In the mines, Tyrea couldn't help but stop and look at some of the technology. There was plenty of equipment left behind in the Homs' quick exit, and well? Well, Tyrea couldn't help but note how outdated they were by High Entia standards.

"Tyrea, what are you doing?" Linada came to stop next to her, head tilted to the side. "Looking at this old technology?"

"So you noticed just how outdated it is, too." Tyrea crossed her arms, a frown on her face. "Do Homs really use things like this? Can they not create better?"

"Their society has not had as long to create and invent, compared to the High Entia and the Machina." Linada shrugged, running a hand over the machine in front of them. "I'm impressed seeing they made it this far already, if I'm being honest."

Tyrea rolled her eyes, still less than impressed with Homs overall. They were dirty things, that much she was sure of… And seeing as Homs had just put her and others in trouble since this journey began, that wasn't going to soon change.

She was almost envious of Linada, of the way she could be impressed by the Homs. The way she could hold no ill-will towards them, not think of how her own people were being diluted in both blood and thought by such an inferior race.

The Machina, despite it all, were living in the isolated situation Tyrea could only dream of for the High Entia. A life with no other species breathing down her neck would be a wondrous one…

But then she thought of what Yumea told her. The truth of their people, what their destiny was… It made her wonder, for just a foolish moment, if the Homs mixing with the High Entia would be considered the best by some.

"Tch!" She turned away, from the thoughts and from the machinery. "We shouldn't praise them for the bare minimum, Linada. If they plan to survive in this world, they must work harder."

"Whatever you say, Tyrea." Linada shook her head with a chuckle. "But we all have to start somewhere, don't you think?"

"I… suppose." Tyrea huffed, arms crossed against her chest. "I still believe you are giving Homs too much credit!"

"Maybe I am, but I can fix that by making Egil give them some tips, then." She snorted, offering a hand to Tyrea. "But come on, we should hurry, before the rest of the group leaves us in the dust."

Tyrea hesitated, staring at Linada's hand for a moment before taking it with a sigh. The Machina doctor was a strange one, Tyrea had to say. But a strange one she found herself getting used to (not that she would ever tell anyone as much).

"Yes, let's. I'd rather not stick around here and earn another headache looking at this sorry excuse for a machine the Homs made."

"Whatever you say, Tyrea."


The further they made it into the mines, the worse Egil felt. Still not as extreme as the innards of the Bionis, but enough to make Egil want to get out of here as quickly as possible. After all, too much of this and it may add up to being worse than the Bionis Interior.

There was still no sign of the boy, only glitching Mechon after glitching Mechon. Each more dangerous than the last, each taken down only thanks to their teamwork. Egil hated to say it, but he was starting to think there was no hope to find the boy alive. But, of course, the worst part of that thought was yet to come.

After all, he had to voice it.

"This is looking hopeless." He spoke, his voice quiet. "We have yet to see any sign of the boy, what if… it is simply too late?"

"Egil!" Kallian frowned at him. "You can't be suggesting that he's already dead, can you?"

"I believe that is exactly what he is suggesting." Alvis sighed, shaking his head. "And by the looks of it… he may be right."

"There's not been one sign of this brat." Tyrea spoke up then. "There's no reason to believe he made it very far alive…"

"We can't think like that!" Vanea shook her head, a frown on her face. "Perhaps he is dead, but… we should look until the very end. Hold out hope."

Ah, there was Vanea, her usual hopeful self as always. It was something Egil couldn't help but envy about his little sister, a bit. Always clinging to hope, no matter how little hope there was to hold onto. In comparison to how quickly he was always ready to lay down and give up, it was hard not to admire.

"Oka agree with Vanea! Need to keep pushing!" Oka hopped up and down once again, hopping right into Egil's arms. "Egil would hate if people gave up looking for Machina littlepon, right? So friends should not give up on looking for Homhom littlepon!"

"I suppose, but we seem to be nearing the end of the mines." Alvis looked around. "If we make it to the deepest part and do not see him…"

"We'll have to assume the Mechon got him or he fell into the ether river." Tyrea finished his thought, more frank than anyone else would have been. "And if that happens, we have to give up and get out of here."

"...I suppose you are right, but let's try and not be so negative about it." Linada sighed. "That's not good for your mental health, you know! Besides, if we think too negatively, we may give up too early and miss out on saving Juju."

"Linada is right!" Vanea nodded, as sure as could be. "We need to think positively, not only for ourselves, but for Juju."

"Alright, alright… if it will make you happy, we'll move forward under the assumption he is still alive." Egil nodded, despite still being unsure. "Let's go, then. If we'll find him anywhere, I have a feeling it will be deeper in."

"Indeed." Kallian nodded. "Let's finish this rescue mission, everyone!"


Vanea almost felt vindicated when she saw the boy, fending off Mechon to the best of his ability. She knew he had to be out here somewhere! She had just known it! Despite Egil, Alvis, and Tyrea's negativity, he was fine!

But that didn't mean they were in the clear just yet. He was clearly struggling, and there was no way he could make it out of this on his own. That was why she wasted no time rushing forward, lashing out with her whip and stopping the Mechon's attack from hitting.

"Boy! Move!" Egil barked out the command and Juju skittered back into his hands, being pushed behind the group. "Stay back while we handle this."

He whimpered, but nodded as Alvis flashed him a smile and, with Juju out of the way, it was time to fight.

Kallian pushed forward, striking out with his spear as Egil did his best to knock the Mechon off balance. Vanea was quick to topple it using a simple whip around the legs, and Linada slammed the butt of her rifle into it to daze it.

From there, Tyrea and Alvis wasted no time utterly destroying it with their weapons, Egil continuing to soften it up for when it stood again and fighting became a bit harder. Vanea cursed the fact they hadn't thought to get the non-Machina weapons to fight against the Mechon.

But thankfully, they were able to keep the damn thing toppled longer than expected, each of them going as hard as they could to keep it that way. Juju let out a gasp, watching this all, and Vanea shot him a smile. A way to make sure the boy knew they were doing alright.

It stood again, and Alvis switched quickly to his more ether focused attacks in order to continue doing at least some damage. Tyrea and Kallian did their best to distract it as Oka cheered them all on, raising morale each time she did.

The final strike came with Lady Meyneth's Monado, Egil taking a moment to breathe as it fell. Good, that was done with. They had saved Juju! Now they just had to get him out of here in one piece and they could be on their way!

"You guys… you were the people brought back to Colony 6, right?" The boy spoke, his voice shaking. "You aren't going to hurt me, are you?"

"Of course not!" Vanea shook her head and moved to pick him up, holding him as if he was a baby. "We're here to save you! Mechon can be tricky for any non-Machina to deal with, after all! Now let's get you back to your sister, she must be worried sick!"

"H… hey! I'm not a baby! You don't have to carry me like that, you know!"

"Oh, stop your whining." Tyrea rolled her eyes. "Better we carry you than risk you wandering off again! Be a good child and you'll be put down as soon as we exit the mines!"

"Hey…!"