Book VII: A Master and his Doll
Chapter LVI
"I can't believe we're doing this! This feels so wrong!" Electra squealed in a panicked voice.
"Electra calm down!" Nim said.
"It's simple, we were told to provide reconnaissance, so what better way to get information is there than on the inside?" Floren explained.
"I know that!" Electra sighed. "I just want to know how you got us passed the guards when we couldn't!"
Nim stopped for a sec. "Yeah that was impressive... how did you do that?"
"Alright guys, fine. I'll explain my inexplicable charm to you," Floren said with a wink.
...
"No peons allowed! Get lost!" S the guard had said to Nim.
"But I'm a girl just like all the girls in there!" Nim had argued.
"Well you look like too much of a dog to be of any interest to someone like Juliani's. Get lost!"
"What about me?" Electra had asked, striking a beautiful pose.
"A child has no place in here," the guard had said, shutting her down.
"Oh boys!" Floren had called out as he had walked toward the guards. "Won't you let us inside for me?"
"Oh come on Floren! You're not even a-" Electra had begun before Nim covered her mouth.
The guards had studied Floren for a bit. "A little flat but very cute. Alright, you may all enter."
...
"You just have to be charming!" Floren concluded.
"Pretty sure he just thought you were a girl...," Nim muttered.
Floren sighed, scouring the area. "He can think whatever he wants, what's important is we're in. Also where is everyone? This club's empty!"
Electra looked around before she remembered something. "Oh yeah! They're all in the arena watching some weirdo fight monsters!"
Nim seemed confused. "How do you know?"
Electra smirked. "It's all on this big TV right here!"
Somehow both Nim and Floren missed the giant broadcasting TV in the middle of the room.
"Wait a minute...," Floren said, looking closer at the screen.
"What is it?" Nim and Electra asked together.
"That's not a random weirdo! That's Silas!"
"Who?" Electra asked.
Nim sighed. "Focus would you? The Aegis' driver?"
"Oh yeah! He was a weirdo!" Electra giggled.
"No time! We gotta go help him!" Nim states firmly.
"It's time to be useful," Floren shouted. "The Merry Band of Misfits will triumph!"
...
"Alright ladies and peons it's time for the next challenger to make its appearance!" Praxis said through the loudspeaker as a large door began clanking open.
"This creation is something of legend. It was rumored to have actually taken on the third driver of the Aegis. As fictional as that story is, the power this creation possesses is far from a myth."
I expected something much darker than the last thing I fought, and the loud thud of footsteps approaching me didn't void those expectations by any means.
"For those of you who don't know," Juliani explained. "One of my ancestors, Bana, was a great rival of the engineer Tora. He created this being and it's power is masked by the fact that it's..."
A large, mechanical... creature revealed itself. It resembled Lila, Poppi's "sister", however it was giant and... chibi? It had on the same maid dress Lila wore, and even had black hair and red eyes. It's head was disproportionally bigger than its body and had some sort of symbol on its head in a language I didn't understand.
"ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!" Juliani squealed.
"Driver do you ever get the feeling that you've lost complete control of your life?" Azami asked me.
In response to all of the emotions flowing in me, between that poor girl, to the ridiculousness of this robot, to how stupid in general this whole crowd was, I couldn't help but laugh, a stressed, confused, ridiculous laugh. "All the time."
"Ladies and peons, may I present? TRUE ROSA!" Praxis shouted as the crowd roared out in cheers.
https/youtu.be/muVgKZBvrww
True Rosa raised her giant, but proportionally tiny, arms as it began shooting out missiles everywhere.
Azami grabbed me from behind and surrounded us with an ether shield as they exploded around us.
"Oh... I guess they were serious," I said as I watched the ground blow into the air around us.
"Do you have any plans, my adorable driver?" Azami questioned.
"Honestly," I said without too much thought. "I feel like we should just hit it really, really hard. With that giant head it can't be too agile, let's just smash it."
"Very well, oh this is exhilarating!" Azami exclaimed as she dropped her ether shields.
I loaded an earth ether gem into the sword to increase my impact before charging the machine head on.
True Rosa's eyes began glowing a brighter red as it shot out a laser beam and spun its head around in a complete three sixty. I narrowly blocked with with my ether shield before closing in further.
It took its arm and tried to swat at me, but Azami directly hit it with a blast from her ether cannon.
I went in and jumped up, grabbing on the hem of Rosa's dress, and I began climbing it.
Rosa began focusing on Azami, who kept up with the shots.
True Rosa began shooting out a multitude of missiles towards Azami, and I realized I needed to be quicker.
I clutched onto its dress and began climbing faster, trying to reach its head before it tried knocking me off.
I made it up to her little bow and latched with my right hand as I clutched my sword in my left, I then slammed the point of the sword into her chin, throwing her onto the ground and blowing me off of her. I flew back about twenty feet and landed with a thud as I slid back into Azami, who had reacted and stopped me from sliding further.
I stood up on one knee quickly and grabbed Azami's ether cannon as we shouted. "Evil Ensemble!"
Azami danced in a circle as waves of dark ether swept over the toppled True Rosa, and I used the ether cannon to fire a large blast, successfully blowing Rosa away. Although I couldn't help but notice something peculiar...
"I-Is... Is Rosa wearing panties?" I questioned, completely confused.
"How dare you, pervert!" Azami scolded.
"It's a robot! Why does it need those?! I can't be at fault for noticing!" I snapped back.
"That doesn't give you the right! But still I guess I could overlook such a dirty mind from my once innocent driver," Azami continued.
Out of nowhere, a missile landed about a few feet from us, knocking us both to the ground. We then realized that Rosa had been standing up.
"A conversation for later, I guess," I decided as I slowly got up, trying to refocus.
"What do we do now, my driver?"
"I've already severely damaged its head part. I'm going to run ahead, I need you to use me as a springboard and get a direct hit on its head, that'll finish it."
"Oh my...," Azami gasped. "I had no idea you were into being treated roughly, my delightful driver."
I shuddered. "Can you focus please?!"
Azami giggled. "Very well."
I ran forward, but I couldn't help but notice one thing. True Rosa was lifting itself off the ground... it had... a jetpack?
"Watch out, love!" Azami shouted.
I realized a large blue cloud was barreling at me. I immediately used my ether shield to block it, but the metal parts began freezing. Luckily, the attack stopped before my forearm was frozen with it. I then turned around, holding my shield at an angle for Azami to jump from. I crouched underneath it in preparation.
Azami rushed towards me as Rosa returned to the ground. As she hit my shield, I sprung up and she jumped, launching her in the air as she aimed her weapon.
True Rosa wasn't prepared to go that easily, however. Azami blasted Rosa in the face as Rosa smacked her into the ground at an intense speed.
Rosa fell down, completely defeated, and Azami landed, almost hitting me. I picked her up carefully.
"Azami! Are you ok?!" I asked her.
She let out a weak giggle. "You look so cute when you're worried."
"I would've never told you to do that if I knew this would happen," I promised.
"D-Don't worry," she said. "If you did it you would've died. I'll... be fine."
She began trying to stand up.
"No, just rest for now. We have a brief moment before the next fight, just try to recover."
I so desperately wanted to tell her I could handle the third round, but I honestly didn't think that was true.
The crowd was cheering wildly, and booing at the same time.
"That blade is too powerful!"
"This is why all blade's should be banned!"
It didn't make sense to me. Didn't they know that the only reason Adonis hadn't completely taken them all over was because the BAP held him back? The blades they hated so much were the last thing protecting them from the loss of all their freedom to a man they celebrated as a genius. All because he "invented" a weapon even more dangerous than anything a normal blade could do. They treated him like a protector, they treated Juliani like some sort of righteous karma, and none of it was right. And yet, nothing I could ever say would change their minds. Not now, not ever. How was I supposed to save a world that seemed to only want to destroy itself in self-righteousness?
"Well done peon!" Juliani cheered. "That was a brilliant display, I must admit you're quite entertaining for a peon. However I'm afraid you're woefully unprepared for round three."
The floor in the middle of the arena began opening up as it was revealed that large metal shutters were concealed beneath the ground, and a platform could be heard rising to the surface.
I felt something... awful, yet familiar. It reminded me of Mythra, which didn't ease my worry. We were about to fight something on par with an Aegis.
...
"Turn on the TV," Malos demanded as he rushed into the living room of the ship.
"What's got you in a rush?" Acacia questioned. "I've never seen any form of excitement in your eyes. Besides, we've been watching Silas fight for awhile now... I don't think he can hold out much longer."
He looked at the TV and let out a chuckle.
"Well would you look at that...," Malos smirked. "I never thought I'd see you again old friend."
"What are you-?" Acacia began before gasping at the TV.
On the platform rose a robot of a much sleeker design than Rosa's. It looked like a giant man, painted black and purple with an enormous halo. The wings on its back resembled an X, with trails of crimson red ether energy forming the winged parts.
"What the devil is that?" Gabriel questioned.
Malos seemed overjoyed. "Say hello to Siren. MY Siren."
Readability Level: 11-12th Grade
Time Taken: 5 Hours