A/N: It's been a while since we visited this part of the story, so readers may want to refer to the last part of chapter 40 in case some things are a bit confusing.
Up on the highest levels of the hospital facility, Vita lay suspended inside a cylindrical tank of fluid which imprisoned her within the confines of Grylmark's laboratory. Her eyes were closed beneath a thin mask that wrapped around her face and numerous tubes were attached to her body, bringing a steady exchange of vital resources back and forth to keep her alive. Ever since the stasis tube had been activated, no sign of life had registered upon the Guardian Knight's face at all. From an outside perspective, it was as if she was dead to the world.
The effects of the stasis process were absolute, however. She had been frozen in a single moment of time, completely unaware of anything that was going on around her, so that even her breathing and heartbeat had ceased within the space of an instant. Vita's most recent memory to date was of Grylmark standing before her, gloating as he explained how she was just a subject in one of his most important experiments, and even that memory threatened to be her last. Here on the top floor, the main power was fully functional and the Bureau mage's life had effectively been put on hold. Until somebody intervened to bring her out of stasis, she would continue to remain like this for much longer still.
Around her, the rest of the room consisted of various miscellaneous scientific equipment and alien technology salvaged from many planets during Grylmark's travels. None of them would have been of any help to Vita even if she was conscious. Outside the stasis tube lay a large complex array of electronic controls, all of which had been fully activated many hours earlier by Grylmark's hand. A laboratory like this was used primarily for the summoner's magical experiments, particularly in taming newly summoned beasts and keeping them frozen in time until he had need of them. However, all such monsters had now been released out into the city to combat the Bureau. For the moment at least, Vita's tube was the only one which remained occupied.
Footsteps sounded upon the metal corridor leading out, and Grylmark entered the laboratory briskly with his robes flowing behind him. There was a great interest in the old man's grey eyes as he came forward to inspect Vita's condition, stopping short just before the Guardian Knight's motionless body. In addition, his body language showed signs of slight agitation which were reflected in the quickness of his stride and the impatience in his hands. There was not much time left, after all.
The summoner had not arrived here alone. Behind him, a tall youthful woman with tan blonde hair stood in the shadow of the doorway, gazing ahead into the distance at a place only she could see. Strange blue mist circulated around her features and combined with a potent aura of magical energy brimming about her. She did not look towards the old man or show any interest in the contents of the laboratory; instead the woman remained as silent and patient as the flow of time.
"Vita," Grylmark said quietly through the glass of the stasis tube. It was difficult to tell if her was communicating with the comatose Velka Knight directly, or simply muttering to himself. "It will not be much longer now. You are the missing link for which I have been waiting for so many years. Yes, Vita, you. I have tolerated so many things in order to reach this point: Red Scorpion, Yagami, the rebellion, and the Bureau..."
He paused for a moment, acutely aware of just how much time remained for this world. "It will all be worth it, however. The HX chip within your Linker Core is beginning to reach its peak, and soon my greatest project will be complete. How much longer until your true awakening comes to pass, Vita? Do you know? You'll become reborn in ways you could never imagine, ways that I could never imagine. Technically you will also be dead, of course, but your sacrifice will bring a great achievement to science..."
With a look of satisfaction in his gaze, Grylmark stepped away from the red-haired Velka Knight and smiled, content in the knowledge that everything was still going the way he wanted it to. Yes, he was certain that all possible disruptions had been dealt with. No more Srethis and Ungore to mess up his plans; the two creatures were probably running around like headless chickens, unable to make it past the security of the upper levels. There was no reason why the House of Yagami would think to bother him, and even Elsie was too self-absorbed to cause any trouble to his plans.
As for the Bureau...the summoner frowned for a moment, his thoughts straying towards Nanoha and her companions. Yes, the noise from below was significant enough to suggest that the TSAB were inside the gates by now. He had expected them to bring the force-field down eventually, but it didn't matter, because they would never find their way up here. Or would they? Nanoha's understanding of time magic could grant her a path to the upper floors of the facility, but that was all. There wasn't really anything she could do, whether by herself or with the assistance of any mage, no matter how powerful. He had made quite sure of that.
In truth, I had expected Srethis and Ungore to desert me by now. They are used to following others, and I gave each of them the right incentive to do so. Humans aren't the only people that are easy to manipulate. I no longer have need of their services, however...I already have everything I need. Almost everything, that is. As soon as Vita's true awakening is upon us, I can acquire her newly-matured HX chip and create the final product of my grand project. Once that happens, I will be content to depart this universe before the dimensional distortion occurs. The Metaworld is waiting for me...
Working slowly and patiently, Grylmark began to manipulate the main controls in front of him until he had accessed the analytical read-outs which monitored Vita's magical processes. He was careful not to disturb the flow of the stasis field itself, knowing that this was a very delicate operation. From the electronic reports on screen, he could see that the HX chip inside the Guardian Knight was already well on its way to maturity. It was a welcome sign of progress indeed. The summoner knew that he could extract it right now if he wanted to, but the chip would be of little use to him until it reached its full potential.
No, it would be worth his while to wait just a little longer. It was true that time was wearing thin, but Grylmark wasn't about to waste so many years of research just because it seemed a little dangerous at the last hurdle. Risks were often a necessity for great results.
"You humans are strange," said the tall blonde woman standing at the doorway.
The old man didn't look up from the controls, but there was no doubt that he heard her.
"Your lives are so fragile and short within the great expanse of time," she said faintly, a distant look in her eyes as she faced away from him. "You scarcely have time to appreciate your own existence before you expire. Why do you do this? Why do you put your lives on the line and risk everything for something that you feel so strongly for? If you do not survive, your achievements will become completely meaningless to you."
Grylmark continued to scroll through the next page of analytical readings. "I do not expect you to understand, Oguba," he replied. "I am fully dedicated to my research and the scope of my findings over the years. Science is not something that you can simply abandon on a whim." He lifted his head from the monitor and flexed the fingers of one hand, enjoying the comforting feel of time magic against his flesh. "Believe me, I have no intention of risking my life here to the absolute limit. If something goes wrong at the last minute or problems arise with Vita's chip, then naturally I will try to fix such errors. However, if the worst scenario occurs and I run out of time completely..." A grimace appeared on his face. "I am not so foolish as to wait for the dimensional distortion to consume me, Oguba. I can escape this world anytime I choose, as well you know."
"So you choose to stay," the Lost Logia said in a static tone. One leg twitched against the sharp edge of the metal door, but she did not feel the contact. "You wish to revel in the hope for greater rewards. Do not be so overconfident, Grylmark. You will encounter great problems soon enough."
The old man turned towards her, smiling. "Will I, now?"
"Yes." Oguba breathed in the air around them and exhaled a small cloud of blue mist which soon dissipated. "Nanoha is coming."
"She is coming for you, Oguba. Not for me." Grylmark looked at the tall form of the blonde woman for just a moment, dressed in her uniformed cloak and high boots. There was something all too familiar about her appearance. "It's been a long time since you've chosen to take on that form," he remarked. "Is this the host body you intend to show to Nanoha when she arrives? Does the past really bother you so much?"
"I am the past," the woman said, a fierce haze of blue light wrapping around her face. "I am also the present, the future and every timeline that shapes itself across the time-space continuum in equal measure. I have watched histories vanish, witnessed civilisations crumble to dust, and felt the links of my contractors shatter like fragile glass. Even so, my connection with Nanoha is still very strong. When she sees the form I have taken, she will recognise me without a doubt."
The old man gave a hollow laugh. "And what does she hope to accomplish by meeting with you? The Bureau are trapped in this universe, and will remain so up to the moments of its destruction. Does Nanoha really think that all she has to do is battle you and everything will go back to normal again? We both know that won't happen."
Oguba turned her head towards him, a sparkle of energy glistening in those heterochromatic eyes. "The body I currently inhabit can be destroyed by magical means," she said."However, Nanoha knows by now that I cannot be killed. It will be interesting to see what she truly plans to do here." The Lost Logia's gaze drifted for an instance, their mind shifting towards other issues. "As for the Time-Space Administration Bureau...they have already infiltrated the facility."
"Yes, I know."
"You do not seem very surprised to hear that." The Lost Logia looked at him curiously. "I believe you were trying to prevent them from gaining entry at all?"
The old man waved a hand carelessly. "With Nanoha and Hayate leading them, there was no way of stopping them. I only hoped to stall the Bureau long enough so that I could make it back here in time, and in that I succeeded. They would have made it inside sooner or later."
"I see," the blonde woman said slowly. "But you did not expect them to bypass the force-field so soon, did you, Grylmark?" She placed one hand against the cold steel of the door, sinking blue mist against its surface. "I have seen within Nanoha's mind and experienced how the TSAB works from the inside. You should be wary, because they are much more resourceful than you think." Oguba rose to their full and imposing height, two ponytails of blonde hair sweeping down her shoulders grandly. "Capturing Vita may also have been a mistake. The Wolkenritter will fight you tooth and nail to get her back."
Grylmark's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps so, but they will have to find her first. This hospital is riddled with traps and illusions; even a high-level mage will find it very difficult to navigate the stairwells leading here. With the amount of time remaining, there is little chance of anyone reaching this far into the facility. In any event, I have already prepared a back-up plan of my own."
With a final glance at the Guardian Knight resting in the stasis tube, he stalked towards the waiting corridor. "We have spent enough time discussing this. Vita's awakening is almost upon us, and I must be ready to act as necessary. I can afford to wait just a little longer, but it will be worth it." The old man beckoned towards Oguba. "Will you join me in the testing chamber?"
The tall woman turned her head with an almost mechanical nature and unclasped her hand from the door. A shroud of blue mist rose from the imprint of her touch, which raced up to the ceiling and then returned to her eyes again.
"I will," she responded, turning to follow after him.
Her feet made no trace upon the floor as the two of them departed from the laboratory, leaving Vita hooked up to the stasis tube with the seconds of her life still frozen in position. Only the faint bubbling sound of the stasis fluids remained to fill the ensuing silence.
Nanoha and Tiana made their way through the lower levels of the facility, following the Ace of Aces' mental connection with Oguba as they headed deeper and deeper into the underground. Their chosen route had turned into a twisted mesh of looping pathways which curved around the central chambers in an unlikely direction, leading down to a new path which was not well-travelled by many. Before long, the two women found themselves taken further and further away from the rest of the Bureau, but there was no helping it: there was no other way forward. With Shamal gone to regroup with the others of the TSAB some time ago, they were completely on their own.
Knowing that Oguba was most likely situated close to the top floor, the combat mage had attempted to reach the stairwells leading upwards. Unfortunately, there didn't appear to be any direct path which led there; she and Tiana had reached a dead end at almost every turn and were forced to turn in the other direction instead. Nanoha wasn't too worried about this, however – she had been sensing a rapid flow of energy that circulated around several areas of the facility, suggesting that there was a much quicker way to make it to the upper levels. The building's massive size meant that there was probably some kind of transportation magic or elevator in operation, something which Grylmark and his allies would use to move through the hospital easily. If they could just find out where, then their task would become so much easier...
Even an empty elevator shaft would help us, Nanoha thought as she sped down another stairway. We could just fly upwards and make it to the top floor that way. I would have used levitation magic already, but these passages are so narrow and confining...There isn't time to go running around in circles!
Now that they were far below ground level, the corridors seemed somewhat easier to navigate and nowhere near as dangerous as the laser-filled hallway back at the entrance. Still, Tiana had spotted several hidden illusions on the way down which could have done great harm to a lesser mage, and the two of them had to take occasional detours to get round. The Ace of Aces was grateful for the sharpshooter's assistance, having detected only a few motion-sensitive traps of her own. She had definitely made the right choice in bringing Tiana along with her.
Throughout this region of the hospital, the combat mage had noticed that something was missing: no mutants had emerged to attack them at any point. There were no people either, come to think of it. Aside from the Bureau and what few allies Grylmark might still have on his side, Nanoha doubted that there was anyone left alive in the facility at all, certainly no one who would be in a position of neutrality. Even the traps themselves had seemed fully automated beforehand.
This place is big enough to hold hundreds and hundreds of people, she thought to herself uncomfortably. Hundreds of mutants, too. Is this really what Grylmark was using this hospital for? There must have been people here at one point, because many of the wards were in use quite recently. Did he release all the mutants at once?
"How far down are we now?" Tiana panted as they reached another intersection. "We're...we're going the wrong way, aren't we?"
Nanoha shook her head as she scanned the corridors leading away from them. "It's not a direct route that we're looking for," she said. "There's an elevator running through the whole facility, or a way of transporting between floors. We've gone down enough levels to find an entrance to it somewhere, so we should be pretty close. Look for a power source of some kind, or maybe an external mechanism." She stopped momentarily in the centre of the fork, casting about with her magic to decide the best forward. It was difficult to cast Area Search within these confined hallways, but the pinprick of energy at her consciousness came from her left. "This way!"
With the sharpshooter just a few steps behind her, the combat mage rounded the corner and searched for any transportation magic drifting around the area. She didn't find any, and reached a few more metres down the corridor before slowing to a stop, a perplexed expression on her face. Hadn't they been to this exact point before? Yes, she did recall passing through a very similar corridor about three floors up from here. Were they going around in circles after all? If Grylmark had caught them inside another visual trap, then how could they -
"Nanoha!"
Pushed aside her feelings of panic, the Ace of Aces turned around to see Tiana gesture to a section of the northern passageway. An illusion? Here? The mouth of the path had previously led to a dead end...As the combat mage watched, the fake wall shimmered and faded away to reveal two large metal doors with a number flashing on top. A set of electronic locks lined the horizontal axis at eye level, barring entry to all who wished to gain access.
This must be the elevator we were looking for! We finally found it!
On one side was a small flickering slot, presumably for an access card of some kind. There was a keypad below for the user to punch in an additional authentication code, along with a thumbprint reader underneath that as well. With such heavy security on this one door, it was clear that Grylmark didn't want any of them to be taking the easy way out. Even so, there should be a way to get inside.
"Three sets of security is such a pain to get through," Nanoha said, tapping Raging Heart against the ground thoughtfully. "It'd be a lot easier to just break down the door..." She hesitated, but then lowered her magical device reluctantly. "No, I can't. It's not going to happen."
"What do you mean, Nanoha?" Tiana said in surprise. "You can shoot through it, right?"
"Yes, but the amount of power I need to blast through completely would also wreck equal damage to the walls and ceiling," the combat mage explained. "The attack would take place within a large radius and the whole place would cave in. We're deep underground right now, so I don't think that kind of plan would be very wise."
The orange-haired forward's shoulders slumped. "There has to be a way to get in," she said quietly. "This elevator will take us all the way to the top, won't it? What about the security lock?"
Nanoha had wondered about that herself. She stepped forward towards the authentication keypad, wondering if there was a way to manipulate the lock with her magic. It might be a long shot, but maybe it could be programmed to let them go through? No matter how she looked at it, however, the combat mage couldn't see how. The best think she could think of was to muddle the circuits somehow. If all else failed, she could just blast the lock off with a smaller spell.
As she approached the lock, the whole array suddenly shone with a familiar blue mist which poured off it in great waves. The mage's eyes widened as Oguba's magic swirled up in the air to shield the doors, lashing out at her viciously...
Uh oh.
Quickly, Nanoha retreated away from the elevator doors, pulling Tiana along with her. Fortunately, the blue mist made no signs of pursuing her, though it remained sealed around the locks protectively. Their chances of getting the doors open had just plummeted to zero.
With Oguba guarding this place, only Grylmark or a Time Mage of similar power was going to be able to get through at all. A mighty spell of devastating force might be able to get the mist out of the way temporarily, but the Ace of Aces already knew that it was too risky to try that. She couldn't cast time magic anymore, so it was just as well that she hadn't chosen to blast the door down earlier...
"Come on," she said to the forward standing with her. "We can't enter through here. This isn't the only elevator on this level – there's still another way to get to the top floor."
"You mean we're going to find a different one to take?" Tiana asked. "But...what if it's just like this one, and we can't get through?"
"It probably will be like this one, but Oguba didn't show themselves until I touched the lock," Nanoha replied. "They must have sensed my presence already. But forget about them: there should be a way to bypass those security locks from a separate area completely, like a control room of some kind. It will probably be similar to the communications room we have back at Long Arch with the Bureau. If we can deactivate the security levels in this building, then our lives will become a lot easier." She started to retrace her steps back to the last junction, searching for the power source at the opposite end of the floor . "We'll search for a control room like that. Otherwise, if we can locate an elevator in a large open area, then I can safely blast it down myself. Let's go."
Signum, Zafira and Erio surrounded the Gargoyle on all sides and circled warily as Elsie powered up the spaceship's weapons to attack. The vessel hovered a few metres above ground level, easily the size of a medium-sized Bureau aircraft with an impressive wingspan and a large range of military weapons at its disposal. Scorching heat rose from four engines underneath as the wings slowly lowered on each side, permitting two heavy-duty cannons to slide into position. On top of the Gargoyle, the crane-like arms swivelled around menacingly to protect it from aerial attacks.
Thick glistening armour shone in the dim light of the docking bay, displaying tough shields which appeared virtually undamaged even after decades of disuse. A mechanical creaking of gears sounded as panels and hatches shifted by a slight angle on each side, setting the turrets and cannons rotating on an automatic circuit. In this way, their opponent was capable of targeting practically every point in the chamber.
That's a lot of weapons, Signum thought. More than I expected. She exchanged a look of understanding with Zafira; the Guardian Beast was hovering in mid-air between two of the lower platforms now, ready to lend aid from above if needed. Let's not spend too long fighting this girl. That spaceship is old and is susceptible to our spells, despite its outward appearance. We'll take Elsie down and continue the mission for Vita.
"Ready?" she asked her two companions in a low voice. "We'll do it just like in training. Triad formation, long-range spells from above and below, with short-range attacks at centrepoint." She looked at the young boy standing next to her. "Erio, did you understand what I just said?"
"No," the red-haired forward replied. "I have no idea what we're doing."
Zafira gestured towards the silver form of the Gargoyle, which was beginning to accelerate towards them. "It's a strategy we usually practise with Vita," he explained hurriedly. "Two mages cast spells from a distance to pin down the enemy, and then a third mage launches a melee attack at close range. We want you to follow our movements and strike when the time is right."
"You want me to go up close?" Erio said in alarm, eyeing the massive laser cannons bearing on their group. "Up...up there? Shouldn't one of you cover me or something?"
"We will be covering you," Signum replied. "From a distance." A purple glow illuminated her sword as she prepared to fire the first spell. "Watch our attacks closely, Erio. Those shields seem unusually strong for such an old ship, and that worries me. We need to reveal a weak point first - "
A deafening clap of thunder rolled across the chamber as the Gargoyle opened fire on the three Bureau mages in the form of explosive cannon shells which ripped great gaping chunks in the hard metal floor. The effect was instantaneous. With every shot, it was as if a mighty fist had slammed into the earth and shredded anything it came into contact with; the impactive charge of energy released powerful shockwaves which devastated virtually everything that was connected to the ground. Several platforms were ripped form their supports, snapped into pieces, or thrown from one end of the docking bay to the other., and the vehicles they supported became useless debris in no time.
The same explosions sent Signum and Erio hurtling off their feet by several metres before they could muster any kind of attack. Any prepared spells, including levitation, were disabled in an instant as the two mages crashed into the platforms, momentarily stunned. The sheer force of the cannons' impact upon the ground had negated any possible defence. Only Zafira was left, hovering in mid-air and unaffected by any of the explosions, his face frozen with shock at how quickly the situation had escalated...
Aware that their formation had fallen apart and that he was currently stranded out in the open, the Guardian Beast quickly flew towards the nearest cover as far as he could. Their enemy had only just started their onslaught, however. Synonymous with Elsie Labinnac's peal of high-pitched laughter came a fast-paced volley of plasma bullets which cut across his path, lashing against Zafira's arms and shoulder painfully as he tried to defend himself. The Gargoyle's firing rate increased to a higher level, and the last member of their squad was shot down with a cry.
Gleefully, Elsie switched weapons and motioned the crane-like arms forward. The spaceship responded to her touch like an old friend, slashing through one platform after another and crushing the metal supports as if they were made of glass. Painfully, the Guardian Beast struggled to his feet and limped towards his two wounded companions before he was buried underneath a ton of rubble.
"Is that it?" the Labinnac Sister taunted. "Is that all you've got, Bureau mages? You can't leave the game so quickly! Playtime with me is far from over!"
Pain pounded through her head as Signum groggily picked herself up from where the first attack had thrown her. She'd landed against a hard slab of metal with a force that would have probably shattered a normal person's skull, and it wasn't easy regaining her own senses. Taking deep breaths helped circulate the oxygen around her brain again, and the Velka Knight couldn't help thinking that it would have been a good idea investing in a helmet. She looked over towards Erio to see how he was faring, but luckily the boy wasn't so worse for wear. He still seemed conscious, at least.
What the hell just happened? Signum thought, seething. Ten seconds and we're already done? I didn't even get to attack properly!
She stood up angrily, helping Erio to his feet as the three of them stood together against the Gargoyle again. This wasn't quite how she had envisioned the battle to go: it seemed she had severely underestimated the capacity of the ship's weapons. After decades of disuse, they were still operating at close to full power...
"Zafira, take Erio and fly him in towards the back of that thing," she said between gritted teeth. "I'm going solo for a while."
Erio rubbed his head achingly, feeling a sizeable bump where he had hit the ground. "We're using a new strategy?" he asked worriedly.
"Yes," the pink-haired Velka Knight said darkly, rising into the air. "It's called staying off the damn ground."
She saw Elsie accelerate the great spaceship right into their midst at high speed and threw herself out of the way, catching a glimpse of Erio's panicked face just seconds before Zafira took him to safety. Their opponent wasn't giving them a chance to fight back at all, and Signum knew that she should stop expecting them to. This was no game. Swathes of bullets cut through the air on either side of her face as she flew up to the ceiling to catch a clear fighting space, turning her sword sideways to deflect the brunt of the attack.
The Gargoyle slowed down its tracks as it approached and suddenly banked hard to target her specifically. With a shock, the Velka Knight realised that Elsie intended to ram her at close range. Quickly, she gathered up as much magical power in her fist as she had time for and released it down the length of her blade in a single blaze of energy. There was no way she would be able to affect the movement of a massive ship like that, but maybe...
"Steel Yoke!" Zafira shouted, his hands raised.
Magical blades pierced along the port side of the Gargoyle, barely slowing it as the ship clashed against the edge of Signum's weapon with a force that almost ripped Laevatein from her grasp. Her hands burning with the friction of holding on, the swordswoman bravely fought back for a few seconds longer and then retreated towards the nearest metal platform for cover. To her dismay, there wasn't a single scratch on the spaceship's armour. This wasn't working.
She changed the form of her magical device as she flew around to the right, trying a new approach. "Schlangebeißen!"
Her magical device re-arranged itself in a whip-like chain which encircled the two crane-like arms on top of the Gargoyle, attempting to bind them fast. From here, she could see Elsie's face through the protective pilot screen. The little girl was tapping away at the controls inside as she increased the pressure of the mechanism. Seconds later, the cranes had broken free from Signum's attack and come close enough to converge on her instead.
"Luftmesser!"
She heard Erio's voice as he cast the wind-type shooting spell from the left side, just barely managing to knock the cranes back for her to get out of harm's way. The Gargoyle plunged forward and rammed through her platform without stopping, taking no damage of its own as it reduced the structure to a pile of metal rubble. Without a single gap in its movements, it began to charge up its four cannons again for another bombardment attack upon the three mages.
What will it take to stop this thing? It just keeps throwing one thing after another at us – there's barely enough time for us to defend ourselves! Somehow, we need to slow it down and level the playing field a little...Signum's eyes widened, realising in a flash what they needed to do. Wait, slow it down?
"Zafira! Erio!" She had to raise her voice to be heard over the roar of the cannons; fortunately, being above ground kept their group relatively safe from the devastating impact of the attack. Those weapons were designed for destroying vehicles and buildings, not shooting down aerial individuals. "Move round to the back! We have to take out the ship's engines!"
The Guardian Beast stared at her in disbelief for an instant. "The engines?" he repeated. "How are we supposed to do that without getting fried, Signum? There are four of them!"
"It doesn't matter how many of them there are. We'll just have to concentrate on one at a time." She released a tiny amount of magic through her weapon-hand, willing Laevatein to revert back to its original form. "Quickly! Before she starts using strafe tactics again!"
The telltale sound of turrets clicking into place menacingly sent her body into motion. Within moments, the three Bureau mages were soaring across the length of the Gargoyle's streamlined figure, constantly swerving back and forth in varying altitude to dodge the jets of plasma fire which pursued them. With her pink hair billowing out behind her, Signum tucked herself in close to the side of the ship, blasting spell after spell towards the revolving cannons in an attempt to affect Elsie's control over the vessel. Next to her, Zafira and Erio were using similar attacks of their own to assist her. The silver shields in between absorbed the destructive energy without too much difficulty, but that wasn't where they were aiming.
It didn't take long for their enemy to notice what they were doing. Soon enough, the protective panels began to slide over the weapons and block the mages' attacks, but Signum saw that at least a few of the turrets had been knocked out of action. That was an interesting idea – though the Gargoyle's shields seemed too tough for any of them to break through, the weapons themselves could be damaged...
They reached the rear of the spaceship at last as the firing began to die down, and the Velka Knight's pulse quickened when she recognised one important fact: in the midst of all the shooting, the ship's engines had come to a temporary standstill. It must have been a by-product of Elsie diverting all of the power to the main cannons, and it wouldn't last long...but it gave them a chance. She could see how they could pull it off. There was a very small timeframe for them to do it in, but it was possible. Wasn't it?
Ahead of her, Signum saw that Zafira and Erio had reached the first of the propulsive thrusters, though both mages were unwilling to get too close in case the Gargoyle suddenly started moving again. The heat trail from the engines was still intense and searing, hot enough to burn through most low-power spells, and the pink-haired swordswoman hesitated in the act of using a long-range attack of her own. What if they couldn't damage the engines either? What if the Gargoyle really was completely impenetrable no matter what they tried?
"You!" Elsie cried shrilly from the pilot's seat, her attention caught by their furtive movements. "You're not allowed to get so close to my precious ship! Don't you know the rules of this game, Bureau? I'll burn you up!"
Signum's eyes widened as a sudden rush of heat washed over her, and she spied the growing light of a blue flame right at the centre of the thruster. The Gargoyle's engines were on the verge of firing up at full blast, just metres away from where they were all standing.
We've missed our chance. It's too late.
Frustration at the missed opportunity caused her to clench her fist angrily, but she still held a fully charged spell in that same hand. There was still time to fire the spell, wasn't there? She might as well do so, even if it might go to waste...
Before she could do so, the Guardian Knight's eyes were greeted by a completely unexpected sight. Zafira and Erio were flying towards the centre of the engine, heedless of the blazing inferno about to be unleashed from within. The young forward had raised Strada in his hands, poised to strike. The mounting temperature in the area raised droplets of sweat upon his forehead, but he held firm nonetheless.
What are they doing?! This isn't the time to be a hero!
With her heart in her mouth, accompanied by a muttered curse under her breath, the Velka Knight sped towards the two mages at full speed. This was bordering on suicidal. She could feel the tips of her hair beginning to smoulder at this range; to say that she was baking inside her armour would be an understatement.
The ship's engines are about to fire up! If Zafira and Erio don't get out of there right now, they could be burned to ashes!
The rocket engine grew to a quarter of its power before the heat simply became too much, and Zafira and Erio could go no further. With a frustrated cry, the Guardian Beast released Steel Yoke against the surface of the thruster, sending blades of magic shooting inside. Moments later, Signum reached his side and released the spell she had been saving up all this time, now virtually overcharged and at the peak of its power.
"Storm Falcon!"
All three of them felt the explosions which wrecked the inside of the engine like an enraged animal let loose at last; each of them saw the faint cracks that appeared upon its exterior surface and grew wider and wider, smelled the smoke which began to pour out at a dangerous pace. Somewhere through the burning haze, Signum and her companions sensed that the incredible heat was not rising any further. The engine in front of them was sputtering and hissing like a dying animal as it struggled to remain functional.
With a determined look in his eyes, Erio leaped off Zafira's shoulders and brought Strada down onto the largest crack in the engine's framework with all of his strength. The propulsive thruster gave way before the force of the forward's magical attack and split apart, releasing a double dosage of smoke which threatened to consume the red-haired boy completely. The Guardian Beast dashed forward and pulled him free before he choked to death in the fumes, keeping well clear of the live electricity also spiralling out of control from the debris.
"What happened?" Elsie called out above the chaos, a note of bewilderment as she tried to turn the Gargoyle around. "What...what did you do? Something's wrong with my ship!"
With a rush of adrenaline, Signum flew forward to take down the second engine, knowing that they couldn't stop now. They were finally making some headway here. One engine down, three more to go...
Our spells didn't just affect the engine. Storm Falcon must have penetrated deep into the ship itself, doing damage to the circuits and functions inside. Zafira's attacks must have increased the effect, too. If the engines were close to any vital parts of this vessel, then...
She reached the second engine and saw with surprise that there was barely any heat coming out from it at all. All of the engines must have been connected to the same kind of system, meaning that taking out one would have a detrimental effect on all of them. With renewed strength, Signum lunged forward with Laevatein and cut the engine open from the middle with a few well-placed strokes. Avoiding the smoke which poured out, she rained down blows from the side until it, too, fell apart.
With a violent shudder, the Gargoyle lost altitude and started to plunge towards the ground. Zafira and Erio moved back to avoid being hit by the edge of the wings, watching as the tables turned completely. A massive craft of this size could not be supported by just two engines, especially when both of them were already beginning to malfunction badly.
"So that's what you did!" Elsie yelled, her eyes bright as warning lights flickered all across the spaceship's dashboard. "That's not in the rules either, is it? I'm sure it isn't." Her hands raced over the controls, bringing her weapons in to bear. "But it doesn't matter! If I can't burn you, then I'll just shoot you down! I can fly this thing even with one engine, no problem!"
Under the redistribution of power, the remaining two engines flared up and the Gargoyle moved skywards with great difficulty. Rows of turrets shifted to their new positions and blasted down on Signum's squad with ferocious intent, sending bullets ricocheting off the remaining platforms and broken vehicles throughout the docking bay. Taking evasive action to avoid the attack, Zafira flew upwards with an injured Erio under his arm, but the gunfire re-adjusted to target his movements with frightening speed. With little other option, the Guardian Beast threw up Panzerschild and moved under cover towards safer regions.
Now that the ship's weapons had been drawn away from her position, Signum saw her opportunity and took it. She soared forward towards one of the last two engines, both of which were already beginning to rapidly lose energy – even Elsie couldn't keep them at full blast for long, no matter how skilled she was – and slammed Laevatein hard into the centre of it. In a single sharp movement, the Velka Knight twisted the blade around inside the core, releasing magical power directly into the propulsion system.
"Try flying your ship now!"
She pulled her weapon out of the smouldering engine and leapt free as the whole thing exploded. The Gargoyle lost balance in mid-air, unable to gain any further altitude with a single engine on minimal energy; in the pilot seat, Elsie was yelling in frustration as sparks flew from the controls in front of her. One wing gradually dropped, and then the other, until the entire spaceship began to spiral down towards the Bureau mages on the ground...
"It's going to crash into us!" Erio yelled.
The ship flipped over in mid-air, permitting its crane-like arms to claw towards the three of them as they all ran for cover. Without any control over the main mechanism, the cranes spun round in all directions and scythed through anything in their path; at the same time, the storm of plasma fire started up again at a rapid pace now that power had switched away from the engines again, leaving no defensive points at all. Left with no other alternative, Signum and her company made a mad dash for the exit.
We've got to get out of here!
Bullets shredded the framework above her head as the pink-haired Velka Knight made it out through the doors and into the outlying corridor. Elsie wouldn't be able to follow them through such a narrow space, but even so she didn't stop running until she was back in the previous room, knowing that they could easily be cornered in this small passageway. Zafira and Erio appeared just a few steps behind her, hovering above the ground as the acrid smell of burning metal hit.
"Signum!" Zafira yelled to her as they reached the sanctuary of the previous chamber, a spacious area filled with fans and conditioning units. "Signum, get off the ground! You're – you're standing on - "
The swordswoman whirled around blindly, realising that she had made a mistake. All of a sudden, she remembered this room. The whirring sound that came from all around her, filling a chamber which had been previously occupied by magical energy – an unknown magic that she had been unable to identify. She had led her companions through this same room just minutes ago without setting off any specific traps, but only because the magical field was set into the ground. They had gotten through safely by flying across.
Only this time, Signum wasn't in mid-air anymore: she had entered the room on foot. In her desperation to escape the Gargoyle's crash-landing and any ensuing explosions that would occur, she hadn't realised where she was headed.
Oh no.
It was too late now. The trap had been sprung. Already, she could feel a pale lining of magic encapsulate her body like a bubble and restrict her movements heavily; trying to lift her arms was like swimming through treacle. She saw Zafira and Erio watching in wide-eyed astonishment, trying to reach her before the magic took full effect.
"Signum! Hang on!"
Some part of her was aware that the noise from the Gargoyle had suddenly stopped, but the Velka Knight couldn't react to it. The world around her was spinning in a blur of colours, and it hurt her eyes to look at it for too long; everything was starting to fade away completely. No, that wasn't it...she was the one disappearing! She looked down on herself and experienced a jolt of horror; her hands and arms were turning transparent, almost as if she were turning into a ghost...any motion she tried to make just seemed to speed up the process...
So this is the magic I sensed before, Signum thought as everything began to crumble away around her. This is transportation magic! I'm...I'm being teleported to another location...? I'm not going to be able to break free from the spell in time...
With a cry, Zafira and Erio rushed down to help her, but the magic had already run its course. Inside the pale bubble, Signum's presence had been completely erased, taken away by the trap which rigged every part of the chamber's floor. The magical field itself was still there, shifting and changing as if expecting to ensnare another victim, but the pink-haired swordswoman had vanished without a trace. Her weapons and armour had been transported along with her.
"Signum?!" the red-haired forward cried. "She's gone! Zafira, where did she go? What happened?"
But then the bubble of transportation magic suddenly began to solidify, revealing the form of a bulky humanoid figure. Somebody was still there in the room with them, but it didn't look like Signum anymore. Whoever it was, they weren't a member of the Wolkenritter, or even a Bureau mage at all.
What the...?
"Signum?" Zafira called out to the figure worriedly. "Is that you? You have to get off the ground, right now!"
The figure turned their face towards him from a moment, and then raised two metal fists above its head. The bubble of transportation magic released the form of a combat cyborg into the open, and the newcomer whirled around to smash the nearest conditioning unit to pieces. Remnants of human emotion glittered in their eyes as the Legion turned to face the two Bureau mages.
"All traps in this room have been safely disabled," the cyborg said calmly. "It is safe to proceed. Erio Mondial, and Zafira of the Wolkenritter...I am the Legion, previously of Red Scorpion but now serving under Exoria. I was transported here under a similar spell that took your comrade. In the circumstances, I am prepared to assist you until I find my own way back to Hayate."
Erio and Zafira stared at the combat cyborg in complete astonishment, rendered speechless for several seconds. There was no longer any presence of magical traps in the chamber, and the whirring noise had come to a stop at last. In the distance, however, the Gargoyle was still making strange sounds of its own.
"What's going on?" the Guardian Beast said. "Where did Signum go? And where did you just come from?"
Erio himself off Zafira's back and landed on the floor gracefully. No bubble of transportation magic was triggered off by making contact with the ground, allowing them to breathe slightly easier for the time being, but that wasn't what he had a problem with.
"You!" the boy said accusingly to the metallic fighter in front of them. "I remember you now! You're the one who attacked me and Subaru when we were trying to rescue Vita from Red Scorpion!"
The Legion regarded him with a somewhat neutral expression. "That is true," they admitted. "However, if you evaluate my knowledge of circumstances at the time - "
"You knocked me unconscious! You almost killed me on the spot!" Erio raised his spear to prepare for battle again, but the memory of his last fight with the Legion was still quite painful in his mind. He lowered Strada's tip just an inch. "What happened to Signum?" he asked tightly. "She just disappeared! Where did she go?"
"Your companion was taken away by the transportation trap in this chamber," the combat cyborg explained patiently. "I was affected by a similar spell, and it appears that I was teleported to this position in her place." They looked upwards to where Zafira was still hovering a metre above the ground. "I have already disabled the trap, so it should be safe for you to come down - "
"I am not coming down," the Guardian Beast said defensively. "I'm keeping you within attack range, Legion. You just said that you used to be with Red Scorpion. As mages of the Time-Space Administration Bureau, we can't possibly trust you so quickly. You could easily be on Grylmark's side, or even Elsie's."
"Elsie?" The Legion appeared bewildered. "Are you referring to Elsie Labinnac? How do you know of her? Aside from Kagura, the Labinnac Family has not ventured outside for many years - "
The sound of a thundering explosion from the docking bay shook the whole room, causing the weak ceiling to cave in from above. Giant chunks of concrete rained down all around them to block the exit into the hallway, effectively sealing the only exit into the rest of the facility. It was followed shortly by the rest of the chamber, driving Zafira and Erio back towards the corridor they had just escaped along. Somehow, the Gargoyle was still going strong...and yet it should have been destroyed by that landing...
"We're going to be trapped in here!" the Guardian Beast said. Dust was already trickling down across the corridor, and it wouldn't be much longer until that collapsed as well. He hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head. "Erio, we've got no choice. We have to go back to the docking bay before this place buries us alive."
"But Elsie's there!"
"That's a risk we'll have to take." Zafira braced one hand against the side of the corridor, alarmed to see that narrow cracks were widening across the patch of ceiling just above him. "Perhaps we can find a way to use her ship's weapon to blast through all this rubble," he said thoughtfully. "If we stay here for much longer, then we're not going to survive..."
The Legion stepped forward into their midst, momentarily diverting their attention from the desperate situation around them. Distrust and suspicion was prominent within each of the mages' eyes, but the combat cyborg chose to ignore it.
"So you are embroiled in battle with Elsie Labinnac after all," the Legion said. "Allow me to assist you in your task. There is no need to fear any betrayal from my side – I have no allegiance to Grylmark or his allies. I travelled here with Hayate, and until we find a way out of here, I will fight on your side."
"Hayate?" Erio's face changed. "You were with Hayate?"
The Guardian Beast was also looking at the cyborg strangely. ""You never mentioned anything about Hayate before," he said slowly. "Where is she?"
"She was at the western gate when I left her." The Legion drew itself up confidently. "If you wish, I will help you find your friend Vita after this is over, since it is partly my fault that she is in her current predicament. It is likely that Grylmark has her imprisoned upon the upper levels." They marched forward towards the sound of the Gargoyle's gunfire as more and more dust seeped through the cracks in the roof of the corridor. "As a sign of my trustworthiness, I will confront Elsie first and fight her with all my strength. You are free to ignore my offer of an alliance if you choose, but we stand a greater chance of survival if we all work together."
Erio watched the combat cyborg walk into the docking bay, still confused about what was going on. The Legion had threatened him and Subaru upon their last encounter, but now the cyborg seemed a much different person. How could they trust them in the middle of the battle, just like that? On the other hand, the Legion would gain nothing by going against the Bureau now – all of them were stuck here for the moment, whether they liked it or not.
"Zafira, I don't like this," he said in a low voice. "That cyborg is a mortal enemy of the TSAB. They could have killed me."
The Guardian Beast shook their head. "And yet they didn't. Let's give this a shot, Erio. The Legion can't do anything until we break out of this room anyway, and who knows? We could use their help right now." He moved forward with a moderate cautiousness. "I'll keep an eye on that cyborg, just in case. You concentrate on keeping Elsie busy. She can't have much fight left in her now."
Together, the two Bureau mages stepped into the docking bay to stand with the Legion as their unlikely ally, ready to finish off what remained of the Gargoyle.
A/N: Next chapter will be mainly Fate, and maybe Rein and Agito if I can fit it in.