Chapter 52 – Sacrifice

They flew in a triangular formation, with Minna at the front and Toshiro with Mio backing her up. Red glints flashed, and suddenly small Neuroi appeared almost out of thin air, shooting beam disproportional to their sizes at some of the ships on the left wing.

"It has begun!" Minna shouted. "You all know your roles. Yoshika – protect the Yamato with your shield, Lynne and Perrine – you protect Yoshika!"

"Roger!" The three answered and flew down to the Yamato

"The rest of you except Toshiro and Mio – you know what to do!"

"Roger!" They answered and flew forward

"Toshiro – stick with me, I'll be reloading your cannon so you can fire from both guns at a time."

"Hah! Now that's what I call firepower!" Toshiro said while unholstering his MG.

"Mio… Just try to kill any drifters, okay? I need a clear overview of the battlefield."

"Okay…"

The battle slowly unwounded, with masses of the small Neuroi looking like flying saucers swarming the girls. Only a few minutes into the feud, the Neuroi concentrated their efforts on the Yamato, but Yoshika was shielding the ship with her enormous shields. Lynne and Perrine were doing their job by repelling the Neuroi from Yoshika before they came in too close.

At one time, Francesca grabbed Shirley's hand, and the latter spun like a whirligig and launched the Romagnan into a bunch of Neuroi, setting them off balance so Shirley could deal with them.

Eila and Sanya have done something special. The first led the a dozen of Neuroi in a straight row towards Sanya. The Orussian then fired one rocket, and much to her disbelief, she defeated the whole dozen at one time, because the Neuroi bumped into each other.

Erica and Trude were plowing through the ranks of the enemy like a maelstrom, firing from their MG42's like mad, and with great effect, as small clouds popped en masse from the destroyed Neuroi.

Yoshika is really doing a good work, but she looks tired as hell…

"Toshiro, you're out of cannon shells." Minna said.

"Okay, I'll go drop the cannon on the Amagi. Mio, be vigilant!"

"Roger!"

Just as Toshiro dropped his cannon of on the board of the Amagi, all the ships fired a salvo at the same time. Hundreds of Neuroi were killed at one shot.

Damn… Not bad… Aw fuck, there's even more of them!

"Toshiro, help, we're surrounded!" Lynne shouted through the transponder.

He quickly looked over and saw them surrounded by the Neuroi. He rushed over to them, but halfway he saw Mio above the group.

"Over my dead body!" She shouted and dropped down with her sword raised over her head.

"Mio you bloody idiot!" Toshiro shouted. "Stop at once!"

"Reppuzan!"

She shouted as she struck down, but something strange happened. The sword didn't glow even for a millisecond. It banged against the top of one of the Neuroi, but the force of the impact flung it out of Mio's hands, and it flew somewhere across the battlefield. Yoshika slipped between the Neuroi and Mio, and shielded her from the imminent attack. Toshiro quickly rushed to them, and he saw that Minna started shooting at the Neuroi in question, killing it.

"Are you okay, Miss Sakamoto?" Yoshika asked.

But Mio didn't look like she was okay. She was staring blankly at her empty palms as if something possessed her.

Yup, this is officially the end…

"Yoshika, go to Lynne and Perrine, I'll take care of Mio, okay?" Toshiro asked.

"Okay…" Yoshika said with a concerned look and flew away.

Suddenly, Yuki started shouting in his head.

"Toshiro, something's happening with the Yamato, look!"

He looked over that way, and saw that the Yamato started getting Neuroified, bit by bit starting from the center of the ship. After it got totally enveloped in the black coating, something even more incredible happened – it started flying.

Slowly but surely it rose from the surface of the sea and it started charging towards the core.

"Shiiiiiiiiiiit…" Toshiro said aloud.

"Toshiro, the mission of your unit is now formally over." Sugita said over the transponder. "But we advise you to stay and watch the glory of the IFN."

"Oh I'll watch it…" Toshiro said. "Minna, mission over, lets' watch the fireworks."

He placed his hand on Mio's shoulder and said, "Mio, this is not the end of the world. It means that you can finally stop fighting…"

Tears started flowing from her eyes as she said, "But for me, living and fighting were one and the same… And yet now I lost my shield, and can't use the Reppuzan…"

Toshiro embraced her with one are and tugged her closer in. Mio gave in and started crying into his chest. Minna flew over closer, and while stroking Mio's head she said, "You fought valiantly while you could, Mio. There's time for fighting and there's time for resting in our lives… The latter has come…"

Toshiro saw as the rest of the girls landed on the Amagi. He himself still had one tape, loaded into the MG, and his stamina was still top notch. He then watched as the Neuroified Yamato sailed through the air towards the core. When it was still a good distance apart from it, the Neuroi started another attack. Hundreds of the small Neuroi started shooting at the Yamato.

"Shit, it will be destroyed in no time at this rate…" Toshiro murmured.

"But the ship is a Neuroi now, right?" Minna asked. "Shouldn't it regenerate?"

"Maybe it will, let's see."

And indeed, so it was. The holes made in the Yamato by the enemy beams started repairing, and in a few seconds it was back to pristine condition.

"I'll be damned…" Toshiro sighed. "At least this is working… Maybe I was to fatalistic… Come on, Mio, cheer up. The Yamato is sort of winning now, you should be proud as an officer of the IFN."

Mio raised her head slowly. She sniffled a few times and got out of Toshiro's embrace.

"Yeah… It looks like it…" She said with a lifeless voice.

"And the Yamato is counterattacking now!" Minna cheered.

The ship made short notice of the enemy, because now the anti-air emplacements on it were supercharged with Neuroi energy. Small read beams cut the air in quantities of thousands, and they cut hundreds of the saucer-like Neuroi, while charging for the core.

"Are they really trying to… ram it?" Toshiro asked.

"It said so in the papers…" Minna answered. "But I heavily doubt that will work."

"But the follow up should be better, right?"

"Yes. The follow up should clear this once and for all…" Minna said with a skeptical tone.

The Yamato banged at the green orb with tremendous force. The bow got crushed, but not a dent was visible on the orb.

"Toshiro, grab the two, now!"

Toshiro, not thinking it through quickly grabbed Mio and Minna. Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound was heard, and a shockwave almost swept them over.

"Yuki, what was that?"

"This is bad, Toshiro… The core is now fucking pissed at us… If the Yamato fails, we are in for it…"

The three of them waited for the follow-up attack from the Yamato. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Half a minute.

"Uh… Did they forget to load the cannons or what?" Toshiro asked surprised.

"I'm as surprised as you are, Toshiro…" Minna answered dumbfounded.

Suddenly, another wave of saucers flied over the Yamato. They started to drop parts of their bodies, which now functioned as aerial bombs. Hundreds of explosions were visible all over the Yamato.

"Jinzaburo, what the hell is happening?!" Toshiro shouted through the intercom.

"We… We have failed… The artillery control system is not working… We don't have power…"

"Why? Why the hell do you don't have any power?!"

"The magic engine dynamo is nonoperational, so now the main cannon can't be fired… The operation failed, not from your fault… All ships, alter course sixteen points, in succession, preserving order of the fleet."

"No!" Mio shouted suddenly. "It's not over yet!"

"Mio, what…" Minna tried to ask but was interrupted.

"It's not over! Not this war! Not myself! Not this unit!"

Mio suddenly charged forward shouting, "I will board the Yamato and start the magic engine dynamo myself, even if it's the last thing I do in my life!"

"Mio!" Minna shouted.

"Do you have a death wish, Major Sakamoto?!" Sugita shouted through the transponder.

"Major, no, don't go!" Perrine shouted.

"It's too dangerous!" Trude yelled.

"Miss Sakamoto! It's impossible! You don't have much magic power left!" Yoshika pleaded.

"Let's grab her!" Toshiro roared.

They charged after her, with Minna clinging on to Toshiro and using his speed.

"So you know, Miyafuji? Heh… Yes, I only have enough power to fly now…" Mio answered.

They flew before her, Minna pointed her MG42, and Toshiro summoned Aganaimaru.

"Knowing that, head back!" Minna commanded.

"Mio, you're on your last breath." Toshiro said. "This will have an impact on you."

"Minna… Toshiro…" Mio said as she stopped.

"Head back, Major." Minna said.

"If I don't go, who will start the Yamato's engine?" She asked.

"I can! I'm almost unfazed by the battle!" Toshiro shouted.

"But you have Miyafuji, Toshiro. I don't have anything to lose…"

Mio flew minimally forward and said, "How ironic… That I, the person who couldn't even fight, have to do something that needs so much magic power…"

"But… Mio…"

"Minna… I'm glad that I'm still of use, despite all what happened to me… I can be a part of the 501st… I can be one of the twelve…"

"Mio… Mio…" Toshiro sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder. "If you don't return, I'll personally forward a motion to demote you…"

"Yes, and I will support it!" Minna shouted. "Please, Mio… You have to return… I saw too many deaths already… This is an order!"

Mio saluted and shouted, "Understood!"

Mio passed them and flew forward to the Yamato. Toshiro raked in Minna and said, "Don't you cry too, or I'll kick your ass…"

"Okay… Heh…"

Mio was almost at the Yamato when the core started shooting at her. However, the Shiden gave her an edge over the beams, and she dodged them like a pro.

"Toshiro!"

"You'll make my brain explode… What?"

"I've analyzed Mio's magic energy and…"

"And?"

"She won't make it…"

"She what?!"

"There's a chance that powering the magic dynamo can sap her so much that she will die…"

"But… But…"

"I hope it's just an error in me equations but… That's a real chance…"

"Then what should I do?!"

"Decide – help her and expose yourself to unknown danger or don't help her…"

"Ehhhh… You know I won't choose the second option, right?"

"Heheh… Go, Toshiro! Before it's too late!"

"Minna?"

"What?"

"Here." Toshiro said and gave her his MG.

"What are you planning to do?"

Toshiro already pressed the appropriate button on the FFG. He fell down for a few seconds, and then punched it.

"Toshiro?! TOSHIRO!" Yoshika yelled through the intercom.

"I'm sorry, Yoshika, but Yuki doesn't give big chances to Mio… I have to help her…"

"Be… Be careful…"

"I will… I love you…"

"I love… you…too…"

The core started shooting at him, but he copied Mio and just evaded the beams. He almost tumbled inside the place where Mio was. She already started powering the dynamo - an ominously looking machine with a double rotor, both going in different directions.

"Mio…"

She looked back at him, but still powering the dynamo.

"Toshiro, I thought I told you something… Go away, I don't know how this will end!"

"Yuki knows… She has doubts whether you'll survive this…"

"I can't stop now…"

"You can't…" Toshiro said and approached her, still wearing his Striker just like Mio. "But I can help you…"

He extended his hand over the core that was mounted in the machine, and the rotors started rotating faster.

"For fucks sake, Toshiro… You're stealing my moment…" Mio pouted.

"I'd rather steal your moment then see you dead, and you perfectly well know that."

"Yeah…" Mio smiled warmly.

"We should just slam this core apart and run from here… Nothing good can happen…"

"Smashing a core with your bare hands? Oh, right, I believe you did that…"

"Yeah… So, Mio – are you sure we want to do this?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's rock!" Toshiro roared and the rotors started rotating even faster.

"Yuki, monitor Mio's magic levels and try to block her familiar from using too much magic."

"Already ahead of you, Toshiro. Don't worry…"

The gauges on the machine rose at a constant speed, with the rotors still accelerating. Sparks started flying, and the whole room was glowing blue when the red zones were reached on the gauges. Suddenly, Toshiro's feet got cold, and it was not a figure of speech.

He looked down, and now cold sweat broke on his forehead.

"Mio…"

"What?"

"Look down…"

Both Mio and him started being covered by a Neuroi like coating.

Mio sighed and said, "See, Toshiro? This is what I told you about… If you weren't so foolhardy, I would be the only one devoured by the Yamato…"

"Yuki! Yuki! What's happening! Yuki!"

"The person you're trying to reach is currently unavailable…"

"Yuki? Don't toy with me! What's happening?! Why are you talking so weird?!"

"Because this is not Yuki, Chosen One…"

"Who… What are you?!"

"I am the Hive, Chosen One…"

"But… You're speech pattern…"

"I am an Alpha Hive, Chosen One. I possess far greater intelligence than my smaller kin…"

"What have you done with Yuki?!"

"I suppressed her… But I didn't suppress her magic, oh no… Tasty magic…"

"You monster… You know that there's a chance the Yamato will kill you?"

"Chance? HAHAHAHAHA! Are you an idiot, Chosen One? That's just my outer shell!"

"No… You're lying!"

"Why should I? You're sacrifice will go to naught, Chosen One… And I have something very special in mind for you and your… How should I title this woman? Friend? Fling? Well, anyway…"

Out of nowhere, the cannon's on the Yamato fired. The world got enveloped in endless whiteness as the shockwave ripped through the steel walls of the room.

"…you're mine now, Chosen One!"

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