UNITY FORCE MISSIONS: HORIZON ZERO DAWN

CHAPTER 7: The Sun Shall Fall

ARC I: The Seeker Aloy

DISCLAIMER: All characters in the story are not owned by me, save for my OCs.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This will focus mostly on The Sun Shall Fall, and it is the finale of Arc I.

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Previously on Unity Force Missions: Horizon Zero Dawn...

"These people are seriously getting more annoying. How long are we walking?!"

"What does this Sun-King look like?"

"The most important thing is what he isn't like – his father."

"I can help with that. Ersa has an enemy among the Oseram – a warlord named Dervahl."

"Listen here, Avad. If Dervahl's mercenaries have stolen all of Kino's weaponry and use them for genocidal means, then you will never know how dangerous those weapons will fall into the wrong hands."

"Dervahl-san is an already an immediate threat to deal with, who is a crazed murderer."

"No offence, Erend-san, but you have some bad apples in your own tribe, including a genocidal maniac."

"Dervahl wants your corpses, so surrender now!"

"I knew it! You're working with those wretched Carja! Underestimating us is a big mistake, so it doesn't matter!"

"Not until we find any clues related to Dervahl-san. Whatever he is trying to do, he is going to destroy Meridian and massacre the Carja tribe with no hesitation. He has OUR knowledge! Modern weaponry! Do you think that Avad-sama and his Vanguard army, armed with just bows and arrows, are able to stand against him with that firepower?! Did you see what just happened with Erend-san's forces getting massacred one by one?!"

"He needs to be stopped, before this place is destroyed and many people will die."

~~~0-0-0~~~

[Meridian, Earth-1355]

Alarmed with what Dervahl has planned, which is the destruction of Meridian and the extermination of the Carja tribe through brutal means, the Unity Force group consisting of Zoro Roronoa, Maya Tendo, Aloy, Asta, Trafalgar D. Water Law, Noelle Silva, and Meliodas have hurried themselves to the throne room of the Sun-King Avad to warn him about this threat, where they see Erend standing there, as well as Marad.

"I've sent a messenger to the Claim to let everyone know." Erend stated.

"If there's anything you or your clan need for arrangements, you need but ask." Avad offered.

"There'll be time for all that later." Erend replied, before he looks at the arriving members of the Unity Force, who all bear somewhat serious looks in their faces, given the gravity of the previous and current situation, which is Ersa's death and Dervahl's genocidal plan, whom they heard from Ersa earlier.

"I'm glad you're back, Aloy and Unity Force." Avad said in a sad tone, obviously from Ersa's death. "I'm at a loss about Ersa. To learn she lives, then lose that hope seems... cruel." He added.

"I feel bad for you, but that doesn't mean you're going to dwell on it." Noelle added.

"We lose someone, so you're not the first." Trafalgar claimed.

"Ersa-san's death must have moved Erend-san to act maturely." Asta remarked. "To be honest, it was hard to watch Erend-san sinking into despair, not until her words did move him."

"Oh, please." Erend muttered.

"Thanks for the understanding." Avad said.

"About that, she wouldn't want us to waste time talking. She'd want us to find Dervahl. She said he raved about 'smoke darkening the sun'." Erend said in a frightened manner, before looking at Asta, Noelle, and Meliodas, who have found out more about Dervahl's motive. "Tell us what you see."

"It might sound a little crazy, but it mentioned a shipment of those Blaze being sent to a warehouse here." Asta said.

"A bomb plot, as I should say." Trafalgar added.

"Also, it wasn't addressed to Devahl-san. The name was Aelund Forgeman. Does that mean anything to you, Avad-sama?" Meliodas asked.

"It does sound familiar, yes." Marad suddenly blurted. "The Oseram have been buying up buildings across the city, including that one under that name." He pondered. "Let me think, it's by the edge of the mesa, near the temple. It used to be a shop, but it could serve as a warehouse." He claimed.

"Aelund Forgeman does sound suspiciously like an alias to me." Maya claimed.

"If my intuitions are correct, with Dervahl using that same name as an alias to buy it, then I assume that he's here at the moment." Marad claimed.

"That means stopping him is a priority." Zoro added.

"I'll round up my men." Erend commanded.

"I'll go and check that warehouse with Erend and Meliodas." Aloy said.

"Erend, Meliodas, and Aloy, wait." Marad said, before beginning his explanation. "As for the three of you, remember that no one hates Dervahl more than the Oseram. The Clans would give up much to obtain him." He added.

"Take him alive?" Erend questioned in dismay that is sudden. "So you can haggle over him? You can't be serious!" He argued.

"I agree more on Erend-san's statement. You have a madman on the loose, and capturing him is not going to make things better, Avad-sama." Meliodas continued.

But as the reasoning goes between Erend, Meliodas, and Avad, things went slightly sour.

"Our security depends on keeping the peace. If the opportunity presents itself, take him alive. Consider that a command." Avad admonished. "Please, Unity Force, this is for the good of the unity between Carja and Oseram."

Meliodas and Erend only look back at Avad's logic, with the former about to fume uncontrollably.

"You seriously only care about this 'unity', Avad-sama, when you don't think about lives being at utter stake by this warlord who is armed with knowledge and weaponry much more advanced than your tribe!" Meliodas argued as he gestured. "It just shows how much of an insufferable, narcissistic ass you are as a 'Sun-King'!" He ranted, causing Avad to feel shocked.

"You can't talk to the Sun-King like that!" Marad uttered.

"Oh yeah? You told me about the Red Raids, right?" Meliodas questioned. "Dervahl-san can do that, but much worse." He added.

"That's unnecessary, Meliodas-san!" Noelle suddenly argued.

"Think about it. Avad-sama tells us to capture Dervahl-san and not kill him." Meliodas pointed out. "But he doesn't know that his men are armed with our knowledge and weaponry." He added.

"But still, Avad-sama is trying to make this situation as non-violent as much as possible." Noelle disputed. "We don't want to cause more problems in the long run."

"Damn it, fine." Meliodas added. "Let's go to that warehouse, Erend-san." He ordered, before the two proceed to visit Dervahl's warehouse.

"Meliodas sounds disillusioned." Aloy said, before he looks at Avad.

"His argument is sound, but it would only lead to a widespread conflict between the Carja and the Oseram, much like how it was in the Red Raids." Avad added. "A word, please, before you leave, Aloy." He added, before ensuing a conversation about Ersa and Dervahl.

Meanwhile...

"Say, where's Hermes and Sou?" Zoro asked.

"Erend-san has placed them inside the basement of Olin's apartment, along with two of Dervahl-san's former captives, who are currently recuperating." Maya responded. "Noelle-san and Asta-san have left to take care of them." She added.

"It must be why Meliodas is angered." Zoro pondered. "He is disillusioned of this 'failure' of saving Kino and Photo, and how Dervahl must have tortured them for months for modern knowledge." He added.

"It's crazy talk, but that's how it is." Maya added. "So what are we going to do?" She asked

"We'll guard Avad, and wait for their signal once they find something in that warehouse." Zoro stated.

"And keeping an eye on Dervahl." Trafalgar added. "We might never know, but he's already making his move."

A few minutes have passed...

Aloy rendezvouses with Erend and Meliodas, who are actually waiting for her, while a group of Vanguard soldiers have arrived outside of the warehouse, as they plan to investigate anything regarding Dervahl and his plan to 'darken the sun', which is a metaphor for Dervahl to destroy Meridian to ashes.

"What took you so long?" Meliodas questioned.

"Just talking to Avad more about Ersa." Aloy added. "Avad said that your argument is rational, but it would almost start a war between the Carja and the Oseram, which is something he doesn't want to follow, and that is his father's legacy." She added.

"It's no wonder his benevolence is being taken advantage of by Dervahl-san." Meliodas said.

"Damn. You really talk on experience, Meliodas." Erend remarked.

"Trust me." Meliodas stated. "Being the Dragon's Sin of Wrath is no easy task, especially when you act as a protector to a princess at a kingdom, and I know..." He added, before violently kicking the door. "I know the exact kind of scumbags who are a traitor to their CAUSE!" He ended. "No one's here."

Erend later utters with a "Ha-ha!", before taking his war hammer. "I know that this is exactly where you are, Dervahl, so we have a surprise for you!" He added, before some of his Vanguard, Aloy, and Meliodas enter inside.

However, they immediately stop when they see what lies in front of them: a booby-trapped Blaze bomb, as well as some crates filled with dynamite, denoting further of Dervahl's twisted ingenuity.

"Maybe he has a surprise for us, mind you." Aloy said.

"Bomb crates and a touch-sensitive bomb." Meliodas deduced. "Dervahl-san's craft of bomb plotting must have gone through a twisted route."

"It doesn't look too big to us." Erend claimed.

"Big enough to kill us." Aloy stated.

"All right, I'll shut up." Erend remarked.

"I'll check above." Aloy said.

Aloy then proceeds to ascend into the stairway to investigate the building further.

"I found something!" Aloy called out from above, causing Erend and Meliodas to rush in from above.

As expected, Erend and Meliodas see Aloy over what seems to be barrels of Blaze, as mentioned from the shipping manifest they found in Dervahl's camp, sitting all by itself in front of a closed window, indicating that this bomb plot is much more dangerous than what they can anticipate.

And if it is not stopped as soon as possible, then all lives in Meridian, irrespective of who or what they are, will be taken in a single detonation by Dervahl.

"That's a lot of Blaze." Erend said.

"Dervahl-san surely is getting more and more desperate." Meliodas claimed, as he examines the Blaze barrels. "Perfect to destroy a small town, despite being primitive." He added.

"If that bomb goes off, this Blaze will ignite in a firestorm." Aloy muttered. "If that bomb downstairs goes off, it'll be just what Dervahl promised. Smoke will darken the sun... as the city goes up in flames. There's got to be a way to stop it." She described, before looking at the window furthermore, finding a window bracket. Aloy then explains that the booby-trap below will be set, once the Blaze pallet falls down, requiring them to run away as soon as possible.

"You mean this!" Meliodas uttered, as he breaks the said window bracket. 'There goes the hatches, Aloy-san." He said in a sarcastic manner.

"Now we can lessen the explosion if we throw this thing out." Aloy said.

"Leave it to me." Meliodas answered, as he proceeds to violently kick the Blaze pallet out of the warehouse, causing it to be thrown out of the window.

"You really have a strength, despite being a child." Erend commented. "Not many Vanguardsmen like myself can pull that off." He added.

"Child, you mean? Hah. I'm 3,000 years old!" Meliodas explained, much to Aloy and Erend's surprise, as he only laughed, but it was cut short.

"Damn! Let's get out of here!" Aloy suddenly exclaimed.

From there, they heard the bombs ticking downstairs, as Aloy, Erend, and Meliodas and the Vanguardsmen hurriedly escape the facility, as they only watch it explode, causing the building to be destroyed, but it significantly nullified the amount of destruction it would cause.

"We did it! Dervahl's best shot, and Meridian's still standing!" Erend cheered, but it was cut short, when Aloy and Meliodas warned Erend that Dervahl is still on the loose and must have broken through the defences of the Sun-King.

"Hate to break your celebration, Erend-san..." Meliodas stands up.

"But this isn't over yet. Dervahl said he'd make Avad watch." Aloy added.

"That means he and his cronies are going after Avad-sama." Meliodas claimed.

"No way. To do that, he'd have to get into the palace – and that's too heavily guarded." Erend argued.

"You're forgetting the fact that it is Dervahl-san that we are talking to." Meliodas gestured. "He is already breaching this city left, right, and centre, and he will stop at nothing to kill Avad-sama at all costs, regardless of his intentions." He stated. "You already knew how it turned out during the attack in Dervahl-san's camp."

"Maybe Dervahl's men left something behind when they planted that bomb." Aloy said.

"Here's the plan. Aloy-san, you track down anything, just to be sure." Meliodas claimed. "Erend-san, hurry back at the throne room, and warn Maya-san, Zoro-san, and Trafalgar-san about Avad-san's fate." He added. "There is no telling what Dervahl-san has in store for us."

"What about you?" Erend asked.

"I'll track Dervahl-san and his goons by myself and find out what he is planning." Meliodas added. "I'll call in Asta-san and Noelle-san." He added.

"Got it. Don't worry – if he tries for this palace, he's finished." Erend said.

And with that, Aloy, Erend, and Meliodas part ways altogether, as they proceed to do their respective tasks of finding Dervahl's whereabouts and stopping him before enacting his genocidal plan.

In Olin's apartment...

Noelle and Asta are seen taking care of Kino and Photo, who have been badly tortured by Dervahl for months to come, and that would forever haunt both Hermes and Sou, respectively, as well as some of the Unity Force. It was Meliodas who expressed the disillusionment of being too late to save them, and experiencing the brunt of such a failure beyond his own control.

However, in the wake of the explosion that Erend, Meliodas, and Aloy have stopped, both members of the Black Bull squad are later forced to go outside and witness the chaos ensuing in Meridian, and on cue with that they receive a call from Meliodas.

"What is it?" Asta asked.

"I'm seeing Dervahl-san and his group of renegade Oseram army marching through." Meliodas said on the other side of the line. "Meet me above the rooftop of the walkway, and that's where we sneak." He added. "He'll pay later for what he has done, when Erend-san deals with him."

"We'll come in there." Noelle said.

Within the hallways that lead to a place known as the Solarium, we see several of the rogue Oseram entering into what seems to be a walkway. From there is a middle-aged Oseram male, who is surrounded by three other rogue Oseram, all wielding with M1 Carbine rifles and war hammers.

The man has a brown hair that is stylised in a Mohawk. He is also seen wearing earplugs. He is wearing a necklace, chain mail, vambraces, a belt, blue-and-yellow pants and boots. He is also equipping what seems to be a weapon known as a Tearblaster, which is fused with a modern-looking flamethrower. This is Dervahl, a renegade Oseram warlord.

Above the rooftop of the walkway that leads to the Solarium, we see Noelle, Asta, and Meliodas eavesdropping at the conversation between Dervahl and his own men, reiterating their heinous plan.

"As if kidnapping Ersa and those two outworlders is not enough, those Unity Force assholes or whatever they are called just have to ruin our plan of destroying Meridian." Dervahl said in disbelief. "Doesn't matter, anyway, because they are too late." He added. "We're getting close to the Solarium, the Sun-King's personal room."

"Once we reach there, are we going to kill Avad?" One of Dervahl's men asked.

"No. We'll torture him psychologically." Dervahl added. "Kino told us that in her own world, forcing them under duress is the only way to break someone's minds to betray the side that they are currently in."

"This is Avad you're talking about, Dervahl." The other of Dervahl's men added.

"Avad is just a benevolent, ignominious coward hiding under his father's greatest sins during his tyranny." Dervahl remarked, before continuing on. "He's no different than the scum plaguing the Carja royal family and their shadow, especially Jiran, who killed my family in the Sun-Ring, and so as yours."

From above, the Unity Force trio have seen Aloy not far from where they are, which is at the back of a building. Of course, Dervahl did not hesitate to notice this, but it was all in futility, when Aloy hid herself, before she quickly left her spot and climbed the outcroppings, as she proceeds to follow Dervahl.

"We're seeing you, Aloy." Asta called in.

"I'll follow Dervahl and his men." Aloy mentioned. "They must have used this entrance to break in to the Palace of the Sun."

Later on, in the Palace of the Sun, Dervahl is seen stomping at Avad's chest, who is whimpering due to the effects of the Sonic Device, and the Unity Force are nowhere to be found, as well as Marad. Suddenly, they heard noises from around them.

"What was that?" One of the mercenaries questioned.

"Boys!" Dervahl commanded. "Find whoever is responsible with that noise. I want their heads, NOW!" He added, as he takes out his Frankenstein Tearblaster and a modern flamethrower.

"You heard Dervahl. Find them!" One of Dervahl's mercenaries ordered.

"As for you, Avad, don't you think I'm that cunning enough to break into your defences? You're just like your father Jiran, hiding like a coward, while watching everyone getting killed in the Red Raids." Dervahl gloated. "But now, you're that seriously desperate enough to hire the Unity Force to do your dirty deed." He pointed his weapon to the Sun-King. "Killing you is no longer an option, Avad, but instead I'll be torturing you for the rest of your life until I finally break your spirit that you will betray your own kingdom."

Around the palace, the Unity Force sans Aloy and Erend are hiding at spots that are considered inconspicuous for Dervahl to even spot, as they plot their ambush against Dervahl and his men, and they know that Dervahl is a bad news to begin with.

"Or are you that desperate, Dervahl." Aloy said, as she arrives, before destroying the Sonic Device, prompting Dervahl to press the detonator, only for nothing to happen.

"What is the meaning of this? What happened to the bombs?!" Dervahl questioned, as he then takes out a device known as a Machine Lure. "But I'm not done yet, even if you ruined my bomb plot, Nora savage, because these murderous Glinthawks want every piece of you now! Boys, get her!" He commanded, as several of his Oseram army appears, who are armed with M1 Carbine rifles and war hammers, as well as the Glinthawks that have been called in due to the Machine Lure. "Let's teach this savage a lesson, shall we?"

"Oh, I will." Aloy mocked.

"But you're not getting past us if you want Avad dead, Dervahl." Zoro said, as he sliced one of Dervahl's men with his Enma.

"And your plans of destroying Meridian are all for nothing." Aloy announced.

Then, the rest of the Unity Force including Trafalgar, Maya, Noelle, Asta, and Meliodas have appeared from the scene, further displeasing Dervahl.

"Shit, it's the Unity Force!" Dervahl exclaimed, as he looks at his men. "What are the rest of you doing in there?! All of you! Kill them!" He furiously fumed in disbelief.

"I want to see you try, Dervahl-san." Asta taunted, as he takes out his Devil-Slayer Sword.

[PLAY MUSIC: Jay & the Americans – Come A Little Bit Closer]

The rest of Dervahl's mercenaries burst out of the Palace, as they proceed to attack the Unity Force, while they are joined in with the Glinthawks that are having intentions to attack them, as well.

Aloy and Noelle deal with the army of Glinthawks that Dervahl has sent. Despite being the most annoying of the bunch, due to their ice projectile attacks, both heroes dispatched all of them in a short space of time, making room for the rest to freely fight the rest of Dervahl's mercenaries.

"Deal with Dervahl-san, Aloy-san." Noelle said, with Aloy nodding, before she goes after the Oseram warlord.

Three of Dervahl's mercenaries open fire towards Asta with their rifles, but he only makes a quick work of them, when he unleashes a One-Horn Bull Thrust attack with his sword, causing the trio to be thrown into the wall.

"Too slow!" Asta retorted.

Trafalgar proceeds to use his Kikoku, as he instantaneously kills several of Dervahl's mercenaries with his Radio Knife attack, causing their body parts to be amputated.

"You blithering mongrels. You really want to make this personal, then so be it!" One of Dervahl's mercenaries said, who is seen wielding a wheeled Browning Gun, before he proceeds to pull the trigger.

"I'll be utterly damned, but this is mental!" Maya said, as she uses her gold-imbued rapier to rapidly block off the bullets, before she parries those said bullets towards several mercenaries charging towards the group, killing them.

Zoro then brandishes his Wado Ichimonji and Enma at the same time, before one of his attacks known as Sai Kuru (Rhino Revolve) towards two mercenaries and the mercenary heavy. Zoro holds both his sords in front of him pointing up, like rhinoceros horns, and spin-slashes around himself in an instant, causing the mercenary heavy and the other two to be completely sliced.

Meliodas then proceeds to use a new sword, Liz's Sword (being named after his lover and wife Elizabeth Liones), where an untold amount of strength suddenly surged from his body.

In response to that, five more of Dervahl's mercenaries charged through the Dragon's Sin of Wrath, but none of them, in spite of their profound combat expertise, are able to match his unparalleled level of power. Meliodas only responds by killing two of them with his sword, slamming two of them into the wall, and hurling one of them so far that he was nowhere to be seen.

"IMPOSSIBLE! But I have more tricks up my sleeve!" Dervahl seethed, who is not far from the Unity Force, as he sees his mercenaries being thinned out, leaving him the only person left, but he does not give up, as he then proceeds to take out his Frankenstein Tearblaster.

"What the hell is that?" Zoro asked.

"Tearblaster." Aloy said. "But it seems that he mixes modern-looking flamethrower into it." She added.

"I don't think that's a flamethrower to me." Zoro claimed.

"Fun time is over, Unity Force and Avad! I will destroy Meridian with the rest of you for ruining my plans to destroy Meridian!" Dervahl fumed, as he proceeds to pull the trigger from his own Frankenstein weapon, before a medium-sized fire bomb, which is enough to destroy a part of the city, is fired towards the group.

"It's some kind of a grenade launcher!" Noelle exclaimed.

Immediately, Noelle immediately fires off Sea Dragon's Roar towards the bomb, quickly nullifying the explosion, before Meliodas unleashes a sickening blow towards Dervahl's head, causing him to be slammed into the gates of the palace, knocking him out pronto.

With the battle now over, the Unity Force later clean out the damage Dervahl and his mercenaries have caused around the Solarium and the Palace of the Sun, but Erend immediately appears at the scene with a threatening look on his face as he confronts the genocidal warlord, only for Meliodas to ironically stop him, despite the Sin of Wrath's malicious intent to murder Dervahl out of pure anger for nearly causing a mass genocide of the Carja.

"As much as I wish Ersa was here to kill you, I don't mind doing it for her." Erend stated in anger, albeit calmly.

"He's beaten now, Erend-san." Meliodas added.

"Go ahead. I'm not afraid – except that knowing you, Erend, you'll screw it up." Dervahl smugly said with a bravado, before looking at the rest of the Unity Force. "The Unity Force only care about heroism, but you'll be crossing Rubicons one or the other, if the situation calls in for obsequious, ingratiating assholes like you. There is no such thing as perfect heroes!"

"We aren't perfect, Dervahl." Zoro added.

"But we embrace our imperfections to an extent." Maya said.

Then, Avad and some of the Vanguardsmen have arrived, who has only watched the scene. This stopped Erend to go into his murderous ways of killing Dervahl, as it hatched him an idea.

"I know what you're afraid of, Dervahl." Erend stated. "You're not afraid of the Unity Force, bu you're afraid of going back to Mainspring in chains. Every clan in the Claim wants you dead, and they'll bid the privilege for it. In fact, they want to make it much more painful for you."

"It's just like you to get someone else to do your killing, Erend. You have gotten completely soft ever since joining with these Unity Force clowns-" Dervahl taunted, but was interrupted when Erend bashed the crowbar end of his war hammer into the warlord's head, knocking him out completely.

"Shut up, you're at the Sun-King's mercy now." Erend stated, before two of the Vanguardsmen proceeded to carry Dervahl to a prison.

With Dervahl's genocidal threat stopped, the Unity Force later gather around the Solarium over what transpired, and they are thankful that Avad is safe, as well as Meridian. Later on, Asta and Noelle told Zoro and the rest that they are temporarily heading back to the Unity Force Academy to bring Kino and Photo to the academy's infirmaries, due to the extent of their injuries, and with Hermes and Sou joining in.

A few minutes later, after learning more about Dervahl and his deceased family that drove him to madness, we see Aloy, Maya, and Zoro gathering around the terrace of the Palace, thinking next of their mission: to visit the Oseram ruin Maker's End and find out more the identity of the mysterious woman that Aloy has a striking resemblance to, as well as the ruin itself.

"Now that Dervahl is imprisoned, I guess we should go to Maker's End next." Aloy said, before she hears what seems to be a synthetic voice coming from her Focus. "What the?"

"ALERT: Incoming call from unknown source. Would you like to answer it? Select Yes or No through your Focus." The synthetic voice said, prompting Aloy to turn her Focus on.

"Who is this?" Aloy asked, as she aims her Focus into the "Yes" holographic button, revealing a hologram of a young girl.

"Aloy-san. What is going on?" Maya asked. "Who is this person?"

In front of them is a purplish hologram of a young girl that they have never seen before.

The girl has a brown hair that is tied in twintails with two red ribbons, as well as her having brown eyes with red glasses. She wears a hooded shirt with the logo that says "Spark of Genius", as well as a blue skirt, white socks, and orange shoes. This is Akiha Ikebukuro.

"Who are you and what do you want with us?" Aloy questioned suspiciously.

"Just your average genius and 346PRO idol Akiha Ikebukuro!" Akiha introduced. "This Old Ones' technology, as what most people in this world said, is too unusual for a world this tribal, so I learned how to use it for myself." She added.

"Akiha-san, why are you calling us here?" Maya asked.

"I know that you want to go to that said ruin, Maker's End, but you need to help me out first!" Akiha exclaimed.

"How do you know all of what we are going to do next?" Aloy asked, now sounding increasingly doubtful.

"It's a long story." Akiha said, as she eats a chocolate bar. "The thing is, I'm imprisoned in this futuristic, ruined building, a machine factory of some sort, and there's no way out for me."

"Shit. Where is it?" Zoro asked.

"I'll mark the location for you." Akiha said, as she gives them vague coordinates that don't make sense for them. "But please, you must get me out of here, this place is not stable to-" She continued, but the ensuing static prevents any clear conversation from being heard, as a violent volcanic explosion is heard.

"ALERT: Communication disconnected." The synthetic voice added.

"Akiha?" Zoro said. "Shit, we have a problem!" He added, as Aloy, Maya, and Zoro rush in to Meliodas and Trafalgar, who are seen outside of Olin's apartment.

The two are seen practising their own swords, when the trio interrupts them in an urgent manner.

"What happened?" Meliodas said.

"The three of us must go there." Zoro said.

"To where?" Trafalgar asked.

"It looks like this place is saying 'Firebreak'" Aloy said. "It seems to be located in a place known as The Cut, home of the Banuk according to Teersa, but going there is no simple task to begin with, according to Rhavid earlier." She added.

"Firebreak? What is that?" Meliodas questioned.

"Someone was trapped in there. But, the problem is we don't know how it happened and where it exactly is." Zoro stated.

"Huh?!" Meliodas gasped.

"Aloy, Maya, and I will go there, so don't worry about us." Zoro said.

"That sounds like bad news." Trafalgar stated. "Whatever that is, contact us." He ordered.

And with that, Zoro, Aloy, and Maya have hurriedly left Meridian, as they begin their long journey into a new frontier beyond their own: the Banuk region known as The Cut, a place known for its harsh cold weather and constant snow, and a new danger that awaits for the Unity Force trio.

~~~0-0-0~~~

The characters that appear in this chapter (in order):

Dervahl and Sylens from Horizon Zero Dawn

Akiha Ikebukuro from THE IDOLMASTER CINDERELLA GIRLS

~~~0-0-0~~~

[Ruins of Fremont, California, Earth-1355]

A few weeks ago...

600 miles away in Meridian, in the lands of the Forbidden West, which is considered the land beyond the known world, we see someone settling over what look like an ancient ruin of a campus with still-functioning holographic technologies in there, as well as a makeshift router that is presumably a network module of some sort. Akiha is seen using her own Focus, as she interfaces into the router, before a hologram is to be seen.

In front of Akiha is a purplish hologram of a man, who is likely middle-aged. He is a tall man, with dark skin, black eyes, and is always seen wearing the standard blue, gray, and black clothing common with the shamans of the Banuk tribe, which is what leads people to believe that he's a member of the tribe. He has shiny, blue rings embedded at various points on his body, including in his chin, and at several places on both of his arms. This is Sylens.

"So you're the rumoured Sylens." Akiha introduced, with Sylens nodding.

"I've spent countless years searching for the secrets of the Old Ones, but year after year, I only find no answers to their fate. I only come across with a person like you, whose skills in the usage of ancient technology have remarkably surpassed my own." Sylens said.

"Ancient technology, mind you!" Akiha sarcastically remarked. "This 'Old Ones' technology is far more advanced than one of the tribes I just encountered." She added, as she is seen eating chocolate.

"The Oseram, you mean?" Sylens asked. "They're known for their technological ingenuity, but it's still primitive in its own right." He added, as he is seen showing a hologram of what looked like Aloy.

"Who is that?" Akiha asked.

"It's the Nora outcast. And she is biologically related to an Old One scientist known as Elisabet Sobeck." Sylens claimed, as he shows another hologram of Sobeck.

"So, a genetic clone?" Akiha added.

~~~0-0-0~~~

A/N: A/N: This story is inspired by the ideas of someoneStupED and XP4Universe. Changing things up for the battle scene. With Arc I of Horizon Zero Dawn done, the Unity Force are about to reach a new frontier, before setting for the next story arc of HZD, which is the Project Firebreak arc, a.k.a. the Frozen Wilds.

~~~0-0-0~~~

On the next chapter of UF Missions: Horizon Zero Dawn: Zoro, Maya, and Aloy later leave the Sundom as they proceed to visit a place known as "The Cut", the settlement of the Banuk tribe, and rendezvous with Akiha, who has been mysteriously trapped at a ruin known as "Firebreak". However, the way there is long and unforgiving, as harsh blizzards deter any travellers and the curious from entering, but nothing stops in their way.