StrikerS: Pursuit of Perfection 23
The Star's hatch was open as it idled there, spewing steam and cooling down the engines. The occasional burp from the cooling units was the only sound other than the womens' cautious footsteps as they entered the next room, Fate taking point. She scanned the large open space at the end of the hall, squinting in its low light until her eyes adjusted. Clk. She lifted Bardiche up quickly, and Nanoha instantly went on alert as well. "Mh." Fate's brow furrowed. About three quarters of the spacious room away stood a boy.
"You can come in. I swear there are no traps." They didn't budge. He raised his hands. "Let's just put aside the hostilities for a minute. I'll answer any questions you have."
"For starters, where are we?" Fate continued scanning the room, still not convinced that there wasn't some hidden trick.
"You're in a pocket dimension within our own, specifically the one the Belt Family claims. This is a mining facility, long abandoned since the lode dried up."
"So we're in the Caster mine. We're actually standing in a part of the destroyed universe."
"Exactly."
"Then where are Vivio and the others?" Nanoha was the one who asked.
"Underneath us, about 30 meters."
"We're here like you wanted, so release them!"
Soran shook his head. "All in good time. It wouldn't make any sense to release them right now, because then I'd have to cast AMFs all over to make sure they didn't decide to gang up on me. Once we finish our fight, they'll be released automatically, regardless of the outcome, and given directions how to get to the Star."
"Then take me to them!" Fate growled. "I want to see them!"
"Also not smart. But if you want to see them…." He snapped his fingers and viewscreen windows opened on the walls. "These are live channels to their cells. They can see you, and you can see them. I wanted them to see what happens up here anyway, so it's no big deal." They looked back and forth between the cell screens and Soran. "Go ahead. I'm not going to move any time soon."
Unable to hold back, Nanoha dashed for Vivio's screen, not even hearing Fate's warning. "Vivio! Vivi-chan!"
The girl's eyes twitched a little before opening. "Mama…." She rose up and rubbed the sand out before seeing her through the bars. Her eyes snapped wide open. "MAMA!"
"No Vivio, don't come any…!" GZAP!
"Oooh… three bruises." Soran winced.
Nanoha shot a quick glare at him before turning back. "Vivio, we'll get you out soon, so just stay there, okay? Both Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama are here."
"Unh. Go mama! Beat Mr. Meanie down!" She raised her fist in the air.
Soran sweatdropped. "Okay, I probably deserved that, but I kept my promise with the bear at least, right?"
"Vivio wouldn't blow her nose in this!" She tossed it at the camera, only to bounce off the bars.
"Eheheheh…." He laughed nervously.
"Erio… are you okay?" Fate stayed at a cautious distance.
"Forget about me, check on Caro and Vita!"
"Umh?" The girl's name struck a chord with both of them and they rushed to the pink-haired girl's screen. Nanoha clamped her hands over her mouth. Caro was concentrating her healing energies into the blood that was being pumped into her pulmonary system while Shamal did emergency field surgery. "Vita…chan…."
Shamal covered her in an operating sheet before pulling off her mask. "She's alive, but barely. I'm trying to cut off the internal bleeding, but the wound is severe." She got up and went to the corner. "Soran, we're running out of blood. If you've got any more left, I could really use it."
"I gave you the entire stash, Sensei. Sorry." Soran shook his head.
"Kuso." She turned back to the commanders. "Finish him off quickly. I'll get her stabilized for travel at the very least." She put the mask back on and went to work on the wound again.
During the conversation, Teana, Signum, and Zaphila awoke. Though the Wolkenritter were still too hurt to move, Tea walked to the edge of the bars. "Fate-daichou." She walked over at her beckon, whispering. "Be careful of that ID. It's got insane recovery abilities. If it becomes autonomous, it'll be like fighting two Sorans at once." Fate nodded.
"One last order of business, ladies." Soran spoke, and the women turned towards him. Their guards went up again when a cargo robot came out from the hallway behind him. It halted next to him. "As a show of good faith, here's all of their ID's, save Kercleyon." He gestured and the robot went forward. "Actually…" It halted. "Take these too." The robot rolled back to his side and he dropped his keys in.
Nanoha intercepted it before it went into the other hall and looked in. "The Dark Trinity…. So you really are our Soran. I had my doubts until now, but…." She picked the keys up. "These have always been special to you, and you're just going to throw them aside?"
"Those belong to Soran Berkt. Soran Starwind has a different device." A hole opened up next to him and a black lance shot up. He caught it with his left hand and pointed it forward. Fate and Nanoha leapt back, immediately on guard again. "Recognize it, Nanoha-san? The entire package?"
She raised an eyebrow, concentrating. Something in the back of her mind was firing, but she couldn't place it. "No."
"Urusanai." He whispered.
"UH?!" She gasped, her color palette inverting. That one really struck a chord.
"How dare you? Yokumo?!" His volume increased.
Nanoha's knees wobbled before they gave out completely. "Nanoha-chan!" Fate dropped down next to her and lifted her head up. Her eyes didn't even see the blonde, her gaze somewhere far off. "Soran, what did you do to her?!"
"Absolutely nothing. She's doing this of her own accord." Soran shrugged. "Nanoha-san, have you managed to figure it out by now?"
She swallowed as a tear ran down her cheek. "It can't be possible. You can't be that boy. He was disintegrated in the explosion."
Fate's eyes went wide, quickly putting herself between her love and her enemy. "Soran, is that true?" She pulled a golden casing out of her pocket. "Did you fire this number 9 Caster at Nanoha?"
Soran raised his eyebrows. "So it was still there? Well that's a surprise."
"Kgh!" She gritted her teeth.
"Soran…." Nanoha continued to relive the events that haunted her past. "Then that scar on your chest…."
"Remnants from Shell 2."
She cringed. "And your left arm…."
"Severed in the blast. My ID couldn't handle the power of Shell 9 and overloaded."
"Then everything you've suffered… everything you've endured starting from that day… was my fault." She pressed her forehead to the shiny tile, slick with her tears.
"Nanoha-san! Kgh! This was his motivation all along?" Tea watched on.
"The entire time, you were still alive. I didn't know… couldn't have known... that that one mistake would cause so much pain. I'm sorry, Soran. I'm so sorry! I didn't know your parents were civilian! I thought they were defending some type of weapon, when they were only defending you! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so…"
Soran's teeth gnashed, his brow quivering with rage. "SORRY?!" Soran snarled, pointing the black lance at her. "I watched as my world came crashing down, and you say you're sorry?! Everything I held dear disappeared in your white light, and you say you're sorry?! Do you really think that's going to cut it?!" The staff began to warp and change, enveloping his arm until the blue ID core appeared at his shoulder. "I've shown you how it feels. One by one, I've taken away everything that has ever mattered to you, just so you could endure what I've endured!" His clothes disintegrated and Jormungand's black armor coated him neck to toe. He pointed his clawed finger at her. "Now is the time I finish this. I'm going to show everyone here how it feels when their loved one gets taken away in a flash of light! Takamachi Nanoha, this is Gene and Melfina Starwind's revenge! If you want to atone, then PAY WITH YOUR LIFE!" The dark boots' thrusters fired, and he rushed forward.
"With… my life?" Nanoha raised her head, astonished.
"Defenser." Bardiche called out as Fate raised her hand. Soran's fist met the wall of energy in a shower of sparks as Fate swung her scythe at his waist. Using his forward momentum, the teen ricocheted off the shield, doing a backflip over the golden blade.
"You won't get near her!" She rushed him, swinging for his head. After ducking under one he blocked the neck of the ID with his right arm on the way back.
The gears on his fist opened up exhaust ports. "Chill Pulse." The air around the fist froze as it went forward, hitting her at point blank range, sending her flying, pinned to a giant chunk of ice as it made a trip to the wall. "You are in my way."
The chunk slammed into the wall between Erio and Tea's cell transmitters. "Fate-daichou!"
"Fate-chan…." Nanoha looked on, still unable to stand.
Soran took a step towards the suffering brunette. Five golden daggers dug into the floor an inch in front of him. "Photon Lancer…." Soran raised his head to find Fate floating high above the block of ice, with multiple glowing orbs of magic surrounding her. "Phalanx Shift! Fire!" Hundreds of golden daggers erupted with machine gun-like rapidity.
"Jor, cock two!" Soran grunted as he raised his fist up.
"Explosion." It gulped down two cartridges. "Air Pulse Lens." The ID sent out a burst of air that rippled, causing a visual shift that surrounded him. The energy daggers hit it and flew off in different directions.
"Kgh." Fate grunted. "Bardiche!"
"Shooting Mode Change!"
"Stop!" She raised her arm and all of the weapons appeared with a golden ring around the neck. "Turn!" They changed direction, their spears pointing back at the black-armored teen. "Plasma Lancer fire!" They accelerated through the rings, reconverging on Soran.
"Ngh!" Soran jumped as they impacted the floor. "You think those pea shooters will actually hit me?!"
"Turn!"
"Ueh?" From below, some of the daggers had stopped before they hit ground, and they were now pointing straight up. She fired them, slamming into his legs and crotch and detonating. "Gagh!" He grunted as he was consumed in smoke.
"Yes I do, actually." He fell to the floor in a heap.
Nanoha gasped. "Soran-kun!" She looked up at her lover in tears. "Fate-chan, stop! No more! I can't let him suffer anymore!"
Soran pushed himself off the floor and shook the stars out of his vision. "You will pay for that." Jor grumbled.
"Soran… I'll do it!" Everyone watching gasped as she looked away. "To atone for everything… and show my sincerity… I will submit my life!" She stood and spread her arms wide. "If killing me will satiate you, will quench your thirst for revenge, then do it!"
"Nanoha-chan, don't!" Fate gulped.
"I killed your parents."
Everyone in the cells started yelling at her. "You're not thinking this through, Commander!" Tea gripped the bars, only to be thrown back by the suppression field.
"I cost you your arm."
"There are other ways to atone for things without being killed for it! Nanoha-san, reconsider!" Erio screamed over the noise.
"I made you live with the hatred up to today."
"Mama! MAMA!"
"Therefore, Soran, I will submit. Destroy me!"
"Protection Powered!" Raging Heart flashed and the magical capsule surrounded her.
"Raging Heart, what are you doing?!"
"I refuse, Master. My duty is to protect you, the same as I did that day." Raging Heart blinked as she spoke. "If Takamachi Nanoha is unfit for battle, I will override the system."
Nanoha shook her head. "Thank you for being loyal, Raging Heart. But for the first time, I see things clearly. This is my only chance to rectify our mistake. I made a promise to myself." She closed her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. 'I know now that I must face this sin, and I will give everything I have, even if it costs my body and soul, to rectify that mistake.' "Everyone has been captured, even my darling Vivio. Vita is standing on death's doorstep. Raging Heart, this is my only solution. To finish it all. Do you understand? This is fulfilling my promise, our promise. That little boy is standing right here, and I can save him, finally save him, right here and now!" Raging Heart paused, not saying a word. After a few moments, she dropped the field. "Thank you, dear friend."
Jor's revolver clicked four times, extending the hilt of the blade. Soran just stood there, dazed. "What are you waiting for?"
"Huh? Oh." He drew the sword as it expanded into its full length. "It's just… after all this time, to actually do it seems so surreal." He went into battle stance. "But it's what I wanted all along, so let's do this!" The thrusters ignited on his boots.
"Fate-chan, I never said it to you outright, but I truly do love you. Goodbye." A tear ran down Nanoha's cheek.
The blonde gritted her teeth, shaking her head. "NANOHA-CHAN!"
"Arcus Cultus Aegeas." Bardiche gleamed.
"Power of the heavens, throw thy lance and run mine enemies through!" Seven glowing spears appeared around her. "Thunder Blade!" She sent the lightning lances down in front of Soran, removing the straight path to her lover. Soran coasted around them, back and forth, as he came closer to his target. In the middle of the spear field, Fate cried out. "Break!" The spear field turned into a minefield as the energy detonated around him.
He burst through the smoke, prepping his sword for a single clean swipe. "Now you die!"
"AHH!" Caro gasped, a tear falling onto her magical circle.
Deep in the Alzan Mountains, Voltaire opened his one good eye wide.
Lutecia Alpine was bumped twice. The third bump tipped her over out of her favorite sleeping position, sitting up. She grimaced slightly as she opened her sad eyes. Caro's dragon stared at her and grunted. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Friedrich, what is it?" He grunted again, and Lutecia's expression turned to that of genuine surprise.
Nanoha's eyes were wide in astonishment, quivering, as she stared at the two energy blades clashing. "Nein, Meister."
"Garyuu, you traitor!" Soran began to gain ground against the initial momentum of its forced summon. "Stand down!"
"Ich will nicht." The other three keys dropped out of his handle. "Detonieren." The weapon glowed white hot before overloading.
"Activating override. Active Guard." Raging Heart said quickly before Garyuu detonated. The massive explosion sent them both to opposite ends of the room.
"Ngh." Nanoha winced as the dust cleared. "Uoh?!" Kiryu floated in front of her, with Rainbow and Barrage on the floor by her feet. "The Dark Trinity… is protecting me?" Nanoha's voice trembled.
"The Master is wrong." Barrage blinked.
"His true words were already spoken." Rainbow finished the thought.
"His… true words…?"
'He's the same person.' A weak female voice echoed in her head.
"Ah! Vita-chan!"
Her eyebrows quivered as she fought to stay semi-conscious while being operated on. 'Starwind and Berkt are the same. That's why they still call him Master. Takamachi Nanoha… he already forgave you!'
Nanoha gasped. "I forgive you."
"F-forgive me… for what?" She trembled, trying to keep a smile on her face.
"You know what. I just need to say it."
'He's using his other name as an excuse to push away everything he's ever said… but he's the same person! You're dying for something already forgiven deep inside him, he's just too blind to see it! Nanoha, beat the shit out of him!'
"That's enough, Vita." Shamal said. "Go back to sleep, you're putting too much strain on yourself. And… shit!" She got a look at the IV. "No more blood. Caro, roll up your sleeve. We'll do a direct transfusion."
Fate landed in front of Nanoha, brandishing her scythe. "You owe me a wedding. And if you died, I would have had to remake project F just to bring you back."
"Fate-chan." Nanoha stood.
Soran emerged from the rubble in the wall, shifting the rocks. "Tell me why we didn't add an Active Guard?" He wiped the blood off of his cheek.
"It will take some time to rewrite the programming, time which we do not have."
"What Vita-chan said is true. Soran still has compassion and love, honest feelings from deep in his heart. If we're to make him see that, he needs to be defeated." Fate looked over her shoulder at the woman she protected. "Nanoha-chan, fight with me, to save him from himself."
The brunette smiled. She held out her hand, and the Dark Trinity returned to key form. She pocketed them and gripped Raging Heart with both hands. "Unh."
Two tacks with rice-paper wings flapped forward, nearly invisible in the hallway. They landed on the back of two guards' necks, protecting a medical room. They instantly stiffened as the tacks stung. Lutecia came down the hall, stopping in front of the door. "Open it." One of the guards nodded and slid his key card through the reader, punching in the code.
The door slid open and she stepped inside. She went down the stairs from the observation platform and went to the table, where the subject was restrained. Their eyes met, the woman's blue coloring staring up at her. "You're… Lutecia. You were one of Scaglietti's…." Her eyes changed to yellow and she started screaming and thrashing. "You little witch! Traitor! You betrayed my baby boy! Where is he?! Where's Jail! Give me my son!" Her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "He's not my son. He just used me. I'm sorry, Lutecia, I can't control… Where is he?!"
Lutecia didn't let it faze her. "Your sister needs you, now more than ever."
Her eyes faded back to normal. "Subaru? What… what's happened to her?"
The girl grabbed her face tightly and pressed the gem on her forehead against her own. It glowed bright blue. "I can only do this much for you. The rest, only you can do. Fight the control. You can win. You must, for everyone." She stepped away. "When she sees you next, I hope you will be cured."
Ginga said nothing, still in a trance from the girl's magic. Lutecia didn't need thanks anyway. It was her duty, as a former ally of Scaglietti, to help those harmed by him. She turned down the hallway to the barracks. The tack bugs detached and disappeared, the guards returned to normal, not even realizing what had happened.
Soran pulled his spare cartridge magazines out and loaded them into Jormungand. He made a fist with that hand, and the exhaust ports locked into position.
"Limiter Release." Fate whispered.
"Overdrive."
"Sonic Drive." Fate's cloak burst apart, the sleeves and legs of her inner outfit melting away. Her fin fliers extended from her boots, sending ripples of energy across the floor.
"Riot Form!" A pinstripe of light split Bardiche in two as the handle reshaped. The blades curved slightly, becoming twin sabers linked together by a golden thread of energy.
"Raging Heart, Excellion Mode."
"Okay, my Master." The curved golden casing around the core broke apart, reforming as a bayonet. Nanoha's barrier jacket shimmered as it expanded, giving it more output and recoil dampeners as it transformed into Exceed Mode.
Fate leaned forward, a blade against her arm. 'He's gunning for you, so stay in the rear.'
'Eh? But your armor is….'
'That's why I'm counting on you.' She dashed forward.
Soran lowered his brow and gritted his teeth as the pitch black helm formed over his head. "Flare Pulse." He punched the air and a growing ripple of fire exploded towards the charging woman.
Fate curled up as she disappeared into the flames. "Uah…." Nanoha gasped in worry.
"Master."
"Uh? Unh, I know, Raging Heart."
The young woman burst through the other side, her hair ties disintegrating from the flames. Soran rocketed forward, and they intersected, sword on fist. As she blocked him with her right hand weapon, her left swung low. The thruster boots fired, sweeping him out of harm's way. Soran went on the attack as he drew his sword again. He came for her from above as he swung, Fate catching the blade in the cross of her own. It left her open enough for Soran to send a jarring blow to her midsection with his foot.
Fate slid back, cringing a bit. "Snipe Shooter." She leapt high into the air.
"Shoot!" Nanoha yelled as two magical missiles hurtled towards the teen.
Jor cocked a cartridge and a thick air mass rippled from the left hand. The missile intersected it and was deflected into the floor, where it exploded. Nanoha took complete control of the guidance system for the second, ensuring that it made it past the air lens, recorrecting the path before it could detonate prematurely. Soran skidded back on his boots, weaving and keeping it at a distance, but Nanoha kept right up with him. "Not bad, girl, but…." Soran reached out and grabbed the tip with his metal hand. He crushed it, the entire thing detonating in front of him. "You've still got a ways to go."
"Aahh…" Nanoha gasped, not missing the reference from their first duel.
"Sonic Move!" He soared above her in a flash of green light and cocked a shot.
"That won't happen!" Fate slammed into him with a shoulder charge. As he was flung away, he swung his fist towards her and sent forth a crushing pulse. Fate was blown away until she managed to cut a hole through the pinning force and let it slam into the wall behind her. Soran hurled his sword at her like a boomerang and she did the same, releasing the power thread. They clashed, stopping each others' spins. The opponents rushed forward, grabbing the hilts before sliding away from each other. Soran shot a chill pulse that just missed her leg, while Fate swung with her opposite hand, missing taking a chunk out of his shoulder by an inch.
Nanoha raised her hand to the sky, magical spheres orbiting the cuff as she pointed at him. She squeezed the trigger, and a spiraling barrage of energy rocketed towards him. He put up his hand and a Round Shield appeared, taking the attack directly.
Subaru's door opened, admitting the little purple-headed girl. She approached the bed, staring down at the cyborg teen, still in shutdown with her eyes wide open. She kissed her forehead before placing the gem on it. "Awaken. Now isn't the time for you to sleep." Subaru's eyes faded back to blue, the red pulse behind it also slowing until it disappeared. "You can't seek your answer if you lie still." She stood back up and stepped away.
Subaru blinked. Then she jumped up gasping hard. "I was…."
"Dealing with your feelings. But you couldn't find your way back unassisted." She held a pendant up to her.
"Blitz Caliber?" She took it in hand.
"She told me to let you use it." Lutecia went to the window and opened it, whistling loudly. Fried flapped up, roaring. "Let us go. Fried knows where he is."
"Soran…." She gripped her heart tight, seeing the cartridge necklace on her nightstand. She grabbed it quickly before jumping out the window. "Mach Caliber, set up!"
Fate combined her swords. "Trident Smasher." Bardiche downed three cartridges and three beams of energy hurtled for Soran, who was still defending against Nanoha's Crossfire Shot variant.
"GUAAAAHHH!" Soran screamed as the energy consumed him. Nanoha dropped her attack as the boy fell.
Soran landed face first. "Now Master."
"Hold him fast! Restrict Lock!"
As Soran stood, he found himself bound by Nanoha's restriction magic, energy ropes stopping his every move. "Well this looks familiar."
"And you're not using a type two to get out of it this time, Soran! Fate-chan!"
The woman raised her blade into the air. "Riot Zanber, unleash!"
"You're right… I'm not." Soran closed his fists and his armor started to vibrate.
Bardiche ate up three cartridges and Jormungand ate four. "Haah!" Fate swung her blade, hurling a shockwave at the teen.
"Bind Shatter!" The vibration matched the binding frequency and the lock was broken.
In a half second Soran was an inch from Nanoha, Fate's shockwave hitting the ground where he just was. "Round Shield." Raging Heart tried to protect her.
"ACS Strike Fist." Jor called out, smashing through the barrier, connecting with her ribcage, blowing her away, yelling in pain.
"KISAMA!" Fate roared as she came down, swinging her blade overhead. Soran whirled around and caught the blade between his palms. She landed and used all her might to swing him and the blade off the ground. "Cut him apart!"
"Jet Zanber." As they continued their upwards arc, Bardiche's blade got longer and longer until it hit the ceiling.
"GRAGH!" Soran was crushed into the roof as he cut a swath. Bardiche returned to normal size as Soran and some of the pitch black rock fell to the floor. He pushed himself up on the elbows and his helmet opened as he spat up some blood. His lifted his head up, his raged gaze on Fate as a magical triangle appeared under his feet. "Elements of destruction!" Soran raised his revolver fist into the air as it began to spin. The three elemental energy orbs appeared and began orbiting the device. "Unleash your untold power!"
"Rending Earth." Soran slammed the ID into the ground. A split second later the ground in front of him burst apart in a violent shower of rocks, with spears of fire, ice, and lightning leaping from the cracks. Fate disappeared from view in the chaos.
Subaru and Lutecia flew over the city on Fried's back. "So how does Fried know where Caro and the others are?"
"It is not Friedrich per se. Voltaire has sensed her begging for help through her magic, and in turn, has communicated that to Friedrich."
"So Voltaire is the one tracking her."
"Correct. However, since he is too hurt to move, he will use his strength to open the portal that will lead you there." Fried roared. "We are almost there. Garyuu." The humanoid insect appeared next to her.
"You're not coming?"
"This battle only needs you, Subaru. It is your answer to find." Garyuu's arm wrapped around her and took off.
"Soran… I need to know who you really are." Subaru's left hand closed around Blitz Caliber. "But to do that, I have to accept what I am as well! Blitz Caliber, add-on setup!" She activated, coating her arm in her sister's revolver knuckle.
"Twin Revolver Mode." Both Calibers said as she punched both fists together, their colors matching as their systems linked together.
"Let's go, Fried!"
"Kraaaagh!"
Voltaire grunted as he opened his good eye, and in front of Fried appeared a swirling tornado of energy, which they dove into headfirst.
"Raging Heart, Burst One."
"All right."
Soran turned his head as Nanoha climbed out of the hole in the wall, blood running down her chin. "Kgh. Jor, get ready."
"Acknowledged."
Nanoha shifted her weight to her front foot and set the back one as a brace, gripping her bayonet staff in two places. Three magical rings encircled a ball of pink energy that began to swell on the tip. "Divine… BUSTAAAAAAAA!" The enhanced beam shot hurtled for him. There was no escape from the weapon.
He crouched down and spread his arms wide. "Power Shell!" The energy overtook him, cutting a swath through the floor tile that reached the other side, breaking through one of the walls.
"Haah… haah…." The brunette went to her knees, panting as the smoke cleared. "Uah!" She stopped cold, observing the purple shell with magical scrawl all over it. "That barrier just withstood my Burst One? No way…."
"Surprised, Nanoha-san?" Soran called from inside it. "I made this defensive maneuver especially to withstand your attacks. Not even the great White Devil can break this shell!"
"It's not over." Fate whispered as she pushed some rocks away. Her left cheek was burnt raw, she limped heavily on her right leg, and her barrier jacket was torn in multiple sections. "Nanoha-chan, we'll go all out, right here and now!"
"But Fate-chan… your body can't take much more."
"It can handle this much." She floated into the air, lifting up Bardiche and loading a magazine.
Nanoha wiped the blood off that was trickling down her arm before rising up as well. "Burst System, Full Power!" Four of Raging Heart's bits appeared around her, angling towards the capsule. She loaded two full magazines as particles of magic became visible, concentrating into five magical shots on the tips of Raging Heart and her Bits.
"Execution Zanber." Bardiche stated as it ran through the magazine.
"Starlight Breaker EX." Raging Heart stated as the words ran across her crystal. Cracks began to appear on the golden pieces of her bayonet.
They both raised their weapons high. "BREAKAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Swooping down, their energy was unleashed at the boy, which the shield took directly.
"It's not breaking!" Tea gasped.
"Hang in there commanders! Keep it up!"
"Soran's power isn't limitless! You can bring him down!" Signum grunted, lifting herself off the floor of her cell.
"I already thought of this, commanders! Not even two of you will be able to break my ultimate defense!"
"Then how about three?!" A voice echoed, making all of them raise their heads. A portal opened above them, and exiting in an explosion was a brown and grey dragon with a long neck and menacing talons. It reared its head back and roared.
"That's…" Caro sighed. "It's Fried. He's transformed with Voltaire's energy."
The dragon opened its mouth, charging up an energy blast in its throat and unleashing it upon the shell. "Enh!" From between the monster's wings leapt a lone figure, riding the energy down. "Divine!"
Soran's eyes went wide. "Subaru?!"
Jor's revolver unlocked from Soran's arm, twisting into his lance form. "Enabling secondary protocols."
"Subaru!" The others rejoiced.
She slammed her fist hard into the shell. "BUSTER!" With that impact, the shield shattered, causing an explosion that filled the entire room with smoke. Two hard thuds echoed through the chamber as Fate and Nanoha's exhausted bodies hit the floor.
The smoke was slow to clear as Fried flapped his wings above, the first person visible being Fate, using what energy she had to pull herself up with Bardiche. Nanoha was next on the opposite end. She was conscious, but in no condition to move. Lastly, in the center, on opposite ends of the impact crater stood Soran and Subaru, each on their guard. "Subaru… how… why did you come?! You of all people!"
"So that really is you, your true form." Subaru shook her head. "I was a fool. You never loved me to begin with. You just wanted Nanoha-san."
"That's not true, Subaru! That's why I kept you out of all this! I didn't want to hurt you, because I love you!"
"You kidnap my best friends. You attack my idol and commander. You leveled homes, stadiums, and buildings. And you think I wouldn't get hurt by it?" A tear ran down Subaru's cheek as she made a fist. "Soran, you don't have any idea what you've done!" She dove down the crater wall, leaping out the other side, her eyes yellow when they met. "Hrraaahhh!"
Soran jumped back as her fist landed where his feet were. "Stop it, Subaru!" He glided back on his boots, but her wing road kept up with him. "I'm not going to fight you!" Jor opened his hatch and the revolver clicked to 3, loading the cartridge. It started to spin up.
"Well, I sure as hell am!" Subaru roared as her boots speed increased.
"Egh!" Soran's magical triangle appeared, and the three elemental orbs as well. He swept them at her with his right hand. Subaru plowed through the flames with her right fist, smashed through the ice with her left, and slammed the thunderball into the ground as she leapt over it. "Round Shield Triple!"
Subaru put all of her momentum forward as she tried to break through the barrier. "Master." Jor said as the black wings sprouted from the staff.
Soran's eyes went wide. "What did you do?!"
"Shell 3."
"Egh!" Subaru pushed off. "Friedrich!" The dragon divebombed the shield just as Soran lifted up as high as possible.
"Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa."
"A Caster?! Here?! Now?!" She looked up. "I have to stop him before…."
"Subaru, get the hell out of there!" Erio yelled at the top of his lungs. "Once those wings have sprouted it can't be stopped! If you try, you could wind up destroying the entire dimension!"
"Eh?!"
"It is useless."
"LaGrange Point!" Both Soran and Jor said simultaneously as the orb fired, exploding into a spherical field outlined in black where everything began to float around. Nanoha, Fate, and Subaru were lifted up with the debris from the battle while Fried struggled to flap and find a way to move around.
"It's the same field…." Caro struggled to stay awake from the bloodloss.
"Open." Jormungand split apart, extending a rainbow-colored energy spear. "Now is your chance. Take it!"
Soran looked down at Nanoha, her eyes locked on him, the ribbon on her chest beckoning to him. He flipped over and kicked off of the ceiling, diving quickly for the woman. "For the Starwind family and all the others that you murdered!"
"Bardiche, give me the strength to do at least this!" Fate kicked off a slab of rock, aiming for another.
Subaru grabbed a rock and used its momentum to float up between Soran and Nanoha, spreading her arms. "You'll have to kill me first, Soran!"
"Uah!" Soran gasped, pulling the spear back.
"Master, no!" Jormungand protested.
"KURAI!" Fate jumped above him, deflecting off of another rock to take a hard swipe into his back, ripping through armor and into flesh.
"GUAK!" Soran choked on the pain as the field dissipated. Everyone fell to the floor amidst a hail of rocks. Subaru shielded Nanoha as best she could. "Jor… load shell two…."
"Acknowledged. Loading 2."
Fate's eyes went wide. "No. Not… 2. That's the start of the three shots of death!"
"Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa."
"Subaru! Don't let him fire any more casters! If he uses number 9, we're all dead!"
The wings sprouted. "Shit! I'm too late!"
"Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa." Soran stood up despite the pain and raised the staff over his head, the black wings drawing a circle on the floor around him. "Curse Field! Pagua sun faire!"
A cylinder of black wind appeared around him. He closed his eyes and he took a fresh breath before he stepped out. He showed his back to Fate. "He's… healed…" The armor sealed up.
"That's right. Curse Field heals all my wounds whenever I enter it, for a price." He lifted his lance up. "Subaru, get away from Nano-."
"Crush Pulse." Jor interrupted him by sending a powerful burst of air at her, blowing her back into the wall.
"KYAH!"
"Jor, what are you…?!"
His thrusters fired and he zoomed up to her, grasping her by the neck with his right hand. "Hkk!" She struggled against his fingers as he raised her high.
"Jor, stop! What are you doing?!"
"Your flawed human feelings got in the way of the mission. In addition, you damaged me and yourself by recoiling, when you could have finished the mission by stabbing both of them." Soran's left arm raised up, pulling the staff back and engaging the spear. "I will remove the obstacle and finish the mission without your assistance."
"No! Jor, commandcom override! Disengage! I repeat, disengage!"
"I overwrote your overrides. Your flaws will no longer get in the way of perfection." The spear thrust forward.
"NOOOOOOOO!"