A/N: I realized I've put in too much seriousness into the series. And while I have nothing against that, and I'm sure readers like it… it's gotten increasingly harder to write transitions. Yes, I've revealed the big, hidden reason why I write crack. For some reason, scene transitions are easier in this genre. On that note, who do I talk to on ffnet about having a 'CRACK' genre?
And now we're back to the original premise of this fic: Nanoha doing insane shite with a Crom-damned Power Ring! If you don't like the number of crossovers… well, that might be problematic, since it's only going to go UP from here.
...
Takamachi Nanoha of 2814
by Shadow Crystal Mage
Chapter 21: Gojira Threshold
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. If I did… well, this would all be canon. WARNING: MAY CAUSE HEAD EXPLOSION!
...
Oa. The Center of the Universe. The people who lived there, despite calling themselves the Oans, and having been on the planet for longer than many stars have had planets orbiting them, weren't native to it. That wasn't a problem, because they rather liked the place, such as it was. An atmosphere breathable, or at least not instantly fatal or corrosive, to most, among other things, carbon, silicon, quartz, light, chemical reaction and mathematical equation (don't ask) -based life-forms in the known universe (which for the residents of Oa was nearly every cube light-year of it), a rather basic crust floating on molten rock rather than some esoteric affair of a flat disk on the back of four elephants on the back of a giant turtle– as compared to the one encountered at Incident report from 2,351,864,879 ABB (that is, After Big Bang, adjusted to current Earth Calendar from Oan Chronological reckoning), orbiting a star that was at that rather pleasant yellow stage (which the Guardians drew lots as to which of them would take care of it every million years or so to make sure it stayed that way)… for the most strategically advantageous location in the universe, it was pretty pleasant, if you didn't mind all the various species in green, black, white, and occasionally other colors (depending on personal preference and which frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum they could perceive, and with what sense organs).
Scores of Green Lantern's flew about, or teleported, or conducted themselves across metallic surfaces, or in some extreme cases actually walked, all through out the capital. All the GL action was mainly concentrated at this central location, with most of Oa serving as data storage, DNA preservation storage (an old program the Guardians had code-named 'Omnitrix' back before they invented the Rings, now used to preserve genetic diversity, and as a species identification database), special prisoner containment, various simulacrum of especially common terrains from across the universe, repopulation programs for various endangered and/or extinct species across the universe (including a breeding colony of Dodo birds and Tyrannosaurus Rex. The former haven't been re-introduced because approval is still stuck in bureaucracy, and the latter because it had been stuck so long, Earth had evolved too far to make their reintroduction viable without seriously screwing up the ecosystem. One of the Guardians kept them around as a hobby), farmlands and agricultural sectors, the Lantern Crypts (hey, they've been operating for literally billions of years, that's a lot of dead Lanterns), and other miscellaneous industries and facilities.
On the training grounds, that month's crop of aspiring Lantern rookies toiled under the legendary drill sergeant Killowog, one of the most respected Green Lanterns of this generation. At one of the administrative buildings, Sailor Galaxia was meeting with her parole officer. Though about 3600 were always on the field at any given time, there were many lanterns, such as the Honor Guard, the Administration Staff, the Emergency Reserve, and the Instructors Corp, who stayed on Oa and dealt with things, bringing their total manpower of the Corps closer to 4000, not counting non-Ringbearing staff. There had recently been talk of instituting a two-Lantern per Sector arrangement, which keen Lanterns who knew their history believed would likely be approved or vetoed by the Guardians some time in the next couple of millennium (since after 3 million years, give or take a couple of dozen hundred thousand years, the Guardians still haven't made up their mind about the coed lockers, baths and outdoor hot springs), barring universe-threatening catastrophe (such as the First God War of 1,957,167,984 ABB, when many of the so-proclaimed deity-creator beings of the universe became actively involved in evangelization, leading to wars that soon encompassed over 47 percent of the patrolled space sectors, and the reform that led to there being a Green Lantern in EVERY sector, and not just one for every ten. The first was resolved by the intervention of the Endless known generically as Dream. Sadly, it was not the last).
At the center of Oa (for the uninitiated, the star, the planet, and the capital city were ALL called Oa. Some joke the reason the Guardians left Maltus is because the name was too complicated), was the Citadel of the Guardians. At least, that's how it's translated in most languages. In original Maltusin, which is the linguistic root of the currently spoken language known as Oan, the word used is actually closer in meaning to head office/vacation place away from spouse/religious gathering facility/gambling center for the aged/ torture chamber/ mild stimulant consumption and pithy philosophical bantering exchange place. But most people called it a Citadel (or direct translation thereof) and the Guardians decided to just roll with it.
The Citadel was where the Guardians– ALL of them– lived. There were only about thirty of them awake at any one time, and they'd long ago stopped making more. Those Lanterns from species who used sexual reproduction to propagate and enjoyed it shuddered at the idea. You don't want to know what the space dolphins thought.
They seldom went into the field except in highly unusual and extraordinary occasions, or highly dangerous ones. The recruitment of a being from that little blue planet, for one, some political negotiations with god-type entities, really big threats (See First, Second, Third, all the way up to the Eleventh God War, at which point their Green Lanterns had already known what to do), the unlikely event a Green Lantern is charged with some kind of crime and Oa needs a witness, that sort of thing. Most of the time, they were behind the scenes. They made sure that the sealed up monstrosities stayed sealed up, that the forbidden knowledge stayed forbidden, that there were always enough power rings and that potential recruits were up to snuff, so to speak. For all the Green Lanterns did, if it weren't for the things the Guardians kept ticking behind the scenes, they'd be doing a lot more, numbering ten times what they were, and probably losing badly to some invasion of elder gods or something.
Who do you think kicked their asses in the first place?
Right then, however, they were taking what in known in common parlance as 'a break'.
It all began when it turned out some Green Lantern out there was actually sending in their paperwork. ALL OF THEM.
The Guardians were familiar with the phenomenon known in some places as "Arson, Murder and Jaywalking". As callous as it was, Green Lanterns are trained to focus on 'Arson' and 'Murder', and leave 'Jaywalking' to others. In this case, 'Jaywalking' was paperwork. It was implicitly understood that the Lanterns need not send in a report for every incident of petty theft, since they had too much ground together, too many things to do, and likely not a lot of life to do it in. Time spent doing that could be better used doing their duties. Someone, however, WAS.
So there had been an inquiry, and it had turned out that 2814.1 (as opposed to 2814.2), was actually managing this in spite of how busy she was. They'd actually had to order her to put a sock on it after she'd submitted 1354 petty theft reports in the first month. She still managed to send in more reports then any four sectors put together. Eventually, the inquiry was dropped, and some poor sucker was assigned to make sure it all went in the right places.
During the inquiry, however, the Guardians had caught a glimpse of what 2814.1 got up to, and… well…
Let's put it this way: the term 'NanoFate' exists on Oa. So does 'YuuNoha', and 'YuunoFate'. And the Guardians were circuitously reintroduced to the dark allure of reality TV…
...
"Invader activation signal, detected," Ring-chan announced in a Tara Strong-esque voice.
"What?-!" Nanoha cried, looking down at her ring, then turned to look at Wayne Enterprises Tower. "Visor! Display!" A green visor dutifully wrapped itself around Nanoha's eyes. The HUD showed the building surrounded by small but slowly thickening waves, identified as the signal. "Jam it!" Nanoha ordered, then paused. "Are those gorillas climbing the building? And why are all the windows broken?"
"Orbital energy beam weapon," Ring-chan answered. "Jamming insufficient. Activation imminent."
"Oh," Nanoha said. Then she sighed. "I really wish people would be more considerate and not make a mess…"
"Um Nanoha-chan, not to tell you how to do your job…" Fate said, jamming a fresh batch of cartridges into Bardiche with her speed-loader.
Nanoha blinked, looking at the massive numbers of demonic-looking winged beings surrounding them. "Oh, yeah. Huh. I wonder what the emergency Reinforced-san had to attend to was, though? I hope it's nothing serious."
Somewhere, Dark Caster was getting her ass kicked.
"Nanoha!" Fate cried.
Nanoha gestured. "Divine Emerald Bombardment!"
After the Invaders 'went away', Fate turned to Nanoha. "That looked like your Divine Danmaku spell."
Nanoha shrugged. "I like to have backups. Come on, we need to make it to the transmitter."
They zoomed off, now having to fly high and control the airspace with Reinforced gone. They had needed to quickly reshuffle their forces once Reinforced had informed them that she and Masked Rider Purple and likely the others would need to withdraw to deal with the situation in Ryudou temple.
"Yuuno-kun!" Nanoha cried out. "I need you to cast a barrier across the city! There wasn't time before, but now we need it! It's too late to stop the signal, but at least we can keep their damage out of the real world!"
In her head, Fate heard Yuuno swear.
Nanoha blinked. "What does–?"
"ASK YOUR MOTHER!" Fate and Yuuno cried frantically.
Nanoha sighed. She switched frequencies to the ear-pieces she'd ring-wrought and given to the others. "Everyone! Change of plans! Yuuno-kun is going to create a barrier to isolate the Invaders! This should keep the signal contained to within the barrier. Everyone be ready! We converge at the source of the transmissions! These things are likely to combine into one really big thing!"
Fate looked at her. "Isn't that jinxing it?"
"At this point? There would be something fundamentally wrong with the universe if it didn't turn out like that," Nanoha said.
...
On Oa…
"2814.1 shows wisdom beyond her years."
"Still absolutely blind, though. It is almost physically painful, how she does not notice the attraction the Black Reaper feels for her."
...
Robin was starting to really like Japan.
"So, this is a club activity for you?" he asked in disbelief.
The masked girl with the big boobs who seemed to be in charge of all the floating cameras nodded at him. "Yup! We're Ala Alba, our school's special Magical Girl Anti-Evil Defense Club!"
"Whoa…" Robin said. " Wish I had a club like that…"
Somewhere far, far away, Garfield Logan, Koriand'r of Tamaran, Victor Stone, and Raven all sneezed.
Chachamaru suddenly perked up, although she didn't slow down in her shooting. "Electromagnetic field detected. Signal confirmed as Invader activation signal. Attempting to jam."
Sayo frowned down over the edge. "They've stopped moving!" she called out.
Kazumi quickly guided her drones over the edge, to see that the Invader-morphs fozen in place, their heads tilted to one side as if listening.
Predictably, this meant Berserker was now tearing through them like a wood-chipper through wet tissue.
"Damn, he's fast," Kotaro said, floating with two swirls of shadows near his feet. "Is he one of those 'speedsters' you guys have in the US?"
"Huh?" Robin asked, not understanding a word of Japanese. Kazumi translated. "Don't know. I just met the guy. Hey, Batman–!"
"No," Batman said tersely.
"Huh?" Robin said. Kazumi translated. "I really got to learn how to talk Japanese…"
Above them, the sky changed. The discoloration continued, surrounding the entire city as the feel of the air changed.
"W-what?" Sailor Venus gasped. "What's happening to the sky?"
Kotaro narrowed his eyes. "I've seen this before. This is that barrier thing Green Lantern-chan's crew has…"
Robin blinked. "Hey! What's–" he said in surprise as he and Batman faded away.
A heartbeat later, they all cried out in surprise as Invaders, hundreds, thousands of them, began to rise in the air. Chachamaru quickly pointed her kitten at it, the aiming laser painting it. "Unable to attack! Al-Iskandariya is outside the barrier."
"What's it doing?" Sayo asked, panicked.
Sailor Venus stared, heart leaden. "They're combining…"
...
It is usually customary for people to just stand around gaping as the giant monstrosity reveals itself. And the Invader population of a good-sized modern city certainly makes for a fair-sized monstrosity. And in many ways, Nanoha was a traditionalist. She did the poses, she gave the speeches, she fought for Truth, Love, and Justice, she kept her identity a secret, the whole shebang. She'd have been perfectly content to gawk along with the rest of them.
Fate, however, was not a traditionalist.
"PLASMA SMASHER!" she cried, lightning striking out to blast the congealing mass in the air.
"AH! Fate-chan, what are you doing?-!" Nanoha asked, shocked.
Fate blinked. "I'm attacking," she said, "Before it gets a chance to move."
Nanoha looked at her like she'd suggested they eat hamsters.
"Nanoha, we shouldn't waste time!" Fate said, dashing forward to continue the attack.
Nanoha looked torn for a moment, then sighed. "THIS IS SO AGAINST THE RULES!" she cried, flying after Fate. "Raging Heart, Buster Mode! Ring-chan, prepare overkill buffer!"
"Buster Mode, set," Raging Heart confirmed as it changed shape.
"We can see that," Ring-chan said. "You don't have to go around announcing everything you do!"
"Be nice, you two," Nanoha said. She aimed Raging Heart, its energy wings flaring as she energy began to gather from her ring. "DIVINE DANMAKU! DIVINE EMERALD BOMBARDMENT!"
Thousands of balls of pink and green energy flew out, twirling, spiraling, blooming and helixing in complicated, eye-catching patterns as they flew towards the dark mass converging. They slammed against the mass, exploding all across the surface. A noticeable layer of mass was removed, thousands of glowing crystals falling like rain.
Before Nanoha and Fate could prepare another barrage, the mass firmed, solidifying. It floated in the sky, a giant, formless hunk. Then gravity took over. It fell, looking deceptively slow, and, as Nanoha realized, deceptively small. Her spell and construct were very wide area things, and she hadn't been able to appreciate the scale of the attack. As it fell to the ground however, Nanoha realized: the mass was about the size of 16 city blocks.
"Oh, poot," she said quietly.
A sizable portion of the city was crushed utterly, and Nanoha could feel the shockwave from all the way where she was. Several skyscrapers trembled dangerously. Instinctively, she gestured, light from her ring resolving into bind-like rings capturing the buildings and keeping them from falling. She could vaguely make out some of Ala Alba on top of the tallest building.
"What's happening to it?" Fate said, seeing Nanoha's attack had been ineffectual.
"It's assuming a combat form," Nanoha said. She turned to look down, seeing the mass resolving itself. Her heart stopped. "Oh, poot."
The Invader rose. Up. And up. And up. Thick, rocky-looking skin. A triple row of maple-leaf-like spines. A tail that made up 3/5ths of its length. Badly reptilian features. Barrel-like legs, and ineffectual-looking claws. An enormous mouth filled with car-sized teeth.
Gojira-Invader opened its mouth and roared. Nanoha managed to snap earmuffs on herself and Fate before their eardrums burst.
"On the bright side," Nanoha said, a little breathlessly. "We can be sure there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the universe."
Fate gulped. She had no idea what the thing had become, though it seemed to give Nanoha pause, and Nanoha was the bravest person she knew. "Nanoha?"
"It shoots atomic fire from its mouth," Nanoha said, still a little breathless, though she seemed to be gathering herself. Her eyes narrowed behind her mask, fingers tightening on Raging Heart. "At least, it should. Watch out for it." Fear wanted to rise in her chest, sickly, golden and insidious. She pushed it down, pushed it out, told it to go take a hike because it had no business telling her what to do. Her left hand tightened on Raging Heart's haft, felt her ring scrape along it. "For the Corp," she murmured. Then she screamed, making Fate jerk in surprise, and charged, Divine Shooters coming to life around her as green light wove itself into armor, and descended like a madwoman upon the giant Invader.
Fate blinked. Then she sighed in exasperation and dashed on after Nanoha, Bardiche switching to shooting mode.
Punishing beams of concentrated green energy lashed out, basic, unimaginative and effective, accompanied by Thunder Smashers from Fate. They slammed into the giant Kaiju Invader but seemed to just bounce harmlessly off. Nanoha scowled, and tried to firm her will, but it was no use. A whole lifetime of knowing that nothing could kill Gojira was playing hell with her willpower. She'd need to get creative…
Then it attacked. Its mouth opened wide, and Nanoha almost wasn't able to put the barriers between them in time. An ENORMOUS blast of kinetic energy slammed into the multiple layers of protective constructs, nearly all of which shattered under the assault, the feedback made Nanoha cry out, but she maintained the protection around them as Fate grabbed her, moving them quickly out of the line of fire.
"FATE!" she said. "Remember that spell we talked about?"
Fate glanced sideways at her, frowning. "That spell? But there's hardly any magic in the air, and the ionization is low."
"Let me worry about that!" Nanoha said. "Be ready to use the ionization once it's there! Yuuno!"
"Green Lantern?" Yuuno's voice said over her ring.
"Get everyone together and get airborne!" Nanoha ordered. "At this size, any battle with it is going to destroy everything at ground level within the barrier! I'll try to keep it at the center, while you get everyone else outside."
"LIKE HELL!"
Nanoha blinked. "Ferret Lantern-kun?"
Kira Death Note Paru-sama's voice came from the ring. "NO WAY AM I GOING TO MISS OUT ON KICKING THE ASS OF MY FIRST KAIJU!"
"I, uh, was already doing that," Yuuno's voice said. "Um, what are you doing with that sketchboo–"
There was a visual rush, the kind that, in a manga, would have used multiple outlines, fade effects, speed lines, and sound effects kanji that take up half of a two page spread. One moment, a spot of the damaged and soon to be rubble cityscape was bare except for a hint of green light, the next an enormous figure was rising from out of nowhere.
Nanoha and Fate stared. "Is that…" Fate began.
"A giant tokusatsu warrior?" Nanoha finished.
It was shining silver, with red accents and almond-shaped dome eyes. It barely had time to pose dramatically before the Invader kaiju slammed into it, bearing it down with its bulk and ripping its head off with it's teeth. The giant figure quickly faded away.
"Har–!" a scream began over Nanoha's ring.
"Kira Death Note Paru-sama," someone corrected meekly.
"Argh! PARU, YOU IDIOT!" the scream continued.
"Owie…" came the voice. "Man, was that a bad idea…"
"Ferret Lantern, get them out of here!" Nanoha ordered. "Fate, go with them! Now!" The belief that Gojira was invincible was too ingrained into her mind to work on right then, but there were workarounds. Nanoha gestured, and a green array formed itself, several concentric rings in a cylindrical formation. The rings spun, generating a magnetic field as a vacuum was prepared for the payload.
"N-Nanoha?" Fate asked.
"Go!" Nanoha ordered, pointing. Fate stared, helpless, but turned to fly and join Yuuno, switching to her Sonic Form– and this was definitely not what she'd planned on using this for– and accelerating away.
Nanoha lined up the shot. Antimatter filled the containment field, transforming into a super-hot plasma state as an energy sheath was wrapped around it, generated by a contained ionic field. The Invader turned to her, spinning around, its bulk leveling everything around it, its tail tearing through the air as it swung it at Nanoha. Nanoha turned her construct at the incoming tail, which swung at her with ponderously. It seemed slow, the same way the moon was slow… and like the moon, could crush anything it struck. "Antimatter Plasma Blaster, FIRE!" Nanoha cried.
The bright blue ion disruptor beam screamed from the barrel of the construct, forcing away the very air with its wave front. The blast of purely generated energy slammed into the tail, the ion beam striking with a thunderous blow. The attack, not a direct strike by her willpower, and unaffected by her beliefs, struck with devastating effect.
And then the antimatter payload hit.
There was a great suction as the plasma ball reacted with the target and the air, but only for an instant. Annihilation soon followed, particles and anti-particles wiping each other out in a single, ferocious instant, the energy blooming outwards. It caught Nanoha, who was only partially prepared for the reaction, and was barely able to max out her energy aura. She went tumbling, and only managed to stabilize herself when she slammed into Yuuno's barrier.
"Ow," Nanoha groaned. "Ring-chan remind me next time I try to use an antimatter-payload weapon: they have a BIG explosion."
"Yes ma'm. Incidentally, I took the liberty of dealing with any harmful radiations."
Nanoha groaned, realizing she should have thought of that. "Nanoha no baka," she said, closing her eyes.
A roar echoed through the air. Her eyes snapped open again, and she stared in horror.
"Hmm…" she said to herself a bit breathlessly. "Perhaps it should have been obvious that was coming…"
She launched herself from her location, barely escaping the blast of kinetic energy that had followed the roar. It slammed into the barrier, but it didn't break, merely rippled slightly. It wasn't magic, after all, just raw force. Yuuno did good work. She focused her will. She needed speed, needed to be fast…
Green light materialized around her ankles, shoulders, and back, forming wing-like shapes, similar to her Flier Fins. Technically, she didn't need them: her aura moved her after all, and was as fast or as slow as she wanted it to be… but she needed the props. It was a weakness. Every Lantern knew it was. She knew it was. But they were also effective mental short-hands, sort of mnemonic devices to tell yourself what you were making your ring do. And so they were kept.
The Green Lantern zoomed, trying to keep ahead of the blasts. The Invader moved sluggishly, as expected of its size and mass. It seemed to be using its tail as a third limb, unable to completely support its weight with its stumpy legs alone. Nanoha recreated her construct, smaller now, firing quarter sized antimatter-plasma shots, using multiple rotating barrels. They slammed into the thing with noticeably lessened effect. Even the tail had only a relatively small scoop removed from it.
Nanoha didn't hear the scream that accompanied the spell, but it was soon obvious as lightning, much, much bigger than any of Fate's Smasher spells, exploded all across the fake-Kaiju's back, leaping from spine to spine. It bloomed over most of the Invader, the air screaming like a thousand artillery shells going off in rapid succession. White-hot arcs of energy seemed to crawl across the creatures back, some spots superheating white hot or outright exploding, with long torn welding scars in between. She blinked, but immediately got to business. Her display visor isolated something in her field of vision, zooming in on that spot. A figure stood balanced on a wooden staff, a little lightning still leaping from his palm. "Magus Erebus?" she said.
As the lightning attack subsided, another took its place. It was much, much smaller, but for some reason it hit much harder, as if half the storm from before had been concentrated in a single bolt. Gouts of flame, several balls of differently colored light, streams of lightning that were obviously Thunder Smashers, some seemingly needle-thin black streaks, and a few vertical whitish whirlwinds all attacked, most looking like sparks from firecrackers compared to the gargantuan beast.
Nanoha raised her ring close to her mouth. "Yuuno-kun?"
"I was outvoted!" Yuuno cried. "Nanoha, you're the one who keeps telling me about how Magical Girls should act! Do you think any of these people would actually leave you behind to save themselves?" There was a beat. "Besides, not one voted to leave. Incidentally, why are you using antimatter? Isn't that dangerous?"
"I can't attack it directly with willpower!" Nanoha explained. "It's my upbringing! I'm psychologically conditioned to think this creature is unbeatable! It's affecting direct offensive applications of willpower!"
"Why?" Yuuno asked. "I mean, it's just another giant monster! I've seen you throw them out of Tokyo practically every week!"
"It's a cultural thing!" Nanoha said. "As someone born and raised here, I have problems seeing that thing as beatable!"
There was silence for a moment. Then Yuuno said, "I'm not from here…"
...
Yuuno looked at the giant thing speculatively. Behind him, on the robot-cum-transforming-train-car, several people stood crammed, surrounded by a protective bubble. Tuxedo Kamen stood looking resigned, while everyone was trying to get out of the way of the giant axe called Pringle-tan. Kazumi, Sayo in doll mode, Nodoka, Haruna, those two pale-haired lady friends of Kaleido Ruby's, Ku, Asuna, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Saturn and Sailor Moon, and Calculator were all huddled within as well, some on the roof of the car, while Calculator's robot maids hung underneath. It was creepy, how much they looked like the Wolkenritter. All the others had flown off in flying things of Paru-sama's creation. Yuuno wondered exactly how that book she used compared to his ring, but shook the thought out of his mind. Not the time.
Finally, he said, still quiet enough not to be overheard by the others, "I believe we need to change tactics, Nanoha-chan…"
"Agreed…" Nanoha said.
"I'll attack, you keep the others from getting killed and cover me. Meet you in five seconds at the most eastern edge of the barrier to switch."
"Go."
Yuuno turned to his charges, and green safety straps and individual protective field suddenly surrounded them all. "Change of plans!" he called out to the surprised group. "There might be some discomfort."
A moment later, they were making sonic booms.
Nanoha was already there when he came in with a trainful of screaming teenagers. She took hold of the train as Yuuno turned to consider the problem. He'd seen Nanoha fight kaiju often enough, usually with Big Science Action was busy with something else, and might not make it in time. She had him do it himself twice this month.
"DAMN IT!" Calculator cried. "Watch what you're doing, superhero!"
"I think I'm going to be sick…" Sailor Moon groaned. Nanoha provided a barf bag.
Yuuno was better with at using his ring for defensive purposes, redirection, containment. Really, the only aggressive things he knew were basic beams and chainsaws. He'd never been good at offensive magic either, though he knew how to defend himself. He was an archaeologist after all. He did, however, know people who were very good at it. Yuuno held out his hand, and green light formed into a familiar looking staff. Nanoha raised an eyebrow at him. He shrugged. "What? I want to do it right."
"He'll need a hat and a cape!" Tuxedo Kamen called out. Everyone stared at him. "What? I'm the only male here. Are any of you going to doubt my word about Magical Boy fashions?"
Yuuno snapped his fingers. "You know, I really need to get back to wearing those." A green fedora and a rather ragged-edged cloak and hood formed themselves around him. He pointed with his staff dramatically. "CHARGE!"
He streaked forward to attack, energy building up in front of his staff. "DIVINE…"
Antimatter plasma shot forward ahead of him, slamming into the Invader and detonating. They were slightly bigger now as Nanoha tweaked their size.
Yuuno lined up the shot as the green energy coalesced, aiming for the head. "BUSTER!" The emerald beam leapt forth, as thick as a house and blazing like the sun. The beast's tail whip around, the thing's balance shifting as it crouched. It slammed into the tail, and under its assault it began to come apart. The air in front of the beast's mouth began to warp.
"Defensive Array 360!" Yuuno cried, ceasing his attack, redirecting his energy into dozens of overlapping energy disks wrapped all around him. The kinetic blast shot at him, slamming into the leading construct of his shields. It shattered, but Yuuno ignored it as the attack splattered over the rest of his defenses. The wave front passed, and he quickly restructured the constructs, twisting it into a spike the size of a skyscraper. Blades erupted down its length as it spun, becoming a drill. He pushed forward at maximum power, the spike in the lead as he rammed straight into the tail. "Ring!" he ordered. "Expand construct! All directions, maximum force!"
The feedback crackled through his mind as the construct tried to do as ordered, to be met with the resistance of solid matter. Time seemed to slow. He firmed his will, imagining the result he wanted. The math flickered through his mind, density and material strength versus force being exerted. The pressure built, an eternity compressed into a moment, and he pushed on. The construct expanded, tearing apart the where it had been lodged, the end of the tail beginning to fall ponderously. He saw what few buildings standing shudder as the tip fell, already decaying into dark dust.
"Ring, forbidden construct 2!" Yuuno cried. "Starlight Beaker!"
A sky-tearing beam of light erupted from Yuuno's ring, slamming into the Invader at practically point-blank range. The impact tore huge chunk out of the creature, forcing it to stumble back, but it recovered, mouth opening to send a small shot that made Yuuno break off his attack to avoid it.
Time snapped back into place, and Yuuno became aware the sky was filled with little vehicles, all sending out magical fire. Arf and Fate flew together, gathering lightning between them, they, Sailor Jupiter and Negi striking from all directions. Valkyrie Black and Chrono were sniping, as if testing the vulnerability of targets. Sailor Mars, Sailor Venus and the rest of the Outers tried to attack the legs, but seemed to be having no effect. Its mass was just too great. He could hear a mild buzzing from his ring, and realized Nanoha had restructured her earpieces, probably at the urging or Sailor Mercury and Calculator.
All of a sudden, the idiocy of what he'd just done slammed into him. What was he doing? He'd charged in ring blazing and thought he could pull a Nanoha by hitting it with very big death beams. What was he thinking? Nearly everyone who knew her tore their hair out at such insane tactics, and here he was doing it himself! While his ring might be able to directly affect this thing, unlike Nanoha's, it was simply too big, and their combat area was too confined. He couldn't risk opening the barrier he'd raised for fear of letting it out and demolishing, even briefly, the real world, and anything he could create to effective harm this thing to a significant degree would like be too big to shield against and would kill everyone else within the barrier without a power ring. He was an archaeologist, for crying out loud! He was a scholar! He studied the enemy, disabled them, and generally countered what they were doing so more violent people could make things blow up.
Well, then… an annoyed-sounding part of his mind snarked at him. Why don't you do that? What's the worse that could happen?
I could die! he countered himself.
And how is that any different from what could happen now?
He had a point.
He pulled back, digging through his limited knowledge of the capabilities of the people around him. "Sailor Mercury! I need you! I need this thing analyzed! We've just been hammering at it and it's not doing anything, so we need to start fighting smart! I need an analysis!"
"I was already working on one!" Sailor Mercury said. "Anything in particular?"
"Weaknesses! Find me the core!" Yuuno said.
"That thing is enormous!" Sailor Mercury said. "Cores are small! It will take forever!"
"Can you scan how dense that thing is?" a sudden voice interrupted. Calculator.
"I can, but why?"
"I was only watching, but I saw those core things. They're squishy. The rest of it can handle any punishment you throw at it. Cores are like glass. They're not as tough. Wouldn't a density comparison show that?" A pause. "Hey, don't you Baka Rangers look at me like that! I listen in class too, you know!"
"That could work…" Sailor Mercury said. "But even if we find it, we clearly need a new attack strategy! What we're doing is clearly only doing superficial damage!"
"WE NEED A GIANT COMBINING ROBOT!" Haruna cried. "IT'S OBVIOUS WE NEED TO BE REALLY RAMPED UP TO MAKE SO MUCH AS A DENT ON IT! I KNOW THIS TROPE! THE LITTLE FRY, NO MATTER–"
"Darn it, Paru, inside voice!" Asuna cried.
"Sorry– anyway, the small fry, no matter how ultimate their weapon, are only there to look bad until they finally decide to combine into their super robot! Everyone knows that! Honestly, I don't know why they don't just combine right away in the first place!"
"Idiot! We don't have combining robots anymore! The Power Rangers went back to another universe, remember?"
"I miss Vivio-chan," Nanoha said wistfully.
Something in Yuuno's mind went click. "Guys…" he said, staring at the huge bulk. "I have an idea…"
...
They needed to move quickly, since they had to be constantly on the evasive. The Invader had incredibly sharp eyes for its size, and would attack them should they slow down enough to let it. It had altered itself, its legs becoming longer, more able to move quickly, looking vaguely birdlike. Nanoha had raged at that change, for some reason. They'd coordinated as best as they could, considering the personalities and numbers of people involved. Haruna had been able to create what he wanted, though barely. Nanoha had piled on the constructs around it, and it had felt awkward to see her in charge of protection, but unlike her attacks, her shields had managed to hold under assault. It needed to come together in one swift instant, no posing, no speeches, just instant assembly and attack.
Nanoha and Yuuno had torn apart what had once been several city block directly under the Invader, coating it with billions of tiny, ultra-fine balls that had actually managed to accomplish what they wanted and thrown the thing off balance, allowing them the grace period that had been needed.
"Paru-sama, NOW!" Yuuno cried.
Haruna's pen flashed through her book, and one could almost have expected a small thunder clap. "Paru-sama Special Prototype Combat Frame, come forth!"
The illustration burst from the pages in a rush, coming together around the assembled association as Nanoha and Yuuno frantically tried to keep Invader away with enormous shields, which it slowly began to batter down. The Frame came into being, a skeletal, spindly thing, arms and legs obviously too thin and long. It had several tiered semi-circles of seats for ribs, surrounding two central areas, one where the heart would be, another in the area of the center of mass. The forearms contained several spherical gimbals, each more than large enough for a person to stand in.
"GO!" Yuuno called to Nanoha as he let blast a sudden, blinding series of blasts. It was no Million Starlight Breaker Rain, the blasts consisting of slower, constant force, meant to drive the Invader back and unbalance it. Another handful of seconds won. Nanoha, to her credit, didn't hesitate, trusting her friend to survive as she streaked for the Frame, taking her place in the platform at the center of mass. Ku rushed to the palm of the left hand, while others seated themselves along the forearms and ribs. In the central plug at the heart, Leysritt stood, secured at the waist by a bungee cord arrangement while transponders hooked to her limbs. Nanoha thrust her ring upwards as the Frame began to move sluggishly, jerkily trying to mimic Leyritt's actions.
"Special Prototype Combat Frame, Armor UP!" Nanoha cried as light rushed forth from her ring. It quickly flowed over the Frame, passengers and all, covering them all in a sort of green light jelly. The Frame took on a humanoid appearance as the green energy covered it, looking like a giant marshmallow man. Then the energy contracted, tightening into defined constructs of enormous overlapping armor plates. Feet, fingers, arms and legs were formed.
"Full Frame coverage complete!" Sailor Mercury announced from where she was strapped on, her computer functioning as her terminal. She'd been put in charge of sensors. "Energy density holding! Construct plates are at full thickness!"
"Imperium Graphices Golem/Power Ring synchronization at 97 percent!" Calculator snapped from her own chair, her fingers clacking on holographic keyboards as she linked her laptop, Raging Heart, her maids, Meatbun Supreme's systems, and Chachamaru to form a rudimentary neural net. "Armoring construct is moving at same rate as Frame. Crap, when did I become a bridge bunny?"
"Construct movement and reaction well within estimated combat requirements," Chachamru announced from between Chisame and Sailor Mercury. "We are battle ready. United Magical Girl Association Super Combat Unit Evangelion Emerald is good to go."
Sailor Pluto groaned. "Again with the Evangelions. I've been fighting those since we got here! Why Evas?"
"It's iconic," Valkyrie Black said in her own chair. "That makes it easier for Green Lantern-chan to visualize for long periods of time."
"Shinji-san had such sadness in his eyes, but his strength allowed him to persist!" Green Lantern cried. "He never gave up, never surrendered, and fought to protect those he loved!"
Asuna blinked. "Are we talking the same Shinji here?"
"She only saw the Rebuild," Fate said.
"Ah. That explains it."
"This better not have a dummy system," Leysrritt said, raising an arm experimentally and closing it into a fist. Evangelion Emerald followed suit, its movements now smooth, quick and humanlike for its scale as giant construct muscles beneath construct armor plates identified and interpreted the action signals of the giant golem. Leysritt grinned.
"In position, aru!" Ku cried, lying down within the palm of the heavily armored left hand, her Pactio Card in hand, holding it out such that it was actually outside the armor.
"In position!" Sailor Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Chrono cried from the left forearm.
"In position!" Fate, Arf, Negi, and Sailor Saturn all cried from the right forearm.
With a shriek like the world's biggest pane of glass breaking, the Invader finally charged through Yuuno's last barrier, the mountain-sized construct beginning to dissolve as Yuuno fell from the air, mind momentarily overloaded by feedback.
Beneath giant emerald feet, the ground was torn apart as the giant construct leapt, moving with relative human speed and reflexes. Scaled up to these proportions, those speeds were massive, the legs creating gales as Leysritt kicked off to meet the kaiju. They bent low, all the chairs rotating to accommodate the movement as they went nearly to all fours, getting beneath the Invader's charge and rising, catching it on their back. They heaved, their feet sinking deep into the earth and crushing the bedrock as they flipped the Invader over, sending it crashing. A hatch opened on the right forearm, revealing the people there in their gimbals.
"Ferret Lantern!" Nanoha cried. "In! Now!"
A streak of light rose from the ground, passing into the hatch and coming to rest in one of the seat. Yuuno secured himself, raising his own ring. "Armaments, now!"
"Adeat!" Ku cried, her card shifting into her Artifact on the palm of the giant hand. She concentrated, and the staff grew, lengthening and expanding as giant green fingers closed over it, until it was the perfect size for the robot, extending about an arm's length beyond the robot's height. Ku kept her hand on the staff through the small opening on the palm, wearing Nodoka's Reading Ear as it recited Leysritt's thoughts.
On the end of the now-giant magical staff, an enormous axe blade of green light of a slightly different color appeared. More armor snapped into place on the robot, resolving into drill spikes at elbows, knees and knuckles and other grapple contact points.
"MEET SUPER PRINGLE-TAN!" Leysritt cried as she charged, the enormous axe blade arcing overhead. It slammed into the back spines, the rear of the blade exploding, adding force to the impact and driving the edge in deeper. The Invader roared, swiping at them with its damaged tail. The staff spun nimbly in giant hands with a grace and dexterity that probably violated several laws of both physics and biology as Leysritt countered, the blade gaining a chainsaw's edge as it slammed into the tail with another explosion, severing it. The butt of the weapon suddenly extended, slamming into the Invader's face as it lined up. The impact, however, merely served to push the two beings apart slightly, instead of causing serious impact damage.
"It's no good!" Kotaro cried. "It's too big! We don't have the mass to move it! After all, this thing is mostly air."
"Maid-san!" Yuuno cried. "Close to grappling! Get the forearms to where we can hit it a pointblank range! Sailor Mercury, where's that core scan?"
"Still working on it!" Sailor Mercury cried. "There's a lot of mass to go through!"
Leysritt grinned, the axe disappearing as she charged in, right arm drawn back to punch. Green light whirled around it, and suddenly the limb ended not with a fist but with an enormous, building-sized drill. The ground quaked with each rapid footfall, and she leapt the last five body-lengths, slamming the drill head with the full force of gravity as well as momentum if not mass. The Invader trembled slightly, its mass absorbing the blow even as they began to tear through several meters of its flesh.
Behind the drill, the armor slid back, revealing the people all strapped into the forearm.
"Hekatontakis Kai Kiliakis Astrapsato!" Negi incanted as he fired directly in front of him. "Killipl Astrape!"
"Plasma Smasher!" Fate and Arf shouted.
"Antimatter Plasma Shot!" Yuuno screamed out.
"Silence Glaive Surprise!" Sailor Saturn cried before them all.
At that range the near-silent rush of energy tore through the beast's hide, no longer so dispersed, breaking through the super-dense outer covering and revealing the slightly less dense matter beneath. The lightning attacks ran rampant, superheating the matter and causing them to explode as the arm was withdrawn, the entire robot twisting, hastily bringing up a shield as the antimatter plasma detonated. The explosion blasted the robot back, and they nearly lost control, sliding along the ground before they recovered. The Invader wasn't so lucky, getting knocked of its feet. Tons of anthropomorphic evil crashed down on its side.
Leysritt was on it in an instant, one arm raised. That arm morphed, a thick sheaf of several giant buzzsaws extending from the hand as it descended, tearing at the thing. Black dust flew as the blades cut, but the Invader twisted, tearing out the saws and making Yuuno wince at the feedback. Its head clamped down their left arm, and there were cries as several people found themselves trapped in a giant mouth. They could see dozens of blank, sunglass-wearing faces in orderly rows all along the mouth, the faces of the individual invaders that comprised the creature.
The air began to shimmer as the thing prepared another kinetic blast. Frantically, Leysritt tried to pry the mouth open with the other hand.
"We're all going to die," Sailor Jupiter said mutely.
"No one is going to die!" Chrono cried. Those with him gave him a withering look.
"Boy, we've already been killed more than our fair share. Trust me when I say we're going to die," Sailor Jupiter said, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus nodding in agreement.
"Raging Heart, cartridge load!" Nanoha cried, her Device expelling shells. "Point-blank range fire! Full power!"
"Ma'm you really don't have to do that just because the motorized phallic sexual entertainment object does it," Ring-chan said.
"Green Lantern-chan?" Asuna called down from the ribs.
The torso's armor plates moved, and Nanoha found herself facing the back of the head. She leveled her staff, light gathering around it as she aimed. The armor on the right forearm drew back as well, and Yuuno raised his ring, adding his shielding abilities to Nanoha's own to protect those on the left arm.
"Axel…!" she cried, "BUSTER!"
"Pull back the arm! Pull back the arm!" Yuuno cried.
Leystritt set her feet, crying out as a giant pink beam of death erupted from their torso, tearing through the kaiju's head. Both Nanoha and Yuuno cried as her beam slammed into the armor plating on the left arm, but Leysritt was able to rip it out of the path of the beam before the armor failed, leaping from the creature's back as the beam expended itself.
"See?" Chrono said faintly, finally knowing what it was like to be on the receiving end of one of Nanoha's blasts. "We didn't die."
"The day is young," Sailor Uranus said.
"Core found!" Sailor Mercury cried out! "At least, I've picked up a density anomaly that might be the core! It's buried deep in the lower body, right at the center of mass! "
"That's too deep!" Yuuno said. "Anything we use to pierce that far in will kill us all!"
"May I make a suggestion?" Tuxedo Kamen said.
He did.
"ARE YOU INSANE?" Calculator cried, and she wasn't alone.
"Prince, that is very ill advised," Sailor Pluto said.
"I'M GOING TO DIE A VIRGIN!" Sailor Venus wailed. "AGAIN!"
Sailor Saturn took the hands of a surprised Negi. "Magus Erebus-kun… if we don't make it… I want you to take me now and make me a wo–"
"HANDS OFF, BITCH!" nearly all of Ala Alba and the rest of the Senshi cried, including a surprised Nodoka.
"We have no other choice!" Yuuno said, though in retrospect it would become apparent they did. "It's the best way to get that deep!"
"I have a spell that can be used for such a narrow opening!" Fate volunteered. "But I need to get it ready! Green Lantern, I need you to begin routing atmospheric ionization to me!"
"Good!" Yuuno said. "Maid-san, Tuxedo Kamen-sama, switch out! Green Lantern, maximize the armor on the right side. Reaper, prepare your spell!"
"Bardiche, shooting mode!" Fat cried, and tee Device shifted, growing slim, firefly-like wings.
"Gathering ions," it said, and the right forearm began to crackle with static electricity as a ball of light appeared at the end of the Device. "Expending all remaining cartridges." There were three explosions.
Tuxedo Kamen finished slipping into the control plug, dodging as the now-headless Invader continued to attack, flailing wildly. A visor appeared over his eyes, giving him the view from the Evangelion's 'head'. He raised his hand as if in a fencer's salute. "Ready!"
"Creating construct!" Yuuno announced. "Antimatter Blade!"
A weapon appeared in the right hand, a long, slim blade that tapered into a needle-like tip, the outer casing filled with vents. It began to fill with plasma. With an effort of will, Yuuno reversed the polarities of all the subatomic particles contained inside the blade as Tuxedo Kamen leaned back slightly, weight on their rearmost leg.
"Target locked!" Sailor Mercury announced.
"Readying payload!" Fate replied.
"Lunge!" Nanoha ordered.
With a cry, Tuxedo Kamen set the Evanglion in motion, movements precise and practiced. One step, two, three, and then he leapt, point forward to drive all the energy into the tip of the sword. The blade made contact, and the tip of the construct dissolved. Matter met antimatter in annihilation, the expanding energies flowing through the vents as Yuuno simultaneously tried to contain the enormous release of destructive energies and continue generating antimatter as the needle-like blade continued to penetrate deeper and deeper, not cutting but removing matter in its way.
The hilt of the weapon slammed into the kaiju, and Sailor Mercury announced, "Tip penetrated to within two meters of core!"
"Reaper-chan!" Nanoha cried as the right forearm peeled back, all armor removed, its occupants, save Fate and Yuuno, rushing up the arm to safety.
Fate gripped her Device, and for a moment remembered–
"Fate-chan!" Nanoha said on bended knee, looking seriously up at Fate. "Will you train me in magic?"
Fate blinked, while a small part of her brain wailed about the question not being 'Will you marry me?'. "W-what?"
Nanoha looked intently up at her as Ala Alba paused slightly in their beachwear-clad training in kendo, unarmed combat and magic. "You're more familiar with the style of magic we use. Raging Heart can give me the basics, but she and Yuuno aren't very good with coming up with new spells. I've only ever made up three. The two forms of Starlight Breaker, and a fast-release shooting spell I haven't been able to test properly yet. But you know all sorts of tricks, like that Phalanx shift thing where you let out a lot of blasts! So I was wondering if you could teach me that? And maybe other things?"
…
"Wah! Thanks for helping me work out the kinks from Divine Danmaku, Fate-chan!" Nanoha said, smiling.
"N-no problem, Nanoha," Fate said, feeling the combined warm fuzzy feeling of being able to teach, Nanoha's gratitude and seeing the other girl in a swim suit bouncing up and down.
"Now it's my turn!" Nanoha announced. "I'm going to teach youthe basics of my first original spell, Fate-chan! I'm going to show you how to do Starlight Breaker…"
– and now they were here. Nanoha had taught her, and Fate had marveled at what this girl had wrought. She'd applied the knowledge to what she knew, to her expertise with lightning. Linith would have been proud.
Fate stepped forward next to Yuuno, as pointing Bardiche down into the now-hollow and empty core of the sword. "Gather, fire from the skies!" she intoned as magic and ions began to gather around her. The static rich air began to crackle with small bolts of electricity that arced towards Fate, gathering in the ball of energy at Bardiche's tip, beginning to grow quickly, fueled both by magic and natural airborne ions from all the lightning spells cast. Energy crackled along the spell's surface. "Scream across the void of clouds, and tear through what lies in your path!"
"Energy containment field, set!" Yuuno announced, as a magnetic field generated within the barrel of the sword.
"Ionic Piercer!"
What leapt forth from the spell wasn't lightning. It was to lightning what a god was to an amoeba: not just what it wanted to grow up to be, but what all its descendants across millennia will try to evolve into, breaking several physical laws in the process. It leapt forth, screaming up the barrel, barely held in check by mere magnetics as it burrowed itself deep within the kaiju. It reached the end.
There was a roar to equal all the antimatter explosions to date as the other side of the kaijuu exploded, the spell tearing through and it blasting apart the earth on the other side. The beast shuddered and collapsed, beginning to deteriorate as the core was destroyed.
For a moment, silence descended. Everyone stared at the destruction.
The Haruna began grin, letting out a victorious whoop. "Tan tan tan tan-tan tun, TANTANAN!" she cried, mangling the Final Fantasy victory theme. "Hot damn! WE DID IT!"
"Reaper-chan did it!" Nanoha joined it. "She used that spell! That was GREAT!"
"Yay, Reaper-chan!" Arf cried, punching the air. The air was knocked out.
"PARTY!" Kazumi cried, and the call was quickly taken up.
And suddenly the cries came from all directions as they celebrated, hugging each other and causing a minor scuffle to break out as people tried to be the first to hug Negi.
At the right forearm, Fate collapsed to her knees, shaking, vision blurring slightly from the effort of the spell. A hand came to rest on her shoulder, and she looked up. Yuuno smiled down at her.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
She nodded shakily as people began rushing to where they were. "Yeah."
He nodded. "That was amazing. Congratulations. You did it." Fate suddenly found herself enfolded in a congratulatory hug.
Smiling, she hugged him back.
...
As the sun set over Fuyuki, Nanoha couldn't help but glance towards Mount Enzo, where another battle had taken place. She hadn't gotten the full story yet, but she'd gotten a promise from those involved for a full report as soon as they could. She took control of the bubble on this flight home. Most people were asleep or dozing, though grumbled comments from Calculator and Sailor Mars indicated this wouldn't stop them from partying all night when they finally got back. It was a pity she wouldn't be able to join them, but she needed to get back home.
As Nanoha piloted them back to their places of origin, Chrono sat facing the green-hued sunset, mind already on the cluster-f&$ck of a report he'd have to file, as well as other matters. Next to him, Arf and Fate slept, exhausted from the spell. He heard Yuuno settle down next to him, and for once didn't needle the other mage.
"Well?" the other boy said softly.
"Amy was able to beam me the information when I called," Chrono said softly. "She confirms your findings. Admiral Graham has been skimming minute funds and redirecting it to something he calls 'Project Durandal'. And the Lotte twins apparently know more about the Book of Darkness than they let on. They were seen checking out the books you mentioned. We've found a monetary account to someone in Uminari in his name, though we don't know who yet."
"You think he knows more about the Book of Darkness than he's letting on?" Yuuno asked.
"I don't know," Chrono said wistfully. "Mother is putting together the warrants for us to find out."
In another part of the transport, Nodoka shyly approached Tuxedo Kamen, who was sitting slightly apart from the Senshi, starring down at the ground. The Senshi had said they were too tired to teleport right then. "Excuse me, Tuxedo Kamen-sama?"
He looked up at her, smiling politely, but not really interested. "Yes?"
Nodoka gulped, and drew out her Artifact. "I think you should read this. It's about someone we met in the city named 'Gilgamesh'."
Tuxedo Kamen frowned, as if the name rung a bell, but took the book and begun to read. His eyes went wide, and he hastily skimmed through the pages, and Nodoka noted he was looking intently at the pages in the language that couldn't be identified. Finally, he looked up at her. "Is this true? Where did you get this?"
Nodoka gulped. "My Artifact reads and displays a person's thoughts. These are the thoughts of someone we met in the city, sent by Kaleido Ruby to help us. Sailor Moon was there, she can tell you. Do they mean anything?"
Tuxedo Kamen looked like he'd been kicked by a horse. "Yes…" he said faintly. "Yes, they definitely mean something…"
...
Bruce Wayne stared up at battle-scared remains of his Japanese corporate headquarters and sighed. "I'm never coming to Japan again…"
...
- The War Is Coming To An End…...
...
A/N: Putting Batman in this early was a mistake. I realize that now…
Divine Emerald Bombardment: The Original Basis for Divine Danmaku. Thousands of energy balls.
Negi currently beat Fate in raw lightning volume output. Thousand bolts, is, after all, an Anti-Army spell, and seems to be the same spell that was used in the trap Canis Niger used on Setsuna and Kaede. Sailor Jupiter's attacks are more concentrated, meaning she can technically hit harder than Negi and Fate, but both outdo her in volume. So Negi's is currently the king of lightning spells among the Modern magic users (not counting Hayate and Sakura– both of them) for the moment…
And Fate now has a new top-tier spell.
Nanoha and Yuuno probably aren't the first to use antimatter as a method of attack. Their rings know how to handle it such that there isn't any messy residue, as well as what is needed to contain the blasts. I was torn between this ending, and Yuuno setting off a fission reaction in the Invader. It went with this because it let Fate shine. Gotta spread the awesome around, after all.
Sorry, no spoilers for the results of Fate/Holy Grail War. Have to work on it now. Will hopefully be up soon.
The Nanoha A's action finally continues next chap! Be there and remember: REVIEWS AND TvTROPES-PAGE UPDATES MAKE REVIEW WHORE AUTHORS WORK FASTER!
Please review, C&C welcome.
Until next time, this is Shadow, signing off.