Volume III.5: Vermillion Blue
Chapter III: That Man I Saw In Vier-Galla…
Dawn, The Following Day
Location: Scrap Zone, Kiln
The night passed over the trio peacefully as they slept in the middle of a scrap yard. The sun began to rise, shining light on Noel's face as the girl stirred in her sleep. The blonde started to wake up, slowly opening her eyes. Noel looked underneath the blood stained sheet to see that her wound still hadn't fully closed. It wasn't as large as it was when she went to sleep, and it didn't hurt as much to move around. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, wincing slightly.
"It's already morning," she said.
Holding her sheet to her chest, she looked around for Aguil and Lyrial. She saw the two siblings were sleeping peacefully as well, laying right next to each other. Noel decided to not wake them immediately. Aguil and Lyrial had been doing their best to provide for her after her fight. They've gotten new clothes for her, and took care of her injuries while she was unconscious. They deserved to sleep for as long as they wanted to. Noel smiled while she looked at them.
"I really owe the two of them a lot," she said to herself. "If I hadn't ran into Lyrial by accident, I'd probably be dead right now. Aguil, Lyrial, thank you… I just wish I could ease some of this burden off you."
Noel let go of her sheet and started to stand up. She walked past the snoring siblings, still covering herself out of embarrassment, and towards the bag full of clothes. She picked up the bag and walked back to where she slept. The blonde started rummaging through the assortment of clothing, specifically for underwear at least. It took a moment of search before she found them. It turns out that Lyrial put all of the bras and panties at the bottom of the bag.
"I don't get why she'd put them at the bottom, but I'm just glad that they were in there," Noel said, pulling a set of white underwear. "I was starting to get concerned. But I should really get dressed."
Noel was sitting down cross legged after putting her underwear on. She was searching through the bag to see what she'd choose to wear. There was a numerous amount of clothes to choose from, dresses, pants, shirts. Lyrial brought a lot of stuff for just one person.
"Eh?!"
Eventually, she came across a set of clothes she wasn't expecting to see. Among the outfits was a blue camisole with black stripes, and a pair of tight black shorts to complete it.
"W-Why would she buy something that's so revealing for me to wear?!" Noel asked herself, blushing. "This looks like something Makoto would choose to wear, not me! What was she thinking?" Noel sat the camisole and shorts combo aside, and continued looking through the bag. Next, she pulled out a simple combination of a long sleeved white shirt with a long, blue dress reaching just past her knees. "Ah, now this is more like it. I'd rather wear something like this." Noel begins to stand up. "Though, it's not exactly something made for getting into fights. It might be hard to use if I have to go up against those assassins again-Gnn!"
The blonde suddenly winced as she felt a sharp pain in her chest from her injury, she stumbled back and fell on her sheet, the blue skirt gently falling on her leg. She was expecting that there would be some pain, but that sudden jolt surprised her. Noel was breathing heavily as she let herself recover, the pain dying down.
"Guess I was moving around a little too much," she said to herself.
Noel heard yawning. She looked over to see Lyrial getting up, the pinkette making sure that she didn't wake her brother. Noel held her blue skirt over her body as the pinkette looked over at her.
"Oh hey," Lyrial said. "You're already up and at it."
"I-I haven't been up that long, actually," Noel replied. "I was trying to see if I could get dressed before you two woke up."
Lyrial walked over while talking. "So that's why you're holding that skirt close to ya! Ah, there's no need for that, is there? We're both girls here. There's nothing on you that's not on me. Besides, we've already seen you naked."
Noel sweat drops before lowering her guard. "Right… Still, thank you for all of this. Even if some of the clothes are… questionable. Everything's sizable enough that I could wear them."
"I wanted to make sure everything was as accurate as possible. So I had Aguil take your measurements while I went out shopping."
"You didn't have to do all of that. Honestly, I think you two sisters are really spoiling me."
"Sisters…?"
"Hm?" Noel blinked. "Aguil is your sister, isn't she? I know she dresses very boyish, but I still feel like I can sense this feminine aura coming from her."
Lyrial realized Noel was under the impression that her brother Aguil was actually her sister. She understood how Noel could make this mistake, as their Master Monika has noted that Aguil can come off as feminine at times. He's been mistaken for a girl numerous times in the past as well, referred to as a tomboy. Lyrial could easily clear up this misunderstanding of course. However, she decided that instead of telling Noel that Aguil's a boy, she was going to have a little fun with this.
"Oh yeah, Aguil gets a lot," Lyrial replied. "I can't count how many times people keep thinking she's a guy. Her actions don't help either. Hell, while taking your measurements, she was so flustered that she insisted on doing it with her eyes closed."
"Why's that? You don't seem to have a problem with it since we're all girls here."
"Big Sister's just a little too respectful sometimes. And, in her defense, we've just met. So that may have been overstepping some boundaries. On my part too since I undressed you."
"Yeah that… I know you were trying to do me a favor, but maybe next time you wait for me to wake up before taking my clothes off…"
Lyrial rubs the back of her head while laughing. "Heh, heh. Sorry. But on another note, what do you think? Did you find anything that you like in there?"
"I think so. I might take a moment to keep looking though. Is there anything that you think I'd prefer?"
"You were wearing some expensive stuff when we first met." Lyrial rummaged through the bag. "If that's the thing you're into, then there's something in here I think you'll like."
Lyrial started pulling out different clothes from the bag, one at a time as she handed them to Noel. First, she pulled out a blue long coat with short sleeves, a gold outline and two buttons on each side. Next, a white collar shirt that came with a blue ribbon. The last thing was a tight blue skirt that matched her coat, complete with a black belt with a gold hook.
"O-Oh my…" Noel was surprised at the unique clothing Lyrial brought. "Lyrial, this looks very expensive! How much did it cost?"
"Ah, don't worry about that. I still have money to spare. If you feel like you still can't move properly to get dressed, I'll lend you a hand."
"No, that's alright. I should be able to put my clothes on at the very least."
"Oh! Before you do…"
"Huh?"
Lyrial reached into the bag one last time and pulled out a roll of bandage wraps. "It'll be better if we wrap these around your body first," she said. "If that wound of yours opens up again, this should keep it from bleeding into your clothes."
"That's smart thinking, Lyrial."
After wrapping the bandages around her, Noel started to get dressed. Her injuries weren't causing her much trouble as she took her time, Lyrial sitting around and waiting. About halfway through is when Aguil started waking up. The boy rolled over as he opened his eyes, and immediately he woke up to the sight of Noel and Lyrial conversing while the former was getting dressed, prompting him to immediately turn over and avert his eyes. However, Lyrial noticed that he was awake.
"Morning, Aguil," she called out.
"G-Good morning you two!" Aguil replied, flustered.
Noel finished getting dressed as quickly as possible while taking her time. In the meantime, Aguil had taken off his hoodie, leaving him in his usual red crop top. The trio were all sitting together on the ground.
"Noel, how are you feeling?" Aguil asked. "Has your wound…"
"No, it still hasn't healed completely," Noel answered. "But it's not as bad as it was before. That potion is working amazingly well considering you gave it to me only yesterday. There's still some pain, but I can move around much more than before. It might be hard to fight though, so I don't think I'll be much help if those two show up again."
"Actually, there's three of them now," Lyrial sighed.
"Huh?"
"It's the reason Aguil and I got held up. The two of us were coming to help, but this girl with white hair and a three headed lance showed up. She was tough, but we managed to work together and beat her. By that time though…
"The other one was able to attack you from behind," Aguil stated. "If only we had been a little quicker."
"You can't blame only yourselves," Noel said. "I should've expected a surprise attack like that, even if I was getting exhausted from fighting the girl with blue hair. I didn't realize that she would be so difficult to deal with. I was expecting her to be extremely tough, but even I couldn't have fathomed that she'd have so many ranged weapons in her arsenal. What IS she?"
"Aguil explained them to me earlier," Lyrial commented, looking at her brother. "What did you say they were again?"
"Demonic Androids," Aguil explained again. "I spent last night trying to recall everything I learned about them while trying to sleep. They're human girls that were kidnapped and brainwashed, their bodies altered as they were stripped of their humanity and turned into demonic weapons used for numerous tasks. Most of the time, they're killers that attack their objectives without a second thought. Whoever it is, they're the ones commanding those three to kill you."
"I see…" Noel said. "So that's what they are…" Though they were her enemies now, Noel couldn't help but relate in her head the similarities to how those three Demonic Androids are to her memories of what Saya was put through when kidnapped by Terumi. Of course, she is Saya now, and that only makes the feeling worse. But she didn't let it distract her from the fact that the three wanted to kill her. "Do you think they'll come after me once we leave here?"
"Most likely. There's a chance that they could be in the area looking for you. They're really good at concealing their presence."
"That's why we wanted to talk about what you wanna do now," Lyrial said. "Aguil and I considered bringing you along with us for safety. But, our Master's airship is still a higher priority over some girl we just met. You understand, don't you?"
"It's alright," Noel nodded. "I wouldn't want you two to get hurt because of me anyway. Where is this airship of yours though? Why didn't we stay the night there?"
"It's in another city, Chestile," Aguil answered. "That was the closest dock for it at the time, so we had to fly all the way here on our own. It's a good distance away, and there's a lot of open land in between Vier-Galla and Chestile. It's not exactly safe."
"Did you want to come with us anyway?" Lyrial asked.
"No, that's not it," Noel replied.
"Huh?" Both siblings looked at her surprised.
"After this… my plans are to go back to Vier-Galla."
"Why would you wanna willingly go back to Vier-Galla now?" Lyrial questioned. "That's the last place you should go with that injury! Those Demonic Androids are probably lying in wait for you to return there first!"
"Lyrial's right," Aguil added. "That's practically asking for trouble."
"I'm well aware of the danger I'll be in if I return to Vier-Galla now," Noel answered. "But I can't just leave now. There's something there that I have to confirm with my own eyes."
"What is it?"
"Before I ran into the two of you, I saw somebody at one of the train stations. I don't know if they even noticed I was there as they seemed to be part of the city's military, considering they called him 'Captain' and all. But the moment I heard their voice, I was convinced that person was somebody I knew. Someone from my world was in the city as well, I'm sure they were. I have to confirm that it is him."
"This person… He must be really important to you."
"Yes. He's my brother."
"Your brother?!" Lyrial and Aguil both exclaimed.
Noel nodded. "At least, I think it's him. And I want to confirm whether or not my suspicions are correct. Besides, if those androids are after me for being an otherworlder, like the blue haired one said, then there's a chance that they'll go after him as well. It'd be much better if we stick together than be separated."
"You have a point there," Lyrial said. "What should we do?"
"I'm still worried about you, Noel," Aguil said. "I wouldn't feel right about letting you go out there by yourself and then something bad happens. Lyrial, if you want, you can head back to the Saint Illustrious on your own. I'm going to travel with Noel and help her find her brother."
"And leave you alone? No way! I'd never leave your side in something like this. You can count on me to help!"
"Really…?" Noel asked.
"Yep!"
"We're going to stay with you, no matter the trouble," Aguil said. "The Persuant siblings have your back!"
Noel was surprised to see the two's willingness to help. Despite having only met yesterday, Aguil and Lyrial both seem to have a lot of trust in Noel, and were very concerned for her safety. Was it because they're both otherworlders? Or did they think of her as a friend already? Regardless, she knew that it's not a smart idea to turn down their assistance right now. She doesn't know her way around Vier-Galla, Kiln, or anywhere in Riverbrandt. These two have been here longer than she has, and could lead her around safely, less she runs into unnecessary trouble. Noel smiled at their friendliness, knowing that she can put her trust in them.
"Thank you both," she said. "You've been a really big help to me ever since we met. I'll try my best to make sure neither of you get put in harm's way because of me."
"As long as you make sure you don't overdo it," Lyrial said. "There'll be no reason for any of us to get hurt."
Suddenly, multiple stomachs could be heard growling. All three blushed slightly and giggled.
"That's right," Noel said. "I don't think I've eaten since I got here. This injury must be almost fully healed if I feel like eating now."
"I had a feeling that'd be the case," Aguil said, handing her an apple. "I didn't think it would be a good idea to buy anything for you while that hole was still there, but Lyrial and I had a leftover apple I can give you for now."
"Tell you what," Lyrial spoke up. "As soon as I get dressed, we'll head back to Vier-Galla. If we're careful, we should be able to find someplace to eat without running into trouble. Our abilities will really come in handy in making sure we aren't spotted."
"Aren't you already dressed?" Noel asked.
"What, this?" Lyrial refers to the dress she was wearing yesterday. "The temperature's gonna be warmer today than it was yesterday, so I don't need to walk around in this dress for now." Lyrial threw off her thigh length dress and undershirt, walking over to where Noel sat down the camisole and shorts. "That's why I bought this for myself while I was out."
"Oh! So that was for you!"
"Well yeah. Why? Did you want it? I didn't think you'd be that type of girl, but-"
"No, I'm fine!"
Morning
Location: East District, Vier-Galla
"-And in the end, a sizable portion of Monochrome Tower was damaged during the incident. Further investigation showed that explosives were used."
A group of soldiers from the kingdom of Galla were stationed at a fountain in the southern area of the district. Among the common soldiers were a few of those that were mentioned by their ranks earlier. The First Major, Second Lieutenant, and Warrant Officer were by the fountain with a small group. Another soldier arrived later on from the west district, reporting the incident at Monochrome Tower to the First Major.
"We're still trying to determine the attackers' identity," said the messenger. "Eye witness reports lead to the attack being caused by Demons, but we aren't sure. All of the information from civilians is still being put together, as well as information from our own investigation."
"I see…" the First Major said. "Well now, I wasn't expecting that we'd be dealing with another demonic invasion."
"I'm still confused here, Ma'am," the Second Lieutenant. "What on earth would Demons accomplish by destroying a tourist attraction?"
"Tower haters…" the Warrant Officer uttered.
"Mm, that could be it," the major said. "Maybe they just didn't like the tower. Black and white's not going to please everyone. However, it IS our property." She turned and faced the messenger again. "Is that all to report?"
"Not yet, Ma'am," he answered. "The Magistrate says that this situation needs to be taken care of as quickly as possible before any heavy damage is caused to Vier-Galla."
"That's only to be expected. This is a major issue. However," the first major looked behind her, where a certain man with blonde hair was in the distance. "That will surely cause problems for the Captain's mission."
"First Major!" the lieutenant stood at attention as she spoke. "Please, allow me to assume command and handle this situation on my own."
"Me too," the warrant officer did the same.
"Oh?" the major looked at them, slightly surprised. "It seems you lot are rather eager to deal with this without us. Well then." She looks specifically at the second lieutenant. "Starting with you specifically. Second Lieutenant… Crimson R. Kannon, correct?"
"Yes Ma'am!" the redhead answered.
"I mean no offense when I say this. But normally, I wouldn't expect someone who already lost one eye in service to be hungry for battle. Why the enthusiasm, love?"
"I am not demoralized by the fact that my vision is limited. And I certainly don't want this to be a hindrance if I hope to become a commander someday."
"Ohh, I see! Truthfully, you're looking to be promoted to First Lieutenant."
"That is correct, First Major."
"And you," next, the major turns to the warrant officer. "Um… remind me of your name again. I don't think you introduced yourself on the train."
"Warrant Officer. Chiyome Yumi," the blunette stated. "Ninja. Intelligence Branch."
"Quite the low rank for someone considered to be very skilled. Are you looking for a future promotion too?"
"No.
"Really now? That's a surprise, I figured you'd be all about that, warrant officer."
"This mission is important. Important to the Captain. I want him… to keep going."
"I see. So you're doing this for his sake, eh?"
"Yes."
"Hm… Well, I don't have any real reason to turn down your requests." The First Major gave them a thumbs up. "Alright then. If that's what you want, I'll leave command to the two of you."
Crimson saluted. "Thank you, Major!"
Yumi bowed. "Understood."
The redhead commanded a portion of the soldiers to follow her and Yumi, the blunette going ahead on her own. The first major put a hand on her hip and watched the soldiers march towards the railyard they came from. Her attention was suddenly taken up over the fact that she was still wearing her fur coat despite the temperature change.
"Hm… Maybe I should've taken this off when I woke up."
"Didn't you tell me on the way here, you were hoping to be promoted to Colonel soon?" She was suddenly approached by the Captain, who had a question of his own. "Are you really passing up that opportunity just to keep an eye on me?"
"Oh that's not it," she answered him. "I'm a Knight anyways, so chances like that tend to come often if I seek them out. Who am I to put down those under me?" The major turned around to face the captain. "By the way… What have you learned? Is that girl nearby?"
"She is… or at least, she was."
"Hm?"
"The trail is heading elsewhere at this point. Chances are we may have just missed her. I'll have to do some more searching first. I don't know if she went back to the west, or if she's left the city altogether."
"Bloody hell… This is becoming quite the wild goose chase for a single girl. Honestly, at this point, you may want to consider giving up your search."
"I refuse."
"You won't have a choice if it's an order though."
"Why don't you make things easier for me then?"
"Oh? Are you asking me to-"
"I am." The Captain points at the Major. "First Major Maya Winchester. I'm requesting that you recommend me to the Princess. If I am to continue using this kingdom's resources freely to my advantage, I require the power that the title of Knight holds."
"You know… I've always liked that about you. You get straight to the point with your goals, and you have been ever since you became a member of our military." The first major, Maya, smiled. "I don't see any issues with passing on my word of recommendation. Be warned however, I cannot guarantee that this will get you the title. The Princess is the one who will make the decision. If I pass your request on and she doesn't approve, then there is literally nothing that I can do. But why am I saying all of this? You already understand, right… Captain Kisaragi?"
"Of course."
"Very well. I'll be sure to let her know once we arrive at the capital after this. For now… there's no reason for you to stop."
"Hm."
He made his intentions clear, and walked away. Not willing to allow anybody to stop him easily, the captain, Jin Kisaragi continues with his mission.
-X-
The soldiers led by Crimson and Yumi didn't waste time reaching the railyard, or preparing to depart. They boarded the bullet train almost immediately and got seated. The redhead was holding onto her large cannon while the blunette sat beside her cross-legged, despite being in a chair and the awkward way it left her uniform dangling, with her eyes closed.
"Hey, Warrant Officer," Crimson spoke up. The ninja opened one eye and looked at her. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That… she is involved?" Yumi questioned.
"You think I made a bad call back there?"
"No… I feel she is involved… but not responsible."
"I see…" Crimson let go of her cannon and folded her arms. "I'll keep that in mind when we get to the west district."
Noon
Location: A Restaurant in the West District, Vier-Galla
As the day was underway, Aguil, Lyrial, and Noel had set out from Kiln back to Vier-Galla. Using her abilities, Lyrial acted as the one leading them around the city this time, keeping an eye out for any of the three demonic androids, and wary that there might be more. Aguil walked beside Noel, wanting to keep an eye on her as the blonde walked slower than she normally would. She could eat, move, and do everything else just fine. But she had to make sure she didn't push herself too far, even though her hole in her chest was nearly fully healed. As far as the siblings were concerned, Noel should be back at one hundred percent by the time they finished eating, but it would be inappropriate to check when they're in public.
With the pinkette as their guide, their main goal was to find something to eat. Aguil asked around as they explored, getting many different recommendations from the people he asked. After they talked it over, the group settled on a small outdoor restaurant that was nearby. Their day had been going smoothly so far, being able to eat without any interruptions. Eventually, Lyrial brought up the idea of ordering dessert while they were here. Aguil protested, thinking it might not be such a good idea to indulge in sweets so early in the morning, but neither Lyrial nor Noel was bothered by that. He caved in as well, as he wanted to join them in ordering dessert of his own.
All three ordered something different. For Lyrial, she ordered a couple of strawberry ice cream parfaits. For Noel, a large serving of vanilla custard cake pudding. For Aguil, a vanilla ice cream sundae. The three had radiant smiles as they enjoyed their desserts, conversing with one another as well while they had the time. The siblings were interested in learning more about Noel's brother, thinking it would aid them with their search. Noel didn't mind, and had a lot to talk about since they had the time.
""No offense Noel," Lyrial commented. "But when you put it that way, your big brother kinda sounds like a dick…"
"He can be… hard to get along with sometimes," Noel replied. "But we make an effort to get along with each other, I promise."
"What did you say his name was again?" Aguil questioned. "Jin Kisaragi, right? How come the two of you have different last names?"
"Well… things happened when we were children, and we ended up being separated. Jin was taken in by the Kisaragi household, while I was adopted by the Vermillion family. But we are brother and sister at the end of the day."
"No wonder your relationship is sour." Aguil took a bite of his sundae. "I suppose that could happen if you two were separated. Honestly, I'm afraid just imagining what it'd be like if Lyrial and I had that kind of relationship."
"I wish we could have a relationship like you two. You seem very close." Aguil nodded. Lyrial was too busy enjoying her parfait to respond. "Uh Lyrial, don't eat that so quickly." the blonde warned. "You might get a-"
"Ack!" Lyrial dropped her spoon and held her head. "My head!"
"Brain freeze…"
Aguil and Noel sweatdropped. The latter then sighed happily, getting the former's attention.
"Something the matter?" Aguil asked.
"No, nothing at all," Noel answered. "I was just enjoying the fact that after everything that's happened, we can have even a single moment to sit back and enjoy ourselves. After yesterday was so hectic, we could all use a moment like this to relax and recover. It feels like my wound has healed up completely too. I haven't felt the slightest pain in a while."
Aguil smiled happily. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm just as glad that Lyrial and I were around to help you yesterday. I wish I could've prevented that deadly wound in the first place, but at least I was able to make sure you healed properly." The brunette suddenly remembered something important when he said that, causing him to blush heavily.
"Aguil?"
"I-I just remembered!" The boy bowed his head in an apologetic manner. "I forgot to give you an apology for when I had to give you that potion."
"Eh? Why's that?" Before he could say anything, Noel quickly pieced together and realized exactly how she was given the potion. She started blushing as well. "W-Wait! Did you have to-!"
"I'm very sorry! It was the only way I could force you to take it at the time!"
"I-It's alright, promise! If you hadn't done that, I probably would've died right? It's very embarrassing to think about, but I understand why you did it!"
Both of them sighed.
Noel let out a slight laugh as she thought about the people in her world. The person that came to mind was Kagura Mutsuki, recalling the numerous attempts he's tried flirting with her. She could only imagine the look on his face if he learned that someone, reasons aside, got a kiss from her. On the lips at that.
"Though, I'm pretty sure there would be some people I know that might be jealous that you've kissed me…" She also thought about how many times Makoto interfered and punted Kagura across the room whenever he flirted with her. "And one person that'd probably punch you the moment she found out."
Aguil sweatdropped.
"You think this person would be jealous over JUST a kiss?" Lyrial chimed in, laughing. "Imagine how much they'd be fuming if they heard about how we've seen you naked."
Aguil's face turned completely red. "Lyrial, PLEASE!"
Noel did the same, flailing her arms around. " STOP! Stop stop stop! Oh, Makoto would definitely flip if she heard this! Lyrial, you can't just say something like that outloud without any context, or out loud in general!"
"Heh heh," Lyrial chuckled. "Sorry."
Noel and Aguil went back to eating their respective desserts, trying to calm down after the embarrassing road that conversation went down on. While they were eating, Lyrial finished her parfaits without any more brain freezes. The pinkette was sitting there happily, but suddenly looked behind her discreetly. Narrowing her eyes and folding her arms, she didn't turn her head back around for a few seconds. Eventually, she faced her brother and Noel, who were close to finishing their desserts as well.
"Hey, Aguil, Noel," she said. "Are you two done with that anyway?"
"Hm?" Aguil looked up at his sister. "Yeah, I think I've had enough. I think I ate a little too much."
"Me too," Noel said. "I didn't realize how big this actually was until I started eating it. Why do you ask?"
"I just wanted to check with you two before I did this," Lyrial answered, causing the two to raise a brow.
"Huh?"
"Do… what exactly?" Aguil questioned.
"Do this!"
Suddenly, Lyrial raised her right leg and slammed it down on the table, forcing the top of it forward and pushing her out of her chair. She grabbed Aguil and Noel and pulled them behind the table, surprising them. Before either them or anyone else around could question her actions, a volley of bullets flew out of nowhere, colliding with the top of the knocked over metal table. Everyone else started panicking and running off while the bullet hail was underway. Noel and Aguil covered their heads while Lyrial summoned her bow, knowing exactly what this is. The three were pinned down as bullets were fired for twenty straight seconds in one spot. Thankfully, the civilians managed to escape with no injuries. When the volley died down, Aguil summoned his spear while Noel summoned Bolverk. The brunette kicked the table in the direction of the bullet storm and watched it be cut in half by a purple spear.
"It's them!" Aguil shouted.
Walking up to them was a familiar foe. The ginger haired demonic android, S11-413, had shown herself and cleared the area with a hail of bullets coming from the gatling gun slots in her open chest. Having taken off her cloak, the girl was wearing a very revealing red dress that barely covered her middle, with only a small sash visible to cover her lower area. She had brown leggings covered with armor, and metal gloves. There was a bow in the shape of animal ears on her head, and a single bat wing on her back. She stared at the three smugly with her red eyes as her chest closed, brandishing her spear like weapon again.
"Looks like we meet again, Vermillion Blue," the android said. "I was hoping you'd make things easy and not bring these nuisances along, but it looks like you can't just roll over and die easily, eh?"
"You're the one that attacked me from behind yesterday!" Noel exclaimed, aiming Bolverk. "I've already recovered from your surprise attack, so don't think you can pull any more surprises on me, Demonic Android!"
"Oh neat. You know exactly what I am. Believe me, I wish you 'd be dumb enough for me to kill that quickly." the ginger shrugged. "But, oh well. Looks like we'll have to do this the old fashion way. Of course, I'm not like that inferior model. I can properly plan a strategy to kill you." S11-413 lets the head of her weapon hit the ground. "Oi, Ninety-six! How about you show yourself?"
Noel and the others heard something crash down behind them. Looking back, they saw another one land behind them as if to perform a pincer attack. S11-096 stood behind Noel, Lyrial, and Aguil, aiming her three headed lance.
"Vermillion Blue," the white haired android began to speak. "Your execution has been ordered by our commander. For the sake of time, please comply as we carry out your death sentence with swiftness."
"What kind of demand is that?!" Aguil exclaimed. "You can't just tell a woman to roll over and die against her will!"
"Look, I don't know what she did to you girls, but I can't just let you kill her," Lyrial said. "So what if she shit in your Master's bed or something? I mean I get it, but that doesn't mean you can just order her to die!"
"W-Why would you use an example like that?!" Noel shouted, embarrassed.
"Oh?" the ginger cracked her knuckles. "That's too bad. Series 4! Do it!"
Bolverk alerted Noel to a threat from above. Looking up, she saw S4-213 jump off the restaurant's roof, with both arms blades at the ready. The blonde aimed her guns and started firing, alerting the Persuant siblings that this fight was underway. Everyone separated as the blunette crashed into the ground, chasing Noel. Lyrial ran towards the white haired one while Aguil engaged the ginger android.
"Optic Barrel!" Noel pulled the trigger and fired a single shot at the opponent rushing towards her. The blunette held up her arms to minimize damage, taking the shot head on as she rushed at the blonde. Noel charged forward and went on the offensive, swinging her guns overhead to try and hit her opponent. S4-213 blocked them with her blades and swung horizontally in retaliation. Noel avoided the counterattack and responded in kind, spinning her guns and shooting down to cause an explosion, opening up her opponent's guard. "Chain Revolver!" She leaped forward and shot the android with multiple explosive blasts, then threw one of her guns out, causing it to spin around and hit the android multiple times before coming back to Noel. The otherworlder stepped forward and ax kicks the android down before firing her guns rapidly. "Spring Raid!" Moving in closely, she flash kicks the blunette into the air, sending her flying into one of the diner tables.
While being launched back, a slot the blunette's leg opened up and out came a hidden gun barrel. Firing, she almost shot Noel in the chest, the bullet scraping her stomach and making her jump back. The slot closed. S4-213 crashed into the table and quickly got back to her feet. Her right arm transformed into a gatling gun and she opened fire on Noel, the otherworlder sliding under another table and kicking its face towards her opponent. Using it as a barrier, Noel peeked out from behind the table and fired Bolverk. The android thought that she could hide behind the table as a shield, and was surprised when Bolverk's blasts went straight through the table and hit her. S4-213 was blown into the open, where Noel jumped her immediately. She somersaulted out of the way of another shot and responded with some of her own, Noel dodging all but two which pierced her hip. She grunted, but raised her guns to block the android's arm blade.
Lyrial was keeping her distance from S11-096, who tried to get close in and use her lance. Her left hand transformed into a missile launcher and fired several barrages towards the pinkette. Lyrial aimed her bow and fired several of her magic arrows, destroying the missiles before they could hit somewhere important and do serious damage. The streets weren't spared, but there wasn't much she could do. She aimed more arrows and fired them towards the white haired android, who jumped up to avoid them. However, the arrows curved and followed her, striking her from behind and surprising the demonic android. S11-096 didn't have the capabilities to stop the arrows from tracking her, and resorted to her speed. Leaping on the side of the restaurant, she started moving at rabbit-like speeds towards Lyrial.
The white haired android didn't avoid the homing arrows, but outran them as she reached melee distance quickly. Lyrial used her weapon to block the android's spears, the golden bow not breaking upon contact with the spears. The pinkette lets go of her bow and pulls two silver daggers from behind her back, clashing against the spear as she goes low to sweep the android's legs. S11-096 backflipped and fired her missile launchers in midair. Lyrial had her arrows change course, intercepting two of the missiles. The pinkette's eyes widen as she appeared to have a premonition, causing her to leap out of the way just as a third missile crashed into the ground. She carried her bow around her shoulder and flew towards the airborne demon, who switched to using a rifle built into her right hand. She opened fire at the pinkette, who avoided the bullets with ease and swung her daggers. The android parried the knives away and kicked her back to the ground. Lyrial catches herself mid-fall and lands safely, moving out of the way just in time to avoid another volley of gunfire.
Aguil's spear collided with the ginger's, both engaged in a deadlock. S11-413 smirked as her hair started moving, turning into long, metal chains that shot out towards the boy. He broke the deadlock and barely moved away in time to avoid the chains. The ginger's hair chains grabbed her spear as her arms transformed to reveal weapons that were different looking than the ones wielded by the others, almost as if they were laser guns.
"What in the world…?" Aguil wondered.
"Unlike the others, I don't care to hold back the damage I cause!" S11-413 exclaimed, aiming her weapon. "Now taste the smell of state of the art demonic technology, me!"
The ginger android fired a powerful laser blast from both of her weapons, forcing Aguil on the defensive.
"Two can play that game!" Aguil held out his spear as the head opened up. "I'll have to make sure to use a small amount of power to not damage the city…" Aguil's spear fired a beam of light from it, nearly hitting the demonic android had she not jumped out of the way. The beam evaporated in the air before it could hit anything afterwards. S11-413 continued firing her laser weapons, Aguil avoiding the beams as they pierced and destroyed the ground where he once stood. When she landed, she swung her spear using her hair, colliding against Aguil's spear. The brunette found himself bobbing and weaving through multiple spear swings as the ginger approached him. The android aimed her guns and fired, Aguil ducking and impaling her with his spear. She didn't flinch, and just opened up her chest to reveal her gatling guns again. Aguil moved to the side as she opened fire, but was quickly struck with a flying knee as she disarmed her guns. The android's hands changed to normal as she grabbed the boy by the throat, slamming him to the ground.
"Murderous Mangle!" S11-413's grip tightened around Aguil's throat, the young boy feeling his entire throat being crushed to a fine paste. He kicked the ginger from behind and forced her over him, weakening her grip. Aguil broke free and smacked her with the head of his spear before kicking her away. He fell to his coughing before he could continue attacking. The moment he recovered and looked up, the ginger android rushed him and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying back. Aguil recovered mid-flight and skid across the ground, stopping right behind Lyrial, who had been knocked back as well.
"Lyrial, are you alright?" Aguil asked.
"We just gotta last about two to three more minutes…" Lyrial replied, holding her shoulder that was bleeding after being shot. "Just a few more minutes and we'll be out of this fight, I'm sure of it."
Both S11 androids rushed the siblings, who held their weapons tightly.
"Revolver Blast!" Just before the two could fire at Lyrial and Aguil, Noel intercepted them both with multiple gunshots while spinning through the air. The S11 androids changed course and flew back to avoid the blasts as Noel landed on the ground behind the siblings. As she landed, she used Bolverk to block S4-213's blades. Seeing that one of them was wide open, Lyrial and Aguil tried to attack while she was halted. The android's body opened up in various places, chains shooting out of them and grabbing the three. Aguil reacted the quickest, avoiding them entirely while Noel and Lyrial were taken by surprise. The pinkette was pushed into the side of a building, keeping her in place. S4-213's hands turned into pistols as she aimed at Noel's head and chest. Aguil knocked the blunette's hands in the air, messing up her shot before spinning his spear around to cut the chains, freeing Noel and Lyrial. The blunette pushed him back before kicking him away, only to be shot by Noel. She spun around and shrugged off the blasts from Bolverk, then stepped forward while engaging her arm blades. Noel smacked her down with the back end of Bolverk.
Suddenly, her Nox Nyctores alerted her to another threat. A few meters away, S11-413 was about to try her same attack from yesterday. She threw her spear the moment that Noel turned around, not giving the blonde any time to react. But to her surprise, Noel reacted. She turned around and let go of Bolverk in her right hand, giving it enough momentum that it gently flew upward. The ginger's spear clashed with the gun. Noel's weapon was flung into the air before disappearing while the android's spear hit the ground away from her. The blonde resummons Bolverk as the android rushes towards her. S11-413 slid under the initial attack from Noel and grabbed her spear, entering melee range and clashing against the twin guns. Noel tried putting distance between herself to properly fire, but the ginger android refused to let up. S11-096 propped herself on a lamppost and jumped down, trying to ambush Noel from the air. Lyrial and Aguil tried to intercept this, but were halted when S4-213 attacked them. The blunette constricted them both with her chains and blades, keeping them away from Noel as she fought the ginger.
Noel realized what was above her and tried to avoid it, but the moment she tried to fire Bolverk, the ginger knocked her hand down. The spear came down on her, but she managed to lean back just in time. The only damage that occurred was a scar on Noel's face.
"Spring Raid!" Suddenly the blonde wrapped her arms around the ginger and used her as a platform to flash kick the white haired android. Noel flipped over S11-413 and landed behind her, elbowing the android in the face to knock her back. The otherworlder spun around and pointed Bolverk at the ginger's face, but was kicked in hers by S11-096 the moment she tried to fire. Noel rolled across the street before getting back to her feet. Suddenly, a chain grabbed her leg from behind, courtesy of S4-213, who was now holding all three. The blunette flung Noel through the roof of the restaurant and then through its walls. The demonic android held up her foot as a pistol formed on the bottom of it. She drove her foot into Noel's gut and was about to open fire. Just as she did, Noel aimed and fired Bolverk. The chain was undone and a good portion of damage was done on the blunette's body, letting go of Aguil and Lyrial as well. Noel had managed to separate and fire just in time, the bullet only leaving a scrape wound on her side. Landing on the ground, Lyrial and Aguil ran to her side, the latter sending S4-213 flying with a beam of light from his spear. The blunette caught herself midair.
"It appears we have underestimated the allies of Vermillion Blue," S4-213 stated to her comrades. "Suggestion; a withdraw to revise a third battle strategy-"
"You call these guys a threat?" S11-413 interrupted. "Please, the only one here taking any damage is you." The ginger spins her spear around as it opens to reveal its laser cannon. "I'm just getting started!"
"Chances of victory are above eighty percent," S11-096 stated. "Commencing full power." The rabbit poised her spear as it opened up, the three heads retracting slightly to reveal a hidden laser cannon.
"Commencing full power!" the head of the ginger's cannon began spinning around and charging. Her chest opened up to reveal her gatling guns.
"I don't like this," Aguil said. "That's way too much energy I'm sensing! That's enough power to level not just the city, but the entire mountainside, and take out all three districts!"
"Why the hell didn't they just do this to start with if they could!?" Lyrial exclaimed. "Dammit, and we were so close to getting out of here!"
"We were?" Noel questioned.
"Trust me, my predictions ain't wrong. All we need is another minute and then we'll be out of this fight alive. But that white one's gonna fire in half that time, and Vier-Galla is going bye-bye!"
"What about the girl with the red hair?!" Aguil asked.
"Too late! I don't have enough time to fire enough arrows!"
S11-413 held her spear upward towards the sky. "Whistling Barrage." She fired a large beam blast from her spear, a whistling noise heard as it ascended above the west district. Lyrial held up her bow as arrows appeared. Flicking her fingers back and forth like she was playing an instrument, she fired a multitude of arrows into the sky after the beam. Everyone across the city saw the large light split apart and head down in various places across Vier-Galla, causing many to panic. Lyrial's arrows collided with many of the light streams, stopping them from landing and harming civilians. While the pinkette was able to stop some civilian casualties, she couldn't fire enough arrows to stop them all. Noel used Bolverk to try and take shots at S11-096, who was charging a blast that was stronger than 413's. However, the android remained unfazed by the multiple blasts from Bolverk, her body not moving an inch.
"No way…" Noel said. "She's strong enough that she can just shrug off Bolverk's attacks?"
Aguil was trying to intercept the blasts approaching them with his spear, countering with his own beam of light. He was hoping to get a good aim at the source of all this, the ball of energy floating above the district, but couldn't focus long enough.
"Hey, S4-213!" S11-413 shouted. "How about you make yourself useful and stop those two from ruining my fun!?"
"Negative," the blunette replied. "S11-096 has almost finished charging. To intervene would mean unnecessary casualties from our side."
"Charging complete," S11-096 said, holding up her laser cannon. "Destroyer, ready to fire."
"I won't let you!" Noel changed Bolverk into a gatling gun of her own, and opened fire on the white haired android. The rabbit jumped away, shouldering her weapon as she got away from Noel. S11-413 opened fire with her gatling guns, but was stopped by Aguil, who spun his spear around to defend Noel. The blonde was trying to track down the rabbit android, but could not keep up with her speed. S11-096 suddenly hopped on both Noel and Aguil's shoulders, kicking them and propelling herself into the air. Noel quickly changed Bolverk to normal, but was shot in the shoulder before fire, courtesy of S4-213.
"Firing," S11-096 said only one word as she pulled the trigger, her cannon about to fire down on Noel and the others.
"Son of a bitch!" Lyrial exclaimed.
"Get down!" Noel threw herself over the two siblings, a last ditch effort for their safety.
"Vortex Mortar!"
A loud boom was heard from a cannon not far off. At the same time, S11-096 fired her beam blast, a powerful ball of energy heading towards Noel, Aguil, and Lyrial. Before it could collide with them, a black sphere of energy collided with it, creating what looked like a black hole. Strangely, the only thing that appeared to be getting sucked into the vortex was the energy sphere and blasts from S11-413's attack.
"What in the hell?!" the ginger shouted.
"What is this?" the rabbit questioned.
Noel, Lyrial, and Aguil all looked up to see the vortex above them.
"It's… absorbing the two energy attacks?" Noel looked in awe.
"Holy shit…" Lyrial said.
"We're… saved?" Aguil asked.
As the energy blasts were absorbed completely, the vortex vanished. The demonic androids' sensors went off as they searched for the source of the blast. Coming from the north, they witnessed a group of soldiers approaching them. The most notable one was the redhead wielding a giant hand cannon, Crimson. The second lieutenant lifted the weapon off her shoulder and let it hit the ground with a loud thud. S4-213 turned to try and fire at her. However, she was cut off when Yumi appeared in front of her, knocking her arm away holding two large knives with huge blades to her neck. Other soldiers began surrounding the three androids, armed with swords, spears, rifles, and other weapons.
"I don't know what kind of stunt you're trying to pull here," Crimson said. "But your little display of terrorism is over, Demons."'
"Great. The military," S11-413 said. "More people to kill just to reach one simple target."
"Retreat is highly recommended," S4-213 stated. "I am picking up unusual readings from that woman's cannon."
"It DID stop ninety-six's Destroyer… Alright fine. We'll pull out."
Before the soldiers could stop them, the androids took off into the air and flew away, disappearing in the distance. The soldiers watched them get away, wanting to shoot but knowing they didn't have the firepower to stop them now.
"They got away…" Yumi said.
"Least we managed to stop them before the city could take any more damage," Crimson replied. "I wish I could've intercepted them sooner though."
Noel, Lyrial, and Aguil got back to their feet after everything was said and done, seeing the demonic androids escape. The two siblings sighed while Noel noticed both Crimson and Yumi, recognizing them from earlier.
"It's you two!" This prompted her to go over and call out to them, wanting to thank the soldiers for showing up when they did. As Noel ran over, she certainly got their attention, and Crimson and Yumi even recognized her. "I don't know if you remember but, we met earlier yesterday! I just wanted to say-"
Noel halted when Crimson lifted her cannon towards the blonde. She put her hands up immediately, dropping Bolverk. Lyrial and Aguil weren't excused either as soldiers had them surrounded. The two sighed, dropping their weapons and putting their hands up as well.
"You're that girl from the other day," Crimson said. "I don't know what you got yourself involved with, but for the time being, you and your friends over there are under arrest."
"I… thought you'd say that…" Noel laughed slightly, completely expecting that she'd get arrested after what happened.
"Well…" Lyrial said. "At least we won't go to jail hungry."
"I just hope Master doesn't try to contact us anytime soon…" Aguil sighed.
