They were finally going home.
That was the predominant thought in Rean's mind as Class VII worked to prepare for the upcoming operation, and it didn't take much to see that the same thought was running through the mind of all his classmates. And it wasn't just them, either. Everywhere he looked there was a student that had been recruited to help on the airship and even if they weren't directly participating in the upcoming battle their excitement was similar to his own.
The news that the army was preparing to move onto Trista made sense considering it lay between them and the capital, but the news that the Noble Alliance had pulled back the bulk of their forces to defend Heimdallr instead of the suburb presented an opportunity that the Thors students couldn't possible resist. Thankfully it wasn't hard to convince Captain Claire to allow the Courageous to take on that mission for themselves.
The one real surprise was the intel that outside of a few garrisoning soldats the defense of the academy had been left to some of the noble students who had remained at Thors, with Patrick being their leader. In the grand scheme of things it was a futile gesture – there wasn't much a handful of students could do if the 4th Armored had decided to roll through the streets in their heavy tanks – but Rean could see it for what it was:
It was a challenge directed towards him and the rest of Class VII. The upcoming battle would be a battle for school pride.
Despite himself he couldn't help but feel excited. He knew that he had grown a lot after all the trials and tribulations they had faced and was curious to see how much growing his old rival had done over the same time. He was sure that Alisa felt the same way about Ferris, and it was even possible that both Jusis and Fie's club leaders were defending the school too.
The other surprise were the allies Class VII were bringing into the fray. With Instructor Sara excusing herself because of her position as a teacher, both Angelica and Towa had stepped in. The former wasn't entirely surprising and Rean knew her taito fighting style well, but the diminutive class president volunteering to fight had caught him off guard. Sure he knew she had been practicing with her orbal pistol, but the girl was so kind that the swordsman was a little worried about her regardless. He would need to keep an eye on her during the fight just to be sure.
And it was something he would have the chance to do as the plan they created called for two separate teams to hit the academy from both sides, and he was on the same team as Towa. With him was Alisa and all the boys - He couldn't help but feel the slightest twinge of annoyance at recalling how Angelica had firmly declared that her team would consist of all the girls, with Alisa only escaping due to the high probability that Ferris would be alongside Patrick.
He liked Angelica and respected her as a warrior, but subjecting Fie and Laura – plus Millium and Emma – to the mercy of her lecherous gaze didn't sit right with him.
At the very least he was confident she wouldn't try hitting on Celine... Probably.
Glancing at a nearby clock Rean could tell there wasn't much time left before the operation was scheduled to begin. The swordsman hummed to himself as he considered how best to kill the remaining time.
Originally he had planned on assisting George and Professor Schmidt as they worked hard on Valimar's new tachi, but the elderly professor had shooed him away gruffly. He was starting to understand that was just how the genius operated, but it was disappointing he didn't even get a chance to see the new blade. Luckily George assured him that even if the blade wasn't completely finished yet it would still be in a usable state for the fight.
With that option a bust his feet instead led him towards the break room. Perhaps a game or two of Blade would allow him to endure the wait better?
Rean was surprised to discover that he wasn't the first person to come up with that idea. "Six."
"Mirror." ...Or the second for that matter.
Fie tore her glance from the offending card as he entered the room, "Sup, Rean?" That was all the attention she spared before returning to her deck, "I counter your mirror with my mirror!"
"Did you come to play some games too?" Laura asked as she shuffled the few remaining cards in her hand, "Our game will be finished soon."
"Yup. I'm gonna win it with this next card."
The swordsman laughed nervously as Laura twitched at the taunting words, "Nah. You two keep playing. I'm happy just watching you." Instead he opted to take a seat next to the older girl.
"Very well." Decision made Laura played her card. A seven. A true power play.
And yet Fie's grin only widened in response, "Bolt!" She declared victoriously.
But that grin faded as Laura's own face lit up in a serene smile, "...Rod." By playing the low-value card she undid Fie's bolt, once again giving herself a huge lead.
The silver-haired opponent glanced at her final card before letting out a scowl, "Stupid game. It's all luck anyways."
"Don't be a sore loser." Laura chided gently, "However. As the victor of this duel the prize belongs to me."
"What prize? We didn't agree on-"
He wasn't sure if Fie was still talking because Laura chose that moment to grab hold of his face and smash her lips into his. W-Was this the prize she was speaking of?
...He could only hope they were planning on playing a lot more Blade after this.
It took a second before he realized the noblewoman wasn't content with simply kissing him as she all but shoved her tongue into his mouth and seemed determined to explore every rege of him, not that he was complaining one bit. That she would let out a loud and sensuous moan of delight each time his tongue came into contact with her own only encouraged him to keep doing it, even if he suspected she was playing it up for their unhappy spectator's sake.
Eventually the need for air became too pressing and the Arseid pulled away with a brilliant blush, hinting that the action had been entirely spontaneous. He thought she was ready to continue when the sound of a hand smacking onto the table broke the two from their blissful reverie.
Fie's glare was offset by bright cheeks and a pouty expression, "I demand a rematch!"
Playing Blade was fun. Not playing Blade and instead being used as a trophy to be passed between two competing girls?
That was even funner.
Sadly all good things must come to an end and that end came with the news that the operation was about to begin. The two girls were walking alongside him as he traveled towards the hangar where Valimar awaited.
"What are you going to do once we've taken back the academy?" He asked curiously.
"Hmm... I haven't really considered it much, but I think I shall walk around and simply take in the sights. It has been a while, after all. How about you, Fie?"
The shorter girl frowned slightly, "Gonna check on the flowers I planted before we left. Supposedly they are hardy flowers fir for the season, but I'm still a little worried about them..."
"I'm sure they're fine." He reassured. Her first flowers had mimicked her growth as a person surprisingly well, so what was to say her second ones couldn't mimic her ability to endure despite hardship? "I haven't really thought about what I am going to do yet, so I might just tag along with you guys."
"I would welcome the company." Laura responded with a smile, "Still, I would not be surprised if the others don't already have plans in place for a festival."
"Vivi did mention something like that..." Fie bobbed her head in agreement, "I'm down for a party once I've checked the flowers."
Rean laughed at the idea. A party to celebrate the upcoming liberation sounded pretty good. Still... "Hopefully it doesn't go too late. I'm kinda looking forward to sleeping in my own bed for a change."
"Yup."
"Indeed."
As the group of three entered the hangar all eyes were drawn towards the area housing the Divine Knight. Or more specifically, the spot where his new tachi was located.
"What a marvelous blade..." An awe-struck Laura muttered as she gazed upon Valimar's new armament. It truly was a tachi designed for a seven-arge tall robot. And with a blade gleaming with pure Zemurian Ore, it really was a sight to behold.
"Definitely better than that old hunk of iron." Fie agreed.
Rean silently agreed with both girls. While he would never enjoy fighting in a war, a part of him couldn't help but feel excitement at the thought of the upcoming battle. That he would finally be allowed to use all of his Eight Leaves training while piloting Valimar...
George and Professor Schmidt were still present, so it was to them he approached. "It's amazing. Thank you so much for your hard work."
While their rotund friend nodded in acceptance of the praise, the elderly professor scoffed, "Please. I've already told you I have no interest in your empty gratitude. My only concern is to see how well this weapon can perform in a real combat exercise."
After shaking his head at his mentor's words George turned his attention back to Rean, "There's still more work we want to do with the blade, but it should be more than ready for the upcoming fight. Do what needs to be done so I can get my Engineer Building back and I'll ensure Valimar has the best weapon possible. Oh, and make sure to protect Towa and Angie while you're out there."
"Nobody will touch them." Fie reassured, before narrowing her eyes in annoyance, "...Although if Angelica tries to do anything weird to me or Laura I might smack her."
"...She would probably enjoy that." The second-year muttered tiredly. "Anyways, good luck out there."
Once the two engineers had left Rean prepared to board Valimar, but was halted by a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Take care of yourself out there, alright?"
"Of course. You don't need to worry about me."
"I'll always worry about you," Laura continued, "That isn't to say I lack confidence in your abilities, but even still..."
Fie was a lot more succinct with her parting words, "Kick some ass out there."
With that the two girls began walking towards the elevator. It wasn't as if they were to be parted for long as they were all meeting up on the deck, but he would be inside Valimar up until the moment the two groups split up.
"Are you ready for this Valimar?" He asked as he approached the majestic machine.
"Indeed. I am also quite eager to see how well you perform with a more optimal armament." It really was surprising to him just how much more expressive his Divine Knight had been becoming over the course of this war. It definitely made conversing with the machine a lot more pleasant.
"You and me both." He muttered aloud just before allowing the tug of his knight to pull him inside. After starting Valimar up he reached his metallic arm over and giddily grasped his new weapon for the first time. Even from inside the cockpit the swordsman could tell that the blade was exceptionally balanced and possessing of a keen edge. It only took a few seconds before the tachi felt natural to him.
Such a feeling filled him with confidence. He wouldn't allow himself to slip into the pitfall of overconfidence, but deep down he was confident that nothing the Noble Alliance could throw at them would be enough to stop the Ashen Awakener and his knight. "Let's go home, Valimar."
"Acknowledged!"
Laura had initially been quite worried when the enemy force defending Trista revealed itself. A hulking Goliath had tried to shoot the Courageous with it's massive cannon, and alongside it was one of the much smaller – but no less dangerous – Kestrel models. Power and speed. She knew as well as anyone just how formidable such a duo was as both machines could cover the weaknesses of the other. And even if the pilots weren't on the same level as the two terrorists that Rean had faced before, surely fighting both at once would prove to be quite daunting.
Come to find out she had little to worry about.
Valimar's new tachi ensured her beloved made short work of the enemies. The Kestrel's formidable speed couldn't save it when Rean could match its movements with the precision of his sword, and all the Goliath's armor meant little when faced with a blade of pure Zemurian Ore. Even Valimar's movements seemed more confident as the machine weaved between its opponents with ease.
Despite being outnumbered the Divine Knight was far from outmatched and was able to dispatch both foes quickly, cleanly, and with nary a scratch for its efforts. In a way it was reminiscent of the times when her father sought to show the Arseid students the true pinnacle of their chosen style by engaging them in a group duel. Although she had little understanding of these new weapons of war she was confident that Rean had grown into his own as a pilot.
That thought caused her breast to swell with pride.
With the area around the town confirmed clear of hostiles the Courageous was free to land and disembark the two teams. It was a shame that her team – consisting of Fie, Angelica, Emma, Millium, and Celine – was tasked to flank around the area and enter the academy from behind, as she had been looking forward to seeing the wonderful town of Trista once again.
Still, that was something that could be done at anytime once the academy was liberated, so once Emma retrieved her familiar from Valimar the group of girls quickly departed towards their destination. Their path was the longer one so that required them to move at a brisk speed, but with no enemies around that didn't prove to be much of an obstacle.
"Mreow!?" Not even the seriousness of the situation was enough to stop Angelica from scooping an unsuspecting Celine into her hands.
"Aww! You might act like a grumpy old cat but you really are an adorable pussycat, aren't you?!" The Taito practitioner rubbed her cheeks against the very unamused familiar, "If only you were a human I'd be glad to show you some other ways to pet the kitty!"
Laura stared blankly at the scene. Was Angelica seriously hitting on the cat?
"Emma! Help!" Celine cried out to a very bewildered witch.
The Arseid heiress felt compelled to intervene, but before she could a powerful hand clamped down on her arm. Turning, she witnessed Fie shaking her head mournfully, "Just let her get it out of her system now. If you tried to intervene..."
As if the Goddess was backing up Fie's words both girls watched as Emma finally composed herself and moved to the aid of her familiar. And while she was able to get Angelica to relinquish her hold on the cat, it came at a terrible cost as the young witch soon found herself captured by the libidinous second year.
But Angelica had two arms and only one of them was needed to keep Emma in tow. Fortunately for the two warriors Millium freely offered herself up with a cheer, all but leaping into captivity. Both she and Angelica giggled gleefully as the hug grew to encompass all three of them.
"...Point taken." Laura did her best to ignore the pitiful look Emma was sending their way. Leaving someone behind as a sacrifice went against everything she had been taught, but she suspected that even her father would understand her inactivity in that moment.
Thus the group of six arrived at the academy's field in two separate groups: One being her, Fie, and a very agitated Celine, while the other consisted of Angelica and her two prisoners. The plan called for them to sneak into the school from behind, but it didn't take long for them to realize the plan had been flawed from the start.
"Haha. I hope you weren't expecting to simply waltz in here without even the slightest resistance." Opposing the group was a quartet with three being second-year students led by Vincent Florald with the fourth being his personal maid, "If it isn't my most exquisite rival, Angelica! Our reunion could never be more perfect. Welcome, Class VII, to the forbidden paradise of the noble Vincent Florald!"
Forbidden paradise? Sure Laura knew that Ferris' older brother was a little... unique, even she struggled to parse his words. She turned to Fie expecting some kind of snarky response, but instead found the silver-haired girl staring at one of the students opposing them, "Edel..."
Right. She recognized older noblewoman as the one in charge of the Gardening Club, "You look well, Fie. I'm sure the flowers will be so happy to see you back home." Despite the situation she could see the tension leave Fie's body. Laura could only assume it was because the presence of Edel and her words all but ensured that the young gardener's flowers had been well cared for.
And yet, while she didn't have any club members opposing them like Fie did, Laura couldn't help but locking gaze with someone she had been longing to challenge for quite some time, "It's a shame Loggins and Alan aren't with you. Still, looks like the present company should pose enough of a challenge to keep me interested."
"I'm honored the strongest swordsman among the second-years would say so." She replied, matching Friedel's calm intensity with her own. Both the Swimming Club and Fencing Club shared the same building, so the Arseid knew of the opposing woman well. She had been looking for a chance to cross blades with the powerful fencer and it seemed that now was to be that time.
She watched as the opposing students drew their weapons. Vincent had a spear, the maid had two guns, Edel had an orbal staff, and Friedel had her sword. All appeared to be quite formidable.
Yet Laura couldn't help but notice they had a disadvantage in numbers. Normally that wasn't something to worry about in areal fight, but in a glorified duel like this she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Thankfully Emma seemed to notice her thoughts as she took a step back, "Celine and I will cheer for you guys."
...Laura couldn't help but wonder if that was more of an excuse to get far away from Angelica.
With the team decided the Arseid couldn't help but grin as she took her stance and prepared to face Friedel and the others. Despite the importance of their mission she couldn't help but find herself looking forward to the upcoming fight. She was only able to spare a brief thought for the team on the opposite end of the school before her fight began.
Rean grimaced as he tasted dirt, courtesy of a hastily executed evasive roll to escape an unexpected art from his opponent. That near miss was one of many such instances to have occurred since the battle between Classes I and VII had begun.
"Is that all you have, Schwarzer?" Although his opponent's words were sharp, they lacked the raw vitriol that their last fight had possessed.
He couldn't deny that Patrick Hyarms had improved greatly since their last encounter, although a part of Rean suspected a lot of the improvement was due to the noble fighting with a level head this time. Had he fought with this precision and skill earlier in the year the Eight Leaves practitioner had a feeling it would have been him tasting defeat.
As he regained his feet he gazed coolly at his opponent, opting to not rise to the bait. Patrick's style reminded Rean of Jusis, which made sense considering they both relied on court fencing. Sharp precise strikes with a blade mixed with the occasional opportunistic art made for a dangerous combination.
Speaking of, Jusis wasn't all that far away as he engaged his club mate Lambert in their own duel. Opposite them was an archer battle between the two first years of the Lacrosse Club. No clear advantage had arisen in either fight, but Rean was confident that his classmates would emerge the victors in time.
What really surprised him, however, was how well Towa was doing. Fighting a quick martial artist like the butler Celestin would normally be a bad match for an arts user, but the student council president used her brain to keep her opponent at a distance, often opting to target the field with her arts instead of going after Celestin directly in order to create hazards that the butler struggled to get through.
Still, Rean couldn't help but be a little concerned as he watched the tiny captain fall back onto her butt after unleashing a mighty blast with her orbal pistol. She might be brilliant and skilled, but at the end of the day Towa was just too adorable to be a scary warrior.
"Your opponent is me, Schwarzer!" Patrick seemed to have mistaken his brief observation as a moment of inattentiveness, driving forward with a dangerous thrust. Rean however had been expecting something along those lines and was able to deflect the tip of the rapier away before forcing the student in white back with a quick riposte.
Thus far the two of them had been evenly matched. A part of Rean considered using Spirit Unification, knowing that such power would allow him to overwhelm his opponent with ease, but he opted against it. This wasn't some dangerous enemy they were fighting to survive. This was Patrick: His rival, possibly a friend, and the guy who seemed to have a soft spot for his sister.
...Actually, maybe using Spirit Unification wouldn't be so bad.
Ignoring that dangerous impulse he opted for something a little less destructive, "Second Form: Gale!" During their last encounter he hadn't been proficient with the form, so he hoped the unfamiliarity with the technique would give him the upper hand in the exchange. Sadly it seemed the Hyarms scion had done his homework as the young noble quickly pivoted onto the defensive and erected an arts barrier capable of withstanding his rapid assault.
Still, even if the attack hadn't succeeded it had at least halted Patrick's momentum, giving Rean the initiative to dictate the battle. He had to make the opening count, but he wasn't sure how best to do it. How would the others respond to an opponent like Patrick?
Laura? As skilled as Patrick was Rean was pretty sure Laura would have little problem in simply overwhelming him with her superior strength and skill.
Fie? Traps. Deception. Explosives. Maybe even taunt the noble a little to unbalance him.
Despite the situation Rean couldn't help but sweatdrop a little at the thought. One of those paths he wasn't skilled enough to replicate, while the other was one he definitely had no intention of trying out against a fellow student. This had been a pointless mental exercise.
Or... had it? Deception and power. Those weren't mutually exclusive ideas, and while he lacked the sheer mastery his girls possessed it wasn't as if he was incapable of such acts.
"You've gotten better, Patrick, but the end will be just the same!" During their first encounter Rean had disarmed Patrick with an unexpected Autumn Leaf Cutter. He was sure that finishing blow had lived in his opponent's mind, so when he took up the Fourth Form he saw the Class I leader narrow his eyes in understanding.
"We'll see about that." Patrick growled as he took his stance and prepared for the attack to come.
"Fourth Form: Autumn Leaf-" At first everything appeared as normal, with the black-haired swordsman darting forward to launch his attack. Except instead of following through and striking his prepared opponent he stopped at the last second before abruptly changing stances on the fly, "Flame Dragon!"
A part of Rean grimaced at his move. He lacked the sheer mastery of the Eight Leaves to make a seamless transition between stances. Had he been fighting a more elite opponent like Instructor Sara or someone with greater familiarity in his style like his girlfriends they would have easily read his intentions and taken advantage of the opening he had provided.
But Patrick was not them. While he might have studied up on Rean's style in preparation for this fight, simply studying does not give one that tacit understanding that an actual fight provides. Thus the blonde-haired noble was unable to do much more than to adjust his guard to take this new attack head on.
While a skilled fencer like Patrick might have been able to parry an Autumn Leaf Cutter, trying to block a Flame Dragon with a rapier was an entirely different matter. The force of the strike – further enhanced by the fire coating the blade – was too much for the student to handle. Something had to give, and naturally that something ended up being the rapier as it fell out of his hand.
Deception and power. Truly a mighty combo.
Were it a real battle Patrick might have tried to fight onward despite being disarmed, but as it was the Sutherland native raised his arms in the universal gesture for surrender, "Dammit." The frustration in his voice was palpable, but from what Rean could see there was little real anger.
It was almost as if he had expected such an outcome.
With his duel concluded Rean considered moving to support the others, but decided against it. From his perspective he could see the others appeared to be slowly gaining the upper hand and so he decided to let them obtain their own victories. He would step in if needed, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be. Hopefully the other team was faring just as well.
Laura resisted the urge to growl as her opponent deftly sidestepped the swing of her heavier blade. What Friedel might have lacked in sheer power she more than made up for with grace and poise, constantly darting in to thrust with her dueling blade before backing off before the Arseid could bring her own weapon to bear. Thus far Laura had had little problem in blocking those mid-ranged strikes, but her inability to score a hit in return left the fight a frustrating stalemate.
From her observations Laura was confident that her allies held a slim advantage over their opponents in terms of skill. It was only thanks to the discipline and poise the second-year students possessed that none of them had been defeated yet. In time, however, she was confident that would be the natural course of action.
Still, that was by no means a guarantee of victory. They were probably coming to the same conclusion that she had and a cornered animal was at its most dangerous. It was very possible that their noble opponents might try something desperate to alter the tides of battle.
Laura frowned. She wasn't sure how best to break the stalemate. One obvious advantage was that even if their opponents had ARCUS units of their own Class VII had a definitive edge in teamwork. Still, even if this weren't a formal duel her honor left her loathe to interfere in the other battles taking place...
But perhaps it didn't need to be her at all?
Strategy in mind Laura prepared for one of her mightiest attacks. Friedel warily backed off as her blade began to glow. That suited her needs quite well.
With a yell the Arseid lunged forward before launching her Radiant Waltz at the captain of the Fencing Club. While her Radiant Lion was more powerful she felt it wholly unneeded for this moment – and it was something she wanted to keep hidden in case the chance arose to fight Friedel again. For her part, the second-year warrior remained calm as she expertly evaded the mighty attack.
But it was only in that moment that Friedel realized the attack hadn't been aimed at her.
Instead the attack slammed into the field dividing the two teams. Dust and dirt exploded as her attack ravaged the ground, sending debris into the air and creating a hazard that greatly reduced visibility. She winced as being at the epicenter meant plenty of that debris was hitting her. Still, it was a perfect smokescreen that any nearby opportunistic jaeger would find impossible to not take advantage of.
...She made a mental note to apologize to Alisa for destroying a large chunk of the Lacrosse Club's field.
As expected, she soon bore witness to a silver streak disappearing into the cloud of dust. There was a pause while everyone waited with baited breath to see when and where the girl would strike next. The answer soon revealed itself when Fie appeared on a direct course towards Vincent's maid, Sariffa.
...That was soon followed by a second Fie going after the purple-haired Noble himself. Followed by two more Fie's that went after Friedel, one that targeted Edel, and another that-
A wide-eyed Laura could only gaze at the scene in surprise. Either Fie had a bunch of sisters that she had never mentioned before or she was moving so fast around the battlefield as to create afterimages of herself.
Either way, with their opposition in disarray as they tried to deal with this unexpected threat, the moment to strike was now. Friedel seemed to realize the greater threat approaching at the last moment, but her hastily raised guard was no match for the Arseid style. With her feeble defense shattered there was nothing to stop Laura from pointing her blade at the now defenseless girl, earning her a nod of surrender.
Across the battlefield similar situations were taking place as the second-year students were unable to recover from Fie's surprise blitz. Speaking of which, Laura noticed that the real Fie was now standing victorious over a very delighted looking Edel. With two fights decided and the others shortly to follow it was clear the battle was won.
"So that was your new finisher?"
"Yup. My Shadow Brigade. Came up with it weeks ago." Fie nodded in satisfaction, reaffirming her earlier words.
Laura hummed to herself as she noticed something amiss with her statement."You claim to have come up with it weeks ago and yet decided the best time to use it was against our fellow students and not any of the enemies that actually wanted to kill us?"
"Urk."
"...And while it was very impressive I couldn't help but notice that the technique itself mostly just involved you sprinting around very quickly. Not exactly the kind of elaborate finisher worth keeping a secret for so long, is it?"
"Haha..." Now under scrutiny Fie couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh that was very reminiscent of Rean. Her wandering gaze soon lit up as it spotted something in the distance, "Oh, look. There's Rean and the others. Looks like we won. Hurray."
Laura knew that was a deflection, but it was a good one as indeed their other classmates appeared to be both victorious and unharmed as they stood in front of the school. That could only mean one thing:
They had successfully liberated their home.