Magic Knight Rayearth: Saving the Villainess

by HORRIOR

After meeting his end in an accident, Hotaru ends up reincarnated in Tokyo Japan, only to find out this world may not be as mundane as he first thought it to be. After stowing away in on someone else's adventure, he finds out that maybe he wasn't as uninvited as he thought. The usual retelling of MKR anime with an extra character, done in the honor of 30th anniversary.

29. Princesses, Spirits, and Heavy Metal

It had only been a day since the forces of Fahren retreated from Cephiro's airspace. And yet the Dome of Fahren once more glided across the broken country's clouds while letting out eagle-like screeches. With the massive flame burning above its head brightly, the several kilometers long robotic dragon rowed its wings while slowly approaching. Its body undulated from side to side and up and down, as its wings rowed forward.

Inside the dragon's imperial throne room, the invasion force's three head executives sat on and stood around a black wooden throne. These being two children and an old man, all dressed up in silken robes of red and purple.

"Aa-aah-hahahahaha!" Aska laughed behind her fan, trying to appear dignified. "We retreated just like Sang Yung said, but it's time to try again! Aa-aah-hahahahaha!"

"But Lady Aska, you just moped around eating snacks before going to bed," the elder, Chang Ang, pointed out while leaning against his staff. "Did you even prepare a new strategy?"

"No, but we are well rested now!" Aska answered proudly, causing her aides to pratfall.

Getting up standing with great difficulty, Chang Ang looked at the princess sternly, "Lady Aska, you need to take this seriously! We already lost one of the great illusion-scrolls and the golden string! You can't be so—"

"Silence!" Aska pointed her fan at the elder aggressively. "This time my mind is clear and we will not lose focus when fighting those armored giants! Aa-aah-hahahahaha! Come, Sang Yung. Do as we do."

The beady eyed young boy standing right of Aska stared and blinked at her confused, "Huh?"

"Come, with me like this," Aska instructed, before bringing her hand to her chin and tilting her head back. "Aa-aah-hahahahaha!"

"O-Okay," Sang Yung sighed embarrassedly, before mimicking the princess. "Oo-ooh-hohohohoho!"

"Aa-aah-hahahahaha!"

"Oo-ooh-hohohohoho!"

"That's it! That's it!"

While the children were laughing, Chang Ang stood to the side of them awkwardly. While these laughing practices didn't help them in the slightest, at least the children were having fun. But as he looked into the giant crystal ball at the center of the imperial throne room, he spotted an alarming sight.

Gasping out loud, he turned to the first princess of Fahren, "Lady Aska!"

"What? You too, Chang Ang?" Aska asked innocently. "First, lift your hand like this. Aa-aah-hahahahaha!"

"L-Like this?" Chang Ang asked with a slight fluster before laughing in a raspy voice. "Aaah-hoh-hohahohaha!"

The two kids looked at the elder nervously, with Aska stuttering, "W-When you do it, it's creepy…"

Frustrated, Chang Ang straightened himself up before getting serious, "This is no time for such things! Will you please look at that?"

As all three of them turned towards the crystal ball, they saw a large floating structure made out of stone, vegetation, and gold. It was round at the top, tapered down at the bottom, and had a long spout-like extension coming from the front of it.

Aska gasped with her eyes wide, "What is that… curry pot?"

This caused her aides to pratfall once more, as Aska's guess was further off than they could have ever imagined. With Sang Yung sitting up on the floor and Chang Ang collecting himself, the elder turned towards her angrily.

"Lady Aska! You truly have been lax in your studies!"

"Silence! We will move your comment aside for later," Aska said, pantomiming putting away a box, before turning to her other aide. "Sang Yung, what is that?"

"The Bravada," Sang Yung answered in a grim tone, "the mobile fortress of our neighboring country, Chizeta."

"Chizeta? That tiny country?" Aska asked, having mostly dismissed their smaller neighbor.

---

Floating gracefully across the skies of Cephiro, the Bravada was a masterpiece of opulence and art. The base of the ship was a gigantic golden, round mega structure. Its bottom part was a symmetrical cluster of giant spikes that were used for getting cargo on and off the ship. Its center was a massive, ornately carved sphere formed out of giant interlocking panels, with tall spikes thrusting upwards in an angle from its top half. At the top of the sphere was a golden colosseum with a curved round roof, with a golden palace on top of it. The palace was formed out of four large side towers that surrounded a larger center tower. The towers were connected via golden, arched bridges, and topped with ruby red onion domes.

The golden mega structure was surrounded by what could only be described as a floating landscape. A large chunk of bedrock clung to the sides of the golden sphere, increasing Bravada's size by more than double. It was widest at the sides and tapered at the front and back. The back curved into a handle-like stone formation, while the front extended into a narrow tip. The tip was carved in the image of Chizeta's queen, wearing an elegant yet revealing suit of armor. On the figurehead's chest there was a huge blue spherical sapphire and above its head a diamond shaped hole that had been fashioned into a headdress.

Above the landmass, grew a massive tropical forest, filled with lush trees and undergrowth. Almost every single type of plant that could be found on Chizeta and neighboring countries could be found in the forest. In addition to plant life, there were golden guard towers topped off with red onion domes.

Together with the mountainous cliffside and the forests on top of it, the Bravada mimicked the shape of an Arabic oil lamp.

While the Bravada was extravagant on the outside, its insides were just as ostentatious. The royal quarters alone were a vast open space with an obscenely high ceiling. The center of the room was a huge indoor swimming pool with walkways and an islet at the center of it. The pool was surrounded by lilac marble walls, with large golden oil lamp shaped fountains pouring water into the pool. Above the walls, there were golden pillars that held up the fifty-meter-tall ceiling, along with turquoise and purple arches. Beyond the archways, surrounding the pool, there was a huge indoor garden.

From the center islet, a staircase led up to a raised platform that was partially covered by huge red curtains. On the islet, stood several tan, red-haired pilots, in front of floating balls, each one dressed in yellow dancer outfits and turbans. At the top of the staircase, stood a young woman with green eyes and red hair pulled into a thick braid at the top of her head. She wore a sleeveless red top that stopped under her chest, red underwear, a yellow half skirt along the back of her waist, and gold jewelry.

From atop the platform, she stared forward at a massive monitor, framed by orange curtains, that took up the entire front wall of the royal quarters. From the monitor, she could see a barren rocky wasteland, as well as a crystal castle that matched the size and scale of the Bravada.

"That is Cephiro, the country of magic?" she asked pompously.

"My, that is Cephiro?" a voice behind her giggled light heartedly. "It's so small. Isn't it almost as small as our country?"

"Geeeh! Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!" the first woman ranted and shook her head, before turning around. "We finally got here to Cephiro! I'm getting' in the mood so don't get in my way, Sister Tatra!"

Tatra looked very similar to her sister, also having green eyes and long, wavy red hair. She was dressed in a sleeveless yellow top with puffy white cut out sleeves. Her lower body was covered by a skirt identical to her sister's as well as white harem pants. She wore a matching set of golden choker, earrings, and headpiece, the latter of which was decorated with a large triangular garnet. Also, she was tearing up.

"You're so mean, Tarta," Tatra wept, wiping away her tears. "And I'm the elder sibling…"

Seeing her sensitive older sister start crying, a sinking feeling struck Tarta. She knew Tatra took her scoldings seriously and liked to baby Tarta, but she couldn't let her waterworks manipulate her every time.

Coughing to clear her throat, Tarta changed the subject and pointed at the monitor, "Anyway. That land… Cephiro will be taken by us, Chizeta!"

---

After making it back home with the help of Fuu and Umi, Hikaru had been exhausted after several major battles throughout the day. Her friends had carried her to their shared bedroom, where she had slept ten hours straight. Once she woke up, she was still tired and her body was sore from exerting herself. Umi, Fuu, and Mokona had pampered her by feeding her and making sure she stayed hydrated, before switching over to tea and snacks.

Once Hikaru was feeling well enough to get out of bed, the girls had bumped into Ascot, Caldina, Ferio, Lafarga, Presea, and Sierra. The women had been so happy to see Hikaru healthy and well that they had almost hugged the little red-head till she popped. Ascot and Umi had exchanged a few awkward compliments, while Ferio had been happy to see that Fuu was okay.

Having made it out of the hug-a-thon, Hikaru had shared tales of her battle with Nova. She had recounted her battle alongside Eagle and Lantis, as well as her encounter with Debonair, which blew away all of their expectations. However, the confirmation that all that Hotaru had told them about Nova and Regalia was true, worried them even more. After all, they were now dealing with five such individuals.

As the mood was getting dangerously glum, Caldina had suggested that they all take a bath to warm their hearts. While this idea seemed silly at first, Caldina's reasoning and Hikaru still needing rest made everyone agree with the plan. Caldina had teased that the guys would join them, however Lafarga and Ascot had turned down the offer outright, and Ferio had gained a vicious side-eye from Fuu.

About thirty minutes later, the women found themselves within the golden walls of the bathhouse. A Mokona-shaped stone statue poured warm water into the upper bath from its mouth, which then flowed through grooves of the edge into the lower bath. The sound of flowing water and rising steam created a tranquil and blissful atmosphere, making the women relax and warm up.

The women were all wearing towels to the bath, as the Magic Knights were with them. In addition, Mokona was floating in the water on its back, staying perfectly still to the point of looking like a bath toy. Hikaru, who had lost her bow in the battle against Nova, had her hair down, while Umi and Caldina had tied their hair up.

"Yeah…" Caldina sighed in a relaxed manner, slowly chest stroke swimming. "Today's a nice day for a bath."

Letting a relaxed sigh as well, Umi smiled, "So Cephiro has baths like this too."

Sitting quietly at a shallow part of the bath, Hikaru was staring forward tiredly. The bath did help her relax physically, but mentally she was still wound up.

"Hikaru," Presea addressed her with a gentle voice. "Did you get hurt during the battle? Is your sword okay?"

Forcing a smile, Hikaru shook her head quickly, "N-No reason to worry! Fuu healed my injuries and thanks to Hotaru's information, I knew to keep my guard up. I-I had nothing to fear with Eagle and Lantis with me."

Despite her brave words, Hikaru was still worried. Last night she had been able to rest without nightmares, which told that Nova had stopped harassing her in her dreams. But now she could appear in the real world. In addition, while she had thought she could convince Nova to join their side, she had underestimated how warped Nova's world view was.

Nova… How can I convince you that I am not your enemy? And what about your siblings? I could never go against my older brothers and would always listen to them. If you truly see Romeo as your big brother, then I would first have to convince him to change…

Seeing Hikaru was down, Caldina swam up to her, before striking up a conversation, "Hey, Hikaru. I never realized how long your hair was."

"Huh?" Hikaru blinked, snapping out of thought, before stroking her long hair. "I-Is it?"

"It is hard to tell because it is always braided," Fuu pointed out, already used to it.

"It looks cute long and down," Umi smiled, complimenting both Hikaru and herself.

"I-I'm not cute at all!" Hikaru said defensively while blushing. "Everyone says I'm like a boy…"

"You are cute," Umi said without hesitation.

"I believe you are cut as well," Fuu agreed.

While blushing at the other's compliments, Hikaru was shocked as Caldina all of a sudden emerged from underwater next to her. The swarthy-skinned dancer stood up straight in front of her, looking refreshed and barely covered up by the towel she wore on her shoulders.

"What, Hikaru… Ya don't hear often that you're cute?" Caldina asked, smiling sisterly at Hikaru.

Getting over the shock, Hikaru answered self-consciously, "My brothers always tell me that, but not other guys. Aside from the ones from Autozam…"

Caldina spontaneously grabbed Hikaru into her embrace, rubbing her cheek against Hikaru's red hair, "If they can't see how cute this here pretty and miniature Hikaru is, guys from the other world don't know how to look at women!"

Having her face buried in Caldina's cleavage, Hikaru said with a blush, "Y-You're suffocating me…"

Hearing this, Caldina let go of her before taking a step back, "Sorry 'bout that."

"C-Caldina, you have big breasts," Hikaru complimented her back, to the best of her ability.

"Aaa-hahahahaaa!" Caldina laughed proudly before leaning forward. "Presea's and Sierra's are larger than you'd expect too."

"C-Caldina!" Sierra stuttered, before being smacked on her back by her sister.

"Come on Sierra, you need to have some confidence in your body!" Presea smiled widely, before whispering. "Otherwise, you make me feel bad too…"

Before the girls could continue their discussion, they heard a door being opened and then slammed shut violently. As they were high up, they couldn't quite see who it was. But once they quieted down, they could hear bare footsteps walking up the stairs on the side of the upper bath. Soon they could see Alcyone's head peeking up from the side of the bath, and a little bit later, the rest of her.

The tall voluptuous sorceress with ankle length black hair wasn't wearing a towel, which caused the Magic Knights to blush. Despite the gazes and dress code violation, she walked into the bath with loud steps. Her long hair only provided little cover to her front, and was quickly brushed aside as she lowered herself in the water. Though the Magic Knights had shared a room with her for about a week, Alcyone had never been this brazen about her nudity before. But as she got closer, they could all tell that Alcyone wasn't showing off.

"Alcyone, are ya alright?" Caldina asked, being the only one who dared to.

Leaning against the side of the pool with her breasts floating on water, Alcyone glared at her coldly, "What do you think?"

"I think you are bothered by something?" Caldina smiled awkwardly.

"Is it something to do with Mr. Hotaru again?" Fuu asked concernedly, adjusting her towel.

Still brooding, Alcyone looked quietly forward before answering reluctantly, "He revealed some new information again…"

"Was it something bad?" Hikaru asked, afraid of it being more bad news.

"Not bad, just… personal," Alcyone admitted begrudgingly. "He told me about my fates in different adaptations of our story and why he tried to protect me, and… Look! The point is I am trying to decide whether I should still be mad at him or not!"

The other women stared at her with blank expressions, having expected something far more serious. Though they knew Alcyone could be grudgeful, this seemed petty even for her.

"Come now, Alcyone. Why would you still be angry at him?" Umi asked, her hands on her hips. "Sure, he lied about who he was, but he did it for what he deemed to be the right reasons."

"Ms. Umi, yesterday you were just as angry at him for those specific reasons," Fuu reminded her friend.

"He did more than just lie to me…" Alcyone said quietly, before lowering herself further into the warm water. "The point is, I am trying to figure out whether I should break up with Hotaru… Martin… whoever he is; or give him another chance."

"What did he do?" Caldina asked aghast.

"Did he cheat on you?" Sierra asked. "That is what my ex did to me…"

Presea turned to look at Sierra in a shock, "What the?! I thought you said that your ex-boyfriend died!"

"He did," Sierra nodded. "However, he died three years after we broke up because of Zagato's forces."

Good riddance, Alcyone thought, before realizing she might've been the one responsible, so she instead sighed deeply, "No… Hotaru didn't cheat on me… if he did, he wouldn't be alive."

"Ya sure? Your track record for killin' him isn't the best," Caldina pointed out bluntly, earning another vicious glare from Alcyone. "Did he try to drug ya? I had a client who once tried that, he don't walk no more."

"No… it wasn't that either," Alcyone sweated nervously.

"Was he abusive?" Hikaru asked worriedly. "My brothers always tell me not to get involved with people who don't treat me right."

"What good brothers you have!" Umi said happily while hugging her shorter friend. "My mom and dad always tell me not to get into a relationship with someone who just lazes around all day."

Seeing her friends getting close, Fuu smiled and laughed, "My parents always told me not to get involved with ruffians, but I guess we all got involved with Hotaru already."

As the others laughed at Fuu's joke, Alcyone couldn't help but sigh, feeling a bit childish now. While Hotaru sleeping with her while pretending to be someone he wasn't, had hurt her, he could have done worse. Furthermore, while she couldn't trust that he would never lie to her again, she was convinced Hotaru hadn't hurt her on purpose.

Maybe I overreacted… Hotaru has treated me well despite everything else that has happened. We all make mistakes. Who am I to deny him forgiveness, when I myself always begged for another chance after failing Zagato? It is settled!

Feeling confident about her choice, Alcyone stood up in the bath clenching her fist determinedly. As she looked towards the future, she couldn't hope but notice the others staring. Realizing she had gotten carried away in her own thoughts, Alcyone shirked slightly from the embarrassment. But as the Magic Knights continued staring, Alcyone realized it wasn't due to her sporadic moments.

"Come on Alcyone, yer gonna make these little missies feel self-conscious about themselves with your large chest!" Caldina smiled jokingly, having been beaten as well.

"Again with this topic…" Alcyone facepalmed while shaking her head. "To think I once thought only men stared at women's breasts…"

"Oh it's just that they're really impressive," Umi smiled amusedly. "Not even my mom has a pair that big."

Listening to the conversation, Hikaru asked innocently, "Do men like big breasts?"

"Eh?" the others gasped and turned to look at Hikaru in unison.

"Eh- Uhm…" Hikaru blushed while stuttering, having not expected such a strong reaction. "I don't have any, so, um… I was thinking if you had large breasts, it would be nice and soft, and…"

"It depends on the man," Alcyone interrupted her, before leaning against the side again, spreading her arms along the edge of the bath. "Zagato obviously didn't care for their size…"

"What about Mr. Hotaru?" Fuu asked curiously.

"…Yes," Alcyone blushed, smiling a bit, "he appreciates them."

Turning back to Hikaru, Umi asked supportively, "Do you have someone on your mind?"

"U-Uh it's not that," Hikaru blushed again, staring at her lap nervously. "I mean… maybe."

---

In the western tower, one floor above the luxurious two-story bathhouse, was a boxy room with wooden floors and wall panels. The ceiling was made out of yellowish grey stone with small stalactites and lit by yellowish light giving crystals protruding from it. It was about the size of a regular living-room and had several tiered wooden benches along the walls. There was a large metal stove filled with glowing hot rocks and a metal cage over them, as well as wooden railings around that, at the corner opposite to the seats. The door to the room was heavy, covered in wooden panels from the inside, and had a small rectangular window at the top of it. In the corner closest to the door, there was a metal faucet with a wooden valve.

Sitting alone and naked on one of the benches, was Hotaru, who was chucking water onto the hot rocks from a pail with a ladle. When the Sanctuary was first created, he had been happy to find out that his influence had caused a sauna to be added. After all, aside from Alcyone, he had been the only one who knew the purpose of this room. He had hoped to share a few steamy moments with Alcyone during his week of vacation, but the icy sorceress wasn't too keen on revisiting a steam room so early.

Now that that plan was dead in the water, Hotaru was just trying to get time for himself and his thoughts. He had figured that the sauna would allow him to relax, clean up, and clear his mind. While his relations with Alcyone were better than he had first hoped, things were still up in the air. And while he knew a lot about the foes they all would be facing, he wished he knew more. He could guess that their shadows knew the same magic that he and the others did, but there was more to it.

I know more about you than you could imagine, Romeo's words echoed in his mind.

That little imp is hiding something. There is no way he would have known how to speak English if he didn't have my past knowledge. Did Nova always have Hikaru's memories? No… she wouldn't have been so easily manipulated if that were the case. But if Romeo does have the information that I have, then that will completely eliminate any advantage we might possess! I need to be smart about this… What move would I make if I was one of the bad guys?

Deep in thought, Hotaru stirred from his trance by a loud clicking sound, as the door of the sauna was opened. Surprised by this, Hotaru straightened and covered up, trying to look proper, until he saw who it was. In single file, Ferio, Lafarga, Ascot, and even Lantis marched into the sauna, all wearing towels around their waists.

"Phew! It's hot in here!" Ferio called out cheerfully, stepping in first and going to the back of the sauna.

"It really is just like Umi described it," Ascot panted, waving himself with his hand.

"I feel like I should have come here more often after training," Lafarga thought out loud, climbing onto the highest benches. "Perfect for acclimating one to the heat of battle."

Lantis remained quiet, but did wipe sweat off of his brow before sitting high up as well, giving a respectable clearance to Lafarga, "This reminds me of a Chizetan steam house."

Finding his lone corner in the Sanctuary all of a sudden bustling, it took a moment before Hotaru could relax and lean back again. Once he did, he looked forward with a dead-pan expression, realizing what this was all about.

"Is this an intervention or something?" Hotaru asked jadedly.

"Inter-what?" Ascot asked, pouring water on his head to cool down.

"We just came over to talk with you, boss," Ferio answered with a friendly smile. "I know we all treated you coldly yesterday, but after giving it some thought, we realized we are still friends."

"You may have kept a secret from us, but you still fought to save this country," Lafarga said in a stern yet fair tone. "In fact, I've come to realize your motives for wanting to keep it all hidden…"

As Lafarga's tone got serious, the others in the room also went quiet. Hotaru's information had affected them all in ways they had never dreamt possible, and some of them still didn't want to believe it. But facts spoke louder than beliefs and Hotaru's actions even louder than that.

Looking at everyone else, Hotaru could tell what they were all going through, "Yeah, learning you are part of pre-set events can come across as… overwhelming. I was fourteen when I found out. After first being excited about it, I saw everything in a new light which made me question everything I knew. It took a whole year for me to get used to it."

"Well then, as someone older and wiser," Lafarga admitted begrudgingly, "can you tell if we actually have some agency, or are we just pawns of fate?"

Hotaru thought about what to say, before answering, "As long as I have lived in either of these worlds, I have been able to act exactly how I want to. There is no difference to my original world in that regard. As for what comes to the original story of the Magic Knights, I have already witnessed and learnt a lot of things that the story never mentioned."

Having stayed quiet so far, Lantis carefully considered Hotaru's words, "So you're saying our world is no less its own entity as the one where you were exposed to our story?"

"Exactly. Who knows, maybe there is a story somewhere out there about my old world," Hotaru admitted, before splashing more water on the rocks. "In any case, the final evidence will soon come to light."

Scrunching his face due to the increase in temperature, Ferio asked with his eyes closed, "Final evidence?"

"The events of the story I am familiar with will soon be over. Once it comes to an end, one of two things happen. Either this world will stop existing or we will be truly free to live as we like."

The others looked at Hotaru in shock, causing Lantis to cover his face, "Unbelievable… Only you can say something like that so casually."

"…Speaking of the story," Lafarga spoke out, trying to divert everyone's attention from the existential dread, "do you know anything about kidnappings?"

"Kidnappings?" Hotaru asked, tilting his head confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"Before your… briefing, Caldina and I were making sure all the citizens of Cephiro were safe during the fake Alcyone incident," Lafarga explained. "We scoured the residential quarters, but were unable to locate a handful of people. At first, we thought we had just missed them, but today, there were more reports of people going missing, without the previous people being found."

"…There was nothing like that in the original story of the Magic Knights," Hotaru said, terrified by the news.

"Do you think it may have something to do with those new shadows you talked about?" Ferio asked, stroking his chin, trying to be analytical about the situation.

"Most likely…" Hotaru nodded, thinking about it as well. "Otherwise, we are dealing with yet another unknown change my influence has caused. We need to keep a closer eye on the civilians."

As everyone agreed upon Hotaru's suggestion, Ascot swallowed deep before asking, "So ummm… Hotaru. I would like to… Well, for starters I would like to apologize for what I said yesterday."

"No need," Hotaru shook his head. "I know I should have tried harder for Atalante's and others' sake. But your monsters were influential in the growth of Umi, Hikaru, and Fuu."

"Right," Ascot nodded, knowing now his friends hadn't died totally in vain. "Then, can I ask you, what were the authors of the stories you read about us like?"

"...I wouldn't know," Hotaru admitted with a shrug. after thinking about it. "While I enjoyed this story I wasn't exactly a super-fan. There are a ton of other stories I have far greater understanding of, but that information isn't going to help us. But if I had to take a guess, I think they were quite eccentric as… well, this story was very unique to say the least."

Ascot sighed, slightly disappointed to have gained no information on the storytellers, "I see… Is there anything you miss from your original world? Aside from, well, your friends and family that is…"

Hotaru thought back on it, scratching the front of his neck, leaning it up, "Hmmm… Not really. It was a world that was both boring and stressful. No magic, monsters, or the sorts. But… I guess I do miss the music."

"Oh? I never took you for a music lover," Ferio said pleasantly surprised. "I'm sure my skills as a bard can make up for what you're lacking. If you need something more complex, other bards can help me."

Hotaru chuckled, before waving his hand, "Thanks for the offer, but I doubt there is a single bard in Cephiro that could play heavy metal. Hell, I don't think any of my favorite bands are even a thing yet back in Hikaru's and others' world."

"Heavy metal?" Lafarga blinked confusedly. "What sort of music is that?"

"Very loud, aggressive, and energetic," Hotaru listed off. "It is played with electrical instruments that are further boosted by electronic speakers."

"Hmm… Maybe someone in Autozam could have the technology for it," Lantis thought back.

"It does sound like music that you would be interested in," Ferio joked at Hotaru, before looking at him slightly more solemnly. "Now, can I ask you something, boss?"

Seeing Ferio's expression, Hotaru already knew what he was going to ask, but he had the right to know, "Knock yourself out."

Ferio quickly exchanged glances with Lantis, before asking, "Do you think there would have been any way to spare the lives of Zagato and Emeraude?"

Hotaru sighed deeply, before staring towards the sauna stove, while thinking of an answer. He had asked himself that very question a few times back in Tokyo and after arriving in Cephiro. But no matter how he had thought of going about saving Zagato and Emeraude, it just didn't work. While admitting this to anyone on Cephiro would be difficult, doing it to the little brothers of those two, was heartbreaking.

But, despite the familial ties, Hotaru couldn't mince his words, "I could potentially have suggested some form of alternative solution to Emeraude and Zagato, but I am sure they already went through all the options. Moreover, if their lives had been spared, what then? I only arrived in this world after fifteen years of warfare. Zagato was already the most hated person on this planet and Emeraude was responsible by default for all that went down."

Once Hotaru finished speaking, Lantis stated with a heavy heart, "There really was no escaping their fate…"

With Hotaru and Lantis all but confirming it, Ferio sighed deeply, "So there really was nothing I could have done either for Big Sis…"

"You reminded her that she still had family that cared for her," Hotaru said bluntly, trying not to sound overly sappy. "It's more than some people have."

With a somber atmosphere taking over the sauna, they could feel the cold creeping into their hearts. Ascot reached over and threw a little bit of water on the stones, taking Caldina's advice. As the temperature rose by another degree and the room stayed quiet, Lantis looked down at Hotaru from his perch.

"I guess it is my turn now. Martin, when I met with Eagle yesterday, he said he had another reason for becoming the Pillar of Cephiro than just saving Autozam. Since Hikaru and I didn't know what it was, he refused to join our cause. Do you know what he meant by that?"

"Another…" Hotaru blinked, before his eyes widened.

*SMACK*

Everyone jumped as Hotaru facepalmed hard enough for the sound to echo throughout the sauna. Once he pulled his hand away, they could see a red handprint over his face, as he looked forward angrily.

"I can't believe I forgot to mention it… It was such a big part of Eagle's character! I forgot you didn't know about it!" Hotaru kicked himself while pulling on his hair.

"What is it?" Lantis asked worriedly.

"Eagle is sick," Hotaru answered while groaning into his hands. "Sometime… No, as soon as you left Autozam, Eagle was struck by a disease which causes organ failures or something. He doesn't have much time, so he is desperate to become the Pillar of Cephiro, or die trying."

Hearing this, Lantis's stoic expression was shattered as he gasped in horror. He had no idea his best friend had been in such a bad condition, despite having been face to face with him. A spark of anger towards Hotaru's negligence flared up in his eyes, but he knew he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. He needed more information.

"I've heard of this illness," Lantis said analytically, thinking back on his days in Autozam. "It is caused by people over exerting their mental power and is very much fatal. Is there anything that can be done for his illness? Did Eagle survive in the end?"

Hotaru shook his head glumly, "No. Eagle sacrificed himself in order to save you from Nova's clutches. His mech was then destroyed by Debonair, with him in it."

Lantis turned pale, remembering his and Eagle's encounter with Debonair yesterday. A mental image of the FTO exploding flashed before his eyes. He hadn't had any clue as to how close they had been to repeating history back then.

"So… is it inevitable that Eagle will die?" Lantis asked, shaking while trying to remain calm.

"No," Hotaru shook his head. "Just like I have protected Alcyone from her fate and managed to spare Presea from hers, things can change. As for Eagle's disease, I have something in mind, but I make no promises if it will work."

Hearing Hotaru's calm and analytic tone, Lantis calmed down, before asking respectfully. "So, what should our next move be, Martin?"

"Please, just call me Hotaru," he sighed, before thinking about it. "The fact that Hikaru's sword isn't broken is helpful, but we need to try and gain allies as soon as possible. If I am not mistaken, Chizeta and Fahren should be attacking us…"

(Attention everyone!)

"…right about now," Hotaru finished, after being interrupted by Clef.

---

(Everyone, look at the screen on the ceiling!) Clef's voice echoed throughout the bathhouse.

The women stared up above, as the middle of the purple crystal ceiling, which looked like a large black mirror, shone brightly. The image on the mirror switched to what looked like a floating landmass that was held up by a golden art piece.

"This is…" Hikaru gasped, standing up in the pool with the others.

"It's the mobile fortress of Chizeta," Caldina answered, knowing it well. "Bravada, Princess Tatra and Tarta's favorite conveyance."

"You sure know a lot," Hikaru complimented her.

"Did I not tell ya?" Caldina asked, turning towards the Magic Knights. "I'm actually from Chizeta."

"Is that so?" Fuu asked, not remembering this being discussed in Hotaru's briefing.

"I get it," Umi thought about it carefully. "It's not that the people of Cephiro speak in Osaka dialect… Does that mean we will be fighting people with Osaka accents!?"

Caldina blinked at Umi confused, before explaining, "This way of talkin' is only used in parts of Chizeta."

"The poor parts if I'm not mistaken," Alcyone snarked, earning a glare from Caldina this time.

"In any case," Presea interrupted the two ex-villainesses, before turning to Umi and Fuu, "do you still remember what you must do?"

They both nodded, before Umi turned to Hikaru, "We're off."

"Ms. Hikaru, Lady Alcyone, please take care of yourselves and everyone in the castle while we are away."

"B-But should I not come with you?" Hikaru asked, holding her towel up still. "I still have my sword, so I can use Rayearth just fine!"

"Hikaru, you need to rest up still," Umi shook her head in a motherly fashion. "Besides, me and Fuu are supposed to get captured anyway."

"But what if Nova attacks!" Hikaru insisted, spreading her arms, almost causing her towel to fall off. "Or her sisters…"

"It will be fine, Ms. Hikaru," Fuu smiled confidently. "We have a bodyguard."

"Pupu pupu pu-pu-puuuu!" Mokona chirped, floating on its back in the water.

---

The royal vessel of Bravada approached Cephiro's center at a steady pace. Viewing the crystal castle on the giant screen, Princess Tarta felt like a million gold coins. The journey to Cephiro had been a long one, but it appeared that they had made it in time. Though the country looked worn down, what had worried her the most had been the other nations getting here and claiming it first.

Cephiro. It's mostly gone now, but if there's a Pillar, it's a beautiful country of eternal spring.

While Tarta was deep in thought, she tried to ignore her giggling and humming older sister next to her. Neither of them had ever waged war before, but Tarta knew that she needed to be vigilant and look out for every possible angle of assault. A smallest lapse in concentration and their foes might turn the tides on them in but a moment.

"Cephiro, the country of magic," she spoke out loud, trying to hype herself up. "I will make sure that I, Tarta of Chizeta, will own it."

Despite trying to boost her confidence by making a dramatic speech for the history books, her sister Tatra continued giggling next to her. She wasn't laughing at her but was working on her own project, but no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, it kept getting on her nerves.

"And so, I'm making a serious vow," Tarta declared, before asking impatiently. "How long do you intend to be giggling, sister Tatra?"

Turning to look at Tatra, her big sister smiled widely while lifting her project, "But just look,"

In her hands, Tatra was holding a braid made out of over a dozen different types of fruits. They had been skillfully tied together, to a point where it was hard to tell what was holding them together. At first Tarta was impressed by her sister's arts and crafts skills, until she followed the braid all the way to the top. The top of the fruit garland had been tied to her hair braid, making it four times as long.

"It's so cute," Tatra smiled at her little sister proudly, causing her to boil over.

Yelling out in frustration, Tarta shook herself to the left and right rapidly to get the fruits off of her hair. As the fruits flew all over the raised platform, she was close to completely snapping. But by the time her hair was free of produce, Tarta had managed to calm herself down to just regular levels of anger.

"My, and I braided them in for you too," Tatra sighed disappointedly before standing up straight and proper, with her hands held by her waist elegantly.

"Watcha think yer doin'?!" Tarta roared, putting her fists up and gritting her teeth.

Despite her openly hostility, Tatra just giggled at her little sister, "Tarta, your accent."

Ah," Tarta's jaw dropped awkwardly, before she cleared her throat by coughing into her fist. "Ahem… Do you understand, Sister? We promised Father and Mother we would make Cephiro our territory."

"I remember well, Tarta," Tatra smiled at her, before closing her eyes amusedly. "Because our country, Chizeta, is really small, we wanted to expand our territory by becoming the Pillar of Cephiro."

"Exactly!" Tarta yelled out, while pointing at the monitor exaggeratedly.

She pointed at the crystal castle, picturing herself commanding her troops to advance. But as the image on the monitor changed, three figures appeared on it, who were flying towards them. They all wore different kinds of suits of armor, the likes of which she had never seen before.

"W-What's that?" Tarta gasped, staring intently at the screen.

One of them was cobalt with golden highlights, with the head, wings, and tail of a dragon. The second one was emerald with the head, wings, and talons of a bird, golden highlights and silver feathers. The last one was much smaller. A warrior in silver and gold armor with lime green orbs, without any animal motif. Furthermore, they wore no helmet, letting them get a good look at the brunet man. Compared to what they assumed to be a regular human; the two other figures were gigantic.

"Oh my! They seem tough." Tatra gasped happily, clapping her hands before turning to her sister. "It seems we may lose."

Holding back her ire, Tarta turned to her sister, "Let's go, Sister. We have to see what they're like."

"Oh? You wish to get to know that nice young man?" Tatra asked, clapping her hands together. "Let's hope he is your type!"

"I could care less about him!" Tarta roared, almost spitting on her sister. "I'm talking about those things! They are most likely the legendary Mashins of Cephiro!"

"Right, right," Tatra nodded happily.

"I want to see how powerful they are by using my spirit!"

"Good luck!" Tatra applauded her forwardness.

Leaning right next to her sister's face, Tarta yelled, "There are two of them!"

"Yes."

"Get yours out too sis!"

"My, are you lonely doing it by yourself, Tarta?" Tatra asked innocently, barely able to keep a straight face.

"IT'S NOT THAT!" Tarta yelled, slipping back on her accent.

"Eh-hehehehe," Tatra giggled at her little sister's reaction. "You're so dependent."

With both sisters finally getting serious, they started tapping their feet on the upper platform of the royal quarter. Throwing their bodies in wide sweeping moves, Tatra and Tarta began to dance around each other. Their trained movements were a sight to behold to even the most skilled of dancers, but this was far more than just a simple choreography.

As they danced, wisps of blue and red wind surrounded the sisters. The winds circled around their bodies, creating a round cage of colorful air currents. Bringing their forearms up to their chins, the sisters quickly spread them out, before clapping their hands together. Pulling their forward facing hands back, red particles of light spread out from Tarta's hand and blue particles from Tatra's.

As the sister's held their other hands together, they chanted, "Appear, our guardian spirits…"

The winds intensified and became opaquer, before the sisters pulled each other closer and formed a circle with their arms.

"…Djinn!" they yelled as one, before glowing yellow eyes could be seen in the winds.

Outside the Bravada, Umi, Fuu, and Hotaru were flying towards the floating fortress, as it began to give off a golden glow. The large hole above the fortress's figurehead began to emit particles of light, as if charging up an attack.

"Here they come," Hotaru warned the girls.

"Right. Ms. Umi, be careful," Fuu nodded.

The two Magic Knights summoned their swords, just before a red and blue twister blasted out of Bravada's spout. The twister unraveled into two streams of red and blue, almost liquid currents, before a bright yellow light flashed. As the light faded, two figures the size of the Mashin's stood before them.

They looked like two muscular men with long pointy ears, black thin moustaches and ponytails, and green gems on their chests. They had no legs, only ghostly tails that resembled fabric, as well as loose fitting vests of the same material. They wore golden bracelets, hooped earrings, and had golden markings on their chests and foreheads. The creatures looked identical, except one of them was crimson red and the other dark azure, with their clothes being pale red and pale blue.

"The Djinns…" Hotaru spoke in a serious tone.

"You never told me that they look so disgusting!" Umi screeched, covering her mouth with her free hand.

"I forgot you don't like macho men…" Hotaru admitted, before turning towards Selece. "You have a terrible taste."

Before Umi could retort to Hotaru's claim, the blue djinn flew over to Windam and punched the green Mashin straight in the jaw. Fuu screamed in pain as her and her mech were pushed back by the impact.

"Fuu!" Umi yelled out, before flying out of the way of the red djinn's punch.

As they all took some distance away from their foe, Hotaru yelled, "Be careful, these guys are fast, strong and nimble!"

"Do they have any weaknesses?!" Umi asked impatiently.

"Low defense, however—"

"Gotcha! Water Dragon!"

Raising Selece's hand high, Umi cast her most powerful water spell, creating a geyser of water in the shape of a dragon. The red eyed water jet lunged at the blue djinn, opening its maw wide. The blue djinn responded in kind, opening its mouth, before inhaling with great force. Like an oversized clump of ramen, the giant geyser of water was sucked into the djinn's mouth in one go, leaving the spirit bloated.

"Gross!" Umi yelled out, as the two djinns flexed upon her. "I thought you said they had low defense!"

"To physical attacks!" Hotaru exploded. "Magic is no use against them! But more importantly, if you harm the djinns the two princesses will also get hurt."

"That would certainly sour our possibilities in trying to negotiate with them," Fuu pointed out, stroking her chin.

"Then what should we do?" Umi yelled, as the enemy charged in once more.

The three of them evaded the attacks of the almost liquid djinns that flew past them at blinding speeds. Only Hotaru managed to evade them easily, but this was mostly due to being ignored by the djinns. Despite their best efforts, the djinns continued getting some hits on them, before flexing on them more.

Finally getting the chance to speak, Hotaru yelled, "We need to keep them busy until the third princess can join the battle!"

---

Just as Hotaru had planned, the forces of Fahren were following the battle between Cephiro and Chizeta from the Dome. Princess Aska and her aides were watching the battle unfold from their crystal ball closely. However, it wasn't the only thing that was unfolding.

"Blegh!" Aska gagged, watching the djinns fight. "D-Disgusting. What are they, Sang Yung?"

"The djinns of the princesses of Chizeta," the young boy answered in a serious manner.

"Gin?"

"Djinn!" Chang Ang corrected her. "They are spirits."

"What are these things called djinn?" Aska asked curiously.

"Something like knights," Chang Ang answered. "They protect the princesses of Chizeta as guardian spirits."

"We wouldn't want knights in such a bad taste," Aska shivered, covering her face with her fan. "Chizeta's princesses have the worst taste to use those things as guardians!"

---

"Ah… ACHOO!" a loud sneeze rang throughout Bravada.

Sitting back against a large plush bolster pillow, Tatra smiled while brewing tea, "Oh, you sneezed. I'm sure someone is talking about you."

"Achoo!" Tarta sneezed again.

"My, a second sneeze," Tatra clapped her hands happily. "Two sneezes mean it's something bad!"

"Sisteeeeerrr!" Tarta whined desperately. "Please take this more seriously!"

"The tea is ready," Tatra said in a hospitable tone, having finished pouring two cups. "Would you like some Tarta?"

"Big sister Tatraaa!" Tarta cried out desperately.

Sitting back calmly, Tatra sipped dark amber tea from a golden, tear drop rimmed cup, "It is delicious. You should have some to calm your nerves."

"I'm tellin' ya we're in the middle of a battle!"

"Tarta, your accent again," Tatra scolded her sister gently, as Tarta grabbed hold of her hand.

"I don't give a hoot!" Tarta gritted her teeth while dragging Tatra up on her feet. "Just focus on the tussle!"

The two sisters began to dance once more, using exaggerated yet elegant movements, with their bodies pressing against each other. Their moves mimicked those expected of two lovers, to express the bond shared between the dancers. These were classical dance moves on Chizeta, which showed the cooperation skills of the dancers.

As the two princesses danced, their guardian djinns followed suit, mimicking the movements of their mistresses. While the moves of the princesses were elegant and beautiful, the movements of the djinn caused a bit of a tonal whiplash amongst the outside viewers.

"W-What is this!?" Umi screamed, creeped out by the muscular spirits.

"Is it dancing?" Fuu asked, trying to analyze the moments.

"That's correct," Hotaru confirmed. "The princesses control their djinns via dancing, and I think the dancing also makes them stronger… I should take some dancing lessons with Alcyone…"

"You mean they are powering up!?" Umi yelled in shock, as the two djinns rushed towards them.

The djinns attacked them once more, flying around while trying to strike the Mashins down with their fists. Though their movements had become faster, Umi and Fuu managed to evade their movements by staying vigilant. Whether this was due to them now knowing more about their enemies or because they were even more creeped out by them, Hotaru couldn't tell. However, despite them being relatively safe, Hotaru couldn't help but feel impatient.

Dammit! What is taking Aska so long? Was there a trigger needed for her to appear? The battles always seem longer when you are involved in them than on TV, but this one really feels like it is dragging!

Eventually the djinn came to a halt and stared their way. They expected the blue and red menaces to start flexing on them again, but instead, they clapped their hands together. Blue, sparking, blindingly bright energy erupted between their hands, that washed away the djinn's colors. As the lights faded, both muscular spirits were holding large scimitars with golden handles and jagged back curves.

"Oh right, they have swords…" Hotaru's eyes widened slightly.

"Here they come!" Selece warned the Magic Knights.

As the djinns rocketed towards them again, this time with their swords on their sides, evading wasn't an option. Even a glancing blow would risk a major injury. As such, Umi and Fuu blocked with their swords and were pushed back by the strength and speed of the strikes.

"They are powerful!" Fuu gasped with her hands numb, flying backwards still.

"This is getting out of hand…" Hotaru gritted his teeth. "Titanium Power!"

As the red djinn flew in and slashed down at Umi, its sword was suddenly blocked by a giant, silver, armored arm. There was a loud clang as the two metals clashed with each other, causing the djinn to retreat due to its sensitive ears. As it got over the ringing in its pointy ears, the djinn stared down at the gigantic warrior in silver and gold armor.

"Sorry, but there is a limit to how rough I can allow you to play with these girls," Hotaru said in a dry tone, before pulling out his Titan Slicer from his chest orb.

"Hotaru, look out!" Fuu yelled out.

The blue djinn was dashing towards Hotaru from behind, aiming its blade against the back of Hotaru's head. At the very last moment, Hotaru turned around, and caught the curved sword between his teeth. A bead of sweat dripped down the stoic and self-confident djinn's forehead, as it saw the brunet warrior stare at him menacingly.

Hotaru was about to spit the sword out of his mouth, when a thought occurred to him, You know, this sword probably isn't made out of Escudo…

Biting down on the sword with all his might, Hotaru heard a sudden crack before his teeth gnashed together. The blue djinn backed away nervously, revealing that a chunk of its sword's outer curve was missing. The blue genie rushed next to its brother in arms, before they grasped each other's hands.

Spitting the sword shard out of his mouth, Hotaru lifted his curved giant sword towards them, "Now it's your turn. Make sure to grip it real tight!"

"Is it just me or Hotaru getting better at unnerving our enemies?" Umi asked Fuu awkwardly.

"He certainly has become more confident since we first met," Fuu nodded.

Back on Bravada, Tarta was staring at the giant warrior with her mouth agape. She had been fully focused on the legendary Mashins and tried to ignore the young man due to what her sister said. But now that man had grown to such huge proportions and even taken a bite out of her sister's djinn's sword. While she was angry at having underestimated the Mashins' companion, she smirked as an opportunity had presented itself to get back at her sister.

"Oh my… That certainly is one large man," Tatra said nervously, placing her hand on her mouth.

Looking at her older sister impishly, Tarta remarked snidely, "Yeah, doesn't he remind you of a certain someone, big sister Tatra?"

Tatra's eyes widened, before she started shaking her head, "Nooooo! Tarta, you promised not to talk about him when not necessary!"

Seeing her older sister throwing a fit and wriggling uncomfortable, Tarta couldn't help but giggle, "Oh I'm sure he isn't that bad! Maybe you could ask this guy to protect you from… Huh?"

Tarta's teasing was interrupted suddenly, as the lights on the Bravada started flashing and the floor beneath them shook slightly. As they looked at the screen, they could see the image on it starting to twist and warp. But through all the distortions, they could see the image getting slightly darker.

Outside, the djinns, Fuu, Umi, and Hotaru were all staring in shock, as two massive dark spheres appeared. The spheres were positioned between the fighters and Bravada, distorting the air between them. Both dark orbs crackled with black lightning, the one on the right having a bluish outline, and the one on the left having greenish. As mechanical limbs, a tail, and wings started protruding from them, Hotaru could immediately tell what they were.

"Evil Mashins incoming!" he warned Fuu and Umi.

While Hotaru's warning was terrifying enough, the two Magic Knights could feel a primordial terror overtake them. Despite having never met their shadows face to face, they could feel their presence in their hearts.

"Luna…" Umi whispered, her body shaking.

"Terra…" Fuu gasped, gripping her sword tighter.

As the spheres of darkness faded, two dark Mashins were revealed. The Mashins were bigger and larger than those of the Magic Knights by about a head's height, and looked quite unnerving.

The right Mashin was black and light blue, of medium build and armor. Its knees, feet, tassets, topsides of its forearms, chest, crotch, and shoulders had light-blue armor pieces that resembled gills. Long, curved, light blue armored spikes flared upwards from its elbows and knees. Its hands were silver in color and effeminate in shape. Its feet had three sharp light-blue toes pointing forward, with what looked like webbing between them. Its chest armor resembled the head of a large serpentine or fish-like creature, with a huge fanged maw and large white oval eyes. It had a helmet shaped like a black, jagged tiara. From the center of the tiara grew several long, blue tendrils that resembled hair, tipped with silver spikes. Its face was bright silver in color and had white eyes. It had no wings, but a huge segmented fish-like tail, with a large tailfin, the inner curve of which had three blue spikes. The giant mech had several purple orbs on its body: one on each knee pad, crotch plate, tassets, tiara, and two on each shoulder and forearm.

The left Mashin was dark grey and dark green, of slightly lighter build and armor, resembling a harpy. Its knees, ankles, tassets, chest, crotch, wings, and shoulders had green armor pieces with sharp angles. Its tassets and shoulders were feathered with sharp, silvery feathers. Curved, dark green armored spikes that resembled talons flared upwards from its shins, ankles, and shoulders. Its feet were large and had four long, bright silver talons with multiple segments, with the tips being razor sharp. Its arms looked like mechanical, skeletal batwings, with green hands where the thumbs should have been. From underneath the hands, five long, curved limbs protruded, with razor sharp inside curves. The tips of these limbs looked like green, forward curving cleavers. It had a grey helmet that resembled the head of a horned owl, with piercing yellow eyes. Beneath the beak, was a silver face with bright blue eyes. The giant mech had several purple orbs on its body: one on each knee pad, foot, crotch plate, palm, tassets, forehead, and three on its chest.

As Bravada regained its visual, the sight of these two dark behemoths chilled the spines of all who saw them. Hotaru received flashbacks to seeing Regalia for the first time, while Fuu and Umi instinctively took some distance in their own Mashins. The ominous air the Evil Mashins exhumed was enough to even put the djinns on guard. As for the princesses, none of them had ever seen such brutal and scary looking creatures.

"Hello, little Umi, we finally meet," the black and blue Mashin said in a conceited voice. "Say hi to Saquada."

"Fuu…" the harpy-like Mashin growled at Windam. "Wingroad will shred you to pieces for what you've done!"

"M-More Mashins?" Tarta stuttered, looking at the screen.

"No," Tatra shook her head, her voice serious for the first time. "These are… something else. Something wicked."

"Sc-Scary…" Aska stuttered, staring at the crystal ball. "Ch-Ch-Ch-Chang Ang, wh-what are those things?"

"They appear to be Mashins, but… different," the old mentor tried to explain, but his words failed him.

"I know that! Different how!?"

"I don't know, Lady Aska!"

Without warning, the harpy-like Mashin took off towards Fuu. Its sharp talons were aimed directly at Windam and its bladed wings were closing in on Fuu's neck. Before the grey and green Mashin could sink its claws into Fuu, Hotaru shoulder tackled Windam out of the way. Fuu screamed in shock from the impact as she was pushed next to the two Djinns, but couldn't complain when she saw Hotaru. The long talons of Wingroad were wrapped around Hotaru's upper arms and the bladed wings had closed around Hotaru's body. The Mashin was holding Hotaru in its grip like a praying mantis, however, the armored warrior seemed to be fine.

"Oh, somebody needs a hug," Hotaru joked, trying to cover up his intense fear.

If Tungsten Defense didn't reinforce my Double Armor, I would be dead!

"Ignore him, Terra!" Luna commanded from within Saquada. "Focus on Fuu, I will take care of Umi and keep Prince Charming busy!"

"Who told you about—!" Hotaru yelled out while blushing, before rolling his eyes. "Right, Romeo…"

As commanded, Wingroad released its grip on Hotaru and started flying towards Fuu at high speed. Hotaru tried flying after the harpy mech, until a bright blue beam shot right past his head in front of his eyes. Turning to look in the direction of the beam, Hotaru could see five blue orbs of water hovering above Saquada. As another beam fired from one of the orbs, it scraped Hotaru's cheek, cutting his flesh with great power.

"High-pressure water…" Hotaru gulped, going pale.

"Fufufufu! Now you will have scars on both cheeks," Luna chuckled cruelly. "That should get rid of that unsightly bit of asymmetry."

As Luna focused on Hotaru, Umi tried to attack Saquada from behind silently, aiming her rapier to the back of the enemy mech's head. Despite her silent assault, Luna spotted her and raised her large fish-like tail, striking it against Selece's midriff. Umi let out a gasp of pain as the fin's three spikes almost pierced Selece's stomach, before the tailfins wrapped around her waist. With the blue Mashin held in place, Luna aimed the rest of her water spheres at Umi.

"AAAAH!" Umi screamed in pain, as five high-pressure water jets pierced through her elbows, shoulders, and cut her cheek.

"Umi!" Hotaru yelled out, rushing forward at supersonic speeds.

As Hotaru flew towards Saquada and Selece, Luna clapped her hands together, summoning a weapon of blue energy. The weapon stretched out and solidified, forming a black trident with light-blue tips. Seeing Luna taking a defensive stance, trying to keep Hotaru away while Umi bled dry, Hotaru pointed his Titan Slicer forward. Just as the giant sword and the black trident were about to strike, Hotaru let go of his weapon.

The giant curved sword's mass pushed back the polearm, keeping Luna busy as Hotaru flew around her. Using his superior acceleration, Hotaru grabbed hold of Saquada's tail fins and pried them open. With Umi free, Hotaru quickly pulled her away and took off with her, leaving his sword behind.

Seeing Hotaru and Umi running away, Luna pointed her finger up before bringing it forward, "Water Dragon!"

A ginormous watery dragon erupted from Luna's hand, chasing after its targets. But despite the speed and scale of the dragon, Hotaru managed to move himself and Umi out of its reach, barely missing its closing maw.

In the meanwhile, Wingroad was giving Windam chase. Their speeds were almost tied, but thanks to Wingroad's larger wings, the harpy Mashin had the reach advantage. Realizing she couldn't out run her adversary, Fuu flew right towards the guardian djinns. Seeing her approach, the djinns raised their swords up, preparing to intercept her. But by flying sideways, Fuu managed to thread the needle between the two djinns, forcing the spirits to receive Wingroad instead.

Using their swords, the djinns blocked Wingroad's wings, and their free hands kept its talons at bay. Terra wriggled and screamed in frustration, trying to get past the djinns to chase after her target.

"This thing is surprisingly strong!" Tarta grunted, feeling her djinn struggling to hold it back.

"Stay strong, sister!" Tatra encouraged her, doing only slightly better with her djinn.

"Sorry for having you take care of her!" Fuu apologized to the djinns.

She was about to cast Winds of Admonishment on Terra, when Hotaru flew over, carrying the wounded Selece.

"Medic!" Hotaru yelled, helping Umi stand up.

"Right! Winds of Healing!" Fuu yelled, using her magic on the two of them.

Feeling the wound on his cheek heal, Hotaru spotted Luna flying towards them at a brisk speed. He let go of Umi and dashed towards Saquada, crossing his arms in front of his face. As expected, Luna halted in her tracks and spun around, before pointing her arms towards Hotaru.

"Sapphire Whirlpool!"

As the crushing vortex of water wrapped around Hotaru, the brunet warrior flew right through it without stopping. Seeing her spell so easily blown away, Luna placed her hands in front of her, creating a barrier around her.

"I will not let you get in our way!" Luna yelled defiantly, as her Mashin's tendrils reached around the barrier.

Seeing the tendrils extend beyond the barrier and create spheres of water at their tips, Hotaru knew what was to come next. Luna began to fire high-pressure water jets at him at a rapid pace, forcing Hotaru to escape. As Hotaru turned around and began to fly away, Luna flew after him, continuing her assault.

I don't care what Romeo says! He will be so much easier to deal with when crippled!

"No matter how much stronger you get, you will never have ranged attacks!" Luna taunted Hotaru, laughing as she chased him. "Why don't you turn around and face me like a man!"

"It may be the case I will never have ranged attacks," Hotaru gritted his teeth, feeling the water jets hit his back. "But I can always trust you to have some! Silver Speed! Aluminum Flight!"

It was only as Hotaru's body shrunk down to the size of an ordinary person that Luna saw where he had been heading. Wingroad had just managed to tear its way out of the djinns' grip, as several high-pressure water jets peppered Terra's mech. The streams punctured Wingroad's side, arm, wing, and thigh, leaving behind clean cut holes in the Mashin.

"OOW!" the peri yelled in pain as water streams pierced her. "Watch where you are aiming that thing!"

"S-Sorry— I mean, pay attention to the fight!" Luna yelled out, scolding her sister. "Heal yourself and stop whining!"

Terra glanced at Luna angrily before spreading Wingroad's wings wide, "Winds of Healing!"

The damage done to the taloned mech was quickly repaired, as the holes closed up and Terra's body was healed as well. While this bit of friendly fire had served as little more than an annoyance, it had allowed Hotaru to swap spells and gain his sword back. While the Magic Knights and the djinn were staring down the two evil Mashins, Hotaru charged at them recklessly.

---

Aboard the giant red dragon of Fahren, Aska, Chang Ang, and Sang Yung were following the battle with bated breaths. The three-way battle between the forces of Cephiro, Bravada, and the evil looking giant robots, was keeping them all on their toes. Despite being outnumbered, the dark mechs seemed to hold the upper hand in the battle.

Due to her infatuation with the colorful robots, Aska was constantly rooting for the Mashins. But as the battle went on and the odds of Cephiro's side kept getting worse, the suspense grew too great.

"AAAAAAH!" Aska ruffled her hair before jumping down from her throne with a grunt. "The Mashin are going to be destroyed at this rate by those scary and creepy things!"

Rushing at such speed that her silk slippers slipped on the smooth stone floor, Aska eventually reached the giant crystal ball. She wasn't going to let anybody else lay their hands on her prize; beautifully decorated mechs with regal animalistic motifs. With utmost determination, Aska turned to her aides.

"Sang Yung!"

"Yes!" the young boy smiled proudly.

"Brush and paper!" Aska commanded strictly.

"Yes!" Sang Yung said in a serious tone, before both him and Chang Ang stared at her awkwardly. "But…"

Knowing they were going to talk about the cost of resources, Aska snapped, "I don't care. Just do it!"

"Y-Yes!"

"Wait, Sang Yung!" Chang Ang urged the young boy, but too late.

Receiving a great illusion-scroll and a dipped brush from Sang Yung, Aska tore the seal on the scroll and spread it open. She raised the brush high up into the air, ready to draw, until realizing she didn't know what to draw. Looking into the crystal ball, she cringed at seeing the two djinns up close, but this gave her an idea.

"If Chizeta is using that…" she thought out loud, before turning towards Sang Yung.

With Aska staring at him intensely, Sang Yung had to do his best not to shirk back too much. Once Aska had stared at him long enough, she focused back on the scroll.

"Secret Spell of Dragon Art Reincarnation!"

Aska's brush started gliding along the scroll, painting the outline of a round-faced figure in a baggy robe. Instead of drawing the image in a single stroke like last time, she took time to properly paint the image. Even then, it came off as a bit goofy looking, but that was by intent.

"Lady Aska, you're using high-level illusions on a whim again…" Chang Ang despaired.

Ignoring the old man, Aska finished her drawing; a simplified caricature of her best friend. With the image finished, Aska stood up and spread her arms wide. Fully concentrated, she then brought her hands together, before doing several hand motions in a row, while repeating simple incantations. Once she was done, she brought her index and middle fingers forth in a slightly off cross, before summoning a red magic symbol in front of her.

The scroll she had drawn on began to glow golden and the drawing on it red. Sang Yung despaired as he saw the image on the scroll grow and float up, seeing the goofy looking version of himself. The picture soon floated through the ceiling, disappearing from their sight.

---

"Emerald Typhoon!"

"Water Dragon!"

"Saphire Whirlpool!"

"Winds of Protection!"

Water and wind spells were flying left and right, as the four Mashins clashed back and forth. Between the mechanical giants, the two djinns and Hotaru were flying around, occasionally fighting, other times trying to push back the evil Mashins. The battle seemed like it would be an immense stalemate, with both sides having healers capable of protecting allies and regenerating injuries.

But as Hotaru was close to losing his temper and invading Bravada himself, a loud thud echoed across the battlefield. This was quickly followed by another and another, and seemed to echo from underneath the cloud cover below them. The repeating earth-shaking sounds eventually caught everyone's attention, halting the battle for a moment.

"W-What's that sound?" Umi asked worriedly.

"…Footsteps?" Luna asked sarcastically, yet slightly worried as well.

It wasn't just the fighters on the battlefield who felt uneasy about the sound. As the stony peaks of Cephiro were being crushed one by one, the shockwaves of this carried all the way to the Sanctuary. Those who had remained behind to watch the battle, could hear distant earthquakes through the crystal structure.

As the sound drew closer to the combatants, they could see something round poking its head out from underneath the clouds.

"Something is approaching us…" Terra pointed out.

"What is that thing, Mr. Hotaru?" Fuu asked, peering into the distance.

Hotaru smirked slightly, before answering, "The most powerful weapon of the three armies."

A moment of silence passed, before the cloud cover was torn asunder, as a ginormous maroon figure burst through it.

"It's huge!" the Magic Knights and their shadows yelled at once.

A figure with the appearance of a rotund and cheerful looking doll with thick outlines stood before them. Its face was round, had blank white eyes, a goofy triangular smiling mouth, and oval red cheeks. It was dressed in a maroon robe with a golden trim, and had a purple spiral symbol on its stomach. Its arms were short and it had pudgy cartoony hands. Although the creature was simple in appearance, its size was staggering. Its mouth alone was large enough to fit a Mashin inside it, and its body came close to the size of Bravada.

"No, no, no, no!" Umi stuttered, trying to deny what she was seeing, "What in the world!?"

"Aa-aah-hahahahaha!" Aska laughed at her crystal ball. "If Chizeta is going to give us weird things, I'll bring a giant Sang Yung!"

"However, this is in bad taste too…" Chang Ang pointed out.

"Go, giant Sang Yung! Defeat them all!"

Receiving its command, the giant Sang Yung smiled happily, tilting its head from side to side while letting out strange noises. Then, without warning, its arms extended quickly, trying to grab hold of the other fighters. As everyone tried scattering away, the enormous drawing managed to grab onto Wingroad. The giant sausage fingers wrapped around the edgy harpy mech, pulling it towards it.

"Let go of me!" Terra struggled, while flying in the opposite direction.

Slowly but surely, Wingroad was able to halt its own movements, causing the giant Sang Yung to be reeled to Terra instead. Despite winning the tug of war, Terra was still unable to break away from the colossus's grip, before gaining some help. Bright blue beams of high-pressure water shot through the giant's arm, causing it to screech in pain before pulling its arm back. While Terra was freed by Luna's attack, the giant quickly regenerated the holes in its arm like it was made out of putty.

"What are we going to do with this thing?" Terra asked Luna, scouting out for a weakness.

Stroking Saquada's chin with one of its tendrils, Luna chuckled cruelly, "Fufufufu… We just need some extra help. Keep it busy."

As Terra used Winds of Protection to keep the giant Sang Yung at bay, Saquada flew towards the rest of the fighters, who were busy with the djinns. Instead of attacking them directly, Luna inhaled deep before spreading her arms, as if embracing her audience.

Out numbering the djinns three to two, the Magic Knights were finally able to drive them back. Having gotten the upper hand over the djinns without outside distractions, Hotaru was starting to wonder if they were forgetting something?

"Wasn't the plan to get captured by Chizeta and Fahren?" Umi reminded Hotaru,

"Right!" Hotaru realized, stopping inches away from breaking the blue djinn's sword. "But I still don't know what to do… with…"

The battle came to a halt, as the five combatants all heard singing. The song was a lovely melody of vocalizations, beautiful yet sad. However, as they listened to it, their minds began to slowly grow blurry.

Remembering the song, Umi realized what was going on, "It's Luna! She is trying to mesmerize... us with her singing!"

"How do… we stop… a siren… song?" Fuu asked, struggling to stay lucid.

The world around them started turning dark and even the djinn seemed like their vision was going hazy. The song beckoned them to come closer to Luna and Saquada, to listen to her orders. But just as the hazy darkness was about to take over their minds, they heard an ear-splitting, rasping scream.

"BERSERKEEEEEERRR!"

Umi, Fuu, and the djinns snapped out of the trance almost instantly, as they heard Hotaru screaming next to them.

"BETRAYL! INJUSTICE! BEHEEEADING OF THE INNOCENT! THE SPAWN OF EVIL CELEBRAAAATE~!" Hotaru sang at full volume in English.

Although he hadn't heard the song in decades, he knew the lyrics by heart. Hotaru had never had confidence in his singing voice and knew he was terribly off-key even at this moment. But as he could no longer hear Luna's singing in his ears, he knew his hastily come up idea was working.

"What is he singing?!" Umi asked, holding her hands on her ears.

"I think it's heavy metal!" Fuu hazarded a guess, yelling over Hotaru's singing.

"FIERCE ANGER! BLIND MADNESS! INVOKE THE BEAST OF DARKNESS~!"

"Heavy metal? More like random noise, I say!" Umi snapped as Hotaru continued.

"Shut up and go!" Hotaru quickly silenced his critics, before continuing, charging at Saquada. "BLACK ROARING DEATH TAKES OVER! SPEWING ALL ITS RAGE~!"

Luna attempted singing louder to counter Hotaru's shouting, but it was to no avail. Although Saquada was taller than Hotaru, the giant mech didn't increase the size of her vocal cords. The giant lime-eyed paladin on the other hand, was heard loud and clear all the way to the Sanctuary. But what got to Luna even more than Hotaru's volume, was her inability to concentrate on her own singing.

"Dammit! I'm used to having people stay QUIET when I sing!"

Before Hotaru could reach her, Luna resummoned her trident, blocking Hotaru's Titan Slicer. But as their weapons clashed with a loud clang, to Luna's surprise, Saquada was being pushed back by Hotaru.

"LIKE A HELLRAISER! MONSTER OF RAAAAAAGE~!" Hotaru screamed in her face, as a bright lime-green aura started to surround the paladin.

"I-Impossible! I'm supposed to be stronger than you are!" Luna yelled, struggling to hold Hotaru back. "Terra, help!"

While his idea to sing had just been to heckle Luna into stopping her song, Hotaru found himself getting really into it. Having not heard any of his favorite music from his old world in years, his old memories started to awaken. He could hear the music in his ears and feel his heart beating faster, and found himself reluctant to stop.

Raising his sword up into the air and swinging it down, Hotaru roared, "UNLEASH THE FURY THROUGH YOUR SWOOOORD OF HATE~!"

The impact of Hotaru's sword against Luna's trident knocked Saquada back with great force. The fish-tailed Mashin was sent reeling over a hundred meters, before being caught by their ally. Wingroad pushed Saquada back, before joining next to it while facing the silver armored foe.

"We need a way to stop his singing!" Luna explained to Terra impatiently.

"On it!" Terra nodded, knowing what her sister was referring to.

Bringing Wingroad's arms close together, a grayish black sphere appeared between the bladed wings. Once it was ready, Terra spread her arms once more, at which point a gray beam struck Hotaru. Instead of being punctured, he was getting sucked towards the sphere, as Terra had created a powerful vacuum.

While the vacuum wasn't powerful enough to move Hotaru, he could feel it suck all the air from around him. The skin around his face started feeling cold and he was unable to breathe in. Next his cheeks and eyes swelled, despite trying to keep them shut. As the moisture on his eyes, skin, and tongue bubbled and boiled, his lime-green aura started growing weaker.

"Now he will be unable to sing!" Terra said proudly, holding the vacuum on Hotaru.

"Yeah… but he also cant hear MY singing either!" Luna yelled.

As the two sisters squabbled, Hotaru quickly moved to the side, yanking himself from the vacuum with his magical flight. As air rushed back into his magically reinforced and enlarged lungs, Hotaru wasted no time. His aura flared up once more, as he rocketed towards the two dark mechs.

"DESTROY AND MURDER! RETALIAAAAATE~!" he yelled, ramming into Wingroad and Saquada.

As the giant mechs were knocked further back, the two shadow knights prepared to counter attack with magic. But then, seeing Hotaru raise his sword into the air, they could feel the atmosphere around them change.

"HARNESS THE POWER OF THE BEEEEEAST IN BLAAAAAACK!" Hotaru roared, before swinging his sword sideways with all his might. "BERSERKER!"

The skies of Cephiro were momentarily lit up, as a huge, blindingly bright, white flash of light erupted along the Titan Slicer's blade. A blade of wind pressure flew sideways towards the two evil Mashins, striking both of them in their center of mass. Luna and Terra screamed in pain, as Saquada and Wingroad were blown back by the supernatural sword swing. At the end of its journey, the blade of wind exploded in another bright flash, blowing the nearby clouds aside.

Hotaru panted heavily, the sight of what he had done finally putting an end to his adrenaline rush. It felt good to have been able to go all out in a battle and enjoy it to its fullest. And having finally managed a ranged attack crowned it all. He was worried he had done irreparable damage to Fuu's and Umi's shadows, until he saw movement in the distance.

Despite Hotaru having thrown all his power into the attack, the two evil Mashins stood somewhat unharmed, having only suffered surface damage to their armor. The blue and white eyes of the mechs stared at him coldly from far enough that Hotaru couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Dammit! If only Nova was here with us, we could cut his magical powers in half," Luna cursed.

"Remember, we are not supposed to kill him," Terra reminded her sister. "We are here to kill Umi and Fuu for Mother to… Where are they?"

Having been fully distracted by Hotaru's outburst of power and musical number, they had lost sight of their objectives. As they looked up, they could see the djinns carrying off the unconscious Selece, and the giant Sang Yung retreating with Windam. The djinns were already half way to Bravada, but the giant was just hopping along the clouds with its price.

"Fuu… You won't get away that easily!" Terra roared, before taking off after the giant.

"Stop it, Terra! We must stick together!" Luna yelled, chasing after her.

As the two dark mechs rushed after the enormous drawing, Hotaru was about to fly after them, before he saw it turn around. More specifically, the giant Sang Yung's head turned around 180 degrees, before it began to spark with electricity. The giant's surroundings lit up with the electric arches, before it opened its mouth so wide it took up most of its face. A massive blue blast of pure energy fired from its mouth, hitting and swallowing up the evil Mashins, before lighting the skies of Cephiro yellow.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the two shadows yelled, before falling from the sky.

Right before the two mechs could reach the cloud cover below them, Hotaru saw them disappear into thin air. With its enemies defeated, the giant Sang Yung began to spin around in place, creating a vortex of clouds around it. Lifted up by its own spinning, the giant began to fly away while holding Windam in one of its hands. Left alone, Hotaru gave the giant Sang Yung a quick salute, before it disappeared from his sight.

"I swear… How is one little princess capable of something like that?" Hotaru sighed, having found himself outmatched.

---

Back at her and Hotaru's apartment, Alcyone was bringing in food from the orchards, animal pens, and storage rooms. Using her forehead gem, she unloaded fruits, vegetables, eggs, bread, and meat onto the kitchen counter. Although the Sanctuary had a mess hall and a dining hall where food was readily available, Alcyone had several reasons for cooking today.

One was simply that she wanted to eat food of her own choice, instead of bothering with a menu chosen by others. The second was she was looking forward to having a task to attend to and to give her hands something to do, other than making medicine. But most importantly, it was both an apology and a peace offering.

While Alcyone was still angry at Hotaru for lying to her, it wasn't enough to stop her from giving him another chance. She was looking forward to explaining her reasoning and making up with the man who had saved her life from derailing completely. Alcyone had figured that a candlelit dinner with a serious mood would be enough to set the record straight, without coming across too severe.

As she was about to start the preparations, she swore she could hear Hotaru outside.

Is he… screaming? Singing? …Can't be anything too serious as Clef hasn't alerted for reinforcements. Maybe he is either having fun or releasing pent up aggression. With him it could be both. I hope everything is going according to plan…

Just as she was about to grab a knife and start cutting up a large tomato-like fruit, a cold breeze blew from behind her. While it felt pleasant at first, it was only a moment later that Alcyone sensed a presence from behind her.

Turning around, she was faced with a familiar yet alarming sight. A tall woman with grey skin, blood red eyes, short pointy ears, and ankle-length black hair with red streaks. She wore a grey frilly ballroom gown with an open front skirt and thigh high boots with lace trims. Her purple fingernails were sharp and as she frowned at her angrily, a pair of small fangs could be seen.

"…Stella!" Alcyone recognized her shadow, before summoning her bident-like staff.

Despite Alcyone pointing her staff at her, Stella did not react to this, and instead stared at her furiously. Although she stood right in front of her, Alcyone could barely sense the vampiric woman's presence. As the Sanctuary wasn't placed in a state of alarm, she figured that not even Clef knew Stella was in here.

Finally looking away from Alcyone, Stella observed the kitchen and the central room critically, "A meal served to fill your own hunger, a couple of candles, and not an ounce of love and appreciation shown to Hotaru? Is this how you plan on winning him back, Alcyone?

"'Winning him back'…?" Alcyone stared at her shadow confusedly. "Hotaru should be grateful that I am taking him back after the stunt he pulled!"

"And pray tell, what was this grand atrocity that he committed?" Stella asked, the tone of her voice heating up.

Taken aback by the passion of her doppelgänger's voice, Alcyone steeled herself before retorting, "He lied to me about who he was and took advantage of my ignorance, to let him get close to me. He may have done so without ill will, but I was still hurt by his lies!"

Stella's eyes widened as Alcyone spoke, before her brow furrowed even more. At first, Alcyone thought she had struck a nerve, until she realized she recognized this expression. It reminded her of her late mother, one she had seen plenty of times in her childhood, and chilled Alcyone to the bone.

"How dare you call Hotaru out on lying to you," Stella asked in a deeply hurt and disappointed voice, "when you yourself hold so many darker secrets from him?"

"That's…! That's not… No…"

Despite having steeled her nerves, Alcyone found her knees growing weak. Stella's words crashed down on her and cut her deep, as the full weight of them sank into her.

"That man… That beautiful man!" Stella clenched her fists, almost tearing up. "He knew you were a villainess destined for an unhappy ending and would pay for your crimes! And yet, he still found it in his heart to try and save you, to change destiny, to LOVE you! And this is how you repay him?"

Tears gently rolled down Alcyone's cheeks, as she listened to her shadow, her anger turning to guilt, "It's… It's true… I shouldn't have been so angry at him. I am such a hypocrite… I should have told him! I should have told Hotaru about my secrets, but… BUT I CAN'T!"

Covering her face with her hands in shame, Alcyone wept into them, unable to look Stella in the eye. She had cried a lot since yesterday, to a point where she was surprised that she could still muster up the tears. The sense of guilt and shame were overwhelming, as she realized how brave Hotaru had been to reveal his past to everyone, despite the consequences. Whereas she continued fearing her past catching up to her…

"If Hotaru knew… what I've done… he would never forgive me," Alcyone sobbed into her hands, until suddenly, "…huh?"

Instead of Stella throwing more hateful words or disappointed scoldings at her, her shadow wrapped her arms around Alcyone. Alcyone could feel Stella's silken dress rub against her skin and, despite both of their cold bodies, her warmth. It wasn't a soothing or a loving embrace, but rather a firm and supportive one. Before Alcyone could question Stella's behavior, her gray-skinned doppelgänger pulled back, looking into her eyes with a sad smile.

"I am not your enemy, Alcyone," Stella spoke gently, wiping away Alcyone's tears. "We are the same in our love for Hotaru."

Surprised by this kindness from her shadow, Alcyone couldn't help but find it suspicious, "…But you attacked the Magic Knights. You work for Debonair…"

"It's more complicated than that," Stella said, stroking Alcyone's cheek gently. "I am only doing everything I can for Hotaru's happiness. His true happiness."

Although Stella's words sounded sincere and warm, the lack of context behind them made Alcyone wary. Without resistance, she backed away from Stella's embrace, taking about six feet of distance from her.

"What do you mean…?" Alcyone asked, trying to make sense of her words. "What true happiness? What is your goal?"

Placing her hands together in front of her politely, Stella answered, "My goal is the fulfillment of your wishes, Alcyone."

"My wishes?"

Stella nodded, "I was born from the wishes that you made. For you to love Hotaru while not be burdened by your sins and past crimes. To love him fully with an open heart, while bringing him true happiness. To repay him back, for all the good that he did to us, so that he may be forever happy."

As Stella listed off the wishes, Alcyone recognized each and every one of them. Though they had been foolish and too inconceivable to come true, she had wished for them with all her heart. But even now, she was unable to imagine how they could have resulted in Stella.

"How can you make my wishes come true?" Alcyone asked, shaking her head slowly while talking.

"Because I am you, Alcyone," Stella answered, holding her hand on her heart. "I am you, but without the sins that will burden you and Hotaru's future. I am the one who can stay by his side, without the fear of persecution and judgement."

Listening to Stella ramble while speaking straight from the heart, Alcyone was shaking in place with her jaw agape. Looking down at her shaking hands, Alcyone could've sworn she saw specs of dried blood still underneath her neatly trimmed fingernails. Though she didn't want to admit it, it all started making sense to her now.

I have been ignoring the problems for our future for far too long… I always thought if anyone got in the way of our dream, then Hotaru and I would simply push them aside. But Hotaru doesn't even know the full scale of all that I have done… Can we even have a moment of peace after all this is over? Can he even forgive me for all that I have done? If Hotaru and I stay together, I will be dragging him down with me…

As Alcyone despaired about the prospects of her and Hotaru's future, Stella placed her gray-skinned hand onto her shoulder. Looking at her sharp fingernails and then back at her tearing yet smiling face, it all seemed so familiar.

"Please, let me take good care of him."

---

Author's Afterword: This chapter took longer than usual to write. Not just because of it being longer than average, but I struggled to stay focused on the task at hand instead of procrastinating. While I did remove a lot of now obsolete scenes from episode 11 and 12, I still needed to add in new ones and improve old ones. This included the bath scene, which exists purely for the sake of fanservice, as well as a bit of foreshadowing.

Funnily enough, I did notice this chapter referencing Chapter 21 (or Calm Before Storm) quite a few times. Another funny thing I noticed while writing this, was that Tatra is more manipulative than one would think. I don't know if it is intentional or not, but while she acts cute and innocent, her actions can come across as mean spirited on multiple viewings.

The highlight of this chapter was the reveal of two brand new Mashins. I would have liked to refrain from revealing them just yet, but I felt they needed to be established earlier on in the story than what I had planned. Now of course, this presented the problem of how I would have two Regalia level opponents be defeated so early on? Personally, I think I pulled it off in a funny yet believable way.

Now, Magic Knight Rayearth is known for a lot of things, but probably the most of all for its major plot twists. In that spirit, I have prepared quite a few for the future of this story. The first of which will be revealed in the next chapter, so take this opportunity to see if you can guess it.

As always, reviews and speculations are welcomed and appreciated. My thanks go to merendinoemiliano, James Birdsong, and special thanks to Antoinette Veronica for their several reviews on older chapters!