Sometime after his conversation with Canard Pars, Kira is still in his cell bars and currently just resting on his bed. The young man is still being told to wait and remain in the Dungeon for almost three to four days.
Now it's almost midnight and Kira is feeling rather bored of just taking a nap now and then.
"I wonder…" Kira spoke before he yawns for a moment and then sighs. "just how long will I still need to be here?"
As Kira is pondering about that, he hears some footsteps from the Dungeon's entrance.
Kira glance to the door and sees Lacus coming in with the company of two soldiers and the prison guard. The princess not wearing her cloak but her princess attire.
"Lacus.." Kira gets off his bed as he watches the guard unlock the cell door and allowed him to come out and face the princess. "what's going on?"
"I'll explain on the way out." Lacus said while holding Kira's right hand. "let's go."
"r-right.." Kira nods before he was led out of the Dungeon with Lacus and the soldiers accompanying them.
Now out of his prison cell, Kira and Lacus are walking in a hallway as they are heading somewhere.
"Lacus, what's going on?" Kira asks. "am I freed because of…"
"I and Hachi have completed collecting the evidence needed to arrest Frampton and free you from prison, but something has occurred." Lacus replied as she glanced at Kira. "Something very terrible."
"something very terrible?" Kira spoke in confusion. "what does that…"
Kira was cut off short as he and Lacus arrives to a large door at the end of the hallway which is guarded by several soldiers. The door was soon opened and inside is a small conference room filled with nobles where amongst them are Vince, and Bernard and along with them is the King and Queen of Holfort Kingdom.
"You seem in good health, Count Bartfort." Vince spoke when Kira and Lacus entered and came near the conference table.
"Yes…" Kira nods before he looks around. "What is currently happening here?"
"we're having a meeting regarding the movement of the Fanoss' forces that are on their way here." Bernard explained while wiping away some sweat on his face with a handkerchief in hand. "we've sent nearly 5% of our military fleet to intercept, but…"
"they were all but destroyed." Mylene stated in while closing her eyes. "only a small number returned."
"The opponent's fleet numbers at around one hundred and fifty ships." Vince spoke while holding up a piece of paper which is the report by the surviving military forces. "It is unclear how many units of armor there are. Reports say that there are countless monsters leading the front. Their numbers shrouded the sky." He then place the paper down and looks at Kira. "but the most prominent thing about their forces would be the one Armor we now fear more than the Black Knight."
"I believe the Count knows about this Armor considering that he fought it in a battle of death, correct?" Roland spoke and it took Kira a moment to realize what Armor he is talking about.
'The Hyperion..' Kira thought back on the Gundam and its pilot who appeared in the back of his mind.
"Her Highness Hertrude and the magic flute are still with the kingdom." Vince spoke while scratching his chin. "The principality must have had another flute. We suspect that this is the work of the second princess."
"Second princess?" Kira said. "do you mean Hertrude's younger sister; Hetrauda Sera Fanoss?"
"Indeed." Vince nods.
"In addition. Other countries aside from the principality are making a move as well." Roland spoke while crossing his arms on his chest. "There have also been relief requests from forces and feudal lords near the national border." He closed his eyes. "We're being attacked from all sides."
"The local troops are unable to handle the situation." Bernard spoke out while adjusting the collar of his uniform. "Reinforcements are unlikely."
"Doesn't the Capital City possess some fighting capability?" Kira asks. "if you gather the troops, your military force should increase and.."
"Something occurred a couple of days ago." Mylene interjected. "The temple requested for cooperation, and as a result of the negotiations, the kingdom's troops were dispatched for reinforcement. Three hundred ships were sent." She then looks down. "and nearly all of them were destroyed by that one Armor.
some time ago, at school. when Julius and the others were attempting to free Kira, Marie is in her private room having tea before she was visited by the temple priests.
"Marie-sama, the time has come to show your power as the saint." The commander of the temple's knights spoke as he bowed to Marie who is looking all smug and proud.
"I suppose I have to~." Marie spoke as she felt so high and mighty.
That was her first feeling when she is getting praised as the Saint, but when she was given the Saint Items and brought to an Airship going to war, it all changed her behavior when she saw the large number of Fanoss Airships coming their way.
"eh? Uh? What's going on?" Marie asks while having cold sweat covering her whole face. "I never heard about this!"
The situation was extremely confusing for her who is dressed as the Saint and is on the commanding airship of the Holfort Kingdom's major fleet that has been sent to intercept the enemy's fleet.
Before she could complain any further, the monster from Fanoss forces came and attack. The monsters screeched and screamed so terrifyingly that Marie screamed while raising her cane.
"Stay awaaaay!" Marie screamed and the cane lit up in deploying a large spherical shield that covered the fleet and when the monster came and hit the shield, it turned into ashes in an instant.
"That's the saint's power!" "We can win. Victory is ours!" "Move the ships forward! Use this momentum to push back the principality's fleet!" the temple knights and priests started to celebrate in victory upon seeing Marie's power as the Saint.
With a stiff smile, Marie was relieved that she could erase the monsters with her own ability.
'W-Well, I can do this just fine. I was a bit worried at first though.' Marie thought. 'looks like I don't need Olivia nor Julius and the others for this part of the game. I can win it with my own skills!' she smirks while raising her cane up. "Right! This is child's play! I am the saint! There's no way that I would be thrown down with just this!"
Upon the Principality's commanding airship, Hetrauda looks upon the sight of the enemy's commanding ship which had Marie leading it.
"so that is the Saint's power." Hetrauda spoke while holding up her magic flute. "but it won't matter. For as long as our forces don't dwindle and the magic flute in my hand."
"Princess, we have reached the kingdom's mainland." A noble told the princess "We've made some deviations from the plan, but there are no issues."
"I see." Hetrauda nods before she looks at her magic flute, she took a deep breath and was about to place her mouth to the instrument but a hand to her head stopped her. "wha!?" she looks at who was hindering her and to her surprise it is Canard. "w-what are you doing!?"
"What do you think? My job." Canard said as he pulls his hand away and then started to adjust his gloves. "I know that your flute is different from your sister's, and I know that it has got a nasty curse for you in return for playing it." He takes the flute from Hetrauda and threw it to a maid who frantically catches it in time. "My job is to protect you and your sister. I can't do it if you play something that kills you."
"how dare you!? You're nothing but a bodyguard! Don't get in her highness' way!" a Fanoss noble shouted angrily at Canard. "we are about to destroy our hated enemies! Let the princess achieve our dream!"
"shut the fuck up." Canard said with a glare at the noble. "if you got a problem with how I do my job then make me, fucking pissant." He did a middle finger gesture. "piss off."
"w-why you!" the noble got angry and was about to do something, but Hetrauda stopped him by raising a hand.
"enough, our enemies are that of the Kingdom not each other." Hetrauda spoke to the nobles and her surrounding retainers before she looks at Canard. "so? if you are always going to stop me from using the magic flute, what do you suppose we should do to defeat our enemies?"
"leave that to me." Canard said as he turns and smirks a bit at the sight of Holfort's fleet. "and my Super Hyperion.
In the sky, the Holfort Fleet advances on the attack as they started to fire their cannons and launch out their Armors that began to attack the incoming monsters.
"all units! Advance!" one Holfort Armor made a command to other as the commanding officer in charge of a squadron. "take out those monsters and show those Fanoss Folks how we Kingdom roll!"
"sir, yes sir!" many soldier riding on Armors gave our their reply in unison before they go on the attack, but without any warning, rains of green energy beams came down upon them and took out several robots in one go. "aggghh!"
"w-what is going on!?" the commanding unit looks at the sky and gasps when he saw the Hyperion Gundam hovering in the air with its beam sub-machine gun pointed downwards. "that Armor is!?"
Within the Hyperion, Canard who wore his Pilot suit on, had a very excited smirking grin because his Gundam got upgraded.
"N-Jammer Canceller outfit stabilized for Hyperion's power core." Luxion spoke as the AI is with Canard in the cockpit. One screen showing the nuclear reactor within the Hyperion's chest unit and is releasing energy to every part of the Gundam. "Weapon systems at full charge." The AI then made a few beeping noises. "even after various calculations, it is amazing as to how such a compact built system could sustain the power of the Hyperion for almost an entire week with subsequent stops for cool down."
"now then….let's have a warm up game before the final fight." Canard said with a chuckle as his Hyperion's eyes flashes green.
"Captain! Enemy Armor on sight! It might be a commanding unit and-ahhh!" one soldier tried to report the Hyperion's appearance to his superior, but his Armor was struck down by the Hyperion that came dashing in and plunged one of its Romteknica, Beam Knife straight through its chest.
"a-attack!" Nearby soldiers saw the Hyperion and were preparing their Armors to fire their projectile weaponry at it, but the Gundam was faster as it flew up and then aims its beam sub-machine gun at them. "What the!?"
"die!" Canard shouted as his Gundam opened fire and rains of green energy beams came down upon the Holfort Soldiers' armor and they were all turned into cheese filled with lots of holes before they all exploded.
The chaos of the war ensued upon the sky, but it is all one sided as the Hyperion is single handedly dwindling the number of the Holfort's forces.
This scene was watched by the Fanoss Forces who were in awe to the might of the one Mobile suit that is destroying their enemy forces with such ease.
"a-amazing! This man is more than he could ever proclaim!" "we could've taken his Armor, but I doubt we could use it like he could!" "forget the monsters! this man is the monster itself!" the surrounding people chattered while watching Canard destroying any Holfort Airships and Armors that came near the Fanoss Forces.
Hetrauda watches as Canard pilots his Hyperion to quickly come and deploy its beam shield to protect the commanding airship from a volley of cannon balls and then flew away to counterattack.
"Canard…" Hetrauda whispers while having her hands clasped together to her chest.
"Raaaahh!" Canard roars out as his Gundam wields one of its beam knives that is charged at full power to become a beam sword which was swung down to cut an airship straight through its hull before causing it to explode. The pilot continued his assault as the Hyperion mounted out its Forfanterie Beam Cannon on the unit's shoulders before charging energy to unleashed to charged shots that went straight through several airships and nearby Armors which got destroyed in the process.
Explosions started to appear everywhere in the sky as the commanding Holfort airship which Marie is on sees the chaos.
"w-what's going on!?" Marie cried out. "Does these guys got some nasty monsters with them!?"
As Marie wondered what was going on, the Hyperion Gundam suddenly appears near her airship; the Mobile suit's eyes flashes green and seemingly stares down at her.
"i-iiigh~!" Marie squeaks as the Gundam stares at her before it turns to the side and then fired its beam weaponry at a squadron of Armors that were coming to attack it but got destroyed in the process. "w-what is that thing!?"
"M-Marie-sama! the shield! The shield!" the commanding officer shouted out to Marie who snapped out of her thought and quickly raises her cane to create a shield that blocks the Hyperion from coming near.
"ho? a shield like my Hyperion's Armure Lumiere?" Canard said while Luxion is analyzing the barrier.
"it would seem that it comprises of magic instead of the Armure Lumiere which consists of energy." Luxion spoke with the gears in its red lense turning several times. "this barrier is effective against the likes of Monsters, but against the Hyperion. It is nothing to be afraid of."
"Who said I'm afraid of it?" Canard said as his Hyperion mounted out its Forfanterie Beam Cannon and it started to charge energy to create lance shaped energy beams that spins rapidly. "it's them who should be afraid of me!"
"you can't get through my barrier! I'm the Saint and I'm!" Marie spoke with such pride before she saw the Hyperion's eyes flash green and its Forfanterie beam cannon fired its charged shots that made contact with her barrier which gets destroyed like it was glass in a big greenish white flash. "e-eh?"
The Hyperion's eyes flashes again as the Gundam aims its beam sub-machine gun and started to fire several shots on the ship's wings and back that caused several explosions and making Marie and the passengers all panic.
"Saint, the shield!" "Please defeat that monster with your power!" "Saint, your cane!' the surrounding people screams out to Marie as they just keep on doing it while the girl is already panicking.
"How am I supposed to defeat that?! I didn't know that I had to fight it. I never heard about fighting this at all!" Marie cries out as she drops to her knees while letting go of the Saint's Cane. "In the first place, I'm not the real saint!"
As the people around her were stunned, more of their ally airships got shot down and destroyed by the Hyperion that is now destroying another.
"r-retreat! Send a signal for retreat!" the commanding officer quickly shouted as his main instinct is to get everyone back alive.
Everyone started to do what they can to ensure that their ship won't sink as they run back and forth on their slowly sinking ship.
Marie is left on her own as she is now shaking and crying by herself.
"someone! Someone please help me!" Marie cries out.
Back to the present time, Kira looks baffled at Mylene who just explained the entire event in detail to him.
"it is quite the nightmarish scenario." Roland spoke with his eyes closed for a moment before he opens them to look at Kira. "a Single Armor that could devastate an entire fleet of the finest airships our kingdom have."
"It's no use trying to compete with numbers." Vince spoke while folding his hands on the table. "right now, the Fanoss Forces are still on the advance and without a doubt will soon arrive to our inner borders."
"How long will it take for them to arrive via airships?" Kira asks.
"If we go by estimation, probably 2-3 hours if they don't make any stops or whatsoever." Mylene stated.
"Count Bartfort, I'll ask you bluntly." Vince spoke with a serious look at Kira. "can you face these forces? With the aid of your Lost Items, can you win this war?"
"that's…" Kira spoke out before he got cut off when a sudden explosion followed with a powerful earthquake suddenly resounds. "t-this is!?"
"What is happening?!" Mylene exclaimed as everything in the room is shaking because of the earthquake which continues to resound with the explosions.
Bernard who had gotten off his seat, went to the nearby window and looks in surprise to the sight of a small fleet of 20 Fanoss Airships come flying into the kingdom's airzone while accompanied by Fanoss Armors and monsters.
"They have arrived!?" Bernard exclaimed in shock. "how is that possible!?"
"it must be a detached advance force!" Vince stated before he held onto the table as the earthquake continues to grow stronger from each explosion caused by the Fanoss forces attacking.
"Quickly! To battle!" Roland exclaimed to a few knights in the room who saluted before running off to do his command.
"to think that they advanced their forces like this." Mylene spoke as she hardens her gazes before she looks at Kira. "Count Bartfort, we need your help! We need.." she then stops talking when she realized that the young man is gone. "eh?"
"Where did he go?" Roland spoke before they saw a huge flashing explosion in the sky as they see that it came from several fanoss airships that were destroyed by rains of missiles. "that was?"
Everyone went near the glass window and in their sight appeared the Archangel that is soaring pass the castle and flying straight for the fleet.
"the Archangel…" Vince spoke as everyone witnesses the large ship armed with weaponry and now firing against the Fanoss Forces.
Lacus sees this battle, she held her hands together as she prayed for Kira to be safe in the battle.
The Archangel soars into the sky as the mobile assault airship flew straight for the Fanoss Forces which are now focusing their attack on it.
In the ship's hangar, the worker robots are on the move as they are preparing all five Gundam units on the catapult launch.
On the Strike, Kira had gone and called on Hachi to get the Archangel come out of hiding and straight to the kingdom in order to intercept the Fanoss Forces. The young man now in the mobile assault airship after getting a special ride on the Skygrasper that had been launched beforehand.
"Hachi, how are all the weaponry on the other mobile suits?" Kira asks while adjusting his pilot suit before taking his helmet and putting it on.
"loaded and ready." Hachi reported as the Strike's mobile systems activated and the Gundam begins to move and stands upon the catapult launcher where it begins to get outfitted with all Striker Packs. "I'm also preparing the Guurus for launch in order to support the Strike and the other mobile suit's fuel consumption."
"good." Kira nods as he pressed some buttons on a side console before flicking a few switches. "can you do a remote control on the Espadas and the Gladius units that we've manufactured on our island?"
"I can, but I won't be able to do much other than to give them simple commands." Hachi replied as the AI made one screen show several icons of the Gladius Armors turning from red to green. "they won't do much help in the fight."
"then proceed to give them this special command program." Kira said as he takes out a black micro disc that he inserts to a nearby micro disc port in his cockpit. "I made this during my time in the prison cell."
"a battle program that prioritize protection and evacuation of citizens." Hachi said as the AI read the content of the disc and begins to copy and distribute it to the Gladius and Espadas. "It is impressive that you could make such a complex programming in only a few days."
"I've already done something like this when I was still in school on the Heliopolis." Kira replied as he did some final systems check and looks at the main screen to see that the catapult launcher's door had opened and is ready to launch his Gundam. "Hachi, distribute the attack programs to the Blitz, Duel, Aegis, and Buster. the Strike along with those four will be the vanguard while the rest is for defense, got it?"
"Understood." Hachi said. "I shall also get the worker robots to help in the evacuation. Good luck in the fight."
"yeah." Kira said as he grabs the control sticks. "Kira Yamato, Strike; Launching!"
The Perfect Strike's eyes flashes yellow as its Phase Shift activated and the Gundam slightly bends forward before getting launched out.
The invasion from Fanoss has begun as their detached advance fleet has arrived and began to attack the kingdom but were soon intercepted by the Archangel that fired back against them.
"damnit! The nobles have taken control of that brat's Lost Items!" Garret is on board one of the airships as he is commanding the first invasion force against Holfort. The mustached man was planning to attack with all might but when he saw the Archangel coming out of the ocean and attacking his forces, he just made a very angry frustrated face. "get all units to attack that ship! Take out all your fury against that thing which humiliated me!"
"s-sir! It launched out Armors!" one soldier reported to Garret who takes out a small telescope and checks the Archangel to see it opening both Launch Bay doors and then catapulting the Strike and the other Gundams out. "they're coming for us!"
"darn it! just fire!" Garret shouted at his subordinates. "I doubt any of the kingdom's nobles can work those things well! Remember! that Armed Knight is no longer in this fight and therefore we have a chance of winning and destroying the kingdom!" he swung his arms out. "remember! we are the true ruler of this kingdom!"
"understood!" the soldiers responded in vigor as they started to relay the command for every Fanoss forces to fire at the Archangel and the Five Gundams.
What a mistake that they did.
The Five Gundams now riding on the sub-flight system known as Guuru which was unmanned yet armed 6-tube missile launcher. Kira in his Perfect Strike looks at the Fanoss Forces coming as he hardens his gaze and grips hold of his control rods which he moves forward and with a flash of yellow eyes, his Gundam holds out its beam rifle with its right hand while its left hand grabs and hold up the deployed Agni.
"Hachi. The Buster and Duel's weaponry, make preparations" Kira spoke out and Hachi let out a few beeps before getting the two mention Gundams to prepare their projectile weaponry in sequence.
"ready on your mark, Kira." Hachi spoke as Kira watches the Fanoss Forces just come closer and already firing their projectile weapons which either miss or just gets deflected from the Gundam's PS Armor.
When the group got closer to their target, Kira takes a deep breath and then said. "Fire." Before immediately pulling the trigger on one control rod which instantly activates the Perfect Strike's Firing mechanism.
The Perfect Strike fired its Igelstellung, Agni, beam rifle, and its combo weapon pod in sequence followed by the Duel Gundam equipped with its Assault Shroud Armor and the Buster Gundam. The blue gundam fires its own Igelstellung, 'Shiva' 115m railgun, 220mm 5-barrel Missile pod, and its High Energy Beam rifle while the green military Gundam fires both of its High energy rifle and Gun Launcher while also unleashing a rain of missiles from its 6-tube missile pods.
The rain of projectiles both metallic and energy beam rain down on the Fanoss forces as many of their Armors got turned into burned up Swiss cheese that begins to fall to the Kingdom's land.
This scene caused many of the Fanoss soldiers to panic, they watch many of their comrades getting shot down before they could even counterattack.
"G-Garret-sama! our forces!" a subordinate cried out to Garret who had his jaw dropped when he saw the utter destruction of his attacking forces.
"w-what? what is going on!?" Garret cried out in shock before he and many of his subordinates felt a huge bump on their airship which shook hard. "what now!?"
Garret wanted to know what hit them but when he saw a pair of flashing green eyes from the Aegis that appeared near their airship. The mustache man's entire appearance went white.
"eh?" Garret felt like he just soiled himself as the Aegis which had its beam rifle and shield stored on its skirt, flew up and deployed all four of its beam sabers from its forearms and feet before it spins and did a four slash strike against the Fanoss airship which got cut into four pieces.
"G-Garett-sama!" a subordinate cries out to Garret who is chuckling all sadly before he screams and cries.
"w-why is this happening to me!?" Garret cried out as his airship falls straight for the Kingdom's land which had many Gladius Armors and Espada airships ready to catch and allow the worker robots to arrest the survivors.
The destruction of Fanoss detached forces is underway as Kira and Hachi didn't let one airship stay in the air.
The Perfect Strike wields its Schwert Gehwer and flies pass the airship before cutting off the ship's mast then allows the Blitz to fire its Piercer lock 'Gleipnir' that flew and grabs a part of the airship's bottom hull and pulled out a good size chunk of its floating stones and cause it to start falling.
The Buster combined its High-energy rifle and Gun Launcher to make its Anti-Armor Shotgun that fired a single shot and completely destroyed a swarm of monster coming near it. the Duel followed suit with its kind as it unleashed a full salvo of its weaponry at a group of Fanoss Armors which got destroyed in an instant.
Lastly the Aegis turned into its mobile armor form and spread apart its four limbs to expose its 580mm Multi-phase Energy Cannon 'Scylla' and unleash a single charged shot which destroyed the bottom hull of several Fanoss Airships in one go and caused them to sink.
Rain of Fanoss airships and Armors came down upon Holfort Kingdom as the forces were all disposed of by Kira and Hachi alone.
Back in the royal castle of Holfort, Roland and Mylene along with the nobles in the room all in astonishment and also fear to see the destructive forces that one single large airship and five armors could create against the Fanoss Forces.
"Unbelievable." "is this what Malcom was afraid of?" "he was right to be afraid of that young man. Its terrifying." "can we really trust such a person to save us?" The nobles begin to converse with one another as they discussed on what to do after seeing such a scene.
"to think that he could defeat them in mere minutes…" Bernard spoke after gulping his throat a bit loudly. "just how much of a menace can that young man even be?"
"it all depends on whose side he is on, Bernard." Vince said while folding his hands behind his back. "that is all there is to it."
"I'm beginning to have doubts of our plan, Mylene." Roland spoke as he looks at the Archangel which is flying away while opening its launch bay doors to receive the Duel, Blitz, Aegis, and Buster back into the hangar. "after seeing how powerful his Lost Items are, I'm starting to doubt if we could really trust him."
"you don't know him like I do, Roland." Mylene spoke with a serious voice. "he may possess powerful weapons, but Count Bartfort possess a very kind timid soul that only wishes for one thing." He looks at her husband and then at the Archangel which is now flying straight for the ocean where it would be positioned on standby while the Perfect Strike came flying to the castle and then landing to the garden area where it deactivates its Phase Shift Armor and then opens its cockpit for Kira to come out. "he only wishes for peace and that is all he will ever wish for."
"Peace, huh?" Roland spoke as he glance at Mylene and then at Kira who gets down the perfect strike with the help of a cable line on the opened cockpit door. "we shall see about that."
At the Holfort Academy, some time after the Fanoss advanced forces have been dealt with by Kira and Hachi. The situation at the school is a bit tense because there is now a massive evacuation undergoing when they saw the battle at first glance.
"hey! Move it!" "The War is already here?! what are the nobles in the royal court even doing!?" "hey! Those were Bartfort's Lost Items, right?!" "did that guy escape or something?!" "but they taken down the Fanoss forces, right? Aren't we alright now!?" many chattered amongst one another as they were getting evacuated from the school.
Many of the students leaved the area, but a number of them stayed behind because they didn't wanted to leave or they were just waiting on their parents to come and pick them up instead of evacuating.
Angelica and Olivia are at the school's yard as they look to the sky to see several Espada Airships flying off to the distance and being followed by a squadron of Gladius Armors.
"that was Kira-san, right?" Olivia asks as she looks at Angelica. "I mean, we saw the Archangel and then the Strike fighting off the fleet, right?"
"yeah." Angelica nodded. "I don't know what is going on, but I can tell that Kira is currently safe." She then looks at Olivia. "let's go to the royal castle. If we go there, we can find out what has been going on."
"right." Olivia nods and the two soon departed for the Royal Castle.
As the two went off, Clarice and Deidre made an appearance by the school's corridor. The two nobles' daughters saw Angelica and Olivia going straight out of the school's gate as they were sure that they were going to the Royal Castle.
"You think that with this war on the way, Kira-kun is going to be put into the spot of where he has to fight them off?" Clarice asks Deidre who shrugs her shoulders before taking out her fan and spreading it out.
"as a Knight of the Kingdom, it is in their basic duties to protect their land." Deidre spoke. "but that rule doesn't apply too much on Count Bartfort who is still a foreigner." She held her fan near her mouth and closed her eyes. "a storm is coming, a very chaotic storm."
"a storm, huh?" Clarice muttered before she looks to the sky and sees how many Espada Airships are now flying into the distance. "just hope that this is a storm that can pass like any other."
Back at the Holfort Castle, Kira is brought back to the court room by Lacus as he is now facing the King and Queen of the kingdom along with the nobles accompanying them.
Kira still wears his pilot suit on and holding his helmet near his right side, he faces the nobles as they were looking at him in a rather sceptical way.
"Count Bartfort, we are grateful for your quick actions in defeating the Fanoss advanced forces." Roland spoke out as he is the only one sitting on his seat while the rest are standing. The king crosses his arms on his chest. "but…after seeing your capabilities in battle at first glance, it set into stone what Malcom feared of you in the first place."
"I see." Kira nods in understanding as he slightly hardens his gaze at the surrounding people before he turns his attention back to the King. "Should I guess on what will happen to me now?"
Roland looks at Kira for a moment before he closed his eyes.
"Mylene." Roland spoke and Mylene nodded before taking a step forward.
"seeing your abilities, we have decided to support Princess Lacus' motion." Mylene stated.
"Lacus'….Motion?" Kira spoke as he turns to look at Lacus. "what does she mean, Lacus?"
"I have decided to lead the action against Marquis Frampton and engage in the upcoming battle against the Fanoss Dukedom." Lacus replied before explaining that she had already provided evidence of the Marquis' wrongdoings to both Mylene and Roland. "all that was left is to gather the other nobles for support." She then looks at Vince and the other nobles. "as you can see from the people who are present, I have no doubt that they all fully support my motion."
"so you knew that the detached enemy forces were coming?" Kira said with a surprised look.
"no." Lacus shakes her head before she turns to the side and smiles as Hachi's drone appears hovering near her shoulder. "it was thanks to Hachi's help."
"I've set up an air monitoring radar system that could detect their forces from a far." Hachi said after beeping a few times. "I wanted to inform you, but Miss Lacus suggested that you shouldn't know."
"I see…" Kira said before he sighs with a smile. "you're surprising me in a way that I could've have imagined."
"it's something I've picked up in my years of becoming the Kingdom's First Princess." Lacus replied with a smile while shrugging her shoulders before she turns and face the nobles. "everyone, I'm sure that you all have your fears of Kira but rest assured that he will not be the Kingdom's enemies unless provoked." Her gaze hardens a bit and looks a bit dark. "understand?"
"y-yeah…" some nobles replied with a rather blueish face.
"with that, we are all united against Malcom's faction." Vince spoke out while crossing his arms on his chest. "Princess Lacus, what shall be our first move in your motion?"
"We will call all the nobles for a meeting and then we shall begin to capture Malcom and his faction." Lacus spoke out while folding her hands by her stomach. "as we are doing that, I would like to suggest our knights to begin evacuation of all the citizens of the kingdom when the war comes. There is no doubt that with the detached forces' arrival, the main force will surely come."
"we can do that, but what shall we do against the main force?" Bernard asks as he wipes some sweat off his head with a handkerchief. "I mean, I have full faith that the Count and his Lost Items will be able to have a toe to toe equality against the Fanoss Forces, but I doubt that he could ensure that none of them comes to our kingdom's borders. Their numbers are far more than his own forces, correct?"
"true, but we shall enlist the assistance of nobles from Holfort Academy." Lacus stated as she looks to the side for Hachi's drone to hover forward and project an image of the contract that Kira made when he first started to sell the Espada Airships and the Gladius Armors. "I'm certain that all of you can recall the Airships and Armors that Kira had produced for the Kingdom, correct? They are of high quality and therefore proceed as an increase for the kingdom's military forces."
"That would help." Vince said as he scratches his beard. "I've already purchased a few of the Count's products and they live up to their name as affordable and high quality Airships and Armors." He then waves a hand to the side. "but it doesn't change the fact that the Dukedom still possesses the magic flute which they used to control a large number of monsters and I can assume that you've heard of the rumors regarding the magic flute, Princess?"
"yes, and for that, I suggest that the Kingdom to use the trump card." Lacus stated.
"wait, Lacus!" Mylene spoke out in a very serious voice while having a surprised face. "you can't be seriously saying that we have to make use of the Royal Airship!"
"Royal Airship?" Kira muttered as he looks confused.
"it is within the history books of the kingdom's founding." Hachi explained to Kira after beeping a few times. "it is said that the six founders of Holfort Kingdom had the backing power of a very powerful airship which aided them in their time of need. It is unknown if the legend is true or not, but it can be speculated that the Royal Airship is located within the Royal Castle."
"I suppose that with the Fanoss Dukedom using their trump card, we have to use our own sooner or later." Vince nodded.
"Lacus, do not speak of the Royal Airship so measly." Roland stated. "I'm sure that you should know that it can only be unsealed by those who are chosen. Not even I and Mylene could unseal it, remember?"
"I understand, but the time has come." Lacus spoke out while spreading her arms out. "right now, the Kingdom is in peril and we cannot afford to waste any time debating like this. It is time for us to make our stand to protect the kingdom, our homeland which is currently in danger. It is time for us to take up arms and fend off our enemies!"
Roland and Mylene along with the other nobles started to speak with one another as they discussed on what should they decide upon.
Kira, Lacus, and Hachi looks upon them and waited for only a minute for them to finish their discussion that ended with one thing in mind.
"very well, you have our full support for this motion." Roland said while smiling a bit. "do our family proud by defending our kingdom and purging the evil that will come, Lacus."
"Thank you very much, Father." Lacus said while doing a curtsy.
Afterwards, everyone started to act for the coming war. Kira along with Lacus and Hachi leaves the room as they have other things to attend.
"Where are we going now?" Kira asks Lacus.
"to a room where there is a problem we must solve." Lacus said.
"What problem is it?" Kira replied.
"it is the problem regarding Marie Fou Lafan who has been found to be a Fake Saint of the kingdom." Hachi said and Kira looks rather surprised.
in a certain room, Marie is sitting down on the floor while hugging her knees. Her current state is really un-hygienic because her dress which was originally white is completely dirty. The blonde just crying while burring her face to her knees.
While she was crying, Marie's lovers; Julius and his entourage along with Kyle; the girl's personal servant surrounded her.
The situation in the room is rather silent because of how no one had spoken a word after what had happened during the conflict.
"Marie…we…" Julius tried to speak but his words get stuck in his throat and he stops talking.
'just what should we say in this situation?' Brad asks himself.
'someone just say something!' Greg looks annoyed.
As everyone was thinking of what to say, Kira and Lacus came walking in after knocking. The two came and sees the current situation.
Julius and the others glanced at them but it was only Kyle who came and greeted them first.
"To get imprisoned with a false charge. Are you cursed?" Kyle asks in a rather rhetorical tone of a voice.
"What has happened here?" Kira replied.
"I don't know the full details, but Master declared that she isn't the saint to the temple's priests and knights." Kyle explained. "afterwards her followers showered her with verbal abuses. The temple's priests and knights then stormed in with a yell and captured her before throwing her into the dungeon where you once were."
"is that so?" Kira said as he thought of it being very ironic in a way. He always knew that Marie was somewhat of a liar but to think that she would lie and take the fall for her own actions. "how ironic."
"No matter how it is, it doesn't change the situation." Kyle stated as he turns and looks at Marie. "with the current situation, will she be executed for her lies?"
"That would depend on a various of things." Lacus told the elf. "for now, her execution is being delayed by my and Mylene-san's authority." She close her eyes and shakes her head once. "However, she should consider her life forfeited."
"Lacus! How can you say such words!?" Julius angrily yells at his sister. He then turns before going to Marie who he comforted. "Marie, don't worry. Everything is going to be alright, we are with you. That's why you shouldn't worry about…"
"Annoying." Marie spoke out a single word and it cut off Julius' sentences and made the former crowned prince confused.
"eh?" Julius looks at Marie confused. "Marie, what did you just…?"
"so….annoying.." Marie uttered out before she lifted her head up from her knees and glares at Julius. "I'm saying that you're so annoying!" she yelled at the blue haired prince who looks baffled before she gets up and then looks at everyone ese. "What do you mean it'll be fine! Will you guys really be able to do something?! You think we can win, even though you didn't see that metal monster!? Really, what a happy-go-lucky bunch!"
"M-Marie, please calm down." Brad spoke out. "you're not making any sense."
"so this is her true colors." Lacus said and Kira nodded while having a hard gaze at Marie.
"Get out! Everyone get out! I hate all of you!" Marie screams like a little girl throwing a tantrum.
"Marie-san, please calm down. You're not making any.." Jilk tried to calm Marie down but the moment he came near and tried to reach a hand out to her, the Fake Saint slapped it away.
"making any sense!? You're the ones who are not making any senses!" Marie shouted as she points a finger at Jilk. "you are a creeper who is always giving me the creeps! You're a total loser who can't admit to the mistakes he made and you always think you're right! You're nothing but a loser!" she then looks at Chris. "you're nothing but all bark and no bite! You're not good at anything but swordsmanship!" next is Greg. "you're just all muscles! What do you mean by real battle!? You're practically useless in it!" Brad came afterwards. "you're just a narcissist who is all talk! Nothing more! you think you're beautiful and handsome?! You're nothing of the two combined! You're just disgusting!" lastly is Julius. "and you! The biggest problem kid of them all! the former crowned prince who is just a total idiot!"
"i-idiot? Me?" Julius looks taken aback from Marie's words.
"you're a useless guy! you're worth nothing than your status as a prince!" Marie exclaimed as she tearfully smiles in an angry way at the others. "you five are really stupid! You five threw away your position, prestige and even your fortune and think it's alright!? do you think any woman will be happy with that? You guys are just idiots!"
"Master, please calm down. You're getting upset and.." Kyle spoke out but Marie glared at him in an instant.
"and you annoying brat! You're always so cocky and acting so self-important!" Marie shouted with a finger pointed at the elf. "If I didn't tolerate you, the like of you will be sent back to the slave merchant again. Be a bit more thankful!" She then swung a hand to the side. "Be a lot kinder to me! Everyone should just listen to what I'm saying! I hate those who oppose me and are useless! I hate them! I hate you all!"
Julius and the others became appalled as they look rather petrified in their own places. Only Kira and Lacus remained calm and stoic in the situation.
"all of you are just fools! Because of you all, I'm suffering! I hate you all!" Marie shouted all angrily. "what is with the name as the Crowned Prince!? Strategic person!? Strong man!? You guys are nothing but useless as you are in the Game! All of you are so weak, pathetic, and..!?" as she was ranting out her anger, she was slapped hard on the right cheek by Kira who suddenly stood before her. "ugh?!"
Marie felt the slap very hard to the point she fell to the floor and then slowly looks up at Kira with a hand reaching for the red swollen cheek.
"B-Bartfort!?" Julius exclaimed in surprise as he along with the rest looks shocked to see Kira slapping their Marie.
"How unsightly you are." Kira spoke as he glares down at Marie. "a child who lied so many times to others to the point she is throwing a tantrum because things didn't go her way." He squinted his eyes. "How very unsightly."
"y-you…" Marie mumbled out before she looks furious while staggeringly getting back up. "s-shut up! It's your fault that I couldn't be happy in this life! If you didn't show up, things could've gone in my own way!" she swung a hand to the side. "I could've gotten rid of Angelica and that naïve brat girl! I could've gotten everything for myself if it weren't for..!?"
Marie was cut off when Kira proceeds to slap her on the same cheek once again, this time more harsher and stronger to the point the girl fell right to the floor and looks to be in pain because of the tears coming out of her eyes.
"my fault? You believe that everything is my fault?" Kira spoke out in a questioning tone as the front bangs of his hair shadowed his eyes. "is that really what you believe?"
"Bartfort! That's enough!" Greg shouted as he went and grabs Kira by the shoulder before forcibly turning him around. "I don't care if you're strong and whatnot! But if you hurt Marie again, I'll!" the musclehead was about to give a piece of his mind at the teen but he stopped and just froze in fear when he saw it. "u-ugh!?"
Kira's amethyst eyes revealed themselves from the shadow of his bangs and it is revealed that the Ultimate Coordinator had gone SEED Mode. His eyes hollowed of life and filled with just nothing but darkness that felt like pulling in anyone who sees them.
"if any of you dare make a move against me, be warned that you'll be forfeiting your own life." Kira spoke in a slightly deep voice which instantly put chills down the spines of Julius and his entourage. They were instantly scared of Kira, they knew that he was frightening but the look in his eyes and the sound of his voice just puts the fear of god in their hearts.
After warning off Julius and the others, Kira turned and glares down at Marie who begin to look afraid.
The situation in the room turned tense as everyone just stayed silent and didn't say a word. Julius and the others looks scared to Kira while Lacus looks calmed and collected.
As the situation grows tense, the door to the room swung open for Angelica and Olivia to come in.
"Kira!" Angelica cried out with a happy and relieved voice. "Kira, are you alright!?"
"Kira-san!" Olivia cried out as well, but the moment she saw the situation in the room. Her smile and happy face disappeared and is replaced with confusion and surprise. "w-what's…what's going on?"
Kira slowly turns his head to glance at the two girls before he turns and glares back at Marie.
"everyone besides this girl and Lacus. leave the room." Kira spoke out. "Now."
"Kira? Just what is happening here?" Angelica asks in pure confusion before she and Olivia sees Hachi's drone appearing as the AI's little copter drone hovers in front of the two. "H-Hachi?"
"please leave the room." Hachi stated after beeping a few times. "Kira is currently in a very bad mood and therefore you should leave the room because you wouldn't like to stay here."
"b-but.." Olivia tried to ask what was going on but Hachi let out a few beeps and called some robots to come into the room. "w-what is?"
"please leave the room." Hachi spoke. "I shall explain the situation once you are all vacated the room."
Angelica couldn't get the gist of the situation, but after seeing Marie on the floor with a red hand imprint on her right cheek and Kira standing before her. she could only guess that something serious was going on before she and Olivia came into the room.
"alright.." Angelica nods before she turns towards Olivia. "let's go, Livia."
"e-eh? But…" Olivia tried to ask again but seeing Angelica's serious face, she decided not to ask anymore questions and just nods. "a-alright.."
Hachi begins to get the robots to get everyone but Lacus, Kira, and Marie to leave the room. The AI using the robots to forcibly get Julius and the others to leave as they were trying to fight back and stay with Marie.
Everyone besides the three were vacated out of the room and Hachi's drone watches the robots to close the door but not after taking a look at Lacus who turned her head and nodded to the AI before turning towards Kira.
Now that they are left on their own, Kira glares at Marie with a hateful look.
"answer me. do you think that everything is a game?" Kira spoke out at Marie who made a confused noise. "do you think that everything; this world, the people, and everything that you can see, hear, taste, listen, and feel, do you believe that everything is just a game to you?"
"w-what are you.." Marie spoke before feeling a bit more scared when Kira kneels and glares at her more directly.
"you keep on saying that everything is just a game. You believe that you can just reset the button of the game and everything can be undone for you to make a selfish choice." Kira spoke as he recounts the time Marie made trouble that he learned of. "you did so much mistakes and yet you never wish to take responsibility. You only let others take the fall."
"w-wha.." Marie spoke out while slowly looking away from Kira. "what are you saying? You're not making any sense. I didn't do anything wrong, this game is just.."
Marie was then cut off when Kira grabs her by the neck and then lifts her off the floor.
"a-agh!" Marie started to get choked by Kira who glares at her all hatefully.
"THIS WORLD ISN'T A GAME! EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD IS ALIVE AND YOU BLATANLY MAKES AN EXCUSE THAT EVERYTHING IS NOTHING MORE THAN A GAME!" Kira shouted all angrily as he looks so infuriated at the image of the Holfort fleet getting destroyed by Canard and his Hyperion which appears in the back of his mind. "YOU CAUSED SO MUCH DEATH! YOU LIED ABOUT BEING THE SAINT AND THEREFORE CAUSING MANY OTHERS WHO BELIEVED IN YOU, TO DIE! YOU STILL BELIEVE THAT THIS WORLD IS A GAME AFTER YOU KILLED SO MANY INNOCENT LIVES!?"he then proceeds to throw Marie to the couch nearby in anger. "YOU LIE AND YOU NEVER TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A SELFISH BRAT!"
Marie looks to be in pain after being harshly thrown to the couch, she hisses in pain before she looks angrily at Kira.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SELFISH BRAT!?" Marie shouted while getting back up. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO IS SELFISH! IF YOU DIDN'T INTERFERE THAT NIGHT! I COULD'VE GOTTEN RID OF ANGELICA AND THEN THAT NAÏVE BRAT GIRL! I COULD'VE GOTTEN EVERYTHING IF YOU DIDN'T INTERFERE." She huffs her breathing for a moment before she cackled with a smile and tears in her eyes. "but what am I even saying? Why should I care about that now? Those guys were so useless now and back then! if I knew that you existed, I shouldn't have bothered with them at all! I should've focused on you; a special side character! I could've gotten everything for myself if I knew you existed! I could've been rich and living a happy life if I knew that you..!?"
Marie was abruptly cut off by another slap to her left cheek that was delivered not by Kira but by Lacus.
"That is far enough." Lacus spoke out as she sounded very cold. "knew that Kira existed? Knew that you could've lived a happy life if you took him? is that what you are saying?"
Marie looks to be in pain from the third slap, she was about to yell at Lacus to go away, but the moment she glares at the pink haired princess; she just froze and looks in fear.
"You lied so much and caused pain to others." Lacus spoke as her eyes were shadowed by her pink front bangs that slowly revealed her pale cerulean eyes that were once jewels but now hollowed of life. The pink princess had gone seed mode and her eyes just terrified Marie. "you believe that you can still be selfish in this moment, Marie Fou Lafan?"
"Lacus…" Kira looks at Lacus with a small surprised voice, the young man turns towards her but seeing her raise a hand made him stop.
Lacus proceeds to stare down at Marie.
"I've been watching you. From the day my brother told me about you." Lacus spoke out. "he told me that he met someone who could be my future sister in law." She stares down Marie with a glare that made the short girl look pale and having cold sweat running down her face. "he told me that you were kind, loving, and caring to others, but I knew that it was all a lie the moment I saw your face. I could tell that you're nothing what he speaks of you, I know that you're nothing but a vixen who whispered sweet words into his ear as you seduced him and the others." her eyes squinted to the point that was staring down at Marie like she is an insignificant being. "You've been a very bad girl. So bad that you've tainted yourself in it, you've tainted yourself in the blood of the innocents who have died because of you. Tell me, can you really take the burden of having so many lives haunting you?"
Marie looks even more terrified than before, she felt her throat parched, her face covered in cold sweat, and the color of her face slowly disappearing over the passing second.
"the lies that you've uttered from your very lips is what leads to your current situation." Lacus whispers as she slowly leans down and stares at Marie from up close. "you've reaped what you've sown, Marie Fou Lafan. You're now in a very small hole with a small source of light, you can try to climb your way out but the more you do, the more deeper your realize the hole is." She squinted her eyes and her lips formed a smile that looks very eerily sweet. "so tell me, do you like being a murderer in this world you call a game? Do~you?"
Marie mumbled out small noises before she fell unconscious on the couch because of the fear overwhelming her heart and mind.
After Marie fainted, Kira looks at her and then at Lacus with a rather surprised face while his Seed mode had deactivated.
"Lacus…that was…" Kira muttered out as he looks a bit surprised to see and hear the words she just spoke.
Lacus stands up straight and she let out a long quiet sigh before she turns and smiles to Kira, her Seed mode deactivated after interrogating and frightening Marie.
"sorry that you had to see that, Kira." Lacus said with a smile as she turns to look at Marie. "It was something I had picked up when learning direct negotiations with another country's diplomat." She sighs and then looks back at Kira. "I had to use it to prove something."
"Prove what?" Kira asks.
"to prove that Marie Fou Lafan is the same as us." Lacus said as she turns to look back at the unconscious Marie. "Marie Fou Lafan is a Anotherworlder."
That's a wrap!
Bye bye