, but anything else was completely up for interpretation. I have no idea if that made it easy or hard, but it was certainly something.
Since the transition between CS2 and 3 is the lowest point in Rean's life and the Northern War plays a huge part in that, I wanted to make sure to touch all my bases in this chapter. Rean's taking home no W's today and for good reason. Is it me trying to stay true to the canon or is it me being a sadistic asshole? Even I don't know!
But seriously, thanks for waiting. These past few weeks have been pretty exhausting, but I'm getting my groove back. Since I'm uploading this on literally January 1st, maybe expect another chapter later this month. Stay tuned, everyone!