Warning: This story doesn't exactly follow the suit of grimdark because of the way the story may develop. If you still enjoy what you are reading then go ahead.
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Chapter 9
Dust to Dust
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Back at the Arbite Precinct
Elise jumped through the massive hole that stretched through the ceiling toward the sky that she made with her Maxima Inertia. As she made her ascension, she felt a familiar presence just crossing her surroundings as she moved upward. She knew Michele was extraordinary but even that is too much for belief. But she couldn't bear too much of that in mind as she intends to retrieve her birthright that they dare stole from her.
Perceiving her surrounding world through the ethereal realm where strands of fate numbered more than stars in the sky. The only one that would ever catch her attention would be the one that is bound to her wrist where Trigram Bracelet used to be. With her destination floor reached, the evidence room which is now ablaze thanks to Michele's wanton destruction but she doesn't even bear that in mind as only her legacy is within her focus. With her nanomachine-enhanced physique, she would wreak more havoc and destruction on this already ruined floor.
Like an unstoppable hurricane, she left behind a trail of destruction as she made toward her destination with the shortest path possible. No sane person would try to pick a fight with a force of nature but as a certain someone has spoken, the line between sanity and lunacy has long blurred into each other, and a lot would have already failed that test. Speaking of a certain group of Arbite made their stand right on her path thinking that they could somehow stop with that stubbornness of theirs.
If that trait of theirs did give them power, then the Emperor would kneel before them as an admission of power but once again, no such thing occurred as their bodies are violently torn apart by the sheer force of Elise's movement speed.
Elise came to a sudden stop at a wall in front of her. There would have been no way to discern if something was hiding behind it if it weren't for the thread of fate moving into an impossibly small gap that would likely take a microscope to discover. Make sense in hindsight that considering who she is, they have to take massive precautions in anything involving it. But they did it sloppily with her when they couldn't send a nanomachine extractor to prevent her from using her power.
Having no time to waste, Elise took out her revolver once more and unleashed a barrage of Collapse Cartridge from a gun that is made to have only a six-round chamber. As those Collapse rounds disintegrate the wall in front of her, material durability is completely disregarded as the obstacle in front of her is ripped apart at the sub-particle level. Soon, it revealed another chamber seemingly store things of unquestionably more value than the burning wasteyard outside.
The thread of fate still leads her here. With treasures seemingly exceeding even this Lower Hive's value itself being stored here, the temptation was real but she has only one thing that she stood her loyalty to. Her once existent House.
The Trigram Bracelet sits innocuously on the shelf as if none of these pains and agony ever happened. Reclaiming what was taken from her, Elise then immediately flees while she still has the power reserve to do so. Despite the tremendous power displayed here, it isn't infinite and she has nowhere to turn to. Much like how she remembered what happened to Anastasia, she dreads repeating that dead end with her being the main character in it.
Seeing that the Arbites are still as relentless despite grievous losses they were just taken from both her and Michele. Elise made her other escape plan, the highspeed train is no longer available as they will no doubt place it on lockdown now that there's an escapee. The sky is definitely on surveillance considering what she did with her Maxima Inertia. With the sky and the underground off-limit, Elise has to choose another path that involves neither of them.
Then she realized, the Arbites has their armored vehicle for deployment outside of the transit railway. The Lower Hive is huge and the transit line simply can't account for everywhere at once, let alone with intervention through civilian stations. With that in her mind, she quickly search for anything that could resemble a layout map so that she could get out of there as fast as she can. But with how much power she displayed, not a lot of things survive her power.
The reception terminal was the only thing that stood in this burning wreckage and surprisingly with no Arbite to be seen. The most dangerous location is the safest sometime and she will not question the gift that she is given. Using her nanomachines, she quickly interfaced the terminal and extracted as much information as she can as she imprints that knowledge directly into her mind. Not limited to just the evidence chamber, her search extends to any functional system that this Precinct relies on.
Elise opened her eyes once more footsteps approach. The Lower Arbites are excessively collaterally destructive but they would hesitate a bit on the idea that they will bomb their own place into rubbles. As long as that threshold is not broken even if she is tethering very close to it, there may still be a safe way out that doesn't involve even more destruction.
"Time is in essence so let's do this... moderately..." Elise said as she focus her nanomachines at her fist as her snow white skin throbs into a metallic black that has too few words to describe accurately.
Like what she did before, smash her way through to the Arbite Maintenance Bay. At least with no escort, she has no need to look back and keep herself forward no matter what. As if someone just let loose a mass-scale mining drill on the Arbite Precinct, Elise plowed and destroyed anything in her way while simultaneously leaving the Arbites few chances to surround her. There is already a major breach that has already strained their personnel deployment. Even if they could, there is little they can do against her.
With one last blow, Elise made it into the maintenance bay. With vehicles lay there for taking, Elise take the one that is the most obvious to use. An armored transport truck with an Antimaterial Heavy Stubber installed right at the top. Even if she could choose something for speed, just that alone will not be enough to get anywhere far with how excessive the Arbite can be with their firepower. Along with her nanomachines refinement, this truck will stand up to more punishment than how it should.
Elise forced open the truck's lock before injecting the nanomachines into its system through the internal air-conditioning. The changes she made right now are subtle because she has already expended quite a bit of her power just to make it here. Because of it, it looks no different than before but its performance is far better than any standardized vehicle that the Arbites has.
A child handling a large vehicle. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to normal folks. But Elise being more sharp than she is could already infer the truck's control scheme just by how much she sees others driving it and how this truck differs little from theirs. With her feet on the pedal, the engine roared as it reached its top speed in the blink of an eye and more. There's a hangar gate that is currently closed but Elise's armored truck moved so fast that it ran through the steel-cast gate leaving behind a hole in the shape of its front.
Normally that would be a fatal collision that would ruin the truck even if it made it through but Elise's reinforcement made its durability deceiving despite its unchanged appearance. As she made through the tunnel that will lead outside, she could see other Arbite vehicles rushing in with their alarm and lights blinding and yet they paid her no heed at all when one should question why a vehicle is trying to leave the premise.
Elise escaped the tunnel as she rushes into the maze-like and worn-down concrete jungle of the Lower Hive. Day or night, it didn't matter since the dense cloud of soot separated heaven and earth. With only a determination to escape from the current situation in mind, Elise paid no heed to anything else around.
And as expected, the Arbites took notice of a rogue vehicle of theirs ignoring their order and also took action promptly not soon after her escape. Elise knew that already and thus she prepared herself for an all-out war with only herself against an entire organization.
The first to confront her wasn't even belong to the more combat-oriented units at all. They were all just people who only heard the briefing and then tried to pursue her before realizing that she is far out of their league. Just at first sight alone, they flee with their tails between their legs. A wise choice that Elise considers as their Arbite automobiles isn't even armored or armed with anything remotely capable of piercing through the armored transport.
Then delegated further is the riot control Arbites, with their intensive information on traffic routing that they barricade whichever road she goes with their own vehicles and concrete roadblock. And to add more to this already seemingly impenetrable blockade, they placed spike strips all over their fronts as if a tank is going to roll over and run over them. And with Elise's capability being considered, it might not be too wrong to do so.
Elise drove her modified armored transport toward this route as the Arbite Enforcers raised their firearms at her and fired without a single question. As ballistics of varying size collides with her reinforced vehicle, Elise still presses the gas pedal as if she has removed the truck's speed limiter as part of her 'improvements'. With the vehicle rushing down at neck-breaking speed, the Enforcer Arbites quickly tried to deploy their service-required Missile Launchers with the intention of turning that roided beast of metal into a burning wreck
What they failed to take notice however is the fore-mentioned Antimaterial Heavy Stubber installed on the roof. And for some reason unexpected, Elise is there controlling the gun as Elise's blood drip onto the ammunition box. An unseen transformation occurs within as all those cartridges are now capable of damage incomparable to before. The Enforcers on the opposite side of her fired their missiles at her but Elise's nanomachine-enhanced perceptions caught their path instantly as the emplacement gun dispatched all of them on their paths.
Not stopping there at all, Elise then continues to gun down the Enforcers on her side as the Collapse Cartridges disintegrate their defense and dismantle the roadblocks with every individual bullet fired. With the whole battle plan and formation being taken apart in real-time, the Arbites' defense fell through as Elise's transport blazed past them.
"Report! There are two of them! One of them drives while the other control the gun!" One surviving Enforcer reports his finding and the result back.
In truth, there is only her who is driving that truck. Using the nanomachines, she is capable of short-distance wireless control much like how a child's remote control toy does. It also comes with the bonus that they will never be sure which is the one leading this escape. They could try to aim for the driver's seat if they like but the transport will continue to move until every bolt of it is irretrievably lost.
Riot Enforcer trucks pursued her as they try every attempt in the book to gun her down but little did they know that she could also just use her nanomachines to remove the Antimaterial Stubber from its emplacement as she aimed it back at the pursuing team that is chasing her from the behind. Theoretically, she could deconstruct and reconstruct nearly everything as long as she knows its structure and layout clearly. And the ability to imprint information directly to the instinctual understanding thanks to the nanomachine makes it so that her combat capability is essentially limitless.
A war is on the verge of exploding into something of a much greater scale. How far is everyone willing to escalate this conflict which has transcended beyond a mere prison break? And in the end, what will truly settle the outcome for all those involved? Where will be her place in a forsaken land that she is utterly lost in?
"This armored transport won't last. I need something even more durable and powerful" Elise muttered to herself as the heavy weapon in her hands fired a ceaseless amount of disintegrating bullets that were seemingly created out of the ether.
With the riot control team Arbites nearly wiped out in their attempt to gun her down, Elise's infamy and wanted level risen once more as the Arbites delegate to the further echelon that is more capable of fighting against her. She stared at the sky above as there is no way to not mistake that aircraft flying above her to scout. And information is no doubt one of the more important factors deciding victory or defeat.
"Life and death, I'm not leaving it to you irresponsible trash!" Elise yelled as she steer the Antimaterial Heavy Stubber at the flying aircraft above her.
Suddenly without a warning, an intervention force nearly threw her vehicle off the road into nearby civilian housing. If she didn't rein her control back in, she would have caused plenty of collateral damage in tow. She'll be perfectly fine if the otherwise happens, just not so much for the people nearby. Immediately after she regains her proper control in short seconds, she looks for the culprit and found them about to do it again.
"Fool me twice, it's on me". Elise muttered as she narrowly evade the oncoming traffic.
Her opponent is an automobile that looks much smaller than the Arbite's armored truck that she fought before but the performance power that it has is deceiving of its appearance. Much like how the Imperium's force always delegate their job to someone more capable when they themselves can't do it and that chains keep up until the Emperor himself beckons at the doorstep. That's one of the reasons why their bureaucracy is such a horrendous mess that is the billions of red tapes called delegation.
To be fair, compare to the endless patchwork of permanent 'temporary solutions'. The Imperium really is beset regardless of intentions either way. Either using inadequate force that may only exacerbate it or putting more pressure on already beset elite task forces which perpetuate the problem further.
The side window of the pursuing armored car revealed a gun aimed directly at her. A mortal Bolter will chunk a person into red mist if they don't have adequate protection which is anything below a tank. Elise can try to withstand it but the aftereffect will be rather grievous and combined with how she died previously, it is an invisible scar that can only be seen on her soul.
"Investigator..." Elise muttered as she ducked back into her driving seat as the bolt round whiffed her hair.
The Arbites aren't messing around anymore. Not that they tried to in the first place. And as Elise's grasp on the steering wheel tighten, so too is her desire to live. The Investigators are a section of Arbites above the general clerks and officers that patrol the lawless land of the Twilight's Lower Hive. Their purposes are to investigate crimes much like in their names and bring the wicked to justice.
But with how little there is to rein in the corruption of the Lower Hive, the Investigators are more of permitted criminals in which they could just plant false evidence and falsely imprison people for crimes they didn't commit for their own gain. Although they have to do their actual jobs, if it satisfies their top brass no matter how short terms, a scapegoat and false accusation bares little but reward for the Lower Investigators.
A bigger opponent will always beat the smaller one unless by a fluke of luck. Because otherwise, it wouldn't be such a saying in the first place. Elise swerves her vehicle into the armored car as its weight crush upon the armored car's frame. Even if she can't directly use her weapon right now, she isn't as defenseless or incapable of retaliation as anyone might think.
She and the Investigator think alike of each other, and they too are already sickened of each other's presence despite being in contact for mere seconds. The moment the Investigator's bolter clicked empty, he immediately disengaged away from her immediate surroundings. Elise felt his presence no longer nearby so too quickly resurface and reinstalled the Collapse Heavy Stubber along with its auto-tracking function. She had a feeling that she is going to switch places with her driving seat and the gunner, a lot.
Like a bolt out of the blue, both in literal and metaphor, the Investigator appeared as the first immediate action during their meeting was to shoot at her head. Elise of course returned back to her transport just as the bolt whiffed her hair. And as the Investigator approaches side by side as he intends to gun down at her side. But before he could do so, the Heavy Stubber reinstalled atop turned its aim at the Investigator. He immediately backpedaled as the gun unleashed its lethal barrage at him.
Normally the armored automobile would withstand even the 12.7mm without a hitch but his experience made him fall back as he felt a different sense of lethality incomparable to everything before. And as he slowly falls behind to the back of his target, another chill froze him within as he felt a profound killing intent that pierced through his very being. Not even before any thought could register his still-processing mind, a streaking beam of blue obliterated both his being and the very vehicle he rode.
Revealed from the hole that she made at the back of the truck which is now being patched up by the nanomachinery is her and the arm-mounted Gauss cannon that aimed straight at where she had steered the Investigator toward. Most people thought that the Maxima Inertia is a mass-destruction weapon as evident as the aftermath she left behind but that wasn't a lie or deception. As powerful as it is, she finds moderate and proper usage more useful than an empty bravado that one can't keep up.
And just right after when that Investigator died, the other colleagues suddenly appeared after the bravest of them perished trying to get her to activate any of her trump cards. This escapade of her can only continue to escalate beyond its original scope and no one will ever take responsible or understand how things got to this point. Elise only gritted her teeth as she continues to withstand the onslaught.
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Omake
Memorial At Last
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Back at Maccrage
There are better ways to use the resource that he has given, Guilliman thought so. There are better options that he could have taken so that he didn't have to regret so much, Guilliman thought once more. There are better solutions... There are better means... There are better... There are...
He doesn't want to speak any of those words anymore. He never once thought about it but just how lonely his existence has become. His position and duty were mired with endless faults and misgivings that were stacked up from years passed in thousands despite only being aware of not even one of them. But here, he felt that he must do this or else he won't ever get any chance anymore.
After giving an earful to all his gene-sires about them forgetting what's important and keeping what is unnecessary. He demanded the serfs build a proper memorial for his mother. In comparison to what was used to keep him, this was modest in comparison but he know that if he doesn't do it now, there will never be a chance next time.
A large statue the size a dozen times the size of him made in her images of what he still hazily remembered of her. He tried but not even he is safe from the passage of time despite the Primarch genetic that he has. Hell, there is probably more even lost to him. But at least it can't get any worse than this.
A familiar figure approaches him by his side, worn in red and endless cybernetics along with the too-familiar insignia. Guilliman can't help but scowl a bit at this too-eccentric companion of his who assisted him since his reawaken in this living nightmare made too real. A reality that is seemingly made and tailored for his sufferings.
"Cawl, what's your business here in Macrage? You aren't someone who would take too much care if it isn't in your interest of technology" Guilliman said as he stares at the man with some suspicion.
"Good observation you have. And while what you spoke is true, I'm here for something else that only I can do right now with your permission". Cawl said as his cryptic voice is made by possibly centuries-old components.
"Good of him for asking permission when he tried to do his things here. This is a certain someone that has to be held on a tight leash unless he is going to do something that is bound on the level of heresy. But again, what in the Throne isn't heresy to these people at this point?" Guilliman thought as he continues to look upon the statue of his mother.
"Guilliman! I've finally come to see you!" A voice spoken jolliness that felt contrastingly unreal considering how much they are bombarded with bad news all the time.
Guilliman turned toward the origin of the voice and found someone whose size was larger than him and he was already huge by mortal standards. Blackened skin, bald, eyes like staring into the rolling fire, armor in dark green with gold embroidery. No one fits the criteria more than anyone else but one of his long-lost Loyalist brothers.
"Vulkan! Why are you here!?" Guilliman spoke in such acclamation that he could hardly contain. He expected somewhat that he'll be alone in this hellscape but another flicker of light appeared even if it was at such a random moment without a prompt like that. And before then, Vulkan's arm immediately wrapped around.
"I certainly don't know brother! I only come to realize that I had come back suddenly to a place unknown to me! That I resurrected once more on your planet! Although I certainly didn't come to that conclusion until I see you". Vulkan said with a cheerful tone seemingly not belonging to such a person of his status.
"What a day, this should have been huge news to the wider Imperium, and yet he can so be casual about his return like that". Guilliman thought as he can't help but enjoy the presence of a non-hostile brother for once. Guilliman then followed up on his previous line of thought: "So what were you up to until you found me".
"I was lost in the unfamiliar wilderness at first. Certainly dangerous wildlife though, a grizzly the size of me nearly gave me the run for my life but I friended by hugging it so hard that it didn't even wake up after I let it go... I decided to keep following a straight direction in mind until I at least came across something remotely civilized and I met a group of masonry workers and assisted them in exchange for temporary lodging!" Vulkan went on about and about what happened before. Normally it would just be an annoying one-sided talk but Guilliman desperately wanted it to last longer because he fears that Vulkan would suddenly up and vanish when he was done talking.
"By the way, my Lord Commander. I have come across a way to learn and acquired a method to manufacture Titans that allow us to reduce the production cost compare to the original methods assessed across many Forge Worlds. Unfortunately, in order to even make that assessment, I have been banned on-sight from 453 Titan-manufacturing capable Forges just to complete my research". Cawl calmly said what happened on his side casually as if he didn't just go and caused mass mayhem that Guilliman will have another headache to deal with.
"I hope your research is worth my already-limited time. I had enough of kicking down the doomsday calendar with all of these catastrophic events that will occur without my presence" Guilliman said as he held back another long line of instinct to facepalm.
"Oh hey, it is the statue that I made while I was there assisting the masonry workers! All I know is that they wanted to make that thing and if I do it well enough, I may get a chance to meet with the planetary governor! Didn't expect it to be you though since I only came here to see my work on display!" Vulkan said as if this masterpiece that would likely take months on end is made in just a night as a passing-by thought.
Guilliman cracked a small smile since for the longest time since his reawakening, he was constantly met and beset with anguish, failure, and opposition from all sides while his aides are barely keeping up or that only he is capable of facing. Positive reports are bare and few as they lasted only a few moments before tragedies and misfortune poured all over them like a tidal wave. He could have cried now if he wanted to but the dire situation has finally got him to the point that he finds it ashaming to shed even a single tear.
"Vulkan, were you with the royal construction workers or something because it's the place where I made order directly, right?" Guilliman asked as he continues to further inquire Vulkan.
"Wow, they must be pretty advanced with all the cybernetics they have on them then. I mean if they are constructing and maintaining weapon systems then I guessed that it fits the bill, right?" Vulkan casually speaks the contradiction with no additional thought put into it.
Both Guilliman and Cawl stood silent for a while upon hearing Vulkan's testimony. It was as if Tzeentch was playing fate with them as the coincidence became increasingly glaring of what become. They both stare toward the statue of Tarasha Euten as the realization dawns upon them about the true nature of that statue they just made.
Guilliman would often stick to the deskwork as he would often order people around with little supervision. And when things rely on serfs, errors are bound to happen regardless of how skilled they are. And since Cawl's retinue arrived without warning at all, the sudden appearance of them made a brief confusion of the Maccrage's paperwork and thus some of it may be misplaced. Since all of these just happened overnight and normally would be rectified soon the moment anyone in both of them realized what happened.
Cawl did show the design schematic to his retinues so that they can keep on working without his presence for a while which Vulkan also did see and analyze thoroughly to such a degree and speed impossible for mortals. He expected that its construction would take months on end but in comparison to other Forge Worlds, this is lightning speed compared to snail's pace.
Then came Vulkan who just abruptly joined them without a single warning. Picked up on that order and then also make use of the Titan manufacturing technology that Cawl also acquired which is partially his fault for thinking that no one but him will be able to understand it quickly enough. Vulkan put the two and two together and... the final result is this statue that is secretly a weapon of mass destruction with all of its armament so streamlined and hidden that no one will be able to tell. Not even Guilliman or Cawl.
"Brother, let's hope we don't somehow activate it. I don't need another massive pile of paperwork if that thing suddenly moves on its own". Guilliman said as if he suddenly felt intrinsic fears that surpassed all before. He could handle fighting his corrupted brothers, he could handle being stuck in a hell of his own doings. But he would not want to see his only home set ablaze in mistake.
"How in the hell did I not notice a walking giant clad in armor casually step into my retinue and do things without my informed consent!" Cawl said as if he gave anyone that line of thought before.
"I really am not living this down". Guilliman said as his mind always and instantly shifted toward the worst possible outcome. This universe seemingly always heads that way and he has never been proven wrong for believing so.
Guilliman can only stare at the statue that he personally requested. How it turned out like this is now beyond him because he chose to look somewhere else for a few seconds. His piercing gaze seemingly penetrates all as each second felt harrowing as if the world beneath will instantly explode if he dares to avert his eyes.
"Mother... I'm so sorry but it seems that I-" Guilliman spoke beneath his breath but before he completes his line. The earth trembles as the statue shakes, and Guilliman noticed it is gazing back at him in return. Expecting a dangerous response, he immediately put his guard up. However contrary to his expectation, what he got was...
"Guilliman, why haven't you got any girl with you yet?"
Embarrassment doesn't cut it anymore. He wanted to bury his head into the ground because it reminded him too much of the time he didn't have to care about anything. That his world was much smaller and that he didn't have to worry if the next day will arrive peacefully or not. That he was embraced in his mother's care and the tranquility of the bygone past made him dread and regret everything that occurred up to this point.
"Brother, are you alright?" Vulkan said as he noticed the constantly shifting expression of Roboute.
Guilliman simply cried.
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Until Nothing Remains
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Back at Twilight, Vespera, Lower Hive Sector 12
She has gunned down many Investigator Armored Cars, she gunned down Arbite Riot Trucks, she destroyed blockades, she ran over people who stood in her way regardless of innocence or guilt. Her Collapse bullets disintegrated flyers and shot down anyone who intervened.
The Valkyrie transport is now armed with guns and missiles as it now ran strafing assaults on her regardless of civilian collateral. It became clearer than ever that the Arbites are running out of their wits just to try and recapture her. Elise expected that they bring the big gun out at the beginning but it seems that they were hesitating somewhat at least until now.
As she intends to return fire back at the flying assailant, Elise's perception detected something unseen in her vehicle's way. Quickly refocusing her intent, Elise managed to swerve her vehicle as it slips through the danger that she wouldn't notice normally. Then someone that pursued behind her blew up in a violent explosion that should have been her otherwise.
Anti-tank mine... or as the PDF and the Imperial Guards would call them, forbidden canned rations. Is a trap that is made specifically to anti-vehicle and its explosion while not large is deceptively powerful to the point it would blow even a tank apart. Even if her vehicle survives, it is going to cripple her hard on her limited nanomachines just to repair it. This truck is ill-made for withstanding even if she reinforced to her best and this act is a clear signal that the local military force is now intervening.
Burst out of nowhere are the PDF's armored transports and among them has the top gunner wielding Heavy Bolters and aimed at her. In a weird manner, Heavy Bolters are more rapid-fire anti-tank rocket launchers than actual bullets because of how destructive their power is to the point if you see one on a tank, Guardsmen would joke that it is the main gun instead of the one on the turret unless explicitly a tank cannon.
Littered her path are anti-tank mines scattered haphazardly in an attempt to deter or steer her movements and as she continues to return fire her mounted Collapse Heavy Stubber back at the pursuing assailants. Unfortunately, she has to focus on either driving or shooting. Even if she could just shoot at a general direction, unless focused on one spot entirely then its effectiveness would be drastically reduced.
The PDF soldiers' constant firing of their Heavy Bolters on her hull as the damage was clearly much greater than what the Riot Arbites did before. It was at this point that Elise decided that she must jump ship. The Gauss cannon materialized on her arm once more as she focused her sight. While beset on all sight from both ground and air, the situation has become unfavorable on her side. She could easily switch between shooting and driving at seams with her mental control but it appears that this is the limit of how fast she can multitask.
Machinery do things fast enough to multitask without a problem, she isn't one.
Her mental time freeze as the command to fire is released. Even if it is at minimum output much like before, the power it contains is still too tremendous for anything in Lower Hive to muster against. As the nanite spike burst in speed in a blue streak of light toward her target, as it pierces through the hull effortlessly as it approaches its destined location.
The PDF soldiers that she targeted noticed something in that bare second but before any of them recognized what was going on, the vehicle that they drive on was brutalized into fragments and they didn't live long to realize what happened. Amidst the confusion that was going on, Elise jumped from her truck to the PDF armored transport that was pursuing her. When it comes to a Valkyrian in close combat, nothing measures. And just like that, the PDF soldiers' fate are sealed.
The Valkyrie armed transport flying in the air quickly returned to the scene of combat and the first thing that occurred within is the truck that Elise originally drive hit an anti-tank mine as it exploded into a blazing wreck. Thinking that the suspect is dead, the pilot made its report only to be quickly shot down by the remaining PDF transport. Elise has completely taken control of the other PDF ground transport and used it to deliberately sow discord upon her pursuers by friendly firing them.
Elise being swift with her actions has already converted the Heavy Bolters to fire Collapse Cartridges. Correct, even Bolter rounds can be modified with the Collapse mechanism thus allowing for a much greater disintegration effect in comparison to normal rifle rounds. She also took some power generated by the vehicle to recharge herself and also modify this transport to a much greater degree than the Riot truck could.
Now, normally one would choose to escape once she managed to deceive everyone that she died in that truck so why is she still continue fighting this hopeless fight?
Near Future: Absolute Curse
Those words keep on echoing in her mind as she continues to wear the Trigram Bracelet. A calamity will befall soon but amidst the mass amount of visions she saw when wearing it, one of them was indistinguishable to her. A battle suit marked with the emblem of an Upper Hierarchy member, amidst the downtrodden concrete jungle of the Lower Hive. It was brief but if that was the case then the Upper Hierarchy has already taken the initiative with her and she just simply acts way earlier than their planned schedule.
And if running away had helped her and her sister, this trip down into the Lower Hive wouldn't have ended with their separation!
Besides, this PDF armored carrier has one important thing that she needed if she wish to overturn the board that has been given to her. The installed Global Positioning System, or GPS somehow miraculously works with how cut off the Lower Hive is from the general information network of Vespera. One of its marked locations is the closest PDF base. If what she assumes is correct then there will be something of use to her there. Something that can withstand up to the Upper Hive's armament if combined with her nanomachinery.
Explosions occurred once more near her. She turned around and see that they have also deployed tanks for combat as they roam the path and seeks for her. If she hesitates too much, they will just fire at her with their cannons which without void-shield will destroy her regardless of resistance. And they're fast, fast as the armored carrier that she drives despite their weight written in tons.
Now that a clear objective is decided, she put her foot on the gas pedal and continues to drive fast unto the harrowing night.
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Rise, Once More
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Vespera, Lower Hive Sector 12
The military alarm echoes in the distance, she has officially become the most wanted and infamous criminal that the Lower Hive has come to declare. The death toll is written in tens of thousands, destructions whose cost would set back the development of the Lower Hive for years. But nobody cares that those deaths were civilian collateral and as if the Lower Hive ever developed beyond the hellhole that it still is for millennia.
To Elise, she simply must survive no matter what. Her sister isn't here anymore. Michele is now completely separated from her. All alone while beset on sight by all, she didn't experience it long but the isolation felt so tremendous that words can't describe and this was only just the beginning, only hell awaits her until the day when the Absolute Curse took its place. With that in mind, suddenly every action no matter how cruel looks cheap by comparison.
"Anastasia, I'll avenge you". Elise said as the PDF base came closer to her.
The wall stood imposing with its height insurmountable by normal means. With heightened security, the automated defense system all glared at her briefly with their armaments but halted because it recognized the vehicle that she was driving. The imposing appearances of the autocannons and anti-tank guns are more than enough to send a chill down any Lower Hiver's spine. This is only her saving grace for now because the moment she initiated combat, her vehicle will be declared a betrayer, and the armament of this vehicle isn't enough to brute force against the PDF base's defense.
Her pursuers came closer and Elise took action. Her power, Butterfly Effect allows her to manipulate the flow of fate to her desire. It is utterly unfair for anyone who has the misfortune to become her opponent because the moment all gloves are off, she is simply unstoppable and the Upper Hierarchy knew it too.
What has she done here? Causing the defense system to turn against each other by the mere fluke of numbers? Having all the guns misfire and cause self-destruction? No... It is a lot simpler than one might think. Just by knowing how desperate the life of a Lower Hiver is that even in crisis, they can't even be allowed to shirk their jobs.
A random empty automobile-hauler truck was nearby. That was simply it. No grandeur, no gambit, just a straight solution that was so basic that it returns to being utterly outlandish by imagination. With her remote control capability, she manipulated the truck to move on its own and raised its ramp upward for her, so that she can make the jump straight into the base. This entire plan was conjured by a mind of a young girl, brilliance which people may call but it is all just desperate survival for her.
With speed exceeding even the mechanical limit permitted otherwise by the said armored personal carrier. Elise's vehicle flew upward into the base as the automated turrets just stare at her doing nothing. Because she technically didn't attack, the system simply didn't declare her at all despite she has already stepped into the forbidden ground, all spared because of the vehicle which she drove.
Unfortunately, Elise didn't nail the landing too well as it lands incorrectly and overturns around for a few times before landing on the wheel again. But by then, it is heavily damaged to the point that it can no longer mount any proper defense. She could tell that the personnels inside are already on high alert and she quickly drove toward the armory using the viewpoint of the said navigation system. With no reservation, she drove through the wall of the armory which finally totaled the vehicle. But all that matters is that she made it.
The vehicle that she came for, is a tank of the same kind that the PDF used to capture and chase her. For some reason when she looks at it, she felt a sharp sensation stabbing through her entire body. She has no idea why now but she quickly shrugged it off by principle and determination as she quickly mounted the tank before anyone could get in.
Why couldn't she just go and stole one of the tanks that were chasing her instead of wasting all her efforts just to steal one from here? The answer is that the tactic she used to stole said armored carrier doesn't work on the tanks at all. They don't use standard vision, they use special auspex and scanners to detect their enemies. Unlike the wider Imperium, Twilight tanks are fast and absolutely ruthless when it comes to any chosen target. Few things withstand and although she could just use Maxima Inertia to destroy them, her power is already running thin with how excessively costly it can be.
Thus came the second reason why she come here: to obtain a power source.
All governmental establishments even including PDF forward bases have a plasma reactor that is used as a means to obtain power even during total blackout so that they can function on their own. Her power reserve has its limit and once she did so, there will be no stopping on how much she can display her power. With intentions of killing two birds with one stone, Elise used her nanomachines in order to set up a neural interface so that she can control all of its faculty using thoughts alone in addition to covering its external armor in a thin layer of nanite so that not even armor-piercing shells could penetrate.
The tank made another hole in the armory's wall as it drives toward the power generator area. The PDF soldiers and armored tanks who have already surrounded the place quickly retaliate as countless anti-tank explosives and tank shells flew toward her. As all of them collide with the target, a cloud of dust exploded where she was as a result. Nothing could have survived that, they expected, only for this cruel reality to betray them once more.
Her tank burst past the dust cloud as it ran over another tank with speed and acceleration impossible for its mechanical components. As the encirclement broke in seconds, the other PDF soldiers and tank gunners tried to steer their aims at her only to see that their target disappeared from their sights. They tried to pursue her but before they can do anything, the entire base blackout. All they know is that something horrible is going to happen and that they are now powerless to stop it.
"Call the Navy, we need to destroy it now!" One of the PDF commanding officers said as he knew how outclassed he is in the scope of this battle.
All hell breaks loose before any of them realized anything at all. Their bodies falling apart yet no blood has been shed, tanks being dismantled before any shots could be fired. Not even a second has passed in their minds but the battle has already been ended before any of them could do anything. That was just a very tiny fraction of the Upper Hive's power being displayed.
From the darkness moving out of is a tank coated in metallic black as marks of circuitry carved into its surface. It was no longer an off-the-mill tank that was mass-produced anymore, it is now her herald of vengeance against the people that her House has tirelessly served only to be repaid with betrayal.
Inside the driver seat, Elise has completely altered the tank's inner mechanism. Its functionality now exceeds its original purpose along with capabilities that never existed in standard production. Collapse Cartridges, neural interface, high-speed response system, magnetic-assisted bearings, and most importantly... Reverse Collapse.
Scattered dust around the tank converges towards it. Its appearance starts to transform into something even greater than what the Lower Hive even knows of.
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Chavin - Ordo Civitas
Cultural Exchange
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Vespera, Upper Hive Sector 8
"Took ya long enough..." Chavin said to his retinue personnels as they finally part ways with the luxurious restaurant they had for dinner. These people know naught of the taste of the noble thus they came to savor all of it as much as their taste buds could.
His job is to record the entirety of the culture of Imperial worlds and to make sure that there's no benign corruption built into its foundation or else. Worlds went traitors or joined hands with Chaos because their entire culture and rooting have been warped since the beginning is not unheard. Amongst the countless ordos that exist in the Inquisition, this is just one of the more minor Ordos that thankfully have no conflict with others unlike the Ordo Lorekeeper and the Ordo Redactor in particular.
And besides, he gets to enjoy firsthand the luxury. On the other hand, his duty commands him to go even the deplorable part and experience it too. Living amongst the people to understand the culture they said. With how wildly different cultures of the Imperium can be in each world, some people's ideas of privilege may entirely be different than one another. Twilight thankfully sat on the more standard of the list that Guilliman made.
"The Governor's black card. Goddamn does he not want to deal with us at all that he even goes so far for this one-sided deal". Chavin said as he inspects the card that he is given which is perfectly valid everywhere in the Upper and Middle Hive.
"Sir, so where do we head for tonight?" One of his retinue soldiers spoke to him.
"Good question..." Chavin said as he takes a look at the dataslate map.
The things they do here are basically going to every landmark-worthy place in the Hive and asking anyone in position using their Inquisitorial Authority for information. They also go to the Library or Archive for a fast briefing on history and culture although that might be subjected to the Houses' censorship, however, it is currently not in their authority to do such things.
"They certainly have a mass grave in their closets... Guess that if I want a truthful account, I have to breach their places." Chavin thought as he had read an off-the-stall book of Vespera's history and it is perfectly pristine. Too pristine that it felt wrong. To the point that he couldn't believe people regurgitate this shit to the general populace.
It's just wishful thinking at this point. But he would rather his investigation of Twilight end peacefully as much as it started. He has seen worlds turn toward destruction during his visit and he was swept along until he and his retinue narrowly escape and can only return a half-filled report for archiving.
The distinct sound of something flew above the retinue. They were on duty for long enough to make distinctions between flying vehicles based on the sound they made alone and what they heard was none of what they were used to or even voidship in general. They gazed up into the night illuminated by the city light but there was nothing to even trace off.
"That's strange..." Chavin said as his instinct was unusually reactive to what he heard despite being nowhere near danger.
And of course, the retinue didn't pay any further heed since it wasn't related to them by any means. Chavin kept that feeling just now in mind and accepted that it is too not something he can do right now.
"Okay, then. Since all of you love being a chatterbox right now, how about an overview of what you have learned so far about the culture of this Hive Sector". Chavin spoke to his retinue as they all suddenly quaked in fear of the sudden test they are given.
There's no real punishment to it compared to the actual battlefield but their leading Inquisitor tends to take whatever blunder they made into their mind and continue to remind them so until they no longer repeat that mistake. All of them were taught to be a soldier and suddenly the role of scholar was thrust upon them.
"So... which house is taken control is this Hive Sector?" Chavin spoke this question as if they are going to the gallow for getting it wrong.
A retinue guardsman raised his hand before answering it.
"Yes sir, this Hive Sector is overseen by House Klepius which lies on medical research and breakthrough"
"Good, you are spared for tonight". Chavin said as he is glad that someone finally takes initiative on their own after his long years of service. His general rule is that if you are willing to answer his question, he will not punish you if you get it wrong. That's the minimum if he intends to have any of his retinues even developed beyond just meat shield.
The Upper Hierarchy is the assembles of the Noble Houses of the Upper Hive. It is said that each of these Houses came descent from the original scientists of Twilights. Each of them keepsake and advance their chosen path of technology such as the Valkyria and their quantum manipulation technology that enables them to conduct computation power that exceeds this universe's scale and can even divine the path of fate itself through brute force.
"Now, can any of you tell me all of the names of Noble Houses of Vespera Upper Hive?". Chavin said as he proceeded to the next question.
"Yes, sir! All of their names are Genesis, Klepius, Nephilim, Asura". One of the soldiers speaks not because of enthusiasm but because he would rather that he get it right once and not answer another of this question again in a field that he is simply ill-prepared for.
"You pass this one for tonight". Chavin said as he was somewhat pleased that his retinue actually retained their knowledge instead of having it flow out of their brains the moment their minds scattered.
"As you all can see, we are in the Upper Hive right now and all of them are territory of theirs. And their technology eventually spreads through this place and the culture eventually reflected upon those aforementioned technologies. You see how many differences there are between each Hive Sector that are overseen by different Houses." Chavin said as he is proud to speak of his experience and knowledge as a Civitas Ordo Inquisitor, much to the chagrin of the retinue guardsmen.
All of the retinue guardsmen together tried to hold back a group sigh from being uttered.
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Defiance Of Reasons
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Vespera, Lower Hive Sector 12
An entire tank battalion has mobilized against her but after the destruction of a PDF base with little result has been made despite their efforts, the PDF is unwilling to send more of their people to the meat grinder for such little gain as this. The wider Imperium is usually more zealous and lunatic than this as a casualty rate of over 100% will somehow still be considered as victory to them.
'No cost is too much', is a philosophy of self-destruction that the Imperium has taken to its core and there's no reversal to it anymore. A culture of self-flagellation for no more purpose or meaning that its own sake. Twilight's people however despite being part of Imperium have no desire to ever accept that kind of belief and thus if it is too much for them, they would rather just run. Calling them cowardice or anything, it is still far more rational than even the brightest mind that the Imperium's system even conjures.
Besides, this isn't their war. The actual reinforcement is now coming to deal with her but they won't be able to easily subdue her like before. The tank that she stole has transformed into something else entirely.
The Upper Hierarchy's task force has arrived although they didn't expect the youngest scion of Valkyria to be the one who took the initiative first which contradicts the records they had of them. She was a meek and easily afraid girl but now, her conviction and circumstances have pushed the situation to this point. Like cornering a rat until it has no choice but to go rabid on its own predator.
Flying from the voidship is a large figure whose size is far surpassed that of any normal human. If a comparison can be made, it would be the closest to a Warhound Titan in terms of size. Its dexterity and flight capability along with its closer to humanoid design however tell of another story entirely and whatever it is, Elise would best take precautions against it despite her already modified war engine.
It lands in front of her but is still nowhere near. Elise immediately fired her tank's main gun as the modified tank cannon crackles in azure electricity. In the next moment, a shell burst in exasperating speed toward its target in its aim but the figure is no longer near. Even just being near its trajectory could spell demise but to respond in such quick measure can only be one thing to her.
"Nephilim Battle Suit... So all of you have come to settle the score". Elise spoke as she barely attempt to hold back the contempt in her voice.
She recalled the vision she saw and the heraldry printed onto the battlesuit's shoulder plate is the same as the one she saw. Part of her wishes to be proven wrong so that the fate that is coming can be denied but so far, it has been right every time. And she always thought of herself as not being powerful enough to stop whatever may come.
"Hello, child of Valkyria. It seems that we meet again". The vox broadcasted from the flying battlesuit reached her tank's radio as it spoke through it.
The voice was robotic in nature as if going through so much autotune that its original tone was no longer discernable. Elise didn't care about it as she unleashed her main cannon once more and the battlesuit swiftly evaded the oncoming attack with ease.
"It seems that you have no intention of recognizing me. Then perhaps this will remind you." The battlesuit pilot spoke to Elise as her hostility went through the roof.
By force of will, we shall determine our own destiny.
Upon hearing it, Elise has a moment of epiphany. But it was brief before she went completely ballistic on the opposing pilot as she charges and fire the main cannon as fast as she could. The flying battle suit evaded swiftly as the shot went completely missed and destroyed anything misfortunate to be in its path.
She had heard that phrase before. Not at the origin but because of how Anastasia used to say that phrase with so much pride that it hurts her to know that Anastasia is no longer on this earth. That the people she came to partnering with can betray her heartlessly like that as if the years of comradeship did nothing for them.
"Betrayer..." Elise muttered sadly in a voice mired in contempt and sorrow.
Anastasia once introduced her to them, the League of Scions. A group of individuals that are all the heirs to each of Upper Hive Nobles. She could remember their names, their feats, their abilities... and their sins toward her House. Narrowing down the line of information in her mind, Elise came to her conclusion as she realized who is behind that battlesuit.
"Samjo... You dirty bastard!" Elise yelled back in fury. If anyone knows that yell belongs to a 12-year-old then it would be hard to take it seriously. But the Upper Hierarchy knew better than to underestimate the might of a Valkyria now that there was nothing left for them to uphold.
"Don't take it to heart too much. It's not like I didn't want to do it either. If it's a fight that you seek then I shall beat you down before I'll bring you back to where you should have been". The voice spoke from the battlesuit trying to affirm their position but with how much anguish Elise endured, all voices ultimately fell on deaf ears to her.
Elise fired without another word of comment in which Samjo did the same and returned fire with the installed Plasma Cannon on the battlesuit's left arm. His target was immobile but the sound of repulsion field flared up signaled him that his attack failed. Returning her opponent back his attack is another fire of her main gun but Samjo who is piloting his battle suit decided to not keep up this charrade by charging at her with the Power Edge installed on his right arm to bypass the repulsion field Elise made.
But unfortunately for him, that action was what Elise anticipated of him. Once he made close contact and was about to thrust the Power Edge through her hull, Elise countered him with the tank itself. As it made its sudden acceleration and turned on its own position. It throws the battle suit's movement off to the side while the tank also flips in that direction. And while Samjo was trying to regain his bearing, he realized that the tank doesn't have only the main gun. It was 11 of them.
"Eleven barrels of hell, open". Elise said with a voice as cold as Leman Russ's homeworld.
The tank she rode on was no longer the Leman Russ on the report. Using her nanomachinery alongside the area total blackout. She faked her own vehicle's appearance and heat signature to make it appear more like an oversized tank rather than something else. As Samjo realized the rash mistake he made, he muttered a voice of both recognition and derision.
"Well play... scion of Valkyria. The Baneblade, a perfect weapon of choice indeed". Samjo spoke to himself as the illusion that Elise put on disappear.
An overwhelming amount of firepower was unleashed at once. 11 of tank shells on direct impact would have destroyed even a standard Warhound Titan. But the Nephilim Battle Suit isn't just for the show of it. As the explosion completely blasted away the battle suit by a considerable, it quickly recovered back to standing position as the flickers of Void shield of it can be detected with her tank's auspex. It doesn't seem to be able to sustain flight anymore after the damage she did, however.
The Baneblade is the super-heavy tank that is among the oldest and most well-known combat vehicles of the entirety of the Imperial Guards. Bristling with armaments, a Baneblade is less of a tank and more of a rolling fortress. An unmistakable icon of the Imperium's armored supremacy, a single one of these super-heavy war engines can serve as the mailed fist of an Astra Militarum offensive, or as the unassailable lynchpin of even the most desperate of defenses.
Possessed of overwhelming and versatile firepower, exceptionally thick armor, and a near-indefatigable power plant, the Baneblade has been deployed in many varied war zones throughout the galaxy. Wherever a Baneblade sees battle it quickly becomes the center of the battle line. Guardsmen and smaller tanks shelter in its colossal shadow, even as the ranks of the enemy flee from it in abject terror.
This behemoth of steel is brutally difficult to manufacture in most Forge Worlds due to its excessively demanding material requirement and technology precision. In Twilight, however, this tank is manufactured with decent ease. Its major weaknesses, speed, and maneuverability have been rectified and remedied to the best of Twilight's technological base to the point that it can now work effectively as an unstoppable vanguard and commanding spearhead.
A powerful vehicle that is a symbol of prestige to many Imperial Regiments. To Twilight's people, they are just the main battle tanks of the Imperial Guards garrison of Middle Hive.
The battle suit stood up in battle stance, now with its weapon fully engaged. Samjo didn't expect Elise to have become so cunning and resourceful in such a short time but he can guess that time and circumstances change people faster than the seasons on a Paradise World.
"If you don't want to talk it out with words then we shall discuss it with our fists! Understand or not, you'll die for it all the same". Samjo spoke through her Baneblade's Vox transmitter which she still hasn't turned off for some reason.
Words of Emperor: For this part, play The Hot Wind is Blowing - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
The Imperial Guardsmen would often jest that the Baneblade were once DAoT scouting tanks and that there are still far more deadly things in the past's arsenal that they haven't discovered. For the most part, it would be an ill-informed humor that has no basis and the Tech-Priests would give them an ear-lashing for making such a tasteless attempt at mockery of their venerable war engines.
Well... Elise's Baneblade would be the one that makes said joke above real as its movement and maneuverability are no different than the ancient martial artists of old. And Samjo wouldn't wait for her to reload all her cannons either as he charges at her with his furious blade dance and if you have no weapon available, your body is the next thing you would rely on. In this case, the entire mass of the Baneblade is her weapon.
The hot wind blowing
Jagged lines across the sand
The one component that enables the Baneblade's abnormal movement and speed is the Gravity Adjustor which is a defunct system that is present in all Baneblades within Imperium's circulation and soon-to-be-produced according to its ancient STC design, allowing them to switch between movement and siege mode at a flick of a switch. The difference between modes wasn't too large but enough for it to move as fast as smaller tanks.
Elise's adjustment however made it like a paper blew by the wind and combined with Reverse Collapse's antigravitic boost which made Samjo's Nephilim Battle Suit despite its adjustment for speed hard to get a clear hit on her. And as he approaches close to her yet is unable to land any blow, he immediately gets counter-attacked as Elise's swung the Baneblade's abnormally long main cannon into his body with great speed impossible for even the same vehicle.
The crumbling buildings...
In my mind are all that stands
Suddenly taken aback by Elise's unorthodox usage of the Baneblade. The lunacy of her using the tank as a melee weapon itself is completely absurd even by the Imperium's already exaggerated standard. But Elise keeps driving her tank as if its movements are like water flow, her motions as if the wind scatters. When either one of the cannons reloaded during that short amount of time, she unleashes her firing with no hesitation as she has no intention of letting a moment go for those who dare to try to wrong her.
"Damn it, was the Baneblade's main cannon that long?!" Samjo yelled as his power edge try to carve into her tank's hull but the repulsion field of both canceled out one another. As Samjo switches to the Plasma Cannon to point-blank her tank, he ended up being the one on receiving end as the Collapse Vanquisher Cannon did it instead as it bypasses the repulsion field as a result of the combination with Maxima Inertia. A gaping hole blew through the battle suit's body but seems to hit nowhere near the pilot as it proceeds to function.
Just like a mindless grox
Blindly following its herd.
"Fuck you, kid. I paid a fucking loan for that shit. If it weren't for my House technology then this shit would have just ended on an anticlimactic note". Samjo spoke as if he tries to deny that he got his own ass handed by a 12-year-old. Then the hole that blasted through the battle suit suddenly mended itself as if what she had done never happened. Much like how she denied her own death, Samjo so too denied his defeat.
"So, you belong to House Klepius then... You shall rue the day I come to take what's yours just like you have taken what's mine". Elise said as her vengeance didn't abate any less.
And so we tried to justify
For everything that has occurred
Suddenly, Samjo became more combat-competent the moment he threw away his pride. The Power Edge that was installed suddenly shift its form into the more traditional glaive. Where the rest of its shaft came from is a mystery to most people but Elise has an idea of what it was. However, she has no time to ponder on the fact now that her opponent is finally serious about what he came for.
The bottom of the shaft suddenly burst a jet-like flame as the Nephilim Battle Suit propels forward with all the might it could muster. As the blade plunges into the concrete ground as it plows toward her with a screeching yell hard to ignore. And yet despite all the forewarning, Elise couldn't maneuver the Baneblade out of its way fast enough as the glaive cleaves into her frontal hull.
I know what I've been told
Yet their wish can't be controlled
Even with the repulsion field canceled out, the force behind is so immense that the glaive still managed to damage the Baneblade's nanite armor. Then the impact force flung the Baneblade out of Samjo's path as he then made a swift turn to attack her again. But this time, she didn't stay immobile as she immediately propels and sidesteps his charge.
Seeing the opportunity for a decisive blow, Samjo made a sharp stop as he plunges the glaive downward into the ground and then used the shaft to charge at her while her back is open. But he underestimated just how many modifications she has done to the Baneblade as its track turned on its own before Samjo came frontal with all the cannons aimed at him.
I know what I've been told
Yet their wish can't be controlled
Narrowly and flexible, he quickly perform a pole vault with his own glaive as he then came downward for a thrusting strike. Using the same nanite enhancement that the Valkyria used since their Houses partnered together, he did so with the belief that he'll be able to penetrate that armor of hers. But he didn't even make a single dent in her. To add insult to injury, Elise didn't fire any of her cannon at all.
With precision impossible, she parried his glaive with her Collapse Vanquisher Cannon's barrel. As Samjo was airborne and had nothing to stabilize his direction, he fell face flat into her frontal hull and then get dragged on with the Glaive as it was magnetically attached to him to the point that it is the extension of his battle suit's body. Using sheer brute force that she applied to spin the turret, Elise hurled Samjo to the side as he was left staggered on the ground by his misjudgment of actions.
Heat of the desert! Dust settles on my face!
Without a compass, a soldier knows no disgrace!
Elise then immediately drives toward the still-lying Samjo before he recovered himself, then overclocking one side of the tank treads as she made an abrupt turn on itself causing the tank to tilt over. Then during said tilt, Elise overclocked the other track causing the tank to perform a human-equivalence of a side flip. Then as the Baneblade then landed on the battle suit that Samjo took control of, the weight of 316 tons on a small surface as a palm will crush anything if not at least heavy damaged the battle suit's structure.
Then not just stopping at that, Elise performed another backflip on top of Samjo as the Baneblade's weight caused a heavy cracking sound to reverberate. As the force of it launched the Baneblade up 3 meters into the air. If it weren't for Samjo's nanomachinery, then the battlesuit would have turned into a pile of unusable scraps long ago, technology difference be damned.
Out of the ashes! The Aquila rises still!
Freedom is coming, to all men who bend their will!
Then Elise cranked the Gravity Adjustor to siege mode as the Baneblade's already super-heavyweight turned to structural-collapsing level. As the weight of an entire bunker complex start to fall toward Samjo's battle suit, he quickly overclocked all of his battle suit's mechanical functions. During that short duration that he is given, he grabbed the Baneblade by its barrel and his battle suit immediately screams and yells in overstress. And it was only just delaying the inevitable.
And here I stand, dirty and faceless. Waiting to heed your instruction.
All alone, invisible warrior. I am your herald of destruction!
The 11 cannons... Samjo has forgotten about that because he was trying to prevent the battlesuit from being crushed into a plate. Even if he still has the Void shield up, the main gun is still aiming at the pilot's chamber directly.
"Eleven barrels of hell, unleash!" Elise yelled as the sounds of cannon shells prime in unison.
All men who bend their will...
All eleven cannons fired at once. Followed by an explosion or many of them so viscerally powerful that nothing should have remained. And yet when the dust cleared, the battle suit's only damage was from the main Collapse Vanquisher Cannon that has went straight through the torso's center. The void shield has utterly collapsed from the damage and Elise then turned the turret as she then tossed the battle suit that still clings to the main gun barrel to the side.
We fought for justice. In a forgotten place
Fulfill our duty, then vanish without a trace.
Elise took a breather as she can believes that the battle suit is as much as destroyed because of how Collapse Cartridge would disintegrate everything around what it hits and that there shouldn't be any chance of survival now that the pilot is utterly gone. That's how she knew it should happen but the Upper Hierarchy wouldn't have been that horrible to fight against if it was simple like that.
The pilotless battle suit stood up on its own and the damage she dealt was easily restored as if nothing happened to it at all. She had an inkling but after seeing it get confirmed with her own eyes, she can now confirm one fact. That Samjo is a coward, resourceful, sly bastard, and that it is not a bad thing at all. Anyone with more than half of their brain cells would discard their foolish glory and honor for more practical methods and Samjo chose to stay behind at the voidship and took control of the battle suit remotely. This is Twilight, the last world where lies the ember of a once-existent prosperous era of humanity.
Don't need a medal for all the men we kill
Freedom is coming, to all men who bend their will.
She has no intention of letting that battlesuit keep going against her. Besides, she would do a favor for herself to tie up all the loose ends or else. With all the eleven cannons ready, she blasted that battlesuit down to literal smithereens with a silent gaze as the Collapse Cartridges dismantle it at the quantum level.
Herald of Destruction
She gazed toward the voidship in the distant sky above. It is there as if to mock her and that there will never be a way for her to reach it. At surface level, that's the truth but Elise is no longer the prisoner chained to her past and she'll sooner display her conviction by force or else. She would sooner make this Baneblade fly rather than surrender to the people who pushed her to the brink.
More of those Nephilim Battlesuits arrived but unlike the previous one where the Scion of Klepius took charge, the behavior displayed shows that they are being remotely controlled by the enlisted household serfs which are plenty in evidence. If that is the case, Elise has no problem with destroying them as soon as she can.
The Baneblade's internal reactor flared up in power once more as she continues to chase after her objective with all the rage she has.
"Get back here! Don't you dare run away from me!" Elise yelled as the Baneblade moved at a speed that left actual high-speed military vehicles to eat dust. With no hesitation or care, the gigantic war engine drove through its obstacles as there was no longer anything that can concretely halt her anymore. The PDF who were supposed to safeguard its populace just leave her to sow whatever carnage and destruction on her way because Elise is simply beyond their capability of fighting back.
The voidship that Samjo is on also begins to fire its armaments at her. A proof that she is dangerous enough to be registered as a threat to them despite being airborne and away from her. He doesn't know how but Samjo knew that if he doesn't try to crush her now, she'll brought down this ship by any means necessary deemed to her.
The swarms of false angels made in machinery fly from the voidship toward her as they announce their intentions to silence her with their Plasma Cannons. Elise so too made her return announcement that she'll tear down this false sanctity that they worship so much, that she'll torch their eden down in blaze utterly furious that not even ashes shall remain.
Madness within her eyes tells that she won't even stop at just this world. If this galaxy is already burned then the universe shall be aflame by her command.
Near Future: Absolute Curse
Anastasia once questioned why the Upper Hierarchy can just betray their House like this despite how the Absolute Curse omen is fast approaching. That they can they just act rashly like this and not question if their action will only further reinforce this outcome. Then, revelation comes. Elise realized why she keeps hearing this Emperor-awful echo of that curse still reverb in her mind and why her Trigram Bracelet keeps yelling that same incessant warning.
She is the Absolute Curse that they detested so much. That as long as she still lives, this twisted fate will follow. If she was still that naive girl back then and if her death will resolve the turmoil of her House, she'll gladly accept. But now... they forced her hands and if this is what they want then she'll gladly become the monster that they so feared.
Ballistics fly, energy bolt fired, void shield flickers and activated. Elise sees why Samjo spoke of how he paid a huge sum for the modification of the particular battle suit he used against her because unlike him, all these flying battle suits are just nothing but flies to be swatted down in a single attack. Without any void shield and only repairing nanomachines in which she simply overwhelmed them with sheer firepower and Collapse technology.
Collapse Technology was a subsidiary of the original Quantum research that her House found. The final bridge between relativity and quantum physics which many geniuses from previous eras desperately tried to bridge. And that in the hope of doing so, they can build a better future. Too bad that she is now using it to snuff the last ember of progress that humanity once has.
Mass data storage with no size increase, teleportation, localized anti-gravity, and many and more applications, and here she is just using the most crude method possible for it. Quantum dismantles. As her foes collapsed into unrecognizable particles, Elise made her mental blueprints as she intends to make the Baneblade fly, not necessarily by transforming it into a flying vehicle but by making it fly by sheer force of power.
With some tweaks and modifications of her nanomachines, the tank took off as it flew toward the voidship with killing intentions. A hunk of metal weighted in hundreds of tons, flew through the air. It would have been utter delusional to a lot of engineers, including Tech-Priests but since voidships existed and Elise is fighting one right now
As the Baneblade approaches the voidship, they are clearly in panic as they start to unleash the more lethal weapons at her. A barrage of missiles flew toward her from the broadside of the ship as it tracked her position. Elise's flying tank also returned fire in equal measure but the moment they did collide, the true nature of this weapon was revealed. As they exploded, the reality around itself shattered as all matters started to be devoured by it in a whirl of psychedelic purple. In the few scants seconds that it existed, its nightmarish existence then vanished without leaving behind a few traces that something sacrilegious has occurred.
Vortex Missile. A weapon that can effectively destroy and annihilates any material defense and existence by creating a rift in reality that will lead directly into the Immaterium. Like a black hole that comes into contact, it violently rips apart anything in its tremendous and colossal gravitational force that it created and if anything is still somehow alive, it will be turned into the very stuff of the Warp the moment it came into contact with the Immaterium.
It doesn't matter of her indestructible nanites, it doesn't matter if she can come back from death itself. If she's got thrown into the Immaterium, she'll be stuck there to be torn apart for eternity. Suddenly, the weight of consequences became much heavier and the potential for failure become much more severe. Because of that, Elise became much more serious if she wasn't done so before.
Keeping her distance, taking down any Vortex Missile that is imminent to approach. There's hardly any way to even eloquently describe this battle beyond the fact that life and death felt much more intimate than before when there was nothing that she knew of can harm her in Lower Hive. Just a battle for her right to live.
"She's fast approaching! Use anything that can stop her now!" Samjo spoke as he urged the other officers to use greater measures.
Samjo wished he could just admit defeat. House Klepius wasn't any martial related because of their development focus but with how much of their technology being a considerable force multiplier on its own, they are dragged into war regardless of their consents or desire. Samjo learned these ancestral lessons long before he actually became the official scion of the House.
But with the rest of the Upper Hierarchy seeming so deadset on maintaining their reigns and asserting their dominance, they must never show themselves as weak to any other. This even includes true surrender and admittance of defeat which proves that they aren't as ironclad as people thought to be. A cruel gods' reign indeed and Samjo wished he could change it but 10000 years of cultural inertia proves any effort as futile and meaningless.
He wished that they have never partaken in the extermination of House Valkyria. He wished that 'the end justifies the mean' wasn't the philosophy of this world. That a better solution could have been taken but no matter how much wishful thinking one may try, they have one chance and they blundered it. And this is the reality that Samjo has to live in.
It doesn't matter how many more destructive weapons he could muster against Elise for she has one thing that protects her that transcends all reasonings of this world. Fate. The one who fought against fate is ironically being protected by it and now moves according to its whim. The acceptance that Elise... is now the one bound by destiny itself.
Reaching the blind range of the ship, Elise's Baneblade landed on its frontal deck as its reactor once blared in anger. Moving in seething speed that left scorching trail tracks behind her treads, the oversized tanks ran through the hull, firing its copious amount of Collapse Cartridges in a cacophony of madness. As she drove through the interior of the ship while wreaking havoc like a blender, she also deliberately cause as much critical destruction as it could to bring down this flying city-sized ship with no qualm of collateral. Before then when she had at least concerned somewhat for the people around her but now, they can go burn in hell for all she cares.
Samjo watched the destruction unfold within the interior through the security cameras. It felt utterly wrong to bring so many of their people to their demise when their whole job is saving people. It was why House Klepius even had a good relationship with House Valkyria priors to their destruction, it was why they didn't install any kill switch in them with the Medicare nanomachines that they gave as the proof of bond. It was a genuine solidarity of 10000 years and the entire Hierarchy just callously disregard.
If the Klepius didn't take the Hierarchy's side, they would undoubtedly face the same end that the Valkyria went through. Cowardice... he wished that is the only reason he could chalk to but the truth is far worse.
"Reactor room destroyed! We lost our power!" One of the officers shouted in warning before the whole room turned dark soon after.
Samjo stood in silence and everyone could feel the oncoming demise in the form of shaking that they can felt. As the voidship lost its power, the whole ship started to drop and right before that occurred, Elise's Baneblade burst into their room firing ordinances in erratic patterns that has no purpose but just fire as soon as the rounds loaded in.
He couldn't react even as the Baneblade fast-approaching him. Then only darkness came. He had no last words and silence was all he perceived.
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At Hell's Gate
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Next day, Vespera, Lower Hive Sector 12.
Michele woke up, and a chronic delirium still lingers in her mind. Cursing herself that once more, she caused deaths and destruction because she can't reign her behavior in. She still remembers the electric chair she got put in then after being utterly furious at the interrogator, her mind went blank before she just woke up here again in a bullet train soaked in blood.
"3 minutes. What a record to instantly fall back into carnage again". Michele tried to uplift her mood but clearly failed. Gallow humor isn't enough for her at this point, guillotine is probably next.
Since she got here anyway. Michele decided that she'll lie her way out to whatever she had. At least the situation on her side can't get worse and... Her Middle Hive returning ticket... That was when she realized she can truly go deeper than rock bottom and instead claw through the bedrock itself into the magma.
"I'm fucked, am I?" Michele sulks as she realized she is now stuck in this hellhole probably for the rest of her life. If the Guild Master can possibly send someone to rescue her then maybe but that chance seemingly keep dwindling away as she took her breath.
Utterly dejected, Michele proceeds either way because whatever happens, happens. Already going through 5 stages of grief at record speed, her acceptance phase is strangely melancholic for a woman who is seemingly stained in so much blood. Her contradictory existence sorts of created a rather colorful person that contrasted greatly with the bleak existence around her.
Climbing up the staircase hoping that it would have got her somewhere. If there's any guarantee about the blood-soaked side of her, it is that she would at least be safe once she return to herself. However, this might be the first time that she is proven wrong.
Suddenly surrounded once more by men in armor and firearms, they are in a state of high alert because someone came out of the restricted area without warning. With guns pointed at her, she suddenly felt the same familiarity with the situation as before.
"30 seconds. If I break that record that I set before immediately, I'm going to be so done with life..." Michele thought as she starts to accursed her own existence as the way fate has its way with her almost seemingly made to trigger her trauma once more.
"Spell out your reason for being here. Why have you come through the emergency train station without any prior reservation". The man who seems to be the leader of the security guards spells it out to her.
"Huh, that's why. No wonder they are suspicious of me. I mean if someone came into your house uninvited from your backdoor no less than you would be vigilant about it". Michele thought in her mind as she realized the situation is not as serious as she thought. And it seems that they didn't hear anything about the Arbite Precinct breakout that she made.
*cough* *cough* "I'm the investigator that the local Arbite has sent me away due to the emergency of the situation. The harrowing events that transpired have caused tremendous damage to the retinue that accompanied and I was the sole survivor of this fateful trip. Now, I am here to request protection should there be anyone that seeks to take my life". Michele lied as naturally as she breathed. If her experience as a therapist didn't assist her here then her entire life was a mistake.
Normally, what she said would be going through much scrutiny but Arbite's blank administrator card assisted her as she hide her true identity from them.
"Speak your name and your profession" The leader of the security guards spoke as he affirms if what she said is true or not.
"My name is Edgeworth and I'm an Arbite-hired interrogator of the Inquisition. My actual profession is therapist and I intend to stay as such". Michele said with fluency and discord undetected. If she intends to lie about her identity, it would better be something huge that they can't just look up for. Besides, the entire database and record of the Precinct she ran from have gone up in flame, and not a trace is left in the blaze she made.
The Edgeworth name isn't a lie at all. It was her surname that she learned from her blade's cloth wrapping. That's her complete name, Michele Edgeworth.
And it seems that the guards have taken in completely with her lie. They decided that she has better talk with the actual supervisor of this place if she intends to stay there any longer. To Michele, it is a moment of breathing and relief for her because she would rather not have more life taken by her anymore. At least not in the immediate.
In hindsight, she should have realized what this place is when heavily-armed guards are seemingly standard in this place. When she got to the outdoor area, the reality of the situation slaps her in the face hard.
This place was a goddamn labor camp.
In Lower Hive where advanced technology seemingly is forbidden from being spread here, the entirety of Twilight's Lower Hive industry is completely reliant on its massive population. The number of sweatshops or straight-up slavery would make anyone shudder at the thought of those who allowed it to be possible. But of course, no one bats an eye because their livelihood is much more important than any stranger they don't know about.
Their living condition was at the bare minimum, just barely enough to get their body moving at the back-breaking labor they are forced to endure whether because of the law's punishment or because someone got them here. In other words, your life is ruined the moment you became part of this place. Even if anyone got out of there somehow, the traumatic experience will make the rest of their existence miserable.
To make things even worse, this particular camp she arrived at supplies about 30% of the labor force of Lower Hive which is a considerable amount because of how many similar places like this around the entirety of the Lower Hive. The actual non-slave workforce is about 60% but just because it is the majority doesn't mean everything is perfectly fine.
Michele now suddenly shudders as to why on Twilight that the Lower Arbites have a labor camp designated as their bookmark location.
Turning her gaze away, for now. Michele walks along with the guards as the laborers look at her with contemptuous eyes, it would be wrong if they didn't because they perceive anyone that is part of this cruel system as their enemy. She knows that too but for now, she intends to withhold and secure her way out as soon as possible.
If her lifespan can't get cut any shorter with that experience, then she would have dropped dead long ago.
An hour later, Michele stepped out of their headquarters building in this massive industrialized complex that seemingly churn out anything that one could fathom. She had no idea how she had convinced their leader as she stares at the wrinkly and insidious expression that the camp's overseer gave at her. In truth, her mind had gone completely blank in sheer pressure and she is surprised at how her demonic side didn't arise during that.
With the warden ID tag on her hand, she is registered as a... therapist at the infirmary which is seemingly designed to extort the most worth out of someone. At this point, Michele felt that her dignity is going to become tainted for an entirely different reason. Already in her acceptance phase, Michele headed out toward where she designated.
The bleak sky tainted with endless contaminants suddenly felt much more impactful to her since she is likely stranded in this Emperor-forsaken place for how long. How she took the clear sky above her for granted and how the still atmosphere of Middle Hive contrasted differently that this sorrow permeated the air. Now that she actually saw the darker side of Lower Hive, she realized that the truth was even worse than any testimony.
"They... really live like this?" Michele thought to herself as she sees that living conditions can in fact be even worse than any envision.
There was too much to even tell what was wrong with the entire Lower Hive that she can't even find anywhere to start. Making her decision to spare her sanity, Michele decided to not pay any further heed unless she'll compromise any of her own sanity. She's not someone who could spare her compassion like water out of thin air.
After arriving at the infirmary whose appearance looks a bit better than the grimness of the manufactory, she overheard the entrance guards talking about something. After eavesdropping a bit, Michele realized that they were talking about the recent Arbite Precinct breakout just before and it was like breaking news that many remembrancers are trying to take their share. Upon hearing that, Michele decided to partake in the conversation.
"Hey, I heard that you are talking about the precinct breakout that just happened recently... I... I want to hear what happened in depth since I came from there too". Michele converses with the armed guards as she tried to be amicable as she could. But it seems that trying to be courteous is rubbing them in the wrong way.
The guards may have thought of shunning her at first but after seeing the warden ID tag that she wore on her bloodstained leather coat, they decided to not risk it with someone who might be their senior in position.
"It's...it's a disaster. From what I heard, roughly ten thousand Arbites of all positions have died in that breakout. There were 2 prisoners who escaped but identifications have been at a halt since the entire Precinct's archive and records have been destroyed without any chance of recovery." One of the guards spoke of his findings to Michele.
Michele tried to peace all her knowledge together but the information she has right now is very scant.
"So... anything about the escapees or else?" Michele asked as she tried to inquire for more information.
"From the testimony of surviving Arbites, one of the escapees wields powerful hidden technology at their disposal that they have no means to detect or extract. The black marks and stains across all of the precinct are the proof of what happened then." The guard spoke with strange clarity now that the first impression hurdle is overcome.
Michele thought for a second and then... her heart sunk to the ground. She suddenly realized that she forgot something important. Her pupils shrunk as if her lifetime of mistakes played all over again until that moment, the hallmark of failure. Where she has broken her promise. The light that tank flashed over, the smeared remains of someone she was supposed to protect.
Elise... Elise died because of her.
"By the way, I heard that during the recapture of one of the escapees, an Upper Hive voidship was sent yet they were destroyed. Its wreckage is still there and I heard that its entire interior was completely mangled and ruined. Whoever could do such a thing must be having some powerful tech that we likely can't even be capable of imagining". One of the guards added in the recent news just now.
Goosebumps felt all over her body suddenly. A sensation that seemingly instills dreads that somehow surpass all she is capable of. Then she remembered a hazy presence that she felt... It was similar to Anastasia. Only someone like her is capable of doing so.
A story was then written vividly in her mind. How both she and Anastasia was caught by the Arbites and the interrogator was trying to extract where Elise was not knowing that she was already dead. When her trauma reactivated itself because of how they dare mentioned Elise's death callously, she went on a rampage and likely destroy their entire facility in which Anastasia broke out with her.
However, upon learning of Elise's death, the two crossed blades with one another and finally. Then the Upper Hive intervention came and the demonic her retreated when possible while Anastasia fought against the Upper Hive reinforcement. The rest were history.
Michele froze in that position as the guards suddenly starts to fear that they may have triggered her post-trauma stress. Michele's thought is in turbulence right now that Anastasia is likely coming after her and that she'll likely meet her demise at her own hands. If her demonic self couldn't beat Anastasia when she no longer has any restraint then... what's even any of her hope left?
Overwhelmed by despair, Michele fainted in front of them as she collapsed to the ground. The guards went into a panic as they desperately tried to pull her into the infirmary.
She woke up again, this time on an infirmary bed as she was tucked neatly in with care. When was the last time someone did this for her and then... the spiritual pain came back again.
"Hey, are you feeling fine right now?" An unfamiliar feminine voice spoke to her.
Michele turned her head around and saw someone standing nearby her bed as said person observed her. It was a girl, who has an air of maturity and innocence that somehow belong to her. Curly silver hair, eyes of teal color. Wearing probably the only clean and proper nurse outfit in the entirety of Lower Hive. The presence that she exudes is entirely different from every single medical staff around here who looks so dead-tired and mentally-drained that Michele can tell that they loathe their jobs as a whole.
"I'm fine... Who are you?" Michele lied once more, she's in fact far from being her best after having her own body tossed around in performances that she's not supposed to be capable of.
"My name is Melia. As you can see, I'm an apothecary and physician of this infirmary. You didn't seem to have any internal injury at examination so I can only guess that it's something of your mentality". The girl spoke to her in an uplifting tone, in courtesy that makes her existence increasingly contradictory to this place.
Michele looks at Melia with an increasingly suspicious look. She would not have minded it if this was the Middle Hive but in an accursed labor camp of Lower Hive? Preposterous.
But still, that personality of hers reminded Michele of memories. One that has now become both nostalgic and painful altogether. The one person who she could call her compatriot in the medical field even if their expertise is entirely different.
"Mika..." Michele thought to herself as she frowns upon remembering.
Modest, kind, humble, and a strong sense of duty. That's what Michele would use to describe Mika as a whole. The two would interact with one another at a time and share their experience as people who work in the medical field. They had their moments of despair, feelings of thankfulness, and relief when they managed to turn things around.
Mika was someone who healed the body with devotion and commitment that many senior Guild members or even people around would call her a Saint. Michele however fought a much more hidden battles that were seemingly endless and had no proper closure. Disease of the mind, they said, and that as long as Twilight still exists, there will never be any hope of mental release. In a sense, Michele will never have the proper recognition the same way Mika has.
And they respected each other like that regardless of position. And that she was sort of an idol that she unknowingly strived to be without end, to be something that her own conceited other half already dictated. And before she realized it, Mika was gone... leaving behind an empty throne that no one can hope to replace.
Melia was that mirror image to her. Someone who she can't help but see it as. Whether because she yearned for those hectic yet peaceful days that will never return or her desire to one day become the person she wanted to be. Michele made her decision that she'll do her job as a therapist.
"Sorry for the embarrassing first day. My name is Edgeworth and I am here as a therapist. I hope that we can work together in a short time". Michele said as she put her hand forward for a handshake, in the hope she return that courtesy with her best.
Melia smiled as she accepted the handshake. May a fruitful cooperation between the two blossoms.
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Tinder For Fire
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"Welcome back"
The guild receptionist said as part of her job. It was unclear if it has any intended effect of boosting the members' mood or not but it sorts of went long enough that it felt wrong to change it. A tradition of the guild that it has become at this point.
Alphric took a long breath as the tiredness seeps into the atmosphere. His friends look less for wear as they took the share for their jobs. They didn't do anything illegal at least in complete awareness. Transports of supplies and items from manufactoriums to the voidship port are the common jobs they have. It was boring but it beats putting their lives in danger. In fact, any dangerous job is actually rare for them since the Guild Master seemingly has the intended recipients to do the job.
"Another day went by without major incidents. If this keeps up then that would be a release on our mind. Our dear Mika here is still affected by that rather disgusting injured folks that she has to treat before but it seems that she calmed down now". Kang said as he motions to smoke an imaginary cigarette. If he actually did smoke, chance that he would have died of lung cancer long before he grew any beard.
Mika didn't say anything but it seems that her gaze is averting away toward the nothing. Alphric sighs as he intends to have a thorough talking with her and if the worst comes to worst, Michele may have to get involved. She is the Guild's top physician and if something goes wrong with her, it is going to set back a lot.
"Are you alright, do you want to talk about it". Alphric asked her as he held onto her hand. Normally, people would find it wrong but after going through so many hardships together for so long, she didn't even need to give consent to it.
A simple nod of her head and the trio enter the cafeteria to get something to unwind. They at least deserved it because otherwise, Twilight's standard would be non-existent.
The cafeteria was eerily silent. Beyond the automated vending machines, there was no one since it was dead at night. Kang went somewhere else since he got the cue from the atmosphere between the two. And the two sit in front of one another, Alphric tried to find a way to start the conversation.
"So, how was your day?" Alphric asked as he starts small.
"... Today was fine, I had bad days before but it wasn't something to be mindful of..." Mika said as she tried to appear fine in front of him with a smile.
Alphric could tell that what she said was a partial lie. He had seen how she worked, how she has desperately fought for her patient's life no matter how close they are to the verge of death. One would say that an apothecary will see more death personally than any soldier on the battlefront. The Guild Master even dedicated a section of the place as her infirmary just so that she has all the tools necessary for treatments.
He reached for her forehead as he placed his on, it was not a heat that would scorch but a bit too much for any human body. How ironic, she tried her best to treat everyone else yet neglected her own like that. Now that he realized it, she is displaying signs of burnout and fatigue which she has reprimanded both him and Kang so many times that he started to pick up the trace of symptoms on his own.
"Alphric, I know that we are close colleagues but don't do something like that". Mika embarrassedly moves Alphric's hand away from her forehead.
How cruel, someone who is capable of unbounded kindness lives in a world that completely disregards that. If anyone would ask who knows life and death the most, the acceptable answer would be Yuria for she understood how fragile life is but the true answer would be Mika for she knew that distinction clearly for she has fought for the people standing in between the boundary of life and death.
The Infirmary isn't any beautiful or peaceful place that people outside are envious of. It is a place where both damnation and salvation occur, where hope and despair intertwine so heavily that there's no difference between them. Where tears of grief and happiness have been seen, if there's anyone who understands those facets distinctively, it would only be Mika and Michele for they are the two only experts that are even involved in healing of physical and spiritual.
"I'm going to ask the Guild Master for a paid break. At this point, you are going to burn yourself out. And I know what you are going to say and I will kindly refuse your input for your sake". Alphric said as he held onto her hands.
"Please, I'm perfectly fine. You don't have to do this for my sake". Mika tried to pretend that she was fine. She partially knew that she isn't but if she did take a rest then what will happen to the people that will come to her during that time span?
This is what he truly hated about her. Putting on a brave front that shows no fragility regardless of her state. Like a gentle flower trying to be a foundation of a skyscraper. He could have accepted her putting everyone else in the wringer underneath her commands but... it just hurts to look when she tried to take on everything by herself. Taking the struggles of all with her lonesome.
A thankless job. Being pushed to the mental brink all the time. No guarantee of her work being repaid. And that there is no promise that her kindness will ever have someone to repay the same. In a way, Mika's world is nothing but an isolated imprisonment where no one will genuinely understand her plight, her struggles.
Even with that prospect faced in front, she still smiled and dared to be herself for there is no bravery greater than trying to not be corrupted by the darkness that has surrounded the hearts of Twilight's denizens.
"No, you definitely going to take a break. If anything happens during that time, I'll take responsible for it". Alphric said as he assumes his role of leadership like always. Making sure that his few only friends are at their best is the least he could do for their sakes.
The surrounding suddenly slowly turned darkened and her appearance disappear away into the darkness. Something was wrong and he instantly tried to yell loudly as he could to break this sudden wrong turn. And at last, his mind was released from its slumber.
Vespera, Underhive Sector 12
Alphric woke up, he had a dream. A reminiscence of his past when he still used to work at the Eventide Merchant Guild. It wasn't the best place but at least it was one that he could tolerate being there for eternity. He had his colleagues, people that strangely have power more than he ever had. But for some reason, he is still their most effective employee despite being much weaker than the Guild's top hitter.
He guessed that all of the collateral may have pushed their rankings down. And suddenly, he looks like a god amongst mortals despite he isn't at all.
With a tired sigh, every time he sleeps it is always dreams that abruptly turn into the emptiness that would times used to wake him up in cold sweat. Or that time would instantly pass and that he remembered absolutely nothing. Either way, sleeping with him was an unusual subject that he didn't ask to be subjected to.
Turning toward the window of his cabin, Alphric sees that the train is moving smoothly as the scenery moves away, even though it is just winding pipes and derelict light most of the time but right now, it is a darkness with some light blotting from the distance. If one can imagine it hard enough, they would think that they are going through the countryside at night although that concepts are ultimately distant to the people of Vespera.
"About time that I check up on the people, I guess..." Alphric said as he feel the motions of the train as it moves along the derelict railway.
Despite being left forgotten for ten thousand years, this transit track is still functional despite the test of time. The fact that they haven't run into a problem that required their direct intervention this far means that their luck is immense or that the train is rectifying the damage the railway sustained on its own as it moves.
He searches for Kang since he was the soonest to blackout before and if there's anything, he is likely the earliest to regain his bearings. They sectioned their places in the train so that there won't be any confusion when navigating. Not soon after, he found Kang in his caboose, making modifications and weapons so that they can be prepared for the next adversary in line.
"Hey, Kang. What are you doing right now?" Alphric asked Kang as the amount of improvised explosives that he is making seems excessive for the purpose.
"Making weapons to fight, what else? Those Inquisitorial soldiers said that they were preparing to fight the 'Jeanstealer' or whatnot and the amount of explosive weaponry seems to indicate a very harrowing fight if we went in ill-prepared. But my weapon crafting skill still has its limit here because although I could make a dedicated weapon, I'm not built to mass-produce. If only we could find a light marker so that we can return to that other side and access the manufactorium." Kang said as though his face wasn't reflecting the desperation in his tone.
"So, do you think that we can win in the upcoming fight?" said Alphric as he intends to steer the discussion anywhere but here.
"We? Probably? The people that are following us? Not so much and without their words of approval when we resurface, we may as well made an enemy of an entire Hive." Kang said as he wonders if there is a way to make it to the above without much more hurdles.
"So, do you have a way to improve our firearm? From what I heard, our foes are likely to be numerous and overwhelming. Probably in ways more than the Servitors before." Alphric said as he understands the concern that Kang felt.
"There is no way that we can increase firearm power using the same ballistic cartridge, rifling, or anything at all. We can try to ask Yang for his Lasgun and whether we can replicate it but considering that it is his own lifeline, he would definitely deny us if we stand to damage his gun irreversibly in the attempt". Kang explained the dire situation that they are in.
"With how much that Inquisitor yelled about the waste of explosive munitions, but seeing how concerned everyone else is thus I start to see why too". Alphric said as he examines the replacement explosive that Kang made using his knowledge and experience.
Infinite ammunition means infinite gunpowder means infinite explosive but extraction in this method is too painfully inefficient that until they found the light beacon, this is just a stop-gap measure that isn't meant to be permanent but knowing the way fate has its way, this may be something they will end up doing even until the Spire of Vespera.
"This is so pathetic but survival took measures and above". Alphric said as he leaves Kang to his device.
The banter of the Inquisitorial retinue and the Lightbringers can be heard. Some talk about their experience, and some about tricks or tips on surviving the battlefield. The fact that they are working cordially is a good thing because the two must work together in harmony or else, it would be a verticle climb to survival that only the Luminaries would withstand. Anything to increase the chance of survival is accepted.
"Right, Mika..." Alphric thought as he headed toward her living area.
As he approaches closer to her place, he sees a few of the Retinue soldiers medically treated by her. There is really no stopping her from doing her work wholeheartedly and he will rather have nothing changing that. As he knocks on her door, the familiar voice gave him permission to enter.
"Hey, Alphric. Do you need my help or something?" Mika said with her usual kind expression as if nothing before had happened.
Before when he was still a merchant, the matter of daily life weighed heavily on his mind and perhaps hers too. When survival took priority, you would hardly care about anything too attentively. The relationship between the two was just close colleagues and it never developed further than that. But...
He couldn't remain the same after seeing her in that form anymore. Her most sincere self-expression... it was as if he was enchanted by her beauty and he felt that he would be regretful if he didn't speak of his feelings to her right now. Now that he has time for self-reflection, he realized that he was captivated by her.
"Mika, have you ever felt that one day, you start to perceive others differently than you used to?" Alphric decided to start slowly with his feeling. He's fine if she doesn't reciprocate it with him at first.
Strangely even without additional information to derive from. Mika seemingly understood what Alphric is getting at as a tint of red suddenly show on her cheek. She remembered how many people in the guild often spoke of her look behind her but none of them ever spoke it out loud.
"So... you actually... like me?" Mika felt embarrassed trying to utter those words. Her words and actions are drenched in kindness but romantic love is a sensation that she is too inexperienced to dare thought of. The conflicting expression of eternal melancholy and fluster created what seemingly looks like the serenity of a shy and innocent maiden.
Even Alphric can't help as their thoughts resonate with one another. Suddenly, theoretical futures unfold as countless paths and interactions flew past their minds and both of them felt too nervous to speak of. From basic intimacy to carnal desire, the two's gazes fixed at each other continues to escalate the imagination that they have and it doesn't help with how they already have close understanding with one another before.
"Let us stop right here and talk when we are ready". Alphric decided to be the one to end this conversation while he has. While he felt relief that he knows that she felt the same, he would rather have things go a bit more organically than just pushing it excessively like that. Mika looks at him the same way too and it seems that the two of them are aware of what they thought of one another just now.
Just as things calm down between the two, things suddenly turn chaotic in a different direction than what they are aware of. An explosion was felt and the sounds of people screaming and yelling just outside the room and before they recognized it. Both of them were shaken briefly but they recover immensely quickly. They expected themselves to be dealing with the threat but they didn't expect the threat to initiate first.
"Damn it, I didn't bring my weapons with me. Mika, can you cover me?" Alphric said as the situation turned dangerous.
With a nod on her face, she took the dual Automagnums as she wield them with a proficiency that she didn't suppose to have. But with how much they have fought against numerous foes, her firearm handling skill is now well-deserved. It's only a few seconds into conflict, they haven't yet breached, they thought. While they aren't wrong to assume so, the speed and teamwork of their current opponent are a bit too uncanny for their expectation.
Mika quickly discerns the foes among her allies. Too many limbs, skin mauves to blue or purple, eyes as lifeless as corpses. With no hesitation, she unleashes her judgment onto those who dare harm those under her care with furious deliverance of magnum ballistics. With such rapid fire and precisely powerful attacks, she dispatched and takedown many before more harm can be incurred. Things calmed down so here but as Mika inspects the enemies she had slain, her face grimaced as she analyzed what she is fighting.
"Give me a gun! I'm going to assume control of the matter, now!" Alphric yelled as a Lightbringer throws their Autogun for him before heading out to the other train caboose and fighting back the invaders.
As Mika continues to decipher the autopsy, a thought clicked in her head. Suddenly, she understood so much clearly despite she has only seen it once.
"Fucking hell, so much for my well-earned rest". Mika said as her emotions boil once more confronting a new threat.
Emotion Level: 0.12
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Divine Burial
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Vespera, Lower Hive Airspace, Sector 12
Anastasia woke up again, still in shock at the truth of her House. That their destruction in reality was requested by their very own ancestor in secret. That there was nothing personal to it more than euthanasia. A mercy kill from a worse fate.
Brooding once more, she wonders just what has transpired to Michele and Anastasia. And now she suddenly felt guilty about leaving her little sister in Michele's hands. Michele certainly displays some aptitude for strength but she isn't sure if that was enough against the might of the Upper Hive. In the worst-case scenario, either Elise gets captured or...
She looked at the bracelet once more, it is still unresponsive despite her commands even now. Normally she would get a vision of some sort at her will but... it just keeps drawing at a blank as if the device has officially given up on her. As if her survival has altered everything about what she knew.
Entering her dorm which was reserved for her is the 'Tech-Magos' again. He had never given her his name and it seems to be continuing to be that way too. Once again, Anastasia declines the invitation to join because she can't leave her sister behind in selfishness.
"I have no idea why that man is still deadset on recruiting you after all of this. But still, are the induction charger satisfied you?" The Tech-Magos asked as he wants to know if his tech did its job.
"Thanks, since it got my nanomachines working again, it did its job to repair my body so I felt much better right now". Anastasia replied as she felt more than relieved.
"Good. Now that we're here, I have some news to tell you while you were out cold. First of all, there was a large-scale breakout in the Arbite Precinct beneath us right now. Seeing how there are still flying vehicles scouring the place, it seems that they didn't find anyone. I also noticed that there was a bright burst of light released from the precinct that came from and-" The Magos said before Anastasia grabbed him by the collar and shook him repeatedly for what he said
"What did you say!? A bright burst of light fired toward the sky!?" Anastasia yelled at the Magos as she seems to not react well to what she heard.
Anastasia knew the origin of that burst of light too. Although she is more melee-focused, the application of nanomachines into different weapons existed and the only one who can do such a thing other than her is... Elise...
That means they are still alive. It might be her only chance to rectify this fatal mistake she made. Quickly running out of the room to make it to the deck, Anastasia with her refined physique left behind the cybernetic-enhanced Magos at a staggering pace despite that she has just only awakened recently. Sometimes, martial footwork can make a difference in ways that equipment simply can't.
As the ship is still flying around in the sky, Anastasia tried to look downward into the massive networks of roads and buildings that are called the Lower Hive and try to navigate through. Then, something caught her attention.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you right here. That wrecked voidship that you see just now. Look at its appearance, it must have been made in Upper Hive considering the gaudy appearance that it has. And look at all the flyers above that too, a bit too excessive for even scavenging or survivor search, you know" The Magos said without a hint of awareness that Anastasia has gone utterly silent.
In her eyes, this was a tragedy of untold scale. She recognized the heraldry, the color, the shape. As a Valkyria, it was in her role to know all of the Upper Hierarchy's culture, heraldry, combat style, and even the voidships they used.
"Samjo..." Anastasia muttered in revelation.
The League of Scions, a group that the children of all Upper Hive Noble Houses made as a means to get together, trade combat experience, and understood one another. She knew everyone there intimately and before the fall of her House, so too did they join to bring it down.
And despite the suffering she met at their hands, she couldn't muster her true hatred against them. Back when she said that she will bring it all down, now that she learned the truth, it is clear that she has no right at all to retaliate.
Seeing what happened with her own eyes, has confirmed that Elise has taken action and no longer remained as a shy young girl. A part of her is glad that Elise has taken her initiative but her rationality tells her that it is a horrible thing at this moment right now because Elise will continue to antagonize everyone around her until the line has been crossed
And yet, there was no way for them to find her. All of the Upper Hierarchy just now deployed their resource and haven't yet found her, how much does a Rogue Trader could do compare to them?
"Wait and hope. Until the day we die, all of humanity's wisdom is the summation of those two words" The Rogue Trader spoke as he unexpectedly was already beside Anastasia without another word of warning.
Anastasia doesn't know what the Rogue Trader is trying to get at her. But perhaps what he said is only correct right now. All she can do is wait.
"So, what's your connection with whoever was there. From the way you look, it seems you recognized that shipwreck". The Magos spoke as he once again express his curiosity about her identity and position.
Anastasia stayed silent for a few moments before she decided to divulge her personal information. It's not like her situation can go any lower than here.
"You know House Klepius of the Upper Hive, right? At least you did your research before coming here then?" Anastasia said as she both answered and asked her recipient the question.
"I know about them. From what I heard, their medical science and research are unmatched even by the majority of Imperium. Their Medicare nanotech can functionally repair both biological and mechanical constructs or even both seamlessly." The Magos spoke with enthusiasm, which is only done so when advanced technology is involved. This may have made his perspective of Anastasia more positive due to her connections to the DAoT-level tech that she seems to have on her.
"Yes, and that ship, in particular, was the one that is most prized of the scion of Klepius, and since he rode it into battle then he must have crossed paths with my younger sister. If she was thorough with her targets then..." Anastasia spoke as the envision in her mind is often far worse in reality but not without reason.
"What's your relationship with him, may I ask?" The Rogue Trader asked out of curiosity.
"Would you believe that I was supposed to be his fiancee? Not even in officiality or paperwork as of yet then but without how much he supported me and my endeavor, it would have been just a tasteless joke. Even the Scions actually believed that it may happen... until that fateful day which I told you". Anastasia mentioned her past but it seems to evoke painful emotions in her just as it did with nostalgia.
Meanwhile... at the shipwreck site
"Damn, did someone badmouth me just now?" Samjo said as he felt an itch behind his ear, in which Anastasia once said that in her culture it means someone badmouthed him. In a certain other world, he was having a wedding ceremony with her rather than having to fight the aftermath and fallout of their extermination of House Valkyria.
He's still stuck here, still alive despite all of the absurdity he was pushed through. The Medicare nanomachines that he used can also be applied for combat purposes such as reinforcing his physique, accelerating mental process, rapid regeneration, etc... While that increased his survivability by a huge margin, being run over by a Baneblade isn't anywhere remotely pleasant.
House Klepius went through much research in increasing the human body's power without directly intervening in genetics so that it can work on as many people without directly catering. That field of genetic manipulation goes to House Genesis. The science that goes into this eventually loops back to the absurdity that belongs to pseudo-healing. Such as impurity cleansing, psychic resonance, spiritual cultivation, and all that mystic groxcrap that shouldn't have worked but only obtained their valid ways through intensive research and pervasive interventions.
Samjo took out a secret cigar before he starts to light it. House Klepius has a strict restriction of what they can consume or else even when they have nanomachines to directly filter or fix the damage before any permanence settles in. As much as the training regimens made his body physique exceeds in quality compared to the average mortal, there wasn't much enjoyment in it when very few gets to have this treatment.
The irony of how the Klepius dedicated themselves to becoming as widely accessible to the mass ended up utterly distant from those who needed it. If you live in the Upper Hive, you would rarely ever fall ill. And when exported to the Middle and Lower, the middleman would hijack the price to exorbitant that no one will ever afford it in a lifetime.
He took a deep breath in the cig before blowing the breath out. At this point, he just did it for the sake of doing it since his physique made substance tolerance a bit too great as a side effect. He could probably outdrink a Space Marine at this point and wouldn't be any more surprised.
"Fuck, if she knew I was brooding like this, she would no doubt say that it is unlike me". Samjo said as he tried to find any form of high obtained by smoking the cig but he was continuously disappointed.
Back then, he would have boasted about his capability and his House's technology. But his meeting with Anastasia shifted all of that toward her. So much of her praise that the other Scions become capable of chanting back to the full praise words for words just to make him stop. For the sake of her, he did stop his boasting attitude altogether. When the two are intertwined long before their existence, it would be a disgrace to him if he was unaware of others' feelings.
Who said that 'love' no longer exists in the 42nd Millenium? It is still perfectly there and capable of changing people. And he is the proof of it which he proclaimed. But seeing the way fate has separated them left him in an utterly foul mood that has no remedy.
"Should I climb up now to show the people that I'm still alive?... Nah..." Samjo said as he ponders the line of thought, and then proceed to discard it.
His authority as a Upper Hierarchy Scion may be immense to wield control over Upper Hive citizens but the final order will always be the Upper Hierarchy House Leaders. Plus, his dissatisfying performance with capturing Elise will net him a punishment. At best, he would be forced to capture her again and at worst, expulsion from his position as a scion for failure.
And since trying to fight Elise is no different than stepping toward the execution guillotine, he decided that he is going to fake his own death. Since the ship crashed deep enough into the subterranean transit railway in which he could simply leave that way. He knew that it is irresponsible of him to do so but the moment they wronged Anastasia is the moment he lost his trust in the rulers of this false paradise.
After making his decision to go deeper deliberately, using his mental map of the ship's interior which he memorized clearly. The people who fell to their death in which their own weight crushed them can't even be recovered gave him increasingly stacking guilt. He brought them to their own demise and yet he couldn't even do anything for them at all. The combat nanomachine that they are given is of lower quality than him thus even if significant compared to nothing, it wasn't enough.
"Damn it, am I the only one alive?!" Samjo cursed himself as the privilege is glaring. Even if he is a young master of a Noble House, he still finds it near impossible to consider any human being as lower than him when their whole ordeal is treating humans, to begin with.
Then there he saw it, a gaping hole right underneath the ship that will lead him to the subterranean transit. All he simply needed to do is just go there and leave the premise with such convenience. Although they have most likely sealed off all the routes that lead here, the ship's emergency lockdown is still in effect which only he can bypass. Because of it, despite having started the rescue operation hours ago, they haven't yet reached him.
"Imagine their surprise when they found this, can't blame though because they don't seem to come here to greet me". Samjo said as he steps down into the dusty railway that seemingly haven't been cleaned and yet had been working for eternity.
He gazed toward the front and noticed a flash of light approaching him. Strange, he felt when the Upper Hierarchy was supposed to quarantine this place from any outsider. Either it's them or... someone else strong enough to overpower them. Despite his experience and awareness of the situation, his body can't help but freeze as that light approaches him.
Then, it was revealed to be a train, marred in nanite all over its hull with color much like the nanomachines that circulate in his blood. But it is too crude in appearance to be an Upper Hive train thus it has to be something else. Then, it must have detected him as it slowly stops itself at a crawling pace before going to a complete halt.
"Halt, tell me who you are with this power you displayed!". Samjo spoke with his intentions to show that he has the strength that backs his authority.
The glass was darkened to preserve anonymity. The hull was pitch black in a way that not even light can reflect. If Samjo could tell anything, the train conductor is likely trying too hard to be unknown that it came to standing out in a different way. But still, he wondered just who is it that suddenly has Upper Hive tech like this.
And it seems that the man behind the control panel understood it too as he steps out of the train and avoids having another wasteful fight over things that can be talked out. He simply has no time to argue like a moron when survival is on the lifeline. He stepped out of the train with an appearance seemingly worse for wear yet still remained dignified despite it.
Black hair, neat jawline, symmetric expression, wearing what seems like an Arbite uniform but doesn't display behavior of one. He looks as if he just walked out of someone's romance novel and is here in the flesh. Samjo however didn't swing that way for his heart only have Anastasia on it. In fact, he felt strange that there was someone like him wielding Upper Hierarchy technology yet doesn't seem to belong to them nor did he recognize if that man really was. With no reservation, he has to inquire about the identity of the man in front.
"Who are you?" Samjo said as he tried to appear assertive to draw out information but the stoic expression of his opponent made him look pathetic instead.
"The fact that you didn't instantly attack me is proof enough that we can communicate with one another. You can call me the Conductor if you want to, however, any of your attempts to bare your fang at me will be met with consequences. I've goddamn broken out of the Arbite Precinct with her help and I wouldn't do justice if I die instantly just a day after". The man said back to him with little care for potential consequences.
He could withstand an Upper Hive task force with the power he received if he planned out carefully thus even if it is just one of the same, the chance of him coming out on top is far from minimal. Samjo knew what the Conductor just said before but the fact that he said 'her' along with the nanites that he detected is similar to what he has given Anastasia tells that this man may have some useful knowledge to him. At least more than what he is let on.
"So why are you here then? Scavenging for some Upper Hive technology for your own purpose?" Samjo asked, no longer out of animosity but out of hope that there was a lead that will take him to her.
"Partially. It would be good if there's something to be found but that's not my only reason. It is to find any clue of where she has gone, my savior who was the only reason why I have gotten here in the first place". The Conductor said as he recalls the highs and lows he endured in just a single day before.
The Conductor much like in his name was a train conductor of Lower Hive Sector 11. One among the nameless many train operators in the vast transit network that sprawls all over the Lower Hive. When the Collapse Point happened, through his skillful maneuvers and thorough knowledge of the transit network, he was narrowly able to evacuate himself and the passengers at the time from the Collapse which the transit rail would usually be the first victim of.
But instead of receiving help or support upon arrival, he was immediately tossed into the slammer for breaching into the adjacent Hive Sector with no permission which is utterly inane due to the emergency at the time, the passengers too with nowhere to return to also met the same fate as him with none of the fortunes he received. It was easier for the Arbites to scruff their records as dead than relocate a place for them.
"Does she have white hair and pearly skin? Dressed in white and looks too out of your league?" Samjo additionally asked for verification if the woman he met is exactly who he guessed.
The Conductor recollects his thought for a moment as he made comparisons. Then afterward, a single "yeah" is uttered.
Unfortunately, their ideas of the Valkyria that they are searching for were fundamentally different. Samjo was looking for Anastasia, the distant dream that keeps on distancing and the Conductor was searching for Elise, his savior of that day despite their age and appearance being different. The two being identical sisters didn't help in discerning between the two with that little information they have. Combined with the stupidity of Samjo unintentionally forgot to ask the ages.
And in an even stranger turn of the event, this made them obtain a shared goal out of sheer misunderstanding.
"Very well, in exchange for a seat in your ride out of this hell, I'll gift you whatever surviving technology in this ship. By the way, how old are you?" Samjo said after he had a hearty laugh from this conversation.
"17". The Conductor replied with a maturity that betray his answer.
Samjo then remembered that child labor existed in Lower Hive. But this physique despite the living condition of Lower Hive defies his expectation. And then, Samjo ceases any further questioning lest he gets more insane trying to figure out how.
The Conductor actually knew why, he deliberately uses the nanomachines to reshape his appearance so that he won't be matched up with any information database. Since he is recognized as dead in officiality, he decided to forge this new identity himself through a particular illustration novel that he found on this train. That's also how Anastasia and Elise maintained their heaven-shaking beauty of theirs. Samjo could actually do the same but the prospect of shifting his facial at a whim didn't please him at all. He's perfectly fine with the face he is born with.
"Either way, follow me if you want to find her". Samjo said as he shrugs off the revelation because as strange as it may have been. What he is capable of perhaps even more outlandish than the Conductor's.
The two climbed back onto the ship, with a strange sense of comradery that shouldn't have been possible in seconds with how staggeringly different they are. It would have been far more likely for them to come to a head toward each other but there's one thing they both agree of. They don't have eternity for their squabbles.
Unlike the mass-produced battle barges that Vespera Upper Hive produced in speed and quantity like automobiles, his ship's lockdown system is too powerful for any similar purpose because he himself overseer its construction. Most of the time, it just hinders other people because he was being ridiculous if his ship will get stolen by someone daring enough. Now, it came to assist him by buying time while he conveniently gets to travel without hindrance.
As long as he avoids the path that Elise has breached, he'll be perfectly fine.
"So this is the interior of a voidship. You somehow managed to make it feel cramped and huge at the same time." The Conductor spoke as although he has gotten used to the claustrophobic environment as an ex-train conductor, the feeling of learning that the voidship interior is the same gave him a feeling of emptiness that no words can properly describe.
Twilight Voidship is much larger in the interior compared to other non-Twlight voidship due to their technology being streamlined enough that it can make all of its functionality more compact than it is. It's not just in terms of specifications, it also enables much more space and reduction of weight to do the same thing thus even more efficient than normal.
"Okay, this is the manufactorum armory. There's... not really any weapon since our House's technology didn't fit any form of conventional warfare that the majority is using. It's mostly for emergency tools or survival in case of shipwreck or stranded in different worlds". Samjo explained the manufactorum lineup as simple as possible in case the Conductor don't understand.
The Conductor picked up what looks like a packaged paper box of something and casually opened it. A small spherical pill came out of it and a gleam of light shone on his eye as he analyzes the item thoroughly. With that seen, Samjo can confirm that one of Valkyria has given him this power.
"It can't possibly be that youngest scion with how ruthless she is and cruel her capability are. If Anastasia entrusted her power to him then... if that's her will then I shall support him to the best of my capability" Samjo thought as he vindicates his thought as if he didn't know how fickle and fast people's beliefs and behavior can change just in a single external influence. Prime example: the entirety of the Upper Hierarchy's betrayal of her House.
This analysis power is a result of the nanomachines' analyzing function of House Klepius which could allow thorough appraisal of selected objects, analyze patterns from traces, and even reconstruct the past scene using only given information and current left behind. It's like having omniscience in a switch but there's still an obvious upper limit of which one must be aware.
Before Samjo even speaks of anything about that pill, Conductor immediately consumes it as if he confirmed that there's no negative effect on his body.
"Do you just consume anything you pick up without a warning!?" Samjo yelled as Conductor don't realize what he did nor did he intend to after basic preliminary.
"I consumed corpse starch. If I can eat that then nothing else is going to harm me at all". Conductor replied with a calm composure in complete contrast to Samjo's bewilderment.
"You dumbass! You just eat a goddamn panacea pill!" Samjo yelled at Conductor with no restraint as he intends to hit him on the back of his head as a reprimand. However, his reaction speed exceeds as he blocked that blow with ease.
Panacea, much like all lost knowledge of humanity which Twilight could only retain as much as they could was amongst the lost. Through efforts and determination, their House managed to make their own version of Panacea with only the most basic materials that can be found naturally or cheaply imported. Its effects are made clear as it completely cures all diseases with earth-shaking effectiveness.
Made with the intention of being as widely accessible as they could. Just as they are about to proliferate its recipe and items throughout the Imperium. Guilliman ended up having to intervene due to the radical change it could cause, so much so that the current decaying Imperium will buckle under the alteration. As a result, it is mostly reserved for the Imperial Guards and Space Marines.
The one that the Conductor consumed is of the lowest-grade producible but even then, it is clear that its effectiveness would alter him radically.
A Lower Hive's idea of perfect health is utterly different from an Upper Hive.
"By the way, you have that nanomachines from a Valkyria right? If I remembered the ancestral pact that our House made with them then the nanomachines you have must also be compatible with the Panacea." Samjo elaborated as this is the real reason that he freaked out when Conductor ate the Panacea.
It was fear that he can't handle the upcoming change that his body will going under.
Suddenly, a tingling pain felt beneath his skin. Then it spreads around all over his body before worsening in intensity. All of his orifices suddenly felt it was going to burst as he felt something convulsing within his very beings.
Impurity Cleansing
The Conductor started to bleed from all of his orifices with blood tainted in a dark tint completely foreign to the human body. He wailed in agony as if every fiber of his beings are being forcefully torn and sewed back together. Samjo quickly intervenes by placing him in the proper position for meditation and alleviating his pain. In crossed leg position, the Conductor held back his instinct scream as his body was forcefully molded into the most ideal form human should have.
Body Reconstruction
A ludicrously sharp pain pierced his body as if he is being stabbed through his meridian points with swords all the way through. As if his nerves bungled like haywired circuits. As if his soul, flesh, bone, and nerve were being separated from one another. Samjo tried to give him his words of encouragement but there was little effect of its help on him. His sweats steaming up from the sheer body heat it is going through.
In the end, this is his battle and he alone must endure.
A Lower Hive's body constitution is absolutely plagued with endless filth and contaminants as a result of the deplorable living condition of Lower Hive. Perpetual ailments, abysmal health, so many things wrong that have simply nowhere appropriate to start. If the Conductor consumed the Panacea without the nanomachines, his body would simply be recovered and the contaminants within will excrete themselves through sweat glands or defecation. He will stink for a few days but he'll become the most healthy person in the Lower Hive.
This is where the nanomachines in his body come in. Because it was originally House Klepius's invention for pervasive intervention in Medicare science which was then modified and tailored for House Valkyria's usage. The moment it detected the Panacea in the bloodstream, it will then initiate the 'Body Reconstruction' protocol. Using the Panacea as the given material, they will directly apply the Panacea directly to his very body's biology itself. Making his body more suitable for any future body reinforcement should he desire.
And as an additional effect, his body is now completely immune to all conventional diseases. The enhancement effect of the Panacea. Permanent.
A while later as Samjo overseers the process to make sure no complications happened. He doesn't worry too much since this is their House's technology he is talking about and he can easily intervene should there be complications. But it seems that the Conductor has passed the ordeal with not too much for wear.
After that, the Conductor stood up as he examines the biological difference he has underwent. His muscles become much more well-defined and solid. His bodily functions move as swiftly and sharply as his mind orders him to. The living tissues of his body are filled with vitality that any Lower Hiver yearns for. An internal strength within felt as if not even bullets are going to hurt him. As if he was rebirthed now with a body befitting the maturity and appearance he has.
"Tell me. Did you know all of this going to happen?" The Conductor asked him as if Samjo is already aware of what followed.
Samjo lifted his shirt up revealing a chiseled six-pack underneath completely deceptive of his casual appearance and behavior. He smirked and made no additional comments. Show what people want to see and no need for any further elaboration.
The two left the lower-deck manufactorium as they made their way around the voidship. Sealed passages are made undone using the emergency reserves that are keeping their functionality alive and of course, Samjo's administrative authority. However, the consequence of Elise's rampage started to be made clear as the lockdown gate refused to budge at all.
"It seems that the damage was much more severe than I thought," Samjo said as he inspects the dead-silent panel.
"Why don't you just smash that gate with that technology and strength you have?" The Conductor asked as the potential each House has seemingly can't be quantified at all.
Samjo stares at the Conductor with a deadpan expression. He obviously didn't expect him to know but... this? Since time is in essence, Samjo decided to just give a short summary of why he can't. Which started with a completely unrelated topic.
"Let's just say that it stems from the permanent cultural damage that was caused by a certain event in the greater History of Imperium. Because of it, there sort of doctrine that 'if you make a sword, the shield must be stronger'. This entire ship has been made to specifically counter the technology of House Klepius which includes me.
In short, this ship is made and designed to withstand their technology. Such paranoid behavior that Conductor instinctively want to facepalm in just how counter-intuitive that decision was. To make it worse, it was Samjo's ship that he made himself thus he has no one else to blame.
Who would expect that the youngest scion of House Valkyria would wield such cheat-level power against them? One that would render any form of conventional combat annulled by using her House's technology to dismantle any form of physical defense.
To prove that he really can't break through it, Samjo stepped up toward the lockdown gate and as if concentrating the power in the atmosphere surrounding, he punched the gate with such tremendous force that it is impossible biological-wise. The recoil impact of the punch alone is equivalent to an anti-tank missile if the backflow is any indication.
Samjo pulled the punch away from the hole he made in the door. And in the blink of an eye, the hole disappeared as if he didn't do anything at all.
"Our nanomachine tech isn't limited to biology reconstruction, you know? Assuming that it is the Klepius that will come to save me then it will take them roughly a day or two just to retrieve this ship. Which is fast compared to the usual weeks or months to retrieve stranded voidships through standard means" Samjo said as he points out why and how despite the power he has.
"So what now? How are we going to get through this door?" The Conductor asked as he questions the possible decision.
"Well, there's that maintenance hatch around here. Can you open this thing? Since it is the only thing unaffected by the self-repair function in terms of structure". Samjo explained to the Conductor as he then proceed to use the nanomachine to create tools out of thin air and make his way through.
The two then crawled their way through the cramped space of the maintenance tunnels. How they have taken the wideness of the usual passage for granted. Within the short time they were there, they argued and cursed each other to detract their mind from the numbness and claustrophobic feelings that only worsen and fester.
Half an hour later. They burst through the maintenance hatch of the place, not tired physically but they were so utterly done with this utterly small path. How anyone could use this to fix anything at all confused the Conductor. And Samjo suddenly felt the plight of all the engineers who have to go through to keep this ship on the standard. For the sake of the interior, he ended up sacrificing the backend development and he came to regret once experienced.
It's not supposed to accompany two people at the same time. But they can't gauge how much time they have left thus it ended up like this.
"This is the munition bay where it would be automatically transported to the firing decks. As you can see here, a lot of these things are highly-destructive and must be handled with care". Samjo said as he looked all over the scattered ammunition since the fall. The fact that they didn't detonate is already a miracle in itself.
The Conductor looked at the missile painted purple and then proceed to analyze it like usual. As his nanomachines proceed to deconstruct their schematic and structure, he starts to conceptually understand the mechanism of the missile itself as he wonders how should he applicate it into his arsenal.
"Hey, be careful. That's a Vortex Missile you are trying to tamper with there." Samjo warned Conductor with a very valid reason in mind.
After the gleam in his eyes disappeared. The Conductor turned around and used the external nanomachines to form a short blade in his hand. And then electricity starts to crackle across the blade before turning purple in color. Then as power starts to overflow, the Conductor swung his blade at such speed created by his enhanced physique as the blade cleaved not only the space but the fabric of reality in itself.
Space Ripper
Then in that brief moment just as it was made, the rift created a massive gravitational collapse as it then shut down just as fast. If anything was caught in it, they will torn apart down to base particles regardless of resistance or original durability.
All of them collapsed into three qualities. Mass, charge, and spin. Much like what a black hole does to anything that got too close.
Samjo once again has his jaw dropped in disbelief. The Conductor once more managed to assimilate something into his own without any advice or guidance. If that's the case then Anastasia or in reality, Elise, really did her job well choosing her successor.
"By the Emperor! Did you just assimilate a goddamn Vortex weapon into your arsenal!?" Samjo yelled at the Conductor as he felt like he has to or he'll explode in repressed excitement.
Vortex weapons are dangerous and powerful for the right reason. But to understand something enough to applicate into something entirely different is lunacy at a different level. The Conductor is now essentially able to reproduce Vortex weapons at will and capable of using them with effectiveness. And additionally, he can control its output which is a major caveat of this weapon.
The Conductor then immediately approaches the actual door to the munition bay then with the Space Ripper, he slashed the door open, and with unrepentant fury, he carved a path out of the indestructible wall. At this pace, it would take the ship minutes to repair and that's enough for them to leave this place.
The two continue their journey in the dead zone in which all electronics have been ruined. It seems that the nanomachines right now only fix the interior or that it has been corrupted by Elise's contamination. But with the Conductor's Space Ripper, all obstacles suddenly seem underwhelming as a single cleave removes them from their way
"This... is the hab blocks. It seems that this is where the crewmen would rest and recuperate. And there's no longer any purpose to this place anymore". Samjo spoke with a sad tone since it seems that he did spend a decent fortune in this part of the room.
And just like that, he tasted the first bitter defeat in his life. Against someone who has been favored by fate. With such unfairness pitted against him, he simply had no chance of making any reaction, let alone any retaliation.
Even if he meet her again, he knew that he would simply get trashed much like his ship and his crew. Sometimes, knowing your limit and admitting defeat is the wisest action one can do.
"Good... That's a lesson you should take to heart. That no matter how well you prepared, no matter how well you do, you can still get shat on regardless of any aforementioned attempt. Accept that perfection simply never existed and try to be your best". The Conductor spoke as he knew this particular feeling very well. Especially his desperate struggle to escape the collapsing Lower Hive only to have that success repaid with betrayal.
There's nothing to be found here thus they moved their way upward. Now they found themselves in the engine room, where the plasma reactor arrays lie to fuel all of its functionalities. And it seems that the damage that Elise did originally was fixed by the nanomachines but with the fuel completely evaporated away, its purpose remains useless unless they do the manual refueling.
But of course, that's not the purpose they are here for.
The conductor analyzed the plasma reactor and sees if he can further downsizing for his train. With such a powerful energy generation source, they won't have to fear or worry about it for any future endeavor. And of course, Samjo being the pack mule he is can easily lift the fuel rod pack and carry it on his back. All of these items are Upper Hive in quality thus they easily trump anything that can be produced in Lower Hive.
"It seems we will now have fuel for eternity, right?" Samjo said as he tried to give a lift to the atmosphere.
The Conductor has been analyzing his behavior for a while since accompaniment. And he finally felt the urge to ask him for sure because his demeanor is touching him the wrong way. Nobody is too nice without an ulterior motive behind it, that's what life in the lower Hive has taught him.
"Samjo, why are you like this? What do you actually gain from helping me, besides that girl which you are searching for? You are a goddamn scion of an Upper Hive Noble, you fucking had everything that are given to you so why are you associating with a scum of Lower Hive?!" The Conductor felt he must talk about this now or else the misunderstanding and distrust will run deep.
Samjo stood silent upon hearing the Conductor's grievance about him. After a moment of processing what he said, Samjo took a breather before returning a serious gaze that contradicted everything jovial about him before. The Conductor took a shuddering step back before Samjo laughed again that he managed to spook him with only a glare.
"You see. All the privilege I have as a scion of House Klepius is really nothing but on loan to me. My position, my life, all of them are just texts written plainly on a piece of paper that they can terminate without cause. You know that accursed culture of how seniority beats everything else and how by the time we even reached that position, we are likely to grow rotting old in an age far higher than you will ever live. And by then, all of our hope and belief completely dashed away by the cruelty of our own before perpetuating that stupid legacy again". Samjo explained with his heart and will as if he is releasing the dam that held back all of his lifelong infuriation.
The Conductor made no replies but he is listening attentively to what Samjo has to say. There was an old saying that a true listener will do so without saying a word. An ear to listen but with nowhere else to go, the story is kept safely within.
After Samjo basically spoke all of his derision of Vespera as a whole, he went silent before he breathed tiredly. The Conductor has no need to listen further anymore. He doesn't have the book-smart or advanced intellect that Upper Hivers has. He may not have the words necessary to describe what he wanted to say but...
He understood Samjo's plight.
"I see... So you have fallen from your place too. I understand that part. When you are fallen from where you were down to the bottom, you'll ultimately feel despaired and miserable about how things have occurred. Although I will not be able to resonate or truly feel the height of your fall as someone who has lost what I tried to keep, all I can say is that I understand you". The Conductor tried to get his point across, with no regard if he will embarrassingly fail or not.
Samjo stared at the rebuttal that the Conductor has made. It's simultaneously the most sincere yet embarrassing thing he has heard. But since he has made his point across, Samjo accepted nevertheless.
Brotherhood is made out of both good and bad experiences with one another. Brotherhood is when both people laugh at each other's misfortune and hit it off regardless of whatever comments they made on each other.
"So are we done?" The Conductor said as he felt like he could replace the train's reactor on the fly.
"All done, now let us get down to an uneventful return trip". Samjo replied with the belief that nothing bad will follow.
Man proposes, Emperor disposes.
Meanwhile, at the outside. The Rogue Trader voidship still hover in the distance far away from the crash site but Anastasia wonders why the Upper Hierarchy has made no effort in capturing her so far despite all of their powerful technology at disposal. Even if there's millions of voidships flying in and out of Twilight's voidspace, it is not out of their capability to do so in meaningful time.
But again, she will not question her blessing that has been given. All she could do is hope so that it last.
Then another large voidship the size many times of the Rogue Trader's approache the site, Anastasia looked the heraldry imprinted on it and then she can only get out a bitter chuckle. The ash-stained cherry blossom, anyone that even bothers remotely with politics at all in the Upper Hive knows them by heart.
"If there's anyone left still in that wrecked ship, they are as good as dead..." Anastasia muttered as she didn't exactly have pleasant memory of fighting the Upper Hierarchy and what they have done to assure their victory and dominance. But most importantly, the misfortune of having to confront that House in particular.
Asura
Fitting in the name and the meaning it carries.
Nobody would question the authority of an Upper House's representative as the nearby airborne vehicle scatter away from its presence. As if by overwhelming pressure or fear by instinct, nobody dares to be around their mighty bulwark. Then, its broadside armaments aimed toward the tail of the crashed voidship before unleashing its overwhelming firepower upon its hull. In next moment, a gaping hole on its hull appeared.
However, House Klepius's nanorepair tech is doing its job very well as the gap shrunk significantly fast in seconds. As if fully aware of the capability it has, the Asura voidship fired its boarding torpedo through the hole before it got fully patched. Upper Houses easily have teleportation technology for ship-to-ship boarding actions but instead, they decided to use overwhelming firepower to breach a hole. As if to flaunt of their might and power to anyone dare to rebel against them.
Meanwhile, inside the engineering chamber. The place they were in got hit directly with a voidship torpedo and as result, they were thrown away by the sheer applied force. Before they recover their bearings before, a boarding torpedo burst through the breach and nearly hit them again. As Samjo and the Conductor tried to figure out the situation, things immediately turn toward the worse for them as its recipients stepped out of the pod.
"We're fucked..." Samjo muttered as he realized who are their assailants this time.
And that is understating the severity of the situation. In fact, if it weren't for Samjo's position as a Scion of an Upper House and that he is raising his hands up at instinct, he would be meeting his ancestors right now in this instant.
Pitch-black armor from head to toe. Face covered with imposing gas mask. Saving for the few crackles of electricity in the guns they carry, it would be hard to tell when only the emergency light is what showing their figures. Armed with the doctrine of purification, for true equality is only in the indiscernible ashes.
And stood amongst them, is a girl whose height not too different than Samjo himself if on the shorter side. Long black hair with little ornaments. Worn in simple, straight-seamed garments held together by a sash at waist. Dyed in black of despair and gray of ashes, her appearance stood contradictory to the people that is accompanying her. Mount by her sash is a sword of single-edged curved blade, longer than her entire upper body, with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Or as her House called, a nodachi.
Samjo cursed his luck that out of all Houses to response to the ship crash, it has to be the one of the most vicious and brutal of them all. All he could really do is to chalk what happened here as unlucky.
"Scion of House Klepius, it seems that you have met a rather terrible outcome during your mission of capturing the stray heirs of Valkyria. Normally, I would have come here to bring you back to your House for recuperation but... as the other House Leaders have assesed your performance and find it subpar for the resources you have used. As a result, you are officially expelled from your position as a Scion and as a heir of House Klepius." The girl in traditional dresses spoke to him as if this was as normal like talking about tea and snacks.
A wry smile appeared on his face, if this situation was a paragraph of text on someone's book then it is no different that Diabolus Ex Machina that has sprang upon him just for the sake of situation escalation. He was prepared to throw his title away, he was prepared to sacrifice anything that belong to him if he doesn't have to confront that living incarnation of fate itself. But even when that girl is no longer here, her aftereffect still lingers like a specter that haunts him.
"Oh, Akumu. You can't be serious, aren't you? I know that you are soft-spoken and silent most of the time but that furious frown on your face doesn't suit you". Samjo tries to stall the situation as he desperately wants the Conductor to do something about this situation.
He knows her too. Being part of the League and all. Her name is Akumu, scion of House Asura. Technology, mass weaponization. Give them anything and they will somehow turn it into weapons of mass destruction for all. Household knives whose power exceeds power swords, plasma guns as common and reliable like blowtorch, toasters that literally use adrathic technology of Adeptus Custodes, fertilizers into world-consuming plague. They are the people who simply has no qualm of whether or not they should. Give them a mile and they will take a galaxy.
To put it simply, do you know how we came to learn that human body is 70% water? The Asura will gladly perform experiment to answer that question.
They are the bulks of Twilight's military prowess. And if in the impossible scenario that they came to face with the rest of the Upper Hierarchy, it would still be impossible to tell who is actually going to win unlike the Valkyria. Despite their broad and unfocused development path, they came to stand peer-to-peer with other Houses just with how fervent they are in the pursuit of purity and the powerful gear pieces in their arsenal numerous like sand in desert. Even discarded unqualified junks of theirs beat the entirety of Middle Hive and Lower in terms of quality.
"Samjo, if you tried to convince me by flattering then you are simply narrow-minded. Comply and you shall at least be spared of your life". Akumu spoke to Samjo with a courteous tone. One that he could feel the deep-seated deceptions laced into every tone of her words.
He chuckled before putting up his fighting stance once more with his arms positioned. He knew that there's no way he is ever forgiven for what transpired here. Because after all, he learned quite a few from her during the League exchange, of many things that is against his will and yet the most unironically important right now.
The Asura never take prisoners.
Seeing that Samjo has made his decision to stay defiance against the Hierarchy, much like the Valkyria sisters. She have decided that he has outlived his usefulness as a flicker of her House's treasured sword unleashed its might upon him. The two clashed with one another as her blade is stalled back by the focused nanomachines in his arms.
Much like all melee weapons in Twilight, anything in the Middle or above only worth its salt if it has its disruption field compartment to ignore otherwise impenetrable defense that most of personnel armor that anyone seemingly obtain with ease. Samjo's nanomachines much like the power blade in Akumu's hand is capable of generating that field to counter against her. If any powered weapons clash with one another, they will cancel each other's disruption field resulted in an otherwise harmless clash that will be dictated by the duelists' strength.
"Nice knife". Samjo said as he hid his fear behind his snarky comments. He had his practice duels with her before but it never genuinely felt this scary until now.
Unfortunately, Akumu's strength doesn't lie solely on that blade. Her petite figure stood deceptive of the power behind as even though the blade was stopped in the clash, the strength behind didn't. Then in the next following second, the wall behind him suddenly have a cleaving mark.
Then so too is the nanomachine-enhanced parts of his body. Samjo stepped back away from her as his body desperately regenerated the wound he received. It would have killed a normal person so many times over but his enhanced physique and nanomachines are doing their Emperor's work. But things are not working in favor for him.
His smiles are still wide but his eyes are telling that he is scared out of his mind. But even when all of the odds are stacking against him, he still has to step forward for what he wanted to believe in. Much like what Anastasia has said, fearless and bravery are two different things entirely. Fearless is just the absence of fear. Bravery is to act against fear itself.
And if he could speak honestly, he wished that he could just run away but he chose to act even if the fear is crippling his judgment.
The two continued to trade blows with one another as the Asura combat soldiers stood on standby while their armaments still ready. There is an unspoken rule that if anyone dares to interfere with Akumu's duel without her orders, they are to be persecuted with absolute punishment. Not that they have any right to say anything outside of combat as their lives are solely for her control.
Samjo's body continue to accumulate wounds while Akumu still remain as pristine and unharmed as before. He thought there was some level of difference of combat experience between the two but even this is too staggering for disbelief. He yelled inside his mind as he awaits for someone to break this impasses. Just as though things will only degenerate for Samjo, the Conductor took his initiative at last.
Jumping from atop of the inert plasma reactor array, within his raised right hand is an innocuous pitch black spear. Akumu however detected him as she quickly tried to draw her sword at him. Tried, because Samjo took grip of the blade itself just as Akumu's disconnected her gaze away from him. With one swift movement, Samjo punched squarely into that beautiful face of her as it sends her flying into the floor.
The Asura soldiers immediately went flying off the handles as their plasma guns trained directly onto Samjo as they unleashed their rapid firing of that lethal heated azure flame on him. Although he can somewhat withstood Akumu's sword slashes, he is not pushing his luck with the barrage of plasma for those things hurt in a different scale than slash itself.
Within the Imperial Guards, there was a saying that every time you fire a Plasma Gun, you also roll a dice for each shot. If it ever lands on 1, the gun will arbitrarily explode on your face without rhyme or reason. Twilight Plasma Gun, or Akuma Pattern is designed more closely resemble to the Lasgun found in wider Imperium's circulation. If you flick the gun's scope to the side, it will reveal its internal functionality as a plasma accelerator instead of thought to be laser weapons like before.
What makes this vastly different however than the other Plasma Gun patterns is that whenever you 'roll a 1' while firing the gun. Its supposedly critical failure explosion is instead an even more destructive shot than the normally otherwise lethal plasma bolt that it usually fires. The heat that it makes is around 50,000 Celsius in temperature or comparable to the surface of a giant star.
In short, House Asura has also weaponized plasma gun critical failure as a weapon function. And it doesn't even get damaged firing that shot unlike other attempts at overcharging weapons making it incentivized as an intentional design. Signified with a white crackles of energy before it unleashed that oblivion upon any misfortunate soul down its sight.
Speaking of the Conductor, a lot of those plasma guns are being aimed at him before being fired. Things are really bad for him unless he has his way to somehow stop those searing heats without any specialized protection device. In reality, he doesn't need much but the spear he had.
Distortion Spear
He threw the spear with all the might he asserted as its tip once again crackles in violet energy. Plasma bolts fired at him but as the spear travels, the reality around it started to twisted at seams and the moment those bolts contacted with the area around it, it immediately got subsumed into the singularity at the tip of the spear itself.
The soldiers immediately disperse away from where the spear was about to land. And in its short-lived gluttonous existence, it devoured anything within the 5 meters radius. And then in disappeared without a trace.
Using the same technology behind Vortex Weapons, he made it so that it will create a localized singularity using the miniaturized particle collider within its system. This isn't made for directly killing but to crowd control because of how much it triggers their fight or flight instinct with such assured doom it will bring. Now their formation is dispersed, the Conductor immediately moved to the next path.
House Asura's produced weaponry has biometric-lock or life-sign detection on them to prevent them from being stolen such as self-detonation or system crash. But it is not a perfect system as always due to certain ability that one of the Houses of Upper Hive has. Namely, quantum decryption of House Valkyria where all digital locks and system can be dismantled faster than instant. Although he doesn't have a "Trigram Bracelet" on him, the idea of creating his own version of quantum device was installed into the knowledge of Valkyria itself. Even if he has only 100 qubits, he can easily dismantle non-quantum digital lock.
Even engaging on the first Asura soldier is he met with fierce resistance. With design reminiscences of the Death Korp of Kriegs as if they made their own version but with even stronger physique, weapons and fervent dedication solely to their house if it weren't for the fact that their existence in general has always been there since long before Krieg got its name. If they can't shoot, they will swing their fist. If they can't punch, they will bite until it torn your flesh. If they can't bite, they will gnaw at you with their gums. As long as they still alive, they will not allow their enemy to know peace.
At utter close quarter, the disarm techniques of Valkyria played out in his mind as her performs in accordance. Speed and reflex that can't be captured with film, as if there's no discernable phase between. The moment he touched the plasma gun, he injected some of the external nanomachines to rapidly alter its system, and quickly followed up is a punch straight to the nose. No matter how one train their body for durability, they can't train the nose. That is what he thought.
And like how one would put rabid dog down, his nanomachine-enhanced and biological-reconstructed fist caved through the skull of the first soldier he confronted into the line of overkill. This isn't the first time that he shed blood, that was in the prison break that Elise instigated. But to battle with power he didn't have is a strange sensation in which he too lacking words to speak. Far from bewilderment, too distant from emotionless. His expression was something he can't even put into phrase.
Not hesitating at all, he quickly grab hold of the faceless armored corpse as he took hold of the Plasma Gun he stole. The rest of the Asura soldiers quickly batter him with endless stream of plasma firings upon him but the Asura Exo Armor that they wore are made to resist even plasma heat. The Conductor too made his return fire as the azure plasma pelts with little effect on them.
As the coils of his plasma gun shone brighter until it turns white. As its critical reaction reached a breaking point, it will unleashed its repressed power all at once.
Now, why doesn't the Asura Korps Soldiers tried to use their plasma guns until it reached that critical point and used its critical blast against their enemies? The answer is that... it isn't easy to roll a 1 repeatedly and power that is fired may not be the power expended and maintained. Especially right now in this voidship where the emergency reserves is dwindling as we speak. The power for that blast is a multitude higher than normal and as overkilling as they are in their belief, they are painfully cold and rational in both paradoxical and hypocritical way.
To put it lightly, they simply don't put their fate to luck. As anyone with modicum of power should.
But the Conductor chose to fight that odds regardless of who he considered to be. Even if the title that he has is just declared in a single day, even if he has no idea of their history. But the most important thing is that the moment he chose to stand against his unjust destiny, he is by extension a Valkyria regardless of comments or remarks. And after fighting fate for so long that their lineage embroiled in it. To accept destiny as it is a disgrace that can't be cleanse.
He fired his overcharged plasma gun and so too throw a metaphorical dice. And as if its existence was cheated thoroughly, it landed on a 1. And as inexplicable power well-up within the plasma gun's barrel, a bright light within unleashed upon its sight as if anyone in front of it simply never existed. Incinerated thoroughly of their beings including the protection they wore.
The rest of the Asura Soldiers continue to fight as if the critical blast of the Plasma gun didn't deter them at all. But the Conductor continue to prove his identity as a Valkyria even further by keep firing the gun in overcharged state.
Another 1. Probability: 1/36 (2.778%)
Akumu woke herself up after she had gone out cold during those brief seconds. Upon seeing the Conductor using their House's technology against them, her pupils shrunk as she immediately try to harm him using her sword. However, much like how nothing has gone into accordance of anyone, Samjo stood in her way once more as he deters her attempt of getting anywhere close to her target.
"Your opponent is me, remember? Let us finish this charade now". Samjo spoke as his torn clothing marred in his blood.
Another 1. Probability: 1/216 (0.463%)
The Asura soldiers despite the overwhelming onslaught still press onward with their offensive. With plasma weaponries as common like household items, the Asura didn't spare any effort to make it as lethal when used as possible. Not only for just the plasma explosion alone, even the sheer combined volley of them all made the Conductor has to weave in between the space and cover.
Another 1. Probability 1: 1/1296 (0.077%)
But as he continues to pull the trigger, the probability is still on his side as dice continues to chain the increasingly impossibility. With each continuous dice roll, the dividing become exponentially greater. But to a Valkyria, a number no matter how large is just a number. Meaningless without a context
Another 1. Probability: 1/7776
This unfairness continues.
Another 1. Probability: 1/46656
Another 1. Another 1. Another 1.
Keep firing, keep going until not a soul will move anymore.
1/60,466,176. 1/362,797,056. 1/2,176,782,336
Do not step back. Until this gun in his hand falls apart. Until he done back upon them what they did to others callously.
Another 1.
Another 1.
Another 1.
The plasma gun in his hand finally drained in entirety. The energy counter that is used to tell its capacity has also drained in entirety. All of them are dead, hiding is meaningless as the overcharged plasma beam easily sears apart anything in between. Not letting the gun go, the Conductor turned toward where the conflict between Samjo and Akumu took place. While she was far from being significantly injured, seeing that everyone else but her is dead put a damp on her mood. Samjo looks like he should have gone to a hospital but his endurance and mentality is what keeping his indomitable presence up.
"So, should we kill her? I mean she is sent here to kill us after all". The Conductor said as he gazed at Akumu looking unstable yet showing no weakness in her battle stance.
Her sword grip tightens, then aura that raptures the sword starts to become increasing larger. Samjo starts to question if that is even the disruption field installed on her blade because if it is then its overclock capabilities are way over what it should be and soon, the treasured sword of her will likely vanish into ether afterward. But they can only say that if they survive the aftermath or not.
"I think we should try to run away now and-" Samjo spoke as he immediately grab another plasma fuel pack and pulled the Conductor away while she doesn't notice. If they dare touch her while being like that, the instinct of theirs tell that it will be a grievously quick demise. Having decided to run away while they can while she doesn't seemingly notice much. But even that attempts to run was met with denial as more of those Asura Soldiers started to teleport directly into the ship after receiving no proper report in a while.
Surrounded by all sides and their numbers mounting. Crackles of reality-sundering thunder drown out anything else. Having detected them as hostiles, they fired their weapons without hesitation just as both the two narrowly made their way out.
The exit door has been shut tightly. Samjo don't have the time to force the door open as it demands other way to break through. The Conductor formulated his thoughts as another spear manifested in his hand. Violet power surges once more as he intends to bust the door open using Distortion Spear but this time overclocked to become more powerful. The caveat is that he has no control of the area of effect and that they may end up in crossfire. But better to die instantly than be caught in the Asura's hands.
Suddenly, an overwhelming sensation flooded their mind against their will. Their instinct screams and yell loudly as their body momentarily shutdown. Then, they stumbled to the ground as the spear lost their power and became inert before activation. As the two lies flat all over the ground, they thought that it was all over.
Then what was above them was slashed without a single word of warning. Everything around, their front, back, side, anything but below them was cleaved by a force that they can't measure with their own eyes. And the exit gate and the wall it connected to suddenly has a 2m wide cleave mark that spread across the entire side.
The inert plasma reactor that were caught in it fell apart and so too is any protection or hiding from her. The entire engineer chamber, the size roughly about 500 meters in length, all cut like paper against her blade's shockwave. The soldiers who took precaution now rose up and once more aimed their guns at the two running convicts of theirs.
Akumu now stares at them straight from that distance. And despite being that far away, it instill dreads to them somehow. As if they feared that she'll cut down that distance in a blink of an eyes and that they'll die before they'll realized it.
So too is their mind so overwhelmed by the ominous aura she exudes. In their minds, only one singular word echoed in unison.
RUN
Words of Emperor: For this part, play Pillar John's Revenge - Pizza Tower
Samjo used his augmented strength to lift the torn reactor and used it as a shield against the long-ranged plasma blast from the Asura's soldiers. The wall is also regenerating during the little time they used to make the distance and with the few seconds they have left to alter their outcome, they escaped right before the gap finally closed itself.
Infuriated, she was. It was unclear how much effort she put into the fight before now that she started to display her actual capability. But she did something that none of the Scion will ever believe even if she told them herself, she levitated as she approaches the engineer chamber's exit then...
Judgment Cut
The door blew open as its chunk scattered like a frag grenade. By the time she did reach the door, the two has already make their distance with their augmented physique. Akumu also used her enhanced senses that her House did their utmost to give her as she detected where they are, solely based on their lingering echo within the wall itself that transmitted here.
And after having enough with the two of them, Akumu used her power sword to tear the floor beneath her apart as she made her fastest way toward them. The two also noticed the increasingly apparent that dread that approaches them as the Conductor immediately tried to cheat his way through the interior in his way.
Distortion Spear - Overclock
The spear of violet tip manifested in his hand again as he thrown it with all he has. The moment it came in contact with anything, it collapses into a miniature black hole of 20 meters in radius before fizzling out instantly again and leaving behind a hole for them to escape. Even if there's any harmful side effect, their physiology will brave through regardless.
In that little time they have before the hole patched out again, they dropped to another floor below them. Rinse and repeat while Akumu is pursuing them with great prejudice.
But in reality, this is utterly unfair for them as Akumu can easily break through multiple floors with little effort. And here, they are desperately trying to punch a hole for them to drop down. At this point, it seems to be more worth it to find the proper stairway and drop down from it.
That crushing sensation again, they felt. Dropped down to the floor immediately as the sensation analyzed by their minds. Every of the interiors of this ship was ripped apart in a singular slash that seemingly stretched across all of the voidship. If they are within its range then she must be close to them too. With the threat of demise ever so close, their instinct for survival reached overdrive as they run on all of their limbs with no regard if it's effective or not. Only the fact that they are moving only assure their minds.
Quickly stepping up from quadrupedal, they return once more to running on their foot. But as soon as they tried to stay upright, Akumu intents to make them crawl until their demise. If this keeps up, they'll die with their knees on the ground and of course, the Conductor has some personal vendetta when it comes to unfair treatment of others and himself.
That collapsing fear approaches once more and Samjo's body forcefully made him kneel against his wish. But something in the Conductor snapped when he was forced to endure it once more. Materializing out of his hand is a short blade and as violet power converges at its edge, his body swung it as hard as it could from where it could tell that it's coming.
Space Ripper
Two immeasurable power clashed and a volatile reaction incurred as a result. Even as the two were blown away with such great tremendous force, they are still alive despite being at such close proximity. Meanwhile, back at Akumu. As she retracted her power sword once more, she noticed a crack visibly appeared on the edge of it.
Furious is no longer enough to describe the boiling rage she felt right now. She was courteous enough to show them a quick painless death, now she intends to tear them apart with her bare hand. As the cleaving mark of the ship's floor interior being healed, she grabbed the mark by her hand before tearing it apart her palm-sized thickness of the wall with her bare hand. Because apparently, there's no better showing of brute strength than with one's own hand.
The Conductor and Samjo managed to find a emergency stairwell that will lead them straight to lower floor. With no hesitation, they just jumped down at the central helix because they are certain that they will stay alive regardless of the fall.
However, their hope of escape was dashed instantly as their instinct once again flared up for a different reason entirely. Black chrome with circuitry marking slowly spreads around like an insidious corruption, one that they suddenly felt if they made contact with it, a fate worse than death awaits. Their bodies in desperation quickly made its attempt to reverse as both of them grabbed onto the rail handling. The force of it was more than enough to bend or snap it apart from the rail.
But even then, they made it. They have narrowly escaped from another hell. From pan into fire, from fire into hell itself. They just keep being beset from all as if they are already surrounded with no hope of escape. That this will be their endless purgatory where suffering will be eternal.
Samjo wondered why in the hell is there such a thing out of nowhere. As he uses his nanomachine analysis on the corrupted chrome part, he noticed something about something embedded within. Nanomachines, more precisely of the modification that was given to House Valkyria.
Then it all starts to dawn on him on realization. Why was there a convenient hole that lead to subterranean transit line? The voidship's auto-repair function supposed to fix it up already because especially the hull damage that took priority. He didn't put the two together at first because he was depressed and in a delirium. But now, he suddenly started to realize a greater insidious plan and its full picture in his mind. And why House Valkyria made their oath to responsibly use their House's technology.
They have all been dancing like puppets in Elise's hand after all. She has manipulated everything for this to happen during the time he was knocked out. She never has stopped at just the Baneblade for she intended to steal this ship. Her ambitions for vengeance has no end and that finally scares him for real.
First, she intends to eliminate Samjo and any potential influences he may have on the Upper Hive. After personally murdered all of the personnel on the voidship, she sends out an emergency signal and promptly report on Samjo's very-exaggerated incompetency which disowned him from his own family. To make sure that he stay dead, she even make the scion of Asura comes to eliminate him if he dares to protest.
Second, she intends to steal this voidship for herself so that it will further wreak more bloodshed and havoc. Because of the nanomachine repair system that it has, it became much easier to corrupt because of how similar the Valkyria and Klepius nanomachines are. With how much top-class munitions in this ship's arsenal, even if it gets shutdown or destroyed completely, it will cause so much damage to Twilight itself that recuperation may end up impossible at worst. Not only that, anyone who uses nanomachine-augmentation will get corrupted instantly by quantum-accelerated computation of the corruption swarm she inflicted on this ship which includes both Samjo and the Conductor.
It will be a bonus if she could eliminate Akumu too considering she is unaware of the true nature occurring in this ship. If that happens, the major military force of Upper Hive will be in chaos in the news of her sudden death.
Seeing the situation with their own eyes, Samjo realized one thing.
He must destroy this ship or else.
"Conductor, let us return to the ammunition bay. We're going to blow this entire place sky high because if not. This place won't be the only place that blows up". Samjo spoke with a grim expression unlike him. Normally he would just jesting to keep himself going but... the current outcome of this situation is too bleak to comprehend.
Even the Conductor was taken aback by the sudden change in Samjo's behavior. He understood the whiplash too but they are essentially fighting a pincer-fronted attack and their situation can't be worse.
But still, he followed Samjo either way because from the expression in his face, the unseen darkness that he just saw was the beginning to something much worse if they don't intervene.
Time is running out, the two hurried their pace while Akumu continue to tear apart the ship to reach them and the insidious nanite corruption continue to fester. Two threats, one same horrible fate.
In a few minutes they expended in this voidship, they reached the munition bay. The massive size of this place scaled to skyscrapers as ammunitions of all assorted sizes from as small as a finger to larger than a city block. One would question happens if all of these are aimed at the general populace and shudders at the carnage and destruction it will brought forth.
"What do we do now?" The Conductor asked as he felt a bit confused of where to move forward from here.
Samjo started to focus and channel all of the inner cultivation groxshit that all power fantasy spouts. In a way, if fate continues to pull shit on him, he'll do it back to it. Then with an impossible jump that pushed a massive dent on the floor he stood on, he reached for the Macrocannon shell rack that held above meant to be transported to the Macrocannons which will never be going to use. With a massive ballistic size, it is a logistical nightmare for many to try to put it back on. And he is going to undo a lot of it for the sake of the unrelated innocents.
With a focused punch, he destroyed the munition rack as shells whose head size of his fall like rain. Or more akin to a bombing run of old aircrafts. The Conductor quickly stabilized the many as he used the augmented physique of his do what would took hundreds men to struggle in short order. Not stopping at that, Samjo also remove the Macrocannon from its installation as he forced its impossible size inward to the ship's internal.
"Spread those Macrocannons around the ship sector, now!" Samjo spoke as he also lifted the Macrocannon shell on his back alone without any additional assistance. 100 tons worth of weight done by one man, and that is considered as average for the Upper Hierarchy. Moving unhindered despite the weight he carried, he quickly hurled the massive shells down the corridor as he lets the weight itself do the job.
One Macrocannon shells has its yield in gigatons of TNT. Or 5 Gigaton exactly. The Deathstrike Nuclear Missile that the Imperial Guards can't help but use like machine gun rounds has its yield of about 100000 times less powerful. What Samjo's intent to do here is to overload all of the Macrocannon batteries in this ship toward itself and cause them all to self-destruct its internal. The damage dealt will be too much for the ship's self-repair system.
But of course, this is just only 1. His ship in his prideful stupidity designing it has 26. Everything has to start with a single step but even he is worrying if he even has anything left to start.
Then crashing from ceiling through is Akumu. Just to make the situation worse for them, they guessed. The moment she detected their presence, she immediately lunged at them with her blood-soaked hands as if she is going to tear them apart in a blink of an eye.
The two of them is already done here. But the scion of Asura are still stubbornly chasing them for slighting her. They have made their decision, to split all of the 26 Macrocannon batteries between the two of them. And whenever any of them are getting exhausted, the other will aggro her. It will be a gauntlet of endurance where any slightest mistake result in irreversible demise.
The dice is already cast, all they can do is to keep running.
Words of Emperor: For this part, play Absolute AbsurZiti V2 - Pizza Tower
Times until Valkyria Corruption Nanite's takeover: 37:50.
Akumu's status: LIVID (Anger LV4)
Samjo took the bait first as he draws Akumu towards him. The Conductor quickly made his path across the 1km of width that this voidship has. A mortal running at sustained maximum speed will take 6 minutes to do so. His augmented strength made it in 30 seconds using the instant straight path considering the logistic of munition bay and gun decks required.
And the first gun deck he made inside on his own, he quickly try to perform what Samjo did. Unfortunately, his body-reconstruction level was only beginner thus even with nanomachine augment, he didn't make that jump on his own. Not deterred, he quickly uses his undeserved strength as his fingers dig into the wall itself as he climbs upward just by clawing his way. Then when he reached the ceiling, he decided to also perform the same action before as he cling onto the ceiling by sheer spite.
Then he managed to drop down onto the Macrocannon as he then use the Space Ripper to tear it apart from the installation. As it dropped onto the ground, he also did his part by tearing apart the Macrocannon shell racks as he tried to lift the Macrocannon shell much like Samjo did. But by the Emperor, 100 tons turned out to be way heavier than any imagination did him in. Samjo made it look way too easier than actuality.
How did Samjo did this again? What's the difference between Valkyria's and Kelpius's nanomachines? And how can he unleash his latent power much like he did?
But in the end, Samjo can't answer anything since none of them really has anything to communicate between. He only has himself and the answer must be found by him.
Desperately trying to lift the Macrocannon shell as his muscle cried in agony. What would Samjo say to him if he finished his side but the Conductor himself couldn't even do 1? It makes him felt like shit that he still continues to be the deadweight even with this newfound power he received.
He remembers the precinct breakout before, the people whom he met only for few hours but their efforts and desperation made impact in his mind for far longer than he was. He was amongst the weakest in terms of capability then and only survived because he hitchhiked on everyone's else effort, including the scion of Valkyria whom stayed behind to give him a chance to escape. Even though it is now a thing of the past, just remembering it made him mad at himself so much.
Desperation amounts, with rage consuming and self-loathing abate. The Conductor continue to try to lift the Macrocannon shell by himself as everything of him yells in protest. And yet only one thing stood against in total clarity. His thought, why he fight.
He does not want to stay weak anymore.
His muscles torn apart, and the nanomachines rapidly healed only for it to be torn again. As if the allegory of Sisyphus is playing in a much more microscopic scale all over his body. And as his body continues its cycle of healing and damage, his strength suddenly starts also going up as his progress finally starts to move.
That's actually the basis of any strength training regime. You worked your muscles, it gets microscopic damage, and it will take 2-3 days to heal. The nanomachines did it in microseconds. His biology was reconstructed before thus it can infinitely build up in density even he only has basic level body-reconstruction.
This is also how Samjo obtained his super-augmented strength of his too. Even if the nanomachines are powerful, they are still tools that one wield like any weapons. It is no perfect, all-miracles things that people seemingly make it out to be. But Samjo simply did his best with it and that's what he earned in conjunction to its usefulness. The Conductor simply has never used his nanomachines or augmented physique together to use this much strength before.
And with the final yell of overcoming his weakness once more, he lifted the gigantic shell over his head after so much struggles. His body didn't change much but its quality definitely did. With a final hurl, he inserted the shell forcefully into the Macrocannon before slamming it shut. He staggers forward as his body turned red in agony. The moment his adrenaline wore off, a crippling sensation of pain breached into his mind as all of his bodily function suddenly went off.
"Not now... I still have too many things to do..." The Conductor spoke as his body sprawls all over the ground as his hand still trying to reach toward something.
Too much pain that it could knock him out cold. Too much sensory input, too much hindrances and interference in his mind. He decided to go for much more extreme method.
"Nanomachines, disable all nervous input from all muscle". The Conductor decided to go scorched earth tactics. He heard that the Klepius's nanomachines are such powerful treatment tool that it can quite fix almost any disability that ones have. Beside, his body is fine now, it's just the nervous system whining about the abuse they are going through.
Replacing one's poison for another. Although all the pain disappeared, he can no longer felt anything correctly at all. A sense of emptiness surrounded him and it was utterly wrong. But still, he still has his duty to come first. Moving his tired body once more, he made for the next gun deck.
Times until Valkyria Corruption Nanite's takeover: 32:12.
"Gun deck R3, done!" Samjo yelled in his mind as he escapes through the exit door while Akumu chased him. The using of his power to enable this ludicrous feats of acrobatic and movement makes him able to outmaneuver Akumu but the fear is still real and that based on the remaining time. He might be able to finish his side before the corruption took place. But that's only him, the Conductor may not be able to keep up.
Now that he realized it, does the Conductor even capable of holding up to him strength-wise? Worrying that something bad may have happened, Samjo decided to look for him. Upon reaching the other side of the voidship cannon batteries, he saw that the Conductor is stepping out of the third gun deck much like Samjo, and it seems that all of his worry was for naught.
"I see, I'll take the burden now so do your best". The Conductor spoke as if his body wasn't dying just minutes before.
The two immediately swap their position as one become the lure and the others get to do their mission unhindered. Now that the Conductor must try to do what he did before now with Akumu baring her teeth at his neck. So blinded in her rage that she forgot the original objective of why she even come here to begin with.
As he became her target, she immediately flew at him. The Conductor doesn't know if she is becoming faster as they progress or it is his mind playing trick on him. But it is time for him to put his strength to clutch his dexterity and that he may figure something about himself along the way.
Tear apart the Macrocannon and the ammo rack. Turn it around inward. Load the shell in and escape. Turns out, it is another kind of hell when you have someone who wished your demise interfering. His attempt at doing those steps without Akumu behind his back took a minute and additional half to do so quickly without a break in between. Now he just spent 3 of that precious minutes trying to outmaneuver her trying to find a moment to insert that shell in.
How did Samjo did this while being at the threat of death like this?
He couldn't touch her, because despite his strength can now lift 100 tons by himself, he still feel like he is going to die instantly if he touch her. He doesn't know what impossible strength she has but to tear apart voidship interior like paper despite its regenerative capability is a different kind of rage breaking-point. Just what is the true extent of her strength that they seemingly can't measure? Not even Samjo?
He needs to find a way make vast distance. But running around has led him nowhere, so the only options is up or down? But he couldn't fly nor is there anything that will...
The Conductor had an epiphany. Whenever he fired a gun, he felt its recoils. There's no mistaking it after fighting numerous firefight during the precinct breakout that the sensation imprinted into his mind. When an action occurs, its reaction also followed. Then, he had a realization.
What if he used his lifting strength to propels himself upward? This voidship has its weight in millions of tons, the force he pushed is negligible to it but for someone whose weight doesn't even reach 3 digits of kilogram then...
Third law of motions. All actions have its reactions.
In a quick maneuver he made, he bends himself over into a handstand and then with all the strength he has, he pushed himself upward with the strength that lifted Macrocannon shell. As the reaction force applied, the Conductor propels himself upward as he burst through the ceiling. And the next floor and another above it.
The damage quickly regenerated and Akumu instantly claws her way toward through the ceiling as she fly towards where he headed toward. And as she made through and tried to detect his presence, she noticed a sensation nearby and rapidly made her way toward. When she made it there, it wasn't the Conductor at all.
It was her House's Plasma Grenade that he somehow gotten from amongst the dead Asura Soldiers. And yet she somehow could no longer detect him at all. The grenade then blew up in her face without a warning as he has used his nanomachines to tamper with its mechanism.
Her formal dressed burnt up in proximity and yet her body remains unharmed despite the searing heat. When she thought she couldn't get angrier, the Conductor simply proved her wrong. With what she has just gone through, she lets out a bloodcurdling scream that somehow can be heard through the wall. Frustrated that she has become, she unsheathed her cracked sword as if suddenly nothing mattered anymore.
How did the Conductor evaded detection from Akumu? Well, he simply move without touching the ground, which is a lot more difficult when one can't fly or levitate on their own unlike her. What he did is latching on the wall, then used that mountain-moving strength of his to launch himself across the vast corridor for long enough so that Akumu lost sight of him. This is a trick that will only work once and he has no doubt made the situation worse than it is because he wasn't as skilled like Samjo.
But still, all these expended time he made for this expenditure, he better make it work for the time sacrificed.
Times until Valkyria Corruption Nanite's takeover: 24:46.
Akumu's status: WRATHFUL (Anger LV5)
Objective remains: 15 (L:9 ; R:6)
Stepping out of the 7th gun deck that he entered and prepared to hasten for another. The Conductor must have done some amazing job that Akumu hasn't chased him yet. That or she is already on her way after having dealt with the Conductor. He would rather stay optimistic because this world already has enough gloom as it is.
One steps cut hundreds of meters, then he reached for the next one in the list. However, an abrupt change in the atmosphere froze him briefly as the bloodlust within the air is too unmistakable. The permeating hate, the abating wrath, Samjo suddenly has an idea of where and who it came from.
Burst from the ceiling right above in which he narrowly get away from is her once more. Her clothes are torn and burn up which end up revealing some rather private parts of her body but the threat she exudes completely negate any of that. The aura her became visible as she wield her cracked sword of her with killing intents overwhelming. As if death itself has come to reap its due.
In the brief moment in which Samjo analyzed Akumu's body to find if the Conductor is alright, he was relieved to learn that it is the case since he found no trace of his blood there. Because it wouldn't be just a drop if that was the case. From that, he inferred that the Conductor has managed to get away from Akumu and now she looks for the next closest signal she detected.
But this time, nothing matters to her anymore than their death personally committed.
"That's bad..." Samjo thought as he ran away immediately. No matter how powerful he thought that he may become, he'll never surpass Akumu in terms of raw power in anytime soon.
Immediately did he ran as she swung her blade at impossible speed faster than any perception. Samjo didn't know how he even reacted to it, only that his body has made its decision and action before it even registered in his mind. Suddenly, he realized that he could not allow her to get anywhere near the Macrocannon or she'll indiscriminately slash everything in her sight. He can't gamble because of the nature of this ship and any destruction of the Macrocannon prematurely will make this whole plan moot in the first place.
Even if he had went with destroying all of the external weapons. The ship itself can still be used as a weapon. It doesn't matter if you give your enemy a broken gun instead of a proper one, if it is someone who has control over fate and being protected by it, they will cause no less damage regardless of what it is. That encounters with Elise has traumatized him for entirely different reason, she makes him understood futility against his wish and made him give up.
Because of it, he will never let a single thing can be used by her or else. Even if it is putting himself on the line.
And the next thing he did after going through all of that thinking in his mind during that immeasurable short time span, is to run into the munition bay. If he wishes to have any chance of fighting back, it will be there and nowhere else. Better that it is weapons that get collateral rather than his objectives.
Akumu chased him as Samjo ran at a speed that left his heart palpating despite his physique. His pace increasingly become greater as the air starts to slowly form into the barrier in front of him. Never once in his life did the boundary between life and death felt this visible.
He burst into the room with great force as the specter of death continues to follow. Samjo grabbed anything nearby and tossed it at her to at least deter her from immediately approaching him. Unless if she has intangibility, she has to protect herself or else.
And that whatever he throws is essentially as powerful as an artillery shell at the speed he performed so. And much like how he expected, Akumu's swordsmanship easily bisect and redirect their trajectory to miss her entirely. Unless if he attacked her hard enough with greater intensity to made contact with her blade through its disruption field, he would only be wasting his strength on her.
"Hey, you wench! Here's your order of pleasure toy from House Klepius that you personally ordered!" Samjo spoke as he is seen atop of a massive pile of ammunition containers. Holding above his head is a Macrocannon shell in which he made his clear intention. Tasteless joke is his specialty and he won't change his mind about it.
The strength to lift 100 tons as if they were nothing but basic training to him. He throws the gigantic shell at her at a speed no less of an actual high-caliber sniper round. At such a speed that will be unexpected instant death for mortals, Akumu sliced them apart with her sword like they were fallen leaves fluttering in the wind.
Then another one came, then another that follows. Akumu starts to lose patience and intends to use her stronger slash if Samjo intends to keep this up for any longer. Her sword slashed once more as it cleaved the Macrocannon shells in half, only to reveal that Samjo gambled himself by jumping at her while he was obscured by the shell he thrown. Her body tried to turn to counterattack but what did first was his fist once more into her face as his body is also surrounded in the same disruption field to negate her. The same thing that punched a lockdown gate like paper.
Once more have her dignity insulted by him, Akumu flown from the force of impact for a considerable distance and Samjo once more ran away from her as he continues this guerilla warfare against her. Not that he could extend this for too long or he will fail this objective.
She recovered once more and every times she got hurt by being tricked or deceived, her rage once more mounting up to the ever-approaching breaking point.
Samjo breathed tiredly, any second that spent fighting her is seconds not fulfilling his objective. He needs a way to finally stop her from being a threat but killing her is far from possible regardless of what he tried to do. Then he remembered that there's a crack on her sword which has been increasingly become larger as she used it.
He smirked, that there really was a way it turns out. He quickly come to look for it in the munition bay although it becomes increasingly impossible because of how there's a lack of anything that could withstand the strength that an Upper limit of a House Klepius members could exert. Especially it is because of his ship and his personnel wouldn't exactly need a weapon to take down the majority of anything below Upper Hive. But he did it either way because... you simply never know.
Samjo finally found something... he lets out a bitter laugh because he recalled how this batch of power swords made its way here. How one of his personnel has paranoia that there might be something powerful and that they may still need to be armed to stand a chance. All of them died without a chance to react at all and yet, this are his only lifeline. Some are just prophetically right for the wrong reason.
Akumu once more appeared nearby as she rushes toward him to slash him apart. However, Samjo has now taken the initiative as he evaded shockwave slash as he threw the activated power sword at her with ludicrous speed faster than when he throw the Macrocannon shells. As Akumu defected the thrown blade, the kinetic impact transferred which bypass its disruption field.
The crack slowly becomes larger as its extends across the hilt. Every sword that Samjo threw at her, Akumu heartlessly slashes every single one of it with only her strength and the sword's craftsmanship quality. And yet she is completely unaware of the gambit that Samjo placed on. Every broken sword, the greater the damage on her blade would become. Samjo doesn't need to kill her. Just permanently disarm her combat capability.
Is throwing swords at someone a martial art? That is what Anastasia would have said to him if she sees this and he would reply with: as long as it works.
Reduced down to two swords out of the batch that they brought here. It is rather clear that he can no longer proceed with this plan of action and he must adapt accordingly. He has underestimated the sword in Akumu's hand although the damage is visibly clearer than ever. He only need one more sufficiently powerful blow.
Samjo changes into sword wielding stance even though he doesn't exactly has proficiency with swords. It's just that he has to do something, even if it is not something he is good at. It sounds suicidal because this is life and death situation for him right now, but it is not about him anymore. It is the entirety of Vespera.
The truth is that Samjo has never once land a proper hit on during their formal training duel. All of cheap shot he landed on her is all because this is a fight to death which is entirely different to the previous environment. He is playing a very dangerous game in which he tried to be fair when he isn't supposed to. But... where did playing unfair has gotten him to? All he did is just pissing her off to no end.
He is not aiming for her combat capability. He instead is aiming for her will. He has to prove to her that he indeed can surpass her.
The start of a battle isn't when blades clashed. It is when their thoughts crossed.
Akumu lunged forward with her deteriorating sword, Samjo's body once more moved according to its own muscle memory as its blade swung against her mastercrafted weapon. His arm bends, blood boiling and moving like lightning, all of his might concentrated in singular blow.
Klang! What his mind can't perceive, his body made ten steps ahead just to assure that with each blow deflected, he'll live a few seconds longer. All of this occurs as although his body is no longer his and that he has been made prisoner inside his own.
Many seconds have passed and Samjo has blocked thirty blows that should have killed him instantly considering the power behind. His body moved and position the power swords that he dual wield on its own so that it won't shatter or cleave in half immediately by Akumu's sword arts.
Samjo winced, his mind can't keep up with the body and the body seemingly can't extract all the instinctual experience that dwells within. For some reason, the twin swords that he wield felt awfully familiar when he only remembered training his hand-based martial arts on his own.
Sparks fly, his vision wavers with each blow but he desperately try to keep up. His mind yells in protest since the last long time ago which gave him nostalgia of the early training memory he has. His body screams in agony with each of her blow. He saw his own death approaching as this duel goes on. Fears slowly creeping in, he couldn't get rid of it. But even against all of that collapsing fear which fester, he continues to made his stand regardless.
His body lunged back. Her attack propelled him away so he jumped back to regroup.
Samjo panted. He couldn't care anymore, as long as that sword didn't kill him then he will continue to...
"Why are you like this?" Akumu conversed with him for the first time in a long while since their fight, disappointment lingers in her tone instead of the wrathful scream she always make.
Who could have guessed that people are more willing to strike a conversation like this when you are not cheating or making things hell for others? But this is all completely unexpected development for him.
"...Why? I'm simply just keeping up with you". Samjo replied before Akumu just proceed to rebuttal him with cold reality.
"You're not. You're just simply charging recklessly and letting your muscle memory and instinct do the actual works while your mind barely register. Your limit is already approaching and your actions reflect that. If you keep trying to confront me with that skill set, then I'll simply obliterate you in the next attack". Akumu spoke as she remarks only with cold hard truth.
He already know that. But he has no options left. He can only proceed to perform one more exchange of blows before she decided that he is no longer worth any of her time. Samjo has already sunk so much of his and he can only go all in.
He has to defeat her with his own strength.
"Samjo, what am I to you?" Akumu said to him. Such ambiguous question that Samjo has no idea what it is for or what it even meant to be.
His heart skipped a beat. No... it straight up just stop for a few seconds because of the overwhelming fear. His fate was already determined the moment he failed his mission already. He couldn't tell why he is afraid anymore, anything seemingly contributes to that colossal and staggering fear that keeps overshadowing him at any given time. But he has made a decision.
He'll see to the end of this wretched tale.
Samjo closed his eyes once more. There has to be a way. There must be something within the 10000 years of history that House Klepius has. They can't possibly drill all of that into his mind and have nothing to show for it. Anything resembles a sword art, there has to be.
When you are having a near-death experience, your mind will instinctively recollect every single memory you have of your own life as it try to find a way to get away. Especially so with his physique making natural death impossible.
10000 years of history that he was forced to learn reviewed bit by bit. Their founding in which could recite in sleep, their recorded history written so long that if on paper will stretch across this world many times over or reach the moon that they see in the night sky. When it doesn't give anything, he resorted toward the legend of his House or anything notable in it. Then...
He found it...
His mind shifted back to reality as if a second that just passed was an eternity for him. Samjo no longer has any time to think or dwell upon, he has to move while he still can.
Divine skill, flawless and firm
Words of Emperor: For this part, play Mighty Wind - Fate/stay night
Samjo threw his pair of activated power swords in his hand at her from the both side. All of it was done with all the might he has.
People always said of how Adamantium is otherworldly durable, how anything made with it can withstand absurd force of kinetic power. From voidship to Imperial Titans, to terminator armors of Adeptus Astarte, power swords in the hand of high-class officers. They are the eponymous of indestructibility of the Imperium.
No one ever talks about how they are magnetic in nature.
The thrown blades curved toward her neck. Normally, no one would come out of that unscathed. Akumu being who she is deflected all of them to her back. Seeing now that Samjo is unarmed, she charged toward him intending to deal the final blow. Samjo did the same too as he charges forward against all the consuming threat of failure.
The broken power swords scattered beneath his feet start to spark as the closest pair of swords flew into his hand. Akumu swung her blade down and he blocked the deathblow with them. As long as the bond disruption function still works, he'll be able to withstand properly regardless.
Akumu unleashed her fatal attack again, but Samjo once again...
Strength moves mountain.
If that's the case, why doesn't one use a sufficiently power magnet to take down all Adamantium constructs easily? The answer is that its magnetic function is too easily interfered by what it was used in. The disruption field will negate all incoming magnetic field, the same goes for ion shield, iron halo and void shield of the respective Knight, Terminator, Titan. The only place this knowledge would came up is to recover stranded voidships or exploring Space Hulks using magnetic pads of Terminator Armors.
And the additional fact is that the Asura somehow managed to make disruption field a human biological function which is why even power sword thrown at her doesn't even work along with her unnaturally enhanced physique. Much like those Qi Armor in old Xianxia Novels that is collecting dust in Malcador's stash.
Samjo uses the nanomachines concentrated in his arms to create a powerful magnetic field to attract the deflected blade still flying behind her. The thrown swords whose disruption field waned suddenly changed trajectory as they now suddenly come to stab at her back.
Like using precognition-like instincts, Akumu's body swerve itself to deflect the sword that is making its return but Samjo also chained his attack by trying to stab her with the half-broken power sword with full might he asserts.
With all of that advantages, she still somehow managed to deflect both of the attacks at once. If this doesn't make her as monstrous existence then Samjo truly ran out of example. But...
Blade cuts water
If he wasn't fighting such monstrously powerful person like this, he wouldn't ever have resorted to doing this.
The other blade attacked her from behind again, no need to repeat was spoken before. Her godlike reflex once more taken action as her body tried to deflect the returning sword, and while her attention was diverted, Samjo comes tried to smash his other sword into her unguarded chest.
Once more inexplicably, Akumu managed to even deflect both again as the sword in his hand fly out by force despite his grip. However, this maneuver has seemingly consumed way too much of her mental power unlike all of the previous rat chase she underwent.
Time froze for the two of them. They took their chance to inspect each other again. Samjo has used two pairs of functional power sword against her. Having deflected all the four blades, Samjo really can't do anything anymore. Supposedly. Akumu is in the same state as she is, having left herself open for attack during those daring maneuvers along with upholding those power of her constantly.
They have reached a stalemate. In moments, they will all return to where they were.
Samjo however... Moved against all of what his instinct made him do before. When he was a prisoner held onto the superior physique, this time it is his mind that perform the decisive action.
Akumu's expression froze, she tried to return to her stance, put her guards on. But it was too late for what he is about to do. Samjo simply gave his all.
Our lives reached the Imperial Palace
His limit surpassed, the broken power sword shards scattered on the ground start to stir at his command. Sounds of metal collide as they converged once more into both of his hands. A makeshift pair of swords formed out of all the broken shards combined, and they don't hold any power. But that's perfectly fine, because that's all he needed.
"AKUMU!_" Samjo yelled her name loudly as he bursts toward her as the blade barely held on to its form at the speed he makes.
Two of us, can't embrace the heaven together!
Akumu doesn't know why or what is the sensation she felt. For all of her existence thus far, everything has simply conformed to her. The Scions of the Upper Noble Houses, her parents, the head of her own House, the soldiers who took her command without a shred of doubt or disbelief, the citizens in the land dominated by her House. Everything around, was all predictable like a prophecy written plainly in front of her.
Today, she felt different for the first time since a long while. Her body can't react according to her thought as Samjo fast approaching her instead of the other way around. Never in her life, has someone changed so much in the brief span of time that they were given. He was just someone who makes tasteless jokes, speaking of praise or meandering over someone that caught his interest. But now, he was strong, stronger in ways she never once thought of.
Can she really be like him?
Her muscle memory reacts as it raised the sword in her hand to protect her. But with the disruption field went out already due to overexertion of mental power which she has put on since the moment she went mad at Samjo and his accomplice. It was only a clash between a broken sword against two of them.
The dual blades clashed into hers, and all three of them shatters.
Klepius Duality Sword Art - Grave of the Three Kings
Akumu fell to her back as she tasted the bitter taste of defeat for the first time. It was something that she never once genuinely felt as the taste of bitter contrasted too greatly with blandness of boredom. There was never any room to grow for her in a place where everything is handed to her in a silver platter.
She was more like a frog sitting in the well, looking at the hole above her and mistaking it for the entire sky. All the power she has yet when it truly mattered, she failed to overcome.
Akumu made her admittance of defeat.
Samjo collapsed to his knee. In reality, that technique never existed until now, he simply made it up entirely when that idea flashed in his mind during life review. He wasn't even sure if it is gonna work or not but desperation has made him its bitch and he had no choice but to follow through regardless.
"So... you will not kill us, right?" Samjo asked as he tried to regain his strength by willing himself.
Akumu didn't say anything at all, not wanting to risking it any further when even the chance presented itself, Samjo decided to just leave. He had too much in his mind and he would rather not staining it with bloodshed.
Beside, killing Akumu is Elise's intentions. He is simply playing into it if he went that far. Hell, Elise even plan that far to have both of them kill each other and that it would be disastrous if none of them can find a common ground which she thought to be never. She's not wrong, even this outcome can be considered as even more than miraculous.
Samjo's body is finally failing him as he can't even exert his physique's strength properly anymore. This kind of tiredness can't be alleviated with any augmentation and that it truly bored into his soul. He doesn't have the time, he still has his objective to fulfill and...
"Tell me what you are up to and I'll decide if I should help you or not". Akumu spoke as she is nearby him without a warning. Not even presence seems to be detected even by his conscious action. The dread which she exudes still felt real despite they are both depowered.
Times until Valkyria Corruption Nanite's takeover: 12:33.
Objective remains: 10 (L:4 ; R:6)
The Conductor tiredly stepped out of the gundeck he just turned inward. He doesn't know why but he guessed that since they are aimed toward the munition bay, all of the things in there will explode if all the gun deck fired too. Although he really doesn't know much of how everything work here, he decided to just keep believing in Samjo.
And speaking of Samjo, he got out right at the same time as the Conductor did too. With Akumu besides him right after she displayed her desire to kill so clearly to them just before. The dissonance whiplash hits Conductor harder than he thought as all the accumulated fatigue nearly sent him to rest.
But still, he overcame the desire to sleep just when disaster is around the corner and decided that since Akumu has stopped the desire to kill them, he must listen to what and why things have changed.
"Don't tick her off now. She looks calm but in reality... she's utterly pissed beyond what you've seen before". Samjo approaches the Conductor and told him in the ear so that Akumu doesn't hear. She know already but it is clear to her that she doesn't want to hear it mentioned again. For the close future at least.
Akumu's status: TRANQUIL (Anger LV6)
When Samjo explained to Akumu about the extent of Elise's plan that he has deduced and uncovered along with the evidence literally spreading through the wall. Akumu has passed through every previous stage of fury and finally rested at the lagoon of rage where her wrath seemingly spreads endless like a calm ocean. Her manner became polite and measured as the only sign was the slight frown that betrays the inner inferno that slowly boils within to critical point.
She pointed her sword at her own compatriot, she accepted the report at face value which then permanently ruined Samjo's reputation and position. She led her own people to their demise during this misunderstanding. And most importantly, there was no possible way to rectify this mistake she made anymore. His life was ruined because of her.
Because Elise has manipulated her like playing a fiddle. No, more like played like a kazoo because even fiddle required finesse.
The aura around her became much more visible. It was red of bloodlust and wrath but now... it was dark purple of despair and ice-cold hate. She'll never forgive Elise as long as she still live. Because of her own dignity tarnished like her formal clothing. What's left of it being burnt and torn before has to repurposed into rags that cover her critical part. Especially only chest and between legs.
Her treasured sword was broken but she picked all the shards of it as they float and marred in that tainted aura of her. Then focusing the disruption field/aura, all of it transferred to her hand as it formed into long blade made entirely out of it. Her hate alone surpassed all everything that she has on her before as if all of this was a hard-learned lesson with a price too steep to pay.
Tranquil Fury - Death of Thousand Cuts
All the blade fragments which she controlled telepathically moved at her will as she swung the aura sword made out of her hand. The blazing speed that she made seemingly exceed any previous display of her skills by a huge margin.
This is also a result of biological function which her House installed on her long before her birth. In fact, any supernatural capability she has on display is result of House Genesis's genetic manipulation at work in which her House used their authority, wealth and connections to do so. All the Scions of her House's history record did but no one ever did so as much like her.
The wall blasted apart like a fragmentation bomb just exploded. Anything that they took a minutes to do, she did the basic in seconds. Samjo loaded the Macrocannon shell in the next few seconds and suddenly, their efficiency increased in multiples.
"Hey, how would any of these Macrocannons you called would fire without having any power connection?" The Conductor asked because he felt like it would be unsatisfactory to leave it like that. Besides, what would kill him for asking either way?
"They have their internal power storage in the case which power were disconnected, they would be able to fire at least 1 more round". Samjo explained simply, mostly because people would ask the most simple things. It's fine to explain things like that but even he felt like it is nitpicking for even the slightest mistake.
The actual most time-consuming act is moving. All three of them has exhausted their strength fighting each other and Akumu isn't exactly the fastest runner of all times. She can levitates herself through sheer anger alone but her endless grievance of what Elise did is annoying her to no end. It's hard to keep her tranquil fury going without the actual subject of target being here. Words alone just not keeping her fuel going.
They do what they do best. Tore the Macrocannon down, aim it toward the internal munition bay. All of it took seconds at worst but the journey has ended up becoming the clutch they tried to avoid.
"So... what about the soldiers that teleported with you? Why can't they teleport here?" The Conductor asked Akumu about what happened to the soldiers considering of what he heard about the most offensive oriented House in terms of tactic.
"As much as I hate to admit it but teleporting isn't exactly the best method despite our technology. The machine works without a hitch but the physiology required for repeated teleportation is too taxing for any mortal regardless of training". Akumu explained as she is no longer care if she is leaking information to potential enemy. She simply had enough.
Even Veteran Space Marines were hesitant about using this technology let alone abuse. People are never getting accustomed to the warp regardless of how minor the exposure are since its mechanic is entirely based around being transported through it in utterly short time that people never registers anything they could perceive there. The cases that did however, didn't live long.
The soldiers likely gave up on the chase since Akumu left them behind in her mad chase. They most likely made their return by now and awaiting further order because normal method of voidship breaching rendered annulled thanks to the ship's hyper-regeneration ability. No average soldiers wield power that can consistently get them far here.
They are like the most battle-ready infantry force known to Upper Hive, always eager for a fight yet ready to disengage the moment it proves unfruitful to them. People said they are as fanatic in their service to the Asura and there are those that said they are the most calculating and cunning even down to individuals. No one can even tell which was which in this paradoxical and contradictory mess of rumors they made. Even Akumu admits that.
The trio continues to do what they set out to do.
Times until Valkyria Corruption Nanite's takeover: 05:21.
Objective remains: 2 (L:0 ; R:2)
Almost finished, that's what they thought. They easily turn that Macrocannon inward and load its shell and finally head toward the final gundeck. Although they have come to a rather turbulent start, they actually gotten rather close together in a way that is more than before. Actually talking things out, who would have thought the solution would be that simple?
But now that their objective is fulfilled, the idea that they are going to say farewell to one another previously thought unthinkable is now reality. They don't really know how to say it as the time of parting is going to come. All of them know it and yet not a single word of assurance can be spoken. Turns out, just saying farewell is actually a lot harder than expect.
Tore the wall down, remove the Macrocannon from installation, turn it inward, load the round. They are about to fulfill all their objective, they supposed to be glad and they can just leave it at that and destroy the ship when they are away from the immediate area. However, they can't even get their fanfare going. It's always when victory seemingly in grasp that things turn for the worse without a word. It's almost a curse, a fact of life that one has to be vigilant of.
"Huh?" The Conductor muttered as he suddenly sees the black chrome that is slowly spreading towards them. Samjo didn't seem to respond very well to them so he only assumed it is bad. He never actually gotten the chance to analyze it properly and once he decided to do so, he realized why Samjo behaved the way he is.
He learned that it is the same nanomachine that is circulating through his veins, the same that is now corrupting this ship with each second passed. As the Conductor narrows down the possible suspect, he instantly thinking of Elise but the image he had of her and the person capable of doing this is too different for consideration. He hesitated briefly but the truth has shaken his belief greatly.
"You said that we still have 5 minutes left!" Akumu said as she actually believed Samjo's analysis and prediction.
In truth, that 5 minutes was his estimation based on the speed that he observed. There were too many factors involving and he simply had no time when so much is involved. He didn't expect that he could convince Akumu at all at first and never made any reexamination since then. With how much at stake, he only make his assumption and hope that he isn't too off with his calculation.
The fact that he only got wrong about five minutes and they are nearly done makes it much more miraculous than any thought. Any minor deviance in the variables of the formula will result in an entirely different outcome. Much like how Anastasia once said, you can't miscalculate with a delicate fate.
Back at Anastasia, she suddenly sneezed without a warning.
Samjo turned around and noticed that they are already at the last gun deck. But they can't touch the corrupted ground unless something disastrous may happen to them. Seeing that Akumu can lift things around her telekinesis at this immediate moment, he quickly asked for her help.
"Hey, can you lift me and this guy up? I don't think we should touch it and we're not going to test that hypothesis right now". Samjo said as he felt his body is revolting from the idea of touching that still spreading chrome. His not-so-peaceful contact with Elise has traumatized him down to his being.
Akumu done what Samjo asked for as they flew over toward the next gun deck's gate. Then with all her focus she swung all of everything that is under her control with full power. Including Samjo and the Conductor.
Tranquil Fury - Death of Thousand Cuts
"Wait... Oh crap! Sorry!" Akumu instantly realized the mistake she just did and tried to retract. But by the time her mind did recognize, the deed was already done.
The door which was already becoming indestructible due to the nanite corruption still blasted open with great force. And with Samjo and the Conductor barely alive getting thrown with such impact, they came into a hard truth is that no matter how powerful they become, they will never be able to defeat Akumu properly in a battle to death.
Rid of the thought that he could overcome her at the strongest somehow. And also learn that you don't get instantly corrupted if you made direct contact with the nanite corruption. He'll consider that as a consolation price. And that seemingly indestructible nanite actually still has an upper-limit before destruction which helps his shaken spirit a lot when he sees nothing capable of stalling against Elise.
Samjo noticed that the corruption is about to reach toward the final Macrocannon, with his command which he yelled, Akumu slashed the installation down before any of it could reach the final objective. All of them hurried up with all they had as the remaining times they had in mind is no longer accurate. All they know is that they have to move as fast as their body can take them.
"Samjo, how the hell are we gonna fire any of these? From the way it looks, there has to be a crew of hundreds used just to man any of these!" The Conductor said as he mentions the elephant in Samjo's plan.
Upon mentioned, he took out what looks like a dataslate out of his pant. By all means, it shouldn't have survived the punishment he underwent before. But considering the metallurgy and absurd feat of science and supernatural in display right now, an indestructible piece of electronic suddenly doesn't sound that stupid anymore.
"This is an admiral dataslate which is used to remote control all the aspect of this ship remotely should the situation demand. The sheer amount of functions that even a normal voidship has demanded thousands of positions just to fulfill, having a single man attempt to do so is pushing far beyond the limit of functionality even if they mind-link to the system directly." Samjo explained why he even follow through with this to begin with. And this plan is devised on the fly either way thus he doesn't even has any moment to go in depth for what he is supposed to do.
"What is its range?" Akumu asked as she even has doubt on whether or not it will work or not.
"Like controlling a remote toy flyer but significantly larger. Like... most people would see it fly on the sky and not thinking that it is remotely controlled." Samjo explained but his body is feeling anxious right now that the situation keeps on deteriorating for the worst.
The ship shakes once more. But it doesn't stop at all this time... As the three of them tried to keep their bearings, the muzzle shield that the Macrocannon supposed to be insert it blares with light once more which felt foreign to Samjo and the Conductor. Even if it is hazy, they are unmistakably above ground right now.
"Oh shit... the ship is flying!" Samjo said as things have truly gone beyond his control.
The admiral dataslate suddenly blares in warning as all of its functionalities on the list suddenly replaced with errors in his pad. Then in seconds later, the only thing remained was all the 26 Macrocannons that they removed which were in manual control of his.
Akumu suddenly reacted as if she heard voices in her head. It's actually telepathic communication considering she entered this place with barely anything but her sword and clothing.
"What?! What's going on your side? I know that already!" Akumu spoke to the ether which makes her look like an asylum ward patient in her bout of delusion.
"Return? Not now! There's still too much of things to do and-" Akumu yelled in protest before it was abruptly cut off.
The culprit being her vanished like a bolt out of the blue.
"She got teleported back... Out of all the time..." Samjo spoke as things are now turning for the worse.
He had only a few minutes left before this thing start to move horizontally. It is still in take off phase and they're still have the chance to escape even if it is a bit more messy than he would like.
One problem though, this previously derelict voidship is going to move to a height of roughly 30km above current ground and even if they take a free fall and survive. This ship has to go and when it does, it would be a next-level disaster that's gonna occur next. The problem is, they needed to land safely because spending precious time sprawling all over the ground in pain while burning wreckages gonna fall on them is not a good experience he's looking forward.
Something to fall back on and his mind can't think straight anymore as the mounting stress is doing him in. Seeing that he is no good, Samjo relied on the certain someone whose ingenuity has carried him far to this point.
"Conductor, do you know if we can get off this ship without subjecting ourselves to a freefall?" Samjo asked the man who makes anything possible.
The Conductor pushed his mind to the limit to see if there was a way out. He could have returned to the munition bay for an answer but time is now clocking in seconds left for deduction. Then suddenly, he realized something.
The Vortex Missile that he analyzed for the Vortex part in which he discarded the Missile part due to material constraint. But if it is something capable of flight that he needed then...
"I have an idea". A flash of insight gleamed in his eyes. A moment of brilliance suddenly put onto play.
A Macrocannon shell dropped nearby them. If it were anyone else, it would have been a tragic accident. To them however, it is guidance. They both have a smirk on their faces, seeing that fate hasn't forsook them at all.
Meanwhile, at the Rogue Trader voidship
Anastasia witnesses the unexpected turn of event that she is seeing right now. The distance made it hard to observe but one can't deceive themselves to say that they aren't seeing a wrecked voidship flying back on its own. When one thought that today can't get any more bizarre, this has to happen in front of her.
An unknown feeling welling up inside her, she can't tell what exactly is she feeling right now amidst the confusing and conflicting thoughts that arise. She is angry, she is sad, she is happy, she can no longer tell which or why each feeling ascribe to what reason. It was turbulent mess of emotion that is stirring inside her mind as she can only watch it happens.
The Asura battle barge is firing its armament toward it but the void shield that once more online has made any attempt to penetrate impossible. So much power they have before and yet... it seemingly didn't matter when they need it.
The Rogue Trader and the Tech-Magos looked in bewilderment at where the potential development may go. They're not there physically but in spirit, they can only pray for whatever souls involved.
As her eyes fixed upon, she suddenly picked up something amongst the falling debris. After all her training as a Valkyria, her eyes ended up becoming extremely perceptive when focused and can pick up unseen cues that would be lost amongst mortal. She couldn't tell what exactly because of the distance between but...
Someone is taking their leap of faith.
Back at the flying ship of Samjo.
The two have tossed a Macrocannon shell out of the ship's muzzle guard and jumped out along with it. As its surface resistance being far greater than them, the two promptly landed on top of the falling shell. The Conductor used his knowledge then to alter the mechanism of the Macrocannon shell itself.
With the total length of 6m with the projectile part being 2,8m and the cartridge being 3,2m, its diameter. Modification will be remotely easier due to already desired appearance. From the fall of 30km above, they have about 12 minutes total before coming to a stopping halt that will flatten them like paper. As its form changed to suit the task it meant to perform, the Conductor then gave a nod to Samjo.
Descension Missile
Another option appeared in his dataslate, right below the 26 Macrocannons. After selecting all of them to activate all of the same time, he gazed up toward the ship that he has seemingly spent so much care on it and the fact that it is no longer belong to him anymore.
"Goodbye, Hippocratic's Oath"
Samjo pressed the button as the ship now far above the sky blew up as all the 26 independents Macrocannon now aimed to fire inward self-destruct themselves. The entirety of the munition it carries was more than enough for the whole ship to destroy in spectacular blaze that seemingly sends all of its destroyed fragments across vast distance. Collateral is about to be heavy but it is gonna be far more worth it than what Elise intends to do with its armaments.
The worst scenario is now over as Samjo activated the missile as they magnetically locked onto its surface. The two made their descent as quickly as they could. Seeing that there's no reason why they should stay here but painting a greater target on their back, they made their way out as Samjo felt another itch behind his ear.
Back at the Rogue Trader ship.
Anastasia witnessed all of it happened. The ship flying then its fiery demise, she didn't know why she had hope in the first place. Perhaps, there was lingering feeling that she has. But now, she has seen it with her own eyes.
The Rogue Trader and the Tech-Magos returned back to the ship's inner sanctum, leaving her to ponder on her own. They could have tried to console her or something but... they had a feeling that she wants some personal space for herself now.
"Farewell, Samjo..." Anastasia said as she tried to hold back her tears. Seeing now that a part of her permanently left this world.
Samjo sneezed out of nowhere again. He remembered how Anastasia would say that if you sneeze suddenly, someone that care about you just misunderstand something.
He didn't need to live in a soap opera to have misunderstanding.
Somewhere a considerable distance away from the voidship crash site.
A little girl with white hair, tied into a twin tail. Skin as white as snow, dressed in the same clothing although now stained in blood of many. She looked toward the explosion in the sky as the flame still lingers and the shockwave can still be felt.
"Well play, Scion of Klepius. It seems that you realized my gambit early and act accordingly. But the next time, you won't be that lucky. No matter what you do, death awaits". She spoke in an ominous tone that contradicts who she supposed to be.
Elise, turns away from the scene she made. As if this was nothing but a stumble in her way. With composure and calmness once more contradict of her age, she looks forward to what they may try to do to stop her.
In the eyes where they are the windows to the soul. Within her shown betrayal of her creeds for her revenge toward those who wronged her.
