Aunt Hayate is extremely agitated. As we make our way towards the reactor core, she keeps going on about the boarding party.
"My knights must be among them, I can just feel it. But there must be some Bureau mages, as well…"
"But why the reactor core?" I ask.
"I am afraid they want to blow us up," Hayate's face darkens. "I came up with the same plan three years ago."
"They… don't know we're here?"
"I'm afraid not. To them, the Cradle is just a dangerous enemy…"
A figure of golden and purple suddenly materializes in the middle of a corridor, blocking our path.
"That's far enough!" The Cradle tells us, glaring menacingly. "You will not interfere until I have the Crown."
"I order you to let us through!" I say quickly.
"I am not programmed to comply with orders that can place a royal family member in danger," the Cradle smiles sweetly.
"But you're not authorized to actually stop me," I take a wild guess and make a few steps towards her.
"True," the girl nods. "But if you force my hand, I will have no choice but to assess the anomaly as a threat to your recovery and terminate it."
"I told you that you cannot touch her!"
"You did, but your recovery takes precedence over such orders."
I look at Hayate helplessly but she smiles at me.
"It's OK, Vivio. I am not entirely defenseless anymore."
"The only reason you still exist, anomaly, is Her Majesty's strange benevolence. But it will no longer help you."
"Then perhaps this will?"
Hayate beams a bright smile as a new figure steps out from behind her back. It is a small girl, no older than nine but she is wearing a blood red Barrier Jacket. A massive iron hammer rests on her shoulder.
"Oi, chibi, whatever you're called!" The girl shouts at the Cradle. "No one threatens the Queen of the Night Sky when I'm around!"
"Vita-san!"
"Yo, Vivio," Vita grins at me.
"Another anomaly?" The Cradle is not amused. "No, just an offshoot of the original one. Didn't expect you to self-replicate… And a combat module, too. How tiresome."
The Cradle extends her hand towards Vita, and I see trickles of mana stream out of the walls around us and into her palm.
"Vivio, go!" Aunt Hayate orders me. "Find the Bureau party, tell them about the Cradle and the Crown. Tell them about me! Stop them from destroying the reactor!"
"But…!"
"Go! Vita and I will handle ourselves," she gives me a reassuring smile.
I nod and break into a stride.