Basking in an armor crafted from his own blood, a man stands tall
Devil Arms: ReturnerS
Amidst the eternal waves of time
From a ripple of change shall the storm rise
Out of the Abyss peer the eyes of a shadow
Behold the Devil, it's wings a black sheath
Chapter 9: Envoy of Blood
Day 0 arrived much faster than anyone would have liked but Nathan made good on his promise to get the reinforcements as the Returners, along with Aoi, Shou and Nathan were in the hanger, watching a shuttle land down beside the massive warship, The Spirit of Terra, that was only days from being combat ready.
"And you're sure you didn't do anything illegal?" Shou asked the assistant.
"Loopholes, Commander," Nathan replied. "Loopholes. And shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Details, details..." the other bespectacled man said as they watched the ramp deploy from the shuttle as a large group came out, along with four very familiar faces.
"Tea!" Subaru shouted, momentarily forgetting herself, as she ran up and hugged her friend, almost knocking her off her feet.
"Whoa wait a minute, Subaru!" Tea said, just barely keeping her balance thanks to Ed, who had placed his hands on her shoulders to help support her.
"This is a surprise," Alex greeted his old comrades as the rest of group walked up to them. "I certainly didn't expect to see you guys."
"Yo," Ed said simply, biting his tongue to keep himself from calling Alex "Mister Lolipedo," out of fear of two people present, one loli and one mother of a loli.
"As cheery as ever," Vita said, crossing her arms as she watched Tea try to push Subaru off of her before turning to Aoi. "2nd Lt. Vita reporting for duty."
"It is nice to see you again," Aoi said returning the salute.
"Amia!" Marika called out as she ran up and hugged her surrogate big sister around the waist.
"Hello, Marika," she said kindly as she ruffled the younger girl's hair.
"These reunions are fine and all," the assistant said as he interrupted everyone with a clap. "But we have business to prepare for and only twelve hours to do so."
"Right," Aoi said as she turned to her second-in-command before indicating the two enforces and the red-headed knight. "Shou-san, can you get these three up to speed? I'm going to have to get these others into their roles."
"Yes ma'am," the Commander said as he ushered the mages and knight to follow him to his office. "Alright...I'll show you guys the quick version...and believe me...you're probably going to get a migraine or two..."
Back at Shou's office, the mages were crammed inside again as the three newcomers gaped at the live video feed coming from the private medical room, showcasing an explicitly bored looking man who was absentmindedly reading a book while laying on the bed.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Vita asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Shou.
"If it was, I'd be laughing," the Commander said, completely deadpan. "And I am not laughing. This man calls himself, 'Shiro,' and is the reason why the last encounter with the monsters, which he calls 'Guardeners,' went over so well."
"'Shiro?'" Edward repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What the hell...no matter how you look at it, that guy is totally-"
"Edward!" Alex hissed, elbowing his friend in the ribs, throwing a side glance at Subaru, who was determinedly looking at the ground.
"Subaru..." Tea whispered, looking at her friend in worry.
"Regardless of who he is," Shou said bringing the mages' attention back to him. "He's given us some valuable information on how to fight against those monsters, those Guardeners."
"Huh? Gardener? Like someone who tends a field of flowers?" Ed asked.
"That's just what he called them," Shou said waving his hand. "He's also been fighting them every day for the last three years until we picked him up. Course, he doesn't seem to recognize anyone or anything."
Vita's eye twitched at the information before glancing over at Subaru and Sakura.
"In any case, about the battle plan," Shou said as the screen over his head changed to show a tactical map. "We'll have the majority of our forces encircle the park five hundred meters out from the center as the seven of you attempt to deal with them. Teana-san and Marika-chan will be placed here, and here." He indicated a building to the west of the park and then one to the east. "While Edward and Sakura-chan will be placed here." He tapped at the main entrance to the park. "The rest of you will be deployed at the monument as that's where they came out the first time. If you can, try to lead them away from it, but do not prioritize it over the mission."
"Have the civilians been evacuated?" Tea asked.
"They're being so as we speak. They may be morons but they're not about to make the same mistake twice. The encirclement will begin in five hours while the operation will begin in nine. Get some rest, because you all are going to need it. As for me, I'm going to prepare my equipment."
"Subaru! Wait a minute! Subaru!"
Subaru had left the stuffy room the moment they were dismissed and was trying to put as much distance between her and it as possible, ignoring the person calling after her. She turned around after feeling Tea's hand on her shoulder.
"Yes?" Subaru asked, almost emotionlessly in complete contrast at how she had greeted her friend and former partner earlier. The orange haired girl was about to ask if she was okay but held her tongue when she realized her friend was far from being okay, having not seen her like this since that day three years ago.
"Umm...can you show me to the cafeteria? I haven't eaten anything today."
Subaru didn't say anything as she blinked and stared at her friend.
"Sure," she replied, a smile returning to her face. "I think they have a new dessert in as well."
A flash of relief spread across Tea's face and as the two women walked off, just around the corner behind them, a certain bespectacled man leaning against the wall to keep himself from walking into their conversation pushed his glasses further up his face before walking off in the opposite direction.
"Only five minutes left," Amia's voice rang out to all the mages in the area.
"Hey Amia," Ed asked as he leaned on the gate. "Can you stop counting down? It's really really not good for the nerves."
"What kind of Enforcer are you?" Tea asked sharply. "You can't be nervous now! We fought worse things than this."
"Yeah but those guys just dampened or nullified magic, not outright ate it."
"You and your choice of words..." Alex muttered as Ed's eyes opened wide.
"Crap."
"Keep quiet," Vita shouted irritably as she too was itching with anticipation as she and the melee centered mages were pacing around the monument. Unlike last time, there were no offerings around monument so the scenery around them was fairly bare.
"One minute guys," Kasumi said as the mages began to tense up. "5...4...3...2...1..."
Zero.
Alex and Subaru immediately jumped backwards as something large came out of the ground beneath them. It was as wide as Vita was tall, some form of armor encased it like a turtle's shell, blades stuck out like spikes on its forelegs, drill like horns on its face, and its blood red eyes that felt like it was staring through one's soul. The creature let out a deafening roar as a black portal raised from the ground. Four wolves as well as one humanoid standing on top of another creature similar to the first came out of it.
"What...the fuck...is that?" Ed asked blankly as he stared at the menacing figures.
"All forces!" Aoi's authoritative voice snapped him out of his entranced state. "The enemy has arrived within the predicted location! Everyone is to remain in formation and do everything in their power to keep the targets from escaping the encirclement. Destroy them with everything you have!"
"Roger!" came the reply of all the mages as they jumped into action.
Navy, Blue, orange, pink, purple, red, and crimson lights shined all around the park as the mages donned their armor and devices as the Wolfshund attacked first, with the Tragen burrowing underground again while the König just stood there, its arms folded across its chest.
"Tea!" Ed called out as a large magic circle appeared below his feet. "It looks like they think Subaru and the other two are the only ones in their way. Get that thing to move a bit to the right!"
"Okay!" Tea said as she took aim from the rooftop. Several shots rang through the air as orange lights flew toward the König. It only noticed when one shot impacted against its head and quickly jumped to the side to avoid the others.
"Eruption!"
A huge ball of blue fire fell on top of the König as it roared in pain before leaping out of it, unharmed, but it was on its knees.
"I can't imagine it's pleasant to be burned and healed all at the same time," Ed smirked.
"Since when were you a sadist?" Alex asked as he kicked one of the Wolfshund away from him as Vita's Graf Eisen crushed it under its might.
"Since I didn't want to be a masochist!"
"I think Ayu did something to him," Kasumi said, barely holding in her giggling.
"A lot of things..." came a deadpan voice. "Lots of fun things...want some more?"
"No private conversations during operations!" Aoi ordered over Ed's high pitched scream asking why Ayumi was on the comm. "And where are those Tragen?"
"They are haven't moved since they buried," Kasumi said, looking up from her console. "Wherever they came from, they probably didn't have any means of tracking them before they came up so they probably think that they can trap the mages if they just hold still."
"Edward. Flush them out."
"Yes ma'am."
Two pillars of blue fire rained down into the holes as the two Tragen burst out from the ground further away from their openings in a geyser of fire, unhurt but extremely irritated.
"Front line mages have already neutralized three Wolfshund," Amia reported. "Alex and Lt. Vita are already working on the last one. Support fire from Miss Teana, Mister Edward, and Marika are keeping the Tragen in their place. Sakura and Subaru are attacking the König."
"Amazing what a little bit of information can do to a battlefield isn't it?" Aoi asked rhetorically as the König and final Wolfshund disappeared off the tactical map. "Of course, three more A class mages don't hurt either."
"Captain?" Amia called out as she turned to look at her.
"What is it?"
"It's a transmission from Admiral Wood."
Back on the battlefield, the mages were closing in on the Tragen. Without the leadership of the König, the distraction of the Wolfshund, or even the ability to go underground, they were nothing more than giant targets.
The only thing keeping them alive was that it was too dangerous for the mages to get near them after one took a swing at Sakura, missing when Alex grabbed her by the collar and pulled her out of the way, causing it to hit a tree, causing the whole thing to splinter like a twig. Also their ranged magic attacks were too weak to really damage them.
"Any ideas?" Ed asked. "I can't keep nuking them forever after all."
"Out of the way!" Vita called from above, swinging her giant hammer down on the first Tragen. The beast held out under the hammer's gargantuan form for all but five seconds before being crushed like an ant.
"Well...that works..." Ed said, staring dumbfounded at the crater.
"Once more!" Vita called, swinging her hammer down on the last Tragen. There was a loud crash as the hammer created another crater in the park.
"Is it over?" Sakura asked.
"No! It went underground at the last second!" Kasumi called out. "Get off the ground!"
The mages followed her advice, with Tea hitching a ride with Subaru on her Wing Road, cursing her lack of flight magic. Just as they did, the ground erupted, sending concrete, brick, and dirt flying into the air. There was a sound of twisting flesh as the Tragen began to change its form.
As it began to support itself on its hind legs, its front legs began to thicken, forming into what looks like giant arms. Its head had shrunk and its drill like horns were now protruding from its shoulders, its fangs and tusks baring open as it let out a monstrous roar.
"W-what the hell?" Ed asked as the the thing took a sluggish step forward. "What the hell did that thing just do?"
Then after the second step, it vanished, only to appear a second later in front of him.
"Shit!" Edward cursed as he threw up a shield just as the new Tragen swung its fist at him, shattering the shield and sending him falling to the earth.
"Edward!" Alex called out. "Are you alive?"
"I...I'm hurt...I'm really...really...not okay..." came a breathless response as the others breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, the man was not dead.
The Guardener landed back down on the ground with a crash as it looked back up at the mages, as if picking out its next target.
"It jumped?" Marika asked as she stood on a nearby roof. "It can jump like I can?"
"And it looks like it can throw a punch like Subaru as well," Tea noted. "But how did it get so fast? It was moving like a rock before."
"Hold still and let me crush you!" Vita called out as she swung her giant hammer down a third time. Surprisingly, the Tragen didn't move. It merely pulled its fist back and punched the hammer head on. A loud crash as the fist met cold iron. A moment passed as nothing happened before a loud crack could be heard as Vita quickly pulled Graf Eisen away, revealing a large indent in the device.
"How?" she gasped as the hammer returned to its normal size. "Graf Eisen was beaten? In a show of strength it was beaten?"
The Guardener, on the other hand, simply shook its hand as if trying to get water off of it as it let out a low growl as steam came out of its mouth.
"Mister Edward has been incapacitated and Lt. Vita's device has been damaged!" Amia reported as Aoi's eye twitched at the image of the new Tragen on the screen.
"Should we try it then?" Admiral Cynthia Wood asked from the monitor next to her seat.
"Give me a moment please," Aoi said as the Admiral nodded her head. "Shou-san!"
"Yes?" the Commander asked as his face appeared next to her on a monitor.
"How long can that be activated before it gets too dangerous?" Aoi asked as the man's expression changed from confused to worry in an instant.
"Even one second is too dangerous!" he said quickly. "I'm not as good as that person! I won't be able to put her back together!"
"How long before it is lethal then?"
Shou stared into his captain's eyes, silently asking whether or not she was serious.
"Thirty minutes," he said calmly, sharply contrasting with his usual self. "Ten minutes is the maximum safe zone. Of course this all just speculation. As I said...even just using it for one second could possibly..."
"I understand..." Aoi said turning back to the main screen. "Subaru!"
"Y-yes?" the field captain replied.
"Restraints for Gear Omega has been lifted. I'm sorry to ask you this, but please hold that monster back while we extract Edward and prepare something that might work on the Tragen."
"Okaa-san!" Sakura's voice rang in. "You can't ask Onee-chan to do that! She might-"
"I understand," came Subaru's reply ignoring Sakura's plea for her to reconsider. "How much time do you need?"
"Ten minutes is all you can handle so that will have to do. After that, I want you as far away from that monster as you possibly can get. I don't want you in the crossfire. Understood?"
"Yes, Captain."
"I hope this plan of yours works, Admiral, or I'm going to lose my future daughter-in-law."
"Based on the battle recording, there is a high chance this will work," Admiral Wood said confidently. "Nevertheless, we will expedite our preparations."
As the communication between the Admiral and herself ended, Aoi folded her hands together, almost in prayer, as she whispered, "Please be careful."
"Everyone get that?" Subaru asked her fellow forward mages.
"What is it?" Marika asked. "What's dangerous about it?"
"What are you planning Subaru?" Vita asked, her eyes narrowing.
The two of them weren't with them three years ago after all. They had no idea about the little memento that Subaru kept after the war.
"Leave Subaru to do her own thing," Tea said. "Let's get Ed and fall back."
Vita and Marika wanted to say something else but the two of them nodded instead as they headed down toward Ed, who hadn't move an inch from where he landed, as Subaru turned toward the Guardener and barreled at him.
"Gear...Omega!"
A soft blue light surrounded her for a second before dissipating, revealing her in a dark black and blue armor that covered her from head to toe, with the only opening around her face, showing two golden eyes. When she got close enough, she jumped off the Wing Road and gave a spinning kick to the Guardener, who blocked it with its arm but the force caused it to slide across the ground.
"What the hell is that?" Vita asked as Alex and Tea carefully lifted Ed out of the crater. "What kind of Armor is that?"
"A parting gift, from a friend," Alex replied, his eyes stopping on Sakura for a moment, who was staring at Subaru, worried for her friend's health.
The Guardener roared as it took swings at Subaru, each one long and wide, allowing Subaru to avoid them easily. Compared to how it took down Ed and smashed Vita's device, it was attacking Subaru in pure rage, as if it realized what she was. And that it was something it hated.
Subaru slid back as her shoulder cannon flipped itself over and fired a large blue bolt at it's chest, knocking the wind out of it as well as pushing it back.
"Mass based weaponry really does do better against them," Subaru muttered to herself as she dashed forward, both knuckles spinning to the point of a fiery red. Her right arm met the Guardener's right. A quick clash and she came out on top, a loud snapping sound indicating that its arm was useless. Unlike the others, Subaru's attacks were not magic enhanced. She was now using her Combat Cyborg abilities at 200% thanks the augments from the Titan armor.
"Subaru!" Shou's concerned voice was ringing in her ears. "You only got five minutes left before your body starts to feel like it's been dipped in acid. By that time you'd better be as far away from that thing as you can get. Unless you're curious of what our guest felt like after coming out of that black portal. Or you could just ask Enforcer Kaufman..."
"...heard...that..." came Ed's pained reply. Apparently having half his body shattered wasn't enough for the poor man to lose consciousness, or his wit.
"Someone give him some morphine to shut him up!" Kasumi said irritably.
"The training works!" Ayumi said as cheerfully as she could ever get.
"Subaru!" Aoi called over the other two. "Prepare for disengagement! It's almost ready!"
"Y-yes ma'am!" Subaru replied as she fired more shots at the Tragen as she retreated.
"...you're not going to insist to fight longer?" the Captain asked, sounding surprised.
"I really want to," Subaru admitted. "But the long term effects aren't worth the risk. Especially when these things are going to keep appearing."
"Hmmm...that's quite a level headed decision."
"I trust your judgment, Aoi-san. Whether I am overconfident or unsure of myself, I believe that you believe in me. So I trust your judgment, on a professional and a personal level."
"That is more than I can ever ask," Aoi replied, her voice almost motherly. "Cynthia?"
"Preparations on this end are complete!" Cynthia replied. "I suggest you move Corporal!"
Overhead, the shadow of a large ship came into view, having come in from space.
"Wait a minute!" Alex shouted. "You're not going to fire your guns at this thing are you?"
"Of course not!" The Admiral shouted, appalled that he would even say such a thing, not that she didn't see why he would think so. "We're going to drop an experimental containment field. So do move your feet Corporal!"
"Y-yes ma'am!" Subaru replied, shocked to hear a voice more demanding than Aoi's. She had barely turned around before she realized something was wrong. Mach Caliber's treads suddenly stopped responding causing her to trip and fall to the ground, hard, as her entire body suddenly froze up as well. But she didn't feel any pain. She didn't feel anything at all.
Her body simply laid there unmoving. She couldn't see, hear, speak or even move. But her mind hadn't shut down, she was perfectly aware of what had just happened.
"What's going on?" Vita called out as she, Tea, and Sakura ran toward Subaru's body at the same time the recovering Tragen lunged itself at her.
"Stay away from my Onee-chan!" Sakura called.
"Chain Anchor!" Sound Harken called out as Sakura fired an anchor that attached to Subaru's back armor, extending a chain from the anchor to her glove. She then pulled as hard as she could, pulling the girl's limp body away from the Guardener's fist as it crashed into the ground. Tea quickly caught Subaru's soaring body, her legs buckling at the extra weight of the girl's armor just as four large pillars fell from the ship overhead, landing in a square formation around the Guardener.
It tried to get out but several reinforced glass panels extended from the pillars and locked him in before a surge of electricity surged through the cage causing the Guardener to roar in pain before dropping to the ground, even as the electricity continued to surge through its body.
"Okaa-san?" Sakura asked. "What is..."
"There's no time for that!" Shou's voice cut her off. "Bring Subaru back here now! I'm monitoring her vitals from here and her vitals are dropping fast! Move mages!"
"My forces will secure the beast," the Admiral's voice call. "Tend to your own men."
The Shadow Mages nodded as a shuttle dropped down from the ship to carry the two injured mages back to their base.
"Things are certainly getting loud," Shiro noted as he set his finished book on the table next to him before getting up off the bed. He headed to the door and examined it before pressing the button that allowed him to talk to his guards outside. "Hey, what's going on out there? Is it another attack?"
"No," the guard replied. "I think some of the field troops got injured."
"Injured? How bad is it? What about that girl that was in here earlier, is she okay?"
"I don't know. Things sounded crazy over the comm."
The guard jumped when he heard something slam against the door.
"Look, I owe you one for saving us back then, but I can't let you out..."
"I know...just...tell me if you hear anything...please..."
"I will."
"Hurry and get her to the operating room!" Shou shouted at the orderlies through he base's intercom as he sterilized his hands. "Time is short!"
"What about the Enforcer?" one of the nurses asked.
"Take him to the second one! Have Esther look him over. The man has time to crack jokes, he can't be that injured! The Corporal on the other hand is minutes away from death!"
"I-I apologize!"
"If you have time to say your sorry then move it!"
Shou was furious. He should have never lifted the restraints. He should have never told her about the function at all. His old friend must be turning in his grave at his betrayal.
With his hands clasped on the sink he stared at the mirror in front of him, his teeth clenched so tightly that they were drawing blood. If he were stronger, he'd probably would have torn the sink out of the wall in frustration.
"If she dies...I'll never forgive myself..." he thought to himself as the doors behind him swung open, with Subaru still lying motionlessly on the stretcher.
"I'm sorry but this is as far as you're allowed to go," one of the orderlies said as he closed the doors in front of the Returners.
"She's going to be okay, right?" Tea asked uncertainly.
"Yeah," Alex replied in full confidence. "Subaru-san is amazingly stubborn and Shou-san is an extremely skilled doctor. She'll be able to pull through. Quite frankly I'm more worried about..."
A loud scream cut Alex off as he heaved a sigh.
"What was that?" Marika asked, looking down the hallway where the scream came from.
"That..." Vita began, holding a finger up like a lecturer. "Was the sound of a man screaming as his joints are being snapped back into place."
"He's definitely going to be out for a while..." Tea said, wincing as a loud cracking noise echoed down the hall followed by another scream. "Don't they have pain killers for him?"
"Either they are not working properly, or he's exaggerating it," Alex said.
"Sakura?" Marika asked, looking at her friend. "Are you okay? You've been quiet ever since we got back to the base."
"Are you angry at your mother?" Alex asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"No," Sakura replied honestly. "If she didn't have Onee-chan do that...someone else might be with Edward-san right now...or worse..."
The group fell silent at her words, even the screaming and the joint snapping seems to have stopped as they all looked at her.
"I just want Onee-chan to be okay."
A loud crash came in Aoi's office as she flipped her desk, that had been bolted to the ground, over in a fit of rage.
"What a failure," she hissed through her teeth as she kicked her chair against the wall.
"You should really calm down Captain," a calm voice called form the doorway as the lights in the room flickered to life as Nathan walked into the room. "Before you break something really important. I apologize for my absence."
"What happened?" Aoi asked, as Nathan flipped her desk back over.
"Admiral Calares was found dead in his cell," the assistant said simply.
"What?"
"Security cameras caught everything on tape but...well, quite frankly they didn't need to, only a blind and deaf man would have missed him."
Placing a small disc into the damaged, but still working projector he lowered a screen as a video began to play.
Aoi watched in interest and horror as a single man, clothed in pure black, storm right through the security forces, incapacitating all of them by either stabbing them or breaking a few bones.
"The Aizawa couple met with someone similar in their last excavation didn't they?" Aoi asked. "Do you think this is the same one?"
"Yes," Nathan said with a nod. "If only to avoid thinking that there is more than one person capable of doing such a thing."
"Hmm...but why kill a man that was going to be set for trial that would have found him guilty anyway? The evidence is mountainous."
"Perhaps he didn't believe in the courts? A man like Calares is very powerful after all."
As Aoi nodded, their was a knock at the door.
"Aoi, it's me," came Shichiro's voice.
Nathan quickly walked over and opened the door, letting the man in. He was carrying a tray ladled with food and placed it in front of his wife on her desk.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Dinner," Shichiro replied with a tone that said "obviously," as he looked down at his wife. "Subaru-san is not going to get better if you starve yourself. You haven't eaten anything all day."
The woman looked up at him before sighing as she picked up her fork. Nathan smiled as he discreetly left the room, leaving the couple alone.
"Where...is this?"
Subaru looked around and saw nothing but an eerie fog surrounding her.
"Umm...let's see here..." Subaru mumbled as she propped her right elbow on her left hand and touched her head with her right hand in thought. "I was using Gear Omega and then I suddenly couldn't move...oh no...did I die?"
"Almost...not there yet..."
Subaru quickly turned around and saw the back of a familiar blue haired girl.
"Blau..."
"You shouldn't be that surprised," the Mirage said. "After all...our bodies and souls are linked, in more ways than one."
"So...I'm in my head again?" Subaru asked looking around.
"It's empty isn't it? What else could it be."
"T-that's not nice! And it's your head too isn't it?"
"Yes, but I know I'm not that smart compared to the others."
Although her other self kept her back toward her, Subaru could tell she was smiling. Subaru just sighed as she sat down behind her so that they were back to back.
"So what do you mean by 'almost?'" Subaru asked.
"Your body failed and is dying," Blau replied. "That professor is trying to revive you right now, and is making some progress."
"I see..." Subaru said as she looked down. "Have you been here all this time?"
"Yes...although it isn't all that bad," Blau said with a hint of happiness. "I can see the world through your eyes when you are awake. It's...a peaceful one...until recently of course."
"I'm not gonna end up with a split personality like Nathan am I?"
"Ours are similar in the first place. If you did, no one would notice. But I doubt it. I'm quite satisfied just watching..."
"Really?"
"Yes. I've always wondered what a less militant life be like. Seeing you and your friends makes me happy for you."
"You deserve some of this happiness too..."
"Just keeping to your promise is enough."
"Promise...but I couldn't save..."
"One of them is already here, even if he doesn't remember. I'm sure the other will come home too, you needn't worry about that."
"But...you should be there waiting for him."
"It wouldn't have mattered in the long run," Blau said simply.
"Huh?" Subaru was confused at her words. "What do you mean by that?"
"There are more differences between them then you think. After all...mine is a hopeless one-sided love after all. He'd loved her more."
Subaru wheeled around to look at the girl but was unable to as she felt her consciousness being pulled elsewhere.
"It was nice talking to you again. Though, I hope it will be the last time." Blau said as she stood up before the scene in front of her went dark.
"Clear!"
Subaru felt a large jolt rush through her body as her eyes snapped open. Over her she could see the face of one Aizawa Shou, his expression turning from one of fear and horror to one of utter relief as he sank to the ground.
"Sir!" one of the nurses called out as she helped him back up.
"See! I told you twentieth time is the charm!" the man said, throwing a triumphant look at his subordinates who all wore similar signs of relief.
He then clasped his hand around hers as she turned to look at him.
"Welcome back from the land of the dead."
"Dead?" Subaru repeated, her eyes slowly opening wider.
"You were clinically dead for a few minutes," Shou said softly. "I thought I was going to have to kill myself for a second there...anyway, I'll let the others know you are alive and well."
News of Subaru's recovery spread throughout the base like wildfire, as well as the fact that Shou had managed to revive her, including the base's guest, who merely sighed in relief.
Subaru was to be confined to her bed for the next few days to make sure everything was fine, while Shou locked himself in his room with Subaru's device, trying to find a way to make the offending power safer to use.
In Subaru's medical quarter, her squad mates as well as the contracted mages were around her.
"Don't ever do that again okay?" Sakura half begged, half ordered Subaru with tears in her eyes. "I don't want to lose you too..."
"I'm sorry," Subaru said, patting the girl on her head. "But no one thought that it would have that bad of an effect." At least not that early, but Subaru kept that bit to herself.
"What happened to the Guardener?" Subaru asked, looking at the others.
"Right now, Admiral Cynthia Wood's forces have it contained," Tea explained. "I think they're attempting to study it."
"Personally, I think we should just be rid of it," Vita said, folding her arms over her chest. "That thing is too dangerous."
"They're keeping it contained by constantly barraging it with some kind of lightning based magic," Alex explained. "Guess someone realized Edward actually had a good idea."
"Hey!" the Enforcer shouted as he got up, wincing a bit as he planted his left leg on the ground. "I didn't get into the Enforcers on my good looks you know!"
"How long are you going to be out?" Tea asked curiously to Ed.
"Bout three days. Looks like it wasn't as bad as it felt, and I felt like I was hit by a train."
"Better luck than me then," Subaru mumbled. Aoi and Shou had not given her an exact date, but she felt it would be a long time before she would be back on the field. She was technically dead just a few hours ago after all. The whole situation felt surreal to her at best. In fact, if not for the little mental meeting, she would probably have thought that she had simply passed out during the battle and that Shou had been playing a joke on her.
"Well it looks like you're fine now," Vita said, getting up from her seat. "Let's go people. Give her some rest."
"Maaaaa...riiiiii...kaaaa!"
Amia jumped out from a corner and hugged her surrogate little sister around her neck playfully as the younger girl giggled as she tried to pull away from her.
"How's Subaru?" the older girl asked in a hushed voice as she wrapped her arms around Marika's neck from behind.
"She seems okay," Marika replied. "I think Edward got hurt more."
"He's wearing a cast and sling now isn't he? I heard that Miss Ayumi is having fun at his cost right now."
A loud scream coming from the medical wards confirmed her suspicions.
"I didn't think that quiet girl could be such a sadist," Amia mumbled to herself.
"Sadist?" Marika asked, looking up. "What does that mean?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Speaking of which," Marika said as Amia finally released her. "How's it going with Nathan?"
"Eh?" Amia only blinked in response to the girl's question. "Wait what? No! It's not like that!"
As Amia raised her hands up in denial, she accidentally bumped into someone as she backed away. Looking behind her, she saw Nathan standing there looking confused.
"You should be more careful," he said as Amia jumped away from him with a small shriek. "This is the medical ward after all. You might bump into a patient."
"W-where did you come from? I thought you were with the Captain?"
"She's spending time with her husband right now," the assistant answered with a shrug deciding not to add "since last night" to his sentence.
"Then let's go grab some lunch!" Amia said, reaching out and grabbed his arm.
"But I'm not really that hungry..."
"That doesn't matter! Come on Marika, you too!"
"I don't really want to get in the way," Marika replied but Amia grabbed her hand as well.
"Think of it as a small celebration for Subaru being okay!"
"You and your 'my-pace' attitude," Nathan muttered, but there was still a small smile on his face, something that didn't go unnoticed by Amia.
"Is it bad?"
"No...it suits you."
The man then raised an eyebrow as he wondered why Amia's hand was starting to sweat.
"Hey! I know you can hear me up there!"
Shou blinked as he looked down at his console. Shiro was standing up and glaring at the hidden camera in the room. Shou quickly pressed a few buttons on his console that would allow him to speak through the intercom into the room.
"Is something the matter?" he asked.
"The guards were saying something about your people capturing a Tragen-type," Shiro said, his eyes narrowing. "Is that correct?"
"My my, rumors do spread fast."
"Please answer the question."
"Yes, we do have one. Why?"
"Kill it. Now."
"Excuse me?"
"Guardeners are more dangerous than you think. If you know what's good for you. You'll stop whatever it is you are doing and kill the beast, now. If you can't then let me out and I'll do it for you. Either way, kill it before it's too late."
"Too late?"
"I told your commander that these things feed on mana to survive. This planet is rich with it, even in the air. All it needs to do is breathe to gain nourishment. It's how they live, how they evolve, how they mutate."
"You seem to know a lot more than you are letting on," Shou said, trying to not sound suspicious at their so far compliant guest.
"I know enough of how to fight and avoid them, nothing else." Shiro said, his face narrowing at the accusation. "I've also lost hundreds of comrades holding the line. I'll be damned if it was all for nothing because some idiots are too curious for their own good."
"Senpai..you..."
"If you refuse to heed this warning...don't come calling to me..."
Before Shou could say anything else, an alarm rang throughout the base. Causing the two of them to look around in alarm.
"Too late?" Shiro muttered before returning to his bed, his expression unreadable.
"Why...why now...?" Subaru asked as she clutched her eye with her left hand as her right arm was currently hooked onto an IV.
"Where...where is he?" she wondered, looking around her room with her free eye before a loud alarm was blaring through her ears.
"Warning!" Kasumi's voice echoed throughout the halls with the PA system. "Containment of the Guardener has been compromised! All available forward mages please report to the briefing room for a situation report!"
"That thing got out?" Subaru asked to no one in particular as she carefully removed the IV from her arm and staggered toward the door, using the wall for support, only to find that the door wouldn't open when she pressed the button. "They locked me in?"
She pounded her hand on the door, but even she couldn't hear it over the blaring of the alarms.
"Let me out! Ler me- Wha!"
She tried pounding the door even more only to be surprised as the door suddenly slid open, causing her to lose her balance and fall out. Pushing herself up, she looked around and saw sparks coming out of the door panel in the hallway.
"Did it short out?" she wondered before getting to her feet. "Even if I can't participate, I want to at least know what's going on..."
She made her way past the other base personnel that were running back and forth to their stations, none of them stopping to give her a second glance, as she headed for the briefing room.
"...right now the mages currently stationed there have kept the Tragen from exiting the encirclement, but it's only a matter of time before...Subaru?"
The door of the briefing room opened and the occupants turned around when Nathan called out to the unexpected visitor. She was resting her back against the doorway as she caught her breath.
"Subaru," Aoi said as she stood up from her seat, her eyes narrowing. "You were supposed to be confined to your bed and room."
"The lock shorted out," Subaru said, looking at her captain. "And I just want to know what's going on. I won't participate unless you let me."
Aoi sighed as she pressed the bridge of her nose.
"Fine, hurry and take a seat," she said, not wanting to waste time arguing. "Continue."
Tea stood up and helped Subaru over to her seat as Nathan continued his explanation.
"As I was saying...right now although the Guardener is away from the civilian sectors, it is moving at a remarkable pace, like when it took down Enforcer Kaufman."
Ed gave a small irritated cough, as Nathan smiled a bit before continuing.
"The containment forces are just barely holding out. Reinforcments from other units are coming but the first wave won't be here for another hour. Our base is the closest and we can get there in less than half an hour."
Aoi nodded her head as she pressed a button on her terminal.
"Commander, is it ready?"
"All final preparations are complete!" Shou's voice came in. "The crew and supplies are all loaded. All we're waiting for are the mages and you, Captain."
"All right. We'll be heading to the scene with The Spirit of Terra!"
"We're using a warship on just one enemy?" Tea asked. "Isn't that overkill?"
"Call it intuition, but I have a bad feeling about this. The creature was dormant until just now. I'm thinking that it has a surprise waiting for us. Head to the ship, all of you. Double time! Teana, you and Nathaniel help Subaru."
"Me too?" Subaru asked, as the two of them walked over and pulled her arms around their shoulders.
"Wasn't this what you were hoping for?" Aoi asked as she walked past them, her smile just barely caught by the three.
"Hahaha...same old Captain," Nathan muttered as the three of them hurried down the hall after the others.
"Hey, Nathan," Tea said as she looked at him.
"Hmm?"
"It's been bothering me for a while now...but your voice sounds really similar to someone I knew."
"Really? Who?"
"Ah...now that you mention it...I think I hear it too," Subaru said, her eyes perking up. "I can't believe I didn't hear it before."
"What the heck are you two talking about?"
"But Tea? How did you notice it? It's quite a stretch. I don't think even Aoi-san, Shichiro-san or even Sakura-chan noticed."
"Eh? Ah...well...I was watching some old videos from the old days when we were squad mates. I didn't bring any with me though."
"Ah, is that so?"
"Oh," Nathan said as he understood who they were referring to. "You think I sound like the missing big brother?"
"Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable," Tea said quickly.
"Not really, as long as you don't try to stick a shadow on me, then it's fine."
Before either of them could answer, Aoi's voice called out to them.
"I said double time people! We are burning sunshine!"
The Spirit was different compared to other ships within the Bureau's navy. For one, the design was, for lack of a better term, backwards. While most, if not all, TSAB ships had a primary hull and two "prongs" extended up the front, The Spirit had four prongs attached to wings in the back to use as its thrusters making it look like a four pronged trident. It was a relatively small warship classifying it into its own F class as it was based off the design of the science frigate, Stargazer from the Neo-Belkan Navy, allowing it to operate fluidly in both space and atmosphere. It was outfitted with two magical cannons mounted on the joints between its wings and primary hull. Nothing impressive, but it was designed for rapid responses, not open warfare.
Nathan helped Subaru onto an extra seat on the bridge before he took his spot besides the Captain's chair, Tea had already gone and down below with the other mages.
"Are you sure you're up to this?" Amia asked on one of the communication consoles. "You look like you might throw up at the slightest bit of turbulence."
"I won't hit turbulence," Ayumi called out from the front next to the ship controls.
"Hanger doors are opening," Kasumi reported, for once not getting into a conversation that was around her.
"A little boring for a maiden voyage..." Ayumi muttered under her breath as she read off the numbers off her control panel. "All systems green, ma'am."
"Nothing fancy," Aoi said, resting her head on her knuckles. "Just launch. We need to back up those mages as soon as possible."
"How boring..." Ayumi muttered so no one could hear her as The Spirit successfully launched and made its way to the battle zone.
The Tragen had been moved from the memorial park and taken, carefully to a facility on the edge of the city. It had been asleep the whole way through, now it was awake and tearing a hole through the facility in an attempt to reach freedom. It was so focused on trying to escape, it didn't pay attention to anything around it, not even the two meter thick steel walls or the mages trying to subdue it. And it definatly didn't notice the large frigate coming its way. It did however, notice that something was happening to its body and it felt that being outside was the best place to go.
Once overhead they saw dozens of lights flashing on the ground as the ground mages attempted to shoot down the Guardener that was trying to suck up the pain and climb over the walls of the facility.
"Well, gotta say that thing is tenacious," Alex said watching the scene through a monitor on the ship. "Any idea how we're supposed to stop that thing?"
"Number one: Don't hold back," Vita said, her grip tightening around her device.
"Eager for revenge ma'am?" Ed asked with a small smirk, only to recoil a bit when she threw him a dirty look.
"Are you going to be okay?" Sakura asked as Ed took off his sling.
"The stimulants should last for the duration of the mission," he answered, not looking at her.
"And after...?"
"I'm going to be crying like a baby..."
"Then perhaps you shouldn't add to it by bouncing up and down on your feet," Tea said looking down at Ed's legs. "You don't want to crack anything else do you?"
"I won't say anything to that."
"Why not?" Marika asked.
"Cuz the moment I do, it WILL crack."
The group fell quiet when a loud cracking noise echoed in the ship's hanger as they all looked at Ed with worry.
"T-that wasn't my leg...I hope?"
"Why are you twisting that water bottle in front of the intercom?" Subaru asked Ayumi who had a clear plastic water bottle in her hand.
"It was for a good deed," she replied twisting it some more.
"Ayumi-san...please get back to your station," Aoi said, tapping the edge of her chair in annoyance. "Amia, please tell the mages to deploy. That thing must not get out."
"Okay everyone," Amia's voice rang throughout the hanger as the ramp opened up. "Your mission is to neutralize the Guardener by any means necessary. We can't have that thing attacking the civilian areas so destroy it if you have to."
"All right! One slice of revenge made to order coming right up!" Ed said as he pumped his fist. "Let's do this!"
The ship flew in low, allowing the mages to drop into the battle zone without the use of flight magic and instantly start attacking the Guardener as the ship pulled back up and watched the battle via monitors on the bridge.
The Returners were doing much better than before now that they knew what they were up against, but no matter what they did, the Guardener just shook off their attacks and kept on breaking its way out of the containment.
"This is strange..." Kasumi mumbled from her console.
"What is it?" Aoi asked.
"I'm getting a large reading of magical energy, but it's way too large to be a base generator...I think it's coming from...uh oh..."
"Kasumi-san?"
"I think it's coming from the Guardener!"
Before anyone on the bridge could express their shock or horror Sakura's voice called in from the comm.
"Okaa-san! Something's going on with the monster!" she cried as the bridge monitors all switched to show the creature.
It was hunched over as electricity was crackling around its body, roaring in pain before its body began to be shrouded in a black aura.
"It's like what happened to that wolf thing before!" Sakura said, remembering her first encounter with the Wolfshund as it transformed. "It's transforming!"
"It was never under control from the containment field," Natahn muttered in understanding as his eyes widened in horror. "It was using it as an incubator!"
Then the entire ship began to shake as a loud roar streaked across the sky, as if the world was being shattered like glass.
"That's not turbulence..." Ayumi muttered as she pulled the ship away from aan expanding figure. "That's not natural either..."
The last containment zone shattered as the creature materialized itself out of the dark light. It was more of a monster than it had ever been before. A mind-bogglingly large and hideous monster, standing well over seven stories tall. It was amazingly thin and its bones can be seen through its hide. On its torso was its former face, hanging over a gap where its stomach should be, instead there was only a gap as lightning circulated from its waist into its chest, connected only with its spine.
For its head it was a horrid white mouth-less face with two red eyes and one yellow eye, arranged in a triangle shape on its forehead and on its cheeks. What really catches the eye, was its right arm. It's bones are sticking out of its elbow and it's fingers were elongated and falling apart. It wasn't even able to lift its arm up and was forced to drag it along as it moved.
"It seems like it never fully recovered from the damage it took from you, Subaru," Aoi observed, glancing over to the Cyborg. "I just hope that that advantage is enough. Ayumi-san! Provide the mages with cover fire as they regroup! It doesn't matter if the shots are absorbed, just draw that thing away from the city!"
"Roger," the helmsman replied, turning the ship around and firing its cannons at it.
The oversized Guardener, roared in pain as multiple burns marks appeared on its body where the cannons struck.
"Attacks have hit their mark and show no signs of being absorbed!" Kasumi reported. "But from its movements it seems that the damage was negligible either way!"
"The Guardener is gathering a large amount of energy!" Ayumi reported. "It's about to make an attack."
"All hands brace for evasive maneuvers!" Aoi called out to the entire ship as Nathan grabbed the Captain's seat for support as he was the only one on the entire bridge that was standing.
"You all better hold on!" Ayumi said as she banked the ship, avoiding a large electrical beam that shot out form the creature's hand.
As the ship straightened itself out, Subaru clutched her stomach, trying very hard not to spill her guts out.
"Subaru!" Nathan called out as she looked up before catching something he threw at her. She opened her hands and saw that it was Mach Caliber.
"Your device has been modified and reinforced," he said. "If you are feeling up to it, go ground-side and assist the others."
"Is it okay?" she asked, turning her gaze toward Aoi.
"Don't push yourself," she said, not looking at her. "If I feel that you are not up to it, you will follow my orders and pull out, understood?"
"Yes!" Subaru said as she rushed out of the room, feeling much more energetic all of a sudden.
"You always seem to have a back up plan," Aoi said to her assistant.
"There are too many unknown variables," he replied. "It doesn't hurt to have a few extra plans when things don't go as planned."
"Does that include breaking into the armory and returning a confiscated sword?"
"I have no idea what you are insinuating ma'am."
"Humph, so be it."
Nevertheless, both of them had a wry smile on their faces.
"Of course...the secondary back up should be arriving any minute..." Nathan thought as he looked down at his flashing data pad.
"What is it?"
"I've come with a proposal."
The dark haired man looked up at his visitor with suspicion.
"What exactly do you mean by 'proposal?'" he asked.
"I want you to assist our soldiers in this battle," he said, extending a small device out to the man. "I believe we are way in over our heads in this one."
"What happened?"
"Has a Guardener ever mutated a second time?"
"Second? You mean the Tragen already changed once?"
"I'll take that as a no," Shou said with a nod as a monitor appeared on the wall of the room, showing the raging battle taking place.
The Gargantuan was rampaging around wrapped in a light blue glow of Subaru's Wing Road where the flightless mages were positioned and attempting to damage it by focusing their attacks on its spine, while the flight base damages were attack its arm. Every time the Guardener tried to move, The Spirit of Terra, would strafe it with its cannons.
"What kind of creature is this?" Shiro asked standing up from his bed.
"Like you said...it seems that our curiosity has turned against us and caused the creature to mutate into this new beast."
"Because using a mana powered containment was such a brilliant idea," Shiro said with blatant sarcasm. "What did you think was going to happen?"
"You seem to understand quite a lot about us," Shou noted causing the man to scowl at his direction. "Either way, I ask that you lend us your assistance in this matter."
"Is there a choice in this matter?"
"I'll be blunt. If you truly the man most of us here believe you are, then there is no way you would let women do the fighting while you sit back on your ass in this room. So I am offering you a chance to help."
A loud shriek came from the monitor as both men turned their heads to it to see something fly off the Gargantuan's arm. At first they thought it was part of the creature's flesh but it was actually a person, to be more precise...
"Sakura-chan!" Shou called out taking an unconscious step forward toward the screen,
"'Sakura-chan?'" Shiro repeated as the girl's tiny body was wedged into a wall of a building before it crumbled around her. "You deployed a small girl like that out there!"
"She chose this path herself, wanthing to be able to fight alongside the people she cared about, rather than always being protected by them."
The two men glared at each other before Shiro relented.
"Fine, I'll help...but it's on my terms!" he spat.
"What is it the-oomph!" Shou asked only for him to be punched in the gut, followed by two more punches to his face, knocking his glasses askew.
"There," Shiro said, flinging some blood off his hands. "This way you can say I broke out. I have no intention of joining you people in any official or unofficial manner. This is my fight."
He ran over to the corner and picked up his sword before running past Shou, who was getting back onto his feet, holding what seemed to be a broken nose.
"Damn it...the man doesn't know how to hold back," he mumbled looking at the screen again as the Wing Road shattered around it. "Please make it in time..."
The Gargantuan didn't even need to hit her. All it did was swing its massive grotesque arm and the wind shattered the Wing Road and sent Subaru flying down to the ground next to Sakura.
"Subaru?" Amia called out. "Are you all right? Please respond!"
"I'm..." Subaru began but felt a stinging pain in her arm and turned to see that a section of her arm was missing, revealing her cybernetics. "No...I'm definitely...not okay..."
"Subaru-san! I'll head there right now!" Alex said over the comm.
"Whoa look out you dumbass!" Ed's voice came through as there was a loud explosion.
"I...I think I can head over!" Marika reported. "But I'm not sure I'll get their in time!"
"Subaru! Can you get up?" Aoi asked.
"I...I can stand...but can't move my arm."
"I see...then get out of there..."
"Huh?" Subaru couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But what about..."
"If you try to help her then you are both dead...this is an order...get out..."
"Aoi-san!" Kasumi's voice was coming through the other end as well. "You're just going to leave your daughter?"
"Quiet!" Aoi snapped and Kasumi went quiet immediately. "Subaru...pull back...now!"
"I'm sorry...Aoi-san...but I can't do that..."
Subaru managed to pull herself to her feet and started limping toward Sakura's unconscious body.
"If I abandon her like this...he would never forgive," she muttered as she reached Sakura's body. There was a little blood trickling down her forehead but other than the fact she was unconscious, she seemed physically fine. "If she's not here when he comes back...he might not even forgive himself..."
"Subaru Nakajima!" Aoi shouted as Subaru turned off the communicator and let it drop to her feet.
She then bent over and hoisted Sakura up and pulled her arm around her neck and tried to move away as The Gargantuan pulled back its fist.
"I'm going to save her!" Subaru said toward the beast as its fist slowly moved towards her. "And you're not going to stop me!"
"My god, you are a freaking idiot..."
The fist crashed into the floor but Subaru felt no pain as the dust and dirt kicked up around her. As it slowly cleared she spotted someone in front of her, dressed in a pure white ragged cloak with a breather mask hanging down his neck.
"This is why I dislike fighting with women. Always acting by their emotions." Shiro said as blood was dripping down his arm. He had placed a large sword, one with a blade as long as he was tall, between himself and The Gargantuan, and managed to stop the fierce punch with it single-handedly. "Putting a creature that feeds on mana in a cage powered by mana and thinking that it was working simply because it was complacent? It was feeding you damned fools. Though this is the first time I'd seen one this big...so everything from here is going to be special service!"
He pushed up with his blade and The Gargantuan seemed to stumble backwards as he pulled out the sword attached to his waist.
"I've been wanting to do this again!" he shouted as he pressed two fingers on one of the gems embedded into the hilt of the blade and smashed it between them. He then sliced open the palm of his hand, his blood spilling out, stopping just before it hit the floor. The blood began to form small hexagonal panels that surrounded his body as his eyes began to glow a dark red as he spoke.
"Blood Limiter System Level 2, repose! Standby Ready! Rise Up!"
"A large source of magical energy has appeared in front of Returners 1 and 3!" Amia said as she turned toward Aoi.
"What's going on here?" Aoi asked.
"Just one of our plans..."
Everyone on the bridge blinked and looked up as Shou's face appeared on a monitor, with a black eye and blood running down his nose.
"What happened to your face?" Kasumi asked, almost hysterical.
"Our guest escaped after knocking me out," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "I'll be submitting a report and will accept any punishment for negligence, Captain."
"What do you mean 'our plans,' Commander?" Aoi asked.
Shou said nothing as his eyes wondered over to where Nathan was standing, who gave a small nervous cough.
"I am prepared for punishment as well ma'am..." he said softly.
Aoi looked like she wanted to punch him and kiss him at the same. But she opted to just do the former and planted one into his stomach.
"Kof!" Nathan let out a small cry as he doubled over and fell onto the ground.
"Punishment dealt." Aoi said as she brushed her hands.
From the blood out stepped a white figure, clad in a full plate armor similar to that of a medieval knight. In his hands were two crystal blue swords, one a large Zweihänder the other one, a relatively small broadsword, and on his back were wings made up of hundreds of blades.
"Oh yeah...this will do nicely," the man spoke with the same deep robotic voice that Subaru had heard almost three years ago.
"You...you really are...!" she said but the man ignored her as his body slowly rose from the ground.
"I dunno who you think, want, or expect me to be," he muttered. "But I am my own person. Not a shadow for you to place your expectations on. This is something I choose to do, by my own will for my own selfish reasons. Don't but in."
He shot one look at her before speeding toward The Gargantuan.
"Or so I say...but this thing is monstrous!" He said to himself as he avoided the The Gargantuan's swing. "This thing isn't moving like an animal looking for food...more like a creature hell bent on destruction..."
The Gargantuan threw another punch at him but he gave himself a quick burst of speed and dodged up over it, adjusting himself to the sonic boom.
"But in the end, it is just another big, slow target!"
Landing on the creature's arm, he began to rush forward on it. Half way up, he stabbed one of his blades into the creature's flesh and began carving a gap up its arm. The creature began to roar. It wasn't a roar in anger like when the TSAB mages were attacking it. It was a roar of pain. One that shattered some of the windows of the facility.
"He's hurting it?"
Aboard the bridge of The Spirit of Terra, everyone was looking in awe at the sight of Shiro flying around the beast, like a bee against a bear, causing massive wounds to open all across its body.
"No spells are being detected," Kasumi reported. "At least, nothing other than his Armor and flight."
"So he's doing all of that...by his own strength?" Amia asked, her hands over her mouth.
"Who's the bigger monster?" Ayumi asked, staring blankly at the screen.
"I think it's the blade that's special," Shou said as everyone turned toward his screen. "Look, even though he has two swords, he's only been attacking with the one in his right hand, the one that he keeps around his waist. If I remember correctly, it was also the what he was using to kill the smaller beasts in one blow."
"But it's not going to be enough at this rate," Aoi noted as everyone's eyes were back on the screen. "The creature is healing itself."
"What in the world...?" Shiro remained stationary in the air as he watched the event in front of him. The Gargantuan did something he didn't expect. It tore of its own disfigured arm and raised it up into the air as it disintegrated as a new, much smaller arm and fitting arm erupted from its shoulder. The other wounds had also completely healed thanks to the large intake of magic energy. "Cannibalizing your own arm to regenerate your wounds...definitely some kind of hell spawn. Too bad..."
He returned his smaller blade to its sheath on his waist as the larger blade shattered by itself and the shards were integrated into his wings.
"I'm going to end this right here...can you hear me, Mister Glasses?"
"Huh, I guess he means me," Shou said.
"I'm going to kill this thing. Tell any of your soldiers within five blocks of this thing to get the hell out or prepare to be burned alive."
"Not really giving us much of a choice, huh Captain?"
Aoi simply nodded as she rose from her chair.
"Tell the others to hurry and retrieve Returners 1 and 3," she told Amia. "Then send a message to all mages on the field to pull back to the facility. The area around the primary target has become a kill zone. Ayumi, pull us away too."
"Aye, ma'am," Ayumi replied as the ship began backing away from the combat zone.
Shiro's wings broke off his back as a magic circle formed underneath his feet and around The Gargantuan, locking them in place.
"Can't move can you big guy?" he asked as The Gargantuan was thrashing around trying to remove its legs. "Don't worry...it'll be over soon."
The shattered wings began forming something overhead as storm clouds began to mysteriously form over the two of them. He raised his hand up, his palm facing up into the sky as the large form of his spell began to be made clear. A gigantic sword.
"Calling the heavens to receive the light and cast judgment. The silver blade forged from the fires that gave birth to life..."
He then whipped his hand downward, pointing at The Gargantuan.
"The Blade of the Creation, Izanagi!"
The blade drove itself into The Gargantuan, slicing the creature clean in two before exploding into a pillar of light as it touched the ground, enveloping everything around the creature like Shiro had warned.
Down at the facility, the team from The Spirit of Terra watched as the light disappeared, leaving no trace of The Gargantuan.
"Holy crap," Ed said, his mouth hanging open. "He really did it..."
"That's the power of the Devil Ärms wasn't it?" Alex asked. "Of Null Enders?"
"You guys had someone like that sleeping on a bed this entire time?" Vita asked, looking at the Returners.
Marika and Subaru were standing next to an unconscious Sakura, who was sleeping on a bed provided by the center, looking out at the light with distrusting eyes.
"Why did the Commander let him out?" Marika asked.
"I don't know," Subaru said, clutching her damaged arm. "But if he didn't...we'd still be out there fighting."
"At least...you can admit that..."
The Returners spun around as Shiro walked out from a shadow on the wall, clutching his side as he hobbled over to them. Marika immediately pointed her device at him and he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Hey...if you shoot me...I really might die..." he muttered. "I...think...I'm going to..."
Shiro suddenly fell over on his face, and it didn't take long for them to realize why. His palm was still bleeding, the cut he had made before he began his attack on The Gargantuan was still open, and still bleeding.
"Move over!" Ed said as he elbowed the girls out of the way, pointing his device at Shiro's hand. "Ashen Blaze."
A small stream of blue flames shout out onto the man's palm, as he gritted his teeth in pain as the flames cauterized his wound, although leaving quite a nasty burn.
"Better than the alternative," Ed said looking down on the man, who nodded his head slowly.
"What happened?" Aoi's voice came to them.
"Our guest...Shiro was bleeding quite badly so Edward had to cauterize the wound," Alex explained. "We need an immediate pickup for us as well as the people in the facility."
"Understood," Kasumi said. "We'll pick you up as well as any critically injured personnel. After that, we'll leave it to the reinforcements."
Alex nodded as the group looked down at the injured man, who was staring back at them.
"Those aren't the eyes of gratitude..." Shiro mumbled before he closed his eyes, blacking out.
Author's note
Too tired to do my final proofread cuz this chapter is too damn long. 12k+ words...
Guess who's back~
Mister No-Memory is actually Null Enders! And he's a good guy? Shocker right? Don't quite understand how defibs work so if it's strange...meh...ignore it. She's a damn cyborg.
Subaru also probably won't be using Gear Omega any time soon either. Quite a time for it to crap out on her don't you think? Chapter was quite long but I liked it, and I'm sure you guys do too. Don't forget to leave a review!