Somewhere, deep in the depths of a dark void, the three Magic Knights were floating unconsciously atop a green stole pillar, decorated with blue gems. Though their surroundings were even darker than Cephiro these days, it was quiet and peaceful. Through their slumber, the Magic Knights could hear their hearts beating restfully, as the gems on their chests flashed, matching their pace. Eventually, the echo of their heart beats grew louder and louder, as if amplified by something large and powerful.
"Magic Knights…" voices echoed from the void. "The three Magic Knights from another world."
The voices were old fashion, deep, and respectful. Their sounds roused the Magic Knights from their slumber, as their hearts beat as one.
"They're calling us," Hikaru spoke softly, looking into the void.
"This voice…"
"It's the voices of the Mashin!" Fuu realized.
A sphere of light formed around them, allowing them to see in the void around them better. From the darkness, three gigantic metal figures appeared. A red robot with beastly features and a clawed shield, and flame spewing from its back. A blue robot with draconic features, wings, and a tail. A green bird-like robot, with giant silver feathered wings and armor. Each robot was decorated with golden accents and gleaming multicolored orbs.
"Legendary Magic Knights!" the Mashins knelt before them.
"Rayearth!"
"Selece!"
"Windam!"
"Magic Knights from another world," Rayearth greeted them.
"Thou hast been summoned to solve the crisis of Cephiro," Selece announced.
"Will thou don us once again and head out to battle?" Windam asked.
Without a shred of hesitation, Hikaru answered, "I will fight!"
"I know what I am getting into this time," Umi said confidently.
"It is my own decision to fight as well," Fuu answered affirmingly.
"We want to fight for Cephiro!"
As a bright light shone above them, the three Mashins stood up tall and proud, the flames on Rayearth's back flaring up. The sphere of light that the Magic Knights stood, glowed more and more brightly.
"We have passed the long years to save Cephiro," Windam said poetically.
"Magic Knights, thine hearts hath verily been proven to us," Selece decreed.
"Don us and fight for Cephiro," Rayearth permitted.
As white flames covered the bottom of the void, the sphere of light that the Magic Knights were in burst open. The three girls flew into their respective Mashins' chest orbs, entering their familiar control spheres. With their Magic Knights inside of them, the Mashins took off and flew up into the void, with bright white trails of light following them. As they reached the top, they disappeared in a flash of light, before reappearing again.
"T-This is?" Hikaru gasped.
"We are above the castle," Rayearth answered.
From within the Mashins, the Magic Knights could see the world below them unobstructed. There were no monitors, windows, or anything of the sort inside the giant robots. It was as if they were floating inside spheres of glass, now wearing the final forms of their Magic Knight armor. The armors were much more extravagant than the ones they had received from Clef earlier, and Fuu's glasses had disappeared.
"How in the world did we get here?" Umi asked.
"Thou hast been in the dimension where we sleep," Selece responded, while flying upwards.
"Dimension…" Fuu repeated, unable to believe her ears.
"We wait always in the other dimension," Windam explained.
"When thou need us, call our names," Rayearth instructed them, leading the trio upwards. "We shall always show ourselves before thee."
As the three mechs kept flying upwards at the speed of jet planes, they quickly broke through the dense cloud cover surrounding Cephiro. As they reached the top, they were all greeted by a brightly lit up starry sky.
"How far up are we flying?" Umi asked.
"Above the sky," Windam answered.
"Is there something above the sky?" Fuu asked confusedly.
"There is a battleship from another country far above Cephiro's skies," Rayearth answered.
Hikaru's face turned serious and a bead of sweat dropped past her cheek, "Battleship?"
Breaking through Cephiro's cloud cover, a gigantic green and silver battleship was making its way forward in a storm. Hundreds of blue lights were shining along the contours between its panels, signaling full battle-readiness. An alarm was ringing throughout the ship, signaling that someone was approaching them. Naturally, the first to find out about this were the commanding elite at the command center.
"This is amazing, Eagle," a deep and excited male voice spoke out.
"What is it, Geo?" a tamer voice asked.
A tall and muscular man with black hair, brown eyes, and thick eyebrows, turned around in his command chair. He had an X-shaped scar on his chin, a white headband, and wore a green and white military uniform without sleeves, as well as heavy metallic boots. True to his voice, the man had a wide grin and wore a battle-ready expression.
"Some unidentified objects have suddenly shown up in front of us," Geo reported to his commander.
Hearing this, a young member of the mechanic squad ran over. He was less than five feet tall, had short brown hair and eyes, and wore a large green hat with ear flaps. The rest of his outfit included a green and black uniform with a short white cloak, green pants, and metal shoes. On his hat, he wore a pair of red goggles.
"Hey, what do you mean by unidentified?" the young teenager asked curiously.
"Hold on. I'll put it on screen."
The giant window that made up the command center's roof turned dark before images and started showing up on it. The ceiling first appeared as a cloudy night sky, before images picked up by the front of the ship appeared.
"Wow!" the youngster gasped; his eyes sparkling. "Look, giant robots!"
Three giant robots colored crimson, cobalt, and emerald appeared on the screen, each one with an animal motive. Though he had seen plenty of machines during his life, Zazu had never before seen such smooth designs. Instead of bolts, wires, and clasps, the robots were covered in decorations and colorful orbs. Despite the heavy emphasis on aesthetics, all three of them looked strong and combat capable.
"Wow! Wow! Wow! Awesome! he continued geeking out. "I wonder if they transform?"
"Oh?" Geo smiled at his friend's excitement. "So is your curiosity as a mechanic showing up, Zazu?"
"Aren't you curious yourself as a fighter, Geo?"
In a tired sounding voice, the commander of the ship spoke out, "Those are the legendary Mashins of Cephiro."
Geo and Zazu looked over to their leader, before staring at the monitor again, Geo gasping, "Those are the Mashin?"
"So that means the legendary Magic Knights are inside them?" Zazu asked.
The three of them were all taken by surprise by the appearance of the Mashins. According to their intelligence, the Mashins and the Magic Knights were Cephiro's most powerful fighting force. However, they should only have been around until the Pillar's death. While their appearance was surprising, it wasn't unexpected.
Turning around in his chair, the young, white haired, brown eyed commander, addressed his subordinates, "Zazu, prepare my FTO for launch."
"Eeerh?! That thing?" Geo exclaimed in shock. "Why in the world…"
Getting up from his seat, the commander calmly answered, "I'll go say hello to the legendary Magic Knights."
"Zhaaaah!" Geo yelled out before getting up in a protest. "What's the supreme commander of this ship doing, going in head first?!"
Despite Geo's concerns, the commander just laughed and headed towards the hangars, "Because I'm responsible for this ship, I need to go give the proper regards…"
Midway his sentence, the commander turned around, speaking in a more serious tone, "to the legendary Magic Knights who saved Cephiro from its crisis."
"So that's… the battleship," Hikaru stared at it nervously.
The three Magic Knights floated in the air, observing the battleship at a distance, while surrounded by striking lightning. Despite wearing giant mechs large enough to trample ordinary people like ants, the battleship made them feel small even at a distance. While the word battleship had painted a picture in all of their minds, none of them were even close to the size and advancement of this futuristic behemoth. After their fantasy adventure, it felt almost wrong to face something like this.
At the back of the ship, around the halfway point of the command tower, large mechanical doors opened, revealing a tall hangar. Inside the hangar, a large platform raised a white mech with green accents into its position. The robot was robust and far more mechanical in shape than the Mashins. Its chest consisted of several interlocking white armored plates, and its waist of black, almost rubber-like substance. Its legs were almost perfectly round, with green single pointed feet with yellow sensors. Its shoulders were green and cone-shaped, with white, three fingered arms descending from their lower portions. On its right forearm, the robot had a green arm mounted weapon with a hose attaching to it from its upper arm. On its back, there were two mechanical wings that rose up and spread out. The robot's head was white with a purple vizor, with yellow glowing eyes behind it. The sides of the head had two square horns that slightly resembled bunny ears.
Inside the robot, the supreme commander of the battleship waited for all the systems to be ready, white sitting in its control chair. Several monitors lit up and data was projected directly in front of the yellow vizor he was wearing. As the mech was positioned into optimal take-off point by conveyor belts and a virtual runway was projected in front of it, the commander activated the robot's boosters.
"FTO… Go," He whispered to himself.
With the push of a button, the boosters in FTO's wings activated, propelling the mech forward at hypersonic speeds. Only a trail of photons was left behind as the mech took off towards its targets.
"It's coming!" Hikaru yelled out.
Taking a defensive stance with her mech and sword, Hikaru pointed her greatsword forward, its edge covered in flames. As their opponent flew towards them, all they could see was a white streak against the starry sky.
"I-It's fast!" Umi yelled out.
Nearing its target, the gauntlet on FTO's right arm opened, popping up an oval plasma emitter, creating a wrist sword of pure energy. Seeing the glowing blade coming at them at a blinding speed, Fuu and Umi flinched and tried to cover their faces. There was a flash and a surge of energy, as the energy blade connected with Hikaru's flaming sword.
"Hikaru!"
"Ms. Hikaru!"
Hearing her friends calling out for her name, Hikaru pushed back the enemy robot's energy blade with both arms. Sparks and arcs of electricity were flying in every direction, making it hard to look at the clash. In return, the enemy was holding Hikaru in place with one arm with little difficulty.
As the mech's yellow eyes glowed, they heard a feminine voice speak out, "I am the supreme commander on this mission to invade Cephiro. Eagle Vision of Autozam."
Pushing herself free from the clash, Hikaru yelled out, "I am… I am Shidou Hikaru!"
The white mech flew backwards before taking a neutral stance and deactivating its energy blade. Showing no signs of hostility, the enemy lowered its weapons.
"So, you're the legendary Magic Knights I've heard so much about," Eagle beamed, smiling with his eyes closed.
Despite Eagle's nonchalant attitude, the three Magic Knights didn't let their guard down. They pointed their Escudo swords towards the white mech, preparing themselves for anything Autozam could throw at them.
With a strict yet as diplomatic voice as possible, Hikaru asked, "Are you planning to invade Cephiro?"
"That's true… From your perspective, we, the people of Autozam, are nothing but invaders," Eagle confirmed.
Pointing the fingers of FTO's right arm straight forward, it revealed four hidden gun barrels. One at the middle of each finger, and one at the center of the palm. Without a further warning, Eagle fired the built-in Vulcan cannon, firing off dozens of heavy-duty projectiles per second.
However, as soon as Fuu saw the enemy moving its arm, Windam had already rushed in. Getting in front of Hikaru, she activated her defensive spell.
"Winds of Protection!"
An emerald forcefield of wind appeared in front of the Mashins, blocking the bullets. Despite each projectile hitting with a devastating force, the barrier of wind held out fine. And yet, there was something intimidating about hearing Winds of Protection get beaten like a drum.
Observing the moves of the enemy, Hikaru spoke out, "It doesn't move like a Mashin. It seems more mechanical…"
After the full-auto assault ended, the FTO stood still. Inside the mech, Eagle was scanning the readings given off by the Mashins. While their numbers were high, they were nothing he should be concerned about.
With her enemy fully open, Umi charged in with her rapier, using her fencing skills to close the gap as quickly as possible. She screamed loudly, aiming to slice off her opponent's head.
Despite the rapidly approaching blue mech, Eagle calmly gave the verbal command, "Shield."
As Umi brought down her sword, a bright white barrier appeared around FTO. It shone with a bright light and as her sword connected with it, it didn't budge, causing the force of her strike to push her back instead.
"Nani!?" she yelled out, being repelled back to where the others were.
Analyzing what had happened, Fuu spoke out, "It is the same as my Winds of Protection."
Back at the battleship, Geo and Zazu were following the confrontation from the comfort of their seats.
"The FTO seems to be handling Cephiro's Mashins just fine, it seems," Geo said, sighing in relief.
"Yeah, but it's no fun," Zazu complained, leaning back in his chair. "I had expected the Mashins to put up more of a fight, but so far they are no different from our O-series."
"Oi! Keep in mind that is our commander out there!" Geo scolded the young mechanic. "We don't want him to get hurt and… huh?"
"Something wrong?" Zazu asked, leaning over to Geo's side.
Looking at his control panel, Geo kept a close eye on it, before saying, "Nah, I thought I saw something moving on the radar, probably a bird."
As Zazu sighed in disappointment, he turned over to his monitor, before his eyes widened, "What!? What is up with these energy readings!"
Tired of their enemy's showboating, Hikaru began to gather her magical aura.
"Cephiro belongs to the people of this land!" Hikaru declared, clenching her fist. "I won't let you have it! Flame Arrow!"
Throwing a massive fireball at the white mech, the Mashin empowered spell struck FTO's shield. The impact of the mass of flame caused FTO to shake, the sensors giving feedback to Eagle's controls. While the shield at first seemed to hold out just fine, there was a loud explosion as the shield generator in the left shoulder blew up.
"Nani?" Eagle gasped, retreating further as the shield began to give out. "So, that's magic… Said to be used only by the strong-willed of Cephiro."
Before he could continue fighting, a red light began to flash over his monitor, as a quiet alarm began to ring.
"Nothing less from the legendary Magic Knights," Eagle congratulated his opponents. "This is only the second time the FTO's scramble sign has lit up. It was nice meeting you, Magic Knight—"
"Eagle look out!" Geo's voice on the intercoms interrupted him suddenly. "Something is approaching you from six o'clock!"
"Nani?" Eagle repeated himself, trying to see what it was.
Looking behind him, Eagle saw nothing but the battleship he commanded. As he was about to ask Geo what he was talking about, he heard a quiet clang near the neck of FTO. Whatever had struck him, had done so from his blind spot.
Before he could ask for a visual, he heard someone say, "Titanium Power."
FTO's proximity alarms began to beep as something started appearing in the FTO's monitors. A growing mass of gold and silver was appearing out of nowhere behind Eagle, forcing him to try evasive maneuvers. But despite trying to get away from it, the mass just clung onto his robot. The sound of twisting metal echoed throughout the FTO, as something was applying great pressure onto it.
"Hotaru!" the Magic Knights yelled out happily.
Watching all this go down from the ship, Zazu asked, "Is that another robot?!"
"No…" Geo's eyes widened as a cold shiver ran down his spine, "look at its head. That is a person."
Holding tightly on the back of FTO's neck, Hotaru's armored hand was bending the metal into a handle. No matter how much the enemy struggled, he was always right behind them.
"Eagle Vision, we meet at last," Hotaru said in a dramatic fashion.
Without a response, Eagle bent the right arm of the FTO in an unnatural angle, before firing his Vulcan point blank into the giant's side. Despite scoring several direct hits, the giant didn't seem bothered. Instead, the reverberations of his shots carried all the way back into Eagle's cockpit.
"Feels good," Hotaru said in a stuttering voice. "You mind doing my lower back next?"
Using all of his strength, Hotaru grabbed hold of the FTO's left thigh, before throwing the white mech like a drunk out of a bar. Eagle quickly corrected FTO's posture mid flight, before facing his foe. Getting a good look at the giant's face, he was surprised to see that his foe was even younger than he was.
Calming down but holding his hand on the throttle, Eagle asked, "Who may you be, soldier of Cephiro?"
Without a hint of hesitation, the giant answered, "Cephiro's strongest warrior, Commander Hotaru."
"He gave himself a promotion…" Umi sighed while facepalming inside her mech.
Turning off the speakers, Eagle spoke into the intercom in a serious tone, "Zazu, are you getting this? What's the verdict?"
"It's weird," Zazu answered. "While the mental power ratings he is giving off are insane, they are still weaker than those of the robots."
Sighing in relief, Eagle stared at his foe with sharp eyes, "A well-executed bluff then."
Activating FTO's energy wrist sword again, Eagle charged up forward, aiming for Hotaru's neck. The Magic Knights behind him were screaming for him to look out, but the giant stood still. As the blade connected, Eagle was astonished by what he saw. At the very last moment, the giant had raised his gauntlet in front of his neck, blocking the energy blade.
"Impossible…" Eagle gasped. "That should have cut clean through your armor!"
"I figured if Hikaru's sword can block yours then my armor can do the same," Hotaru smiled confidently.
Holding the energy blade away with his left arm, Hotaru reached for his chest with his right. Grabbing hold of the air around the white glowing orb on his chest piece, he pulled out his Titan Slicer. To make room for the giant sword, he held it out wide, exposing it in all its glory.
Seeing the sword, Eagle realized it was for the best to call off his formal greeting. Even if this Commander Hotaru was weaker than the legendary Magic Knights, he was certainly less predictable. Activating the boosters, he quickly turned his robot around to make a quick escape.
But as soon as he turned around, the giant warrior flew around, standing right in front of him once more. Eagle tried once again, but the armored titan was always in his way, having no difficulty in flying sideways at top speed.
Tilting his head to the left, Hotaru asked smugly, "Did you really think I would let you escape that easily?"
"When the king is in check, you don't let them go before a mate," Fuu smiled, approving of Hotaru's strategy.
It had been a while since the four of them fought together, but they still remembered their old strategy. Hotaru kept the enemy busy, while the three of them focused on dealing damage. Though their enemy had caught them by surprise, there was no way they would lose when it was four against one.
"This is starting to look disadvantageous to me…" Eagle smiled, trying to think of a way out.
As the Magic Knights were preparing to attack, Hotaru spoke out, "You girls stay out of this one."
"Huh?" Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, and Eagle all said at once.
Lifting the Titan Slicer over his shoulder, Hotaru pointed behind him with his thumb, "I would like to keep this battle mano y mano, or would you permit him to call in his battleship for backup?"
Reminded of the existence of the battleship, the Magic Knights reluctantly lowered their weapons. The fact that the battleship hadn't attacked them yet, was purely due to the orders of its commander. If possible, they didn't wish to escalate the conflict.
As for Eagle, he found himself as a victim of circumstances. He had come in order to greet the legendary Magic Knights and learn more about them, while ignoring the warnings of his second-in-command. If he were to call for backup, he would appear weak in front of his soldiers and make their foes seem more powerful. Even if a potential blow to morale could be avoided, the battleship's weapons risked damaging him as much as his enemies. Furthermore, for him to deny a one-on-one duel, went against every fiber of his being.
"Amusing," Eagle said, taking a stance with his energy blade for the first time, "you wish to put our pride on the line to bring an end to this conflict early?"
"You could say that," Hotaru grinned, bringing his sword in front of him.
For the past week, Hotaru had been making battle plans to deal with the three invading armies. He knew what each army wanted and how to deal with them, the only thing that remained was doing it in an organic fashion. He had a good deal going for him at the moment, so he didn't want to break his façade. Hotaru had considered bringing Eagle Vision into the sanctuary early in order to discuss peace with him and offering alternative solutions. However, while he was more than happy to talk with the other commanders, seeing Eagle made his blood boil and his hairs stand on end.
It may have been another continuity, but I will NEVER forget what you did to Alcyone, Eagle!
The two combatants charged at one another, swinging their weapons in tight arches. Eagle was using a fencing style, trying to keep his distance from his foe, while looking for a way to escape. Hotaru on the other hand was holding his sword by its handle and blade, focusing mostly on blocking. Knowing Eagle might run at any minute, he was keeping an eye on the enemy commander. The Magic Knights were nervously gripping their weapons, seeing Hotaru pushed back on the defensive.
"Oh? What happened to all that bravado from earlier?" Eagle taunted Hotaru with a good-natured chuckle. "I thought that you would put up more of a resistance against this blade of mine?"
"I am just taking my time to admire that mech of yours," Hotaru answered with a sly smile. "I am surprised how closely science can imitate something as powerful as a Mashin."
Continuing his offensive and switching between sword blows and machine gun rounds, Eagle smirked, "Imitate? The FTO has all but matched the legendary Mashins of Cephiro!"
Seeing his moment, Eagle fired his Vulcan directly in Hotaru's face. While the giant seemed indestructible, his eyes must have been a weak spot. As Hotaru raised his thick sword to block the bullets, Eagle made a quick turn to fly away from the battle. But before he could activate his boosters, Hotaru had already swung his way in front of him.
"Still not letting me get away, huh?" Eagle clicked his tongue at his foe's persistence.
"You say you have matched the Magic Knights' Mashins?" Hotaru said, before lowering his weapon from in front of his face. "But there is one advantage that the Mashin's have that your FTO will never be able to obtain."
Eagle narrowed his eyes, raising his weapon once more, "And what would that be?"
"The Mashins are made with magic, hence their design does not need to conform to any form of logic," Hotaru explained in an assertive tone. "With your FTO on the other hand, I can see every single bolt, clasp, and hinge. Ergo, I know where you pilot seat is located."
With murderous intent behind Hotaru's voice and him swinging his blade for the first time, Eagle acted as quickly as possible. He crossed FTO's arms in front of the mech's chest and redirected power.
"Shield!" Eagle gave a command.
Since the left shield generator had blown earlier on in the fight, Eagle focused the power of the remaining generators to a single point. A bright white energy shield appeared right in front of FTO, preparing to reflect back the force behind the titanic blade. As the giant single-edged sword was about to strike, it quickly diverted upwards as Hotaru flew up in an angle.
"Sucker!" Hotaru cackled.
Before Eagle could react to the maneuver, there was an earsplitting metallic clang. As Hotaru had flown over the robot, the Titan Slicer cut through FTO's booster wings. With the white mech's mechanical wings clipped, the FTO began to quickly lose altitude. The Magic Knights' eyes widened as they watched their foe plummet.
"We need to catch him!" Hikaru insisted, the flames on Rayearth's back flaring up.
As the Magic Knights and Hotaru flew downwards to catch the falling Eagle, Hotaru was already preparing his victory speech. But as they got closer, several panels popped off of the FTO. Before Hotaru realized what was going on, several back up boosters in FTO's feet, legs, and back fired up. Like a rocket, the white mech launched off on its back, making a curved exit towards the battleship.
"That clever bastard!" Hotaru swore, chasing after the white streak.
Flying after the FTO at full speed, Hotaru quickly realized that his supersonic speed was unable to keep up. Before he was halfway to the ship, the FTO had already reached its hangar. While he could have chased after, taking on Autozam's entire fleet seemed foolish even for him.
"He's fast…" Umi gasped, despite the sudden exit.
"I cannot see him anymore," Fuu stated, looking in the direction of the battleship.
"So, that was just one of the foreign armies about to invade Cephiro?"
Hikaru nodded, before getting serious, "Eagle of Autozam…"
Despite Hotaru (technically) being victorious, the enemy commander had shown their capability as a fighter. Had any of them faced Eagle alone, they may not have survived. Furthermore, the idea that Autozam might have more war machines like the FTO, was a dreadful thought.
Seeing Hotaru already heading back to the Sanctuary, the Magic Knights followed suit.
Back at the battleship, the FTO was lying on its back in the hangar, after what had been all but a crash landing. He was panting in relief, his head spinning from all the stress and mental exhaustion. Despite the sting of defeat, he couldn't help but smile on the inside.
That was only the second time I have ever lost with FTO… Strongest warrior on Cephiro? That may very well be the case.
As he looked at the monitors of FTO's cockpit, he could see a figure standing next to him on the outside. It was Geo, who wore an unamused look on his face and had his arms crossed, while tapping the floor with his foot.
"You know, showing off like that is only impressive if you win, Eagle," his second-in-command said impatiently.
Opening the cockpit, Eagle climbed out of it carefully, "Sorry, I may have underestimated the people of Cephiro."
Geo facepalmed at his commanders laid back words and sighed, "Just like you did with Lantis."
"…I assure you, it won't happen again," Eagle promised, with a far more serious tone of voice.
Having returned to the Sanctuary, the Magic Knights flew over to the oval entryway near the top of the central tower. Hotaru had already gone through ahead of them after shrinking down, but the girls couldn't follow just yet. Despite the entrance being immensely large, the Mashins couldn't fit through it. Thus, the legendary guardians of Cephiro projected their pilots out in beams of light inside the tower.
Once indoors, the armor of the Magic Knight's reverted back to the simple sets given to them by Clef. Soon after, the Mashins disappeared in flashes of light before their eyes.
"Rayearth…"
"Selece…"
"Windam…"
"Protect Cephiro with us," Hikaru let out a short prayer.
As the girls noticed that their outfits had changed, they heard a familiar voice behind them, "You weren't hurt, were you?"
The girls gasped and turned around, with Hikaru barely able to believe her eyes, "That voice…"
From the darkness of the unlit entrance hall, a green haired young man walked out, wearing a white suit of armor. Underneath his armor he wore a yellowish tunic and white, loose fitting, silk pants. His armor included a white tabard with orange-brown decorative symbols and golden attachments, large matching pauldrons, and a chest plate. A sash with a large golden armored plate by his stomach connected the tabard and his tunic. The outfit also included a pair of boots and gloves, as well as a white split cape. The boots, gloves, chest plate, and pauldrons were decorated by round yellow gems.
Getting over the shock of his appearance, tears formed in the corners of Fuu's eyes, "Ferio!"
"Ferio!" Umi and Hikaru yelled, before rushing over to him.
"Ferio, you're all right! I'm so glad!" Hikaru greeted him cheerfully
"Are you okay yourself?" Umi asked right after.
"Yeah, don't worry," Ferio smiled, before turning towards Fuu.
Fuu slowly walked in front of Ferio, her eyes still tearing up. The desire to greet him and hug him was great, but knowing the way they had parted prevented her. As she stood there quietly, Ferio's gaze only became more and more serious, before she felt like running away. Though she had hoped to see Ferio again to get to talk with him, hearing what he had to say terrified her.
"Fuu…" Ferio addressed her calmly.
"I'm sorry!" Fuu screamed out, covering her eyes. "I am so sorry for what happened, Ferio!"
Hikaru and Umi were shocked as tears began to run down Fuu's cheeks. The most mature member of their group was bawling her eyes out and her words were barely recognizable. Even Fuu herself found her emotional state unnaturally turbulent, as she hadn't realized how much she had held back for the past week.
Just as she was about to run away due to the embarrassment of her breakdown, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders. Expecting this to be either Umi or Hikaru giving her support, she pulled her hands away from her face. To her surprise, her friends were staring at her some ways away, as she felt something warm press against her cheek. It took a while for her teary eyes to focus on it, but she soon realized that Ferio was embracing her gently.
"Ferio… I'm so sorry," she repeated guiltily. "I am sorry for hurting your sister…"
"Don't cry, Fuu," Ferio whispered gently, holding her trembling body. "I heard my sister's final words, and I know you were only granting her final wish. Even though it was her final moments, she seemed happy that she could finally be with the man she loved."
Though she should have been relieved by Ferio's words, Fuu's heart felt like it was about to explode. Had Ferio forgiven her or simply not blamed her for what happened to Princess Emeraude? As she was about to ask about this, Ferio took a step back from her.
"What happiness is depends on who you are," the green haired man said with a straight face. "You shouldn't blame yourselves for what happened."
"So… You're not mad at me?" Fuu asked to confirm, her eyes still hurting from the tears.
Ferio shook his head, "Didn't you hear my sister's final words?"
"She said 'thank you'…" Hikaru whispered under her breath, also emotional about the situation with Fuu.
Ferio nodded deeply, before answering, "That is how she truly felt.
Ferio placed his hand on Fuu's shoulder one more time. Though it should have comforted her, it only made Fuu feel more unsure.
Ferio… He might still be harboring some feelings, but just doesn't want me to feel guilty about it. Even if he understands the circumstance, I am sure the passing of her sister hasn't left him unaffected.
Letting go of Fuu, Ferio smiled and turned around, "Well, let's go. Everyone's been waiting to see you."
"Oh, we've already seen Clef, Presea, Hotaru, and Alcyone. Are we going to meet Ascot and the others next?" Umi asked.
"That is right, the others are waiting for you. I just passed boss so he should be there already as well," Ferio smiled.
With Ferio's guidance, the Magic Knights followed him through the corridors of the castle. While some of the rooms they passed were dark and shadowy, they were all unique and luxurious in appearance. Though the girls had already seen some parts of the castle, it still took them by surprise just how large and opulent it all was.
"Ferio, you really look like a prince out of a picture book in that outfit," Hikaru complimented his outfit to lighten the mood.
"I thought I was the only one thinking that," Umi chuckled.
Ferio looked at his get up, before saying, "Yeah, that is sort of the point. Frankly I am still getting used to the idea of being seen as Princess Emeraude's younger brother."
"Has it been difficult to adapt to the role of royalty?" Fuu asked, worried for his wellbeing.
"Everyone knows I am a prince just as a formality," Ferio, chuckled. "As soon as a new pillar is chosen, I will be free to choose my own lot in life. Truthfully speaking, with Hotaru around, I do not need to act as the prince that often."
"That's right," Umi stroked her chin while looking up, "Hotaru would be a big shot hero after everything that happened. Does he have a lot of fans?"
"He says he doesn't have that many people thanking him for his deeds," Ferio answered, taking another turn. "But I can tell that having him around does put people at peace, even though they fear him a bit."
"I suppose we are lucky he is on our side…" Umi and the others chuckled nervously
Eventually, the four of them made it to a pair of large double doors. The doors were green with a golden frame, with several purple and blue gems decorating it. Golden lines ran between the orbs, making the door look like a circuit board.
"In here," Ferio told them, before opening the doors with a touch.
As the doors opened, the girls were surprised by the brightness of the room behind them. Having walked through the dimly lit corridors, the light was blinding. It was like seeing the sun again after walking days in the dark wastelands of Cephiro. As Hikaru was slowly getting used to the light, she heard running footsteps. To her surprise, her field of view suddenly got darker, as a panting, laughing, scantily clad woman ran over to her.
The woman hugged Hikaru tightly, causing her to freeze in place, as she felt her caressing the back of her head. It was only as she heard her talk that Hikaru remembered who she was.
"Long time no see, missies!" The woman greeted them cheerfully in a thick Osaka accent.
"Oh my!" Fuu blushed slightly.
"Caldina!" Umi greeted her cheerfully.
Finally getting the chance to breathe, Hikaru took a step back, "Caldina, you're all right!"
"Ya look as cheerful as ever, Hikaru," Caldina smiled back at her.
The dark-skinned illusionist's new outfit consisted essentially of only a single gold and off-white leotard, accessories, and a white, overly long shawl. Though it seemed risqué, it seemed like everyone else was already used to it.
Having gotten past Caldina's new set, they noticed a large figure moving towards them. A tall, muscular blond man in blue armor approached them leisurely. Though he had an air of sternness, it was clear the man was happy to see them all.
"Lafarga too!" Hikaru yelled, before letting out a relieved smile "Thank goodness. You were all in the castle."
"Everyone is safe," Lafarga said with a smile. "Every inhabitant of Cephiro has evacuated into this castle."
Relieved to hear this, the Magic Knights entered the round, brightly lit room, looking around curiously. It had green futuristic walls, with silver pillars that held up a concave, bluish metallic ceiling. The floor had a burgundy fitted carpet and walls had large golden ornaments with nearly black orbs. The room was furnished with green, modern-looking furniture with round sloping curves.
"But if all the buildings have been destroyed, why is this castle still here?" Umi asked, looking around the place.
"It was made by all the sorcerers and summoners led by Master Mage Clef," Caldina answered, "namely, through the power of those with strong wills. Hotaru and Alcyone were there to lend a hand too."
"I see, so this is what goes through their twisted minds," Umi joked, referring to the insides of the castle.
Before she could start laughing, she was interrupted by a single cough. Turning around, she could see Alcyone leaning against one of the green walls. Though not saying anything, Umi could tell that she was already in a bad mood. As the other two Magic Knights looked around, they couldn't spot Hotaru anywhere.
To change the topic of conversation, Lafarga continued, "But it won't last for long."
"Yeah…" Caldina sighed depressed. "It's the end if Cephiro itself collapses."
A sombre silence fell upon the gathering, as they all realized the limited scope of this moment of respite. In the midst of silence, Hikaru and the others spotted a tall figure peeking out from behind one of the pillars. Before they could address them, a pained yell echoed throughout the castle corridors.
"SON OF A SAGGING WHORE!" they heard through the open door. "WHO FROZE THE THRONEROOM FLOOR!?"
The Magic Knights turned to look at the obvious culprit, who was covering her mouth with her eyes widened. Alcyone looked as if she was both sorry and terrified at the same time. She was about to rush back into the throneroom, as two figures teleported into the room.
The first figure was Master Mage Clef who was standing in his usual get up, with his large staff held up high in his right hand. The other figure was Hotaru, who was kneeling on the floor on all fours, still wearing his Escudo armor. The brunette young man was swearing under his breath, rubbing his backside, before turning towards another youth.
"God dammit Ferio, you should have told me the meeting was in your apartment!" Hotaru grunted, getting up slowly.
"You said you knew where to go," Ferio said defensively, before being shoved aside.
Alcyone rushed over to Hotaru, helping him up gently, "I am so sorry! Are you okay, darling?
Realizing all too late Alcyone had been the one responsible and that she had heard him, Hotaru blushed and calmed down a bit. While she may have caused this, he had a pretty good idea from Clef why she had done it. And knowing how much Alcyone liked taking care of him, he didn't want to turn down her help.
"Yeah, I just…" Hotaru gasped in pain, his hip aching badly, "overreacted a bit."
"Really now Hotaru," Caldina scolded him with her hands on her hips. "Ya parade around making it seem like yer indestructible, but then a single fall makes ya grouse like an old man."
Hearing Alcyone snarling under her breath, Hotaru quickly quipped while sitting down on a couch, "Hay, if I walked around with Tungsten Defense always active, I could have crashed the party right on top of you."
Before Caldina could snark back, she noticed the one remaining wall flower peeking out from behind a pillar again, "Don't stand in the corner like that. Come over here!"
Expecting Caldina to have to drag them out, Hotaru was surprised to see Ascot walk out from behind the pillar on his own. The teenager who only a few days ago had still been shorter than Hotaru, was now as tall as he was. The robe that had been somewhat oversized now fit his stature perfectly. Its green details around the sleeves, the center front, collar and lapels were now more prominently displayed. His heavy golden necklace, waistband, ribbons, and black hat also fit him better.
The Magic Knights on the other hand, were just as confused by his appearance as always.
"Your clothes look like what Ascot was wearing…" Umi said, trying to peace it together. "Are you a summoner?"
"U-Um…" the youngster stuttered.
"Ahahaha~" Caldina laughed before leaning against him and patting his shoulder. "What are ya bein' so silly for already? This kid is Ascot."
"Eeeeh!?" the Magic Knights yelled in amazement.
"You were right," Alcyone whispered to Hotaru, sitting next to him. "We should have gotten one of those camera things for when they found out."
"You're joking!" Umi yelled, rushing over to compare heights. "I mean last time I saw him; he had already grown somewhat! But now he looks like Hotaru's brother!"
"Ahahaha~! They do look quite similar now! But ya see, Ascot grew all for you Umi…" Caldina laughed again, before being grabbed from behind.
"Caldina!" Ascot covered her mouth while blushing.
Seeing Ascot beginning to choke Caldina, Hotaru spoke out, "Muscat over there decided that he wanted to show you how much he had matured since you last talked."
"Oh really?" Umi said with a smile. "You sure grew up, Ascot. I can't look at your eyes without looking up now."
"A-Arigato…" Ascot thanked her, still blushing deeply.
"Ascot, please let go of Caldina," Clef instructed him.
Realizing he was still holding onto her, Ascot let go of Caldina quickly. As Caldina was panting and catching her breath, she couldn't deny that Ascot's strength had grown proportional to his size. However, she couldn't just let her little brother treat a woman so harshly without repercussions.
Staring at Ascot angrily, Caldina wheezed, "I thought I was gonna die!"
"S-Sorry," Ascot stuttered.
The Magic Knights and their friends continued changing pleasantries, during which Fuu healed Hotaru's hip. Everyone was glad to be together again; the four heroes, the four villains, and Ferio and Clef in the middle. Even Sierra and Presea joined in on them a bit later, bringing Mokona along with them. By Hotaru's suggestion, they had Mokona spawn them a punch bowl and some snacks.
Just as the meeting was about to turn into a welcome party, the doors of Ferio's apartment opened up. Walking down the corridor, they saw a tall man with short black hair. He wore black armor with silver trims and blue orbs, as well as a wide, full-length, light blue mantle. Two black pieces of cloth, pinned under a white belt, framed his waist until the ankles. Around his head, he wore a golden circlet with no decorations.
In his arms, the man carried an unconscious young woman with long, dark blonde hair and pale skin. She wore a simple dress consisting of a red top and a white skirt, and a pair of furred shoes.
Though to the eyes of the Magic Knights he looked like a knight in shining armor, the silence of the room spoke otherwise. Everyone just stood and stared quietly at the man, who walked over to them leisurely. As he stepped into the light, it became apparent his left pauldron was partially covered in blood. Though no one said anything, there was a clear staring contest between the room's three armored warriors.
Before Clef could ask who the girl was, Hikaru ran up to the stranger first, "Are you hurt?"
With a deep yet quiet voice, the man answered, "This is not my blood."
Hearing his voice, Hikaru froze in place, staring at him with her mouth agape.
This voice… I've heard it somewhere…
"Like he said…" a high-pitched nagging voice snapped Hikaru out of her thoughts.
A small, less than a foot tall winged woman appeared from behind the tall man's shoulder. She had a pale-complexion with amber eyes, and long turquoise blue hair in an odango style. Her wings were white and butterfly-shaped, yet had no patterns. She wore a short pink dress lined with gold as well as a matching choker and bracelets, and pink high heels.
She landed on the tall man's shoulder and pointed her finger up, "This isn't Lantis's blood!"
"A-A fairy?" Hikaru blinked, seeing one for the first time.
"Yup, I'm Primera, a fairy. And this is Lantis," she introduced themselves as an item.
Ignoring Primera to her chagrin, Lantis carried the girl he was holding up over to where Hotaru and Alcyone were sitting. They moved out of the way, letting Lantis place the unconscious girl on the green couch. While making sure she was fine, he heard the three young women behind her introduce themselves.
"I'm Shidou Hikaru," she introduced herself formally
"Umi Ryuuzaki," Umi bowed, placing her hand on her chest.
"My name is Fuu Hououji," Fuu curtsied.
Watching from the side, Hotaru could see Lantis scowling and trembling for a moment, before he closed his eyes.
After calming down, Lantis spoke stoically, "So you three are the legendary Magic Knights?"
Fully unaware of Lantis's emotional turmoil, Hikaru asked, "Lantis, if you aren't hurt, where is that blood from?"
"This is the blood of monsters that remain on this world," he answered matter-of-factly.
"M-Monsters?!" Hikaru stuttered.
"They still exist?" Umi gasped.
"The monsters of Cephiro are manifestations of the heart. Given Cephiro's current condition, no one could be unconcerned."
"I see…" Hikaru listened to Lantis's explanation.
"And this lady here?" Fuu asked, remembering the last time an unconscious lady was brought in.
"It seems she didn't evacuate in time."
"Yep," Primera spoke out happily, floating in front of Hikaru's face, "Lantis sensed her presence from the castle and went to save her."
While this was impressive to her, Hikaru was more concerned seeing something red oozing from underneath Lantis's vambrace.
"So, you are hurt after all," Hikaru gasped, rushing over to inspect the wound. "Fuu, your magic."
"Right."
Just as Fuu was about to cast her Winds of Healing again, Primera flew up in her face, "No!"
Watching Primera shooing Hikaru away from Lantis and prying her hand away, Hotaru and Alcyone looked at each other, before rolling their eyes.
"I can now see why you don't like it when I get jealous," Hotaru sighed.
"At least you're not as bad as that annoying insect," Alcyone rubbed her temples.
This time Primera flew in front of her Alcyone and pointed at her angrily, "Who are you calling an insect, boob witch!"
"Boob witch!?" Alcyone roared angrily, before trying to swat the fairy like a common fly. "Why you insolent little gnat!"
"That's what you are! You go around showing off your big breasts, trying to bewitch men!" Primera accused, pointing at Alcyone repeatedly while hovering around her.
"Oh, that is it!" Alcyone eyes narrowed before trying to grab Primera.
Hotaru shook his head, slightly amused by all this. As soon as Lantis had brought Primera over, Alcyone and her had gotten off on a bad foot. Just as Hotaru remembered, Primera was extremely jealous of any woman larger than her who got near Lantis. With Alcyone being the tallest woman around, Primera had apparently gone with prison logic and challenged her to assert dominance. This had backfired spectacularly, as Alcyone had opened fire without hesitation. Despite having cheated death, the fairy had antagonized Alcyone plenty of times since then.
Seeing Alcyone now chasing Primera without her bident-like staff, told Hotaru that the two of them were getting along better. In fact, while the Magic Knights were finding all of this quite strange, the long-term residents of the sanctuary were also chuckling at this game of cat and mouse.
With Fuu having healed Lantis's hand in the meanwhile, Lantis stood up and faced Hikaru, "Take care of this woman."
As Lantis began to take his leave he was stopped by Lafarga, "Why didn't you report that there were people who had not evacuated?"
The two swordsmen looked at each other sternly for a moment, before Lantis answered, "It was just a single person. It wasn't worth mentioning."
As the two former royal swordsmen continued their staring contest, Hotaru butted in casually, "Single or not, it is amazing she managed to survive this long outside the Sanctuary. Did she mention anything about any other refugees?"
Knowing how persuasive Hotaru could be, Lantis relented, staring at his bloody pauldron, "If there were any, they had already been killed by the monster."
"That is a shame," Hotaru sighed pensively, mourning the loss of Cephiro's limited citizens, "but it doesn't mean you can't stick around."
"Thank you for the offer," Lantis nodded, before turning his back on Hotaru and taking his leave.
"Wait, Lantis!" Primera yelled, chasing after him.
As Primera was about to catch up to her knight in shining armor, a horrifying beast appeared in front of her, "PUPUU!"
Primera flew straight into Mokona, causing the two small fays to fall down. Whereas Mokona landed softly on its paws, Primera faceplanted onto the ground. Stroking her head for a moment, Primera turned angrily towards Mokona.
"What are you doing, you fluff ball!"
"Pupuu, pupu pupupuu!" Mokona chirped, spreading its arms to block Primera.
"Jeez! Get out of my way!"
Just before Primera was about to lose her temper completely, a dark shadow fell upon her. For a moment the fairy thought the witch was back, making a cold shiver run down her spine. But as she saw two red sleeved arms pick up Mokona, a wave of relief hit her.
"Jeez, you made me lose track of Lantis!" Primera whined, before flying after him again.
With Mokona lying comfortably in her arms, Hikaru couldn't help but think of Lantis, "That voice… I remember hearing it somewhere…"
"You should recognize it," Lafarga stated directly. "Lantis over there is the younger brother of High Priest Zagato."
"Younger brother?" Hikaru gasped, her heart sinking.
"Zagato's?" Umi blinked confused.
"Yeah, we were all surprised by it as well," Hotaru scratched his cheek tiredly. "Apparently, he recently returned from Autozam. He has helped me in gaining some information about them."
"Autozam?" the Magic Knights gasped.
"Honestly it came as a shock to us," Caldina spoke out, referring to her and Ascot. "We never even heard of Zagato having a younger brother."
Alcyone nodded, "Not even I knew about him. Honestly, I am glad he was away. Had Lantis fought alongside Zagato, I am sure Cephiro would have been lost forever."
Hotaru was about to brush aside such notions, until the realization of Alcyone being right struck him. He may have changed the course of events in Cephiro quite a lot, but nothing could have prepared him for the Zagato brothers teaming up. Though it was unlikely, the sudden feeling of him having dodged a bullet was there. Nevertheless, he needed to be extra careful not to cause any upsets to the canonical timeline in these delicate times.
"Master Mage Clef," Hikaru addressed the oldest person in the room, "why do you think Lantis returned now?"
Clef shook his head softly, "There are plenty of reasons, but I can only speculate at the moment. All I know is he came back upon sensing Princess Emeraude's death."
A twinge of pain throbbing in her heart, Hikaru softly whispered the name of the man she had wronged.
The hum of the engines seemed omnipresent as Eagle paced across the corridors of his battleship. After his defeat, he had sent his FTO to be repaired and updated, and went ahead to take a nap. Yet he hadn't been able to fall asleep. Thoughts of the battle were repeating over and over in his mind, as FTO had never been damaged to this degree before. Not to mention, while he had plenty of information on Cephiro and the Magic Knights, he had never heard of this Commander Hotaru person.
If he wished to get any sleep, he needed answers. And to obtain them, he entered the command center once more. Geo and Zazu were currently going through the data he had recorded during the battle, with Geo leaning back leisurely, while Zazu was working like possessed. As they noticed Eagle arrive, Geo got up quickly and saluted, while Zazu continued staring at his monitor.
"At ease, soldier. Zazu, what is the verdict on our findings?" Eagle asked his eager mechanic.
"The data is still somewhat incomplete, probably due to damaged processors. However, we did manage to get readings on their power output and speed," Zazu explained, processing the data still
"So, can we upgrade the FTO in order to match the Mashins and that Hotaru guy?" Geo asked, leaning against the computer terminal.
"Improvements on the Shield should be a simple process, at which point the FTO will be invulnerable against the Magic Knights. However, I don't know if there really is anything we can do about that giant," Zazu sighed.
"What do you mean?" Eagle asked, slightly tense about the news. "Does Commander Hotaru outclass us to such a degree?"
Must we truly use NSX's most powerful weapons in order to defeat him? Even if my energy sword couldn't cut into him, the Ragna Cannon should be able to destroy him. But how would we keep him in place?
"It's not that, it's just… The FTO is already faster than Commander Hotaru," Zazu explained, pulling up footage of the battle. "The FTO can reach well over hypersonic speeds, whereas that guy clocked slightly over supersonic at his fastest."
The roof of the command tower turned black for a moment, before images of FTO and Commander Hotaru were projected on it. The stats of the two commanders during the battle were placed next to each other, showing a clear advantage on FTO's side.
"Then how come he was able to run circles around Eagle?" Geo asked, staring at the images on the ceiling.
Pushing a few buttons on his keyboard, Zazu brought up high speed footage, "It is a question of acceleration. It takes the FTO about five seconds to reach its max speed. After that, nothing can catch up to it. However, that Hotaru guy is on a whole nother level."
Geo and Eagle watched as the footage was slowed down over and over again, as a timer was placed in the corner of the screen. With data being presented next to the footage, it didn't take Eagle long to figure out what Zazu was talking about.
"Fifty milliseconds…" he said aghast.
"You kidding? That's hundred times faster than FTO!" Geo yelled out. "Even my best reflex tests clock in at only 130 milliseconds!"
Despite the formidableness of his foe, Eagle wasn't perturbed, "Is there any way for FTO to bridge the gap? We need to be able to deal with Commander Hotaru if we wish to have any chance at conquering Cephiro."
"Like with Shield, we could always try to supercharge the power output," Zazu suggested. "The problem however, is that there is no known material that can handle the torque. At its current tensile strength, the FTO would shred itself apart, if the servos don't give up first. Honestly, the fact that that guy can handle such acceleration is even more terrifying than him actually doing so."
Looking at the battle footage with great focus, Eagle studied Hotaru's moves over and over again. With Zazu's analysis, it made sense why none of FTO's weapons had been effective against the commander. Not to mention, he had effortlessly held onto FTO during his first appearance. Strength, acceleration, mobility, durability, reaction speed, Hotaru was currently outmatching him in all those categories.
However, as he viewed his final clash with the Cephiro's (supposed) mightiest, something occurred to him. His foe had not won through the use of sheer force, but through cunning and mind games. Smiling widely, Eagle chuckled as he was reminded of the core tenants of warfare.
"Zazu, don't bother with statistics of FTO," Eagle put his mechanic at ease. "If we wish to win this battle, we need to fight smarter, not harder."
Proud of his commander's words, Geo asked, "Do you have a plan then?"
"Not yet. I know we are working with a deadline, but for now, I suggest we retreat to strategize and rebuild," Eagle commanded his forces. "Necessity is the mother of invention, and we need to be as innovative as possible."
With those words, the NSX changed course, returning back into the space above Cephiro.
Author's Afterword: It feels good to be able to write these chapters at my regular pace again. While I am following a script with the events of the anime, I hope I am changing things enough to keep things interesting. Season two has a pretty slow start to it, so combining episodes does seem to be the way to go.
Another thing season two is notorious for, are all the factions in it. So far, we have two commanders trying to outwit one another and all the armies haven't arrived yet. However, what the two of them will soon find out is that war is not chess, it is chaos.
Also, Primera finally showed up. While I do not hold her in high regard, I was immediately able to see her and Alcyone butting heads. It is a good way of showing that Alcyone still has that villainous side to her, despite having mellowed down a bit.
Now some of the fans of the show may have noticed I left out Debonair's appearance from the end of episode 3. I wanted to add some scenes with the Autozam boys working together and problem solving, and felt it was a more fitting ending for the chapter. As for what comes to the true enemy of this season, we're going to get a lot more of them next time…
As always, reviews and speculations are welcomed and appreciated. This time my thanks go to merendinoemiliano and our recurring anonymous Guest for your reviews on the last chapter!