The Witch of the Neuroi
Chapter 11: How She Comes to Be... (Flashback Arc Part 1)
The night after the alliance, the Witches were resting.
However, Sanya still must go on night patrol.
Since most of them are tired, Eila is worried so she followed.
Yoshika, with Major Mio's and Commander Minna's consent, accompanied them.
However, Yoshika wasn't wearing her Neuroi Striker Unit or her Neuroi armor.
"I'm fine~ I can fly like this." She said as she floats in the air.
The Witches were shocked for a while since she can fly by herself.
So they flew over the night sky.
Yoshika was staring at the sky, the stars and especially the moon.
"Not the first time?" Eila asked.
"Eh?" Yoshika answered; half confused, half surprised.
"She means... is this not your first time... night patrol..." Sanya said shyly.
"Oh… well, no... I frequently fly at night." Yoshika said.
"Why?" Eila asked.
"Ummm... I just do… I guess..." Yoshika answered vaguely.
They flew through the silent sky.
Nothing could be heard even through Sanya's Magic Antenna.
Yoshika continues to stare at the moon.
Sanya and Eila looked at each other in confusion at the unexpected behavior of Yoshika.
"Night sky is beautiful isn't it?" Sanya asked shyly.
"Ah… yes... it's beautiful..." Yoshika said as she wandered off again.
This time, both Eila and Sanya were concerned.
"What's with the moon?" Eila asked.
"Eh?" Yoshika said in surprise.
"You... have been staring... for quite a while..." Sanya said.
"Oh..." Yoshika said.
She stayed silent for a while... thinking...
'Should I say it?' She thought for a moment. 'Ah... not now...' she finalizes.
"Not now... maybe some other time... if the time is right..." Yoshika said.
Eila and Sanya looked at each other and nodded. 'Something is strange... let's tell the others about this, too...' They thought at the same time.
"Hey..." Yoshika suddenly said.
Both Witches are surprised for a moment.
"Do you like the night sky?" Yoshika asked.
"Why do you ask?" Eila said.
"Just asking." She replied.
"Well... I do..." Sanya answered.
"Is that so..." Yoshika said but she suddenly notices something. "Chi... We've got company." She suddenly said as she materialized her armor and Strikers.
"Wha?" Eila said surprised.
"..." Sanya said nothing as she concentrated.
"10 o'clock low... distance: 50 miles… and it's an Infiltrator-type." Yoshika explained.
"I can't hear anything..." Sanya said in confusion.
"Are you sure Yoshika?" Eila asked.
"I'm sure... infiltrators are specially built to be hidden... they can avoid radar and sonar..." Yoshika explained. "Luckily, you can sometimes hear a faint humm in the air."
Sanya then heard a humm... a vibration of power but she couldn't feel a target.
"Don't worry; I'll activate an EMP area." Yoshika said calmly.
"EMP?" Eila asked.
"It deactivates all electromagnetic capabilities." Yoshika explained.
"What do you mean?" Eila asked still confused.
"When I use it you will understand." Yoshika said as her wings flew.
The wings then split from 8 to 16 and then to 32 and even further until there were a total of 4096 pieces.
The sky looks like filled with black petals.
They scattered in all directions so that vision is not obstructed and electricity crackled.
Electromagnetic energy started resonating through the area like waves.
The incoming Neuroi suddenly panicked at its detection.
"I can feel it..." Sanya said suddenly.
"Where!?" Eila asked straight away.
"It's hidden in the clouds." She replied. "Yoshika... how about you?" Sanya asked
"Sorry... but I can't move... I'm focusing right now..." She said as she strained her mind to focus.
"Let's go, Eila..." Sanya said.
"Right." Eila answered.
Both flew towards the clouds.
Sanya fired missiles towards the group of clouds.
Every time a missile exploded, a crater was formed in the clouds.
Sanya then stood by since she couldn't just randomly fire.
After a few barrages, Sanya stopped.
"Is it gone like last time?" Eila asked.
"No… it's there..." Sanya answered.
"Then..." Eila wanted to ask.
"It's fast..." She simply said.
On the other side, Yoshika continued to maintain the electromagnetic disturbance.
'I can maintain this and even put up a barrier... but I don't think they can finish this one by themselves...' Yoshika thought. 'Can't help it... I'll just clear the clouds.' she thought as she deactivated her skill.
The pieces merged back to wings again and this time those wings attached to one another.
They made a fan shape.
Sanya was surprised with the sudden disappearance of the target in her radar.
Eila confused at what going on wanted to ask her.
But both are even more surprised as Yoshika shouted "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
The two Witches flew away as Yoshika threw the fan at the clouds.
She focused as winds blow and rage.
A tornado formed from the fan and headed towards the clouds.
With the strong winds, the clouds were dispersed.
After the winds died down, a shape can be seen in the sky.
The Neuroi, shocked at the sudden incoming projectile, stopped moving. And with the additional shock from losing its hiding place it shouted.
"I SURRENDER! I do not want to die!" A male voice screeched.
"Then deactivate your stealth." Yoshika answered.
"That voice… you! You-you-you're... the "Red Witch"... the "Lightning Goddess"... please spare me!" It screeched.
The Witches were kind of confused at the name the Neuroi called Yoshika, and even more that the Neuroi surrendered.
'We never knew they could surrender.' Eila thought.
'Maybe... I could have killed some of them... even after they were begging.' Sanya thought at the horror she imagined.
"What will you do if I spare you?" Yoshika said coldly.
"I'll be in your service! I will go to your side!" He said.
"We do not need those without a sense of loyalty." Yoshika explained coldly.
"I have information!" He says trying to find excuses.
"What is it?" Yoshika asked.
"A Super Hive is coming!" He said.
"That I also know… what about it?" Yoshika said calmly.
"It's a Battleship-class!" It said.
"It's a WHAT!? That bastard of a king sent that monstrosity towards Earth?!" Yoshika exclaimed while slightly panicking.
The Witches were shocked when Yoshika called the incoming threat a "Monstrosity".
"He also will be sending an Agent!" It continued.
"An Agent? Where from?" Yoshika asked it to clarify.
"From Vega!" It said quickly.
"Those Lycanthrophes... I thought they were a prideful race..." Yoshika said reminiscing about her visit.
The Witches don't understand anything at all... Super Hive? Battleship-class? Vega? Lycans? Race?
"Is that all you know?" Yoshika asked.
"Yes! That is all!" He quickly said.
"I will spare you... but you will be sent back to Trinity as a POW (Prisoner Of War)." Yoshika said shortly after.
"..." He could only sound dejected.
"Don't worry... you will be released after the war is over." Yoshika said trying to convince him.
"When will it be over...? … I'm tired of it... almost everyone sane is..." He said tiredly.
"A strange sight to see someone from the king's forces to think like this..." Yoshika said.
"Well... most of us were forced to obey... we are bound by service... you also have it right? A mark…" He said.
Yoshika winced for a moment as she remembers the Mark she have been given by the queen.
The two Witches who noticed that wondered about this mark.
Yoshika then alerted the Hive about this prisoner.
She made sure that they would treat him nicely since it did not fight.
After the slight ordeal they continued the flight.
"Ne… Yoshika... what's this mark?" Sanya asked.
"Heh... maybe next time, okay?" Yoshika said, evading the question.
"I'm reporting everything I remember to Minna, you know." Eila said.
"If everybody asks me... then I will explain." Yoshika said.
After a few hours, they flew back to base since it would soon be dawn.
Sunlight could be seen in the horizon before they landed.
"Hooooaahmmmm" Eila yawned.
Sanya is already half asleep and is walking towards her room followed by Eila.
Yoshika, not yet feeling tired, went to the beach.
At the beach, Yoshika found Major Mio training with her bamboo sword.
"Why do you swing that sword?" Yoshika asked surprising the Major that was deep in concentration.
"Ah… Yoshika... don't scare me like that." Mio said, slightly shocked at Yoshika's sudden appearance.
"Sorry 'bout that..." Yoshika apologized. "Sakamoto-san... you don't use a sword... why train using one?" She asked again.
"Well... maybe I'll need one someday... I just don't have one yet." Mio replied.
"Is that so?" Yoshika said as she wondered.
"Do you want to train with me?" Mio asked.
"Ah... I'm quite tired..." Yoshika lied a little.
"Oh… night patrol… how was it?" Mio said as she remembered it.
"Not that bad... the night sky is beautiful..." Yoshika answered.
"How is the darkness?" Mio asked.
"I can see in darkness you know... infrared, night vision." Yoshika said.
"How could that be?" Mio said half shocked.
"Well... I learnt it after a lot of trial and error. Took me seventeen months to figure it out." Yoshika answered. "Well… I'll be gone for now..." Yoshika said as she started leaving.
"Ah... all right." Mio said before continuing her swings.
Yoshika headed to her home to meet her family for a while.
"Mom~ Dad~ I'm home!" Yoshika said.
"Yoshika!" Sayaka said, a little bit surprised.
"Yoshika..." Akimoto too called.
"Where's dad?" Yoshika asked.
"In the lab as usual." Sayaka said.
"Hungry?" Akimoto asked as she pointed at the dining table.
Yoshika now remembered... she did not eat for a day and her stomach growled.
With a shy smile, she accepted the kind gesture.
Akimoto cooked the stew as Sayaka cooked soup.
Fragrant smells soon flow around the room.
Food soon fills the table.
Sayaka made sure to make some extra, remembering the last "Episode" Yoshika had.
Yoshika asked to the two, "Did dad eat already?"
"He should be coming soon." Akimoto said.
Shortly, footsteps could be heard and Ichiro walked into the house.
"Ara! Yoshika! You're back!" Ichiro greeted her.
"I'm home, dad." Yoshika answered.
"So how did it go?" Ichiro asked.
"Well... the Queen accepted a truce and I got the Witches' help... officially." Yoshika said.
"So all is well then." Ichiro said cheerfully.
"For now that is..." Yoshika said as she remembered about the info she gained.
"Is there something.?" Ichiro asked.
"Nah... you'll know later" Yoshika said.
"Itadakimasu~!" she said her greeting before she started eating.
What a blissful morning in the upcoming chaos.
A few hours after the breakfast, Yoshika was unexpectedly called to the briefing room.
'What's wrong?' she thought to herself.
When she went into the room, all of the Witches are there.
Suddenly Minna said, "Yoshika... We wish to know everything."
"About the incoming threat?" Yoshika asked.
"Not just that... about you as well." Mio said.
"I too want to hear what happened." Ichiro said behind her.
"So do I." Sayaka too said.
The Witches all nodded partially curious partially concerned.
"Is that so... then... where should I begin..." Yoshika said. "You all know right? What Maloney did?" She asked.
Everyone nodded.
"Then... I should tell you what happened after the Dover mission." She said.
She explained what happened to her and how she got her Core.
Her torso parted like leaves to show a Core inside the flesh.
Everyone was quite shocked at the sight.
Though shocked, they were surprised at the Core.
It's different from a normal Neuroi's Core... her Core is a golden color as it glowed and hummed with power.
She said she'll explain it while she speaks of her story.
Yoshika raised her hand and formed a screen in front of her so that everyone present can see what is happening as she tells her story. She also made sure that everything is translated in the human language.
So she told how those three took her in their care.
They helped her get used to flight maneuvers and trained her in the use of beams and Neuroi energy as she calls it.
"Well then... it's that day after I become a part of the Gallian invasion forces with those three that you know..." Yoshika began as she materialized a screen so that all those that were present can see what she was talking about.
Flashback
That was a year after Yoshika learned more about the Neuroi.
She learnt of the various races in the universe.
She tried learning the Neuroi language but she's not that good at it yet.
The best she can do is a few sentences, which is enough to communicate.
She has trained quite a lot and was promoted to a basic regular rather than a technician or reserves.
Those three at that time were Squad leaders.
We were invading Gallia to find out more about the European flora and fauna but we met with heavy resistance.
My mission is to lead the detached forces to obstruct the supply of the arms and reinforcements.
I plan to just scare them off.
At that time...
"Yoshika, are you sure?" Axion asked.
"Yes..." Yoshika said as she readies her Neuroi Strikers and armor (She doesn't have the wings or most of her abilities yet. This is 3 years back).
"Someone has to do what one must do." Ixia said.
"You will fight your own people you know~" Xalia said concerned.
"It doesn't matter... it's not our aim to kill, anyway." Yoshika said.
"It's true, but..." Axion tried to argue.
"Brother... thanks... but..." Yoshika said stopping Axion.
"All right..." Axion finally agreed.
"Finished arguing?" Tarra asked. "You've got a mission to do."
"I understand... I will go now." Yoshika said.
"Good luck in battle." Ixia said calmly.
"Good luck!" Xalia said cheerfully.
Leaving the main room, she left towards the 4th Pen where the group she would lead is.
She was kind of shocked to see some familiar figures.
Most of the detached forces were her friends when she is just reserves.
'... If this is a suicide mission... I will not allow it.' She thought as she looked at the situation
"Ara~ Yoshika! You're the leader?" Petra, one of the eight, said in surprise.
"It seems so." Yoshika replied.
"What are we going to do?" Faust, another trainee asked.
"I heard were going on a covert mission." Macht said.
The other four normal soldiers just stayed silent and waited for orders.
From the data interface, Yoshika identifies them as Tyr, Gate, Burns and Weis.
3 of them were regulars, while Tyr is a veteran; probably there to keep watch.
"What are your orders?" Lum asked.
"Prepare for stealth..." Yoshika replied. "We will hit and run." She said smiling.
The Neuroi then equipped stealth equipment similar to that of the Infiltrator-types.
High speed, optical camouflage and anti-radar.
Flashback Pause
"You can evade our radar?" Ursula asked.
"Why yes... I have been watching this base for quite some time since Minna came here." Yoshika said.
"Why do we do not detect it?" Minna asked.
"I guess supremacy in technology... well..." Yoshika said as she continued.
Flashback Resume
Our group flew towards the middle of Gallia undetected.
We flew over the battlefront without any resistance.
Flashback Pause
"If you have stealth, why did you take over Gallia?" Perrine asked confused.
"While were shrouded from detection, we will be unable to focus on scanning." Yoshika answered. "And rather than scanning while battling, we prefer to just kick everyone out of the area. Now we are 38% complete with European sectors."
"38%!? That's it?!" Ursula said.
"Of course... due to much 'interference', our scanners are having a tough time and mostly did not even return."
The Witches winced when Yoshika mentioned 'interference'.
"That's for another time... Let me finish my story first... Where was I? Oh, right... we flew over Gallia undetected..." She said as she continued.
Flashback Resume
We flew towards the outskirts hoping to meet the caravan out of town.
We do not want to destroy cities, nor do we want them to use them as cover, forcing us to destroy the city.
So we tried to find it while it's in the open plains.
"Everyone... Spread out" Yoshika ordered.
"Roger." The group replied as they split into 8 directions.
Yoshika floated still in the middle watching the others.
As of now they are still in stealth so they will not be seen.
But something nags in Yoshika's mind.
After a while…
'Something's wrong...' She thought.
All 8 Neuroi did not report the existence of the supplies they are told to destroy.
"Tarra... can you hear me?" Yoshika said as she connected to the communication line.
"Loud and clear... what is it?" Tarra said over the line.
"We couldn't find the supplies." Yoshika reported.
"Is that so… let me check the data." Tarra said as she checked the database for new data.
"How is it?" Yoshika asked.
"It's not on land…" Tarra said.
"Eh!?" Yoshika said surprised.
"It's underwater." Tarra said.
"A submarine?" Yoshika asked.
"Yes... guarded by a battleship and a few frigates. There may be the presence of Witches, so proceed with caution." Tarra informed.
"Copy that." Yoshika replied. "All of you! Our target is changed! Head to the English Channel." Yoshika ordered the 8 Neuroi.
'It's the nearest water body that has enough space for a fleet.' Yoshika thought. 'I hope nothing goes wrong…' she thought once more before flying towards Britannia.
Flashback Pause
"The English Channel?" Lynne asked suddenly surprised.
"Ah... right... I saw your sister Lynne-chan… her name is Wilma Bishop, right?" Yoshika asked.
"You know her?" Lynne asked back.
"No... Her group, the "Isle of Wight Detachment Force" protects the English Channel... we were bound to meet." Yoshika said.
Lynne then had a worried face while thinking 'Don't tell me... I haven't heard from sister for quite a while... she didn't... die, did she?'
"Don't worry." Yoshika said as she understood Lynette's worries. "No Witch died that day." Yoshika answered briefly.
"No Witch... did a Neuroi get destroyed?" Trude asked.
"Good sense of perception there but that's not all... I said [Witches]." Yoshika complimented anyway. "That's right... even if I tried my best not to have any casualties on both sides..." She continued disappointedly.
Flashback Resume
We flew towards the waters.
Soon we can see the fleet but, of course, the submarine is submerged underwater.
"Where should we fire?" Lum asked.
"We can't just fire randomly, can we?" Petra said.
"Gate what should we do?" Weis asked his partner.
"... just wait..." Gates said.
"I will go underwater and destroy the target..." Yoshika said.
"How about us?" Tyr asked.
"One of you will act as decoy." Yoshika answered.
"I'll do it." Macht volunteered.
"All right... make sure to divert their attention and stay safely out of range." Yoshika ordered.
"Will do." He replied.
Yoshika started to dive downwards as Macht is deactivating his stealth, but to their surprise, Burns deactivated his and went out firing beams.
"I ain't listening to some brat! Just fire at 'em!" He shouted as he sank a frigate.
Another 2 out of the 8, Gate and Weis, followed him and also went firing beams.
"All of you! Fall back!" Yoshika ordered.
The 4 trainees and Tyr fall back but the other 3 just charged.
'Idiots!' Yoshika thought as she flew towards them with stealth. 'I can't fly fast without deactivating my stealth... what should I do...?' she thought as she started panicking.
"Yoshika! It's enough! Leave it all to them!" Faust said as he falls back.
"Fall back!" Yoshika shouted at them.
The human fleet now fires their cannons in retaliation.
Most missed even if the Neuroi's are large.
But some hits caused quite some damage.
The three, enraged now, didn't hear anything and just kept firing.
'If this goes on, more people will die!' She thought while panicking.
Suddenly, there is a humm of magic.
'Witches!' Yoshika thought, surprised.
"All of you, fall back!" Yoshika shouted again.
The 5 Neuroi were watching some distance away.
The three battling were still enraged and ignored Yoshika.
Then, with a sharp sound, Gate's armor is pierced.
With a wail he screeched.
"Gate!" Weis shouted starting to panic.
'A sniper…' Yoshika thought as she activated her eye and saw a Witch far away.
Due to the angle she was at (i.e. she was looking at the Witch head-on), she couldn't see the type of anti-tank rifle the sniper is using.
'I can't see the sniper rifle properly... is it a magic shot? I must get them back alive.' She thought as she dived into the fray.
Explosions occur here and there from the missed armaments.
Another shot from afar came and this time shatters Gate's Core.
"Noooooo!" Weis screeched in despair.
Soon he enters into an enraged state and kept firing everywhere while cursing.
Yoshika's attempts to make them fall back failed.
To her surprise, some of the cannon fire from the ship strayed from Weis and Burns.
Then she noticed... it was firing at the rest of her group.
'Damn it!' she abandoned the two and flew towards the rest.
"Retreat!" She shouted to the rest as Weis too fell to the sniper's shot.
The 4 trainees were shocked from the incoming attack and soon got stripped off of their stealth.
Tyr kept calm and assessed the situation, while the trainees in panic flew as fast as they could at any direction.
"Wait! Don't panic!" Tyr said in an attempt to calm them down.
But in their panic, they couldn't think about it and continued their flight path.
Yoshika that was flying closer to the group was shocked at the dispersing teammates.
"Regroup and retreat!" She shouted.
To her surprise, Witches suddenly went and shot at them.
This surprised the trainees even more and the order was silenced with a barrage of bullets.
"Argh!" Lum screeched in pain.
"Ugh!" Faust said as he was shot multiple times.
"Help me!" Macht screamed as a pair of Witches were hot behind his tail.
'I'm losing control of the situation... I guess I have no choice…' Yoshika thought to herself. 'First...'
She flew towards Tyr and said, "We are retreating..."
"But what about them?" Tyr asked.
"We will be getting them." Yoshika answered.
"How?" Tyr asked again.
"Knock them out." Yoshika replied.
'That's not really a plan... but keeping calm in such situation... this human is much better than I expected.' Tyr thought at the moment.
"I guess I have no choice." Tyr said as he and Yoshika flew towards the panicked Neuroi.
Flying through the bullets in the air while avoiding each shot Yoshika skillfully flew closer to her targets and with a strong fist to the radar pleghm knocked their system off causing them to doze off.
[P4nD0rAs' note: Their Core is similar to a supercomputer... brain specifically but acts like an O.S. nonetheless... radar pleghm... the spin off for the human's solar plexus knocks you out! And without the O.S. the comp will shut down... the red markings would disappear and they wouldn't be able to fly.]
After knocking them out cold, Yoshika put them into her stealth and brought them to the next one.
Yoshika got two of them, while Tyr got the other two.
After they think they are safely hidden, Burns' Core is shattered by the Witches' concentrated attack.
"All of you go into safety first... I will try to check on the situation a bit more." Yoshika ordered.
Yoshika who went back saw that in the debris of the destroyed Neuroi's the Witches were still flying happily with their accomplishment.
However, one of them was still alert.
'I guess that one must have Magic Radar. It would be fine... not even Magic Radar can notice us in stealth.' Yoshika thought so, but suddenly the sniper Witch shot in their direction.
Yoshika, though shocked, skillfully dodged it since deflecting it would let them know of their position.
'I'll try to connect to their line.' Yoshika thought as she tapped into their comm. line.
"BZZ! BZZZ! What's BZZZ wrong Wilma? BZZZ!"
Yoshika heard from their communication channel.
"Some BZZZ is watching BZ us BZZZ!"
'This woman must be the sniper... Wilma... I heard of a strong witch from teacher... Wilma Bishop, isn't it...? They said she defeated a Neuroi singlehandedly near Dover... Dover...' Yoshika winced for a moment, remembering what happened that day and her past accomplishments.
Suddenly, a few more shots went in Yoshika's direction, but she evaded them all nonetheless.
From the intercom she can hear.
"Ther BZZZ nothing there… BZZZ!"
"I fe-BZ-t som-BZZZ-ing, I swear!" [I felt something, I swear!]
'What's with that sniper? Is it instinct? She's not even using a rifle!' Yoshika thought in surprise as she finally got a good look at the gun the Witch was using.
[Similar to Eila but Eila is future sight especially on dangers. This one is on target like a tracking system of a missile.]
'Wilma Bishop...I should remember her name.' She thought in admiration.
She then flew toward where the group had hid.
"Now, let's return." Yoshika said to the group.
"But we haven't finished our mission." Tyr commented.
"I feel that this will not go well... even with a second attempt." Yoshika replied.
"But... we'll get punished." Lum said scared.
"It's all our fault isn't it…?" Petra said sadly.
"Don't worry... I'll take full responsibility..." Yoshika consoled them.
'Hmm... This human is interesting.'Tyr thought to himself.
They then flew back towards the base.
'At least no one else should die because of me...' she thought as she flew.
Yoshika braced herself at the sentence she could've got.
Flashback End