Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter XIV

https/youtu.be/-eU9N59CkkA

"Alright, you ready?" Granny asked, holding my sword, readying her defenses.

I clutched Mythra's sword as the metal parts aligned and the blade of light energy materialized in front of me.

"I don't understand! Her sword is rear-heavy, all the weight is by my hands and the blade is almost weightless! How am I supposed to actually swing this around?!" I asked.

"Quit being such a baby," Mythra scolded, holding her arms out towards me. "Focus on your target and how you plan to defeat it. Whether you kill it, spare it, knock it unconscious, that's up to how you swing that sword. With every ounce of determination you put into a swing, the more lethal it is. Now focus Silas, and draw my power."

A blue line of energy appeared between Mythra and I.

"That is an affinity line," Granny explained. "When your bond is strong enough with your blade, it will be represented by that line turning golden. When this happens, you two are in perfect harmony, and your fighting will be much better. Now come on boy! Show me what you know!"

I didn't want to hurt her, I simply wanted to pin her, I focused on this emotion as I readied the blade, and I felt it grow weaker as it matched my intent.

"Very good, now, fight," Granny commanded before she lunged forward.

Immediately I felt all of time stand still as I watched a strange image of Granny coming at me, swinging her sword up at me, but the image phased through me. The time went back to normal and I saw Granny swinging in the exact manner the image of her had. I parried and knocked her back with the handle.

"What was that?!" I questioned.

"That's foresight," Mythra explained. "It's a prediction of events in the immediate future, it allows you to see what's about to happen before it happens. Use it to counter attacks from the enemy."

"Blades can share their abilities with you so long as you're linked by an affinity line. Stray too far from her and you break that link, leaving you both open for attack," Granny instructed. "Now you both should be using that Aegis Sword, don't be a hog Silas."

I threw the sword to Mythra, who caught it and began to glow.

"Ray of Punishment!" Mythra yelled out as arrows of light came crashing down on Granny, who expertly dodged them.

"What was that?" I asked her.

"Boy I've taught you arts, don't tell me you forgot!" Granny scolded.

"Oh... right...," I recalled. Arts were specific styles of fighting used by a driver. I just hadn't realized blades could do it too.

"Heads up!" Mythra yelled as I caught her blade and lunged at Granny.

"Rolling Smash!" I yelled as I slammed the blade down. Granny held out her blade and let them clash, and then she casually tossed me off.

"Very good! Now remember to shout the arts you're using so your blade knows what power she needs to output, otherwise you will drain her quickly. She may be the Aegis, but she has her limits."

"Full speed now?" Mythra challenged.

"Ready when you are!" Granny called back.

I grabbed the sword and collided with Granny, we parried each other constantly, she was much faster than I knew to give her credit for...

I jumped back and tossed the sword to Mythra, who lunged. Granny backflipped away before hitting Mythra's sword so hard that Mythra actually flew back.

"The hell?!" Mythra cried as she tossed the sword back.

I leaped in and thrusted my sword forward.

"Sword bash!" I yelled as I pushed all my weight forward.

I watched her smile as she quickly moved out of the way and the landed a blow on my back with her hilt, throwing me to the ground.

"The Aegis and her driver on the ground? And here I was worried I'd lost my touch," she giggled.

"How did you do that?" Mythra asked as she got up and helped me up.

"I've seen you both fight hundreds of times, to be honest I just knew what to expect. You lot also underestimated me, it made this too easy."

"Yeah, no kidding," I said.

Mythra looked at her suspiciously.

"Mythra?" I noticed.

"You're not a human, are you?" Mythra interrogated.

"I told you that I knew you five hundred years ago and you're just now questioning that?" Granny questioned back.

I had known for a long time she wasn't human, but I never bothered asking her about it, as I didn't feel it was my business. Mythra, however, seemed to pry more than I cared too.

"Tell ya what, beat me in a fight and I'll explain it to you," Granny challenged.

I pulled Mythra's sword. "You're on!"

"Not so fast," I heard a familiar voice say.

I spun around to see Colonel Acacia standing off to the sidelines, a blue-haired girl standing next to her.

"You are under arrest by the law of the Blade Control Corp for illegal possession of a powerful blade," the blue-haired girl stated in a monotonous manner.

"KOS-MOS?!" Granny exclaimed in surprise. "You're supposed to be with the BAP in Uraya, what are you doing over here?"

"You, citizen," Acacia ordered at Granny. "How do you know of KOS-MOS? She's a top-secret artificial weapon constructed by the BCC. You will also need to be taken in for questioning."

Granny bursted out laughing. "I see the BCC has mastered its lies! KOS-MOS is a blade, genius, you're just believing whatever you're told."

"Lies," Acacia accused.

"Hey! You've got some nerve to come here and call Granny a liar! You'd best leave right now or I'll knock you out again!" I threatened.

"Ah yes, that reminds me," Acacia pondered. "You see, I'm having trouble with one part of our last fight. You shot me with an earth bullet, but the medical examiner couldn't find the bullet. Do you happen to know why?"

"Yeah, I pulled it out."

"Well when we fight this time, you'd better not hold back. Because I'm not going to this time," she warned.

I turned Mythra's sword over to her, but the blade didn't get any stronger than it was while I was fighting Granny.

"I know what you're doing," Mythra said. "I'm with you, just don't do anything stupid."

"I'll do my best," I winked.

"KOS-MOS, start up the execution protocol, but only kill him if there is no other way. We're taking her in alive," Acacia ordered.

"Yes Colonel, I will not hold back," KOS-MOS said. "Stand back."

https/youtu.be/5c4hZLhmr4Y

KOS-MOS' heels extended and dug themselves into the ground as the metallic head gear on her head dropped down like a visor, but with no real way to see through it. Four metal pieces emerged from her back in the shape of an "x" and she put her hands out.

"This is your last chance to surrender and come quietly. Any other action will result in a high-capacity attack more than capable of killing you," KOS-MOS warned.

Acacia stepped back. "I suppose this is one way to do it. You heard her."

Mythra's foresight hit and I saw just how this attack would play out. I nodded towards Mythra and then I rushed Acacia.

KOS-MOS let out a huge burst of light, but I had already jumped well out of the way, clashing into Acacia, who drew her sword just in time.

"You... you dodged it?!" she exclaimed.

KOS-MOS returned to her normal output and grabbed a large cannon, a blade weapon known as an ether cannon. She launched an attack towards Mythra.

I threw her sword to her and she sliced through the beam.

Acacia took a swing at me, but Mythra had already thrown the sword back and I parried it.

"Who taught you to fight like that?!" Acacia asked annoyed.

"You want answers? Put the sword down!" I yelled back.

"I refuse! Surrender now!"

"I think you don't stand a chance, doesn't seem like you can hold out like this," I warned.

KOS-MOS readied herself. "Flaw in logic detected. I am still restraining myself."

"You are an enemy to everything we stand for, KOS-MOS, release your restraints, we give it our all. I will not be made a fool," Acacia commanded.

"You don't need to do that! We're not your enemy!" Mythra yelled.

"Wh-What do you mean? Haven't we been fighting this entire time?!" Acacia yelled as KOS-MOS began charging her ether cannon.

"I don't see any reason to fight you! You're just being misled! You seem like a good person, and it just feels like you're trying to do what's right, but if you keep getting in our way, we will take action!" I argued.

"Enough of your nonsense! KOS-MOS, is the final shot ready?"

"Affirmative," she responded.

"Good, then take the sh—"

She was cut off by a loud scream coming from our shed.

"STATE NAME NOW!" a girl's voice squealed in a nopon accent.

"Ah! Rafi think he fixed it!" we heard Rafi cheer.

"Stranger danger protocol activate!" we heard the girl say again before Rafi screamed and blasted through the shed's wall.

He landed next to Granny and laid there in a daze.

"Ow ow," he moaned.

Granny immediately locked eyes with her. "Poppi it's ok, calm down!"

"Scan complete. N-Nia? What is friend Nia doing here?" the little robot girl, Poppi, asked.

"We need some help here if ya don't mind," Granny asked.

"Enemy distracted, taking final shot," KOS-MOS said before firing a heavy shot directly at us.

Before it hit, however, the expected blast sound was replaced by a heavy metal ringing.

Once the smoke cleared, Poppi stood between us and KOS-MOS, holding out a round shield with a drill sticking out of the front, which she had used to block the laser.

"What is that?" Acacia questioned.

"Is enemy referring to Poppi?" Poppi asked.

"Yes. What are... you?"

"Poppi is artificial blade. Poppi was designed by Professors Soosoo, Tatazo, and Tora. If Poppi's time stamp not malfunctioning, then Poppi was built five hundred years ago."

"What?! Technology that advanced shouldn't have existed so long ago! There's no way! KOS-MOS should be the second artificial blade...," Acacia began.

"Enemy analysis incorrect," Poppi stated.

"What?" Acacia responded.

"KOS-MOS is robot, but KOS-MOS real blade. Most likely reason for resemblance: design was based off of ancient robot from old world."

Acacia stopped before sheathing her weapon. "KOS-MOS, stand down."

"Affirmative."

"The General tells me you're powerful, but not the Aegis. Do you claim that to be false as well?" Acacia questioned Mythra.

"My memories are coming back slowly, but this much is true," Mythra confirmed.

"Any proof to that?"

"The history book that she and Adenine wrote five 'undred years ago might help," Granny pointed out.

"That book was stricken down as nothing more than a fairy tale, you'd have to prove it."

"Simple," Granny said. "Adenine never returned to her core crystal and resides in Tantal as King Zeke von Genbu's blade. Also residing there is the core crystal of the other Aegis, Malos. You can go find those and know you're entire livelihood is a lie."

Acacia stopped and thought for a moment before turning to me.

"You, boy. Take me to Tantal. It'll be a ceasefire until then. If what you say is a lie, I will take you down personally."

Poppi broke the silence. "That fine and all, but Poppi have no idea what going on!"

"I'll explain in a bit Poppi," Granny said.

"Well then," I said. "Let's go to Tantal."

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 4 Hours

Please do not use without permission. All artwork is not mine and credit goes to the artist.