IN SEARCH FOR AN ANSWER
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...
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Shit.
...That's all I can say about this situation, Shit, shit, shit, shit.
Pure fucking bullshit... that's the situation we are in right now, it was supposed to be a quick victory, Japan was supposed to be defeated in the next month.
...But now.
...Now I look at how we are doing and I can only say.
That all our strength... all our planning... all our planning... all our military... it all went to shit.
...all because of that damn thing.
That damned demon...
I curse him.
... I curse him!
"A-hm S-Sir Damien" the voice of a soldier brought me out of my thoughts of hatred against that big machine that ridiculed me, humiliated me and caused me to be demoted to just a fucking idiot. I turned to see who was the soldier that wanted me.
The soldier must have been part of the 3rd infantry corps, I say this because the classic mark of a golden lion with a red crown on top of his head was placed on his right shoulder, a bit faded from what I can see.
I heard that the poor bastards were ground up in Fukushima by the black knight.
More than 60 Knightmares were lost that day, none of them able to make a single mark against that abomination of nature which the Japanese inferiors call a gun.
The poor bastards didn't even get a chance to put up a good fight.
"What do you want?" I ask him sharply, as I tighten the damn raincoat on my body, to keep the rain from getting me any wetter than I already am.
"lo-lo are looking for you in the command center sir" said the soldier who was shivering from nervousness at the moment, it is also due to the cold we are feeling at the moment.
And the rain doesn't improve the mood in the air either. But leaving that aside... is the command looking for me?
If I had to describe the way I feel about this news, it would be with one word... and that is a big damn euphoria.
I finally had the attention I wanted... but now it's too late to ask for an upgrade at this time.
So a sigh full of fatigue, I got up from the stairs on which I was sitting, the soldiers who were sitting next to me, were attentively watching my every step, seeing how I was moving away from the place I used to rest.
We walked through the ruined streets of the city of Sapporo, seeing buildings and streets completely collapsed in on themselves with every step we took, passing through the work of our operations.
Streets that surely should have been bustling with activity are now ruined, with streets sunken and raised from the earth. And don't get me started on the remains of the soldiers who foolishly tried to defend this place from our force... which is now non-existent.
You could see one or another corpse abandoned in the streets of this place, some of them began to show various degrees of putrefaction. And the undesirable civilians who tried to protect their home were also found in this place.
They were fools to think that they could oppose the power of our great and mighty empire.
The roads and buildings that were still intact enough, began to be reused for our purposes, some of the buildings we used as warehouses, others as watch areas and some more were used for our tired troops, resting places you could say.
And finally we have some that were reused to hold prisoners that we had under our control. A decision I do not support at all.
We are in critical times right now...no, not critical, we are in completely shitty times, the fleets we had to help us carry out the invasion of this forgotten land were almost entirely destroyed.
We have barely two fleets stationed off the coast of Sapporo, the 4th and 9th Fleets, not even a fraction of the full power represented by the now sunk 15 fleets that supported us in carrying out this invasion.
I am more than sure that the emperor would order our execution for having failed him in this heretical way, we were unable to comply with his imperial mandate.
Just thinking about it makes me want to take off my track for having failed our emperor in this way.
We are a disgrace... a disgrace that deserved to disappear from the face of the earth, we were not even worthy of being alive at this time.
...
...but here we were... so the only thing we could do at this point was to try to stay alive.
...
The command center was now in front of us, which came in the form of a large green tent, which was completely wet from the constant rain that was lashing down on us at the moment. Water was seeping through several bullet holes that hit the tent.
But inside that tent, there was the necessary equipment and material to coordinate the few elements we have in this godforsaken city, the few officers and the only commander we had on the ground were around one of the tables that projected a map of the city.
The officers and the commander noticed the presence of me and the soldier who was escorting me to this place. The commander with purple bags over his eyes says to the soldier "thank you for bringing him corporal, you are dismissed".
With that said the soldier walked away from the place, leaving me alone with the few senior officers that were in this place, I looked at everyone, seeing that there were lieutenants, sergeants, group officers, a major and three Knightmare pilots.
Each and every one of them showed clear signs of sleep deprivation and exhaustion... I'm more than sure that some of them are just giving the last of their energy.
"good... you are here... now, could you please tell me Chief Leader... how can we deal against this black knight" the tired voice of our commander made me blink and look at everyone carefully.
Trying to understand what I'm hearing right now.
...them.
...
...they really want me to...
...They think that I will really be able to...
...
...
...heh.
...hehe.
...hahaha
"ha...hahaha...hahahahahahaha...JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA"
"YOU THINK THIS IS GRACIOUS IMBECILE!" suddenly shouted one of the Knightmare knights, who was furious at my sheer disbelief in believing that they could remove such a monster from there.
Those...
...those idiots... they really think they can take that thing out...
Hehe... if all the armies we had couldn't handle that abomination, what makes these fools believe that we, with only 200 Knightmares, 3 aircraft carriers and 10 stupid destroyers can do against a damn beast like the black knight.
Hehe.
...Crazy...
That's what I say about them... crazy.
My eyes that were bulging out of my orbits I looked at these maniacs, and with a voice I never thought I would be able to produce I said "You're the morons! You think you stand a chance against that thing!
YOU ARE THE STUPID ONES! That thing can't be destroyed or damaged! You've seen it! And yet you keep blindly throwing yourselves against that monstrosity!" They really don't know! They really think they'll do something!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
"I knew this would be useless! Sir let me deal with him! We have no use for this soldier!" said the lunatic knight. I'm more than sure he thinks he can take down the black knight.
Moreover, I am absolutely certain that he is having thoughts of glories, honors and awards once he thinks he can eliminate the black knight.
The commander, who I'm sure was tired of dealing with this shit said "Stay there gentleman! You make one move against him and I swear I'll put a bullet between your eyes!" he turned to look at me.
And he gave me a blow that brought me back to reality, a hard blow that split my lips open and caused me to start bleeding from my mouth in the process, he grabbed me by the shoulders hard and yelled at me "Focus officer! Regain what little sanity you have left and tell me, how is it that we can harm that thing!"
I looked at the commander, wide-eyed and recovered from my previous moment of madness that had completely flooded me "s-sorry sir...I".
"I don't care at this point! I just want you to tell us, something! Some way we can damage that thing! Whatever we need is good enough for me now! We can't let that thing continue to exist! It will endanger the entire empire if we don't do something against that machine!" The commander at this point began to shout, desperate for a solution that would allow them to destroy this thing the Japanese call a war machine.
But to be honest... from everything I've seen from this machine, from everything it's capable of doing... I sincerely doubt we'll be able to do anything.
I look at my admiral and say "s-sir... I... I don't think... I don't think you can really... I really don't think there's any way to... hurt that thing... we've already... thrown everything we had at it... we've already... thrown everything we had at it... we've already... thrown everything we had at it... we've already... thrown everything we've got at it.
We launched cruise missiles, anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, i-even the damn new hypersonic missiles weren't able to grate that thing...nothing can hurt that thing!"
"It's a machine soldier, a machine invented by very smart people, who knew how to create a monster by machine! But at the end of the day it's a machine! Which means we can still damage it! For that reason I'm asking for your help to do it! At least a damn stupid mark on that thing!"
...
...
...Shit...come on Damian you didn't spend many years at the academy studying various strategies, geographical positions and weapons capabilities only to end up shaking like a wimpy deer.
Come on Damian, think...
...
...
...Damn it!
There is nothing!
There is absolutely nothing I can think of that would be capable of scratching the paint off that thing! Not even a single damn piece of crap we have at our disposal would be capable of harming that big Knightmare!
I wanted to tell my commander that there really wasn't a chance, I really meant the chances we had against an opponent like the black knight.
...
...
But a huge explosion stopped any conversation I might have had with the commander... the results of everything I could tell would happen if we faced the black knight again.
But it won't happen... it will never happen because right now we are under attack... and everyone knows who we are under attack by.
The officer who entered shortly after the explosion that could be heard for miles, only confirmed everyone's suspicions "S-SIR! IT'S THE BLACK KNIGHT! HE'S BREACHED THE PERIMETER!"
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...God...if you really are up in heaven...
...please... just please... save us...
Save us from this demon...
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IN SEARCH OF AN ANSWER
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"Attention, all forces report, repeat, all assault forces report over" Ayre's voice rang through the radio I carried with me inside the cockpit.
"501st Legion in position."
"Legion 203 in position."
"Group 102 in place"
"Group 120 placed"
"Squads 48 ready"
"Squadrons 51 on standby".
"This is Black Glint here, ready and waiting for the signal" I say suddenly, seeing all the siege groups fully prepared, soldiers who were ready to take back the last city of their beloved nation.
Soldiers who have been accompanying me to clean up the few stragglers I leave in each of my operations, hardened by the constant battles we have been fighting in all this time in which I found myself in this world.
This small siege army carried the Type 90 Kyū-maru tanks and the MCV Light Tank as the spearhead for this small army, behind them were several APCs, which carried the troops that would assist in this invasion and above them flying overhead were the Kawasaki OH-1.
Their help means very little to me, they are more of a burden I have to deal with, something I don't have the time to have to deal with constantly. If I really want to end the Britannians once and for all from Japan, I need to do it fast.
...and I certainly won't be able to do that with these soldiers constantly slowing me down.
...
...
...but unfortunately I have no say in this...Tohdoh provided me with this small army to take over the city.
...something about boosting morale among soldiers and citizens... to show that they too can fight alongside giants like me.
Naïve people who will not get far if they continue in this way...
...
...but... at least they are brave enough to try.
"All battalions reported and ready for operation...awaiting your signal...Black Glint" the tension in the air was overwhelming for everyone, I could feel the mind of every soldier in the place.
Everyone on edge, sweating from fear and the upcoming battle that was about to break out... the soldiers were terrified at this point.
Afraid of ruining this important moment... afraid of losing... afraid of failing the promises of their families... each and every one of these soldiers who had families were afraid of not returning.
A fear that ran through their bodies like poison, weakening them for every nano-second we waited... terrified at the possibility of being at the final goal... only to die by the hands of that dark empire.
...
... maybe... maybe if I could... give them some courage... it would be the most logical action, to embolden these soldiers for the storm I am about to unleash against Britannia.
...but there's a problem with that...
... I'm not like that...
...
...I'm not someone who can inspire... I'm not someone you can call a symbol of hope...
...I am nothing more than a monster... a monster hiding in this disguise that I call skin... nothing more and nothing less than the truth.
...
...
"... do you want to tell them something... Black Glint?"...
...
...
...yes...
...if I have anything to say...
...I have something to say to those soldiers who will witness the kind of hell I am about to unleash in this city occupied by their enemies... I have several things to tell them that will make them stay with me... so that I can finally drive Britannia out of their country... out of their home.
...so hear me world...hear my words...for these will be the first words I say as your savior...let the world hear me to finally give them the answers to their fears.
...let the world hear me.
Without saying words, I synchronize the mind of each soldier of this small army that accompanies me... each and every one of them, without excluding any of them... they could feel what I feel right now... they could feel my emotions... my thoughts... my voice...
Let my answer to your question be heard...
Will they really get to see a new tomorrow?
Armored Core: For Answer Soundtrack #01: Someone is always moving on the surface.
"...Attention all armed forces of Japan...listen to me carefully because now we are about to face the darkness that invades your home, today we will face those who would turn you into nothing more than servants...garbage that will not hesitate to kill you at the first opportunity
Today...today they stand up against the supposed law of this world...that the strong should dominate over the weak...that the weak should only serve those who possess true strength...
But that will change from today... from now on the world will change completely, you will witness that the great titan known as Britannia, is nothing more than an unbridled lion that must be stopped.
That Britannia is nothing more than a threat for you to live in peace... so I ask you, soldiers of Japan, free people of Japan to fight, fight for the life you have, fight because there will be no other choice from now on.
And whatever happens...whatever happens...don't forget this...we are now part of the new era that is about to be unleashed...so I ask you, soldiers of Japan.
Will you accompany me to the gates of hell?" ...
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...
...
...And so...like a flare that lit up in the darkness of this rain, everyone changed, the previous thoughts of terror, fear and doubt left almost instantly the minds of all the soldiers changed...thoughts of bravery, of great determination and the great will to fight filled my mind.
The nearly 2,000 soldiers that were with me... each and every one of them, were ready for the battle that was about to come, ready to die right now.
Soldiers who are no longer afraid to die, people who are ready to fight... and be part of this new order.
"heh... I never thought you'd have that side of you Black Glint" Ayre tells me over a private communication channel.
I have to give it to Ayre...I really never thought I would be able to say these words...I was never one for words, I'm more of an action person.
Words are nothing more than empty promises... if someone is capable of achieving what they set out to do through actions, then I can believe that they are capable of doing whatever they set out to do.
So now... let's make these words... come true.
Armored Core 4 Soundtrack #05 Sound You Smash
"This is Black Glint, initiating deployment" with that said the Black Glint burners propelled me at high speeds, breaking the sound barrier in the process. The signal everyone needed to initiate the operation.
I initiated the assault with a bombardment by BM05-LAMIA, the missiles located several thermal signatures of agglomerated groups of what I assumed were assembled infantry and armored groups. The missiles quickly took them over, large mushroom-shaped explosions pinpointed where these were once stationed.
Disintegrated before they could even realize what happened.
I continued to sail through the air, shooting down the few helicopters in the skies with the 04-MARVE with rapid bursts, the helicopters became aware of my existence too late... 20 seconds have passed since I started the assault and I have already eliminated several hostile groups in this city.
I look at the ground and see how all Britannia's forces started to react to my presence, AAG (Anti Air Gun) turrets started firing into the skies to force me down to the ground.
Even missile sites that were placed on the roofs of various buildings started firing at me. Thinking that they are going to have the advantage when I am on the ground.
Fools... I've already proven several times that no matter if I'm in the air or on the ground, I'm still a deadly threat wherever I am.
I activate the OGOTTO and target the buildings where more than one AAG and anti-aircraft emplacements are in place, the cannon fires the explosive projectile, taking down an office building in the process.
I move to the left avoiding several missiles that were aimed at me, aim the 04-MARVE and fire several rounds that destroyed several of Britannia's defenses.
I look to the street, where several Knightmares lined up in two rows and began to shoot at me, I charge at them with the help of the burners. Once on the ground and in front of several Knightmares I activate the 07-MOONLIGHT and cut 4 Knightmares by the waist in a single movement.
I point the 04-MARVE back to the front and fire, taking out several of the Knightmares in the street in the process. I thrust to my left, seeing another armed group of tanks, APCs, helicopters, infantry and Knightmares firing at me, with everything at their disposal.
He charged at them, cutting two of them with the MOONLIGHT, then kicked another one at maximum speed, the machine flew backwards, crashing into a house which he ended up crushing.
I stab the other Knightmare that was still shooting at me with the 04-MARVE, lifting him off the ground to then use him as my shield, aim at the rest of the forces and let the bullets crush them.
Pieces of metal and large explosions of blood were generated each time the 04-MARVE bullets hit something that wanted it to disappear.
After shooting for 5 seconds and eliminating a large number of enemies, I threw Knightmare's corpse against one that was approaching to my right. The lifeless body of that machine crashed into the other, who momentarily lifted it to avoid falling with the corpse of his companion on top of him.
...that ended when I cut them both down with the MOONLIGHT, I look up, seeing several Britannia helicopters flying over my head, the missiles coming from the BM05-LAMIA took out all the Wildcat MK1's in the air.
I can sense with my mind a large number of hostiles which are directed against me, all with the aim of killing me.
I was ready to kill them all at this moment...ready to unleash hell against them all once again...
...but it never happened... it never happened because the sudden arrival of several Japanese attack groups had stopped a quarter of all the Britannia forces coming to attack me. I could feel the Japanese soldiers holding back a large group of Britannians in that place.
"Black Glint, Legions 501, 203 and group 102 will be your support to deal with the remaining forces in your area, deal with all other hostile forces...let them earn some glory" Ayre told me over the radio.
I looked at where the conflict was taking place and saw several Kawasaki OH-1 helicopters shooting down the few British Wildcat MK1 helicopters on the scene.
...Heh...I guess my words really inspired them to fight.
"...Okay, Ayre, give me the location of the highest concentrations of hostiles for the moment, I will eliminate as many Knightmares as I can find" a Knightmare that decided to charge while firing was quickly eliminated by me, by a heavy stomp that completely crushed the machine's body, also exploding a large amount of oil and blood in the process.
"Well...hmm...wait...and there it is, there are 3 large groups at the moment, one is in the center of the city, where a large number of Knightmares have been reported protecting the area, another is just about 2 kilometers north of your position and the last one is on the coasts...what's left of the entire invasion fleet."
Good...now it's time to get this over with quickly "well support the other attack groups then...I'll let you know of any situation that occurs".
"very well... and Black Glint... good luck then" said Ayre, with a tone that I could identify as concern...
..
...Hehehehe
After seeing all that I have been capable of... after seeing the destruction I am capable of causing... he still cares about me.
...
...No one had ever cared about me before...
...it's weird... but at the same time it's... it's...
...is comforting...
...
...Concentrate on this Lynx... then you can spend more time with her...
With that in mind I activated the burners at full power, breaking the sound barrier and running over any unfortunate enough to be in my path. The glass of the few intact buildings shattered from my sudden speed and debris flew out from the force of my burners.
I passed quickly through the streets of the city, moving at a ridiculous speed to the nearest group...it didn't take long to see the group that Ayre had mentioned to me.
The first Knightmare I could make out began firing and was followed by fire from several other Knightmares, tanks, helicopters and infantry forces on the scene.
In the end the bullets, missiles and anti-armor projectiles could not penetrate Black Glint's PRIMAL ARMOR... there is no weapon at this time that can do that... Not even the most powerful missiles Britannia has at its disposal can penetrate the PRIMAL ARMOR.
So it was no surprise that when the momentum from earlier helped me cut the first Knightmare I glimpsed was cut in half in a single blinding motion from the 07-MOONLIGHT.
I quickly make a turn while circling a series of buildings that served to absorb most of the enemy projectiles headed my way. I raise the 04-MARVE and fire on the enemy forces, quickly decimating their numbers.
Turning on myself, I cut down two Knightmares that were in my way with a single move of the 07-MOONLIGHT, then activated the OGOTTO and fired into the center of a large concentration of armored vehicles, which were sent into oblivion.
I turn to the right and activating the BM05-LAMIA I concentrate my fire on several helicopters hovering in the air, bringing them down with large explosions, I look ahead and continue firing the 04-MARVE against everything in my sight, bringing down the number of hostile forces in the area.
My telekinesis suddenly the mind of a large concentration of minds congregating right behind me, I turn and look at a large group of Knightmares starting to come out between the streets and opening fire on me.
I activate the Burners and rise into the air, taking control of the terrain and eliminating with the 04-MARVE several of the enemy units that were in the area, then I activate them at full power and charge impaling one of those Knightmares with the rifle in hand, and then turn around and use it as a kind of shield and shoot the rest of the hostiles that were in the area.
A group of 5 Knightmares foolishly charged at me, using whatever they had in hand as an improvised melee weapon... they must know by now that this won't work, but I'll give them the pleasure of at least dying quickly.
Getting rid of the body I was impaling on my 04-MARVE, I activate the burners and head directly against the group, managing to take one of them with me in the process, the other four separated in time to avoid being rolled over by the weight of my NEXT.
The poor Knightmare under my feet was desperately trying to reach me with his hands, but with just a little pressure he crushed the cockpit of the machine with the pilot inside, causing it to burst into a large crimson stain that stained the street, which was being cleaned little by little by the rain.
I aim the 04-MARVE to my right and shoot the remaining two that moved to my right, eliminating them with lethal accuracy. I then look to my left, I see that the other two that remained were close to me. I activate the 07-MONNLIGHT and cut both machines in one move, separating both machines in two.
Sensing that there is still a lot of hostile activity in the area, I take to the air with the burners, locate several targets with the BM05-LAMIA and fire at them, eliminating helicopters, Knightmares and armored vehicles in the area.
I quickly propel myself to the ground, and throw myself against a duo of Knightmares that tried to get away from me, but with an upward slash by the 07-MOONLIGHT I prevent these machines from going any further, two others suddenly appeared in front and with a clean straight slash I eliminate the other two Knightmares in just a blink of an eye.
I look to my left and charge directly at the forces still present, avoiding every bullet, missile and projectile coming at me... almost as if I were a wraith.
...a specter coming for the souls of Britannians.
I aimed the OGOTTO and fired at the group in front of me, the projectile passed over the heads of the few Knightmares that were in the area...and then it exploded behind them.
...consuming almost all of this group within the blast radius.
I slide to stop my advance, I look at the map I have embedded in the cockpit, seeing that the first group that was close to me was 90% reduced in its totality, almost if there were hostile forces in place for me to consider them a threat.
...the soldiers of Japan wanted a fight...let them keep what little I can leave them...let them get glory from the massacres I caused on the battlefields.
I activate the radio and call Ayre "Ayre, first concentration of enemies eliminated to 90% of their capacity... send legions 501, 203 and group 102 to clear the few hostile forces in my position."
"Received Black Glint, the other group still in the city center, we are receiving several reports from KIA of the 120th groups, 48th and 51st squads in place...the Britannians are taking them out fast...get to the location fast, right now I am getting reports that they are advancing in a counter offensive they won't be able to hold out for much longer!"
I quickly rose into the air, heading at top speed to where the other half of the attack groups, being late doesn't worry me, I can actually get there in less than 2 minutes at the speed I'm heading to the site.
There is nothing that really puts me on high alert right now... I don't think there are many things in this world that make me completely serious...
...Which caused, that a part... a part of the deepest part of my being... buried by years of pain... of anger and... of... of... suffering and of the friendships I ended when I decided to burn it all... to emerge once again...
...
...and that...is
...
...
... The desire for a real fight
...
...
... Come on Britannia... don't tell me this is all your so-called strength.
*FFFFFFIIIUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMM*
It was from one moment to the next when I appeared just above where the enemy forces that were located in the center of Sapporo, I have a clear view of how our forces are retreating at the moment under heavy fire from the British forces.
I watched as the Knightmares of Britannia began to push my forces, starting a counter offensive that threatened to push my battalions out of the city.
So with a speed equal to or greater than a thunderclap, I crashed into the ground. Crushing two Knightmares with the great weight of my NEXT, as if they were soda cans.
The moment I crushed the two Knightmares, I alerted the rest of the empire forces that were in place, they all raised their weapons against me and started firing everything they had at me.
...But all that time they had to turn and fire...I was already gone from that place, moving at blinding speed with the burners, which were over the power limit.
...It broke glass and lifted cars off the ground, creating great clouds of dust and debris that were shaken by the speed at which it was going... a dark flash that moved at ridiculous speed through the streets of this ruined city.
The empire's forces could only point around them... terrified by the monster that had just appeared in front of them.
Black Glint's eyes began to glow with greater intensity now, crimson orbs penetrating the souls of those who are his enemies... and unfortunate prey.
And in just the blink of an eye... I became a force of nature... a threat invoked by the world to unleash its wrath on those who dared to destroy the beautiful harmony and peace that existed in Japan.
Bullets and missiles destroyed the few intact buildings in the center of the city, the bodies of Knightmares and soldiers were disintegrated by the occasional explosions that detonated very close to them.
The mutilations of Knightmares and sudden explosions of blood among the soldiers painted this part of the city red...
My machine looked more like a vestia than a war machine, turned into the steel demon it always was and always will be... until it finally dies and returns to the dust from which it came...
But all that aside...
...
...I...
...
...I am enjoying it.
...heh...
...hehehe...
...Hahaha...
...Jajajajajajaja...
...Hahahahahaha!
...Hahahahaha...
...
...
...No, concentrate... I don't have to fall into that feeling right now once again...
...not again... not again... not when I'm almost done with it...
What I can remember of all that happened was that I was, crushing a hapless Knightmare, his pilot screaming for mercy... but I offered him none.
I'm still blinded by my bloodlust... I have to come back to reality.
And to do that... There has to be more blood.
I look to my right and cut down a Knightmare that was firing at me, I fire the OGOTTO to the front, taking out a group of poor knights that tried to attack from close range.
I soared into the sky, then propelled myself to my left and charged head on, cutting a Knightmare in two with the 07-MOONLIGHT, aimed forward and filled several armored vehicles, infantry and Knightmares with holes.
I could see the blood coming out of the holes of the Knightmares... staining the streets of this once thriving city.
I turned around and saw the rest of my opponents, all of whom were hesitant to continue fighting... terrified of the beast that I am... terrified of the monster that I became in front of them.
...
Y...
...
...
...and soon I found myself back in the sky... a dark, demonic-looking raven, soaring through the dark, fire-stained skies...
...
... and blood... blood falling from the straggling bodies that fell from every hole in the cities of the sky... my wings as dark as night and as big as a dragon's flapped at the destruction that surrounded me.
An inhuman roar resounded from a mouth that was not mine... but that came from me... death, darkness and despair haunted these once beautiful and blue skies...
I... I remember this place... this...
...this place...
...
... that's where I fell...
... The place where I decided I would watch the world burn...
... The place where... they... those brave few with white wings... decided to face me...
...
... And I...
...I remember attacking... I remember giving a fierce fight among the clouds and debris that fell to the hell that was the earth...
...I remember roaring gloriously for each of the deaths I caused... my old comrades... old friends and loves...
I remember that after having eliminated the penultimate one of them... there was only one left...
...
...
I remember that there was only one person left... the only person in the world capable of fighting against me... and me, the human turned into a monster in front of him.
I remember that our guns fired... I remember that our swords clashed and that the blood... of our NEXT spilled in that now profane place...
... And at the end of it all... I remember getting shot... right where my NEXT's heart lies...
...
...
... and fall...
...
...
...
"GLINT! BLACK GLINT! DO YOU READ ME CHANGE!"
...Ayre's sudden screams brought me back to reality, my last victim came in the form of one last Knightmare that was trying to run away from me, which I stabbed so hard with the 04-MARVE. Such was the power of my stab that I ended up tearing the Knightmare in two... the blood and oil came out in spurts, which slightly stained Black Glint.
Crimson drops were falling from the right arm, leg and head of the Black Glint, the amount of corpses in the place made it look like a bloody Dantesque scene...
...rivers of blood
...I almost seem to have become the grim reaper...
...
... I became death...
...
... the destroyer of worlds...
"BLACK GLINT DO YOU READ ME! ... ANSWER ME!"
"This is Black Glint in place... I'm okay, second major target eliminated... moving to deal with the last enemy group" ...
...
...
...
...
... I have to go back to work
With that in mind, I soar into the air and with the same kind of speed I used not so long ago, I head for the spot where Britannia's last sea fleet was located.
...
... what's wrong with me...
...You are better than this... I am much better than this, I am not a demented psychopath overloaded with particles who went crazy because of the great amount of voices he listens to from all living beings...
...I'm much better than that...I'm supposed to be much better than this...I'm one if not the best NEXT pilot there was, matched only by the famous White Glint.
I am someone who takes logical actions driven by an outcome... but still...
Being in this new world that is on the brink of a much greater conflict... I find myself feeling that I lack any challenge...
The feeling that nothing in this world can compete with me right now...is...daunting...
...
...
...I can see the fleet now...
"Ayre I have location of the last Britannia fleet, moving to eliminate the last target."
"Copy that Black Glint...take out the remaining targets to finish this operation fast...and Black Glint...when we're done with this, I'd like to talk to you...in private...please."
...
... the massacre before... must have altered it...
...
...
...I have seen many moments before in which I unleash myself completely, revealing the beast within me... but lately I have been unleashing myself more and more... I have been losing myself more and more in this beast that I keep hidden within me.
... she must be afraid of my unpredictable bouts of bloodlust...
...
... and I don't blame her for that.
...
...I have to finish this then...
"Roger Ayre, coming into conflict with target, over and out" with that said I cut communications with Ayre and confronted the few ground ships that were in place.
Ships began to open fire, AAGs and missiles were fired into the air, illuminating the darkening skies that were covered by the rain clouds falling over us all.
The few air transports that were in the area turned to scrap before my bullets, the few battle boats that were still floating in the seas, were sunk by large bullet holes.
I land hard against the runway of one of the aircraft carriers, completely shaking its foundations and sinking it a little into the water. I activate the BM05-LAMIA and fire missiles at the ships closest to my location.
Several of the ships were immolated by the resulting explosions, but several were still afloat... but in very bad shape.
I raise the 04-MARVE and shoot the few survivors that were still standing. I look at the bridge of the ship, seeing how all the officers and people in charge inside that place were looking at me completely terrified.
I rise into the air of this aircraft carrier.
I then crashed with great force into the ramp of this one, bending the ship completely, causing it to begin to sink under its own unbalanced weight.
I move away from the vessel and start firing at the now ruined warship with the OGOTTO, creating three massive explosions, which created large shock waves that shook the seas.
Survivors who had jumped out of their boats were desperately trying to swim away from me... some drowned underwater...
...I could end their suffering now...but I have to eliminate the rest of the aircraft carriers...let the freezing cold waters do their job.
Tohdoh asked me for no prisoners...I'm a person of action...I just hope Tohdoh, Genbu or that leech Kirihara comes screaming to me at the end of this.
Because in the end, I'm giving them what they want... a message loud and clear to everyone... one that no one will forget for a long time.
...A message that will completely change the world... I am not a fool to think that this will not have a great impact on the world...
...I knew that there would be consequences at the end of this war, I tried to prevent them from coming, but at the end of all my attempts, it turned out to be useless in the end...
...
...
...Heh... but in all honesty, I look forward to seeing how the whole planet will react to what I'm about to do...
...
...Ha...
...
...it seems that while I was meditating I had already taken care of eliminating the rest of the fleet that was in the place... the ships that were beginning to sink were melting due to the intense heat of the flames that were still burning because of the oil and fuels that stain the seas of this place...
...I looked around... keeping a watchful eye on my surroundings, looking for any threats in the area... but nothing.
My eyes did not pick up any other hostile force in the area and my mind did not pick up a single intention of violence against me...
What I did notice... was the sudden silence of the guns, the explosions, distant gunshots and the occasional scream of pain ceased completely... the fighting must have ended by now...
...
... And it seems that the Japanese press... or rather, what's left of the press or any news from Japan was starting to come to this place... surely with the objective of showing the people of Japan that we finally succeeded in expelling the empire from the island.
...
...
...I guess it's about time, isn't it?
... the time has come to change the world... to give a message to this supposedly great empire... to let it be known that they are not as powerful as they presume to be...
...
...It's time to finally do something great... it's funny actually... I always thought when I was a kid that a simple figure could not change the world completely... a silly idea put only for super heroes or protagonists of a silly story or fable...
... but here I am now... a single person... about to change the course of history forever...
...
...
...
... Let the storm come then
...
...
...
In the crowded, long, narrow streets of Pendragron... the power capital of the Britannian Empire, the crowds walking these streets were minding their own business... concentrating on their lives and work...
...confident that the empire in which they live will never change and that it will remain in their power for generations to come.
Such is the situation in the royal palace... where the most important families of the Empire and the emperor himself were residing... the grand and glorious palace which shows the power that Britannia is capable of summoning, towering above all other structures... a living titan towering over the weak of this world...
...but the situation is different right now... the situation that is developing in the palace is completely different... because the most important members of the army, the navy, the air force, important nobles and members of the royal family were gathered...
...to talk about the terrible development that took place in Japan
"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!"
"HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!"
THEY'RE A BUNCH OF INCOMPETENTS!"
"DAMN THE FOOLS WHO FAILED!" shouted the members of the royal family. Furious at the news they had just received not long ago...
...the forces that were supposed to take Japan...
... were eliminated...
... there was no victory to celebrate, only a humiliating and massive defeat. In the eyes of the whole world.
A deep humiliation that buried itself deep within the ideology of Britannia, shaking the very foundations of strength and power that they represented. Great waves of indignation and fury came from those who were affected by all this failure...
...
... all but one person...
... and that person is the very emperor of the greatest empire in this world... the most powerful person in the whole world.
...Charles Zi Britannia... the 98th Holy Roman Emperor of the Britannian Holy Roman Empire.
Charles, who was sitting on his glorious golden throne, was squinting at this crowd full of fools and liars... tired of the recent events that have been happening right now.
The invasion of Japan was a complete failure. The invasion fleet he sent to capture Japan... was completely wiped out, all the forces he had sent to capture that small island.
Turning their goal of taking Japan into a complete failure and humiliation for the whole world...
...
...but secretly stopping their plans... the acquisition of the thought elevators that are in that region, now seem to be far from their reach... far from their influence and from the Geass order... who now can do nothing to try to claim those places...
...he can order another massive invasion... but it will take time, time that Japan can take advantage of to launch a counter-offensive... something that may not be possible for Charles' luck...
Japan does not have the weapons capability to launch a counter-attack... they do not have the Knightmares to pose a serious threat...
...that's what I would have thought before...
...
...now with that... abomination they call the Black Knight... not so sure.
Charles saw the images of that unknown being, he watched with calculating eyes as that machine tore apart entire armies in a matter of minutes...
He saw how the people of that island praised that monstrosity as their hero... but he can see through the lies of that thing... he can see through the false acts of kindness that thing did.
...that machine...
... is a liar...
...
... a liar who pretends to be a hero...
...besides, this is related to something that happened, from the moment they started to invade Japan...
Not long ago when he was on Akasha's sword, he could feel something that he should not be able to feel, as if some kind of mind stronger than that of other non-Geass users or minor Geass users had suddenly appeared...
A mind that is not part of the collective consciousness of humanity, a mind that is not part of the gods and that is not linked to the Geass or to the all powerful god himself...
But not only that... it caused a Thought Elevator, located in London to close temporarily, no one could enter Akasha's sword, not even the Emperor with his perfect Geass could enter that place...
It is as if the conscience of humanity had closed the entrance so that he would not enter, as if they were trying to prevent him from achieving his goal. Hindrances which would delay his plans...
...but... seeing the machine that Japan now has in its control, maybe the doors have not closed for him... but rather for that thing that people started to call Black Knight...
...What is it?
... The gods are afraid of that thing?
... the very idea of that seemed absurd... but considering the feeling he and several other Geass users had when Japan happened, what it did on that island and its recent massacres. The idea that the collective consciousness of all mankind was fearful of that thing... didn't seem so far-fetched now.
...
...All of Charles' thoughts were pushed aside, when a figure in Geass order garb approached him and whispered in his ear...what the order member said, caused Charles' eyes to widen slightly.
I look at all the people in this room, and with a voice used more times than the emperor can count. He shouted to them "SILENCE EVERYONE!"
The room fell into a sepulchral silence at the words of his emperor. He took advantage of the moment and turned on the large screen above the entrance to the throne room.
...
...showing that machine talking to the press
"People all over the world... listen to what I have to say, because I will only say it once... once so that you remember the consequences of your decisions... so that all of you remember, the reason for these massacres" said the Black Knight.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon: Echoes of Coral
Everyone inside the throne room stared either with hatred or fear at the screen, listening intently to every word coming from the Black Knight.
Cornelia looked with ear-filled eyes at the Black Knight.
Euphemia stared wide-eyed at the screen, seeing the infamous Black Knight for the first time.
Clovis could only look with disgust at the machine that tarnished the honor of the empire.
Schneizel looked with eyes devoid of emotion or feeling at the machine, but a small glint of curiosity shone in those orbs he called eyes.
Every prince, General, Admiral, Knight of the Round Table and Noble of great importance looked intently at the screen. Listening with great attention to the words of the Black Knight.
Charles eyed the supposed hero of Japan, the infamous Black Knight, with an ear-to-ear look.
"This! This act here which your eyes now behold open! This is proof! The ultimate answer to the question of whether the British Empire is really invincible! The answer to all your fears and apprehensions!"
...
...
...
IN SEARCH FOR AN ANSWER
...
...
...
"Britannia is not invincible! It never has been and never will be invincible! Like many other empires of antiquity, who claimed their power and strength to the world presumed to be invincible! It is just like them! A great power that only exhibits its strength to the weak who cannot defend themselves!"
In a room ornately decorated with green dragons, columns of emerald-like material and gold accents on the ceiling and floor of the room, a little white-haired, red-eyed girl about 5 years old, wearing a Chinese royal costume, gazed in awe at the machine that had become famous throughout the world.
The eunuchs in the room looked on with interest or disinterest, listening or ignoring the words of that fellow who brought Britannia to her knees.
And a young man, long-haired, green-eyed, dressed in monk-like attire and of Asian appearance, looked earnestly at the well-known Black Knight.
"Britannia is nothing more than an empire made up of weaklings who claim to be strong! Britannia is nothing more than an empire made up of cowards who don't have the courage to stand up to someone on their level! Britannia is not strong! It's weak! It's just like you! No matter what they say! We're just like them!"
...
...
...
IN SEARCH FOR AN ANSWER
...
...
...
"Britannia fears what we are capable of! Fear the power we can gain if we keep striving to move forward! Your Emperor, who claims great strength, hides from those who represent strength! An emperor who follows flawed ideals that will only bring darkness to this world!"
In the streets of France, people watched attentively before the Chevalier Noir's speech, absorbing his every word like sweet wine.
People shared various feelings, from anger, confusion, intrigue... but above all those emotions... there was hope... the hope that someone finally... after a long time, stood up against Britannia.
telling them no... that I would not give them this world without a fight.
"I know that many will think that it is impossible to fight Britannia! That war will only lead to doom! And they may be right, it may be the truth! But I promise you! I swear to you by the holiest thing in this world! That it is the best choice!"
"Those who wish to bow their heads let them do so! Accept Britannia's words and be consumed by the supposedly great force of this world! But those who are willing to fight! Those who are willing to follow me in this fight against Britannia! Then come with me! And I promise you that we will bring order to this world! I swear to you by God that there will be peace at last!"
...
...
...
IN SEARCH FOR AN ANSWER
...
...
...
In parts of the world where armed groups fight against Britannia, where all hope seemed lost... a light appeared... a light that came in the form of the Black Knight.
Radios, televisions and news programs around the world focused on the words, the speech, the war cry that was being chanted around the world.
"People of the world listen to me! No longer must you live in fear of Britannia's supposedly invincible force! No longer fear to be alone in this world for now I am with you!"
In a community shelter, where people from Japan are currently residing, a young boy with crimson hair and blue eyes and a young girl with the same color eyes and hair can be seen looking intently at the radio... listening to every word of Japan's hero... of the Black Knight himself.
And they were...
...were...
...Fascinated by the words of Japan's greatest hero to date...
"Together we will change the course of history and align it to a better and brighter future! Together we can rebuild the bridges to form a real tomorrow!"
The militias and armed groups that were spread throughout the conflict zones listened to the words of the Black Knight...and felt hope...hope that finally...someone would stand up against the empire and fight them head on.
The hope... the dreams... and the desires of the people started to return once again...
And among those crowds... a hooded figure, looking attentively with golden eyes at a radio that was found in this old abandoned cabin... listened to the words of that anomaly that invaded this world...
... and for the first time...
...
... after many years... she felt again something that had died long ago...
...
...and that was hope...
...
...
...
IN SEARCH FOR AN ANSWER
...
...
...
"And if Britannia wants to challenge my claims! Then let her come!" I say as I point the 04-MARVE forward, to give the mood now a more dramatic effect.
"GO FOR ME, FOR I WILL BE YOUR RIVAL NOW!" roared that last part...filled with a passion and strength I never thought I would ever bring out again...shouting to the heavens and letting them know my task...letting the world know how far I would go to get the answers I want.
People all over the world got the answer they wanted to their question... that question should have come in the following way...
...
...
...Can Britannia be beaten?
...
...
... The answer is yes... Britannia can be beaten...
...
... And I will teach you how... let me teach you how to fly free... on the wings of a raven...
...
...
...
IN SEARCH FOR AN ANSWER
...
...
...
And while everyone was staring at the screens, radios and cell phones... there was only one person in the whole world who spoke... a person who was now staring with a look of hardened and calculating hatred...
... and that look belongs to Emperor Charles Zi Britannia... his hands which were clenched so tightly, began to bleed, because the nails pressed so hard into his skin... that it caused the skin to split open, allowing blood to flow from the palm of his hand.
...
... The emperor looked at his admirals and asked, "How long will it take before you can muster another massive invasion force?"
...
... the admiral stammered and asked "your majesty?"
"How long will it take for them to assemble another massive invasion force?"
"...m-maybe in a few months...your majesty?"
...
...
"...then begin preparations, now."
... If this abomination they call the Black Knight wants to challenge him openly... then let him try...
...in the end all this is nothing more than a small obstacle to reach his final goal... If the Black Knight really has such a death wish...
Then so be it...
...
...
... I Charles Zi Britannia...
...
... I accept your challenge...
WOW PEOPLE...
...THAT WAS SOMETHING BIG...
If I may say so obviously, but leaving my satisfaction in having written this, I have to tell you that from now on the canon has been thrown out of the window.
And the events that may happen from now on will completely change how the story unfolds, I mean of course we will still have masterminds like Lelouch and helicopter kick pilots like Suzaku handling their different roles.
Only, in a completely different way, plus characters like Milly, Shirley and the student council will be in the story, we may also see them sooner rather than later.
But I will see that as I develop the story.
I'm also planning for there to be other NEXTs in the Code Geass world, but of course to do that, I'll develop a whole arc to get to that point.
There were comments on what will happen once Japan is free of Britannia on its island.
And well for your information, yes there will be Knightmares among the Japanese ranks and there will be a rapid militarization, as well as a great deal of political intrigue about what to do with Black Glint.
For the moment this is all I can tell you... if you liked this chapter, please add me in your favorites please... I would be very encouraged to try to upload earlier chapters.
Oh, and before I forget... I don't own the songs, I just put them in because I thought they matched the mood of the situation.
Nothing more to say... see you next time crows.
:V