Hey there folks. What can I say? Half of this is serious, a third of this is stupid and one sixth of this is Zeke. Kind of jumping around emotion-wise, but let's see where this goes. There was a review commenting on how potentially overpowered Xander's abilities could be and I'd say to that, hopefully I have put enough restrictions upon it to make it restrained enough without making it useless. Anyway, let's go!

Super hero time!

Lilith: Bauen, welcome to the land of white serenity! And there are cute girls too!

Bauen: Welcome to Uraya, where there are weirdos waiting to ambush you. wonderful.

Lilith: Don't worry, I have ways of dealing with bad people! Call it a Lilith special art!

Bauen:... Dare I even ask?

L + B: Don't forget me! Rider once more!

Akhos was fast, that much was clear as soon as the man began to move. That rather mild mannered appearance he had certainly didn't speak for his combat experience, Lilith forced to defend with Kasandra's hammer rather than actually dodge any of his strikes at first.

"Like a damsel in distress, cowering away behind your shield. But what would happen if that shield… broke!?" Akhos cried out, pausing in his assault to throw his weapons upward towards his Blade. The flying woman gave a cackle as she grasped the twin swords, a burst of red energy emanating from her as fierce lightning rained down from above. In a normal situation, it wouldn't have been much of an issue to deal with, but the little thief only noticed far too late that her weapon had folded away, letting the blast hit her head on.

"I've got you!" Ursula cried, jumping from Beary's shoulder so the polar bear could grab her driver, Kasandra holding the front line with her own Blade shield while the little white haired girl got to work healing her driver. Tora ducked his way in front of Akhos, drawing his ire as the Nopon slid past the armoured warrior with the spinning edge of his shield slicing into his front. "What just happened?"

"It was like he… disabled the hammer?" Lilith responded, shaking her head before she leapt back into the fray. With Pyra and Rex acting as the diversion, it was much easier to sneak around as the man let his attention be drawn to the legendary Aegis and her driver. A slid strike was enough to have him stumbling forward, only for his Blade to bring up her shield to defend herself from the torrent of flame that would've burnt him next. "Kasandra, to you!"

"Got it!" Akhos gave a small tut as he caught sight of the pulsing orb of darkness forming before the lucky Blade, leaping up onto one of the nearby ledges just in time to avoid the wild roar that would've soaked him to the bone courtesy of Dromarch. That didn't mean he could avoid Nia's coming attacks however, the cat girl more than nimble enough to follow his movements upward. The only reason her rings didn't do any more damage was the lightning bolts that forced her backwards, a step too far having her fall over the edge and fortunately land on the beast Blade's back. The orb fully charged, Kasandra swung forth to send the attack shooting forward, Akhos grabbing a hold of his Blade at the last moment to fly away from where it vaporised the rocks he was standing on.

"What a rowdy audience we have today Obrona." Akhos remarked far too casually, his Blade nodding eagerly as she dropped him down onto the ground almost undamaged despite the few hits they managed to land on his body. Beary dissolved away into the claw weapons as the group surrounded Akhos, not that it did anything to make him alarmed in the slightest. "But I have yet to see anything which would make this play exciting at all. Just what would it take to get you to go all out…?"

"Oh shut it Akhos!" Nia spat out as she slammed her rings downward, Obrona forcing the strike to the side and leaving Nia perfectly exposed for a pair of swift strikes to send her tumbling back into the rest of the group. "Why can't you just leave us alone!? We ain't bothering you, we ain't doing nothing!"

"Really? A traitor to our cause, a special case and the legendary Aegis, all travelling together; I'd say you were more than a target simply for existing at this point." Akhos responded, batting away Rex's sword at the last moment, striking at the salvager's stomach with a savage smirk. What he did not expect however was for Pyra to also flinch at the attack, a curious thought appearing in his head. "Such a varied main cast is obviously one that will bring forth an interesting story. One that may have a certain plot twist!"

He aimed directly for Pyra, pinning her against the wall as the redhead let out a cry. As soon as the swords pierced Pyra's stomach, Rex too grabbed his own in agony, falling to the floor as a small harrumph escaped Akhos. All the time, Obrona was clacking like mad, dancing about in the air as she shot down lightning bolts from above. Save for Poppi, there were none who could reach her, a deadly tango in the air between the two flying Blades.

"Now why would the driver…?" the blue armoured driver muttered, pushing back his glasses as a glint entered his eyes. "So, you're taking each other's damage are you? Then that would mean the Aegis is nothing more than a mere mortal. In that case, a little more damage and you should be a push over!"

Not that the fire Blade was simply going to stand still while Akhos swung for her, the man's sword digging into the stone wall behind her as she ducked underneath her strike. She was too slow however to avoid the following slice that cut down through her whole midsection, both her and Rex falling to the ground in pain as Nia and Lilith rushed over to act as the healers they were capable of being. Poppi's body crashing down to the ground however made them pause, sparks coming from the purple haired Blade as she fell like a boulder from the Obrona's shock; just as earth was strong against electric, so too was electric strong against earth. Akhos raised his sword for the final blow, bringing it down harshly - !

"Kids these days, I swear! Can't leave you alone for a minute!" a Blade shield formed right in front of Pyra, courtesy of Roc as the bird Blade flew down from his sky high perch. Walking over from where the majority of Garfont had gone to avoid the battle, Vandham held his wind coated scythe high, Xander following behind with a grim expression. "Looks like you lot could use a hand."

"I took the courtesy of using my equations in order to come up with a new technique. I hope you can appreciate just how difficult that is." Xander added dully, holding up his Combo Arc with a small grin while a pair of cards fell into his off hand. "Shall we begin the experiment then? Pyra!"

HOMURA!

"Brighid!"

KAGUTSUCHI!

FUSION MATCH!

"It's time to bring the heat!"

BOND UP!

FUSION BLADE: BURNING IMPERIAL!

"Nova Haze!" with a firm swing of his dual scythes, Vandham whipped up a storm to surround both Obrona and Akhos, the flying Blade far more susceptible to getting caught in the raging winds thanks to her flight. Xander's burning attack simply added to the chaos, the power of two flame Blades and an air Blade together combining into a tremendous twister of fire and wind. It only became stronger as Vandham tossed up his weapons to Roc who added his own spinning tornado to the mix, Akhos doing his best to block an attack that came from all sides with no way of defending himself properly.

"What!? They managed to disturb the ether flow!" Akhos growled, trying his best to stand his ground. The walls around him were far too strong for him to simply break out of without consuming a considerable amount of energy, which would only be made greater without such a strong connection to the ether flow. "How am I mean to deflect now!?"

"That's the thing with people like you. You and your fancy moves; you lack grit!" Vandham boasted as Akhos rushed blindly towards them, completely unaware of the tiger Blade that slashed him from the side with a twin ring in his mouth. Rolling away as the burning tornado ebbed away, there was nothing left for Akhos to do; he was surrounded and had far too little stamina to make his prior high speed strategy work.

"Urgh, there's simply too many of these bit-players on the stage." Akhos moaned as he rolled his neck, Obrona quickly appearing at his side with concern. "Obrona, my interest in this has waned. Maybe it's time for another tale."

"Sure, sure…" it was the sign for them to leave, hopping from place to place at incredible speeds until there was no sign of them left to follow. Vandham gave a small scoff in their direction while Xander crouched down to the ground, his red and purple armour burning away as he looked to the charred grass. It certainly wasn't going to be growing back any time soon.

Pyra tried her best to rise to her feet, but the Blade only managed to stumble for a few steps until she was down on the ground, Rex rushing over to his partner in fear as she gave not a single sound. A quick check showed that she was still breathing fine, but after taking such damage, it was clear that she had reached her limit. All they could do was transfer her to the inn, watching over her slumbering body.

"How is she?" Vandham whispered when he caught Rex just as he was about to exit, a solemn look upon the salvager's face.

"She should be getting better any time soon. Dromarch and Ursula are saying she just needs some rest." Rex answered, his usual enthusiasm and buzz completely killed off. Rubbing a hand across his face with a sigh, Vandham gestured for them to go outside, a small trek having them sitting beneath the grand tree that looked over the entirety of Garfont. All that was needed for a peaceful quiet area was a few knowing glances in the right direction, a surprising amount of people suddenly remembering the work they had to do or feeling they had enough for the day. "Maybe I used too much power again…"

"Hey, Rex. Know what the difference between me and that Akhos fella is?" Vandham randomly asked, the burly man looking to the sky as he spoke. Rex simply blinked once, then twice, before actually having the mind to properly formulate an answer.

"Well, he's a bad guy, trying to get Pyra… and you're… not?"

"Ha, thanks for the vote of confidence kid!" Vandham returned, giving a light tap to Rex's shoulder. Of course, what he constituted as a light tap was more than a fair shove to the salvager, having him topping onto his side to bring Vandham even more laughter, but more importantly, a slight smile to Rex's face. "What if I told you we weren't all that different? My crew at the village, we all think we're fighting for justice. But a just fight? I'm telling ya, there's no such thing. What people call justice? It's just an excuse. War is war. The more you stand up for yourself, the more people are gonna want to fight ya. Before you know it, you're in the middle of a war. Listen kid, all I want to tell ya is we got our own fight and he's got his."

"But what he's doing is-!"

"Yeah, it's bad alright. But war isn't about right or wrong. Power. That's all it is and all it ever has or will be. Power can take many forms, it all depends on the heart the wielder; if we don't use our power just 'cause we're scared of it, we're done for." Vandham intoned with a shrug. "As for who's right and who's wrong…? Nobody knows for sure. So all we can do, is protect what's important."

"I think I understand. Rex answered after a moment of silence, looking over to the tent where Pyra was sleeping. The window was left uncovered, giving him a perfect look at Ursula and Dromarch working their magic over her body, checking every single piece of damage was repaired. "This… this is my war."

"Pyra! Feeling better?" Rex hurriedly asked as soon as he caught the slightest glimpse of his Blade walking about, a bright smile appearing on her face as her driver dashed in front of her.

"Yeah. I managed to sleep a lot." Pyra answered, stretching out her arms before she suddenly started slightly, putting her palm to her fist. "Actually Rex, Lilith? Nia wanted to talk with you two. Go ahead Nia."

"Um, er…" the Gormotti girl clearly wasn't too happy with being pushed so quickly into the spotlight, but both the salvager and the thief were already looking curiously at her; there was no time to try and make an escape now that she was committed. "Rex, I want you to come help me. I need to tell Vandham. About my past with Akhos and all that lot. Only one out of us who hasn't heard it yet is Lilith."

"Sure. I don't know that much about you Nia. Maybe we can get a bit more comfortable with one another." Lilith remarked, sidling up to the Gormotti girl with a small giggle as Nia slid away at the exact same speed with a roll of her eyes. "Joking! After all, imagine how awkward that would be with Vandham standing in the middle."

"I'm trying to be serious here."

"And I'm trying to make things less tense. You look really hung up Nia." Lilith responded, her voice losing its joking tone as she looked into the cat girl's eyes. Nia's response was to awkwardly rub her arm, turning away to the ground.

"Well, I should probably explain… Vandham, he scares me a little bit…" she explained, Rex giving a hearty laugh regardless of the death glare Nia gave him in return. Once his laughter was over however, the salvager waved her over; Vandham was outside dealing with whoever he was training at an ungodly hour in the morning, so it was pretty easy for them to find him.

"Oh? So what's got you lot out of bed so early?" the burly man questioned as they approached, Rex giving a pointed look at a much more nervous Nia as she tried to formulate her words.

"That guy, Akhos I mean… I wanted to tell you about him, see…" Nia fumbled, screwing her eyes shut until with a stomp on the ground, she simply let loose. "Thing is, we-!"

"Being a mercenary, you meet all kinds of folk. After all, your country, money, family: people got all sorts of different reasons for fighting." Vandham interrupted, Nia unable to speak through her shock and confusion as he scoffed. "Like fighting for a special girl, you see that one a lot. Most of them don't usually have a strange crystal in their chest though, eh? Nia, you're with these guys right now. That's what matters."

"But, aren't you-?"

"Anyway, Rex, weren't you saying you were off to Elysium?"

"Well yeah, but we kind of hit a snag." Rex muttered, folding his arms in annoyance. "With a crazy monster like that in the way, it's pretty much impossible to get close. No guild ship's getting close without getting shot down."

"Yeah? Well I've got an old mate, up in the Urayan capital. Got a feeling he might know the way through." Vandham declared, those present perking up at the news. "I've got to go there anyway, so might as well introduce you. Call it destiny or something."

"Vandham, thank you!"

"Don't sweat it. Get your stuff and your mates together and meet me by the entrance. We're off to Fonsa Myma!" they were interrupted however when Xander suddenly dashed over to them, panting deeply as he tried to regain his breath. "Xander? We're just about to set off to the Urayan Capital. If you want something, make it quick."

"I… I just wanted… to ask if I… could join you!" Xander declared, bowing deeply as he spoke, much to the other's confusion. "I don't mean to insult the Garfont mercenaries… but I think I've done all I can here. If I can get out into the world, then maybe I can learn even more for when I come back. Going to the Urayan Capital would be a great start to my journey."

"Well I'm going for my own reasons, as are these lot. If you've got a little quest you want to go on, then I'm fine with it." Vandham reasoned, turning to the others. "Care if we have another join our party for a while?"

"Fine with me." Rex remarked, Nia simply nodding along with Lilith as Xander gave another bow with a bright smile.

"Thank you so much! I'll try not to be a burden."

"Haha! Looks like all the rumours about the legendary Aegis were true!" the only true snag the group managed to come across on their journey to Fonsa Myma was at the Cobalt Cliffs, a sudden remark echoing from all sides immediately having their group on standby. The ones who stepped out of the darkness held confidence in their stride, black cowls covering their face as the two shared a glance between themselves. "That's a pretty heavy burden you have there. Sure you're up for it, pipsqueak? See sense, step aside and let the big boys take charge! C'mon! Yield the merchandise!"

While the pair's movements were in absolute sync, the sheer flamboyance of their gestures as one spoke didn't exactly give the most intimidating of impressions. A beat of silence meant that they were frozen in their place while the other group looked between each other uncertainly, Rex being the first to voice his frustration.

"What is going on?" Rex called out, turning to Vandham. "Do you know these guys or something?"

"Never seen them in my life." That was the moment where they chose to throw off the cowls that had obscured them, revealing the rather well built man beneath who had been speaking to them alongside who was undoubtedly his Blade. The grey haired man had quite the odd look, a large amount of belts strapped around his waistline sitting with a dark trench coat and spiked armoured trousers, the sleeves ripped off in order to make way for the protective padding over his arms. Together, it was as if the man was trying far too hard to look frightening, even placing an eye patch over his left eye.

The green haired Blade gave a silent smirk, her eyes no doubt twinkling behind the huge round glasses she wore. The numerous light bulbs that formed upon her hat, shoes, shoulders and even a long tail like appendage flowing from her back was more than a good sign that she was electrically inclined, a purple dress cutting away at the midriff to reveal some of the bra beneath and the glowing green crystal.

"You really are a bunch of rinky-dink, bogus, two-bit, no mark drivers, aren't you?" the man uttered, he and his Blade falling in tandem when not a single one of them could recognise who they were. He hadn't stopped his rather emphatic gestures throughout and they only grew bolder as he continued, drawing his sword halfway through. It was a mighty dual handed beats of a weapon, the grey haired man holding it as if it was nothing more than a baseball bat. "Behold the mighty… Zeke! Von! Genbu! Bringer of Chaos! Mostly known as Zeke, but also known as the ZEKENATOR! Behold my Blade, Pandoria! And this is my sword, the Purple Lightning Dream-smasher™! If you want a taste, come and get it!"

…

…

…

"Beary, attack them." And so the group continued on without an issue while the ice based polar bear rushed towards them with all the ferocity his species had, neither Zeke nor Pandoria prepared to deal with the sudden assault of a goddamn bear. At first, their belief was that it would be simple enough to deal with him, just as they had done all sorts of monsters before, only to realise their gravest mistake when Beary suddenly let his claws become sheathed in ice. Holding onto Ursula's hand, Lilith gave a small hum as she put a finger to her chin. "Wait, did anyone else here him whisper ™ when he named his sword?"

"W-wait you barbarians!" Zeke yelled out furiously, dashing over in front of the group as soon as he managed to get Beary to stop chomping down on his butt cheeks, any attempt to look cool completely lost when the grey haired swordsman was left clutching his ass as he spoke.

"This guy… I'm tired of him already." Nia muttered as Pandoria dashed after her driver, Beary giving a low growl as he appeared next to Ursula once more. The sound alone was enough to make the pair of them jump, Nia rolling her eyes as they tried to present themselves properly once more.

"Gah, do you think you lowlifes can lick the three of us!?" Zeke roared, his fist trembling as he raised it in front of him, only for Nia to mockingly look back and forth not a single care in the world for the clownish duo.

"Three of you? I count two, lost someone?"

"Huh? Oh, get a load of this… our beloved mascot… Turters! Reveal yourself!" but rummaging around in his pocket revealed nothing to Zeke, both he and Pandoria left to freak out when there was no sight of their so called 'mascot.' Floundering about, the pair began to eagerly search for their lost friend almost as if they had completely forgot about the group's existence, only to turn with horror when they heard Ursula coo.

"Hello there. Are you the Turters they're talking about?" the ice Blade remarked as she picked up the tiny turtle in her ethereal hands, bringing the little creature up to her face with a small smile. All too soon however, Zeke made a mad dash over to Ursula, snatching Turters right out of her hands with a comic–level snarl in the small Blade's direction.

"Turters!" he cried as he returned to Pandoria's side, said Blade fawning over the little turtle silently as she took him from Zeke's grasp, the pair ignorant to their surroundings as they focused their attention upon their pet. Rex could only turn to the rest of them with an incredulous expression, palming his face for a moment.

"But… he could've just grabbed Pyra right then if he could run so fast." The salvager pointed out with a sigh. "Why'd he go for his turtle instead?"

"Urgh, he's an idiot." And Lilith was very much inclined to agree. Zeke and Pandoria must've heard Nia's scathing comment, for they suddenly jumped upwards, spitting and stumbling in embarrassment.

"L-listen here! She'll be mine soon enough. Got a problem with that? Then come at me and don't hold back!" Zeke roared, brandishing his sword ready for battle. Tora and Rex were about to bring out their own weapons until Lilith stepped forward, holding her hand up with a stoic look to her visage. "Oh? So someone wants to challenge us alone do they? Well if it's defeat you're searching for, then you've come to the right guy!"

…

…

"Beary, attack them."

"NOT THE BEAR!"

Beary was quite the unforgiving foe, for as soon as Lilith threw her hand forward, the beast was charging forth with a vicious growl, kicking up dust like mad as Zeke and Pandoria freaked out. Should they have decided to use the electrical powers Pandoria had to offer or even the gigantic sword that Zeke was literally carrying in his hands at that very moment, the fight wouldn't have been so one sided. Alas, as soon as they saw Beary careening towards them, Zeke had immediately let go of his weapon in fear, leaving the pair perfectly open to getting pummelled with a rather remarkable amount of ice and claws.

"Heh… good try…" Zeke muttered after having been unflatteringly chucked to the side, tumbling over to where his weapon had fell so he could pick it up once more. "But wipe yourselves down and get ready for my super-ultra-mega-finishing move!"

"We're waiting for with baited breath for your super mega-force whatever." Nia groaned, the majority of the group having not even moved from their initial positions as the enraged swordsman lifted his sword to the sky. They grew more concerned however when a tremendous amount of electricity began to course around Zeke's body, a small glow appearing from behind his eye patch as greater and greater amounts of electricity began to surge through his being. Gathering around his sword into a swirling vortex of lightning, the man leapt into the air far higher than should be possible, the grin on his face visible the whole time.

"Ultra Lightning Fury Slash™!" Zeke roared, his own voice and the copious amounts of electricity generated by his technique meaning that they weren't able to hear the slight clicking noise from the back of Kasandra's head. The drivers covered their eyes as he smashed down onto the ground, a surging white light forming the symbol for 'ultimate' upon the rock as the sword dug deep.

The cool factor stopped there however, for the first signs of cracking were heard by them. Beary backed away when the splits began to form in the ground, but with his sword wedged so deeply into the rock, there was nothing for Zeke and Pandoria to do save for scream as the entire Cliffside decided to give way at that exact moment, sending the two plummeting down to the lower ground below. It was quite an impressive fall from their height and when one looked down, there was only cold hard stone awaiting them when they were done (on an small island actually, meaning that if they had been anywhere else on the cliff, they would've at least had the nice cold water to fall in), Lilith peering over the edge only momentarily before jumping back.

"Um, are they going to be okay?" the thief asked, turning to the others. Tora had simply already walked off by that point, far more interested in the surrounding environment and Nia had simply given a shrug, following after the excitable Nopon and his robot with a shrug. "I mean, chasing them with Beary is one thing, but a height like that is completely different…"

"I'm sure a bringer of chaos or whatever he called himself can survive that." Vandham dismissed, the big man giving a tut. "Ain't something you see everyday for sure, let's just hope we don't run into him again anytime soon."

"I'm sure they'll be lucky enough. I'll send a small prayer to them just in case!" Kasandra declared with a victorious fist bump, completely uncaring for the way her mask trembled on the back of her head. Lilith and Ursula shared a look before both decided it was nothing to care about.

They were going after Pyra after all. They deserved what came their way, even if it wasn't entirely their own fault.

The first sign that they were approaching their destination was when they were treated to the sight of a fairly large ship docked nearby to the Gwenith Paddies, an odd sight to be found resting nearby to the growing crops. Unlike the warship they had entered, there were a pair of blue spiked titans keeping the ship afloat, the main hulk of the ship decorated in the blues and whites that adorned quite a lot of the capital's decoration.

"War with Mor Ardain is becoming far more likely with each passing day." Dromarch solemnly remarked as they passed by, the various soldiers stood about waiting for their next order sparing them a moment's look before they continued on with their own conversations; considering how they had their own mercenary group as well as the Garfont Mercenaries, the sight of drivers wasn't a new one.

"If I'm correct, this is a much more expanded upon design for the military program." Xander noted in addition, the boy holding up his Combo Arc as he looked upon the data presented to him. "A much greater amount of warships and with a much higher spec… really the only thing that hasn't changed is the titans used."

"This ship look different to normal ship." Poppi commented, the robot's amber eyes fixated upon the construction. According to one of Tora's off comments, Poppi had been based upon improved (read: jury rigged) Ardainian technology appropriated from whatever high quality pieces could be found (read: whatever Tora could steal at little risk to himself), so learning about alternate technology was bound to intrigue her.

"Yeah, we Urayans don't muck about with our titans much. No need for it." Vandham explained, indifferent to the sight as he looked onward over the bridge to the awaiting city. "You'll see it round most parts here; Urayans like things pretty natural."

"I've seen Urayan ships before, around Argentum. It's like the total opposite of what the Ardainians use." Ah yes, being a salvager would mean Rex had a large amount of time at Argentum, seeing as trading guild was the hub for salvagers to peddle their wares from pretty much everywhere. With the guild being composed with a considerably large amount of Nopons, they had managed to build a practical business empire from their small titan purely through their business skills.

"It's most likely a reason why Uraya and Mor Ardain are constantly at each other's throats." Gramps tutted from his place in Rex's helmet, shaking his head as he folded his arms. "Honestly, they've been like cats and dogs for the longest of times."

"Well from where I stand, the Ardainians are worse. All that metal is bad taste." Nia commented from the side lines, sitting on the dirt and admiring her nails. "This way's probably nicer to the titans and all."

"You may think that way, but you're not considering how the titans themselves may feel about the whole thing." Gramps lightly scolded, beating his wings to bring him out into the centre of the group. "After all, helping humans to live, titans simply have gotten used to that lifestyle. Why, I used to have a hut on my back and a crane stuck where the sun doesn't shine! I never complained once, even when Rex chose to fire up a grill upon my shoulders."

"Hey, you used to like that!" Rex objected, Gramps giving a small hum for a moment.

"Well I suppose that's true. In fact, I miss it a little." The tiny titan lamented, a rather odd thought. Having a grill on your back and to consider it a thing to miss… when you weren't a giant able to take quite a lot of punishment before you felt anything, it sounded more akin to torture. "Truly a shame. If we were to attempt anything of the sort now, I would be nothing more than crispy friend titan!"

"Come on then you lot, no time for mucking about out here. Let's get inside shall we?" Vandham prompted, his large hands gently moving everyone along away from the Gwendle repair dock. The bare nature surrounding them slowly gave way as they crossed the bridge, a grand number of blue roofed buildings forming the city with cobbled streets to lead the way. Despite the large amount of construction that would be required to create such a place, there was still a strange feeling of naturalness to the area, people happily waking about the small market on their daily routines, milling about and enjoying themselves. Putting that first had to be an intentional design choice; it made the first impression of Fonsa Myma a bustling prosperous place where the people were happy and carefree.

It was probably meant to distract newcomers to the huge line of people waiting to be handed rations by the soldiers with an old wooden desk over to the side, their supplies clearly lacking in comparison to the number of people who were eagerly awaiting their next meal. The sight disgusted Lilith, but it only grew worse with what she came to witness next.

"Well then, that's the last one for today." The solider announced, the blue haired girl holding her hands out to receive his package as the people behind her gave a groan, immediately dispersing, they had tried begging before, pleading, even mobbing the soldiers to grab at what little scraps they had left, but it wasn't the soldiers being mean. When they said they were done for the day, they truly had nothing left for to give to the people. Before the blue haired child could actually take her ration however, a firm hand landed upon her shoulder, brutally shoving her to the ground so a much burlier and gruff man could take the package.

"Come on, I'm a soldier! Been busting my gut for this country!" the rude man grunted, hoisting the package out of her reach, drawing the ire of the people around them. It wasn't as if they could do anything though – they were simple citizens and they had nothing they could use to fight a member of the army, especially if they were a driver. "That should be going to me, not the likes of you! Aw, gonna cry? Don't look at me like that, you snot nosed brat! Respect your elders!"

The girl was left crying on the ground as the soldier stomped away in a huff, dutifully followed by the beast Blade that made him capable of doing such things. Lilith was quickly by the girl's side to help her to her feet, offering her something to wipe her tears on as the thief rubbed the blue haired girl's back.

"Don't worry about meanies like him. He doesn't to get anything with an attitude like that." Lilith spat with her tongue out, drawing a wet laugh from the girl as she dabbed at her eyes. "What's your name? I couldn't leave a cute girl like you crying when I can do something about it.

"I-Iona…" it was barely more than a whisper, but Lilith could hear it loud and clear. With a nod to both of her Blades, Kasandra and Ursula were both introducing themselves in turn, Iona freaking out slightly at the sight of Beary before he let loose with a small burst of snowflakes in the air above them, a low gasp escaping Iona.

"Lilith, this isn't any of our business." Nia warned as she stopped Lilith in place, said girl merely giving a shrug as she kept her eyes planted upon the soldier, her glare unwavering.

"These people are living their lives worse than I was and the soldiers are doing nothing to help her. That's not what they're meant to be. That's not what a soldier does." Lilith growled, her strong tone actually causing Nia to back away slightly. "That's why I'm going to do what I do best, without anyone getting harmed. Watch me."

The soldier wasn't sure how to respond when the little grey haired girl casually walked in front of him, said girl falling to the ground while he barely moved back slightly. well, that was a total lie, he knew exactly how to respond – the exact same way he had done so many times before.

"Oi, watch it you brat! Important people are walking around you know!" the soldier growled in her direction, Lilith's eyes starting to water as she tried to dust off her clothes.

"B-but-!" the grey haired girl stammered out, only to receive the soldier right in her face, the scent of his breath wafting up Lilith's nostrils as he spoke,

"Look, I've been fighting for this country, so I'm kind of special around here. Now before you get your snot all over my uniform, scram!" ah, so he spat while he talked too. Perfect. Another push almost had Lilith falling onto another stand, the owner carefully helping Lilith back to her feet with a few muttered questions of concern, the rest of the team following after with a much better looking, if concerned, Iona.

"What was that? You did nothing!" Pyra asked as she checked over Lilith's body, the girl letting the Blade worry over her for a moment before a smile came over her face, Lilith correcting her beret as she moved over to Iona, the questioning look answered by several different objects being offered to her.

"I did something: I got back the food ration he took from Iona." Lilith explained, the impish grin on her face growing at Iona's gracious look as she took the package almost like it was a gift from the gods, the extras making her confused for a brief moment more before Lilith explained further. "Then I stole his wallet because it was a fine for being so mean while being a soldier. Then I stole his house keys so he can't get into his home as punishment for being mean to a person in need. Then as the icing on the cake, I stole half of his ration cards for being mean to such a cute girl!"

"That's way too extreme!"

And we'll end it there for now. Welcome to Fonsa Myma folks! Tell me, what did you think about this chapter? Not as action packed due to being a whole bunch of talking and walking, but oh well. Very soon, we're going to have a much bigger fight on our hands, so please look forward to that! Now it's just the countdown to Torna: the Golden Country, isn't it?

Super hero time! See you next time!