The blue dragon gave a deafening roar as it squeezed its bladed arms on the Hannibal. The captured serpent in return thrashed its arms against the blue dragon. As the two giant wyverns struggled against each other, they then crashed into the sand. Everyone felt the heavy tremor, their balance wobbling. Everyone ran away from the fight, not wanting to get caught up in the violence.
Kota and Soma could see Sakuya and Alisa at a distance.
Kota jumped out of the buggy, and shouted back at Brendan, "Thanks for the ride Brendan! For now, get your God Arc and evacuate the rest of the God Eaters! I need to meet up with the others!"
"What? H-hey! Kota?!"
Not stopping to let Brendan reply, Kota sprinted to Alisa and Sakuya. The boys frantically ran to them as the team grouped together. The God Eaters could only watch in awe at the fight, following up with bewilderment.
"Another Hannibal?" panicked Kota. "Just how many of these things are evolving?"
"Never mind that, Kota!" Shouted Alisa, as she pointed at the scene. "Look at what it's doing! That blue Hannibal is fighting another aragami that's just like itself! That shouldn't happen among these things!"
Soma turned to both of them and angrily barked, "Forget about that, you two! We need to stop this fight, otherwise those lizards are really going to-"
"Soma, wait!" interjected Sakuya.
The man frustratingly turned to her. "What now?"
Sakuya pointed at the fight, and they all watched the two serpents. The azure-colored aragami forcibly pushed the Hannibal, driving it away from the outer ghetto. As the Hannibal stumbled by the force, the navy basilisk then tackled at its white counterpart. The two aragami rolled in the sand; quakes again were felt, and grains of sand danced in the air. The blue Hannibal straddled itself on the enemy, and clutched on its throat with its claws. In response to the choke hold, the fire serpent slipped its talons on the bladed limbs, and clenched on it. Blood spewed and dripped as it dug it itself within the scales.
Refusing to be outdone by the attack, the flame lizard then kicked the cobalt serpent, making it flip above their head. The blue Hannibal released its grip, and crashed on its back. As it crashed on the sand, it landed on a part that was attached to its back. The azure-colored wyvern howled in pain as its heavy weight crushed the part on its back.
Having escaped from the clutches of the blue serpent, the Hannibal then scrambled to get back up, its eyes focused on the ghetto. Just when it was about to sprint over there, the white aragami then felt something tugging from behind. It turned around, and could see its azure counterpart gripping on its tail. The indigo-colored basilisk then pulled the Hannibal and threw it back. The Hannibal crashed in the sand and tumbled on the grits; it snarled angrily at the obstacle, fed up with the interference.
The first unit members could not believe it. The fight between the two basilisks was just an astonishing sight.
"It's…defending the outer ghetto?" questioned Kota.
"Why the hell is it doing that?" glared Soma.
"What should we do…." mumbled Alisa.
"….." Sakuya contemplated their next move. Think. She thought. Think. What's the best course of action for this? She frantically racked at her brain as she deliberated on what they should do; after a few seconds, she then said aloud, "Our mission's still the same. Though that blue Hannibal there is keeping the white one away, it's still dangerous if any aragami gets near the ghetto. For now, let's break up the fight between the two Hannibals. We need to keep the aragami at bay, even though they're fighting each other. If any of us are fighting with the blue one, we'll need to be extra careful, since that thing is entirely new. Split up, and rally the troops. Let's go!"
They all nodded, and all four of them went their separate ways. Alisa gazed at the indigo creature as she sprinted. The longer her eyes were locked on it, the more she started to feel something odd coming off it; something familiar. The sniper new-type casted it aside, trying to regain her focus. As each of member of the first unit gathered a small group of God Eaters, the brawl between the two dragons continued on. The blue Hannibal drew out large blades from its arms and in the next moment, it then rushed at the fire serpent. The Hannibal crouched waiting for the attack, and as the blades dove in, the white wyvern leaped back, dodging it. The Hannibal then closed the distance attempting to retaliate with its claws.
Catching its actions, the cobalt basilisk swept its bladed arms. Unprepared for the attack, the Hannibal flinched and received the severe slashes on the chest. It roared in pain and stepped back; the fire serpent clutched its bleeding wounds with its claws as it breathed heavily. Using this chance, the indigo-colored wyvern brought back its bladed arms, but just as it was about to attack, a quick torrent of electrical shot-type bullets rushed at its face.
The blue Hannibal growled viciously and whipped its head around, looking for the shooter. The aragami stopped and froze as it found the assailant. There she was, standing proudly with her Raging Lore gun, with a mix of long-blades and gunners backing her up from behind.
*RROOOOAAAAARRRRR!*
The cobalt serpent turned its attention back to the Hannibal. The howling cry came from the fire serpent; the God Eaters hacked, slashed and gunned their God Arcs at the white counterpart, forcing it to back away.
"Separate the Hannibals!" shouted Alisa.
The long blades surrounded the blue Hannibal, readying an attack.
The cobalt serpent bared its fangs.
It slammed its talons on the sand and crouched. A blue aura began to surround the basilisk. Alisa flinched at the move, as she feared what it was about to do.
"Wait! Get Back!"
The God Eaters skidded on the sand, hearing Alisa's cry. All too late and all too quickly, the azure dragon snarled and summoned a freezing turbulence. A few of the God Eaters cried out in pain and were sent back by the heavy maelstrom. Alisa angrily clicked her tongue and aimed her gun at them. She fired multiple recovery bullets at each member.
"A Hannibal that rules over ice…it carries a different affinity compared to the other ones….." mouthed Alisa.
The frozen emperor lifted its head and puffed its chest. Alisa took notice at the gesture and turned her attention to where it was about to blast its frozen breath. There, she saw Sakuya, Kota and Soma fighting off the Hannibal. She shouted at the top of her lungs, trying to get their attention amongst the noise. "Sakuya! Soma! Kota! Get out of the way!"
The others turned their attention to Alisa's shouting voice. They all spotted the snow wyvern's puffed chest, realizing what she's trying to get at.
Soma barked out, "Quick! Evacuate from the Hannibal! Let's move! Move!"
The God Eaters jerkily jumped away from the Hannibal, and just as they barely did, the freezing dragon breathed two consecutive, huge, sub-zero spheres. The flaming wyvern helplessly raised its shield, and as the two spheres hit, the Hannibal's arm became encased in ice. The fire serpent growled and bellowed from the heavy frostbite, clutching its arm while doing so.
The ruthless emperor and the frozen emperor gazed at each other, locking their scarlet eyes. Both dragons on both sides angrily gave a deafening roar. The God Eaters held onto their ears, their eardrums reverberating from the incredible sheer noise. They winced at the throbbing it brought.
Both dragons rushed at the opposite; they then tackled at each other, their bodies creating a booming noise. As the two basilisks competitively pushed, they revolved around the area. Their claws skidded on the sand as both tried to overwhelm the other with strength. As the two swerved around, the God Eaters kept their distance.
Kota knelt down and aimed his gun at the sub-zero basilisk. At this rate, these two will crash into the ghetto! With a click of his gun, Kota pulled the trigger, firing multiple electrical bullets. The bullets homed in on the enemy, closing its distance, but just as it was about to make contact-
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
*BOOM*
Out of nowhere, another rain of bullets intercepted the trajectory, causing his bullets to explode.
"What?! Hey! Who the hell took down my bullets?!" He irritably cried.
"That would be me." Called a familiar voice.
Kota, Sakuya and Soma turned their attention to the voice. Their jaws dropped at the familiar figure; he stood in front of a buggy with his blood-red serrated God Arc in gun mode, the warm winds swaying his raven-colored feathers on his arm.
"Lindow?!" exclaimed Sakuya.
The corporal sprinted to the group.
"What in the world are you doing here?! You shouldn't be up, not with your current condition." pointed Sakuya, worried for his health.
"Forget about me. Look, I don't have time to explain, but don't even think about blasting that blue Hannibal. You guys need to hold your weapons down, and let that thing fight."
The others gave the former leader confused and shocked looks. Did they just hear that right?
Kota angrily snarled at Lindow, with his teeth bared. "Lindow, no! Do you even know what you're saying? If we let those things fight each other, there's a chance they'll crash into the ghetto! We can't let that happen!"
Lindow returned a stern look to the scout, equally petrifying as Tsubaki's when she's dealing with the rookies. "Like. I. Said. I don't have time to explain, but you need to let those Hannibals fight each other. I mean look at them!" Lindow pointed to the two dragons, still forcing at each other and moving. "Those giant lizards are pretty intent in fighting against each other, even if you try to separate them!"
Kota slightly flinched at Lindow's glare. "Still, we…we can't just stand here and watch!"
"Just follow my lead. Get behind the blue Hannibal; when I give the gunners the signal, shoot the white Hannibal. Got it? Not the blue one; the white one."
Kota could only show a worried expression to Lindow. He felt incredibly unsure of following along with this. Lindow gave a reassuring nod to the young God Eater.
"Just trust me."
"….Fine." he grimaced. Kota ran to where the Hannibals were fighting. He pulled out the chamber and reloaded his God Arc.
"Lindow…." Sakuya said in a tense voice.
"Just trust me." he repeated.
"…."
"I hope you know what you're doing." replied Soma.
"Let's go." Lindow smiled at them, trying to calm the two. "Relax."
All three sprinted to the fight, and dispersed around the fighting area. Sakuya, Soma and Kota apprehensively gripped their God Arcs, as all of them circled the two dragons. Alisa spotted the three encircling; they kept their distance as they readily aimed and poised their God Arcs. The new-type sniper became curious, wondering their odd behavior.
"Alisa!"
The group of God Eaters traced their vision to the voice. All were utterly stunned by the sight of Lindow. As Alisa followed to locate the voice, she too, became shocked to see who called out to her. "Lindow?!" She was about to voice her questions, only to be stopped by Lindow raising his hand.
"I know what you're going to say, but I rather not talk about it here. I need you and the other God Eaters to follow my lead. When I give you the okay, have the gunners shoot the white Hannibal. Okay?"
Alisa could only show a dumbfounded face, speechless by the unexpected command.
"Please, I need yours and everybody's co-operation in this." he pleaded.
Alisa can see Lindow's desperate attempt. She quickly glimpsed at the two emperors still fighting, trying to take everything in. The girl sighed audibly, "Alright, fine. But you better explain yourself after this."
Lindow nodded vigorously. Using his commanding voice to the other God Eaters, he shouted, "Keep your distance! Do not attack the blue Hannibal! On my signal, aim for the white one!"
The others exchanged confused and bewildered looks, questioning the instructions by the corporal. It's been a while since Lindow felt this; commanding a small army, announcing orders, being entrusted with their lives and guiding the team to victory. It felt odd to feel the authority of leadership once more, but at the same time, it brought a familiar feeling. He remembered his older sister's words of encouragement when the baton was passed down to him from Tsubaki. Something that he always said to himself.
Use your comrades, Lindow. Use yourself. That's the key to breeding trust.
"…..Get into battle positions, everyone! I'll give you the signal when the timing is right!" Lindow rotated and joined the others. He pulled out the gun's chamber and reloaded his gun.
Alisa and the other God Eater's reluctantly followed pursuit, surrounding the two Hannibals.
Frustrated with the interference from the frozen emperor, the Hannibal head-butted the cobalt serpent. Dazed by the attack, the sub-zero wyvern lost its balance, becoming defenseless. The fire dragon clenched its claws and punched upward, directly hitting the frozen emperor's jaw. Retaliating the attack, the indigo basilisk kicked at the Hannibal's slashed chest, forcing it away. The Hannibal howled as the wound was further damaged.
The two dragons formed a gigantic dagger from their palm, representing their element. They closed the small distance, clashing once more. The ruthless emperor leaped in the air about to bring down its blazing dagger. Responding to the attack, the freezing serpent jumped back dodging the flare. As the dagger dug itself into the sand, flaring infernos rose. The blue Hannibal closed in on the fire dragon, and impaled its ice-covered weapon on the fire dragon's shoulder. Frost began to spread as it made contact, and the white serpent howled at the incredible agony.
The God Eaters scattered, avoiding getting caught up in the violence; they began to make their way to the frozen emperor and stood behind it. The navy-colored basilisk shoved the Hannibal, pushing it away. As it stumbled for its balance, the Hannibal breathed heavily, staggering at the fatal wounds it received.
Alisa stood afar from the side of the sub-zero wyvern. She watched the Hannibal wobble in place. It's getting weaker; if this keeps up, the Hannibal should go away. She nervously thought. Alisa glanced at the frozen emperor on her side. She still couldn't help but feel something familiar from the creature. Alisa kept staring at the aragami, only to be pulled back in reality by Lindow's booming voice.
"Now! Get your guns on!"
Guns swiftly went blazing with various types of bullets, as they spiraled at the Hannibal. Laser and shot bullets pierced, stabbed and punctured at the Hannibal. The bullets bombarded the aragami's entire body, overwhelming the creature.
Alisa joined the fray, firing away at the white wyvern, with her finger rapidly tugging at the trigger.
The Hannibal puffed its chest and held its breath as it openly took the bullets. The gunners continued firing their bullets, trying to prevent its flame breath. Lindow spotted what the Hannibal was about to do; he cried out to the blade users on stand-by, trying to make his voice audible over the gunshots. "Blade users! Defend the gunners with your shields! Get ready to deploy!"
The blade users crouched, ever ready to pounce forward and draw out their shields.
Its deep scarlet orbs hastily grazed over the number of God Eaters, finding its target. It then stopped as the eyes locked on one of the chosen victims. Using the last ounce of strength left, the Hannibal exhaled a flaming sphere. The God Eaters sprang forward, bringing out their shields, prepared to take the attack. However, the sphere slithered through the defensive line like a snake, homing in on its mark.
The people nearby gasped at who was the target.
"Oh no…." panicked Lindow.
"Shit!" Soma gritted his teeth.
"Look out!" cried Kota.
"Alisa!" wailed Sakuya.
She froze in place, surprised and terrified. There wasn't enough time to switch to blade form, nor was she fast enough to dodge the gigantic burning sphere. Alisa could only cower in fear from the fireball, defenseless against it. "Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" She shut her eyes and helplessly raised her Raging Lore in response.
*STOMP* *STOMP* *STOMP*
*BOOM*
Smog suddenly exploded and engulfed the area where Alisa stood. The mist clouded their vision of Alisa.
"Whoa, what the?!" panicked Kota.
"Alisa! Hey!" called Soma.
"Hey! The Hannibal!" called one of the God Eaters.
Soma, Kota, Lindow and Sakuya turned their attention to the Hannibal. The aragami clutched its icy-covered shoulder as it struggled with its wounds and knelt down from the throbbing. They poised their God Arcs at the white dragon, being the ever cautious soldiers they are. The Hannibal panted and wheezed, exhaustion that which took a toll on its body. The ice began to make the shoulder feel numb, with the discomfort not going away. The fire serpent staggered as it pulled itself up.
God Eaters and aragami locked their eyes at each other. The first unit members warily glared at the creature, expecting for another assault. An eerie silence drifted through the air.
In response, the Hannibal rotated, and limped away from the Far East Branch, its stomping receding to the far vast desert.
"It's….it's leaving?" pondered Kota. As a few seconds passed, a wide grin painted itself on the scout's lips. Relief began to fill his body, accompanied with joy. "We did it! We did it! We drove it off! Woo-hoo!"
The others were about to join in on Kota's cheering, only to be interrupted by a screaming voice.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!"
The first unit members swiveled to the clearing fog behind them. They almost forgot about their friend.
"Alisa!" Sakuya sprinted to the light mist, wanting to check up on her best friend's well-being. "Alisa! Are you-" The medical sniper skidded on the sand, horrified on what lied on the sand. "No…..then…..that thing was…"
The men ran up to where the girls were; as they reunited with them, they gasped at the scene.
"You got to be…" Trailed off Kota.
"No way….." mumbled Soma.
"…" Lindow grimaced at the sight, speechless.
There he was, unconscious on the sand, his clothes tattered and torn, his navy hair dusted, and his body was filled with heavy gashes and burns. His right arm was wrapped with blue tentacles while a menacing black mist surrounded it.
"Drake…..no…ah God no…" sobbed Alisa. She dropped her God Arc on the sand, plopping the grains. Alisa shakily stepped forward to him, unable to comprehend the scenery.
Lindow caught the new-type's reaction, and began to fear what she might do. He withdrew his serrated blood-red God Arc back in his arm. "Alisa, wait!" He stopped her.
Alisa froze and faced Lindow. Her pale blue eyes showed that she was on the verge of tears, anxiety and remorse clearly written on her face. "Lindow…..Lindow! He's! Drake is!" Her incomplete sentences furthered emphasized her fears.
Lindow felt a pang in his heart. "I know, but don't go near him! The last thing he needs is blaming himself that another one is infected because of his oracle cells! For now, gather the medical team members that are here! We need to tend to his wounds!"
"….."
"Alisa!"
The silver-haired new-type gritted her teeth; she needed to go find help. Drake requires immediate medical treatment, and if any more time was wasted…...no, Alisa pushed that last thought out her mind. She had to leave him in their hands. Alisa reluctantly backed away from Drake, and after what seemed like forever, she dashed to the group of God Eaters, seeking available medical aid.
I know this is hard, but I need you to just hang in there. Both of you. Thought Lindow. "Sakuya, help me out with him! I'll keep his oracle cells in check! Soma, call an ambulance and have them arrive at our location! Stat! Kota! Get to the buggy, and grab some First Aid Kits in the back!"
Soma nodded and pulled out his phone. He frantically dialed for the ambulance number. Kota made a beeline to the nearby dune buggy. Sakuya and Lindow dashed to Drake's side, giving him medical treatment. As Sakuya swiftly pulled out Restore Needles and bandages from her pouches, Lindow held onto Drake's infected arm with his aragami arm. The core within Lindow's hand glowed a golden light.
"Ugh…." Drake grunted with a low voice. He slowly opened his eyes, his blurry vision spotting the married couple.
"Drake!" gasped Sakuya.
"Is…everyone…..okay?" he struggled to talk.
"Yeah, they are. Thanks to you. But quit talking; you sit tight, and let us handle the rest. We got your back, pal. Just like how you had ours." Smiled Lindow.
Drake stared at Lindow, pushing himself to reply. "I'm…..going to need….a blood….transfusion…..O negative…..by the way….."
Sakuya shushed Drake, not letting him to continue to speak. She gently ruffled his navy hair, showing her soft, generous eyes. Something that she always showed to the younger soldiers. "Shhh. That's enough Drake. Just rest for now."
Drake weakly smiled at her. He looked up to the sky, seeing the vivid blue and golden sunshine; no clouds floated in the air, no white puffballs or soft mist, just the bright deep hue of blue and sunshine.
Sunshine... Sunshine... Brightness... Brightness... Clear... Clear...
…...
Clara.
"Just what is a Vincenzo like you doing with this kind of job out in the public?"
"Hey, don't just blatantly say my last name. It's going to cause unnecessary attention. Saying the family name is a like a taboo to the other person's ears."
"My last name is the same for me, dang it. I'm not so friendly with a certain force, if you keep calling it out."
"Then, let's tell each other's first name and use it. You go first; what's your name?"
"…..Cain. And you?"
"Clara."
End of Part 1