April Fools
Vowing Double Blade panted and swore, glaring hatefully at the machine across the craggy field. Star-vaders. Even though now he had damned himself to the same Clan, he chose to believe that vision. That Link Joker did not mean Star-vader. The thing in front of him sent a burst of noise that shouldn't have made any sense but that his mind instantly interpreted.
{"Order: 'Operative, you have been directed to return to the eighth forward base of operations, pending information appraisal.' Statement: Continued resistance is without point. Statement: Consciousness is not a requirement. Observation: Your technique is not yet perfected. Continuation: It is draining of your own power, you cannot continue this engagement."}
"Go recycle yourself!" he snapped back, internally cringing that that his mind was still so affected. It hurt, because in the back of his head there were odds running involving the current situation. And they weren't getting better.
But he'd Vowed. And he never backed down from a Vow.
Suddenly, he could feel his heart pulse against his chest. This one in tune fully with his magic and reverberating throughout his body and with it a phantom heartbeat. It was power, the kind so foreign but so familiar. His but not. And the sudden influx sent him to his knee.
His comrades twitched, in concern but before they could do more than shout in alarm, his body pulsed out. Electrical Void magic washed over everyone for a moment, and when they could look again, it was not the Яogue Eradicator, but there had been a resemblance.
The shapes were familiar, but the color palette… Could be nothing other than a direct copy of the Link Joker. Black metal had replaced his scales, Impossibly bright white armor, with golden highlights. A red jewel cut in such a way that it seemed to be glowing eyes of a face relieved upon his armor. The jewel had been carved away, for that was not the only face relief now. One each looked at the (former?) comrades on each side from its vambraces, and those behind him could make out another on his grieves. On each wing two golden lightning bolts stood guard over his wing's phalanges. And across the whole of his body… It had been infested with those pulsing black rings.
The creature was leaning forward on that sinister sword, that blade of the Void. Strapped across his chest a long strip of brown leather, holstering a separate blade. This one wrapped in what could only be Dragon Empire Sealing Cloth. The Ikazuchi Ichinoha, oh how low had it fallen?
His unblinking red eyes stared forward from behind a white helmet, just as polished as the rest.
Digging into the ground with its weapon, the creature got to its feet. Almost hesitantly, it flexed its left hand open and closed. "[Stride?]" it asked, its voice like that of Vowing Double Blade's, but as if it had been played through a synthesizer and mixed with bursts of white noise. "[I suppose the timeline was even more malleable at this point than we thought.]"
"Who are you?" 'What's going on?' {"Directive: Operative, Report."} The questions came from every side. And there was only one side he didn't want to know, didn't deserve to know…
"[Stride is the union of Now and Not Now. Past and Future. Quantum Entanglement of incredibly high fidelity. Possible only with a strong emotional resonance. Though this might be considered Stride Fusion, the act of Striding with yourself. Joining your own power to itself. I was once Яogue Eradicator, Vowing Double Blade Dragon. This shell of Link Joker is known as Vowing StaR-Яogue, Electromotive Dragon.]"
!
The shock was palpable radiating off everyone in waves. It gripped hard at the harness around it's chest. "[When we lost, when Cray fell… So too did our dreams. And now that consuming locust… Our shattered remnants. I can't say we're much better.]"
Then it looked forward. "[But this shell once made a Vow.]" It pulled the strap over its head, dragging the sealed sword forward. "[And that Vow has not been repealed.]"
It tossed the two blades high into the sky. And under its breath it prayed. "[Ikazuchi Ichinoha… Long have I been unworthy to carry you forward. But if you would have this broken soul one last time, I will fulfill my duty until my body is dust and my every memory wiped from this existence.]"
In answer, the sky lashed out with a bolt from the blue, striking the sealed sword on full and eviscerating the wrapping cloth. Then the two blades came hurling to the earth, and handles slapped into two waiting palms. The Ikazuchi Ichinoha in the right and the Fukuma no Kaina in the left.
Then he tilted his head slightly to look back at his soldiers. "[Do you trust me?]"
The platoon looked at each other nervously. That was the true question, wasn't it? Loyalty broken, recklessly throwing itself forward to make reparations. And now this? It could be only a trap, but it could also be salvation from a devil. One by one their faces hardened as they came to their answer. As one, they nodded.
This the "StaR-Яogue" returned. "[Then we must hurry. This fusion is temporary, but more importantly, this power-Stride must not be discovered by the Star-Vaders. At any cost. And the EMP my arrival inadvertently caused will soon fade. Which means that we can leave no survivors, and we must kill them now. Fortunately, we have a way… Lend me your strength.]"
The Star-vaders were not idle and seeing that this new force had made itself a foe, they leapt forward without fear. '[It's funny. Two Clans separated by lightyears and millenia, discovering the same technique and using it for two completely different purposes…]' There were Four Star-vaders so far and the commanding unit. '[First the left…]' He pulled upon his power. Black lightning began crackling between his two blades. "[Electrolysis Lock.]" The Ikazuchi Ichinoha tapped the Fumukma no Kaina, and the both pointed towards the advancing foes on his left.
CRACK!
In an instant, they had been Locked. '[Then the Right…]' "[Electrolysis Lock.]"
CRACK!
"[Blade Hang!]" Magic and sword, barely more than a dagger to the adult dragon, were thrown to the Vanguard. Catching it in his teeth, the Cyberized Dragon glared at the lone invader remaining. '[And collapse the Center!]' Part magic, part lunge, part launch, the Stride creature lunged at his last foe. It was a dance of blades, electricity, and sonic explosions. A strength greater than even what Nouvelle could casually call rained down and shattered the invader's remaining defense. The scorched ashes fell to the earth, blackened and scattered to the wind.
The Cyber Dragon twisted through the attack, his duty not yet done. '[One… Four at once is probably going to be a personal best… But I can't take the chance.]' He called up all his magic, knowing this would likely knock him out when he returned but it needed to be done.
'This technique… It's been forbidden by the decree of the Emperor! This was why our Clan was tarnished! And-'
'[In my time, there is no Emperor. No law. Only what I can carry is the remains of the Narukami. All else is only Link Joker.]' The contrary thoughts stopped, understanding, but not liking. '[One request… This cannot get out. Not even to Trent. For that… I am going to put in a mental block. Link Joker can access your thoughts if they are not guarded.]'
'Do it.'
For this he needed his comrades. Four red spheres surrounded them, but there was no pain. Simply a request for strength. And it was given. And with it, mental access. A Block was placed in five minds, soon to slam down. Their power raced into the swords, a Narukami's natural magic much more in line with what he was about to do than those of those below him in his own natural time. That would help.
The four Locked Star-vaders rose up in front of the lone Cyber Dragon, their last thoughts if they existed, belonged only to them.
"[Thunder DELETE!]"
Four bolts of black lighting hurled down from the sky and struck through the prisons, destroying all within. At the impact four blasts of light radiated out, one from each prison. When they had faded, the only hint that the Cyber Dragon had been there at all were an unconscious formation of Narukami Eradicators and a breeze of ash.
A short snippet by AbZHz101 on SpaceBattles
