Previously on Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED…
"Tessa," he called her, "you already know that I'm the author of this universe, and you already know that I'm responsible to everything in here. However… that doesn't mean that I'm the one who does all the works. No, I don't work alone anymore. I need people to ease the burden I'm carrying right now." Then he sighed and looked up at the flatscreen. "And besides, I think I'm the only person after Sheo who has the most allies in any fan fiction universe. I have Hibiki-chan as my assistant, everyone else as my comrades… no, friends. You, as well."
Tessa giggled. "Aw, that's so sweet of you, Lone Wolf-san. I'm so flattered to be your friend."
"A friend in need is a friend in deed, right?" the author replied, a smile carved upon his face.
-x-
"State out your identification, Robo-Ky."
"Serial-registration-RB5001," the Robo-Ky pronounced.
"Alright, RB5001," Lone Wolf called out the robot's name. "I'm Lone Wolf NEO, and these are the people who are going to accept your existence. Unfortunately, none of us can be your leader, not even I." RB5001 sulked in disappoinment upon hearing the statement, much to the author's pity. "But perhaps I can help you in finding your ideal leader, if you and your fellows agree to cooperate with us."
"Any-terms-would-be-accepted, Lone-Wolf-NEO," RB5001 spoke. "We-Robo-Kys-are-ready-to-collaborate-with-you-at-anytime."
Lone Wolf grinned and offered the unit a handshake. "Welcome to the wolf pack."
x-x-x-x-x
Guilty Gear
Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED
Written and conceived by: Lone Wolf NEO
Lone Wolf NEO does not own any of all the games or anime or manga featured in this story, but he owns the copyright to all his original ideas in this fiction. The author would really appreciate if readers do not plagiaries everything inside this story without his knowledge.
Chronological Note: Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED takes place scarcely half a year after Guilty Gear versus SNK 2: Battle Revolution, and currently runs roughly in parallel with Guilty Gear: The World Within and Without written and owned by Sheo Darren.
Chapter 22
The One Arc Part 2
We've Got to be Prepared
"How's the software updating, Zero?"
"So far, Ciel and I have upgraded 85 of their database. We have also repaired their mechanism and improved their battle system. Give us some more time, and we'll complete the procedure in about three days."
"Make it quick. We don't know what the bureau is planning right now. Oh, don't forget to take a break, okay?"
"Don't worry about us! Zero-chan can take care of everything without even a break!"
"Ciel, will you please drop the suffix?"
"Yada! I won't stop calling you Zero-chan!"
"Oh, great…"
Lone Wolf NEO left the comtrol room and proceeded to the maintenance room as to supervise the reconstruction of the Robo-Ky units. It had been three days since the old units arrived at Kiev, and he was in charge of supervising their upgrading procedure. So far, from his observation, everything went smoothly as he planned. What surprised him was that the robots, unlike the menacing and merciless Robo-Ky Mark II (and what they were in the past) were very obedient and always listened to every words he spoke. Maybe it was because of time that they changed, he thought.
"Konnichiwa, Lone Wolf-kun." Lone Wolf turned around and saw Ciel standing next to the door, smiling at him.
"Konnichiwa," he replied. "How's everything at your side, senpai?"
"Everything's under control, Lone Wolf-kun," Ciel told him, while corrected her eyeglasses. "So far, RB-san's training goes without any hassles."
"Eh? I never thought that you would take RB5001 as your… apprentice," Lone Wolf said.
Ciel just smiled and, again, corrected her eyeglasses. "Iie. RB-san has been persuading me to teach him new fighting styles since he's brought back to live, and I can't just refuse his humble request. In fact, I'm having fun from training the robot. He's like toddlers who just learn to walk."
"I see."
"Ne, Lone Wolf-kun," Ciel called him, a foxily glint beamed from her eyes. "While we're at it, why don't we have a mock duel?"
"Me? Against you?" Lone Wolf replied in surprise. "Whoa, senpai. There's no way I can beat a Vatican agent. I'll just pass."
"Oh? Such an understatement from the lone wolf of author's world whose technique surpasses even Tohno-kun's," she remarked. "I think you're afraid of even hurting a harmless woman like me. Ne?"
Lone Wolf deeply stared at her. "Is that the prelude to a challenge, senpai?" he insisted. Ciel just had an inviting smile carved upon her face, as her sapphire eyes sparkled in an overture to the duel. "Che. You always know how to exploit my weakness toward sapphire eyes," the author uttered and headed toward the nearby gym, Ciel closely following behind.
"So, Ciel-senpai," the author uttered and withdrew NEO Dagger, "consider your challenge accepted. But I must tell you; though I respect you in the sense that you're my senpai and also a woman, don't expect me to be gentle toward you."
Ciel chuckled and transformed into her battle suit, withdrawing several Key Blades from her arsenal. "Sou… then shall we begin?"
Lone Wolf grinned and opened his battle stance. "En garde."
Immediately Ciel tossed several Key Blades at Lone Wolf in her first attack. Lone Wolf evaded the projectiles and rolled toward the Vatican agent, as to land his Shadow Rise uppercut kick. Ciel flipped over the move and counterattacked with a throw, slamming Lone Wolf to the floor. She jumped to the air and tossed barrages of Key Blades, trying to pin her opponent down on the floor.
"Can I be hit by that overdrive, senpai?" Lone Wolf asked and immediately executed his super move. "NOT! FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE!" He evaded the aerial overdrive and knocked Ciel off the attacking range, followed by the crisscross attack patterns of the overdrive. The Flight of the Bumblebee ended with an air throw, and Ciel was tossed back to the floor. Lone Wolf landed on the floor, waiting for his senior to stand up and continue the duel.
"You've progressed this far, Lone Wolf-kun," Ciel commented and corrected her battle suit, "I'm very impressed."
"Oh, please, senpai," Lone Wolf spoke in his down-to-earth manners, "my skill is still so-so to be compared with you. You still have that kind of sting, you know."
Ciel giggled. "Oh, no. As an ex-instructor, I know everything about my former student. You don't have to be too modest toward me all the time, Lone Wolf-kun."
Lone Wolf could only lower his head and scratched the back of it, trying to contain his reserved feeling. "Aw, senpai…"
"Waaa! What are you two doing here?" Both Lone Wolf and Ciel watched at the direction of the cry and saw Arcueid and Shiki standing at the door. "Kiba-chan! What are you doing with her?! Masaka, you're dumping Hibiki-chan away in favour of her!?" Arcueid gasped.
"Arc-chan…" Lone Wolf called her, trying not to be overwhelmed by his blushing face (in which Ciel also did the same). "We were having a mock duel, not a hidden affair. If Hibiki-chan were to hear what you had said, I'm dead."
"Gomen, gomen," Arcueid apologized and laughed silly. "Souka. We were about to look for you regarding the old Robo-Kys."
"Oh? What is it that you want to tell me, Arc-chan?" Lone Wolf asked.
"They keep on insisting to have a leader, and they even ask us to lead them," Shiki told him. "Of course, we can't understand what a robot thinks and wants. It's not that easy to lead a group of robots."
"Kiba-chan, what's your thought on this matter?" Arcueid asked.
The three of the Tsukihime characters watched, as Lone Wolf put back NEO Dagger into its scabbard and took a seat on the ramp. "Even before the full updates are complete, they already… bleh. Where can I find them a suitable candidate to guide them? I don't even have time to temporarily become their leader." He breathed out and stared at the empty ceiling of the gymnasium, until… "Wait a minute." Abruptly he stood up and rushed back to the control room, where Zero was still begging his assistant to stop bothering him. "Zero, Ciel, does your Cyberlink system have the ability to track down people?"
"If we dispatch the Cyber Elves, that is," Zero informed.
"Good, because I'm thinking of asking you a favour," Lone Wolf said. "Find and locate the exact position of the renegade Robo-Ky unit. I need it to be quick, because I believe he's the key factor in winning this war against the Mark II units."
"Robo-san?" Zero uttered.
"Yes, Robo-san who learnt iaijitsu from Hibiki-chan," Lone Wolf told him. "I don't want to waste any time here. Find him, and if you can, beg him to return to Kiev. Everyone's depending on him."
"Just leave it to me, Lone Wolf!" Zero assured. Lone Wolf thanked the Maverick Hunter and walked out of the control room, where the first thing that greeted him was a whack from a tessen.
"Ittai!!!! Hibiki-chan, what was that for?" the author demanded, rubbing his bumped head.
"Arcueid-san told me that you and Ciel-san were having a date at the gymnasium," Hibiki spoke, murderously glowering at him. "Is that true, Lone Wolf-san?"
"What are you talking about? Why are you suddenly accusing me for being disloyal toward you?" Lone Wolf asked and again got hit by the tessen. "Waaa! Hibiki-chan hidoi! Ciel-senpai, taskette!" he cried and ran toward Ciel, hiding behind her. "Senpai, Hibiki-chan wanted to hit me… kowaii…"
"Lone Wolf-san…!!!" Hibiki growled, veins popping on her head.
Ciel could only sigh and shrugged. "Oh my… how sweet of you two," she spoke. "Why don't you get married with your boyfriend, considering that both of you are already close like this? Ne, Takane-san?"
"Yada!!" Hibiki exclaimed, burning in a very deep embarrassment. "And how many times I have to tell you? He's a boy and he's a friend, but he's not my boyfriend! Why can't everyone understand our relationship?"
Ciel beamed at Hibiki. "An understatement, that is." Hibiki snapped in total embarrasment and withdrew her nihontou, ordering Lone Wolf to leave the Vatican agent. Ciel just sighed and smiled at herself, while Lone Wolf squealed and peeked at Hibiki over her shoulder. "Yare, yare…"
x-x-x-x-x
"Captain Tessa."
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"The special force is awaiting your permission."
"Permission granted, Lieutenant."
"Roger."
Immediately the special operative left Tessa and boarded the Pave Low III helicopter. The young woman saluted the special force and watched as the helicopter left the submarine and headed toward the coast off northern Borneo.
"Captain!" one of the crews called. "Our survelliance satellite has detected a fight occuring 120 nautical miles to our northeast. Perhaps you should take a look on it." Immediately Tessa returned to the command center and was presented with a live video footage of a duel happenning at the coast of Mindanao. It was a fight so unusual to her, because it was involving a young woman in French maid uniform and a group of soldiers wearing red garbs. "Captain, the satellite has picked up heat signatures from the duel, and they're at an unusually high level."
"What does that supposed to mean?" Tessa asked.
"Either the fighters are using machines," the survelliance crew told her, "or the fighters themselves are machines. We haven't acquired the fighters' identification, but…"
Tessa watched at the red-garbed warriors who were finally downed by the housemaid. She gasped. "Masaka… Mark II…?"
-x-
At the coastline of Mindanao Island…
The humanoid mechanized warrior was standing alone, surrounded by piles of downed Robo-Ky Mark II soldiers. Held in both hands were arm-mounted flamethrower and frying pan, covered with steams and mists. Her internal mechanical system was overheated and she had to cool herself down, pumping smokes out of her body via exhausts and 'sweat glands'. Her eyes were shut tight, as if she was deeply occupied in her meditation.
"BODY TEMPERATURE DROPS TO ACCEPTABLE LEVEL. MECH-HISUI CONTINUING OPERATION." The mech warrior cum housemaid retracted both weapons into their respective storages and opened her steps, walking into the dense jungle of the Phillipines. "ASSIGNING MAIN OBJECTIVE TO DATABASE: SEARCH THE POWER DISTURBANCE AND IDENTIFY THE OWNER OF THE POWER."
x-x-x-x-x
"Gomennasai, Hibiki-chan…" Arcueid spoke and frowned. "It was just a joke, but Hibiki-chan took it very seriously. Gomen…"
"I've told you, haven't I Arcueid?" Shiki said. "Takane-san is very serious when it comes to relationship with Lone Wolf."
"Gomen…" the True Ancestor apologized and pouted. "Is Hibiki-chan still mad at me, Shiki?"
"I… I was the one who should apology," Hibiki insisted, frowning in embarrassment. "I just jumped into the conclusion without even conforming the truth. Gomennasai, Arcueid-san."
"Now, now," Shiki said, trying to lighten up the situation, "now that Arcueid and Takane-san have apologized, why don't we go and meet Lone Wolf? I think he's still at the control room, or perhaps at the maintenance facility."
"But I thought Kiba-chan would continue the fight with Ciel, Shiki," Arcueid insisted.
"Senpai told me that she's having an errand with the knight," Shiki told her. "Or so it is."
A momenmt later, Akiha and the two housemaids entered the café. "Oniisan," she called him, "what are you doing with them?"
"Oh, nothing very much, Akiha," he said and leaned against the chair. "Just a quick talk between Arcueid and Takane-san. About Lone Wolf."
"Did Takane-san have a quarrel with Lone Wolf-san again?" Akiha asked and slightly giggled. "I'm so surprised to know that the great and responsible author is afraid of his… girlfriend."
"Lone Wolf-san always tells us that Hibiki-san is very scary when she's angry," Hisui added. Beside her, Kohaku just giggled while had her 'fox ears' popping out of her head.
"Mou, minasan… stop teasing me, yamete," the scion of Takane clan begged and cupped her flushed cheeks. Arcueid, Shiki, Akiha and Kohaku laughed at the childish reaction of the iaijitsu warrior, while Hisui slightly smiled in wonder.
-x-
At the facility…
"I don't get it, you guys," Lone Wolf talked to RB5001, the first Robo-Ky to be fully repaired and upgraded. "Why are you looking for your leader? You already know that you're the PWAB's soldiers."
"We-were, Lone-Wolf," RB5001 answered. "When-we-were-first-built, we-already-decided-to-dedicate-our-lives-for-the-bureau-who-gave-us-life. We-were-always-prepared-to-listen-to-the-bureau's-orders-and-we-never-questioned-their-intention-even-for-a-slight-second. We-would-be, and-we-will-always-be-loyal-towards-them."
"Oh," Lone Wolf spoke and nodded.
"Until-the-bureau's-new-chief-ordered-our-production-to-be-terminated," RB5001 continued and frowned. "He-claimed-that-we-were-old-and-outdated, incapable-of-fighting-even-a-five-years-old-kid. Thus, we-were-dropped-from-service-and-declared-defunct-by-the-new-director. Most-of-us-were-destroyed-or-were-sent-to-recycling-facility, but-me-and-my-fellows-were-fortunate-to-be-sent-to-the-Oahu-island."
"You mean there's no more Robo-Ky Mark 1 units?" Lone Wolf asked.
RB5001 shook his head. "Negative. Only-those-who-were-sent-to-the-island-survived. The-rest-of-us… didn't."
"This is very hard," Lone Wolf spoke and scratched his chin, "only 160 of the Mark 1 units survived, how are we going to fight a whole battallion of Mark II?"
"That-is-why-we-need-a-leader," RB5001. "Please, Lone-Wolf. Find-a-leader-for-us. We-promise-to-help-you-with-anything."
"Actually, RB," he called the robot for short, "the search has started. However, I can't guarantee you to have it done in the quickest time. Now, have you heard of the renegade Robo-Ky unit?"
RB5001 stared at the author and blinked. "Who-is-he? We-never-hear-of-anything-about-this-renegade-unit."
"The 'one and only Robo-Ky with a strong will to live'," Lone Wolf said, "at least, that's what Robo-san always claims. He was the one who helped us in destroying the NESTS base at Borneo, and he's not like anything you ever see."
"Not-like-anything-else?" RB5001 asked in intrigue.
"And I believe" Lone Wolf spoke and stared at the Mark 1 unit, "he's the only one who can lead you people. I can't explain how and why, but it has been stated that he's The One."
"The-One, or-Teh-One111111111oneoneone?" jokingly RB5001 asked.
"You've got quite a good sense of humor, RB," the author remarked, followed by laughter from the two of them. Lone Wolf, then, excused himself and walked toward the door before he looked back at RB5001. "Anyway, RB, everything I had said to you is true. I will not, and I will never lie a soldier whose life is dedicated to serving his master. That, I will promise."
"Lone-Wolf," RB5001 called him, "will-you-ask-Mistress-Ciel-to-come-by-here? I'd-like-to-continue-our-training."
Lone Wolf nodded. "I'll let senpai know your… modest request. Later."
The author left the facility and walked out of the building, heading toward the mansion across the road. After several steps, he halted and glanced at his left. "I know you're hiding there, so come out and face me like a man." As if responding to the call, several Robo-Ky Mark II's jumped out of their hiding camp and surrounded Lone Wolf. "What is the bureau thinking in sending you guys to cause havoc worldwide? Can any of you tell me what the hell is going now?"
"None of your concern, Lone Wolf NEO," Mark II spoke and withdrew Thunderseal. "But we have been ordered by Fuhrer to bring your hopeless effort to a permanent end. Prepare yourself!"
"I think you make a mistake in dealing with the lone wolf, Mark II," Lone Wolf spoke and withdrew NEO Dagger. "Because no matter how hard you try, I will predict every move you make. Including those your… Fuhrer acquired from the South Town fighters. For example," and he pointed at a Mark II nearest to him, "this fellow is going to strike at me using Hou'ou Kyaku as I speak."
"How the hell did you know!?" Mark II demanded.
"Dude, plot devices PWN everything else," Lone Wolf answered.
"Error! Blue Screen of Death!" the robot screamed and pounced toward Lone Wolf, trying to land an Ita-Ky-Geki. The author grinned and jumped over the head-on charging attack, counterattacking with a Flight of the Bumblebee. The Robo-Ky unit was easily destroyed on the spot, causing shock and dismay among the remaining Mark II's. Another Mark II activated his built-in bazooka and fired at the author.
"A futile effort!" Lone Wolf shouted and reversed the projectile, sending it back to the attacker. The Robo-Ky had to counterattack with a Ky-Maku Homerun, only to find himself facing the author's wrath. "I'll show you how to deal with a robot like you! FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE!" The robot followed the same faith as his unlucky comrade, and was destroyed by the crisscross overdrive.
"Attack!!!" With that declared, the remaining Robo-Kys charged toward Lone Wolf and landed their respective attacks on the author. Lone Wolf shook his head and spun NEO Dagger in his hand and lowered his stance. Then…
"I will send you."
And he dashed toward the attacking robots, disappeared from sight, and reappeared behind them. The Robo-Ky Mark II units were stunned and had no idea of what had brought them into the kind of halt. Then they spotted seventeen light blades appearing in the air around them.
"What the…?"
"Down with the sickness."
Instantly the streaks combined into a silver cross and and slashed all the robots, promptly destroying the invaders on the spot. Lone Wolf was silent for a while before stood up and put back NEO Dagger into its leather casing. Slowly, he turned around and pointed at a direction. "You're next," he uttered and made a thumb's down that seemed to be directed at somebody, before returned to the mansion.
-x-
"DAMN IT! IS HE MOCKING ME OR WHAT!?" Mark 2 snapped in anger when he saw the hand gesture. He watched in dismay via the video footage, as the author left the remains of the destroyed units and headed toward the mansion. The Robo-Ky snarled and clenched his fists, letting out an intense gale from them. "YOU'RE MAKING ME ANGRY, LONE WOLF. YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH ME!" he shouted and fired a Reppuken onto the wall, creating a hole on the structure. He lost his temper and stood up, retracting the throne into his body and took the Thunderseal plunged on the floor. "THIS TIME… I SHALL DEAL WITH YOU BY MYSELF, LONE WOLF…!"