The Eye of the Storm
A quiet rattle of metal could be heard inside of a dark grey transport vehicle.
The occupants consisted of several occupants that included Himeko, Hua, and Einar in addition to seven other soldiers within the vehicle. They all held a somber expression as they made their way to their destination.
The 4th Herrscher had made her appearance. And with her emergence she had decimated everything in her wake from Western Europe to Eastern Asia.
Yasuhiro had ordered the immediate deployment of all forces baring those that were protecting their various bases. This led to Himeko's platoon being directed to the front lines in the fight against the Herrscher.
Kevin was in a different squad that held a more dangerous role as a diversion should the situation arise.
Himeko began speaking about the known information on their adversary, "The 4th Herrscher can manipulate wind itself into any shape within seconds. This can include both blades, projectiles, and even armor. You have been equipped with a unique rifle that can generate enough force to destroy her objects her a moment. But be very careful since the recoil could blow your arm off if it is used too much or your suit is damaged."
Nothing says a fun time like losing your limbs, Einar thought, none too thrilled. The equipment that he and his companion were supplied with was laced with a Honkai resistant material called Solium. While it would prevent any crippling damage from Honkai related sources the physical forces created by those powers was another story.
Not that he had much room to talk since he could use his powers to cancel out the brunt of the Honkai beings attacks, no one else is so fortunate.
Himeko continued, unaware of her subordinates musings, "We will drop in about two kilometers out. Once you land keep moving towards the target since she is able to slice through any buildings in the area. Use the debris to block line of sight rather than as a shield."
Rather than nervous, the occupants of the aircraft possessed more of a hardened resolve on their faces.
The large door in the side opened up to reveal the fading light of the sun.
Einar looked to Fu Hua with a smile, "Ready or not, here we go."
And with that, the members of Himeko's platoon leapt into the clashing fray of combat.
"This is why I hate boss fights that have an absurd number of minions!" A familiar boy yelled a strange comparison.
Currently the forces of the Moth Who Chases the Flames were fighting a horde of Honkai beasts while the Herrscher couldn't be seen.
Well this is a problem, we can't fight something we can't even see, was the thoughts of Einar as he sliced through another creature. Before he could do anything else, static buzzed in his ear followed by a certain scientist's voice.
"The 4th Herrscher is located on top of the tallest northwest building."
Einar grinned, "Now the real fun begins." He bolted towards the designated location of the girl in flash of blue and orange.
Kevin observed this action form a nearby vantage point. Coming to a decision he informed his captain of his future actions, "I'm going to support Einar against the Herrscher."
Without waiting for a response, he left towards the tower with his weapons in tow. He had a nagging feeling that his fellow soldier would require his help against the Honkai corrupted girl.
Only time would tell.
On the rooftop of a towering glass building stood a young boy armed with a sword and clad in metal armor.
On the other side levitated a green girl with verdant wings as the wind whipped around her in a fury.
The girl had a radiant smile on her face that clashed with the chaos of the battle that waged below them.
"I finally get to meet you!" She joyously exclaimed as she landed and walked towards Einar. The boy remained perfectly still even when the girl laid a hand on his face as though he were a precious possession.
"How do you know about me?" Einar asked the most pressing question. Fire Moth had kept his identity under wraps as they didn't want anyone finding out how to potentially counter his powers.
However, the boy was very much aware of someone who would know of him and what he could do. This meant the question was more directed at finding the whereabouts of that person.
The girl's smiled broadened even more as she answered, "She told me of course!"
Disappointment was strewn across Einar's face as he realized that she wouldn't give him any more than that.
The emerald clad girl took a few steps back as she continued, "I'll take care of the vermin before we leave." She spoke with such a casual voice and cheerful expression that it wouldn't be difficult to dismiss what she said.
Einar immediately took the now blushing girl by the hand as he prevented her from leaving, "I can't let you do that."
The Herrscher's fell into a mask of confusion and sadness, "Why? None of them are worth anything anyway."
Letting go of her hand the boy asked, "What's your name?"
"Wendy." The now named girl answered in a shy voice and her head down.
"Okay then Wendy, because they all have just as much value as you or I have." Einar gave a very simple answer to the girl.
The girl became overcome with anger as she tried to refute his claim, "Humans are so full of greed and hate, they desire to destroy themselves and others out a sense of superiority. How can they hold any worth?" Wendy was heated as she proclaimed the greatest flaws of humanity.
"And you're any different?" The boy armed with a blade responded with a calm expression.
The wind Herrscher was startled as she gazed towards the soldier.
"The Honkai seeks to destroy humanity because they believe that they are better that humans. The Honkai lusts for the ability to accomplish that goal. So, I ask you, how then is the Honkai in any way removed for the traits that plague humanity." Einar held his stare at Wendy's eyes as he made his case to the girl.
He could see that she wouldn't change, the Honkai wouldn't allow that, but he wanted to make the argument for himself. He wanted to convince himself that his cause was the right path, despite what he might have to do in the coming moments, days, and even years.
The 4th Herrscher rose into the air, channeling the winds to form the very air around her into a shield of razors.
"I see...the humans have convinced you that they are deserving of life. So, all I have to do is kill them to make sure you see things form my perspective!" Wendy screamed as the wind blasted the boy off the side of the tower.
Reacting quickly, Einar formed a circular portal below him that sent him to a nearby building where he could see the effects of Wendy's attack.
"Now that's just unfair!" The reason for this response was due to the fact that the single attack had caused the entirety of the buildings windows to shatter and the top of it to come clean off.
"Get out of the way!" Shouted a familiar voice into the comm.
Einar observed the other personnel vacate the area as soon as possible as a white haired man with a large assault rifle came up to him.
He looked at the boy, "Guessing whatever you tried didn't work huh." It was more of a statement than a question as the results were clear as day.
Speaking into the comm the boy issued an order, "Everyone who is not focusing on other tasks get up here and give me and Kevin some support. We're fighting the Herrscher."
"Hope that's alright with you." Einar asked the man after the fact.
"Don't have much of a choice anymore, but I wouldn't have complained anyway." Kevin still had quite the bone to pick with the Honkai after all and a kid with superpowers wasn't going to stop him.
The boy's face broke into a large grin, "Good, because I'm gonna be on a time limit so let's wrap this up quick.
Without giving the other party time to respond, his armor reformed into a more exposed version, giving him more maneuverability at the cost of defense. The edge of his sword burned with an orange light as two almost wing like objects formed below his hip. The looked to be two translucent orange rectangles that were angle in opposing directions. There were four in total, with two facing one direction and two facing the other. The ones that faced the same direction were connected by a thin diagonal line that connected them.
Kevin was taken aback for a moment, "When could you do that?"
"I'll tell you later, right now hold on tight!" Before giving time to respond, Einar grabbed Kevin and flung the both of them into another portal. This time to Wendy's location.
The two appeared on the streets as gunfire was flung in careful volleys and the clashing of Solium against Honkai carapace could be heard.
In the middle of it all was a woman with greatsword fending against a girl with green wings and the wind at her back. Quite literally.
The two rushed to lend assistance to the woman in her fight against the Herrscher.
When they got closer the young girl looked over at them and gained a look of glee, "Einar! You came back for me!"
Upon hearing this both Kevin and Himeko shot a look towards the boy in question that promised pain if he didn't explain after this was all over.
"I came for you sure, but not in the way you want." Einar responded in a cool tone that betrayed his growing ire with Wendy's actions. It was far easier to dismiss the pain of someone you didn't know existed verses a friend, cruel though the logic may be.
The girl said nothing as she continued to grin from ear to ear.
With the brief exchange concluded the three began their assault on the enemy of humanity.
Kevin utilized the weapon that was provided for this mission to strip away her armor for a moment as Himeko came up and slashed the verdant girl.
Wendy managed to control the wind to force her away from the swipe, so she only acquired a small gash on her leg. She followed up Kevin's attack by sending a gust of wind his way that knocked him into some nearby rubble.
The small break in her attention, however, lead to Einar coming up from behind and cutting through her defenses with a blade wreathed in azure lightning. Much like the previous attack Wendy dodged but was rendered slightly numb due to the amount of electricity used.
Himeko growled in frustration as she dodged a blade of wind that sliced the space around her, "All of that effort for two small scratches, we need to hold her down somehow."
Turning towards the white haired man, Einar inquired, "Kevin, can you keep Wendy's shields down for as long as possible."
While confused by the name it was simple to deduce who he was referring to, "I'll do the best I can." He would definitely be having a few words with the boy after the battle.
"Himeko, get ready to deal as much damage as you can soon." The boy issued a warning as he readied his plan.
The two nodded in agreement.
Kevin started off by maintaining a position that allows him to fire multiple shots without being blown backwards.
Golden chains appeared form the ground to bind the 4th Herrscher into her current spot before the business end of Kevin's rifle.
Taking the opportunity, Himeko burst foreword and ran her sword through the chest of the young girl. Blood burst form the wound in a crimson fountain that matched the color of the perpetrator's hair.
A wall of emerald wind promptly slammed into her as she lost her grip on the sword lodged in the Herrscher's chest. Wendy struggled to remove the blade from her chest and staggered backwards onto the ground.
Making his way to the downed girl, Einar sat on the ground and embraced the dying girl.
The girl gave a smile towards the boy despite the situation he put her in, "I suppose this isn't such a bad way to die."
The peaceful expression on her face forced the feeling of guilt to bubble to the surface. What she had done, however, was inexcusable. She reminded him of another girl he met a long time ago when the world was far different.
"It's the least I can do." The boy had resigned himself to this course of action, but it still hurt. Perhaps not an innocent girl but one he still didn't want her death to be the only solution.
No more words were exchanged between the two as the girl slowly closed her eyes for the last time.
This was no time to get sentimental though, the battle to destroy the rest of the Honkai beasts still raged on around them. The only difference was that it was far easier now that the Herrscher was no longer a threat.
Einar stood up.
There was still work to be done.
He was still asleep right?
The world around him was a simple white void that held nothing but a throne of smooth stone throne that held nothing and no one on it.
"It's been awhile Einar."
A soothing female voiced echoed through his head.
He froze as soon as he heard the voice.
"Don't tell me you forgot who I am?"
Despite her words the voice giggled as though laughing at her own joke.
The boy turned around, "Kaguya?"
A petite girl with long white hair stood behind him. She was clothed in a simple white sundress that seemed to be rustling along with her wavy hair in a wind that should not exist in this void.
She came up and cupped his cheek in much the same way that Wendy had done earlier that day.
"You're the one that told Wendy about me." It was not a question, simply a vocalization of a fact that had dawned on the boy.
The girl grinned, "And gave her the power over wind." She seemed amused at his observation.
"What are you?" That was the question that loomed in Einar's mind more than any other now that he had meet her again.
"Does it matter that much to you?" The girl asked, her smile fading slightly.
The boy responded in a hot tone, "Yes, because I want to know why you would encourage the Herrscher's to commit such atrocities."
What had made the girl who was so enamored with the world to become so vengeful?
Her faced brightened upon hearing this, "I'm glad. As for what I am, well, you'll have to figure that out on your own." She put one hand on her hip as she leaned over to poke Einar in the chest with a dainty finger, as though emphasizing her point.
Before the boy could ask any more questions, however, the girl held up her hand, "It seems it's time for you to wake up now though." She held a genuine expression of sadness on her face as she proclaimed the news.
"Will we be able to meet again?" The boy asked before he left the void of white.
The girl gained a mischievous smile, "Perhaps, we will see what the future holds."
With those words, Einar felt a sensation of weightlessness as his vision faded. He heard the girl speak to him as he left.
"We will see who wins in the end, my knight."
As quick as he arrived he left the realm devoid of color.
And into the waking world.
The sounds of several voices chattering could be heard among the familiar rattle of metal.
Einar opened his eyes and was greeted with the inside of the transport craft. The atmosphere was much lighter than it was on the flight to the battle as relief had settled amongst its occupants after its conclusion.
Fu Hua had noticed his awakening, "Glad you could make it 'Hero', wouldn't want you dying on us just yet." Contrary to her scathing words the teen in question smiled at the boy.
"I really hope that nickname doesn't stick." He didn't want to be given any more work than he already had. After all, accolades equal desk job.
Keeping her smile, she elaborated, "Kevin is being called that too."
"I hope the nickname never fades from our minds." If Kevin was stuck with a cheesy name too than he could easily live with it. He would make sure that everyone forgot Kevin's name by the end of the month.
Changing the topic Hua asked, "Why do you have the Herrscher core again?"
"Because for some reason the core doesn't emit as much Honkai energy when its near me. They said it was some sort a resonance and other terms I couldn't be bothered to care about." Einar explained.
After the battle a team of scientist retrieved the core from Wendy's leg. It was then placed inside of a Solium container to prevent anyone from being corrupted by the Honkai energy it exudes.
For some reason that energy almost stopped whenever Einar was close to it. The researchers had surmised that the reason for the disappearance of energy is because the boy absorbed it into his own core. This prompted them to inform him not to carry it for too long as it might cause irreversible damage.
In any event, this led him to be designated as the one to guard the item as they escorted it back to HQ.
Interrupting Hua's next words, Himeko came over to where they were sitting on the transport.
"How was your first mission against a Herrscher?" Even if not directly fighting the person herself, the Honkai beasts were still a problem due to their vast numbers and power as a direct result of Wendy exerting her powers.
Herrschers released an absurd amount of Honkai energy by both forming their gem when they gain their powers and again if they use a large amount of power. This can allow Honkai beasts to form in mass quantities and corrupt many of the civilians in the area, turning them into zombies.
Fu Hua was the first to respond, "Underwhelming at first but it quickly became tiring as the Honkai beasts kept coming. I am a bit down that I wasn't able to test my skills against the Herrscher though."
She did look exhausted, observed Einar. Then again, I'm pretty sure that everyone involved is exhausted to some extent. Heck, even Kevin looked tired! The anomaly didn't think that the white haired soldier could even get tired.
Himeko chuckled as she agreed with the other girl's assessment, "Yeah, Einar was probably the only one in the thick of it for the entirety of the battle, which is the only reason I haven't fired him for slacking off."
The boy in question gained an incredulous look as he turned to his captain, "I don't have a free pass to take naps!" His tone was serious enough that it was difficult to tell if he was joking or not.
"Technically I'm the one that killed the Herrscher so I might have a free napping pass, but you don't." Was the response from the woman as she played along with the boy's delusions.
"This is discrimination! Napping for all is a human right!" Einar raised his arm to the ceiling and shouted this proclamation just as the door to the craft opened.
It seemed the vehicle had landed and who had come to greet them but Professor Mei herself. She didn't seem to react to the news, making the boy wonder whether he was in the clear.
"I don't believe that you or anyone else in Fire Moth has the time to be napping." Was the statement from the scientist as she crossed her arms in disapproval.
Meanwhile, Kevin could be seen over the woman's shoulder trying to stifle his chuckles with a fist.
Without giving Einar the time to defend himself she continued onto more important matters, "Bring the 4th Herrscher core to the lab. I want to know what makes it tick."
Knowing he wasn't going to get out of another lecture form the smart people in the organization he sighed and hopped of off the transport.
"Please keep it under six hours." The boy's eyes were pleading as he remembered the last time something like this happened with the 3rd Herrscher.
"I make no promises."
In a white void sat a girl whose entire color schemed seemed to be white and white-er.
She sat on a light grey throne with her hand resting below her chin as she looked to be deep in thought.
"I wonder who I should send next? It's always so exciting to see how he reacts." She held an affectionate smile on her face as she thought of a certain boy.
Despite that, a single burning question echoed throughout her mind.
What are you?
For all her knowledge that was something she was unaware of. Perhaps she was incapable of truly understanding her own nature, much like the human now that she gave some more thought.
The humans would come to label her for her connection to the Honkai. The Gestalt Will of Honkai.
For now though, the only name she answered to was given to her by a young boy.
Kaguya.
Author's notes: This week sucked. I doubt you want to hear about me though so all I'll say is that school was not fun this week.
Moving on to the story, however, I hope you guys enjoyed it! I doubt the fact that Kaguya was the Will of Honkai came as a surprise to anyone though. I tried to make it subtle in the beginning of the story but that might have but more than I could chew.
I have also loved stories that have the main heroine as the antagonist, which was sort of the inspiration for this. My main inspiration for the pairing was derived from The Unexplored Summon:/Blood-Sign by Kamachi Kazuma, the same author as A Certain Magical Index series.
My biggest struggle with this story was probably coming up with a valid reason for the two characters to fall, and remain, in love despite their conflicting values. I think I've got it, but I won't reveal it just yet.
Also, I do need to update the 2nd chapter as I realized that I didn't even describe the appearance of Parvati! I merely relied on my readers having played the game and that is unforgivable. I hope this didn't cause too much confusion and I will make the correction as soon as possible.
That brings me to the final thing I wanted to address. You guys can either review or pm me if you think that something in the story either doesn't make sense or is just poorly written. I'm mainly writing this story for myself and I do want to improve to make it a more enjoyable experience.
And so, with great thanks to all of those that have follow and favorited (for some reason) I will see you guys in the next update.
Sayonara,
The Slow White Guy