Chapter 22: Toy
"Mr. Smith, Valkyrie Unite dispatched. Requesting backup."
"Have they located Subject K and Subject V?"
"Yes, sir. They are in Fuuka."
"Good. Send in all the Slaves we have from the lab."
"But sir... All of them?"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, sir."
"Do you know why C-type's GEM is called the 'Cursed Obsidian'?"
"Because C-type Otome cannot go against our orders once they put the GEM on, sir."
"Well, that's part of the reason. Like how the HiME Star served as a catalyst to amplify HiME's emotion, the Cursed Obsidian GEM has a similar effect on its wearer. Those C-type Otomes are truly cursed. Their emotions run wild as they fight, the more messed up they are, the stronger they get, hehehe... I have to thank the Obsidian Lord for the inspiration. He sure came up with some interesting ideas." The short blond man pushed his round glasses up and gave his subordinate a meaningful look before he continued.
"C-types cannot go against our orders, but they are unreliable. Too much emotion, ironically. Slaves, on the other hand, are much better in comparison. Remember that well, Sergay, you are responsible for the Valkyrie Unit. Don't disappoint me."
A man in his early thirties snapped to attention and saluted his superior. The crescent-shaped scar between his brows made him look as if he were having a perpetual frown on her solemn face. "Yes, sir. I won't disappoint you, sir."
"You have two choices. Take off your GEM and let yourself be captured, or you can try to fight the entire Valkyrie Unite, although I would advice against it. Your little friend there can tell you just how powerful we are." Tomoe said with a smug smile on her face.
The four black armor clad Otomes flew down from the huge hole in the roof and landed in front of their Captain. It seemed that Tomoe's previous comment was no empty threat. Viola's lips thinned to a stern line, crimson eyes burned with silent fury as delicate fingers wiping away the blood trickling down from Kruger's forehead.
"Does it hurt much?" Viola asked in a bare whisper, her chest tightened as a pained expression flashed over her beloved's face.
"Not at all." Kruger grunted and picked herself up from the small crater her body made on the floor, leaning a little bit into the older Otome's arms as she straightened up. "Is that all you've got? Four against one and that's the worst you can do? Valkyrie Unite my ass." She sneered at those Otomes with a lopsided grin plastered on her blood-smeared face.
Fumi stood up from behind her desk. She looked straight into Tomoe's eyes and demanded. "Let the girl go. The person you want is here, you don't need the hostage anymore."
"Maybe I will let her go." Tomoe said, dragging the blade along the column of Erstin's neck, applying just enough force to scratch the surface of the skin without breaking it. "Take off your GEM, and I will do just that, my Viola."
Viola closed her eyes and thought for a moment before she answered.
"I refuse."
Nina almost jumped at Viola's response. "You can't refuse! She is going to hurt Ers!"
"Shut up and let Viola do the talking." Kruger glared at Nina. Although she could sympathize with the blue-haired maid, she knew that Viola had her reasons for refusing to comply to Tomoe's demand.
The Captain of Valkyrie Unit was not too happy with Viola's response. "Are you sure that's your answer? You would let this girl die, is that what you want?"
Viola chuckled, a dangerous glint swirled in her blood red eyes. "How gullible do you take me for? First of all, I don't know that girl. Why would I risk my life for a complete stranger? Secondly, I simply do not trust you. Even if I take off my GEM like you asked, you probably will not spare the hostage, not to mention the rest of the people in this room." She paused and gave Erstin an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I wish I could save you."
"Hahaha..." Tomoe suddenly laughed out loud as if she just heard the funniest joke in the world. "You got me, Viola-sama, you really got me. Isn't that amazing how you know me so well? It only proves that we are soulmates. Alright, you don't have to take your GEM off. Fight the Valkyrie Unit if you like, materialize you Robe and Element, I don't mind. Actually, I would love to watch your fight. You are a Goddess when you fight."
The door to the office burst open and more than a dozen girls swarmed in, making the spacious room suddenly seemed small.
"Shizuru!" Natsuki made her way to the middle of the room where the former kaichou stood. "They didn't hurt you, did they?" She glared at the four armor clad Otomes and grabbed her girlfriend's hand. "This is it. We are leaving."
Tomoe was not happy about the party crashers. "Hmm... More people?" Tomoe frowned at the crowd, especially at the sight of Natsuki. "What's with the fake double? Anyway, that's not important. Nobody leaves the room, otherwise the girl gets it."
Everyone stopped moving toward the door when they heard the death threat. This does not look good at all. They thought. As much as they liked to stick with the original 'grab-Shizuru-and-make-a-mad-dash-out-of-there' plan, the current situation did not allow them to do that.
"Miya, did you bring my GEM? Put it on me." Tomoe ordered, and the Otome with short brown hair and a very wide forehead did as she told. "It's done, Tomoe-sama." Miya said.
Crap. Now the stalker can fight with full Otome power. Natsuki thought darkly.
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Viola-sama, you better defeat the Valkyrie Unit real quick if you care about all these people's lives." Tomoe said gleefully. "Slaves are coming."
Tate was very depressed. The dull, throbbing pain all over his body was not making things any easier for him.
"Cheer up, Tate-kun. You've done more than enough, don't beat yourself up. What you need to do now is to relax and let your body recover." Said Kanzaki Reito, the former Vice President of Fuuka Academy Student Council.
After getting separated from Shiho yesterday, Tate somehow made it out of the mountain while carrying Takeda on his back. Between finding Shiho and taking Takeda to a hospital, the later seemed like the more pressing matter at the time because Takeda could not possibly get himself to a hospital with both legs broken. Fortunately, they ran into Kanzaki on their way to the hospital and hitched a ride on his car before Tate ran out of stamina.
"Thank you, Kanzaki-sempai. I am really grateful that you are keeping an eye on us, but would you please let me go? My injury is not that serious. Shiho is still missing, she must have been waiting for me all this time, I have to go back and find her. That girl is a crybaby, she always depends on me, I can't leave her alone."
Kanzaki shook his head and pushed Tate back into the bed. "That I cannot allow you to do. I have already reported this to the Director, and she assured me she had sent out her people looking for Munakata-san. Chances are, she has already been found and taken care of. Try not to worry too much."
"But..."
"Tate, I'm sorry." Takeda said regretfully. He was lying on the bed next to Tate's and staring at the ceiling, both of his legs in casts. "It's really my fault. If it's not for me..."
"It's not your fault, Takeda-sempai. I just did what I was supposed to do."
Kanzaki chuckled at Tate's reply, a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Then you really don't have to feel guilty, Tate-kun, you were taking care of your best friend. This deep friendship you two share is truly beautiful. To be able to overcome the gender barrier and love each other this way, it's quite a feat."
It took Tate and Takeda a few seconds to catch on Kanzaki's joke. But when they did, they couldn't help but exchanged a look of pure horror and shuddered in disgust.
"Materialize!" Viola cried out and charged at Tomoe with full force, however, her attack was intercepted by all four armor clad Otomes, albeit barely just. They hurt my Kruger, and they are about to hurt my baby twin sister, they shall not be forgiven. I'll take them out before the Slaves come.
Tomoe almost dropped her knife when her eyes met Viola's violent crimson orbs. She looks like an Asura, the demon-god of war.
Kruger quickly followed up on Viola's attack by tackling the C-types from the side, effectively rammed them off balance. Viola took advantage of the situation and swung down her dual-bladed naginata at Tomoe again. Before her Element made contact with Tomoe's head, Miya jumped out and blocked the powerful blow with her halberd.
"I won't let you!" Miya grunted and pushed back. "Get them away from Tomoe-sama!" The other three C-type Otomes lashed out at the still recovering Kruger, successfully diverted Viola's attention away from Tomoe and Miya and shove them back to the middle of the room.
While the Otomes were clashing in battle, the HiME Rangers were not idling around. Aside from dodging flying debris and bodies that got thrown across the room, they were busy conspiring a new plan to get themselves out of this place.
"Miyu-san, can you get the hostage away safely? Now seems like a good chance." Mai asked in a hushed voice. The android was currently the only one among the HiME Rangers who had combat power that rivaled the Otome's. With her speed, snatching the blond girl from Tomoe's grasp was not entirely out of the question.
"There is a ninety-five percents chance the hostage will be injured if I attempt to take her by force. I do not advice such course of action." Miyu replied calmly, her emotionless red eyes looked strangely out of focus. "Four unknown objects approaching at high speed. Initiating wide area scan..."
Mai was bewildered by the android's behaviour. "Miyu-san? What are you doing..."
"We are surrounded." Miyu said quietly and moved toward the windows.
"Would someone PLEASE explain to me what the hell is going on?!" Shiho demanded. After a God awful night stranded in the mountain by herself, lost and helpless, Shiho was on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown. All she wanted now was to go home, take a hot bath, drink a bowl of hearty hot soup, collapse on her fluffy bed, and sleep the rest of the day away.
Chie, Aoi, and Alyssa exchanged a troubled look at Shiho's question. They were waiting outside the building as part of Plan B. Since Alyssa was too young to fight, she was supposed to stay away from the battle. Chie and Aoi were charged with the responsibility of taking care of the child while the rescue team (aka HiME Rangers Mark Two: now with additional combat-ready non-HiME members) stormed the place.
Although not a HiME herself, Haruka was all too ready for the action. She despised the coward who would hide behind a hostage. She could not just sit back and leave Yukino in the front line, (not again) not when the timid girl was without supernatural power to defend herself. Youko joined the Rangers because she felt responsible and could not let her students risk their lives by themselves. The fact that Midori was also there only made her more willing to fight alongside her friend.
"Well, this is kind of hard to explain." Chie contemplated how best to answer Shiho's question without confusing the hell out of the girl. Before she could find the words, she found a hand tugging urgently at her sleeve. "Yes, Aoi?"
Aoi didn't answer. All she managed to do was pointing at something behind Chie and squeaked.
On the other end of the room, Tomoe was having the time of her life.
"Ahh... How elegant... Did you see the way her body move? It's like she is dancing. Those eyes... Have you seen anything this beautiful?"
Erstin wished she had been braver. Listening to her captor mumble and gasp in such entranced tone unnerved her immensely. She is crazy. Erstin thought while fighting the urge to sob out loud. I am so afraid... Someone please save me... Nina-chan...
Nina never really paid any attention to the fierce battle between the Otomes. Her sole concentration was on Erstin and, of course, the shiny blade pressing against Erstin's neck.
Meanwhile, the battle was in a stalemate. Kruger was having a hard time fighting against the C-types. She excelled in short and long range attacks, but she did not fight well in middle range, especially against multiple opponents who were faster than her. She couldn't even materialize her Element, she couldn't risk hurting Viola with her clumsy cannon fire.
"Oh well, I really had fun today. But too bad, time's up, the Slaves are here." Tomoe tilted her head to her left and listened carefully to the instructions coming through her GEM. "Four Slaves? Hmph. Sergay is paranoid. Now everyone here will be crushed. How boring." She let out a disappointed sigh.
Four Slaves? Erstin felt her breath caught in her throat. Four of those mindless monsters... Nina! Her emerald eyes locked with the blue-haired girl's amber ones. I won't let anyone hurt you... I will protect you.
Blinking away the tears in her eyes, Erstin took in a deep breath and started screaming at the top of her lung. "Run away! Run away right now! I work for Searrs! I'm with them! LEAVE ME! Run! Slaves are..." here.
The rest of the sentence fade into a wet gargling sound.
Arterial spray.
Tomoe let go of the now useless hostage. Erstin put her hand up and pressed her palm against the gashing wound on the side of her neck. Without support, she slowly sank toward the floor.
"Oops. I broke it." Tomoe mused with an raised eyebrow.
Nina screamed.
TBC
Author's Notes:
1. Please don't kill me.
2. No, no Tate/Takeda, I'm not writing that. I put it there as a joke.
3. Those three other Otomes in Valkyrie Unit (Li Mei, Jeanne, and Nobue) are not OC. They are Tomoe's three lackeys in the anime. Please read and review.
4. Oops, sorry about the "Miya" "Miyu" mixup. Thanks for telling me that.