After the talk with Elie (he was so close, Aidios. But that announcement had to distract them. Elie's cheek was so soft...) Lloyd got a call from Dieter about something. He quickly went to the office again. Inside the office, there were only the Croises and Elie.
"Oh, there you are."
"What's the situation?" Lloyd asked. He wanted to know what was the reason for the call-up.
"Well, two of the CGF's squadrons have reached the front gate," Dieter started.
"Interestingly enough, they've ceased their assault. Either way that gate is made of a special alloy, so breaking through it would be quite the feat," Mariabell continued.
Lloyd nodded. "I see... Odds are, they've figured out that we're laying low in here."
The door then opened, and Randy and Tio went inside the room.
"Sorry, we're late."
"Did I hear that right? The CGF's hunkered down by the front gate?" Randy asked for confirmation.
"Yeah, they aren't doing anything, though..." Lloyd confirmed Randy's question. If they weren't doing anything, there must be a reason why they did it.
Dieter's phone rang, and everyone turned their attention to him.
"It's me. What? Huh? Hmm... What did you just say?"
Lloyd sucked his breath. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good.
"It seems that the CGF members around the gate are up to something. They're supposedly installing some cylinder-shaped devices near the gate," Dieter told everybody in the room.
"Don't tell me..." Tio gasped when she heard the shape of the device.
"Directional orbal bombs!?" Randy finished.
"Wh-what?" Lloyd asked his colleague. This was something he was unfamiliar with.
"It's a type of orbal bomb used in the military for sabotage operations!" Randy answered. No wonder he knew of the bombs.
"It pains me to state this, but I am unsure your special alloy gate will be able to withstand the explosion," Tio said to Dieter with a shake of the head.
"No way..." Elie looked concerned at Tio and Randy's admission.
"For a bunch of puppets being manipulated, they're fairly intelligent," Mariabell scoffed.
Lloyd looked at the others for a second before he spoke.
"Well, I guess we have no other choice. It's time, Randy. Let's head out."
Randy smirked. "You read my mind... We're outta options at this point."
"Lloyd?!"
"Are you two trying to get yourselves killed?"
Both Dieter and Mariabell asked in surprise. But Lloyd just shook his head. It wasn't in his intention to just give up and sacrifice himself like that.
"Not in the slightest. We're going to disarm that orbal bomb."
"Well, we're probably gonna have a few scuffles at this rate, but you can ignore that part," Randy laughed.
As the two were about to move, Elie called out to them.
"You weren't planning on leaving us behind, were you?"
"It is our duty as fellow SSS members to fight with you," Tio let out a smile as the SSS was united in their goal.
"Yeah, of course... We'll be counting on your support!"
"Elie, Tio..."
"It's just a part of the job, Bell," Elie smiled at her childhood friend. "No need to worry.''
"Rest assured, we have no intention of dying here. Be it the CPD, or Deputy Commander Baelz's squad... We'll hold the line until reinforcements arrive!" Lloyd gave his last reassurance to the Croises.
"We've got the home turf advantage, too. We can handle this," Randy punched the air in excitement.
Dieter looked at the four SSS members before he sighed. "Very well, then. May Aidios' protection be your shield, and please, be careful!"
The four SSS members, plus Mariabell, left Dieter's office. As they passed Mariabell's room, the door was opened, and the still sleepy KeA rubbed her eyes.
"Where are you guys going?"
The green-haired girl questioned.
"KeA..." Lloyd was startled by her appearance. Thankfully, Randy was quicker on the uptake.
"Haha... Nothin' to worry about, KeDo. Just a lil' job we gotta take care of."
Unfortunately, KeA was one sharp kid. Instead of believing them, she just looked at Lloyd and Elie in the eyes.
"Can I come with you, then?" She said with a smile.
"W-Well..."
"How do we put this?"
Both Tio and Elie sent worried looks to Lloyd. Lloyd sighed. He didn't want to use this card, but they were racing against time.
"Sorry, KeA. But it's about time for you to head to bed, right?" Lloyd turned to Mariabell. With a slight hesitation, he spoke to the conglomerate daughter. "Mariabell, can we leave her with you?"
Mariabell nodded with a smile. "Of course. I'll see to it. How about I make you some cocoa? It'll warm you right up, and then it's nighty-night."
After that, Lloyd and the others quickly run towards the elevator.
Inside the elevator, the four of them reflected on what they were about to face.
"We have to protect KeA. It's our duty," Elie tried to psych them up.
"Agreed!"
"I think now's a good time to remind you that the CGF are elite combatants. Drugs or not, these guys know what the hell they're doin'," Randy interjected, trying to ground everyone's expectations. "In other words, this battle's gonna be unlike any other we've faced before."
Lloyd looked at each of them in the eyes. Elie's eyes held no more doubt. Tio's eyes were not focused on her pain anymore. And Randy's... there was no uncertainty in there. All of them were ready.
They had really come a long way since they first met.
And so, with a smile, Lloyd gave his words.
"Our time together has led to this very moment. It all comes down to teamwork now. Our first objective is to disarm the bombs. Next, we'll prevent the soldiers from breaching the gates. May the Goddess watch over us! Keep your wits about you, everyone!"
"Roger!"
"Understood!"
"It's showtime!"
The four of them rushed out as the gate was opened. Two CGF soldiers were standing there near the bomb.
"As if I'd let you!" Lloyd shouted as they quickly entered a battle. "Buy me time!"
"Come on!" Randy threw a grenade and blinded them.
Lloyd and Tio used the time to prep themselves. Lloyd focused all the energy inside him and brought it out with a shout.
"Haaaaaaaa!"
Meanwhile, Tio was preparing an Orbal Art targeting the two of them.
Seeing the two finished preparing, Elie aimed her gun at them and used her craft. "Strike Bell!"
Time was accelerated. Tio fired Dark Matter at the two, sucking them together into one place. As the Arts subsided, Lloyd was already between them. He adjusted his tonfa and whirled around.
"Axle Rush!"
The two CGF soldiers fell unconscious as Lloyd finished moving.
"We've done, Mr. Guillaume; quick, defuse the bomb!" Elie signaled to Guillaume and the IBC security guards who hid behind them, motioning them to come for the bomb.
"Leave it to us, Miss," Guillaume said with a smile as they dragged the bomb inside.
"The next wave is coming. Prepare yourself!"
The SSS held ground in front of the gate as three new CGF soldiers ran towards them.
Seeing the three grouped up, Lloyd quickly went into a stance and unleashed a Brave Smash, stopping the three in their track.
"Good job, Lloyd," Randy said before he leaped and smashed the ground, sending the three up into the air.
"Cross Mirage!" Elie shot at the three of them from her place, sending them to the ground just in time for Tio's Arts to finish being cast.
"Ice Hammer!" A gigantic icicle appeared out of thin air to smash the three CGF soldiers from above.
Seeing as the three of them didn't even twitch after the last attack, Randy went back to formation. "Great job, guys."
However, their cheers were short-lived as another batch ran towards them. This time, it was four soldiers being sent in the batch.
"Tch, they're endless."
"We have to hold on!"
"Here they come!"
As if learning from the previous group, this group did not run in a formation. Rather, they spread out to not be taken quickly by the SSS like before.
Lloyd quickly assessed the situation and took command. "Elie, Tio. Prepare your Arts! Come on, Randy!"
"Right behind you, Lloyd."
Lloyd took the attention of one of them and corralled him to another one. The other two were handled by Randy. With each of them handling two, it would make it easier for Tio and Elie to focus on their attack.
He attacked one of them before he realized that the aftereffect of Burning Heart was coming. "Damn!"
Lloyd fell to his knees.
From the other side, Randy looked on as he heard Lloyd's shout of profanities. "Lloyd!"
But he couldn't get distracted. "Take this!" He focused his energy and unleashed a Salamander, burning the two soldiers he was facing.
Feeling a little faint, Lloyd could do nothing as the two soldiers rained their attacks upon him. Thankfully, he only had to endure for around ten seconds because by then, Elie's Aerial summoned a tornado and flew them away from him. At around the same time, Tio's Hydro Cannon blasted the two enemies Randy was fighting away, too.
Randy quickly went and finished the two soldiers as Elie moved and casted Recuria on Lloyd.
"Thanks, Elie," Lloyd took Elie's offered hand and stood up. "Sorry, Everyone. I forgot to use Burning Heart again before the time runs out."
"Nah, it's okay. Let Tio heal you," Randy replied as the three walked back to the front of the gate.
As Tio cast Teara to heal Lloyd's injuries. Two figures watched them from the top of a building.
"They seem to be having fun," one of the figures, which turned out to be Cao, remarked with a smirk on his face. "Judging by Yin's report, I assumed they would be slowly beaten back, but look there. They actually seem to be holding their own. They ARE full of surprises, aren't they?"
"Master Cao... They may be succeeding for the moment, but endurance can only last for so long," Cao's assistant observed the SSS.
"Your point? If they die here, all it means is that this was all they could amount to. Their hope and potential would die with them," Cao calmly remarked as the next wave of soldiers finally arrived. "Ah, look. The next challengers approach."
This time, it was a group of five soldiers. Lloyd gritted his teeth.
"Let's go, Elie!"
The two fell into a step as the five enemies charged against them. "Lloyd, please!"
"Leave it to me, Elie. Haaaaaaaaa!"
Lloyd ran towards the five soldiers and unleashed a barrage of attacks that couldn't be blocked. After he was done, he leaped back to Elie's side as the two looked on.
"Star Blast!"
The two declared in union as Lloyd rushed for one last attack, followed by a blast from Elie's Orbal Gun.
"Good grief. The two are having fun on their own," Randy remarked with a sigh as he saw the two in action, easily defeating five soldiers on their own.
On top of another building, Grace looked down at the situation with not a single trace of amusement.
"Umm... Grace, what the heck is going on here?!" Her junior Reins asked in a panic.
"Shut up and keep shooting!" Grace raised her voice. Honestly, Reins was too green sometimes. " Our only way of fighting the good fight is with the pen and camera, okay? So stay with me!"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Grace sighed. "Don't worry, guys... I'm gonna make this the best damn article this city's ever seen. So don't go dying on me now! There's no point in telling everyone your heroism if you don't make it through this."
The next wave of CGF soldiers came.
Lloyd heard Randy suck his breath and followed his sight. One of the soldiers was a blonde female. Wait, wasn't that...?
Lloyd shook his head to regain his focus.
"Let's go, everyone!"
Randy fired another Crash Bomb and blinded their enemies, muttering something along the lines of 'Sorry, Mireille.' Once they were blinded, Lloyd did another Axle Rush followed by Tio's Absolute Zero, freezing the enemies. It bought enough time for Elie's Spark Dyne to finish being cast.
Two of them fell down, three remaining. Lloyd turned his attention to them but Randy was faster.
"Haaaaaa!"
He jumped into the air and smashed the other two soldiers, sending them into unconsciousness. One left.
"Sorry, Lloyd. Can you leave her to me?"
Lloyd smiled.
Elie used Strike Bell to accelerate Randy, and he gently used his axe to send Mireille into dreamland.
Panting in exhaustion, the four of them went into formation again. Elie struck up a conversation with Randy. "That was Warrant Officer Mireille, wasn't it?"
"Yeah... Damn it. What the hell is this bullshit!?" Randy shouted as he used War Cry, the signature strengthening move of Jaeger all around Zemuria, to rejuvenate himself.
From a safe distance behind a tree, the red-haired figure of Lechter Arundel grinned.
"Boy, oh, boy. They're having a tough time. At this rate, everything really might go according to Old Man Giliath's plan. Well, time to see how they'll respond."
He noticed the next batch of soldiers running towards the IBC.
"Aaaaand, it would look like this next sortie will be our final act. Break a leg, guys."
Tio and Elie gulped when they saw it was a group of ten at once. They were on their last breath, and they still had to fight ten at once?
"It's not the end!" Lloyd declared. "Let's go, everyone!"
And yet.
And yet.
Despite the speech from Lloyd, reality sunk in. They weren't enough.
The four of them were on the ground; they could only fall four of the ten soldiers. The remaining six stood menacingly in front of them.
"Limit reached..." Tio panted.
"Damn it. There's no end to 'em..." Randy cursed.
"To fall in a place like this?" Elie couldn't accept the reality they were faced with.
"Is that all? Well, I suppose you did put up an admirable fight," a voice greeted them from behind the soldiers. They parted to give way to the speaker, showing another CGF soldier.
"Loggins? What the hell, man?! Why are you-"
"No," Lloyd cut Randy off. "It's not your coworker."
"Then..."
"It's Joachim Guenter."
"Correct, Bannings. Haha, It seems as though you've read my invitation. How delightful."
"You've got some nerve, pal," Randy growled.
"What are you planning? It's like you want Crossbell to plunge into chaos! And for what?!" Elie questioned the doctor.
"Why did you kidnap Juna!?"
"Oh? If you wish to know that, I must insist that you become my comrades," Joachim said calmly. "Come, take a bit of Gnosis. You would gain access to everything I know, of course."
"Stop it! Stop making light of what you have done!" Tio shouted in anger. It was personal for her. "Y-You are nothing but a monster. A beast that does nothing but commit atrocities!"
"A beast, am I? Now, Tio, it would be unfair to pin the actions of every lodge on me," Joachim chuckled. "Then again, I DID collect all of the experimental data on our Gnosis prototype. And with that, I was finally able to perfect it in this ancient and holy land... Oh, yes! All is according to fate!"
Lloyd took note of the wording. Ancient and holy land...
"You're insane!" Elie said towards the doctor.
"Yeah. The hell are you on about?" Randy grumbled.
"Hahaha... It is none of my concern whether or not fools who've yet to reach Wisdom can comprehend my actions. Now, I have one simple demand," Joachim glared at them. "Return our Lady KeA to us."
"B-but why?"
"Lady KeA?"
Elie and Tio questioned.
So KeA was indeed important for Crossbell... Lloyd grimaced. Juna's prediction was once again confirmed by the enemy himself. "Absolutely not. I don't know what you wanted to do with her, but I made a promise to protect her with everything I have!"
"Oh, do not misunderstand. Lady KeA is our Divine Child... That you happened to stumble upon her is nothing more than happenstance. I am just restoring her to her rightful place," Joachim explained.
However, Lloyd noticed a peculiar wording in his words. "A happenstance, you say? So you losing her in the first place was also a happenstance, huh?" He tried to probe with the assumption they had.
Joachim went silent.
"That's right. Juna's words..."
Elie, please don't bring that name up right now! Lloyd pleaded. He quickly tried to shift Joachim's attention.
"We know whoever put KeA in the Schwarze Auction would come back for her. But honestly, we're not sure you are the one releasing her there in the first place. Insisting on treating KeA wasn't strange when we didn't know the context. But now, with all the context laid bare, it was strange. Why did you want to take her back one week after KeA was released? There is only one answer. Another party took her off your hands in the first place. And we'll protect KeA whether it's from you or them!"
Joachim frowned. "Now, now. That's quite the allegation. Nevertheless, I'm asking your cooperation again to return Lady KeA to our hand."
"Our answer won't change," Lloyd declared. "Joachim Guenter. We will protect KeA!"
"That's a shame. Hmmm... how about we trade? As you know, I have Juna with me, and you don't know where I kept her. If you release KeA, I promise to safely release Juna Crawford to you guys. A girl for a girl."
Lloyd shook his head. "Juna wouldn't want that."
Joachim looked at the steel in Lloyd's eyes before he let out a small laugh.
"W-Why are you laughing?" Elie demanded.
"'Juna wouldn't want that,' he says as if he knows her condition." Joachim continued laughing. "How ironic. Where do you think I got the knowledge about Juna to decide to wipe her off the board in the first place?"
...
Lloyd bit his lip. It was the thing that he still didn't have the answer to when the information about being kidnapped was confirmed. Who tipped him about Juna? She never outright showed her ability near Joachim. It was only disseminated in a small circle of friends between the Bracer Guild and the CPD: Estelle, Joshua, the SSS, Chief Sergei, and Dudley. Renne suspected things, but she was Joachim's enemy.
"That's..." Elie trailed off.
"That's right," Joachim grinned wickedly through the soldier he commanded. "It was the two of you, Lloyd Bannings and Elie MacDowell! You two gave me clues about Juna!"
Lloyd froze. When!? He looked back at his interaction with Joachim. He had never talked about Juna near him! Lloyd gasped when he realized one moment he had lowered his guard. "Don't tell me-"
"-My question to Lloyd outside of your room!"
"Indeed," Joachim laughed. The sound of his laugh honestly made Lloyd want to puke. "Thanks to you, I had an easier time getting to this point."
"W-What have I done? Juna..."
Elie fell to the ground in despair. Lloyd was nearly the same. But he remained strong. Maybe Juna's kidnapping was his responsibility, but that didn't mean he could abandon KeA right here, right now.
"So, what do you think of a trade? Lady KeA for Juna."
With a heavy heart, Lloyd shook his head. "I'm sorry, Juna is important, but in her own words, KeA is even more important. Stand up, Elie. We might have made a careless mistake, but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down."
Elie blinked before nodding, wiping tears off her face. "R-Right!"
"A shame. So our negotiations have fallen short, then? If so, I'm more than happy to step over your corpses on my way to retrieve my lady."
Everyone prepared themselves for a confrontation.
"Now, then...prepare to die."
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
Spoiler
The child-like voice of KeA rang, and her small body ran with all her might to the SSS. She spread her arms and glared at the mind-controlled CGF soldier.
"Oh, Lady KeA...!"
"Don't hurt them! If you do...I'll never forgive you!"
She stared at Joachim with fire in her eyes.
"KeA, get back inside!"
"We're fine, KeDo! J-Just head back inside like a good girl, okay?"
But KeA ignored Elie and Randy.
"I've come to usher you home, Lady KeA. I beseech you. Forget this foolishness and return to your rightful place. Though you may not understand your role in this yet, you remain our beloved-"
"Shut up! I don't care!" Joachim's words were cut off by the green-haired girl, who began glowing with white light. "Just promise me! P-Promise me you won't do bad things to them or Big Sis Juna anymore!"
Everyone looked at KeA in shock at her words but, more importantly, at her glowing appearance. Lloyd was reminded of the fact that he heard KeA's voice before she awakened.
Right now, she looked so mystical.
"KeA..."
"Heh... Hahahaha...! Worthy! You, my lady, are most worthy of being our Divine Child!" Joachim laughed in satisfaction. "Very well. If you come with me, my comrades will stay their hand, and I will personally send Juna Crawford to the SSS safe and sound."
"You mean it? You won't do anything bad?" KeA questioned the doctor.
"I swear it," Joachim nodded gently. "Now, come this way."
Lloyd couldn't do nothing! He had to act!
"No!" He moved and ushered KeA behind him, protecting her from Joachim.
"Lloyd..."
"No! Listen to me, KeA! You're afraid of the dark, right? If you leave us, won't you be lonely? I'm begging you, don't listen to a word he says! He's tricking you!" He shouted desperately. He couldn't allow KeA to go. KeA was...
His mind flashed onto the moments he held dear in his memories. How KeA wanted to sleep together with him because she was afraid. How they cooked dinner together and had fun eating with all the SSS, Chief Sergei, and Zeit. How Elie taught KeA about normal girls' common sense. How Juna played around with KeA. All of them were his precious memories with KeA. He wouldn't allow her to be taken away!
"B-But, I don't have any memories. I don't even know who I am. If I'm just a burden to you... why would you want me to stay?" KeA herself sounded so lost and desperate. So Lloyd kneeled down and grasped her shoulder.
"You've never been a burden to any of us." Slowly, unconsciously, Lloyd felt his tears falling down from his eyes. "I want... No, we ALL want you to stay by our side for as long as you can!"
"Huh?" KeA asked in confusion.
Behind them, Lloyd felt that everyone moved one step closer to KeA.
"While all of us were watching over you, we found the meaning that each of us had been seeking. It's because you came into our lives that we were able to grow into the people we truly need to be," Elie finished with a smile on her face.
"Yes," Tio agreed with her teammate. "For a long time, I've struggled to understand why I still live... what my purpose is... But now I feel like I can do anything if it's to protect you, KeA!"
"That's why, KeDo... That's why you shouldn't sweat about the small stuff like this," Randy grinned at the little girl, ruffling her hair. "All we want is for you to grow up happy and to keep that goofy, carefree smile on full blast. 'Cause that smile gives us the strength to push forward! To overcome the struggles we face!"
"Elie... Tio, Randy..." KeA was clearly holding back her tears.
"Grrrr..." Zeit growled from the side.
"And Zeit, too..."
"Remember what Juna said, KeA. Your memories will one day come back to you when the time is right. It's not a burden. So, believe me when I say that you don't need to listen to his words. That's why, KeA... don't leave us."
"Lloyd...!"
KeA then closed her eyes and nodded as the glow around her body receded. "...Okay. I'll stay with you."
Lloyd wiped a tear with his arms. "I see..."
"KeA..." Elie smiled.
Unfortunately, their moment was interrupted by Joachim.
"Heh heh... HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He clapped sarcastically.
"Well done! Tricking our Divine Child with those meaningless gestures... I can now see that entrusting her to you was quite a blunder on my part! Special Support Section! Prepare yourselves to suffer a slow, painful death!"
Lloyd glared at the man. "We already know you lost her. Why do you still insist on painting everything under your control?"
Joachim ignored him and commanded the soldiers under his control to move.
"Stand back, KeA!" Lloyd shouted as the other SSS member made a wall to protect KeA from the doctor.
This was it. With the SSS still tired from the chain of fights, this could potentially be the last stand. Even if they fell here, they had to at least protect her for one last time from the cult's clutch.
All of them prepared their weapon. Even when no words were exchanged, they all knew of the possibility of this being the last time they could do it. Nevertheless, none of them backed down. Not Tio, who still had a bright future with her brilliant mind. Not Elie, who definitely could run for mayor in twenty years. Not Randy, who had experienced so many kinds of battlefields.
Lloyd silently asked them to bet their future with him, and everyone joined him.
He couldn't ask for better teammates, Lloyd quietly mused as he smiled.
"We've gotta at least get KeDo inside the gate!" Randy stated their mission.
"That won't be necessary."
Before the four of them could even move an inch, a strong, deep voice interrupted.
"What?!" Joachim exclaimed in surprise as the Divine Blade of Wind stood alone on the way to the IBC building.
Joachim commanded the soldiers to face him, but with a single glare, Arios' hand went towards the sword in his hip and went into a stance.
"Eight Leaves One Blade. Second form: Gale!"
Like a gale itself, Arios swept all the soldiers in his way and placed himself between the SSS and Joachim.
"Strike!"
With a swipe of his sword, he sent the remaining soldiers flying away, leaving only the one possessed by Joachim kneeling on the ground.
"Arios!" Lloyd declared, hope blooming in his heart.
"Man, what a great timing!" Randy grinned, seeing the Divine Blade of Wind in front of them.
"Did you plan that?" Tio asked flatly.
Arios just shook his head with amusement. "Haha. I don't intend for such a dramatic entrance. And I didn't come alone, either."
Arios gestured for the SSS to look down at the entrance to the Harbor District. Two figures were running and shooting some soldiers.
"Damn! He beat us to the punch again!" Dudley grumbled as he fixed his glasses.
"Phew. Apologies, Dudley. Age is starting to catch up with me, I'm afraid," Sergei replied between his panting.
"It's the chief!" KeA exclaimed happily.
"And Detective Dudley, too!"
The two then ran towards the IBC gate and cocked their weapon on the soldier possessed by Joachim.
"I-Impossible..."
"Haha... man, what an entrance," Randy casually greeted Sergei and Dudley.
"You two are safe! Thank the Goddess!" Elie sniffled.
"Good thing we ran into Arios when we did. Luck must be on our side today," Sergei commented.
"True. We managed just fine...with a bit of unexpected assistance, of course."
"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked before his ears picked up the noises coming from the Harbor District. "...Oh, I see now."
"Reinforcements!"
Wald and Wazy, the two leaders of the Downtown gangs, Saber Viper and Testaments. They stood together as they faced a new squadron of mind-controlled CGF soldiers. Soon, the entire body of the gang got involved in the fight, driving the soldiers back off from the IBC.
"Well, would you look at that. Not too bad for fightin' professional soldiers, eh?" Randy remarked at how easily they matched the drugged soldiers despite just being a gang.
"Unbelievable... How is this possible? It's just a group of measly delinquents!" Joachim shouted in anger.
Suddenly, Lloyd's Enigma rang, and he quickly took the call.
"That must mean that they were able to fix our communication systems!"
"This is the Special Suppo-"
"Th-Thank goodness! Lloyd, you're alive! Ever since I heard that the Guardian Force was after you, I've been in the dark!"
Fran's voice cut his words. Lloyd couldn't help but smile at the obvious worry in her words.
"Fran? So you're safe, too!"
"Yes! We've begun the counterattack! Also, the guild managed to patch up the communications terminal that was taken down during the chaos. Albeit limited, orbal communications are back online!"
"I see..."
"Hah! And who, pray tell, do you think was behind supplying them with the necessary technical information?"
This time, a different voice could be heard coming from the Enigma.
"Jona!"
"From now on, call me Jona the Genius! I've already restored the orbal network, too, with a little bit of help from the IBC. Don't let my hard work go to waste now!"
"Haha, we owe you!"
"Officers should be en route, so hold on for just a bit longer! I'm going to try to contact my sister and the guards at Tangram Gate, okay? Please be careful!" Fran retook the phone.
"Yeah! Remember, only losers die!"
But of course, Jona couldn't resist having the last words.
"I-Impossible..." Joachim still couldn't believe what was happening. What should have been an easy night to topple Crossbell had become a nightmare for him.
"So, the pieces finally slide into place," Arios declared as he unsheathed his tachi and leveled it to the soldier controlled by Joachim. "Joachim Guenter, high priest of D∴G Cult. Do you still intend on pursuing this folly?"
"Heheh. Folly, is it?" Joachim glared at Arios. "My force, including those morons in the mafia, is almost 1,000 strong. Our stamina is inexhaustible, and we have no need for sleep. I can play the waiting game. After annihilating those in our way, the Divine Child will be ours. Hahaha! Please, look forward to what awaits!"
A malevolent purple light came out of the soldier's body before he lost consciousness. There was no trace of Joachim inside the soldier anymore.
"He passed out?"
"T-That now was..."
"Well, it would seem that Joachim is able to control them from a remote location. And to make matters worse, it very well may be a considerable distance away," Tio observed.
"Could he be manipulating the Guardian Force in full from the Sun Fort, then?" Elie wondered aloud.
"So Estelle and Joshua have told you what they found?" Arios sheathed his sword again and joined the conversation.
The four SSS members looked at Arios in confusion.
"Moments ago, Estelle and Joshua uncovered the cult's lodge. It lies to the northeast of the Ancient Battlefield. Traces of the missing people have been found, as well, indicating that they're being held inside. They were investigating possible entry points last time I spoke to them."
"Ah... no. We took a look at the situation and assessed several possible bases for the cult. It took time, but we concluded that the only possible place is the Sun Fort," Lloyd explained.
"How..." Arios looked surprised at Lloyd's admission.
Randy grinned and patted Lloyd on the shoulder. "This guy deduced things from nothing like Juna always did."
"Speaking of Juna, Arios. I'm sorry that our action led to her kidnapping," Elie sighed.
Arios shook his head. "It's fine. I trained her, so I knew that she didn't go down easily. Even you were overwhelmed by the cult, right?"
The four of them nodded.
"We've uncovered so much of the incident just from clues left by Juna from a few weeks ago," Lloyd admitted. "And just as we're at the height of the incident, Juna is taken away, so she couldn't confirm things for us. Dr. Guenter is smart."
Tio frowned. "I just hoped he hadn't done any experiment on her."
Everyone turned their attention to Tio's statement. That was right. Joachim could've drugged Juna with Gnosis!
"Let's go take that son of a bitch down and save Juna!"
"It's not that simple, Orlando. Supposedly, East Crossbell Highway has been secured by a force the size of an army. And it seems to consist primarily of the mafia," Dudley interjected, bringing the mood down.
"Either way, we're stretched thin. It'd be crazy to recklessly charge into a fight against a guy we don't really know anything about. I don't know. If we had a car, we might be able to break their line somehow, but it's a fat chance. Most of our police cars were stolen by guards under his influence," Sergei concluded.
"Perhaps I can be of some assistance," Dieter approached them with Mariabell in tow.
"Looks like you guys had fun. But, KeA, dear. I was worried sick about you! Don't do anything rash like that again, okay?" Mariabell gave a smile to KeA, who only looked at the ground in shame.
"S-Sorry."
Sergei introduced himself to Dieter. "Nice to meet you. I'm Sergei Lou, Chief of the Special Support Section. So, tell me about this assistance of yours."
He quickly went to the heart of the matter.
"Well, there's a limousine in the garage. Considering it's bulletproof and as fast as an airship, I believe it would make the ideal bulldozer," Dieter revealed to the two senior officers.
"Ho..."
"That's perfect!"
Sergei and Dudley grinned at the revelation. With this, they had a way to go through the east highway.
"If that's our strategy, we need to decide on who will actually be on board. We also need people to defend this place, too," Arios interjected. He then turned towards the SSS. "I assume you'll want a chance to save Juna and capture Joachim Guenter?"
Lloyd nodded. "If it isn't a trouble. Joachim wants KeA. So it's better for you to guard her. I'm sorry, Arios. I know you want to save Juna..."
Arios looked at each of them in the eye. Lloyd felt like he was being assessed by the senior Bracer.
"Yes. However, I see your resolve. You feel responsible for Juna's kidnapping. Very well, I'll entrust her safety to you, SSS."
And thus, a decision was made. Sergei would drive the car with the SSS inside. They would go to the Ancient Battlefield, meet up with Estelle and Joshua, and raid the base, saving Juna and the other people. Of course, their main target was Joachim himself.
A/N: WE'RE HERE! This is my absolute favorite part in Zero, and I hope I did it justice. Holy shit, this is just so amazing the first time I played it. At first, I wanted to skip the fight entirely but might as well write a small section about it. Of course, I don't forget about one of the best OST in all Trails series, Inevitable Struggle. Anyway, yes, the 'That won't be necessary' part is canon. There's nothing else I have to say other than buckle up, I guess. We're reaching the finale of Zero.