Chapter 18: Unlock, Upkeep, Draw Plans

I collapsed backwards, my legs all but giving out on me after the battle. I didn't rightly know if it was due to my own mindset causing the reaction or my instincts robbing me of the feeling in my legs.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to center myself even as the sounds of combat echoed across the battlefield, petering beyond hearing before a roar went up from the Shadow Paladins.

All of that… I'd killed. I'd killed purposely, destroying that Star-vader. It was so different from…

I shivered, recalling the image of the Selenium collapsed against a tree.

Around the battlefield, the Shadow Paladins began collecting the wounded and dead. The bodies of the dead Star-vaders were tossed together without much care while the wounded were taken off the field. There weren't many dead Shadow Paladins, though Locked units also littered the field, the Void Magic still trapping the bound unit in a prison of agony.

Feeling sick, I forced myself to my feet. I had to keep moving forward, no matter what happened.

I could probably at least try and help Unlock the ones stuck in them, I was a rank amateur at it, but it was the least I could do.

Gravity Ball had strode over to the pile of Star-vader bodies and seemed to be inspecting them for something before getting into an argument with the next Shadow Paladin to add one to the pile.

With that in mind, I strode over to the closest Lock, having no real idea as to what I was doing and reached out with what I knew of the magic in this body. I wanted to pull the Lock apart, free the one inside. Making contact with it, metaphysically speaking, it was like a series of knots all snaking in on themselves, like a hose or extention cord when it gets improperly put away and pulled back out. It wasn't complex but undoing the knots wasn't a question of simple brute force.

…Well, there were ways around knots.

I didn't have the brute force or any idea how to cut the knot, but with a bit of "slack" it would unravel on its own. I wasn't quite sure if I could actually do it, but with a bit of effort, I pulled on the energy making the knot itself and drew it into me as I had when fleeing Luquier.

It was different from that time. Then I had been running, so focused on repurposing the magic radiating off of the Lock into shields to protect me from the Silver Thorn Queen's thralls rather than undoing the Locks themselves.

This time, it was like a surge of energy poured through my body, filling it with power. It was intoxicating, making me feel like I could take on the world. It was amazing, like I'd just eaten a full meal and had a wonderful rest.

"That is a non-standard method of interaction with Locked Units," Colony Maker noted from behind me.

Tracing my hands across the rings of the Lock, I pulled and pulled and PULLED. Perhaps it was greed, a lust for a power, a desire to not feel as weak as I had just moments ago. Maybe it was something else. I didn't know offhand and didn't care to analyze. I didn't look back at her as I replied, "Maybe, but if it works…"

The rings cracked. I belatedly realized I was smiling.

The Lock fell away, the soldier within letting out a groan of relief as they were released and subsequently passed out. Pulling my hands up to look at the almost flame-like puffs of Void coating them, I remarked, "…Then it works."

I smiled out at the fields around us before looking to the Colony Maker standing behind me. With a wide gesture across the battlefield, I declared, "We've got a whole lot of Unlocking to get to."

"Of course," came the answer, so willing to follow along as she was.

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"Well, I must admit that your presence here has had a rather unanticipated benefit," Charon remarked. "Though it possibly should have been something we should have asked about as you use the same Magic as our enemies."

"Eh, it's less me actively knowing how to use it and more swinging till I hit something," I responded, leaning back in my seat in the command tent. "So much as I wish that I was some kind of motherfucking sorcerer, I'm not."

"Clearly," Gravity Ball muttered from beside me. Then even more softly so that it was next to impossible to hear he added, "Can't even read subtext."

With a roll of my shoulders, I reflected on the energy that I'd worked off, missing the way that it had made me feel. Looking to the short Giant, I ask, "So, how's the plan progressing?"

"Scouting reports indicate that Nebula Lord Dragon is fortifying his main strongholds. In addition, he is sending the Silver Thorns after us." The Giant smiled a grin that is all teeth. "We might not have any active contacts with the Pale Moon, but they haven't had long enough to change their codes."

With a puckering of my lips, I looked down to the table and grunted, "Well, guess we better keep Raging Form and the rest of the draconic soldiers off the field if the Silver Thorns are going to be taking the field. Don't want her busting her Mystic Eye out on them."

Raging Form began to make a great rumbling growl that began to shake some of the smaller objects on the table.

"While it isn't only dragons who are vulnerable to her Geas, trying to fend off two mental influences at once would be… Not ideal," Junos stated, staring the Abyss Dragon down. "You aren't in doubt, but we can all recognize a bad matchup in a fight."

The dragon scowled fiercely, his claws tightening around the haft of his polearm to the point that it creaked under the pressure.

"That is… understood, what would you have me do then? Babysit this lot?" With that he gestured at me, the Colony Maker, and the Gravity Ball.

"If we lose them, we do lose our ability to rescue Locked comrades," Mordred noted neutrally. "That would be bad." Then he shrugged as if it was the difference between picking a red shirt or a blue one. "And we have seen that it is possible to overcome the Яeverse. And if that were to happen… There would only be one mental influence, no greater risk than anyone else is taking. And personally, I don't think any of our Paladins lose out to a Thunder Dragon. Afterall, you managed to not succumb when affected, no one else has."

Raging Form grumbled, but didn't say anything. I smiled up at the dragon, and remarked, "Welcome to the "hanging out in the back club," there's no membership fees, no perks, and no respect given freely."

At least the worst the rumours he'd get would be about him being taken off the frontlines, I'd more than likely be called a coward.

…Then again, I was in no mood to encounter Luquier again. The Crazy Elf had more than put me off her presence until she managed to find her happy- less dominatrix place. I was fine with her being into that, but I sure as hell wasn't touching it with a nine foot pole.

I was something of a sadist, I'm willing to admit that much. I had a line. She would have used it to do unmentionable things to me.

Shaking my head, I declared, "So, what's the plan to deal with our unfriendly neighbourhood Silver Thorn Dragon Queen, Luquier Яeverse?"

"She'll want to make a production out of her attack, so we don't have to worry as much about ambush," Charon began. "And in a straight fight, I don't doubt our victory. Though I admit, it would have been much more difficult without the forces which were Unlocked. I imagine that will be quite the shock for Nebula Lord when he learns of it."

"The main issue is how she uses her Lock ability. She essentially uses it to pull servants out from under…under her bra? Well, her crown, I guess," I remarked, thinking back on the Elf's abilities.

"Not exactly unusual for the Pale Moon," Junos noted, face perfectly composed. "The main difference is that they actually stay out. Though that always was a talent of hers."

I shrugged, pulling a face, "Well, they also get a nice juicy steroid shot from the release, as it were. So that's a fun little detail. Outside of that, we also have to deal with Nebula at the same time."

Charon looked over to Gravity Ball, "What would you say would be the closest force that could affect our fight if we only needed…" his hand moved over the table and separated some folders from the rest leaving about a two-thirds in the central pile, "This much of our forces to defeat Luquier?"

Closing his eyes as he ran calculations he stated,"Assuming that he only calls on the ones from Dark Zone, then he'd be bringing them in from the Northwest. More exactly, I'd say that they would be coming out of some ruins that Chaos Breaker wanted investigated. It was around the area that Scrap-for-brains was filmed." Then he pointed to the Gear Chronicle Ruins. "Though since he won't be expecting the Unlocked Troops… We should be fine overall."

I clicked my tongue at that, annoyed at how my own actions were causing this. What would they do if they found the Time-manipulating Clan? Could they? Most of Cray didn't even know they existed, but the Star-vaders had evidence.

"So, we can maybe expect enemy reinforcements from there, and should we expect anything from the Dragon Empire given our proximity to its borders?"

"If he does, we've been screwed from the beginning. Are what little of your brains you had seeping out of your skull? That was the conceit of this entire expedition."

"I mean, the issue is if we actually have to worry about Hyakki Vogue. The fucker's annoying with his whole Shadow Clone shit," I murmured as I thought about the Яeversed Ninja Dragon. Fuck that guy. "Then again, I doubt that we have to worry about him till later. And I'm allowed to worry about shit going wrong, you trash gremlin."

"You'll run them through, won't you?" Junos asked Raging Form, I couldn't tell if his smirk was at the by-play or the images he was indulging in of Raging Form against the Star-vaders. "If they come, that should be enough, right?"

Raging Form grunted, "Well, it'd be reason enough… And besides, should worst come to pass, then I'll be free to work off my aggression."

"Then guard our back."

"Ha, I'd prefer to lead the charge, but I'll gladly watch your six this time," The dragon remarked, a cruel grin on his maw at the thought.

Looking at the two of them, I cleared my throat, "Listen, much as I hate to actually acknowledge the lawn ornament as being close to correct on anything, he did have a point earlier. Don't know if it got to you yet. Would we be able to have some of the parts from the dead Star-vaders? Spares are kind a necessity, seeing as we're all robots."

"You need doctors and healing magic, we need repairs," the cyber dragon stated, actually ignoring the jab for once. "And even if those two can eat, it's still hell on their converters… And I do actually need fuel eventually. We're efficient, but even the Void doesn't work miracles for free."

"I see…" Mordred trailed off, his eyes trying to bore into my soul. After a moment, he declared, "I shall send a report to the King, it is wisest to let him decide on this matter."

"Bureaucracy and Travel Latency, joy," Gravity Ball grumbled.

I shrugged and murmured to the cyber dragon, "At least he's willing to check for us, short stuff. He coulda just brushed it off like Claret would have."

Gravity Ball just rolled his eyes. "From what I remember of that expedition team, they're mostly capture and retrieval specialist Units. Things like Palladium, Dysprosium, Mobius Breath, Freezeray Dragon" His claws tapped the table as he continued to speculate. "There might be one or two spare bodies of one of the commanders there, but they'd be on auto-pilot. Not the actual Nebula Lord. If your forces didn't have their Units Unlocked… Anything you kept back here would probably have been a sacrifice."

"That means that the main threat would be the actual leader and the Mobius Breaths then, if I remember correctly," Ashlei remarked, the Jewel Knight speaking for the first time during the meeting.

"It is unusual for non-Ego Units to be able to wield the power of Void to Lock," Colony Maker replied. "Exceptions are for Capture and Retrieval and as those targets are often powerful in their own right, low grade Units would fall before being able to accomplish the goal. Thus the creation of Unit Class: Freezeray Dragon. Retention and Continuation of existing Locks is something handled by the more fragile lesser Unit Classes."

"And Freezeray's his own issue due to Locking those who attack him… Any way around that? Multiple angles of attack at the same time? Striking from a distance?" I inquired as I remembered the unit in question. "And as for the other units, they'll likely get in the way, but unless they've got Kryptons or Radons, I wouldn't expect too much of a fight."

Raging Form's scales seemed to have paled to an ashen color and his entire body shook. "We. Encountered. A Freezeray Dragon." He was practically hyperventilating. "It ended in THIS!" He roared, jamming a single digit at the ring hovering behind him.

"We weren't aware of its power at the time or the disruption it could cause," Charon muttered. "By the time we realized… It was my failure."

I frowned, thinking on that.

"But, there's no reason for a Freezeray to have been able to Яeverse you… They're not Chaos Breaker. Maybe he was acting through one?"

"I cannot speak on the details there," Charon stated. "But knowing what I do now, I would say multiple attackers are the worst way of attacking one of those creatures. No, far better is to pin it down and finish it off in one blow. It can't use its power when dead."

"Fair enough then, I'll assume that you'd want to do the honours?" I asked the Яeversed dragon.

"Vengeance," Raging Form hissed in reply. I couldn't fully tell if he could hear me at the moment, but everyone knew that was a yes.

I looked about the table, seeing all of them settling into their ready states even as the pit in my stomach started to grow deeper.

The battle would continue yet.