A/N-Pure action in this one. R-n-R!!
Vandread: Chapter 3
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BATTLE UPON SERAPH WINGS
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Hibiki saw Dita sleeping peacefully as he stirred up from his slumber. He remembered that they had spent the whole night together, telling each other their hopes and fears. The boy was tempted to wake Dita but quickly changed his mind; it would be rude to do so. He decided to leave the room to allow Dita to enjoy her sleep in peace.
The first place the young pilot went to was Duero's sickbay. When he came in, he found Duero reading books; most of them well exceeding five inches in width.
"I didn't know you were the bookish type," Hibiki greeted.
"But I certainly do look the part, don't I?" Duero replied with a grin; his eyes never leaving his books. "So, what brings you here? It's still a bit too early for breakfast."
"Dita needed her sleep...you should know my sleeping habits," he stammered. This wasn't what he wanted to say, but apparently his brain was still half- asleep.
Duero chuckled at the fact. "Indeed."
Hibiki flashed a goofy grin; he hated such awkward conversations like this. Duero wasn't even looking at him! "So...what are you reading, Doc?"
"Information about the Holy Grail,"
"What?" Hibiki managed to say despite his initial surprise.
Duero looked at him sternly. "The crux of the matter here nowadays is all focused on that gold chalice we just salvaged. Holy Grail or not, it has gotten everyone here spooked. You should've seen my last shift here. Almost everyone here kept complaining that they were hearing things. Hearing things they only kept within themselves. Like they had suddenly gone mad."
Hibiki's eyes hardened now; he knew the fact all too well. "What have you found?"
"I can't even begin to say that information is very terribly scarce," he admitted. "Too scarce for comfort. All of the information only suggests that the Holy Grail is a healing instrument."
"Healing?"
"Yes, Hibiki. According to the books, the Holy Grail was created to heal any mortal wounds of those who drink the water from it and even grant them immortality."
"Immortality?" Hibiki echoed in disbelief.
"Yes. And it was alleged to be designed by a supreme being," added Duero.
"Is that all?"
Duero didn't answer.
"Is this all, Duero?" Hibiki repeated.
Duero had by now scanned the last of the book he had on his hands. He sighed and looked at Hibiki, more sternly this time. With a hint of disbelief, and a lot more strength in his voice as well. "Hibiki...you don't seriously believe this, do you? The Pexis Plagma is something that science can verify. This...well, this just...do you really believe this malarkey?"
Hibiki sighed. "I don't know what to believe..."
The doctor's face softened. "Sorry about that. Nevertheless, Harvest won't scrounge for this thing if didn't have some form of power, right?"
Hibiki nodded. "You're right. Did you tell the Captain and others?"
"Not yet. Soon."
Duero glanced at the clock and switched his attention back to Hibiki. "Breakfast time already? Oh, if the clock says so. Why don't you come with me to the mess hall? The earlier the hotter the potatoes are."
"No thanks, doc. I'm gonna call Dita and have her come with me to the mess hall so she could cook breakfast for me," said Hibiki. "You know how it is..."
Duero laughed wholeheartedly. Of course he understood. "Well, if you say so, you loverboy you," he joked with a grin.
As Hibiki returned to the room he woke Dita from her sleep; it was time for her to wake up anyway. Although it was perfectly fine with him if she refused, he nevertheless had asked if they could eat breakfast together. The red-haired girl eagerly accepted the invitation with a smile, and went to the kitchen with him. There she cooked his favorite breakfast; a more traditional meal of waffles, tuna sandwiches, eggs, bacon strips, cheese, a liter of orange juice and pancakes with butter and maple syrup. More emphasis was given to the pancakes, of course. It was something Dita had learned during their voyages together. Hibiki always ate pancakes with such...enthusiasm.
"Do you like them?" asked Dita.
A muffled voice came the reply. Dita laughed at the sight of Hibiki engorging his mouth with all kinds of edible things; the liter of orange already needed a refill due to all that washing down.
"More, Hibiki?"
"Please!" the vanguard pilot joyfully answered through bated breath.
All of a sudden the red alert klaxons blared throughout the ship. Hibiki moaned, as if struck with some deathly wound. There went his breakfast!
"That's red alert," Dita gasped. "Dita never liked red alert..."
"That must mean we're under attack," Hibiki guessed. "Let's go, Dita."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Hibiki and Dita went all the way from the kitchen to the dread hangar. It was a miracle that Hibiki's stomach didn't spasm through all that running. At their arrival they were met with the other pilots. Meia, ever so ready for battle, was already inside her dread cockpit.
"I am glad you two made it on time," she said with a smirk. It was rare to find them on their separate ways. Meia often wondered when they would finally open up their feelings to each other...but this wasn't the time for such emotions.
"I am glad to be of the service, leader!" saluted Dita.
"Everybody, let's go," Meia ordered. "We've got an H-12 scenario."
Meia, Dita, Hibiki and all the other pilots departed outside in space only to be surprised to see nine humanoid men with large black wings and chalk- white skin attack on one lone man with similar appearance; all of them wearing gold armor and weapons that simply shone with brilliance, not to mention an awe-inspiring glow upon their bodies. The cornered warrior, the only one among them who had white wings, fought as long and as valiantly as he could, but it was more than obvious that his chances of survival were slim.
Hibiki stared at the men; obviously surprised. How could they possibly survive in space? They're not even wearing spacesuits!
"Just what the hell are those things?!" Jura screeched. Goosebumps riddled her fair skin at the sight of the warriors.
The winged men began to notice them, however. "Fools! Do you dare interfere with the justice of the Arch Seraphs?!" the largest of them demanded to all of Nirvana's crew through telepathy.
"Please, we mean no harm," Meia asked in her most pleasant tone, "Whoever you are, we humbly ask that-"
Their leader grinned evilly; his raspy voice resonating throughout every non-Arch Seraph's mind. "Ah, I know that voice! Meia Gisborn!! Kubriel was a vain fool to try and defend you and your lot. No matter. I, Reziel, and the rest of my men shall dispose of you the same way we will dispose this traitor. You have seen too much!"
Everyone who belonged to Nirvana's crew had a most unpleasant shock, of course, but none was as shocked as Meia and Hibiki.
Reziel flapped his glorious black wings in pure defiance. "Succhiel, weave balefire and destroy them!"
One of them flexed his fingers around him as if knitting a simple cloth, and immediately fired a powerful blast of white balefire at the Nirvana. Though its shields save it, all of the dreads that were caught in its path were instantly annihilated; Hibiki Tokai's onyx eyes being a prime witness to the tragedy.
The First Generation pilot angrily gripped his controls. The bastards!! His eyes blazed so hotly they seemed to scald.
"Son of a...!!" Bart spat out angrily. "They're trying to kill us all!!"
Magno's face appeared on the monitor of every remaining fighter. "Everybody keep alert! You've seen what they have done and of what they are capable of; they are not interested in peace talks. The one they are trying to kill is obviously their enemy; and an enemy of our enemy can be our ally. All fighters, rescue that man at all costs!"
Bart smirked at the new order, and proceeded to blast the winged men with the special Nirvana energy MIRVs. Reziel and the others had successfully protected themselves from certain death, but at the cost of their armor's splendid brilliance.
"They are strong, my lord Reziel." Succhiel said to his lord in thought. "They might actually be able to destroy us. Just as Harvest had expected of them."
"Nonsense, Sachiel!! Take all of your men and destroy these interlopers. I will deal with the traitor Kubriel personally," Reziel ordered via telepathic link. "Kill them all!!"
"Yes, my lord."
Reziel swiftly fought his way through the meddlesome dreads and into a duel with Kubriel. Although quite pleased with the now-even playing field, the white-winged warrior's eyes furrowed upon the innocent people that he was supposed to protect...and were now risking death.
"You've become low, Reziel. As low as your insurrection and of your superiors," Kubriel said, his voice deep and steady. "What's next, second phase with Harvest?"
"Anything for power," Reziel spat in reply as he charged in with his sword. "It was a fair bargain, anyway."
Meanwhile, Succhiel and the other winged men instantly formed a firm defense by covering their backs in a circle and fired white pillars of balefire in every direction. The large diameter of the balefire was hard enough to dodge; the Arch Seraphs had managed at one point to destroy three dreads with a single blast. A brave, or rather foolish, dread was strong enough to cripple the right wing of Succhiel, but was not spared of a fiery death as white balefire overtook her and her insolence.
"Shelley!!!" Barnette called the doomed pilot's name; her eyes flaring at the death of a friend. "You'll all pay for that!!"
"We must not let Shelley's sacrifice go in vain," vowed Meia. "Hibiki, merge with me. With Vandread Meia's speed we might be able to scatter their weakest and defeat them one by one."
"Understood, leader," Hibiki rasped. The casualty rate had not escaped his mind, not for an instant.
Despite the ensuing chaos in space Hibiki's vanguard and Meia's dread had successfully formed together into Vandread Meia, and proceeded to separate the Arch Seraph's defense.
Thanks to Vandread Meia's superb speed and agility they had succeeded in dividing their ranks from each other. Meia readied the Vandread's weapons on a lock-on with the leanest and least-built Arch Seraph she could find, and opened fire without mercy. It had hit him hard on the chest but it failed to disintegrate him, although the Arch Seraph was badly burned and crippled; his armor nothing more than scrap.
His red eyes glowed brightly with hot rage. Attack him, would they?! And by Meia Gisborn as well?! He began to weave large amounts of balefire within his fingers, the most powerful he could manage, but before he could even target the deathly brimstone fire at Hibiki and Meia a burst of energy had disintegrated him.
"Ezakiel!!" Succhiel roared as a red dread defeated one of his men.
Meia gasped in surprise. "Jura?"
"You can thank me later!!" Jura said with her renewed vigor as she fought on the other Arch Seraphs.
In pure anger Succhiel weaved unholy amounts of balefire from his fingers and threw them out against his adversaries like a sun did with its rays. One of his men dead?! No one under god's presence should even be able to kill an Arch Seraph!!
He continued to blast balefire in every direction his enemies were, when a telepathic scream echoed in his mind. Rahvikiel dead?! Another scream, this time made by his most trusted aid Semakiel. No!
"We've got them down to six!!" Meia called out to everyone that was still fighting as she observed Kubriel's duel with Reziel, and of the Nirvana's condition as well. "Fortunately for now our man seems to be holding his own. Bart has successfully kept the Nirvana relatively intact despite their assault. To all units! Don't let yourselves be caught by their attacks!"
Succhiel hissed in sheer contempt. Were they losing to mere mortals?! Impossible!! In his misguided rage he took his golden sword, and never hesitated a moment to chop down every enemy he could find. He cut down dreads with his right hand, while he balefired others with his left. The last cry of Asmodriel made its way through his mind. He gritted his teeth. This was madness! They could never be defeated by such primitive animals!!
In his anger, he had somehow managed to have luck on his side as the edge of a balefire pillar damaged the right wing of Vandread Meia; the seemingly dragon-shaped ship threatening to explode at any moment.
Hibiki by now was literally fuming with hatred as he witnessed Succhiel's merciless murder of his crewmembers. Hatred so deep black in color that it made space appear gray in comparison.
Do you see now, Hibiki? We cannot die, but your comrades certainly have met such a fate. Can you not see, that despite your powers, you cannot save them all? How can you even save them from our final assault, when you can't even save a few pitiful souls?
Hibiki hissed at the voice. Red Pexis. Harvest. Why won't it stop tormenting him?! Even his body shook terribly at the sound; as if he was the one damaged and not Vandread Meia.
"Hibiki, we must separate if we're to survive!" Meia called out to him sternly, but she was very much aware of his sudden anguish.
He didn't waste a moment as he pressed their disengage system; his vanguard wielding his sword like a seasoned champion. He had put all his effort and spare time in training himself in these kinds of situations. Crying out in a frenzy, he charged in to defeat every last one of his enemies. He will prove Red Pexis wrong. He will!!
The cries of Demadriel and Garanbriel rang in Succhiel's mind. They were down to three!! Immediately he spied upon Rezekiel's duel with Kubriel. Reziel was now gaining the upper hand, but at this late time? Kubriel was, after all, the very last hope of his meddling ilk. Most likely his dying comrades had given him all of their strength. A clever move, indeed.
He then heard the last scream of Telamakiel. In fury hotter than balefire itself he found his victor; a sleek blue dread. The insolence!! Blind in his rage he decided to make the pilot pay dearly by suffering in a long, agonizing defeat. He fired a perfectly-aimed balefire at the blue dread.
Dita screamed in pain at the point of impact; her controls cracking of electricity and injuring her slightly by lost shrapnel. Her dread's shields, as technologically advanced as they were compared to the others, had failed completely. A second shot would most definitely end her life.
"Hibiki!!" she cried out in desperation. Was she going to die like this? Immediately she saw Meia and the others coming for her aid, but they were so far away...too far away...could they even save her in time?
Succhiel prepared for the final balefire, when all of a sudden a cold blade, colder indeed than Cocytus itself, ended his life instead.
Hibiki Tokai gasped for breath; his vanguard sword steaming with death.
"Hibiki!" Dita said with a relieved smile.
Reziel roared as he heard the deathcry of Succhiel. Of all of his men. Bastards!! With a cry of pure hell he kicked the now-weakened Kubriel from him; he had won their duel. He then allowed balefire to dangerously encompass his entire body. So what if he died?! More will come in his place. It was for the betterment of the Arch Seraphs; Nemagabriel would be most pleased by his sacrifice.
"Prepare to die, fools!!" Reziel screamed as he allowed his body to become a literal sun of balefire.
Kubriel would have been killed by such an attack, had not Jura been quick enough to save him; anyone close enough to Reziel's blazing form was sure to die immediately. Reziel, outraged by this, focused a great amount of balefire from his hands; an amount powerful enough to decimate an entire meteor to nothing. He directed the blast at Dita; the one closest to his range of fire.
His balefire exterior was protecting him from enemy fire, even against Nirvana's MIRVs, but Hibiki wasn't done yet saving Dita from certain death.
Hahaha...aren't we the lucky one? But your efforts are all in vain!! You cannot save your loved ones!! You may be able to save her now, but what about tomorrow? May it be then, soon or whenever, they will die by my hand!!
"NO!! You lie, Harvest!!" Hibiki yelled out as he pushed Dita's dread out of the way from Reziel's balefire. "Dita, let's merge together!!" he ordered coldly.
Despite his shockingly unusual callousness Dita obeyed, and their vehicles instantly merged together into the powerful blue humanoid Vandread Dita.
Reziel, unfazed by this new phenomenon, had now released his powerful balefire targeted straight at the new Vandread. The blast was possible to evade completely, but Hibiki, lost in his dark angst, opted instead to overpower the attack by launching the Vandread's powerful twin laser cannons.
In a great green flash the Vandread's twin laser attack was fired. The two light pillars met and tried to push the other back at its user, but Reziel was having the advantage as his balefire proved too powerful even for the blue Vandread.
Meia grappled for her com-link as she saw the fear-inducing battle for survival. "Hibiki," she announced boldly, "you can't manage it any longer!! You can still dodge the attack, if you'd just let go of the trigger!!"
"Silence!" Hibiki shrieked in a dark, raspy voice. He couldn't allow Red Pexis to see him struggle. "I can defeat him!! I CAN!! I am First Generation!! I am the storm of space! I...am...GOD!!"
"Hibiki!!" Dita cried out to her co-pilot. She had some control over Vandread Dita, of course, but as long as Hibiki had such ferocity in the controls she couldn't do a thing. Much less with his rage...no, to call it rage was foolish. Slowly she allowed fear and sorrow overcome her.
Can you hear them now? They're mocking you of your weakness. Of your utter helplessness. Why not listen to their logic? You know you are weak. Why deny that fact?!
Hibiki growled at the sound of Red Pexis; its dark booming voice mocking his efforts. Him, weak?! Lies!! Didn't it hear his proclamation of power?! He was First Generation, goddamnit!!
His dark eyes had flared into red. As red as the blood that stained Red Pexis. With one last battlecry he forced more power into Vandread Dita's generators; how he was able to do so did not interest him. The Vandread's reaction to this strange occurence was to immediately focus it at the laser cannons; enabling it to increase power and completely overwhelm the balefire. Reziel, as his balefire had all consumed every conceivable part of him, had no time to scream and writh in agony as green death, coupled with a more powerful attack by Nirvana, overtook him.
Hibiki gasped heavily at his dark deed. His old, gentle self had returned to him, and he was quick to note Dita's stiffled sobs of fear.
"Dita...?" Hibiki's soft voice trailed off, afraid to hurt her. "I...I..." God, what had he done?!
But Dita, in her sorrow, had decided to disengage their union as Vandread Dita, and was the first one among her remaining comrades to return to Nirvana.
"What have I done...?" Hibiki whispered to himself.
Meanwhile, Meia and Jura were carefully looking at their rescued warrior. Kubriel had a face free from any beard or moustache, possessed glowing silver hair and pure white wings, but aside from those he was no different from Reziel and the others.
"He's still unconscious inside my ship's shields. Let's take him to Nirvana," said Jura as everybody returned back to Nirvana, with Hibiki entering in last.
....to be continued...
Vandread: Chapter 3
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BATTLE UPON SERAPH WINGS
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Hibiki saw Dita sleeping peacefully as he stirred up from his slumber. He remembered that they had spent the whole night together, telling each other their hopes and fears. The boy was tempted to wake Dita but quickly changed his mind; it would be rude to do so. He decided to leave the room to allow Dita to enjoy her sleep in peace.
The first place the young pilot went to was Duero's sickbay. When he came in, he found Duero reading books; most of them well exceeding five inches in width.
"I didn't know you were the bookish type," Hibiki greeted.
"But I certainly do look the part, don't I?" Duero replied with a grin; his eyes never leaving his books. "So, what brings you here? It's still a bit too early for breakfast."
"Dita needed her sleep...you should know my sleeping habits," he stammered. This wasn't what he wanted to say, but apparently his brain was still half- asleep.
Duero chuckled at the fact. "Indeed."
Hibiki flashed a goofy grin; he hated such awkward conversations like this. Duero wasn't even looking at him! "So...what are you reading, Doc?"
"Information about the Holy Grail,"
"What?" Hibiki managed to say despite his initial surprise.
Duero looked at him sternly. "The crux of the matter here nowadays is all focused on that gold chalice we just salvaged. Holy Grail or not, it has gotten everyone here spooked. You should've seen my last shift here. Almost everyone here kept complaining that they were hearing things. Hearing things they only kept within themselves. Like they had suddenly gone mad."
Hibiki's eyes hardened now; he knew the fact all too well. "What have you found?"
"I can't even begin to say that information is very terribly scarce," he admitted. "Too scarce for comfort. All of the information only suggests that the Holy Grail is a healing instrument."
"Healing?"
"Yes, Hibiki. According to the books, the Holy Grail was created to heal any mortal wounds of those who drink the water from it and even grant them immortality."
"Immortality?" Hibiki echoed in disbelief.
"Yes. And it was alleged to be designed by a supreme being," added Duero.
"Is that all?"
Duero didn't answer.
"Is this all, Duero?" Hibiki repeated.
Duero had by now scanned the last of the book he had on his hands. He sighed and looked at Hibiki, more sternly this time. With a hint of disbelief, and a lot more strength in his voice as well. "Hibiki...you don't seriously believe this, do you? The Pexis Plagma is something that science can verify. This...well, this just...do you really believe this malarkey?"
Hibiki sighed. "I don't know what to believe..."
The doctor's face softened. "Sorry about that. Nevertheless, Harvest won't scrounge for this thing if didn't have some form of power, right?"
Hibiki nodded. "You're right. Did you tell the Captain and others?"
"Not yet. Soon."
Duero glanced at the clock and switched his attention back to Hibiki. "Breakfast time already? Oh, if the clock says so. Why don't you come with me to the mess hall? The earlier the hotter the potatoes are."
"No thanks, doc. I'm gonna call Dita and have her come with me to the mess hall so she could cook breakfast for me," said Hibiki. "You know how it is..."
Duero laughed wholeheartedly. Of course he understood. "Well, if you say so, you loverboy you," he joked with a grin.
As Hibiki returned to the room he woke Dita from her sleep; it was time for her to wake up anyway. Although it was perfectly fine with him if she refused, he nevertheless had asked if they could eat breakfast together. The red-haired girl eagerly accepted the invitation with a smile, and went to the kitchen with him. There she cooked his favorite breakfast; a more traditional meal of waffles, tuna sandwiches, eggs, bacon strips, cheese, a liter of orange juice and pancakes with butter and maple syrup. More emphasis was given to the pancakes, of course. It was something Dita had learned during their voyages together. Hibiki always ate pancakes with such...enthusiasm.
"Do you like them?" asked Dita.
A muffled voice came the reply. Dita laughed at the sight of Hibiki engorging his mouth with all kinds of edible things; the liter of orange already needed a refill due to all that washing down.
"More, Hibiki?"
"Please!" the vanguard pilot joyfully answered through bated breath.
All of a sudden the red alert klaxons blared throughout the ship. Hibiki moaned, as if struck with some deathly wound. There went his breakfast!
"That's red alert," Dita gasped. "Dita never liked red alert..."
"That must mean we're under attack," Hibiki guessed. "Let's go, Dita."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Hibiki and Dita went all the way from the kitchen to the dread hangar. It was a miracle that Hibiki's stomach didn't spasm through all that running. At their arrival they were met with the other pilots. Meia, ever so ready for battle, was already inside her dread cockpit.
"I am glad you two made it on time," she said with a smirk. It was rare to find them on their separate ways. Meia often wondered when they would finally open up their feelings to each other...but this wasn't the time for such emotions.
"I am glad to be of the service, leader!" saluted Dita.
"Everybody, let's go," Meia ordered. "We've got an H-12 scenario."
Meia, Dita, Hibiki and all the other pilots departed outside in space only to be surprised to see nine humanoid men with large black wings and chalk- white skin attack on one lone man with similar appearance; all of them wearing gold armor and weapons that simply shone with brilliance, not to mention an awe-inspiring glow upon their bodies. The cornered warrior, the only one among them who had white wings, fought as long and as valiantly as he could, but it was more than obvious that his chances of survival were slim.
Hibiki stared at the men; obviously surprised. How could they possibly survive in space? They're not even wearing spacesuits!
"Just what the hell are those things?!" Jura screeched. Goosebumps riddled her fair skin at the sight of the warriors.
The winged men began to notice them, however. "Fools! Do you dare interfere with the justice of the Arch Seraphs?!" the largest of them demanded to all of Nirvana's crew through telepathy.
"Please, we mean no harm," Meia asked in her most pleasant tone, "Whoever you are, we humbly ask that-"
Their leader grinned evilly; his raspy voice resonating throughout every non-Arch Seraph's mind. "Ah, I know that voice! Meia Gisborn!! Kubriel was a vain fool to try and defend you and your lot. No matter. I, Reziel, and the rest of my men shall dispose of you the same way we will dispose this traitor. You have seen too much!"
Everyone who belonged to Nirvana's crew had a most unpleasant shock, of course, but none was as shocked as Meia and Hibiki.
Reziel flapped his glorious black wings in pure defiance. "Succhiel, weave balefire and destroy them!"
One of them flexed his fingers around him as if knitting a simple cloth, and immediately fired a powerful blast of white balefire at the Nirvana. Though its shields save it, all of the dreads that were caught in its path were instantly annihilated; Hibiki Tokai's onyx eyes being a prime witness to the tragedy.
The First Generation pilot angrily gripped his controls. The bastards!! His eyes blazed so hotly they seemed to scald.
"Son of a...!!" Bart spat out angrily. "They're trying to kill us all!!"
Magno's face appeared on the monitor of every remaining fighter. "Everybody keep alert! You've seen what they have done and of what they are capable of; they are not interested in peace talks. The one they are trying to kill is obviously their enemy; and an enemy of our enemy can be our ally. All fighters, rescue that man at all costs!"
Bart smirked at the new order, and proceeded to blast the winged men with the special Nirvana energy MIRVs. Reziel and the others had successfully protected themselves from certain death, but at the cost of their armor's splendid brilliance.
"They are strong, my lord Reziel." Succhiel said to his lord in thought. "They might actually be able to destroy us. Just as Harvest had expected of them."
"Nonsense, Sachiel!! Take all of your men and destroy these interlopers. I will deal with the traitor Kubriel personally," Reziel ordered via telepathic link. "Kill them all!!"
"Yes, my lord."
Reziel swiftly fought his way through the meddlesome dreads and into a duel with Kubriel. Although quite pleased with the now-even playing field, the white-winged warrior's eyes furrowed upon the innocent people that he was supposed to protect...and were now risking death.
"You've become low, Reziel. As low as your insurrection and of your superiors," Kubriel said, his voice deep and steady. "What's next, second phase with Harvest?"
"Anything for power," Reziel spat in reply as he charged in with his sword. "It was a fair bargain, anyway."
Meanwhile, Succhiel and the other winged men instantly formed a firm defense by covering their backs in a circle and fired white pillars of balefire in every direction. The large diameter of the balefire was hard enough to dodge; the Arch Seraphs had managed at one point to destroy three dreads with a single blast. A brave, or rather foolish, dread was strong enough to cripple the right wing of Succhiel, but was not spared of a fiery death as white balefire overtook her and her insolence.
"Shelley!!!" Barnette called the doomed pilot's name; her eyes flaring at the death of a friend. "You'll all pay for that!!"
"We must not let Shelley's sacrifice go in vain," vowed Meia. "Hibiki, merge with me. With Vandread Meia's speed we might be able to scatter their weakest and defeat them one by one."
"Understood, leader," Hibiki rasped. The casualty rate had not escaped his mind, not for an instant.
Despite the ensuing chaos in space Hibiki's vanguard and Meia's dread had successfully formed together into Vandread Meia, and proceeded to separate the Arch Seraph's defense.
Thanks to Vandread Meia's superb speed and agility they had succeeded in dividing their ranks from each other. Meia readied the Vandread's weapons on a lock-on with the leanest and least-built Arch Seraph she could find, and opened fire without mercy. It had hit him hard on the chest but it failed to disintegrate him, although the Arch Seraph was badly burned and crippled; his armor nothing more than scrap.
His red eyes glowed brightly with hot rage. Attack him, would they?! And by Meia Gisborn as well?! He began to weave large amounts of balefire within his fingers, the most powerful he could manage, but before he could even target the deathly brimstone fire at Hibiki and Meia a burst of energy had disintegrated him.
"Ezakiel!!" Succhiel roared as a red dread defeated one of his men.
Meia gasped in surprise. "Jura?"
"You can thank me later!!" Jura said with her renewed vigor as she fought on the other Arch Seraphs.
In pure anger Succhiel weaved unholy amounts of balefire from his fingers and threw them out against his adversaries like a sun did with its rays. One of his men dead?! No one under god's presence should even be able to kill an Arch Seraph!!
He continued to blast balefire in every direction his enemies were, when a telepathic scream echoed in his mind. Rahvikiel dead?! Another scream, this time made by his most trusted aid Semakiel. No!
"We've got them down to six!!" Meia called out to everyone that was still fighting as she observed Kubriel's duel with Reziel, and of the Nirvana's condition as well. "Fortunately for now our man seems to be holding his own. Bart has successfully kept the Nirvana relatively intact despite their assault. To all units! Don't let yourselves be caught by their attacks!"
Succhiel hissed in sheer contempt. Were they losing to mere mortals?! Impossible!! In his misguided rage he took his golden sword, and never hesitated a moment to chop down every enemy he could find. He cut down dreads with his right hand, while he balefired others with his left. The last cry of Asmodriel made its way through his mind. He gritted his teeth. This was madness! They could never be defeated by such primitive animals!!
In his anger, he had somehow managed to have luck on his side as the edge of a balefire pillar damaged the right wing of Vandread Meia; the seemingly dragon-shaped ship threatening to explode at any moment.
Hibiki by now was literally fuming with hatred as he witnessed Succhiel's merciless murder of his crewmembers. Hatred so deep black in color that it made space appear gray in comparison.
Do you see now, Hibiki? We cannot die, but your comrades certainly have met such a fate. Can you not see, that despite your powers, you cannot save them all? How can you even save them from our final assault, when you can't even save a few pitiful souls?
Hibiki hissed at the voice. Red Pexis. Harvest. Why won't it stop tormenting him?! Even his body shook terribly at the sound; as if he was the one damaged and not Vandread Meia.
"Hibiki, we must separate if we're to survive!" Meia called out to him sternly, but she was very much aware of his sudden anguish.
He didn't waste a moment as he pressed their disengage system; his vanguard wielding his sword like a seasoned champion. He had put all his effort and spare time in training himself in these kinds of situations. Crying out in a frenzy, he charged in to defeat every last one of his enemies. He will prove Red Pexis wrong. He will!!
The cries of Demadriel and Garanbriel rang in Succhiel's mind. They were down to three!! Immediately he spied upon Rezekiel's duel with Kubriel. Reziel was now gaining the upper hand, but at this late time? Kubriel was, after all, the very last hope of his meddling ilk. Most likely his dying comrades had given him all of their strength. A clever move, indeed.
He then heard the last scream of Telamakiel. In fury hotter than balefire itself he found his victor; a sleek blue dread. The insolence!! Blind in his rage he decided to make the pilot pay dearly by suffering in a long, agonizing defeat. He fired a perfectly-aimed balefire at the blue dread.
Dita screamed in pain at the point of impact; her controls cracking of electricity and injuring her slightly by lost shrapnel. Her dread's shields, as technologically advanced as they were compared to the others, had failed completely. A second shot would most definitely end her life.
"Hibiki!!" she cried out in desperation. Was she going to die like this? Immediately she saw Meia and the others coming for her aid, but they were so far away...too far away...could they even save her in time?
Succhiel prepared for the final balefire, when all of a sudden a cold blade, colder indeed than Cocytus itself, ended his life instead.
Hibiki Tokai gasped for breath; his vanguard sword steaming with death.
"Hibiki!" Dita said with a relieved smile.
Reziel roared as he heard the deathcry of Succhiel. Of all of his men. Bastards!! With a cry of pure hell he kicked the now-weakened Kubriel from him; he had won their duel. He then allowed balefire to dangerously encompass his entire body. So what if he died?! More will come in his place. It was for the betterment of the Arch Seraphs; Nemagabriel would be most pleased by his sacrifice.
"Prepare to die, fools!!" Reziel screamed as he allowed his body to become a literal sun of balefire.
Kubriel would have been killed by such an attack, had not Jura been quick enough to save him; anyone close enough to Reziel's blazing form was sure to die immediately. Reziel, outraged by this, focused a great amount of balefire from his hands; an amount powerful enough to decimate an entire meteor to nothing. He directed the blast at Dita; the one closest to his range of fire.
His balefire exterior was protecting him from enemy fire, even against Nirvana's MIRVs, but Hibiki wasn't done yet saving Dita from certain death.
Hahaha...aren't we the lucky one? But your efforts are all in vain!! You cannot save your loved ones!! You may be able to save her now, but what about tomorrow? May it be then, soon or whenever, they will die by my hand!!
"NO!! You lie, Harvest!!" Hibiki yelled out as he pushed Dita's dread out of the way from Reziel's balefire. "Dita, let's merge together!!" he ordered coldly.
Despite his shockingly unusual callousness Dita obeyed, and their vehicles instantly merged together into the powerful blue humanoid Vandread Dita.
Reziel, unfazed by this new phenomenon, had now released his powerful balefire targeted straight at the new Vandread. The blast was possible to evade completely, but Hibiki, lost in his dark angst, opted instead to overpower the attack by launching the Vandread's powerful twin laser cannons.
In a great green flash the Vandread's twin laser attack was fired. The two light pillars met and tried to push the other back at its user, but Reziel was having the advantage as his balefire proved too powerful even for the blue Vandread.
Meia grappled for her com-link as she saw the fear-inducing battle for survival. "Hibiki," she announced boldly, "you can't manage it any longer!! You can still dodge the attack, if you'd just let go of the trigger!!"
"Silence!" Hibiki shrieked in a dark, raspy voice. He couldn't allow Red Pexis to see him struggle. "I can defeat him!! I CAN!! I am First Generation!! I am the storm of space! I...am...GOD!!"
"Hibiki!!" Dita cried out to her co-pilot. She had some control over Vandread Dita, of course, but as long as Hibiki had such ferocity in the controls she couldn't do a thing. Much less with his rage...no, to call it rage was foolish. Slowly she allowed fear and sorrow overcome her.
Can you hear them now? They're mocking you of your weakness. Of your utter helplessness. Why not listen to their logic? You know you are weak. Why deny that fact?!
Hibiki growled at the sound of Red Pexis; its dark booming voice mocking his efforts. Him, weak?! Lies!! Didn't it hear his proclamation of power?! He was First Generation, goddamnit!!
His dark eyes had flared into red. As red as the blood that stained Red Pexis. With one last battlecry he forced more power into Vandread Dita's generators; how he was able to do so did not interest him. The Vandread's reaction to this strange occurence was to immediately focus it at the laser cannons; enabling it to increase power and completely overwhelm the balefire. Reziel, as his balefire had all consumed every conceivable part of him, had no time to scream and writh in agony as green death, coupled with a more powerful attack by Nirvana, overtook him.
Hibiki gasped heavily at his dark deed. His old, gentle self had returned to him, and he was quick to note Dita's stiffled sobs of fear.
"Dita...?" Hibiki's soft voice trailed off, afraid to hurt her. "I...I..." God, what had he done?!
But Dita, in her sorrow, had decided to disengage their union as Vandread Dita, and was the first one among her remaining comrades to return to Nirvana.
"What have I done...?" Hibiki whispered to himself.
Meanwhile, Meia and Jura were carefully looking at their rescued warrior. Kubriel had a face free from any beard or moustache, possessed glowing silver hair and pure white wings, but aside from those he was no different from Reziel and the others.
"He's still unconscious inside my ship's shields. Let's take him to Nirvana," said Jura as everybody returned back to Nirvana, with Hibiki entering in last.
....to be continued...