Magical Atoner Lyrical Alicia'
Twenty Four
Thankfully, the news reporters stopped chasing Alicia as other stories came up.
"Any other fallout?" Subaru asked as they walked to school together.
"Several of the former Duelists have asked me for a bout," Alicia admitted. "Touga Kiryu, Saionji and Utena Tenjou herself."
"Really?" Subaru squeaked.
"It was... interesting," Alicia made a face, "I got my ass kicked."
"Well, it makes sense," Subaru conceded as she added, "they've been doing this for over a thousand years."
"Point," Alicia brightened, "that makes me feel better."
"Morning!" Erica waved, Catrine looking amused.
"Hello, Sir Knight," Catrine smiled, her hair a light pink this week.
"Yeah, yeah," Alicia smiled.
"Happy to be back at school?" Erica asked curiously.
"No," Subaru pouted.
"Yes," Alicia admitted.
"You are just twisted," Catrine teased Alicia.
"I like the structure," Alicia admitted.
A strange girl was waiting at the school gates, then brightened as they neared. "Alicia Testarossa?" she asked, smiling.
"Yes?" Alicia answered.
"Una Scalietti," she hurriedly introduced herself. "Yes, I'm descended from THAT Scalietti," she added cheerfully.
"What can I do for you?" Alicia asked a bit warily.
"I'm a reporter for the school newspaper, I was wondering if we could do a story on you," Una explained.
"Oh hell no," Alicia blinked, then hurried by her, the others following.
"Just a quote?" Una called.
They ignored that...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Una Scalietti had been asked by her eldest sister Nene to keep an eye on Alicia and Subaru in school. The Embasy would pay a nominal fee, and personally she didn't mind. So she just lurked in the back of the class.
"You've staring," Toya noted, her classmate looking amused.
Una startled, "Oh, sorry."
"You interested in one or the other?" Toya asked. "Or is this some 'Scalietti family revenge' thing?" they asked.
"No revenge, I promise," Una said. "Not interested that way, either."
They raised an eyebrow. "So what is going on, then?" Toya asked.
Una knew Toya reasonably well, and they kept their own council. "My big sister at the Midchilde embassy asked me to keep a eye on her," she admitted.
They looked impressed. "Seriously?" Toya asked. They frowned a bit, "They do know how high the security is here?"
Una pointed at them, "Yes, but that security is focused on Erica, the Jurai lord in 3-B, and the various ambassadors' kids."
"Point," Toya conceded.
Una sighed as she added, "And from what I've seen of Alicia and Subaru, they'd probably be helping defend everyone else."
"Ha!" Toya agreed. "So, if something does happen, what exactly are you supposed to do?" they asked curiously.
"I have a Device," Una said, "and I'm pretty good at shields. So I'll delay whatever it is, then run like hell."
"Agreed with the running,"Toya said. They added, "I don't mind helping out with this, too."
"It might be dangerous, assuming something does happen," Una pointed out.
"Danger is my middle name!" Toya joked. They added, "Actually, it's Clarence. But you know what I mean."
"Thank you," Una chuckled.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Una has been staring at you all day," Catrine noted as the group had lunch in the cafeteria.
"I know, I know," Alicia sighed.
"Didn't your sister defeat her ancestor or something?" Subaru asked. She added, "Maybe she's plotting revenge."
"Why, though?" Alicia sighed.
"Who says revenge has to make sense?" Erica asked. "I got attacked by a descendent of the Witches Five a few years back. Luckily I talked her down."
"That's comforting," Alicia sighed.
"Don't worry, if something happens we'll protect you," Subaru reassured her.
"Yeah," Erica agreed.
"Changing the subject," Alicia sighed. "Ran has asked me and Subaru to spar with the hardsuits again. Do you wanna come watch?"
"I'm participating," Catrine smiled. "I'm readying to graduate from cadet status."
"I'm really proud of her," Erika added.
"Good going," Subaru agreed.
"May the best woman win," Alicia teased.
Looking at their devices Subaru sighed. "WHY does Professor Hiraga like to pile on work" Subaru lamented.
"He's a sadist," Erica sighed.
"I really wish the teachers would stop calling me Sir Alicia," Alicia pouted.
"It's not like we ever see knights here," Catrine noted. She paused, "Why don't we have knights in Crystal Tokyo, anyway?"
"Well, the Queen did grow up in the suburbs of Tokyo," Erica pointed out reasonably, "the idea probably didn't occur to her."
"Point," Catrine agreed thoughtfully.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"All right, let's go," Alicia had Bardiche in scythe mode, her and Subaru hovering in the air in the training area.
Six of the latest Hard Suits were facing them, as part of a test trial of the new models.
"Ready," Priss Asagiri, the supervising officer, called, "go!"
Without extending Raising Heart into staff mode Subaru called, "Reverant shooter!" Six balls of red energy zipped out, surprising the pilots.
"Ack!" one pilot yelped. "I thought you had to have the Device in staff mode to fire!"
"I've been practicing," Subaru grinned.
"Bind!" Alicia called.
"Anti-magic field!" another pilot yelled, shattering the bind spell.
"Inertron bullets!" a third opened fire with an arm mounted cannon.
Subaru wheeled away, yelping as the new bullets punched right through her basic shield, but were stopped by her barrier jacket.
Alicia doubled up her shields, and stopped the bullets cold. She then raced in close to another suit, swinging the blade.
"Anti-" the pilot started but couldn't deploy it in time. The suit shorted out badly, falling to the padded floor.
Before Alicia could retreat a pilot raced up, deploying a coherent energy blade from one arm. "Ha!" they slashed at her shields.
Deciding the scythe was too cumbersome for close combat, Alicia ordered, "Bardiche, sword mode." She gracefully parried the next swing, then drove the pilot back.
"Your magic resistance is pretty good," Subaru said as she dodged and fiired off magic bullets. "Let's see if we can overload it."
"Dodge," one pilot warned the others.
"Reverent buster!" Subaru yelled, firing off a massive beam. The armor tried to resist it, but the anti-magic field crapped out and the suit shut down.
Alicia got by the guard of the other pilot who was attacking her, and 'gutted' her with a simulated lethal move.
"Okay, we're calling it," Priss announced.
"We can still," Catrine protested, taking off her helm.
"You went from three to one odds to basically even, and the new weapons we're testing didn't do as well as expected," Priss noted. "I'll send the data to Dr Stingray, she can try to get the bugs out."
"Yes ma'am," Catrine sighed. "Good fight," she told Alicia and Subaru.
To be continued...
Notes: I mentioned in a earlier chapter that Sylia Stingray wanted to upgrade the suits.