Episode 12 - Clear Skies, Heavy Rain
It happened all too fast.
In one blink, the Apalis was there, and then in the next, it was nothing but a giant explosion that engulfed the Gospel.
The tendrils suddenly retracted into the explosion, releasing their prisoners and sending them flying from the shockwave. Kanzashi and Cecilia quickly moved to catch their friends, their weapons disappearing as they boosted over.
Fold-Out armor pulsing, Houki caught Rin in her arms as Laura and Charlotte landed in the other two's roughly as their IS' disappeared, returning to their closed form as their chests rose and fell in quick successions, the fatigue now catching up to them. The pained grimace on all of their faces burned a blaze of anger in her, and she could only glare ineffectively at the debris cloud.
WOOSH!
(BGM Start: Gekichin Dominion - Toshihiko Sahashi)
Only for her eyes to widen in disbelief as the Silverio Gospel shot straight up out of it. The tendril-like wings structures were gone, instead replaced with large feathered limbs reminiscent of that of an angel. Three pairs of wings gently flapped as they kept the monstrous IS afloat, and her heart rate spiked when the 'feathers' began glowing.
CLANG!
A shield impacted the suit, thrown with incredible strength to the point that it simply crumpled on impact. The silver IS lurched back, causing a multitude of beams to shoot straight up into the clouds and rain. Sparks flew when the shield struck the body, clueing her in that the energy shields were gone.
This was her chance.
"Oh, come on..!" Rin groaned in her arms, glaring up at the Gospel as it recovered from the blow. "Give us a damn break already!"
…Right.
They had wounded.
〈 Shinonono! 〉
Cecilia's voice crackled in her communicator, and she looked to the side to see the Blue Tears setting Charlotte down on an inflatable boat. The Strike Uchigane was hovering near the craft, having deposited Laura moments earlier, as it stared hard into a patch of nearby water. The MS-IS hybrid then reached down to the surface and pulled out the Tactical Arms, much to the surprise of the other two.
'When did she-?!'
〈 Set Miss Huang here on the RHIB with Dunois and Bodewig! 〉
WOOSH!
The blackened form of the Blue Frame rocketed past her, the Flight Pack roaring as the Tactical Arms 2 was drawn back for a strike. In its other hand, it drew one of its Type 70 beam sabers, the pink blade craving a streak through the air. From its calves, the Pardus missile launchers thundered their part, filling the sky with a ludicrous amount of ordinance.
Even wounded and burned, the crimson-eyed beast seemed determined to fight until the end.
"Houki, just…" Rin muttered as she patted the ponytailed girl's shoulder, snapping her out of her indecisive trance. "Just let me down into the boat. Then you can kick that thing's ass for me."
〈 Shinonono! 〉
CLANG!
With grit teeth, she turned away from the fight and flew down to where the boat was. Several questions flashed in her mind, mainly about how and where this boat came from and if the passengers would be safe in the stormy sea.
"Will this boat have enough fuel to get us close to shore?" She could hear Laura ask the noblewoman, who dismissed her Blue Pierce in motes of light. The albino didn't look too great, with her pale skin littered with dark bruises and her audibly troubled breathing. Charlotte was curled up on the floor of the craft, cradling her head as she shuddered when the rain bore down on them.
"I haven't used this thing since I left the UK, so it's still topped up." The Brit answered, her brows furrowing when Houki let Rin down beside Laura. "More importantly, are you well enough to steer yourselves back to shore?"
"If she passes out, I'll take over." The Chinese girl groaned as she sat up and leaned against the side of the boat, her own labored breathing clear over the rain and thunder. "Assuming that I don't pass out as well…"
"Someone needs to stay behind to guard you." Houki found herself saying, glancing between the Strike Uchigane and the Blue Tears. "Cecilia, would you-"
"I refuse." The noblewoman answered almost instantly, her voice cold as she frowned at the swordswoman. "I shall stay and fight."
"With that?" The Akatsubaki's pilot argued, her frown hidden by the faceplate. "I doubt you have enough energy to spare to use the Blue Pierce and your Bits. What are you going to use to fight, your fists?"
A brief swirl of motes of light answered her challenge, and Gungnir was grasped by the ready claws of the blue IS.
Cecilia narrowed her eyes, the sharpness and glare clear behind the dark goggles that protected them.
"This."
The ponytailed girl was taken aback. An ember of anger reignited within her at the sight of the spear, causing her to grit her teeth as her brow twitched.
'Even when my sister said you're out of commission, you still found a way to piss me off, huh?!'
Gritting her teeth, Houki turned her head to the Strike Uchigane. "Sarashiki-san, you still have a shield, right? Will you-"
"If you think I'm going to agree to leave my boyfriend behind, Shinonono, you'll be sorely disappointed." Kanzashi hissed, the amber visor of the IS-MS hybrid flashing as she turned to her. "We still have enough energy to keep on fighting."
"Argh, will you two just see reason?!" If they were on solid ground, she would have stomped and cratered it. "I'm the one that's fresh and ready for-!"
"Verdammt noch mal!" Laura snapped, gaining their attention as she leaned against the wheel, her hands wrapping around it at a 10 and 2 position. "If you three want to fight, at least fight the Silverio and keep my brother safe!"
Crack!
Just as she said that, one of the energy wings of the Gospel shattered into crystalline shards. The Astray then spun and impacted the flat of the Tactical Arms 2 against the side of the IS with a resounding boom, sending the IS skipping across the stormy sea with great splashes of water. Lightning cracked through the air, framing the damaged Astray in an ominous light as the sole crimson eye glowed in the darkness of the night.
Then, with a burst of purple-blue flames, the thrusters of the Flight Pack roared as the mobile suit shot forth, the Tactical Arms 2 drawn back in a ready swing as the pilot's eye left a visible red streak in the air.
Laura took this chance to start the engine of the RHIB, its rumbling lost amidst churning waves and howling winds. "Go and help my brother." She told them with a scowl, one primarily directed at Houki. "We'll slip away while we still have the chance. Go!"
With that and a spew of white seafoam, the boat did a rapid u-turn and began zooming back towards shore.
The three girls watched their friends go before the blonde looked over to the bluenette. The turn of her head caught the Japanese IS Representative's attention and they held their gaze for a few seconds before nodding. Houki narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth but couldn't get a single word out before the two flew away from her and towards the battle.
"Hey!"
The Akatsubaki rocketed after them, unaware that the RHIB stopped moving as the passengers fished something out of the water and onto the deck.
"Falco Squad has returned without their Flight Lead!"
"Ground Crew at Kanucha are double-timing to refuel and rearm the remaining Apalis'."
"They're readying an Osprey for Search and Rescue, but with the electronic interference on the Area of Operation, they're waiting for Falco Squad to take off and act as escorts."
The reports flew over Chifuyu's head, her gaze deadlocked to the glitching screen that displayed the stretch of ocean where the battle was taking place. The IS Academy's satellites were few and even diverting one from its usual scanning pattern could lead to unforeseen consequences, but the priority of overseeing an exchange between IS' was higher.
If it could show the battle in the first place.
What would have been a high-fidelity view of the conflict was instead replaced with a static mess. The area around was visible, almost tauntingly clear in how the clouds and waves were churning, but the battle itself was hidden in some form of electronic blind spot.
They were cut off from knowing what exactly was happening. Even their data links to the squad had been severed. The last thing that they knew was the activation of this 'C.E.R.B.E.R.U.S.' that the Blue Frame had. Chifuyu could only curse as the ghost of Project: Neo-Type reared its ugly head again.
'The three idiots are becoming more and more of a headache nowadays. The amount of baggage they carry is absolutely crazy…'
She gave a quick glance out the window at the military base across the bay.
'And speaking of crazy…'
"Maya."
The greenette looked up from her typing, her fingers shaking in strain at having been dancing on the holographic keys non-stop for minutes. Her eyes held a faint redness, and her breathing had become irregular. Her fellow homeroom teacher had been greatly affected by the loss of connection to their students, causing her to desperately try to re-establish communications.
To no avail.
Gritting her teeth, she turned away from the screen and began walking towards the conference room exit.
"Hold down the fort. I'm going to make a call."
"...Understood, Orimura-sensei."
Pushing the doors open, she stormed out and let them close behind her. Taking a moment to take a deep breath and calm her shaking shoulders, she walked down the hall and called for the elevator. For a few seconds, she stood there waiting, her reflection clear against the shined metal surface of the elevator doors.
Despite how much she tried to maintain her composure, all of the stress just from the past hour alone had resulted in a few stray hairs sticking out from her already somewhat messy hair. Discreetly, she tried to find if she had any white hairs and inwardly sighed in relief when she found none.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened and she stepped inside. A moment later, the doors closed and the elevator was making its way down to the ground floor. Now, for the time being, she was alone…
"God..."
Bang!
"DAMN IT!"
Her fist impacted the side of the wall with a resounding boom, the sound echoing in the small space. The metal wall dented, curving inwards terrifyingly easily at her strength as the elevator shook.
"FUCK!" Chifuyu cursed, her temper slipping as she bared her teeth. Her chest heaved as she let her iron mask fall. The pent-up anger from that morning was bubbling up again, and she could barely stop herself from lashing out a kick to the doors. She let out a wordless roar as she leaned against the dented wall, trying to keep her emotions from exploding outright.
Seeing that crimson streak leave Camp Schwab earlier clued her in that Tabane was actively meddling once again. That in itself spelled bad news, but involving her ill-tempered little sister?
It-!
'-doesn't make sense.'
Whatever hot anger within her was quickly snuffed at the realization.
Chifuyu knew that Tabane loved her sister to bits, to the point that she would move the whole world for her. Why would she willingly toss her into danger again while she was still in recovery? The only reason for her to do that was to patch her up herself because-!
"She's got something else planned." The teacher whispered, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "God damn you, Tabane."
Ding!
Shaking her head and pushing off of the wall, she recomposed herself as the doors opened. Stepping out into the quiet lobby, she ignored the concerned looks of the graveyard shift staff and walked out into the biting cold.
The chill wind blew against her form as the storm clouds drew closer in the darkness, lightning arcing across the sky in the distance. Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she was about to contact the purple-haired inventor when she stopped.
Tabane must have sent her sister back into the fight for a reason, whether it be gathering more data for the Akatsubaki, or some other ulterior motive. She wouldn't send the only person she would ever genuinely care for without a plan to get her out. And if her gut was right in telling her, which it always was, said plan would involve-
Woosh!
She turned her head towards Camp Schwab just as a white streak shot forth from deep within the base and towards the horizon. The hand holding her phone dangled by her side as a chaotic maelstrom of emotions raged within her once more.
"Ichika…"
(BGM Switch: Koho-Shien - Toshihiko Sahashi)
"Haaah!"
"Hiyaaah!"
Crash!
Both blade and spear struck the same energy wing, causing sparks and electricity to fly as the two girls glared into the blank visor of the Gospel. A beat passed before their weapons began an intricate dance where they blurred in their wielders' hands, the hits numerous as they covered each other's weakness.
Cecilia simply could not mimic Ephraim's skill with swinging his spear or his strength, so she had trained with him in proper thrusting techniques. Between their workout sessions and study periods, he had trained her in utilizing the spear's long reach and versatile nature. Combined with her past experience in fencing, she had a good foundation on what to do with Gungnir. Imagining that the spear was part of her like a rapier during fencing, she rapidly thrust the spearhead against the partly solid energy wings.
Kanzashi was utilizing all her skill and experience in trying to wield a sword like the Tactical Arms. It was deceptively lighter than she expected, attributing the ease that Daviond exhibited whenever he wielded it to his own impressive strength. A slash here, a swing there, and a dodge in-between, she wasn't thinking about her next move, moreso trusting her gut instinct in moving. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, she utilized the heightened senses brought upon by the influx of the energy to flow with the combat tempo.
A white bolt!
Crack!
A lightning bolt shot toward the blonde, and her body moved instinctually. Following the tingling in the back of her mind, she raised and swung Gungnir down.
Flash!
The spearhead met the tip of the bolt at the apex of the swing, conducting the raw elemental wrath and allowing Cecilia to wield the force of the world for that brief nanosecond. Following through with the swing, she redirected the strike from her toward the silver IS.
CRACK!
A blueish-purple glow trailed the spear in its swing, energizing the space around it as the wild, arcing plasma bolt coalesced into a barely controlled beam that struck one of the wings. In the blink of an eye, it broke apart as the natural beam pierced through whatever defenses it had, scorching and melting the nearby metal of the hijacked IS.
The noblewoman hissed as she pulled back, the Strike Uchigane using the flat of the Tactical Arms to shield her from a shotgun blast of plasma shots. Her right arm's muscles were twitching uncontrollably, no doubt from the sheer amount of electricity that surged past the Blue Tears' shields. It was only due to the insulating effect of her pilot suit that she didn't suffer from a sudden heart stoppage.
"Cecilia, are you okay?!" Kanzashi looked over her shoulder worriedly at the blonde. "Whatever you just did was crazy!"
"I aim to please." Unable to help but joke in a bit of levity, her grimace shifted into a strained grin. "I guess even Mother Nature is aiding us in the fight, huh?"
"I guess she is." The bluenette sighed in relief and amusement as the two girls regrouped, backing away from their enemy to take a few second breathers. Sharing another glance, they nodded and charged back into the fray again.
On the other side of the Silverio…
Clang!
Karaware struck the edge of the Tactical Arms 2 a moment after the sword crashed against an energy wing of the Silverio, sending sparks flying. Houki hissed as she lurched when the Astray drew back the blade for a thrust, her katana still grinding the edge. She then swung an energy-covered Amatsuki just as the Blue Frame swung its own Type 70 beam saber into the wing, causing it to distort and dangerously arc electricity.
"Damn it!" The red IS glared at the blackened Astray, the lone bloodied eye glaring ahead at the hijacked Gospel. "I can do this by myself, idiot!"
Davion didn't respond, nor even look at her, instead pulling the beam saber back for an overhead strike with the Tactical Arms 2.
Crack!
Another energy wing took the blow for the damaged one, a shockwave spreading out from the impact. A strangled snarl escaped the lips of the crimson-eyed pilot a moment before he boosted back to dodge a swing from a third wing.
Woosh!
What he didn't mean to do, however, was put himself in a collision course with the red IS as it boosted to the side to dodge a sudden beam from one of the many energy wings.
Crash!
Houki let out an angered roar as she tried to smash the Astray away with her blade bits, only to choke on said roar as the foot of the Astray dug into her stomach. Using her as a platform, the Blue Frame launched them away from a combined beam coming from the three wings.
Fyoom!
As the large red-to-blue beam shot past them, smaller versions of the beams began firing off from the remaining five wings. The sea churned as it boiled whenever the heated rays splashed its surface, and the air became uncomfortably warm and cold as the rain tried to counter the sudden influx of heat. Lightning struck the sea around as the storm raged against them all, seemingly affronted by the Silverio.
The four students weaved in and out between beams, regrouping as they made distance away from the Gospel.
"Great, just great!" Houki raged as she turned towards the Blue Frame, her blade bits shielding her from any beams coming her way. "Good job stopping me from finishing it all, idiot! What use are you anyway?! You can barely stay in the air with all that damage-!"
"He's of better use to us than you are, Shinonono!" Kanzashi roared over the howling winds, the amber visor flashing in the darkness. She wasn't going to let the hotheaded idiot berate her boyfriend in front of her! "We were about to finish the Operation when you interrupted Davion from ending it!"
"Me?!" The Akatsubaki's pilot snarled as she whirled on the Strike Uchigane, heedless of the beams impacting the water around them. "I was just trying to help!"
"And in doing so, you made things worse!"
"Girls." Cecilia's eyes were wide behind her goggles.
The Silverio curled its wings together akin to a protective cocoon, which was then followed by a dull humming as the very air itself vibrated. Red and purple lightning arced out from between the gaps of the constantly moving limbs, painting the barely visible suit in an ominous light.
"If this idiot here wasn't goofing around with those weird swords of his, then I would have finished it then and there!" The swordswoman ignored this, however, as she kept on arguing with the bluenette.
"He was about to capture the Gospel, you idiot!"
"Girls!" The noblewoman tried to catch their attention again as she tightened her grip on Gungnir.
Behind her, white-gold motes of light formed a black rear skirt-like armor on the Blue Frame. He stowed the Type 70 beam saber back into the backpack, missing its port twice as the sole remaining optic flickered a dull sea green.
"He attacked me afterward! Out of the damn blue, going berserk like the freak he is!"
"HE IS NOT A FREAK!"
Materializing the repaired Caledfwlch, Davion then attached a cable to the end of it. It wasn't back up to a full 100 percent, he didn't have the materials to do so. What he held was basically a jury-rigged version of the original, one that lacked the internals capable of withstanding firing multiple shots in its gun mode.
With a shuddering breath, the crimson glow of his eye faded away, leaving bloodied gray as it fought to stay open.
"Barbatos…" He rasped, breathing labored as if the very word was a herculean task to let out. His whispers were drowned out by the storm around them, as was the dulling of his sole gray eye. "This is the last shot…"
The left optic briefly flickered red.
"Yeah…I'll make it count." He closed his eyes as he gathered his strength. "You know what to do."
"GIRLS!"
They both rounded on the Blue Tears, visors flashing in anger.
""WHAT?!""
Cecilia pointed at the Gospel, which had a sphere of red-black energy growing before it, cradled by the wings as it spread its arms forward. With a high-pitched whine, a chaotic surge of red and blue plasma energy shot forth toward them. The sea parted from the sheer force of the blast's shockwave, and the clouds around were blown back, the rain knocked away rather than being boiled instantly. It was big, bigger than an IS– bigger than multiple IS'– and it was coming towards them fast.
《 Out of…the way! 》
Fwoosh!
The Blue Frame rocketed past them, the sole optic leaving a sea-green trail as it pointed the Caledfwlch at the incoming beam. At the end of it was a bright green glow, one that was quickly gaining brightness as the weapon began arcing electricity up and down the arm of the suit.
Kanzashi's eyes, however, were locked on to the black rear skirt armor of the suit, the addition camouflaged against the damaged armor.
More specifically, her eyes were looking at a sticker placed in the upper center.
《 Disengaging Safety Locks… 》
A black trefoil around a similarly black small central circle against the yellow background of a triangle.
"That is-!"
《 Firing..! 》
FYOOOOOM!
A large green beam was fired out from the Caledfwlch, one bigger than what they saw during the Battle of Ogasawara. This one clearly overshadowed the last, as it was big enough to engulf the Astray in size. The sheer force of the shot blew them all back, and the Blue Frame's thrusters burned bright as they kept it in place.
The two beams met half-way, clashing in a blinding light.
The girls watched nervously at the stalemate, their instincts screaming at them to leave, but fear had rooted them in place. Their eyes remained locked on to the beam clash in the distance, only giving sparse glances to the blacked Astray as it supported its shaking right arm in place with its left.
Slowly, the green beam began to falter.
Houki's heart practically stopped when she saw the red-blue beam come closer and closer with each microsecond.
Was this really how she was going to meet her end?
《 Grant me Victory…CALIBUUURN! 》
At the roar of the Astray pilot, the green beam tripled in size.
The three IS pilots watched, eyes wide and jaws dropped, at the building-sized beam the relatively small weapon could unleash.
The sudden influx of power quickly turned the tables as the red and blue beam was being pushed back this time. With the air humming and trembling with sheer energy, the waves being pushed back, and the very sky seemingly splitting apart, the clashing energy ball that was the two beams began to grow.
A white bolt!
Cecilia's eyes widened as she suddenly turned to the other two.
"We have to go." She said hurriedly, panic seeping into her tone as Gungnir shook in her tight grip. "We have to get out of here, now!"
"What are you on about?" Houki, in the meanwhile, grit her teeth as she flared more of the pink energy out of her Fold-Out Armor. Her katanas were also coated in the same energy, and the blade bits spun around her irritably. "The Gospel's a sitting duck! That idiot over there's holding the beam off, we might as well take the chance!"
"Shinonono, wait!" Kanzashi reached out towards the red IS and grasped her by the arm, her earlier disdain for her forgotten when she spotted the energy ball began to fluctuate. "Cecilia's right, we have to-!"
"SHUT UP!" The green visor of the Akatsubaki flared brightly as it wrested its arm away from the Strike Uchigane. It glowed brightly, as if aflame with rage as the ponytailed girl shook with emotion. "I'M DONE BEING USELESS!"
The pink energy coming from the Fold-Out Armor began covering the whole IS, giving her a baleful shine in the darkness.
"I'M DONE PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE TO SOME FREAK OF NATURES!" Houki roared as both of her katanas shook in her tight grip, pink energy coating and extending the length of the blades. She raised both blades up above her head, the twin beams combining into one large blade that shot off high into the sky like a baleful beacon.
"I'M ENDING THIS!"
"Shinonono, don't-!"
The sword descended on the beam clash…
Cecilia felt the tingling in the back of her head intensify.
Kanzashi reached out in desperation.
Davion slipped into unconsciousness.
And all they knew in that next moment was white.
(BGM End: Koho-Shien - Toshihiko Sahashi)
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…
Darkness.
That was all there was.
Surrounded by an endless expanse of darkness, shrouded in a dreadful umbra.
It was a crushing feeling, humanity's instinctual fear of the dark and whatever was in it.
But…
'..?'
Somehow, the darkness was not encroaching. It was…simply there.
Watching.
Almost, curiously.
!
A light.
A light in the distance.
Step…
A figure– A sound!
The darkness was then pushed back, a wave of light washing over it like a tidal wave.
That curious feeling was still there…
The figure ahead kept on stepping– forward? Backward? There was no sense of direction– no sense of anything in the whiteness.
With each step, the whiteness gave way, rippling as it created reality.
Step…
Gray walls rose from the fathomless surface, giving way to reason and direction as a reflective metal floor coalesced. Figures small and large rushed to and fro, their features all but gone save for a humanoid silhouette. They moved between short pillars that constantly rose and fell, some of them outright exploding as something hit them.
Things became more audible.
Footsteps.
Yelling.
Bang!
Gunshots.
There was another figure in the middle of all of this, ducking and diving between the nearest pillars to it. It held a weapon in its hand that flashed and barked, the recoil sending the arm up by a surprising amount. The figure then leaned around its cover and pointed the gun downrange.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three of the other figures stopped mid-movement, falling on their backs with a brilliant spray of red.
Blood.
Bang! Bang! Slash!
Two more fell back, their heads snapping back as they collapsed against the moving pillars, smearing blood against the surface. The shooter leapt back as a red line was drawn across their chest, the attacker holding what looked like a knife or a bladed weapon. The knife-wielder slid past the gun-carrying figure, right into a rising pillar. Feet braced against it, they launched themselves back towards the gunman-
Bang!
A brilliant spray of red splashed against the pillar, and the shoulder of the knife-user blooming crimson. The bladed weapon flew into the air and the gunman adjusted their aim towards the head of the wounded assailant.
Bang!
A tilt of the head was all it took to dodge the bullet, and the airborne knife was caught in the other arm.
Slash!
A red line bloomed across the thigh of the gunman, splashing more of the crimson liquid onto the dirty gray floor. Then, a leg sweep from the knife-wielder knocked them down, the former following through with the motion and spinning around before swiftly burying the knife into the middle of the gunman's forehead with a sickening squelch.
Then, a painful horn.
"...You passed the test. Barely. Proceed to Gate 3. Staff will escort you to the..."
The arena fell apart, giving way once more into whiteness.
Sensations stabbed all around.
Fear.
Agony.
Spite.
Betrayal.
Step…
A night sky with a full moon. A building ahead, large, blurred, and unidentifiable. The darkened figure walked forwards ever on, dragging what seemed to be a luggage bag.
Multiple hands reached out but could never really touch, no matter how hard they seemed to try.
A cold chill blew throughout the night.
Muddled voices then began to echo.
"You...leave!"
"How...weak."
"Why…pathetic."
"It's…good of all. You…"
"Goodbye."
Pain.
A stabbing, pulling sensation.
Sadness.
A heavy weight bearing down on the shoulders.
Betrayal.
The figure darkened ever closer to black.
Step…
A ballroom then appeared, filled with opulence and pride. Multiple figures, shadows, danced around, empty smiles on their featureless faces.
The dark figure stood alone in the sea of gray, sticking out as a black core began to spread out within. The grayness of the figure made way to umbra, a sickly, tar-like presence dripping from the body.
'Move.'
A hand rested on the darkened shoulder.
The blackness washed away.
The figure's head turned, the body following.
A more detailed silhouette began to form.
Hair, build, height, everything needed to make out just who it was standing before–
A flash.
Rubble all around, the silhouette was higher, above, wielding a shield made of flickering light. From the very sky, an attack of some kind impacted the shield. It was in the form of a beam, continuous in its firing as–
Darkness.
It was around once more, the surroundings having disappeared as one would simply shut off the light.
Again, there was no oppressive feeling bearing down from around.
Spite.
The beam was still around, cutting through the darkness and splashing against something.
It felt like…dread.
'Move…'
A glint passed by, becoming distant as it left a trail in the abyss.
'Move!'
A hand reached out, desperately.
'MOVE!'
A comet turned into a meteor, trailing kaleidoscopic particles as the darkness once more engulfed everything.
Realization.
A voice.
Acceptance.
His voice.
"Live."
…
{Native Actor has entered unauthorized sector.}
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Blue eyes snapped open, a strangled gasp escaping from pale lips, and they flitted around, taking in the familiar sights of a beach.
'A beach?'
Hands– not claws, hands– gripped the cold sand beneath, and the ringing in her ears began to die down, allowing muddled voices to be heard. She couldn't make them out, but the fact that people were talking was still noted.
Her swimming vision could make out blobs of color in front of her, ones that were moving as the waves lapped at her feet. Pushing herself up from the sand, ignoring the granules sticking to her body and further ignoring the soreness of her limbs as she moved, she raised a hand to press against her temple as she closed her eyes.
'Another..?'
She didn't know what that weird dream was about, much less the one she had before the Operation. Was it even a dream? A premonition? A hallucination of some sort?
It was similar to the first; a blank void with a figure. But this time, there were…places, muddled, one that she couldn't recognize, but places nonetheless.
But…
Her hand lowered from her temple to hover over her heart.
Why did her heart ache whenever she thought about it?
"Live."
What did the voice mean by that? Was it a he or a she? Everything was so confusing…
"Cecilia!"
The noblewoman could see a blur move towards her and reached out a hand.
"Cecilia, you're-!" The blob of colors, it was hard to make out just what they were in the darkness, exclaimed before they– she?– gasped. A warm hand grasped her and helped her adjust her position so that she was properly sitting on the sand rather than lying on her stomach. "You're crying…"
"Huh?" She used her other hand to check her cheeks, feeling the hot tears dribbling down. "Why am I..?" Using her wrist, she tried to wipe them away. "Who..?"
The blur in front of her became more and more clear the more she wiped her tears away, the earlier discombobulation faded.
"It's alright. The Gospel's been neutralized." The blob sported what looked like a ponytail, and there was some sort of bell-like jingling when she moved a hand. "It's all over."
Houki smiled at her in relief, tears in her own eyes.
"Everything's over. There's nothing to worry about now."
"Are you okay?! Do we need to call the hospital again?!"
"Whoa, uh, I'm fine! I'm fine, Yamada-sensei!"
Raising his hands to placate the hysterical teacher before him, Ichika looked around for any sign of his sister. She should have been the first one here, if anything to check up on him. So it was very odd that she was nowhere to be found.
'Where is she?'
"Never do that again, got it?!" His attention was stolen from him by the teary-eyed greenette, looking one step away from breaking down. He wanted to reassure her that he won't do it again, to not let her cry, but…
"No promises." He answered thoughtfully, shaking his head and giving her a gentle look. "If my friends are in danger, I can't promise that I won't be hurt trying to help them."
Maya scowled and blubbered but slowly nodded her head as she wiped the tears away messily.
"Just…Just please be careful. I don't think I can take any more news of my students being seriously hurt…"
Ichika felt bad for upsetting her, but he knew she understood his words. He appreciated that she was genuinely worried for them, both as a teacher and as a mentor-figure. He had to resolve himself to be better than he was now, so that she won't have to shed tears again.
Turning back towards the beach, he took in the states of those who partook in Operation Angel Down.
Or what apparently was now called Operation Valkyrie.
Houki was talking with Cecilia, who had just awakened from lying on the sand. He was relieved that she hadn't suffered any wounds, merely signs of exhaustion and lack of sleep, which was understandable given the nature of the fight. She seemed to be crying, and he wanted to run over to see what was wrong, but he was confident Houki had it handled.
Looking to the left, he saw Laura leaning against the beached RHIB. The others had been taken back to Camp Schwab's hospital via an Osprey during their fight, according to the albino, while she stayed behind to drive the boat back to Kanucha. The German was staring hard at the ponytailed girl across the beach, her arms crossed over her chest as some sort of glint glimmered in her sole eye every now and again.
Looking further left of the boat, a dull throb ached throughout his body as he remembered…
Ichika was so glad that Houki could refill his energy because he did not expect the shot to take so much out of his own reserves.
Hell, he didn't even expect the Setsura to be able to shoot something that powerful!
He was just relieved that the shield mode wasn't huge and as big of a power drain. It was just right!
"Alright, time for another one!" He grinned as he aimed the gauntlet at the Gospel. Almost instantly, a fifth of his overall energy funneled into the device and a bright ball of white and blue energy swirled before the claw. He put his right claw over the left forearm, bracing it before-
Fy-OOM!
A red-to-purple beam grazed one of the two remaining wings, causing it to fluctuate and break apart. The shot continued past the IS, into the ocean surface, sending a massive spew of seawater high into the air. Stray arcs of energy were left behind by the shot, energizing the very air as static electricity appeared and disappeared in manic patterns.
His left arm buckled and recoiled back, and he had to flare his thrusters a bit to remain in position lest he be blown away. A surprised cry escaped his lips when the resulting shockwave of the shot actually blew the Silverio back, sending it flipping head over heels into the distance.
"Jesus Christ, Ichika, what the hell is up with that gauntlet?!" Houki gaped beside him, eyeing Setsura with wariness and envy. "It's almost like you've got a cannon in there!"
"Probably!" He joked as he shook the smoking gauntlet, feeling some soreness in his shoulder from the sheer recoil. "It definitely feels like it!"
As he gazed at the gauntlet, he also cast his eyes upon the new upgrades of the Byakushiki when he had awoken from the odd dream.
The wings were larger, more angular than before, almost streamlined in their design. Faint blue thruster exhaust came from between each wing 'feather' that kept him aloft. He knew they were stronger than the previous set, having noticed the increase in speed during his travel from Camp Schwab to here.
The chest armor had been reinforced, turning from some sort of brace into a veritable cuirass that enclosed the torso in a white plate. However, the sides of his waist were left bare, exposing the dark blue pilot suit underneath for whatever reason. Boxy pauldrons were set on his shoulders, reminiscent to those of the Astrays, and his arms were further armored with nary a hint of skin showing.
On his left arm was a gauntlet, Setsura, its gunmetal gray and blue coloration sticking out against the white armor. It was going to make grasping his sword a bit harder, given the barrel sticking out of the center of its palm, but he'll learn to make do.
But what the most eye-catching upgrade to the suit was the addition of the Astray-like faceplate not unlike what Houki currently had.
A blank white armored mask covered his face from the nose down, the parts above it being protected by a clear light-green visor, which allowed him to see in a new thermal and night vision. Angular fin-like decorations covered his ears, connecting with the faceplate via some form of jaw armor.
In all honesty, he looked and felt good!
'No!' He shook his head, hardening his expression from excited to serious. 'We don't have time to goof around. We have to finish this here and now.'
As the Silverio righted itself, the once pristine armor now dented, rent, and blackened by all the attacks thrown at it in the fights prior, the sole wing flicked a barrage of beams towards the white and red IS. As it kept its distance from them, Ichika noticed that it was backing toward where the rest of his friends were.
Cecilia and Kanzashi had been blown away by the massive explosion before he arrived. They were floating on pieces of metal debris, the source of which eluded him, but he was thankful that they were on something buoyant rather than being in the freezing water. They were out of the fight, and with the Gospel closing in on them…
"Houki!" He called out as he gave pursuit, going full speed as he quickly dodged the scattered beams of the Silverio. The training of the test pilots was really kicking in now. "Pincer!"
The Akatsubaki pilot froze for a moment before realizing his plan. With her Fold-Out Armor pumping out renewed levels of pink energy, she became a pink blur that flew around the Gospel, threatening to flank it as those same energies coated her swords.
As he got closer and closer to the retreating Silverio, he caught sight of something floating in the water. With the aid of his Hypersensors, his eyes widened when he realized just what it was.
The Tactical Arms 2.
He lowered his altitude, brushing shy of the ocean surface, and held his hand out, claws wrapping around the handle just as he passed.
Splash!
Thankful for the mask that protected his face from the seawater, he hefted the greatsword onto his shoulder, being careful not to let the edge dig into his armor. A myriad of questions popped up in his head as to the presence of the weapon.
Where was the Blue Frame?
Where was Davion, if he was here?
Where were-
Shaking his head, he focused back on the task at hand. He returned to combat altitude and he stabilized himself just as a few new windows opened up in his HUD.
Installing compatibility patch: 53%...
Security locks disabled: User Whitelisted.
His eyes took in the next line, letting it sink into his mind at how much weight it seemed to carry.
Tactical Arms 2: Ready.
Lips stretching into a grin, he hefted the sword from his shoulder as he closed in with the retreating Gospel. It was surprisingly light, lighter than he had expected, but was still heavier than any weapon he had wielded previously. It was a good kind of weight, the right amount of heftiness that felt juuust perfect being wielded in his one arm.
"Alright!" He whooped as the Silverio was pinned down by Karaware and Amatsuki, the pink beams preventing it from going up at the risk of being shot down. The Blade Bits swarmed around it like a pair of angry hornets, crashing into the armor with great sparks and distracting it from the incoming Byakushiki.
Ichika drew the blade back for a thrust-
Maga no Ikutachi Energy Absorption Claw: Activating.
"Wha-?"
The blade suddenly split in two, forming pincer-like limbs as the sword's thrusters suddenly engaged, bringing his arm forward.
"Whoa, wait-!"
He must have pressed something on the handle, or somewhere on the hilt! He's never seen it do this before!
The pincers wrapped around the torso of the Silverio just as he crashed into it, the PIC thankfully mitigating a fatal result. That did not mean that he was exempt from the consequences, like how it drove the air from his lungs.
CRASH!
He rubbed his right shoulder, wincing at the soreness of the muscles. After catching the Gospel in the pincers, it initiated an energy drain that ended the fight then and there.
It was undoubtedly anticlimactic, but he'd rather have a quick, anticlimactic end to fighting than to have a prolonged duel to the death. The fact that they didn't need to take a life lifted his mood significantly.
And speaking of said life…
Lying against the Tactical Arms 2, which had been dug into the sand, was the pale pilot of the Silverio Gospel. She was a mature blonde beauty, clad in a leotard-like pilot suit not too dissimilar from the swimsuit-type pilot suits of the IS Academy. Her body was littered in bruises, no doubt from the fights prior.
Beside her was an unconscious Kanzashi, who had been holding the Tactical Arms in her hand while she was out cold, even until now. Said blade was lying beside her, the metal reflecting the moonlight and giving both unconscious women an ethereal glow.
As for the owner of the two blades…
'Was he even in the fight?' Ichika wondered, a frown on his lips as he looked up and down the beach for any sign of the mechanic. 'Did he give his swords to Sarashiki-san and the others for them to use?'
Davion…he could only hope that he wasn't present in the fight. Everything that happened was so much of a rush that he didn't even get to properly think about the presence, or lack of it, of the brunette pilot until after he landed back in Kanucha with the unconscious girls in tow.
If he was actually present in the fight and he and Houki simply abandoned him in the water…
"Orimura-kun…" Maya spoke up, her voice still carrying a worried tone that bordered into being hysterical again. "W-Where's Guele-kun..?"
He tensed his jaw, unsure of what to answer because he didn't know if there was an answer to it in the first place. He definitely wasn't caught up, so he wasn't sure if he was in the right state of mind to even ask about anything.
Where was Ephraim? Where was Ryo?
The lack of presence of the two was worrying, remarkably so, as he knew that they wouldn't have been missing from the fight. Hell, he knew Ephraim was pretty much itching for a fight during the briefing in Schwab! And even more so that Ryo should be here for damage control!
So where were both of them? Where were the rest of his friends?
"...Where's Chifuyu-nee?" He decided to bite the bullet and answer her question with one of his own.
Maya frowned and looked off to the side.
"I'm not sure. She said that she needed to get some fresh air several minutes ago but…"
SLAP!
The sound of flesh meeting flesh entered his ears, and he and the green-haired teacher whirled over to look at the source.
Cecilia had her hand raised, her face set into a cold glare as Houki fell on her rear. The ponytailed girl shakily reached a hand to her cheek, where a quickly reddening handprint was forming. Her blues were looking into the noblewoman's own in shock and confusion.
"W-Wha…why did you-?" The swordswoman stammered, crawling back as the blonde stood up to her full height.
"Don't touch me." Cecilia coldly stated as she turned and walked towards the resort. "And don't you dare speak to me as if we were friends."
"What are you talking about?!" Houki cried out, scrambling to her feet as a few tears raced down her cheeks. The rush of various emotions within her was heavy, and imbalanced, and she didn't know what to really feel. "What did I do?!"
The blonde paused, shoulders tensing and shaking before she slowly turned.
ゴゴゴゴ.
Her face blank, eyes hollow, and the slight, growing frown on her lips was chilling in how much disdain it displayed for such a tiny curl.
"What didn't you do?" The noblewoman rhetorically asked before turning away once more, this time with an air of finality that stunned those who witnessed the exchange.
Laura, however, merely snorted as she pushed herself off of leaning on the RHIB. All eyes on her when she moved, and Ichika's wits came back to him as he looked between the retreating back of Cecilia and the teary-eyed Houki as she sat on the sand.
Gritting his teeth, he ran towards his friend as she shed tears of confusion.
"Alcott, what the hell!" He called out at the distant blonde as he kneeled next to the swordswoman and held her close, uncaring if her tears dampened his pilot suit.
"She's lucky that she only got a slap."
Ichika turned his head back towards the albino, carrying both Kanzashi and the Silverio's pilot without much strain. Her lips were set into a familiar displeased frown, the same one she wore in her first days in the Academy, as she stared at the two of them. Behind her, the two Tactical Arms were dug into the sand, standing proudly despite the chaos that had happened earlier.
"What are you talking about?" He snapped, glaring at the short girl. "Houki saved her! She didn't deserve any of that!"
"Did she now, Orimura?" The way she hissed his name reminded him so much of another super soldier, down to the level of distaste. It was like he had traveled back in time, with how there was barely any friendliness left in the tone. "I suggest you get all the facts straight before taking a side."
"Bodewig!" Maya scolded her as she stomped up to them, the previously blubbering woman now a face of stern anger. "That was not necessary!"
Laura stared at the teacher before slightly bowing politely. "I understand, but be that as it may, I already said my part. I shall accept my punishment after I bring these two to the clinic so that Doctor Coast can treat them." Raising her head, the unrepentant albino stepped past the upset teacher, leaving the three of them on the beach.
Houki merely sobbed harder, confusion and distress swirling within her and drowning the embers of anger.
This was supposed to be a happy occasion! They defeated the Gospel, they saved the pilot, and everyone's back safe and sound!
So why…
"Why is this happening..?" She whispered, shivering in Ichika's arms as she shut her eyes, uncaring of the hot tears running down her cheeks. "I…I helped, didn't I? I wasn't useless, right?"
"You helped, don't worry," Ichika reassured her, his mind in its own maelstrom. "You really did. You're not useless, Houki. So…" He took a deep breath and rested his chin on her head. "So take a rest, okay? I'll handle things from here. You had a long day…"
Houki hiccupped but said nothing, her silence answering him in lieu of her words.
He met his teacher's green eyes, and she solemnly nodded, quietly backing away and pulling her phone out for whatever she wanted to do.
This left him alone with his thoughts, the swirling mass of chaos that was his emotions and muddled memories clashing
Just what happened after he got knocked out? What was he missing?
Frowning, he closed his eyes and listened as his childhood friend's breathing evened out. She slowly slackened in his hold, and he carefully removed his head from hers.
Looking down at her sleeping face, still set in a sorrowful look, he gently readjusted his hold on her. His arms warped around her back and the back of her thighs, carefully lifting her up in a princess carry and setting her head against his shoulder.
He needed to get her to her room first before everything else. She deserved some privacy after everything that had happened.
"What a fine mess this has become…"
The drone was waved away, the holographic window disappearing as the construct dissipated into motes of light.
Tabane sighed as she leaned against the cool metal of the carrot pod she had arrived in the day prior. Her lips were set into a pout, cheeks puffed up as she childishly glared up at the sky.
It just wasn't fair!
She had the perfect plan and everything!
'It was supposed to be reaaal simple! Hijack the Silverio, let it fly above the RIMPAC, and then little darling Houki would fight it! It would have been the perfect debut in front of the perfect audience! But nooo, Sahaku-kun had to be all stiff and soldier-y and fly ahead!'
Her fists beat against the metal beside her, a petulant whine escaping her shut lips. After a few seconds of venting some of her frustration out, she took a deep breath and recomposed herself. Her mechanical rabbit ears twitched as she crossed her arms.
"Not that it matters, anyway…" She huffed, her plum eyes looking up at the starry night sky once more, lacking the earlier annoyance. "Things still happened in roughly the same route I wanted it to go. Give or take, a few additions…"
'Like the party responsible for adding in that new line of code in the Gospel's CORE…' Her plum eyes narrowed as she pursed her lips. 'And the fact that it had an active security program that managed to ward me away for a time…'
Said lips curled into an excited grin.
"How fun~"
She had a few guesses on who said party was. After all, she made quite a number of enemies around the world in the years following the proliferation of the Infinite Stratos. Her status as an international fugitive wasn't just given to her out of the blue, you know!
But for now, she'd leave them alone.
She wanted to see what they would do next, out of curiosity mostly. She wanted to know why they were fighting against her, why they hacked one of her COREs, and why they chose now of all times to pop up.
Once she got all the answers to her questions…well, their fate entirely depended on whether they'd keep entertaining her.
"Nnngh…"
Her lips eased from a grin to a smile as she lowered her gaze, a hand gently running through brunette locks.
"I will admit, you surprised me with the cards you've pulled…"
Tabane's plum eyes took in the wounded form of her favored Neo-Type, her fingers removing themselves from his damp hair to cup his cheeks.
Davion's unconscious form was laid on her lap, his face twisted in slight pain. He was clad in only a pair of dark shorts, his pilot suit and helmet nowhere to be seen. His torso was wrapped up in bandages, courtesy of the Professor. She had cleaned him up of salt water and all the blood that practically caked his head.
"Especially with these…" The purple-haired woman hummed as she lifted him up so that he was sitting on her lap rather than lying on it. Her hand crawled up from the small of his back up to his nape, gingerly pressing against the three bumps that stood out amidst the smooth skin. They were hotter than the flesh around, reddened and pulsating.
"Quite a novel thing, these three." She whispered, the back of her finger ghosting over his cheek. "But I wonder, is it only you that possesses them? Or do the other two also have them?"
Tabane went silent for a few seconds.
"...The other two…" She pursed her lips, looking off to the side as she laid him back down with his head on her lap. "Such a shame on what happened to them. Sahaku-kun loses an arm and Murakumo-kun is in a coma…"
"Your…fault…"
The Professor looked down with a coy smile on her lips, watching as gray eyes slowly opened and glared at her.
"Ah, good," She glanced up at the sky for a moment before looking back down. "Morning, Davion-kun~"
"Your fault…" The bandaged mechanic growled, his voice hoarse and raspy. "Everything…"
"Well, I wouldn't say everything." Tabane giggled as she playfully slapped away the hand that was slowly coming up to feebly wrap around her throat. She didn't feel the need to hide the truth from him, he was already on to her from the very beginning. "I will admit, I did hijack the Gospel, but that was pretty much the extent of what I've done. The rest? Out of my hands."
"Liar." Davion snarled, struggling to sit up but was denied by the woman's hand pressing down on his chest. "Liar, liar, liar!"
"Davion-kun," The woman pouted as she held down the angered teen. "You really shouldn't call your mother a liar. I'm telling the truth here, you know. The original plan was for the Gospel, Houki and Ichika to basically have an exhibition fight over the RIMPAC. The sudden inclusion of those five Astray-like suits and the Aegis System going haywire was not of my doing."
The brunette's glare didn't abate in the slightest.
"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a carrot in my eye~?" The plum-haired inventor pleaded with a wink, earning her a nigh-animalistic growl from the younger inventor. She sighed and waved a hand up, several holographic windows appearing around them. "Okay, fine. This is proof of my innocence, see?"
She pointed at a particular window that had a myriad and dizzying amount of codes.
"This is my attempt to bring the Gospel back under my control before and during Operation Valkyrie."
Gray eyes slowly, reluctantly, looked away from her plums and began to scan the window. They darted around, taking in individual phrases and then whole lines at a speed only the woman whose lap he was lying on could match. Tabane stayed silent as the tenseness in the brunette's body increased, and he audibly ground his teeth.
"What the hell..?" He breathed out, looking back at her with an intensity that made her feel all tingly. "What are you playing at..?"
She tilted her head. "Nothing. I told you, I will admit that I am guilty of hijacking the Gospel, but that was only for Operation Angel Down. Well, to be more specific, until Sahaku-kun did what he did with the Gospel. What happened after was not of my doing but by a third party."
"What the hell was that 'encore' comment, then..?"
"A warning." Her lips lost their smile as she looked down at him with a neutral line. "I had to galvanize you into action, even more so following the disaster of an operation that it was. It's not like you would have believed me even if I tried to warn you that someone else could take control of the CORE."
"Tch. You're right, I wouldn't have." Davion growled as he pushed her hand off of his chest, now having the strength to slowly sit up, turning away but keeping her in the periphery of his vision. "But that doesn't excuse you for hijacking and threatening the lives of my friends, including Natasha."
"Oh, Davion-kun," She slowly embraced him, arms wrapping around his shoulders as she pressed herself against his back. He had to hold himself back from lashing out, knowing that his body still hadn't recovered enough for a fight with the inventor.
"I didn't know you were acquainted with that busty blonde." The mischief in her voice was clear and definitely unwelcome to the young man. "Does Mommy have to be worried about her?"
"Shut up." He shook her off none too gently with a hiss. "And don't stray away from the topic." He turned back to her, a frown on his face.
"Who is able to hack into your CORE? Who the hell is able to make those blasted Mobile Suits?!"
Tabane's lips curled back into a playful smile as she tapped her chin with a finger. She looked back up at the stars, staying silent for a few seconds before she shrugged.
"Don't know."
Davion swore he was about to break her in two then and there.
"But," She stood up and dusted the dirt from her skirt. "I'll leave that to you and your friends. I have faith that you three will be able to uncover who they are and, if you're still iffy about this whole thing, I will give you carte blanche on how to deal with them."
The brunette mechanic looked at her in shock.
"I'll even give Sahaku-kun a new arm if he wants one." The purple-haired woman shrugged as she closed all of the windows around them with a flick of her wrist. "But I doubt that he'd even want me near him. Ah, speaking of…" She turned back to him with a mysterious smile.
"Maybe I should pull him out of the Academy."
Against his better judgment, Davion shot up to his feet with rage clear on his face.
"What?!"
"He lost his arm." Tabane pointed out, a finger tapping on her chin. "I doubt he'd appreciate the loss of a limb."
'He won't.' The brunette bitterly thought. 'He's so proud of his body that he considers it a near-perfect weapon. Any change to that is going to mess him up so bad…'
"And the girls at the Academy would jump at the chance to put him down after all his showboating and grandstanding." The purple-haired woman continued, her smile growing the more he looked distressed. "Added to what his mental state would be…"
'Ephraim would snap.'
That was something Davion feared deep down.
Ephraim was Dangerous. Lately, he was showing it more and more to their friends, but he still kept just how dangerous he was with a tightly closed lid. He was created for the sole purpose of fighting, of killing.
One could even say that, to the scarred blonde, fighting was all he was good for.
So if one would put a mentally vulnerable fighting machine in a place where there would be nothing but hostilities around...
"It would also be for the safety of Houki-chan." Tabane mused, looking off to the side with a near-wide grin. "She and him have always been at odds because of her inferiority complex and his own superiority complex. One little incident is all that it takes for the two to come to blows, to the point where blood would be shed."
"Ichika won't allow that." He spat, gritting his teeth as he felt his body heat up. "I won't allow that. Chifuyu won't allow that. Our friends will not allow that."
Because he had hope, hope that with the presence of those around them, his brother would find another purpose other than destruction. That he would not fall into the darkness that lay underneath his pleasant demeanor, that spark of sadistic malice that always glinted whenever he took off the mask of the genteel student.
But what of Ryo? His other brother had his own troubles too, one that he, admittedly, was not as well-versed in identifying compared to the surprisingly transparent blonde...
"Hmm, hmm…" The Professor hummed as she teetered and tottered on her feet, hands crossed behind her childishly. "Will, won't, I'll believe it when I see it. Now, I think I've kept you awake long enough."
With a hop, she landed on top of the carrot pod and winked at him.
"Oh right, before I leave…"
The playful glint in her eyes transformed into something more…malicious, and the smile on her lips turned dangerous.
"You guys win this round. I wanted the world's attention to be on Houki-chan and her totally awesome Akatsubaki, but instead, they focused on you and the Astrays. So…yippee! Good for you. But…"
Tabane tilted her head, the act shadowing her eyes as she gazed down at him.
"Doing so is going to bring more trouble than it's worth. Are you prepared for unforeseen consequences?"
Davion merely kept his steely glare.
"Fuck you."
She laughed.
"Great answer!" The purple-haired woman grinned as motes of multi-colored lights began to swirl around her and the carrot pod. "Then I look forward to the entertainment you and the boys will bring! Who knows? Maybe mommy will reward you for being such a good little boy~"
The mechanic kept silent as the mad rabbit and her pod disappeared, only letting out a low sigh after several seconds of anticipating nothing.
Turning away, he caught the first signs of the coming sunrise. Staring as the first rays of light crept past the horizon, the sight of the new day merely brought a fear of the unknown deep into him. Looking down at the battered gloves covering his hands, the fingers ever so slightly shaking and twitching, he could only close them in empty thought.
.
.
.
'Now what?'
AN:
Beta'd by: Project Ryo
And here we are, the end of Season 1.
Writing this one was a god. Damned. Slog.
I had so many ideas that I wanted to implement, which in turn led to a lot of rewriting and revisions. It was legitimately upsetting!
I'm just glad that I got this one out...even if, deep down, I'm not satisfied with it.
Lots of changes, lots of effects, the ripples won't stop just yet!
There's still a few more loose ends, after all! Just...don't expect Epilogue/Extra chapters to come out soon, I'm still busy with a class project.
Never expected to stay on campus past midnight, but that was a thing.
...Oh God, this being the Season 1 Finale means that I have to touch the LN's now.
To the reviews!
KnightOfZaku: Ephraim...is not of sound mind. Nor are the other two, really. As for Cecilia, well...some have their roles to play, others have bigger ones than the rest.
MVC X BBCTB: That...will come out soon.
P.B.S: Wait, seriously? Oh my God, that is a mess. If Volume 13 does release while this story hasn't been finished yet...well, chances are that said Volume won't be considered. Honestly, I just...I just want maybe a rewrite or a reboot of the whole thing.
Guess I'm hitting the books, or LN's in this case, to have a good grasp of what PT is. Also...when you talk about the Princess like that, I legitimately feel dread.
Oh, and I found choco's art books on IS, and holy crap, I was so damn glad that they made summer uniforms. I legit whooped out loud and showed it to the other two controllers. I had my own takes on what the summer uniform was but I'm more than glad that there's actual references to it. Also, I saw the EOS and I couldn't stop laughing because what the hell did they put on the pilot's arms? Here I was thinking that it would have looked like the EXO's/Scarecrows from OBSOLETE but I did not expect it to just be a big ass version of an IS.
emiyasatou: Welcome! Glad you're liking the story!
Blaze1992: Totally understandable!
Hoo boy, I am totally nervous as hell going forward. Ah well.
This is a tired Cipher, signing off!
.
.
.
Dreams are quite a peculiar concept that exists in the realms of known knowledge. In a metaphysical sense, the images of dreams can either mean something, like a reflection of the mind and soul, an alternate life, or a vision.
'Where..?'
Sometimes dreams are just complete nonsense, and some people would simply laugh at the idea that dreams could imply anything beyond imagination.
'Am I..?'
There was nothing but darkness around, a suffusing umbra wherever the eyes looked. There was no sensation, no coldness, no suffocating presence, just...
'Nothing.'
Plink...
'Or maybe not...'
There was...an object.
An orb.
It was odd, floating in the distance. One couldn't make out more details, it was just too far, other that it was an orb.
Plink...
An orb that looked like it was getting...closer?
Plink...
With each plink, the orb bouncing on some...unknown surface, it was brought nearer. More details could be seen, from how the shape was more oblong than spherical, how the surface of the object was rough, and from how it paradoxically felt smooth.
Plink...
'...Wait, felt?'
A hand was gently grasping the object, sensations blooming in the umbra. The thumb and pointer pinched it, bringing it up closer to where the eyes were, or where they should be.
'...A seed?'
The object was a seed, one that hasn't been seen before. It was still an odd thing, a bouncing seed in the middle of a dark, unfathomable surface.
Plop...
And suddenly, it blew open, a rainbow bursting from within as particles of all colors flew out and away. Golden light began to fill the darkness, showering the space around in the luminous blessing.
Thus...
{System Boon: 〔Perpetual Engine〕 }
...
{Admin Action:...Activating.}