In a moment of desperation, Akane was overcome by a violent impulse. It was something she had only felt for a few seconds during her battle with Arika, and now it was the only thing fueling her actions. With no regard for the safety of her three captors, she threw them back several feet with a sudden burst of strength before beginning her attack.
Akane leapt forward and grabbed the leader of the group's head in both hands. She gouged his eyes with her thumbs, staining her long white gloves with his blood before releasing her hold. This boy quickly fell to his elbows and knees screaming in pain as he clutched his oozing sockets, and Akane ended his misery with a swift high kick that sent the heel of her pearly shoe into the middle of his spine.
"You killed Shuuji, you bitch!"
The second of the assailants threw an angered punch at Akane as he berated her for her actions. The female fighter dodged this strike easily and parried to the back of her opponent. She reached out again, this time taking her opponent into a headlock. The last thing the young man felt was Akane's warm, soft breath grazing his neck and the curves of her smaller frame pressing against his back before she roughly shifted her arms, snapping his neck.
With two bodies now on the stone ground of the alleyway, Akane's brutal attention turned to her final would-be assaulter. The young man was slowly stepping backwards in horror as he begged for his life.
"H-hey Miss Soir… Lady Malachite… whatever you go by, we were just joking! P-please don't kill me!"
Akane's eyes narrowed in mistrust toward her enemy's pleas. She responded in a cold voice.
"How do I know you won't try something like this again?"
The boy only remained startled by this question. Without speaking further, he turned to run through the alley path Akane had been dragged down only moments earlier. However, the Windbloom king's skilled warrior predicted the young man's movements and used her remarkable agility to leap into the air over his head. She landed facing him, blocking his retreat and causing him to gasp in terror.
Akane silently reached out and grabbed her opponent's neck with one gloved hand. She then forcefully guided him into the wall of the narrow alley, cracking his head like an egg against the solid brick and killing him instantly.
After pushing the boy's limp corpse to the ground, Akane studied the carnage left lying in the alleyway and addressed her lifeless crowd. Although her eyes remained void of all emotion, her lips were curled into a soft smile.
"I'm sorry, but my body belongs to Kazu."
She closed her eyes and lowered her head in a bowing gesture.
"And it's my responsibility to protect everything he owns."
Akane turned around and quietly walked back to the city street she had been traveling. She fully returned to her usual gentle self by the time she arrived at Castle Windbloom. After politely informing the guards how she had been attacked and forced to fend for herself, she told them where to find the bodies of the three young men so the proper arrangements could be made. When the king became aware of what had happened, he showed a great concern for his Otome. However, Akane quickly vowed to always take the method of transportation he provided her with from this point forward, and the couple was simply happy that they were both safe.
"You found them?"
In a dark room in an undisclosed location, a young man with short silver hair was speaking on a phone to one of his associates. He tugged at a frayed string that was dangling from his dirty striped prison shirt in boredom, and he leaned back in his office chair as he replied to the garbled voice speaking to him through the receiver.
"What do you mean you found what's LEFT of them?"
He sighed in disbelief as he placed his palm to his forehead.
"Jeez. I never knew she had it in her. Guess her victory over the Blue Sky Sapphire wasn't a fluke after all."
A plotting smile crossed his lips.
"Well, actually, I'll have to thank her myself. Those three clowns were the only people who know where I've been hiding since the breakout, and it sounds like she took care of that liability quite nicely."
He shook his head while the voice spoke again.
"No, no. This doesn't muddle things too badly. We'll just have to move on to the alternate operation."
When he spoke to the person on the other end again, there was full confidence in his voice.
"Oh, I can have the Columns taken care of. It won't be their war for much longer."
He leaned toward the desk in front of him.
"Marvelous. Can't wait."
The young man placed the phone back on its stand to end his conversation. He then lifted a small photograph from the center of his desk. It was a picture of the Garderobe student body from several years ago, and the scheming boy's eyes focused on a smiling brown-haired girl wearing a white, frilled Trias uniform.
"So, Akane Soir, huh? Funny, I didn't even think about recruiting her when the King of Florince wanted her."
He shrugged at his past mistake and placed the photograph back on the desk.
"Oh well. Sounds like she'll be worth the wait."
The young man leaned back into his chair as he crossed his arms and contemplated to himself.
"Now Akane will be set for my…"
His thoughts were interrupted when the phone suddenly rang again. He jumped slightly in his seat in surprise, then shook his head to recollect himself before picking up the phone. He spoke to the caller in a hushed tone.
"Gray Weasel here."
He scratched his head, seemingly annoyed by whatever the person was telling him.
"What kind of 'startup problems'?"
He sighed before speaking again.
"Whatever. Take your time fixing it. My new plans are going to take some time, anyway."
The young man now appeared angered, and raised his voice slightly when he spoke again.
"Hey, if you're going to call me by my real name, at least make it DUKE Nagi. I may be in exile, but that doesn't change the fact I retain my power."
His coy smile returned when the caller begged for forgiveness.
"Very well. Contact me again when you get it fixed."
Nagi Dai Artai placed the phone back down, knowing he would soon have revenge for the humiliation Garderobe and the Columns had brought him in the past.
"I swear on the tomb of my father, Bel Glan Artai, I had nothing to do with the jailbreak. Some radicals I have no control over broke into the prison and forced me to flee with them. I had no choice."
Nagi spoke toward the opposite side of Castle Windbloom's round conference table in a falsely regretful tone. His ingenious scheme was going according to plan, but the most crucial step was still only moments away.
As the infamous war criminal spoke, his audience carefully watched his actions. King Kazuya was seated between two Columns on his left and three on his right, and Akane stood attentively behind and slightly to the side of his chair. The group had gathered here after Nagi contacted the king and begged for a simple assembly to hear his case. All members of this party peered toward their villainous guest with varying degrees of contempt, and Column Natsuki was the first to speak for them.
"Do you really think we're going to buy your bull, Nagi? We know Schwarz sympathizers have been active in Artai for the past several months. With your escape so conveniently timed, we know you're involved."
Natsuki was referring to a technologically advanced cult that had caused a world war several years ago, which Nagi had been the leader of.
"Believe what you will, Lady Kruger. However, all I ask is that you hear my plea before I turn myself in. I've already spent quite a bit of time suffering excruciatingly in your prison. Since I'm giving myself up willingly, I hope you will see I've reformed in my..."
The young warlord's words were interrupted by the sound of a gunshot coming from the roof of the large conference room. All figures seated at the table were startled by the noise, and their eyes collectively turned to a single window in the higher alcoves of the room. There stood a sniper in barbarian gear, and he raised his rifle while shouting in glory.
"Hail Aswad!"
The marksman's jaw clenched as if to chew something in his mouth, and he quickly dropped dead from the window frame after a thick foam grew from his mouth.
Nagi smirked to himself at this sight. It had been fairly easy for him to find someone willing to sacrifice their life under the promise of being remembered as a martyr for Schwarz's cause. Now the Aswad tribe had been framed, and the time had come for the last variable of Nagi's plan to fall into place.
When Akane's eyes returned to the back of her master's chair, they grew wide with shock as they saw Kazuya's hands hanging limply from each armrest. She quickly stepped to the front of the chair to see the young ruler lifelessly slumped forward, with a red stain on his royal attire spreading over his chest. She reached forward and began frantically rattling his shoulders.
"Kazu? Kazu?! Are you okay?!"
When it was clear all life had left her lover's body, Akane collapsed to the ground, pressed the side of her head against his knees, and let out a hysterical scream. She then looked up from her kneeling position to see Kazuya's sleeping face hanging over her before she shouted hopelessly.
"No... No! You can't die, Kazu! You have to live so we can end this war! You can't leave now, not after everything we've been through to be together! Wake up!"
As the Columns realized there was no hope left for Kazuya, Akane's painful lament filled the conference room and the five elite Otome began arguing amongst each other. The king was gone, and Akane wouldn't even receive the relative comfort of leaving with him since she was not Materialized. Natsuki broke her group's panic by issuing orders.
"Columns, get back to Garderobe and raise battle stations! We're under attack!"
In a frenzy, the five young women Materialized into their Robes and bolted from the room. The only persons left in the chamber after this sporadic moment were Akane, Nagi, and the bodies of the ill-fated king and his assassin. As Akane sank deeper into despair, she paid no attention to the sound of footsteps approaching her with great anticipation. She halted her sobs and turned her head only when she felt Nagi's hand gently rest on her shoulder, causing her to cast a rageful glare into the eyes of the exiled Archduke of Artai. The silver-haired noble returned her glance with a sly smirk.
"Poor Akane. You're an Otome with no master now."
Akane painfully grimaced at these words. Tears streamed down her face as she replied angrily.
"Leave me alone, Nagi!"
He closed his eyes and shook his head in sympathy.
"You're blaming yourself, aren't you, Akane? Don't do that. It's everyone else who's to blame. Your precious king wouldn't be dead if Aswad hadn't sent that assassin. He never would have been targeted if the Columns hadn't put him on the throne. The Columns wouldn't have even been able to start this war if the other countries hadn't allowed Garderobe to exist. It seems the entire world only wants to make you miserable."
Akane sniffed and peered downward in clouded thought. Her mourning state had impaired her ability to judge the words of a man well-known for his manipulative ways. When she looked up, the sight of the King of Windbloom's signet ring decorating his cold hand only reminded her of her new powerlessness. Finally, she weakly spoke.
"But... I can't do anything about it without Kazu..."
Nagi's eyes now lit with delight.
"I can grant you the power to punish the world for his death, Akane."
As he spoke, the Grand Duke lifted his hand from Akane's shoulder and brought it to her eyes so she could see the single black contract ring on his ring finger.
"You may not like me very much, but that doesn't bother me. I won't ask for your love, only your loyalty."
Nagi's words and the sight of his bachelor ring caused a new determination to spark inside of Akane's shattered mind. She knew she was signing a contract with a devil, but she didn't care. She had done everything she was told and everything she was trained to do. She had been the proverbial "Good Girl," and the world had repaid her by robbing her of the one thing she cared about the most. Her compassion had died with her only true love, and now it was buried by Nagi's promise of vengeance. She spoke coldly.
"I accept your terms."
The cult leader's lips formed a smile as he responded.
"Then I shall be your new master."
He carefully lowered his hand in front of Akane's mouth, and the embittered girl quickly leaned forward and firmly pressed her lips to the ring. She was starving for the power it would grant her.
After the contract was made, Nagi pulled his hand away and knelt to one knee in front of Akane. He kissed her earring to activate it for the first time under his new command, and the Pure Heart Malachite GEM beeped to life before it suddenly began emitting a dark glow. Nagi lifted himself back to his feet and stepped back slowly as he feigned a look of curiosity.
"Oh? What's this?"
Just as he had expected, the emotional toll the Windbloom king's death had left on Akane was affecting the nanomachines in the young girl's body. Her growing rage toward the people around her was adding to the GEM's power and permanently altering its configuration. When Akane rose to her feet, the aura engulfed her entire frame and began its Materialization process. When this dark energy condensed around her and faded, Akane was wearing a new Robe that looked much like her usual feline-themed outfit. However, the white material had changed to glossy black, the dark blue portions were now now an dreary gray color, the golden lining had become silver, and the once elegant cape and ribbon that hung from her back now both looked tattered and frayed.
Akane carelessly glanced downward toward her new Otome attire. Without saying a word, she closed her eyes and summoned a pair of black tonfa in each hand. The new form of her weapons still had the same general shape and glowing edges as before, but they now featured short spikes on the outer sides she could use to torture her opponents, and the end of each tonfa was armed with a set of curved blades that resembled a tiger's claws.
Nagi crossed his arms and grinned.
"Well, Pure Heart Malachite, it looks like you have some new tricks up your sleeve."
The young warrior replied with nothing but hatred in her voice.
"Don't call me that weak name anymore."
She clenched her eyes shut to prevent a new flood of tears from escaping.
"Innocence is a fraud. If I hadn't been so stupid, Kazu wouldn't have been killed. Now I'm going to fight to make the world understand where chasing your dreams gets you, and I want this Robe to be known as the Broken Heart Malachite."
Nagi snickered softly before speaking again.
"Suit yourself. So, are you ready for your first orders?"
Akane's eyes opened again before she answered with a single stern nod. Nagi clapped his hands together approvingly, then spoke.
"Destroy the Columns."
Akane's face lit with wicked delight toward the mission she was given.
"With pleasure, Master."
The metallic rings around Akane's ankles, wrists, neck and waist began pulsating with bands of silver light as she slowly levitated off the floor of the conference room. She then turned toward to the largest window facing Garderobe and launched toward her destination.
Nao and Sara reconvened with their group after surveying the landscape below. The group of five women was now floating in a circle in Windbloom's airspace in their Robes, and Natsuki quickly questioned her arriving comrades.
"Did you find anything?"
Nao shook her head.
"Nothing. There's no invasion force."
Shizuru spoke next.
"And nothing's out of the norm at Garderobe. It looks like he was their only target, and they got exactly what they wanted."
Natsuki muttered with anger in her breath.
"Damn it..."
Mahya turned her head toward Natsuki and spoke next.
"Who do you think it was?"
The blue-haired Column answered after a short pause in thought.
"Honestly, I don't know. This stinks of something Nagi would set up. With the way the war has gone lately, though, an actual Aswad hit is just as likely."
For the next few moments, the five female warriors hovered in their ring without saying a word. Despite being in complete silence, each member of the group was haunted by the same sound: Akane's wailing screams at the feet of her dead king. They realized how their own campaign for unifying the world had forever ruined the life of someone who had grown to be their close ally over the past few months. Shizuru finally broke the silence.
"It's all my fault. If I hadn't brought Akane here and made her join us, none of this would have happened. If I had just put her and Kazuya to rest when she surrendered in Chaldea, at least the two of them would have been together."
Nao shook her head in regret before adding.
"If I had known Aswad or Schwarz were this serious, I never would have agreed to putting Akane's boyfriend on the throne. We practically put a bullseye on him."
Mahya spoke next.
"We better go back to check on her."
Natsuki sighed before speaking.
"If she's in bad shape, I'm going to try and get some help for her."
Sara's misty eyes closed halfway.
"I just hope leaving her alone with Nagi wasn't another mista-..."
The other Columns barely had enough time to notice a black streak flying through the air behind Sara before the blonde-haired Column abruptly gasped in pain in the middle of her statement. The end of a spiked tonfa had impaled the Otome's back and erupted from her stomach, and she soon slouched lifelessly in the air before dissolving into an array of green particles. In her place now hovered Akane, eyes rabid and teeth grinding in fury.
"You killed Kazu!"
Before the remaining four Columns had any chance to react to Akane's rage-filled words, the violent Meister dashed forward and took a free slash at an unprepared Nao. The redheaded Column's eyes froze in horror as she was cut diagonally in half by an attack that started at her left shoulder and ended at her right hip. Her butchered remains quickly met the same fate as Sara's.
Akane screamed with crazed vigor as she focused her attention on her remaining three enemies.
"You're all to blame!"
Overcome with their own remorse, none of the remaining Columns could muster their full strength against their misguided sister. In a way, her delusional words were the truth, and her surprise attack was repentance that deserved little resistance. As a result, Akane was able to eliminate Natsuki and Shizuru both with exceptional ease, leaving her to focus her attention solely on the one surviving Column.
"And YOU! Why couldn't you have just let Kazu and me alone, Mahya?!"
When Akane dashed toward the lone Column to deliver the death blow, the tan-skinned Otome summoned her Robe's maraca-shaped weapons and held them in front of herself defensively. Although she lacked the time and willpower to use this unusual equipment to its fullest ability, she was able to block the single tonfa Akane had used to slash at her. As she struggled to hold this defensive position, Mahya desperately shouted.
"Akane, get a hold of yourself!"
Akane ignored her opponent's pleas and only responded with the same rage as before.
"Tell me how it feels to have YOUR heart torn apart!"
After saying this, Akane used her opposite tonfa to make an upward stab through an opening in Mahya's blocking stance. Mahya cried out in agony when the tonfa's blades pierced the left side of her unguarded chest. The merciless Otome then twisted the weapon with her wrist, causing Mahya let out a gurgling grunt as blood poured from the the sides of her mouth. Mahya was the last to join her fallen colleagues as a mist of glowing green embers, marking the end of the reign of the Five Columns.
With her mission complete, Akane lowered her gore-soaked weapons to her sides and returned them to her GEM. Her lips curled into a demented smile before she turned toward Castle Windbloom, where Nagi awaited her. As she flew toward her destination, she looked forward to her next mission with cruel excitement.
While Garderobe Academy fell into a state of disarray as a result of suddenly losing its administration, Duke Nagi took the advantage to relocate Schwarz's headquarters to Castle Windbloom and effectively place himself on the country's empty throne. The most delicate part of the process was moving the monumental invention Nagi's supporters had developed in the core of his plans. When it was fully assembled in the lower bowels of Castle Windbloom, it took the shape of a giant metallic sphere surrounded by eleven obsidian pillars. The design of this bizarre machine reminded Akane of the underground graveyard in Garderobe's Otome Catacombs, and, had she known the purpose of this device ahead of time, she probably would have found that comparison to be very fitting.
Nagi stood with his arms crossed in front of his magnificent creation, observing various computer screens monitoring the device's energy readings as it remained idle. Akane stood by his side with her hands folded over her lap. She was now wearing a new Meister formal uniform that mirrored the design of the dress she had used while serving Kazuya, only now colored in deep blue and gray. She spoke with curiosity in her voice.
"What in the world is this thing?"
Nagi replied proudly.
"This, my Otome, is the pinnacle of Schwarz technology combined with some interesting artifacts from this planet's previous culture. I like to call it Mjolnir."
"But what does it do?"
Nagi smiled at his servant's inquiries before replying.
"Before I explain that, let me say this: Those pillars you see are part of some sort of ancient weapon we uncovered while we were looking for a new energy resource. Our studies showed that, even when they're in the ideal arrangement, the structures don't actually create useful energy, but absorb it like a vacuum. At first, we didn't see any use in such an odd device and were going to push this project to the side, but then we noticed it only interacted with a very specific type of energy each time we activated it."
"What type?"
Akane's simple question caused Nagi's smile to turn into a diabolical grin.
"The energy created by the nanomachines of any Otome who's in the proper range."
He pointed forward so Akane would focus her eyes on his true marvel.
"That ball in the center is a radome we constructed to increase the device's efficiency. When fully charged and used in conjunction with the pillar arrangement, the range of this machine..."
Nagi now lowered his hand and began rapidly typing commands into the keyboard of the computer directly in front of him. Soon the screen was filled with a wireframe model of the planet Earl. On this model, a red dot was visible just over the location of Castle Windbloom. Within a couple of seconds, the dot grew in size until the entire globe was colored red.
"...exceeds the surface area of Earl."
Akane paused to think before questioning further.
"Is it lethal?"
Nagi snickered before speaking his next words.
"Indeed it is. Our initial field tests were a bit finicky, but now everything has been worked out. When this is activated, its energy field will set off a sort of 'kill command' that will automatically begin the nanomachine decomposition process you normally see when an Otome dies in her Robe. And just like that..."
Nagi snapped his fingers.
"...every Otome on the planet, Materialized or not, will be destroyed along with any contract masters connected to them in seconds. All dead due to a basic feature they placed in the system themselves."
Akane's eyes peered downward and to the side.
"So you're going to kill me when you're done with me..."
She had spoken in a voice void of emotion, taking this apparent news considerably well. Nagi only replied with a new bounce in his voice.
"Actually, Akane, that was never my plan. I was hoping on figuring out a way to spare you, but a solution ended up presenting itself. You see, you're a special case."
Nagi lifted his hand to Akane's earring and gently stroked the darkened Broken Heart Malachite GEM. The mutation of Akane's powers had been carefully calculated into his strategy, but he didn't need to tell her that.
"Since YOUR GEM has changed independently, it's more or less evolved outside of the bounds of the current Otome system. My life is still dependent on yours when you're Materialized, but you're no longer vulnerable to the Mjolnir's effects."
Akane thought nothing of this strange coincidence, and only questioned him in her usual cold voice.
"So you're going to rid the planet of all Otome, and then use me as a weapon to ransom the world for yourself?"
Nagi rubbed his palms together excitedly.
"That's my Akane!"
Nagi then lowered his hands and returned to a more professional posture before continuing to speak.
"Ahem... that is, of course, assuming you'll continue to serve me after the Otome are gone. I promise there will still be plenty of misery for you to bring."
Akane answered in a dark tone that even Nagi couldn't help but feel slightly spooked by.
"For what they did to Kazu, I'd make the world burn if I could."
Her voice now took on a relatively lighter character.
"So when will you use it?"
Nagi smirked again.
"I'd kick off the festivities now, but I have one more mission for you before I can be assured Mjolnir will have a safe activation. You must purge the world of our current closest rivals, the Aswad, yourself."
Akane's eyes widened with fury at the name. She answered almost immediately in a determined voice.
"Consider it done, my lord."
The warmonger chuckled before speaking.
"Ah, good. When you return, I shall announce the existence of this machine to the world, and you and I will be forever associated with the destruction of the Otome network. With the backup I'll give you, I'm sure you'll be strong enough protect the Mjolnir from whatever scraps of a resistance will left be with the Columns and Aswad both gone."
Akane pondered to herself, then spoke.
"Why would you do that? Wouldn't it be better to just use it unannounced and catch the Otome off guard?"
Nagi sighed and shook his head.
"Well, how would you rather have it done, Akane? Do you want the girls and their precious masters to have relatively quick, unexpected deaths, or would you rather watch them all come to the realization that they're seconds away from dying, knowing that they've failed, as punishment for taking your dear king away from you?"
Akane smiled to herself.
"I see the benefits of doing it your way..."
Nagi mischievously grinned at his Meister's decision.
"Splendid. So, are you ready for your new assignment, Akane?"
She gave a simple nod.
"Of course, Archduke."
With these words, Nagi stepped closer to Akane's side and gave the GEM on her ear a tiny kiss. Seconds later, Akane was donned in the Broken Heart Malachite Robe. She turned around and walked to the stairs that would lead her to Castle Windbloom's ground floor, leaving her scheming ruler to his devices.
Aswad leader Midori Sugiura observed the destruction around her in disbelief. Her entire village and everyone she had known and loved surrounded her in burning cinders that lit the night air. All of Aswad's warriors, as well as the helpless women and children they had protected, were slain, and only one figure was still standing in the center of the chaos. It was a young girl in a Meister Robe with a playful hair decoration that contrasted with the heinousness of her actions. The girl stood with her back toward Midori, and her dark Robe, combined with the color and length of her hair, made the older clanswoman think back to a similar vicious attack Meister Fiar Grosse of Chaldea had made on the village years ago. Although Midori recognized it was Akane, it was as if her worst nightmare had returned tenfold.
Midori growled and lifted her clenched fist. On the back of her hand was a large jewel called a REM, a device Aswad had developed to augment the user's strength much like an Otome's GEM. The device activated, causing a large halberd to appear in Midori's hand. As the enraged clan leader prepared for battle, Akane casually turned her head to look over her shoulder. She then turned in place before speaking in a vengeful tone toward Midori.
"So, you're their leader?"
Midori replied in anger.
"What of it, you monster?"
Akane lifted her tonfa into a fighting stance before answering.
"King Kazuya Krau-xeku is waiting for you in Hell."
Midori took her weapon into both hands and entered her own stance.
"I know how much you loved him, Akane, but we had nothing to do with his death. Nagi must be..."
Akane's face contorted with rage before Midori could finish. Even if she found out the truth behind Kazuya's death, she would probably still blame the world for allowing Nagi to engineer it.
"You're lying! I know you're the one who sent the assassin!"
The deranged Meister looked downward and shook her head violently before shouting toward Midori again. In her mind, her beloved king lying murdered in his grave was all the evidence she needed.
"Kazu died because of you!"
The metallic flight devices on Akane's Robe suddenly began glowing with silver lights, and she propelled herself forward while letting out a sorrowful battle cry. Midori answered by running toward Akane with her polearm pulled back. They both attacked when they met at the center of the Aswad village's burning ruins, and Akane's metal tonfa loudly clashed against the axe of Midori's halberd. The two women then positioned themselves a few feet apart after the meeting, and they both planned their next attacks.
Suddenly, Midori raised her REM toward the air and shouted.
"Gakutenou!"
This caused a large mechanical beast to appear in front of her. The creature looked somewhat like a giant horse with red armor and a long silver blade protruding from its snout.
Akane quickly recalled a similar creature slumbered in her GEM. She briefly considered how it would be fitting to destroy Aswad with its own poison. However, she thought, it may be more satisfying to end Midori's life with her own hands.
Attack alone: Go to Chapter 40
Summon Hari: Go to Chapter 41