A single breeze blew across the barren mountainous region. A valley surrounded by tall pointy mountains on all sides had changed from the home of many, into a stage between two armored titans. Cephiro's current ruler, Zagato, dressed in his usual dark, cloaked, High Priest's armor, and Hotaru, decked out in his silver and gold Double Armor. The two of them stared at each other silently, from a distance of around hundred feet. Much like the colors of their dark purple and lime-green eyes, their poses contrasted one another.
Even with most of his body obscured by his black cloak and cape, Zagato clearly stood tall, proud, and stoically. He showed little to no emotion, and was focused on his foe. In return, Hotaru stood in a more relaxed manner, his hands in his pockets and leaning against his right leg. But in return, his expression was serious and intense.
Unless that's another illusion à la Caldina, this is really bad. What did I do to deserve getting to face Zagato alone so early? Did he find out I gave chocolate to his dog? In any case, my one saving grace is that he decided to face me head-on instead of doing a surprise attack.
As their stare-down started dragging, Hotaru asked, "So, what is with the awkward silence?"
Zagato stayed quiet for a bit longer, before speaking, "Paladin Hotaru, we meet at last."
"Technically it is the second time, High Priest Zagato. And what do you mean by paladin?" Hotaru tilted his head.
Zagato sighed inwardly, hiding his frustration. As he had teleported in, he had realized he didn't know how to address Hotaru. Calling his enemy by their first name only on their first encounter, it did not suit his tastes. He figured he would try calling him paladin, as it was the closest he had gotten to understanding the young man.
"So, I was off the mark after all," Zagato whispered annoyedly. "Even you seem unaware of your class."
"Class? Oh! You mean paladin like sorceress, summoner, and magic swordsman?" Hotaru asked, realizing what the villain meant.
"That is correct," Zagato nodded, before raising an eyebrow. "Where did you hear about a magic swords—"
"By the way! How long have you been standing there?" Hotaru asked, trying to keep the conversation casual and to hide his slip up.
"I only just arrived," Zagato answered with a stoic voice, before looking down and up. "By the looks of things, you must have had quite the fall. It seems Inouva was unable to finish you off, after all."
"He did come close," Hotaru admitted begrudgingly, before spreading his arms. "Thanks to him though, I finally got an update on my wardrobe."
"So, you're finally showing some growth," Zagato narrowed his eyes, his magical aura flaring out. "It seems that I made the right choice to come and take care of you before you become a problem."
Seeing dark purple light flare out of Zagato, Hotaru slapped himself mentally for having provoked Zagato. He knew Zagato's character very well, but he never imagined that he would consider himself to be a threat. But maybe he could use this to his advantage.
"Calm down for a moment!" Hotaru raised his hands up as a peaceful gesture. "Can't we just talk about this like civilized people?"
Zagato's aura diminished slightly, "Talk about what exactly?"
He is probably just trying to buy himself time, but I have been wondering about his purpose and motivations for a while. It would indeed be beneficial for me to get closure on some of those questions, before I lose the chance completely. Even if the Magic Knights arrive, unless they have awakened the third Mashin, it won't make a difference. And the Fire Shrine is long ways away from here.
"Well, for starters why do you see me as such a great threat? I mean compared to the legendary Magic Knights, I am just a nobody, really."
"It is precisely why you are a nobody that concerns me," Zagato answered, raising his voice slightly. "No one seems to know a thing about you. Yet you have managed to defeat Alcyone multiple times, obtain the legendary ore Escudo, withstood my attack, convinced Ascot and Caldina to abandon my ranks, and now this."
As Zagato pointed at the crater between them, Hotaru could only smirk nervously, "Most of that was just dumb luck and instinct."
And having a guide book on How to Save Cephiro in twenty easy steps.
"You sell yourself short in order to make others underestimate yourself," Zagato spoke adamantly.
"I'm serious!" Hotaru insisted, feeling slightly offended. "The reason I have been able to do any of that crap, is because I have been traveling with the Magic Knights! I would have died so many times without their help."
At this point, while not showing it, Zagato was lost for words. Had he truly overestimated Hotaru to this extent? Then why was it that his minions always griped about him specifically? In any case, it would be better to kill Hotaru than let him stay an obstacle.
Getting a dangerous feeling from Zagato once more, Hotaru decided to change the subject, "Now, it's your turn to ask me a question."
Zagato closed his eyes for a moment, before speaking in a serious manner, "Very well. Why were you brought into Cephiro? Princess Emeraude's wish should only have summoned the Magic Knights. Why did you come along with them? I asked Princess Emeraude herself, but she denied knowing anything about it."
While he himself didn't quite know the answer to that question, it did make Hotaru smile widely. As during his travels, he did have time to theorize about that himself, and now, it was all but confirmed.
This is my chance! I now know how I can accomplish the mission Emeraude gave to me!
"It's a bit difficult to explain, but the short answer is, because of Alcyone," Hotaru answered, smiling confidently.
Zagato looked at him skeptically while his aura diminished completely, "What has Alcyone got to do with any of this?"
"If you are willing to humor my speculation for a while, I will answer to the best of my ability," Hotaru promised, casting out his bait.
Zagato thought about the offer for a moment, before nodding, "Very well, but do not try to buy yourself time."
At this point Hotaru had to do everything to prevent himself from grinning like a maniac. He was one step closer to his goal and the next few steps were all but guaranteed. After all, he knew Zagato's personality very well from his past life. While Ferio had been his favorite character back when he was a child, Zagato had been his favorite during his time in high school. While he admired Zagato in a way, he also knew the one crack in his armor.
"Well, during this entire time I have spent in Cephiro, I have been wondering," Hotaru started talking, while pacing about on the other side of the crater, "why is Cephiro getting destroyed? Like, I know Princess Emeraude was captured by you and she is the Pillar of Cephiro. People can't shut up about that! But why does this cause Cephiro to be destroyed?"
While keeping a close eye on Hotaru's movements, Zagato listened to his words with great interest. It was the first time in a long while anyone had questioned the purpose of his actions, and Zagato found it refreshing.
"At first Alcyone told me that you were trying to break Emeraude's will so that you could turn her into your puppet," Hotaru lengthened his explanation, so as not to make things sound too obvious. "You would be able to rule Cephiro as you see fit and I thought that was that. But this did not sit well with me!"
Hotaru turned around, pointing his finger towards Zagato dramatically and accusingly. As Zagato flinched from this, Hotaru flinched back, before they both quickly realized this wasn't in fact Hotaru casting a spell. Hotaru then cleared his throat and continued talking.
"In the world where I come from, a princess is someone who is the daughter of a ruling monarch. They are seen as fragile damsels and political pawns, who need all the protection and people to keep them safe. But that isn't the case here in Cephiro, is it? If Princess Emeraude truly is the 'Pillar of Cephiro', whose will and wishes determine everything about this world, then something's off. Wouldn't she the strongest being in all Cephiro?"
Hotaru had to take a break before he continued. He was flying by the seat of his pants trying to make his explanation seem plausible. Converting his past knowledge into a conspiracy theorist rant was difficult enough, without the most dangerous judge in the world watching him do it live. But so far, it seemed like he was going strong.
Zagato smiled and chuckled, his stoic façade breaking slightly, "That is correct."
Hotaru smirked back, before continuing, "And that is what got me thinking; how in the world did you manage to capture her? Are you more powerful than the person who is essentially a god to her people? A terrifying thought, until Caldina told me something interesting. You don't care about Cephiro, and supposedly have something even more valuable."
"Did she now?" Zagato scowled slightly, his anger audible in his voice.
Noticing Zagato was thinking of paying Caldina a visit, Hotaru quickly continued, "Anyway, this all but cemented my suspicions. I could only make some random guesses as to what was going on, but now, with you here, I think I have it figured out."
"Me?" Zagato raised his eyebrow again.
"If you are here because you saw me as a threat, that means you cannot be stronger than Princess Emeraude. And if you aren't stronger than she is, that means she wasn't captured, she came willingly!" Hotaru acted with gusto and flair, as he pretended to connect the pieces. "And if she came willingly, it would mean you do not mean to harm her. And… well, there can only be so many things that could be more valuable to you than Cephiro."
While Zagato's poker face was almost unmoved, his eyes told Hotaru everything he needed to know. Zagato was astonished that someone had managed to guess his true intention this close to home. Not to mention Hotaru seemed to have been right on the money, without even having all the details.
Realizing he was staring, Zagato closed his eyes and chuckled, "And what do you think this all points towards?"
"Could be a bunch of stuff. A setup, a scheme, you managing to slip something into Princess Emeraude's drink," Hotaru listed off a few holes in his "theory". "But now, we can talk about why Princess Emeraude summoned me here."
Having almost forgotten the very purpose of this conversation, Zagato's gaze sharpened instantly.
"When I was summoned to this world, Princess Emeraude only told me, 'Please, protect her'," Hotaru spoke calmly, sighing internally that he no longer had to come up with new lies. "At first, I was confused by who she meant, but now it is all clear. Princess Emeraude, and you Zagato, you two love each other, correct?"
Surprised by Hotaru's correct answer, Zagato let out a small gasp, before speaking in a dignified manner, "That is correct, Princess Emeraude and I fell in love years ago. But how did you figure that out from Princess Emeraude's request? What has this got to do with Alcyone?"
"Because Alcyone loves you, you idiot," Hotaru berated Zagato.
"I am fully aware of that woman's obsession!" Zagato snapped back angrily. "If she wishes to blindly dedicate herself to me, then so be it."
"And yet you do not realize how that would make Princess Emeraude feel, huh?!" Hotaru talked down to him.
"What?" Zagato flinched.
"I don't know much about Princess Emeraude, but I can tell she is a good woman," the young man spoke with a serious tone for the first time, his face surprisingly stern. "And good women do not take it kindly when their significant others exploit other women by leading them on!"
For the first time during their conversation, Zagato was truly speechless.
"Princess Emeraude loves you so much that she willingly left her people behind, and what do you do? You use the feelings of another woman to manipulate her to do your dirty work! You are practically cheating on Emeraude, and she has summoned me, to put a stop to it!" Hotaru ranted, the air around him starting to glow lime-green.
At some point, that not even Hotaru could tell, he had stopped lying and started speaking from his heart. His plan had been to make Zagato feel guilty about leading Alcyone on, so he would reveal the truth to her earlier. Along the way, he had gotten more emotional about this than he had planned. However, this seemed to have had the intended effect.
Zagato stood quietly before him, his eyes obscured by his crown-like helmet. The high priest's fists were shaking and he was gritting his teeth. It was clear he was going through an inner struggle similar to Hotaru's.
Emeraude… how could I have been so foolish? I know I chose to become a villain for your freedom and have committed several atrocities that have made you cry because of it. But I never considered that I could hurt you in this way…
"Hotaru, I have a proposition for you," Zagato spoke out.
"Huh? What would that be?" he asked, stunned.
"You have a powerful and good heart and I hate to see you waste it. As a thank you for opening my eyes, I will let you and your friends return to your own world," Zagato offered benevolently.
So, he is giving me the same offer as he did to Hikaru at the Fire Shrine. I guess this is the best he can offer to someone in our shoes.
Without a moment of hesitation, Hotaru answered, "I refuse."
Zagato's eyes widened, "Why do you say that?"
"Let's just say that I have more family and friends in this world than in that other place," Hotaru answered before getting into a stance. "Besides, we're very much alike, you and I."
"In what way?" Zagato asked, his voice turning serious once more.
"Because, we're both willing to sacrifice everything for the women we love," Hotaru smiled confidently, his aura flaring. "A man only needs three things to fight! His heart, his will, and tomorrow! And I refuse any and all tomorrows, where Alcyone and I cannot live happily in Cephiro!"
At Zagato's crystal fortress, Inouva had just returned after being blasted away by the Mashin Windam. He was embarrassed by his defeat, but he had to swallow his pride and face his master. At the very least, he could give him the good news that he had succeeded in killing the bodyguard of the Magic Knights. As he walked and teleported around the fortress, he could not find his master, nor feel their presence.
"Lord Zagato! Where are you?" Inouva yelled out, his voice echoing across the waterfall room.
He waited, but there was no answer. Just as he was about to worry something was up, he heard footsteps. As he turned around, he could see Alcyone walking into the room out of the shadows. The sorceress's skin tight dark maroon outfit and ankle length black hair blended her in the shadows. Her ivory skin and white cape contrasted with the darkness, making her seem almost ghostly.
"Ah, Inouva, you are back," she greeted her superior in a casual manner. "How was your mission?"
Alcyone wasn't particularly happy to see Inouva. Aside from him always treating her like she was a nuisance, she had hoped he would have perished on his mission. After all, if Inouva were to die, who else could take his spot as Zagato's adjutant but her?
"I do not have time for games, woman!" Inouva shouted at her, demanding her attention. "Do you know where Lord Zagato is?"
Alcyone looked at him unamused, but let out a cheeky smirk, "Lord Zagato noticed that you were taking longer than expected with your mission. As such he left to make sure you didn't fail."
Inouva went pale upon hearing this. He had not even seen him around during his mission, so where could he have been? Had he seen his failure first hand? Maybe the Magic Knights had been finished off already?
"I take it from your expression you failed," Alcyone chuckled lightly. "I told you those little Magic Knights were tougher than you'd expect."
"No, you told me that I couldn't defeat Hotaru," Inouva reminded her, before smiling smugly. "Which by the way, I did."
"You… nani?"
It took a moment for those words to fully register for Alcyone. For a moment, her mind blanked out as she was about to faint. Her heart then sank, causing her to grab hold of a nearby crystal pillar for support. As her mind started functioning again, a flare of emotions filled her heart and mind.
How could he have done it? What spell did he use?! How dare he kill my Hota-rival! He was mine to take! This cannot be! All those things I wanted to ask of him! Everything I wanted to tell him! All the plans I had made! All the time I've spent thinking about him! My efforts! My patience! My feelings! My chance to redeem myself! My hopes! My dreams!
"You're lying!" Alcyone screamed out at the end. "You couldn't have defeated Hotaru no matter what! It can't be true!"
Inouva chuckled at Alcyone's hysterical reaction, before mockingly saying, "Oh Alcyone, such outbursts are quite unbecoming of you. I did do it. I dropped him off from the Sky Shrine, and he fell all the way down."
Alcyone was still shaking, feeling the gem inside her clothes burning against her chest. She was about to start tearing up, until she realized something.
"Did you see the body?" Alcyone asked, realizing there was still a chance. "Unless you saw his lifeless corpse, he could still be alive!"
Inouva shook his head, "Alcyone, we both know that unless he learned how to fly, there is no way even he would have survived a fall like that."
Alcyone clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, ready to chew Inouva out, until she suddenly calmed down. She stood up straight, and bowed at Inouva respectfully.
"My apologies, Inouva-san, I lost my composure there," Alcyone apologized politely. "Pardon me."
Inouva was taken aback by this, but it was a rare treat to have Alcyone show respect to him. Her change of heart was erratic, but Alcyone had never been the most stable of women Inouva had met.
"Very well then, you are dismissed," Inouva gave her the permission to leave.
Taking her leave, Alcyone walked off in a dignified manner, until she knew she was out of Inouva's line of sight and earshot. She then teleported over to her own quarters in the crystal fortress.
Her quarters were in one of the towers of the original royal castle. It was round and had two stories, with a set of stairs running alongside the round wall. These had been her quarters while she still served Princess Emeraude, though the crystal and marble walls had lost their shine ages ago.
The downstairs were reserved for her research, medicine craft, and summoning magical creatures. The furniture included a small library, a collection of herbs and other ingredients, a worktable with flasks, mortar and pestle, etc., and a magic circle she hadn't used in a while.
Having no time for any of her pastimes, she quickly walked up the stairs. The upstairs were reserved for her day-to-day life, such as sleeping, eating, relaxing, and keeping herself tidied up. The furniture included a simple bed, a dresser with a large mirror, a table with two chairs, an armchair, several colorful pillows, and a washing basin.
As Alcyone sat onto her bed, she pulled out her magic gem and activated it. As the pocket-mirror-sized gem started glowing, it showed off a small image of the Sky Shrine.
Let's see, if Inouva dropped Hotaru off of the Sky Shrine, then Hotaru's body should be somewhere around… here! I knew he was alive!
A sense of relief washed over Alcyone, as she spotted Hotaru standing, alive and well. His armor seemed to have changed, which irked her slightly, since it meant it would be that much more difficult to defeat him. However, what struck her as weird, was that he was talking to someone, with a very stern expression.
As she zoomed out the image, her eyes widened in shock, "Zagato!?"
She couldn't hear what the two armored men were talking about, but it was clear that time for talking was over.
Both Zagato's and Hotaru's auras flared up once again, lighting the area in purple and lime. The wind started picking up and the dark clouds that covered the sky started moving. Whether birds, animals, magical creatures, or monsters, all living things in the area knew instinctively to run away. Without hesitation, Zagato pointed his right arm forward and started gathering blue light in it.
Recognizing this attack, Hotaru knew he couldn't let it hit him, "Silver Speed!"
A blue-tinged blast of light shot out of Zagato's hand, which lit up the entire area. Everything that the light touched was robbed of its magic. But before the blast could reach Hotaru, his new spell allowed him to quickly get out of the way. A little too quickly.
"WoooaaaAAAHHH!" Hotaru screamed, as he launched himself off of a small hill.
He belly flopped onto the ground, before quickly getting back up. As he moved around his body, he noticed that not only were his movements inhumanely fast, but his acceleration was near instant. As he looked around his body, he realized the lime-green orbs on his new tassets were glowing white.
New spells, new weapons. Double Armor never disappoints!
Zagato, still in shock from Hotaru's sudden acrobatic flop, asked, "Are you still certain you wish to continue fighting? I clearly have a better understanding of magic than you do."
"Yeah well, I would wager that I have a better understanding of the laws of physics than you do, so we're even," Hotaru said sarcastically, before grabbing hold of the air around the glowing orbs.
As he pulled his new weapons out, he was greeted by a pair of twin rapiers. They both had gold and silver cross-guards, with a lime-green, plus-sign shaped gem in the middle, and silver handles with golden pommels. These parts looked very similar to that of his giant sword, only smaller. The blades of the rapiers both had golden tips, but their shafts were different in color. The left-hand rapier was bright silver in color whereas the right-hand one was titanium black.
"Umi would either be ecstatic, angry, or extremely competitive about me having these…" Hotaru remarked, not sure which would be scariest.
"Call Lightning!" Zagato fired off his next spell.
This time, there was no charge up timer for the spell, as a giant blue bolt of electricity struck down from the sky. However, Hotaru knew to expect this spell. He struck the tip of his left rapier into the ground and pointed the right one up towards the lightning bolt.
I hope this works!
As the lightning bolt struck his right rapier, it traveled through his body, boots, and left rapier into the ground beneath him. Having successfully grounded himself, the lightning bolt dissipated without causing much of an issue.
"What?" Zagato stared at him flabbergasted. "How is that possible!"
"Silver is a really good electrical conductor," Hotaru smirked, doing his best to hide his nervous shivers. "I don't fall for the same trick twice."
Realizing he should take his foe more seriously; Zagato flew up high into the sky. He knew from earlier reports on battles against Hotaru, that the young man had no ranged attacks. As such, air superiority was his best bet against the warrior of metal.
Zagato charged up a huge ball of purple energy into his arms, before firing, "Ebony Annihilation!
A jagged, purple, spiraling blast of energy snaked its way towards Hotaru. He ran away from it at top speed, but the wave of destruction followed him. Looking up, he could see that Zagato was firing the spell continuously, as he followed his movements from a distance.
"You think you are safe?" Hotaru asked before stowing away his weapons and running towards Zagato. "Aluminum Flight!"
Hotaru jumped into the air, soaring towards Zagato, and past him.
Zagato was only barely able to move out of the way, as he heard Hotaru screaming, "Not agaaaaa-aai-iin!"
As his opponent watched him fly off, Hotaru was just about able to stop himself, before he crashed into a mountain. Hotaru floated in the air, panting heavily, yet feeling surprisingly light. It was like every atom in his body was being held up by an invisible force.
"Why are both of my new spells so erratic!?" Hotaru complained, before noticing something.
The orbs on his armor's hip protection were still glowing. As far as he knew, only one set of orbs were available per spell. As he looked down at his knees, where another pair of newly added orbs were, they were still inert. It was only as he looked over to his side, that he noticed the large orb on his right pauldron glowing as well. Realizing the implications of this, Hotaru smiled smugly at Zagato, who was currently floating below him.
While pulling out his new weapon, he announced, "Zagato, I hope you are prepared, because I am about to show you just how many spells I know!"
Please let this be an anti-tank rifle or something.
As he pulled out the weapon in his right shoulder, what materialized in his hand was a two-handed morning star. Like the other weapons, it had a silver handle with a golden pommel. It had a small golden guard and a two feet long silver shaft, which was covered in golden studs capped off with small green orbs. At its tip was a silver ball the size of a cantaloupe, with twenty-five two-inch-long golden spikes. While the weapon was heavy, it wasn't nearly as cumbersome as his old executioner's axe.
"…This'll do nicely," Hotaru grinned sadistically.
Seeing Zagato preparing a new spell, Hotaru took off at a blinding speed towards him. Balls of dark crackling energy were fired at him that exploded when they came close enough. Despite being able to evade the black balls with relative ease, their shockwaves were capable of pushing him around.
I guess Aluminum Flight lives up to its name as well. Though I feel much less torque on my body when I maneuver around.
In no time, Hotaru reached Zagato and swung his morning star down at the high priest. Even without any offensive spells active, the impact of the morning star was enough to make Zagato recoil. Using heightened speed and reflexes, Hotaru swung his spiked mace from all directions.
"Barrier circle!" Zagato yelled, creating a black protective sphere around him.
Despite hitting it several times a second, the magical barrier was able to deflect all of Hotaru's attacks.
"Looks like I was right to be wary of you after all," Zagato grunted, his armor having blocked the first attack.
Hotaru watched as Zagato's purple aura flared up again, as Zagato started charging up a new spell inside his barrier. A bright light centered upon the high priest's body that gave off a rumbling sound.
"Oh crap, Tungsten Defense!" he yelled, before feeling a strange sensation.
"Silver Death Strike… Diablo!"
So, we're using Manga attacks now, are we?!
A bright silver colored explosion blew out of Zagato in all directions. The shockwave knocked Hotaru back, sending him careening into the ground. As he crash-landed, Hotaru barely felt the pain of the explosion or the fall, for something else drew his attention. His entire body was pulsating and twitching, as it felt like a current of electricity was running through him. At first Hotaru thought this was because he was trying to use three spells at once, but it was clear Silver Speed was no longer active.
His eyes widened in horror as he realized what was going on, "Wait… how exactly do spells that raise and lower your density mix?"
Just as Hotaru thought he was about to go atomic; his body and armor grew explosively. His entire body grew larger in waves, as the two spells mixed together. At first he became the size of Zagato, then an elephant, and then Atalante, until finally he was about two thirds the size of a Mashin. Hotaru stood up slowly, noticing he now towered over the nearby trees, or at least the ones left standing.
"What in the world?" Zagato gasped, staring at the giant warrior perplexed. "I have never seen a magical effect such as this!"
"Interesting," Hotaru spoke with a deep and booming voice.
Since the square-cube law isn't crushing me right now, I assume my density is still lower thanks to Aluminum Flight. In return, Tungsten Defense made me increase in mass in order to match up its weight.
In order to knock Zagato down from the sky, Hotaru stomped his foot down onto the rocky ground below him. Already softened by Zagato's spells from earlier, the ground cracked easily into large chunks of rock. Reaching down, Hotaru picked up a handful of boulders, before throwing them at Zagato. The high priest's eyes widened as several boulders the size of his torso flew towards him.
"Barrier Circle!"
Although most of the boulders missed him, some of them struck his dark shield. He could feel the impact of the boulders as they shattered against the barrier. Down below, he saw Hotaru quickly scooping up more boulders, continuing his bombardment. Some cracks were forming in his defensive spell, but by feeding more magic into it, he managed to repair it faster than Hotaru could break it.
How is something as simple as throwing rocks being so effective?!
As Hotaru started throwing even large rocks, Zagato yelled, "This has been going on for long enough!"
Within his barrier, Zagato extended out his hands, his palms facing each other, before conjuring a huge white ball of energy. Black energy rings pulsed out of the ball as it charged up, which formed into a tunnel of white rings in front of Zagato. Eventually the white ball turned pitch black, at which point Zagato turned off his barrier and fired off his most powerful spell.
"Darkness Burst Death Strike… Stratos!"
Two massive black flames erupted from the black ball of energy, forming a double helix that shot through the tunnel of glowing rings. Each ring increased the power and intensity of the flames, causing them to grow bigger and faster.
While Zagato's showy spell had been charging, Hotaru had calmly pulled his shield out of the orb on his left gauntlet. But as he did, he noticed his round shield hadn't exactly gotten the memo about the size increase. His spartan-styled shield now looked more like a trojan in his hand, and would offer about as much protection.
As the black flames struck Hotaru, they engulfed him and his surroundings, lighting everything around him in flames. Despite the heat resistance of Tungsten Defense, Hotaru could feel the unnatural flames eating away his flesh. Zagato watched from above, seeing his adversary disappear from his sight as the black flames rose up. While Stratos was a complicated spell, it was able to burn his enemies and their surroundings out of existence.
Feeling the sting of losing a worthy adversary, Zagato said his goodbyes, "Farwell Hotaru. Despite you putting up a better fight, you die like the rest of the paladins… huh?
To Zagato's surprise, the black flames were moving towards him. Before he could comprehend what was going on, two giant arms burst out of the flames in front of him.
"Did you forget I can fly!" Hotaru yelled, before clapping his hands together.
Caught by surprise, Zagato barely had the time to teleport out of the way before being swatted like a fly, interrupting his spell. He teleported down to the ground and looked up, seeing the giant Hotaru covered in black flames. With Stratos interrupted, the flames quickly died out, uncovering Hotaru. His body, armor, and clothes were scorched and damaged, but only minimally, and he was surrounded by a bright lime-green aura.
"Impossible," Zagato gritted his teeth, "How are you still standing after taking that head-on!"
Hotaru himself wasn't too certain. He didn't know what the spell did exactly, but it seemed to burn away at his body very slowly. While Tungsten Defense had not fully protected him, it had probably slowed the burning. Coupled with his increased mass, he had plenty of time to get out of the fire.
But since that was too long of an explanation, he just answered, "Fuck you, that's how! I just didn't want you to rob Alcyone of this pretty face!"
"You truly are willing to push yourself this far for that woman?" Zagato asked in disbelief.
"Am I the only one in this world who doesn't think she is awful!" Hotaru's voice boomed across the mountains. "Or am I the crazy one?"
"You are crazy!" Zagato yelled back at him. "She is obsessive, she is in love with another man, she has committed countless atrocities. She even tried to kill you and your friends several times!"
"The only mistake she ever made was falling in love with you," Hotaru roared out. "I am willing to forgive her that much. And that obsessiveness you're talking about, that's called loyalty and devotion! Something you obviously never heard of!"
As he said this, he could see Zagato flinch a little, showing that he was still upset about being called a cheater earlier. However, this also reminded Hotaru of something he had heard of so much that it had almost lost all meaning to him.
The heart that believes becomes power in Cephiro… Zagato always had the most powerful heart out of anyone else in the series. Maybe I managed to weaken his heart by introducing doubt into it by calling him out.
Realizing the reason he was still alive, Hotaru knew his advantage wouldn't last forever. As Zagato started gathering energy into another massive ball of darkness, he knew he had to put an end to this now.
A black sphere with a purple glowing outer layer and dark red lightning swirling around it, formed at the tip of Zagato's finger. As Stratos's slow burn hadn't worked, Zagato decided to go with something with a more immediate effect.
"Shadow Impact… Lexus!"
As the sphere of darkness fired off as a powerful beam, Hotaru swapped out his flying spell, "Silver Speed!"
As his body shrunk back to its normal size, the beam of darkness flew past him. As Lexus hit the mountain behind him, it blew off a large chunk of it. Not letting this discourage him, Hotaru made a mad dash at Zagato.
"Neat spell, let me show you my strongest attack!" Hotaru yelled. "Random bullshit, go!"
He first reached down to his hips and summoned his rapiers, before throwing them at Zagato's direction. He then pulled out his spear and shield from his forearms, throwing the spear first and then the shield.
"Barrier Circle!" Zagato defended himself again.
The two rapiers bounced off of his protective spell, followed by the spear. By the time the shield hit the barrier, Zagato was about to ask if Hotaru was even taking the fight seriously anymore. But as the shield fell down, Hotaru was already waiting behind it, with a mad look in his eyes. This jump scare was followed by a powerful impact against the barrier, as Hotaru brought his newly armored fist down on it.
Using the combination of Tungsten Defense and Silver Speed, Hotaru had maximized the force of his natural attacks. With the speed and weight behind his punches, it was like Zagato's barrier was being struck by 40-pound cannon balls, sixteen times per second.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!" Hotaru yelled, having the time of his life.
As the blows rained down upon the barrier, Zagato was slowly getting pushed back. The barrier around him was carving a round groove into the ground, as the force of Hotaru's assault broke everything behind it. Eventually the barrier itself started cracking up faster than Zagato could feed more magic into it.
Struggling to keep his barrier up, Zagato strained himself to his limits, "How… are you this… strong!"
"I told you I knew more about laws of physics than you do!"
To finally break Zagato out of his shell, Hotaru delivered a straight kick right into the center of the barrier. The Barrier Circle shattered as his heel connected with it, sending Zagato flying. Unrelenting in his assault, Hotaru quickly charged after Zagato, punching him several times mid-flight. Once to his jaw, right shoulder, chest, and abdomen. Each blow accelerated Zagato even further, until Hotaru could no longer catch up to him. The High Priest flew back first into the same crater that Hotaru had created with his fall.
Ever since starting to spy on Hotaru's and Zagato's battle, Alcyone had been at the edge of her seat. Or bed in this case. She had at first thought of laying on her bed and watching Hotaru's demise at the hands of Zagato. But the battle had been far more fast paced than she initially expected. She had to zoom out with her forehead gem so that she could see at least half the valley, to keep up with the action.
"When did he get so fast? Ooh, Zagato's magic is as immaculate as always!" Alcyone commentated the battle to herself. "Wait, Hotaru can fly, and that fast?! That means there is no escaping melee combat with him…"
As the battle waged on, it started to become more and more one-sided. No matter how many flashy spells Zagato was using, Hotaru managed to maintain the upper hand. As Hotaru grew to giant size, Alcyone couldn't believe she was starting to cheer for him.
Strange, I've never been interested in rooting for underdogs before. Maybe I am just happy to have validation for my struggles from before. But why am I smiling? Zagato is… Oh that got to have hurt!
As she watched Hotaru get swallowed up by the dark flames Alcyone had seen consume entire armies, she thought the battle was over. But as the giant warrior erupted out of the flames, she came to a realization.
Maybe Hotaru was never the underdog…
As she bore witness to Hotaru's flurry of blows, her heart felt like it was about to burst. Watching Zagato's Barrier Circle break apart, Alcyone realized that her beloved wasn't as invincible as she thought. As he was sent flying by Hotaru's follow up, her heart sank.
"Zagato! NOOOO!" Alcyon yelled.
As she yelled, she could hear her voice turn unusually high-pitched. As she stopped, she could hear her voice, or someone else's, echo throughout the fortress.
Before she had time to question this, the battle was continuing on her magic gem.
Hotaru walked over to the edge of the crater Zagato had landed in. He looked down upon the High Priest laying in the hole, whose blood was dripping down his chin. As Zagato got up onto his feet, he was clearly staggering from the beating he had received.
Unbelievable. I could actually kill Zagato right now. But if I do that, it will start the end-game.
"Had enough yet, old man?" Hotaru stared the high priest down, trying to appear as intimidating as possible.
"Looks like I was… right about you…" Zagato panted, spitting blood out of his mouth. "You truly are… a frightful opponent!"
Activating Steel Strength, Hotaru summoned his giant golden sword. With his spells now being much stronger than before, he had no difficulty wielding the sword. Using his speed and strength buffing spells, he flourished his sword in quick succession. If Zagato truly found him fearful, he would scare him away.
"Then why don't you run away with your tail between your legs like all your minions?" Hotaru taunted, pointing his sword towards Zagato.
"Sorry, but that isn't an option," Zagato declared, his aura flaring up once more.
As Zagato walked out of the crater towards Hotaru, the ground beneath him was cracking up. While Hotaru didn't have the best of knowledge of magic, he could tell that the pressure Zagato exuded was on a whole different level now. It was similar to what he had felt when he first came face to face with him.
"If I wish for Princess Emeraude to be able to live freely, then you are the first obstacle I must clear out of my way. After that, I will own up to my mistakes," Zagato spoke in a grave and deep voice.
With Zagato standing before Hotaru, the height difference made the deceptively young man feel like a child. But despite the high priest's intimidating presence, Hotaru had to act. He swung his sword down at Zagato in the blink of an eye, but only hit air. The dark lord had disappeared before his very eyes.
"You have to do better than that," he heard from behind him.
Hotaru quickly turned around, swinging his sword in a wide arch, but Zagato teleported away once more. This time Zagato was several meters away from him, but it didn't take long for Hotaru to close the distance. And yet, no matter how many times he swung his sword around, he could not connect.
Eventually, Zagato teleported further away from his enemy, appearing hundreds of meters behind him. It wasn't until he raised his magical power that Hotaru noticed him, but by then it was already too late.
"Lightning Bolt Onslaught!"
Hundreds of bolts of light erupted from Zagato that first soared up into the sky, before raining down on Hotaru. Using his strength and speed, Hotaru was barely able to evade the wave of explosions that peppered his surroundings. He jumped and dashed between the rocks he had thrown around the valley, as thunder echoed around him. But as he was dodging and weaving between the lightning bolts, Zagato was already preparing the next spell.
"Ebony Annihilation!"
As the snake-like purple line of energy approached him once more, Hotaru knew there was no evading both spells. He stood his ground, pulled his sword back and faced the Ebony Annihilation.
"Tungsten Defense!"
With all the strength and mass possibly behind it, Hotaru swung the giant blade with all his heart, broad side first. The side of the sword swatted several lightning bolts and the spiraling purple mass of energy, deflecting them away from him. As the spells impacted the ground hundreds of meters away, they exploded with an insane force, as an orange fireball overtook the valley.
After leaving the Sky Shrine behind, the Magic Knights had made their way out of the mountainous region. Outside the mountain range, Cephiro was in an abysmal condition. The grass, trees, bushes, animals, everything was gone and barren. Even the surface soil seemed to have disappeared. Even though it was the middle of the day, it looked like night, as the skies were covered in almost pitch-black clouds.
As they walked across the rocky landscape, they couldn't help but feel as miserable as their surroundings looked. Even when following behind Mokona, who bounced forward, chirping cheerfully, there was an awkward silence in the group.
"…Cephiro has really changed since we first got here," Umi spoke out, trying to start a conversation.
"That is true. At first the collapsing of Cephiro seemed like a distant threat, but now it feels imminent," Fuu spoke, looking around the area.
"We best hurry up if we wish to save it," Hikaru spoke out in a determined voice, hastening the pace of her steps.
But no matter how quickly they walked, they couldn't outrun the silence. During their journey, they had grown so accustomed to it that they barely noticed it. But now that it was gone, it was like the world itself stood still.
"It's weird," Fuu spoke out eventually. "Right now, I would give anything to hear armored footsteps."
"Right," Hikaru nodded. "…I still can't believe we couldn't protect him, despite him protecting us so often."
"Such is the life of the front-line fighter," Umi sighed deeply. "He gave away his, so that we could continue to finish our mission."
They continued walking forward a bit longer, until Hikaru came to a halt. Umi and Fuu were startled by this, believing she must have spotted an enemy. But as their red-headed leader turned around, they saw she was tearing up like a child.
"I want him baaaaack!" Hikaru yelled before clinging to Fuu and Umi, bawling her eyes out.
As the two taller girls saw Hikaru bawling like a little sister, they couldn't help but hug her back and stroke her head. As they comforted her, they couldn't help but realize how much Hotaru had supported them during their journey. Both physically and emotionally.
"We all miss him, Mis. Hikaru," Fuu comforted the red Magic Knight with a motherly voice. "I especially am going to miss his cooking."
"Yeah, I could go for one of his steaks," Umi said hungrily, "but I think I can cook up some hamburgers today."
"…With ice cream?" Hikaru asked sheepishly, carefully peeking up from her friends' chests.
Umi nodded, "Sure!"
Just as Hikaru started feeling a bit better, they all heard a powerful explosion from the direction they had come from. They all clung to each other tightly due to the fright, before turning towards the mountains. From this far away, they couldn't see what had happened, but they were sure it was something big.
"Cephiro must be collapsing faster than we thought!" Fuu pointed out.
"We must hurry! No time to rest and eat, until the sun sets!" Hikaru declared.
"Puu puuu!" Mokona yelled, holding its ears.
The three girls started running away from the mountains as quickly as they could, with Mokona barely able to keep ahead of them.
As Zagato's spells had detonated, Hotaru had quickly shielded himself with both his sword and shield, before several red-hot shockwaves swept over him. Once the explosion dissipated and the dust settled, not a single tree was left standing in the valley. Hotaru looked up in the direction of Zagato, noticing that the High Priest was gone.
I guess he finally figured to run away… HUH?!
Just as he was about to sigh in relief, Hotaru sensed Zagato behind him. As he turned around, the villain was just about to turn him into stone, until he coughed up blood. To Hotaru's blessing, the injuries he had inflicted on Zagato earlier, had finally caught up to him.
Holding his sword and shield, Hotaru took a defensive stance, "You fool! You still intend to fight in that condition?"
"You said it yourself," Zagato strained his voice. "We're both willing to sacrifice everything for the women we love…"
Hotaru sighed deeply, reminded as to why Zagato was his favorite character as a teenager. The willingness to sacrifice the world for your loved one, was still as stupidly manly as ever.
"Then you leave me no choice," Hotaru said with heavy swords, and raised his sword into the air with both hands, "BUT TO END THIS!"
Zagato's eyes widened as the giant blade came down with an undeterminable force. It was nowhere near close enough to hit him, but Hotaru had surprised him time after time during the fight. As the sword struck the rocky hillside, it split the ground and launched a massive cloud of dust and debris into the air. As the shockwave from the slash approached, Zagato teleported out of the way once more.
Once he reappeared some ways away, he could see a large ravine-like gash in the ground, as the dust cloud dissipated. But what shocked him even more, was that he couldn't see Hotaru where he had been. Zagato looked around cautiously, checking each and every direction, preparing for a surprise attack from the brunet foe.
Would he attack from behind? From the side? From a blind angle? From above…
"What?" Zagato gasped, his eyes widening as he looked up.
High up in the air, he saw a figure in gold and silver armor, flying at a high speed. By the time Zagato realized what was going on, the figure had already flown past the mountains. While Zagato was furious about his enemy running mid battle, he was too injured to chase after them. And as much as he hated to admit it, Hotaru had the air superiority when using his two new spells.
"I see… you couldn't defeat me alone, so you chose to seek out your friends," Zagato thought out loud, while coughing up more blood. "Fine, we'll call it a draw."
As Zagato teleported back into his fortress, Hotaru was soaring high up in the sky. Once a full minute had passed since he left the battlefield, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"I really need to reorientate my fight or flight response," he exhaled tiredly, "I could have done this from the get go!"
As he continued flying, he looked down on the ground at the barren world that Cephiro had become during the past few days. However, he couldn't feel too down about it, as only now could he fully appreciate his new spells.
"I can fly now! This is great! And I'm really fast!" Hotaru cheered, feeling like a little kid again.
While high up in the sky, Hotaru spotted a few dots of color below him. As he looked more closely, he realized that these were his friends, Hikaru, Fuu, and Umi.
"They seem to have continued on without me. Probably thought I was dead," Hotaru shrugged, feeling a bit proud of their tenacity. "Wait till they see me now; they'll be so jealous! The girls themselves won't be able to fly until… wait."
Hotaru came to a quick halt mid-flight, as he looked at his surroundings and memories flooded his mind. He stood up in the air motionlessly, considering his options. He could rejoin the Magic Knights now, or…
In the show, the Magic Knights weren't able to fly until they gained full access to the Mashin. While flying isn't that rare in this world, it was what allowed them to reach…
"…Zagato's base," Hotaru uttered, his eyes and smile widening. "What direction was that damn thing?"
As he looked around the horizon, he could spot a billowing plume of smoke far in the distance. It was the volcano that the final Mashin would be located at. It was from there that the Magic Knights started flying towards their next battle, but which way?
They only learnt the direction when Princess Emeraude pointed it out via the damn walkie-talkies. What direction was it…
As Hotaru strained his memory, he tried picturing the three Mashins flying across the skies. Everything in Cephiro looked the same by that point, so the only discernible direction would have been…
"Up!"
Hotaru stared up into the dark cloud cover in the sky, which only let out minimal amounts of sunlight through it. Without hesitation, he took off at full speed, rushing into the clouds, ascending through their dark depths. After flying upwards for several minutes, he could finally see the sun coming into view. As he broke through the darkened heavens, the light of the bright blue sky and the sun were blinding enough that he had to put on his sunglasses.
As the sun reflected off of his armor, he basked in the light, "It feels good to have the sun on my skin once more!"
Once his eyes got used to the light of the afternoon sun, Hotaru started looking around for Zagato's fortress once more. In the show, it had been completely surrounded by dark clouds, but maybe Cephiro wasn't that far gone just yet. As he scoured through the sea of black clouds beneath him, he saw something far in the distance. Floating just above the clouds was an object that looked like a combination of a star and a snowflake, and about just as big.
"I'm coming for you, my little Snow White."
At the crystal fortress, Alcyone was annoyed, to say the least. She had just finished watching the ending of the battle between Hotaru and Zagato, and was now preparing for Zagato's return. While she was happy to have Zagato return alive, she was disappointed at Hotaru for running away. She had looked forward to him either perishing or for Zagato to run away.
But as she approached the throne room, her mood slowly started getting better. She could hear Inouva sniveling already.
"Please my master, forgive me! I was certain he would have—"
"Inouva! It was an easy mistake to make, calm down."
Easy mistake? I would be hung out to the crows if I failed this badly!
After calming down once more, Alcyone opened the door to the throne room. She was carrying a tray with a bottle of medicine and some bandages, in hopes of getting to tend to Zagato's injuries. Also to act all smug to Inouva. But as she entered the room, there was someone else there as well.
Zagato was facing away from the door, with his back turned against Alcyone. Inouva was standing next to him, seeming very apologetic and regretful. Behind Zagato, there was a golden glowing figure. It was faintly see-through, and while she couldn't see their face, there was no way Alcyone would forget that hair.
"Princess Emeraude…" Alcyone whispered, her entire body trembling.
"Zagato! You mustn't continue on like this!" Emeraude stared teary-eyed at the tall dark figure before her. "Please, you must stop opposing the Magic Knights! This world will fall to ruin, and you will only end up hurting yourself!"
"You know I will never stop," Zagato spoke with a calm voice. "Even if Cephiro crumbles to nothing, even if everyone in this land dies, my heart will not change."
A chill ran down Alcyone's spine as she heard those words.
Even if everyone… dies? He can't truly mean that… It must be to mess with her head.
"Zagato…" Emeraude whispered woefully.
With heavy laden words, Zagato continued speaking, "Sea God Selece, Wind God Windam. Those girls from another world have awakened two Mashins from their long slumber. Only one remains. Only the scarlet Mashin that lies in the Fire Shrine…"
Zagato was interrupted, as he started coughing up blood once more. As Alcyone was about to rush over to help him, she saw something that shocked her to her core. Princess Emeraude was praying. She was praying for Zagato. A golden ball that shone warm light floated from Emeraude's hands into Zagato, partially healing him.
Zagato stared at Emeraude with a melancholy expression, "Why do you heal me, when the only thing I do, is make you cry?"
"Because… I do not want to live in a world without you, Zagato!" Princess Emeraude confessed, her projection falling onto her knees.
Seeing Emeraude crying once more, Zagato replied, "And I do not want a world where you cannot be free."
Inouva watched from the side, seeing the two people who meant the most to him, exchange glances of indescribable feelings. His failure at stopping the Magic Knights, stung him deeply. But before the tender scene could go on, all three of them were interrupted by the sound of a falling silver tray and a shattering medicine bottle.
Alcyone was in shock, her mind trying to deny everything it had just seen and heard. As Zagato turned around towards the shaking Alcyone, she could see Princess Emeraude's projection for a moment. She looked at her with a fearful and worried expression, as if a mother worrying for her child.
"Alcyone, run—!" she yelled at her, before her projection disappeared.
"Lord Zagato!" Alcyone yelled, her body, heart, and mind all aching. "Were the words you just spoke true?"
Zagato was quiet for a moment, before asking, "What would you do if they were, Alcyone?"
"No… That can't be!" Alcyone despaired, falling to her knees. "Then for what purpose have I been fighting the Magic Knights… and… hated… Hotaru…"
"That man," Zagato remembered back on his battle, "holds a far greater opinion of you than I ever did. The lengths he was willing to go for you, were beyond anything I had witnessed before."
Tears rolled down Alcyone's cheeks, as she thought back on all of their encounters. All the things they had talked about, all the things he had said to her, all the things he had done for her. All of it came crashing in on her at once, as she watched Zagato hold out his hand towards her.
As a blue light built up in it, Alcyone stuttered, "L-Lord Zagato… what are you—"
"If he sees something in you, then I must treat you with the same hostility as I treat him. I will not allow you to become another obstacle in my way," Zagato spoke coldly.
Alcyone, run!
As Princess Emeraude's words echoed in her head, Alcyone reached into her cleavage and squeezed her magic gem tightly. Just as Zagato's spell fired, she hastily teleported away from it. She appeared in the hallway outside the throne room, after which a powerful shockwave blew the doors in front of her off their hinges. Alcyone quickly got up and started running, her cape billowing behind her.
Not in a condition to give chase, Zagato commanded, "Inouva, after her!"
"Yes, my lord!" Inouva nodded.
As Alcyone ran through the corridors of the crystal fortress, she could hear the sound of howling behind her. Inouva's dark hounds were chasing after her unrelentingly, not giving her time to concentrate on her spells. She could hear the sound of shattering crystal behind her, as the hounds imploded pieces of the fortress.
Alcyone was hoping to gain enough distance to equip her forehead gem and to draw out her magical armor and weapon. But this would take time, during which Inouva's spell would shred her to pieces. While she was familiar with the labyrinthine corridors of the royal castle and the fortress, Inouva knew them even better.
Rounding yet another corner, Alcyone came to a sudden stop, as she spotted the pale silver-haired elf standing before her. Before she could react, Inouva shot out a spell that created viscous substance around her. As she was snared like a butterfly in a spider's web, Alcyone let out a shocked scream.
"This game of cat and mouse ends now, Alcyone," Inouva spoke apathetically.
As Inouva lifted his right arm towards her and charged up a black ball of magic in it, Alcyone squeezed the gem in her hand tightly. She didn't know where she had to go, only where she wanted to be.
I want to see Hotaru!
A bright light flashed before Inouva's eyes, blinding him temporarily. Despite this, he managed to fire off his spell, which was followed by dozens of howls and implosions. As he opened his eyes, only the tattered remains of the web he had created remained. Among those remains, there was a tattered white cape and some strands of long black hair.
Outside the crystal fortress, Hotaru was circling around the floating mega structure. Spires of azure crystals the size of skyscrapers pointed in every direction, making it hard to judge its orientation. He had planned on entering the fortress discreetly, but he had no idea where the entrance was.
As he flew under the fortress, he could hear a sound amongst the winds. A blood curdling scream that he recognized all too well.
"Alcyone!" he gasped, listening to where the sound was coming from.
Looking down, he managed to see a glimpse of the pale sorceress as she fell into the dark clouds below. Without a moment's hesitation, Hotaru dived down at full speed into the clouds. Due to the shadow cast by the fortress, the clouds were even darker than before. It was impossible for him to see anything or anyone inside the thick cloud cover.
"Alcyone, where are you!" He yelled, trying to hear the sorceress, but there was no response.
He was getting desperate and the thought of Alcyone splattering against the ground below filled his mind. But it was that disturbing mental image that also gave him an idea. He dove straight down, rocketing through the cloud cover as fast as Silver Speed and Aluminum Flight could allow him to. Eventually he arrived under the clouds once more and saw the rocky ground beneath him.
"This should do it!" he said before looking around sporadically, listening carefully.
As Alcyone fell through the clouds, all she could hear was the wind whistling past ears. Her hair and clothes were a mess and had some remnants of Inouva's rubber cement-like goop in them. She screamed as she fell, until her throat turned hoarse. Even without the windchill, her heart was starting to feel cold. She still held the flat purple gem in her hand. If she put it on, she could probably slow her descent with her levitation spell. But as she looked at the gem, it all seemed so pointless.
What was I even thinking… All you ever did was care for my well-being, while I did all I could to hurt you. Lord Zagato was my entire world, and I sacrificed everything for him. You tried warning me, but I was too stubborn to listen. You didn't want to see me end up broken and alone, so it is best you never see me again.
As she continued falling through the darkness surrounding her, Alcyone's tears ran freely. Soon, all this struggle, all this heart ache, and all this pain would be over.
I just wanted to see you, one last time, so that I could say… Thank you.
Seeing the underside of the clouds above her, she realized the end was near. She crossed her hands against her chest, pressing the gem against her heart one last time and closed her eyes. She gritted her teeth, bracing for whatever ground she was going to crash into. If it were a lake, she hoped she would drown in it.
But instead of grass, ground, rock, or water, she felt something jagged and metallic against her shoulders and backs of her knees. Her fall came to a stop quickly, but slowly enough to not cause her harm. As the wind direction changed from upwards to the right of her, she opened her teary eyes carefully. What she saw was a familiar pair of lime-green eyes and a warm smile.
"Just the girl I was coming to visit," Hotaru quipped, holding her gently in his arms. "There's a corny line about angels falling from heaven, but since you were about to become one, I think I'll pass."
Hearing Hotaru's dumb jokes after being saved by him, Alcyone wanted to snark back at him. However, with the weight of all the emotional turmoil she had experienced, simultaneously crashing down and being lifted off of her, there was only one thing she could do. She wrapped her arms around Hotaru, and cried against his shoulder.
With Alcyone weeping against him, Hotaru didn't have to guess twice as to what had happened. He just continued flying, happy to be finally holding Alcyone in his arms. While he loved her proud and confident demeanor as well as her fiery determination, it was endearing to see her more vulnerable side. If he wasn't already holding her in a princess carry, he would embrace her tightly.
He was going to take her back to where the Magic Knights were. While waiting for Alcyone to fall through the clouds, Hotaru had activated Steel Strength, so he would certainly be strong enough to hold her up. As such, the return trip would be slower, but he wanted to take his time.
For the next ten minutes or so, Alcyone continued crying against Hotaru, as she processed everything that had happened. The heartache, the guilt, the betrayal, the desire, the fear, the hopelessness, and now, relief, safety, and acceptance. Once she stopped crying, she leaned against Hotaru tiredly for quite some time. While she knew he wasn't going to just drop her off, the silence eventually became too overwhelming for her.
"Go ahead and say it…" Alcyone whimpered, ready to swallow her pride.
I told you so, she deserved to hear those words. The amount of times Hotaru had warned her, tried to make her see the flaws of her actions, or tried to help her, was innumerable. If there was anyone out there who deserved to chew her out on her mistakes, it would be him. She deserved the worst for her crimes, but this would at least be a good place to start.
"I won't hold it against you if you say it," Alcyone admitted, unable to look Hotaru in the eye.
Hotaru was quiet for a moment, before turning towards Alcyone and saying, "Alright… I love you."
Alcyone twitched in his arms, before the raven-haired sorceress turned to look at him. Her indigo eyes were moist and wide open, and her cheeks were blushing, as she stared at him in disbelief. But as Alcyone noticed Hotaru's unflinching expression, she eventually got moody.
"This is neither the place nor time for words like that," Alcyone pouted, turning away from him to hide her blush.
"What? You told me to say it," Hotaru smirked as he teased her.
"I wanted you to say, 'I told you so'!" Alcyone griped while blushing, kicking her feet. "I just got… well I cannot even call it being dumped! My entire life has broken apart and I have lost everything I have ever worked towards! And you think this is a good place for you to… confess."
Hotaru was both amused and nervous, as Alcyone covered her face with her hands. He couldn't tell whether she was being shy or if she was going to start crying again. In the end he decided to not pry into it and let Alcyone explain it when she was ready.
Eventually Alcyone pulled her hands back and looked at Hotaru again, "So, how long have you been in love with me? Was it from the very start?"
This time it was Hotaru's time to blush, "Well… at first, I… actually now that I think about it, maybe? I only realized that I do about a week ago. You've been on my mind since I got to Cephiro, so I guess it all just happened naturally."
Alcyone was taken aback by his words, at which point she held out her magic gem, "Then what about this? Why did you give it back to me if not out of love?"
Hotaru tried to recall that day in the frozen wasteland. It hadn't been too long, but it felt like an eternity now. Slowly but surely, his memories and feelings from that day returned.
"I gave it back because I knew I could trust you and I didn't want you to suffer due to me defeating you," Hotaru answered, though admitting he might've acted out of love even back then.
"I see," Alcyone nodded, feeling a bit more comfortable. "I guessed the last part correctly, but what in the world made you think you could trust me?"
Hotaru chuckled before answering, "Because you didn't lie to me. You chose to be honest instead of lying to get what you wanted. Sure, you could've just come back with a vengeance with that gem, but that would mean I would get to see you again."
Listening to Hotaru's foolish yet insightful reasoning, Alcyone's heart skipped a beat. She turned away from his smiling face, as she wasn't yet sure how to feel about the young man's affection. She was flattered, but did she deserve it? As she thought about this, she looked downwards, trying to see how high they were flying. But as she looked at the ground below, a feeling of absolute dread took her over.
"What… What has happened to Cephiro?" she gasped, looking at the barren rocky wasteland beneath them.
"The results of Zagato's handiwork. The world really has gone downhill these past few days," Hotaru explained, before quickly turning towards Alcyone. "Wait, you didn't know?!"
"NO!" Alcyone yelled, horrified by the state of things. "I have been trapped inside that fortress since we last met! I never knew it had gotten this bad on the outside!"
Where are the lakes, where are the forests? The trees, the plants, the flowers! The sun and the stars! Where are the people and the animals? Is this... what Zagato meant by not caring if everyone dies?
As Alcyone's heart sank to her stomach, all she could ask was, "What have I done…"
While Hotaru had a hundred ways to answer that question, he thought it best to keep his mouth shut. Letting Alcyone come to grips with the full consequences of her actions on her own was better than anything he could add. Although, he couldn't help but hold onto her slightly tighter.
"You can drop me off here…" Alcyone requested with a bleak voice. "I deserve to die alone in this wasteland of my own making…"
"Oh no you don't!" Hotaru raised his voice, refusing to even humor the notion. "I am not letting you out of my sight ever again! …At least not until you have helped us fix this!"
As Alcyone turned around, Hotaru could see a spark of joy in her eyes, but it was quickly covered by tears, "But why! Why do you care about me so much? How can you say that you love me, even after all I have done!"
Looking Alcyone straight in the eye, Hotaru spoke from his heart, "All you did was fall in love with the wrong person. You dreamt of living a happy life by their side and were willing to do anything to make it possible. I know how that feels and I know how much it hurts when that dream comes crashing down! But pain is temporary, and then you move on."
A silence fell upon the two of them, as neither knew how to continue the conversation. Hotaru's emotions had boiled over due to digging through past memories, while Alcyone's had settled down due to his compassion. Without a single spoken word, they both smiled, as their emotional states met somewhere in the middle.
Eventually, Alcyone's mood brightened up enough for her to ask, "So, why were you all the way out here at Zagato's fortress?"
"Like I said, I was coming to see you. I learnt today that Zagato is in love with Princess Emeraude, so I came over to force the confession out of him before your eyes. If you didn't believe me or if I failed, well, I could always have kidnapped you instead."
"Fufufufu, my hero in shining armor," Alcyone chuckled. "And here I thought you ran away from the battle with Zagato because he was too strong."
"Well, I was leaning more towards plan B," Hotaru admitted, before raising his eyebrows. "Wait… How did you know about that?"
Alcyone lifted her forehead gem once again, "I may have been spying on you from time to time while imprisoned. You were really impressive in your fight against Zagato."
Hotaru blushed again slightly, remembering all the dumb things he had done during the battle.
Well, that explains why she wasn't surprised by me flying. I wonder what else she saw…
"By the way, how did you know where Zagato's fortress was?" Alcyone asked, only realizing it right now.
Hotaru's eyes widened, "Uuuhhh... Caldina told me."
Nighttime had arrived. While the nights in Cephiro were darker than in Tokyo due to the lack of light pollution, at least the night sky was filled with stars. But these days, nighttime was completely void of any light. A cold and bitter wind blew across the rocky wastelands, inhabited by nocturnal monsters.
For miles on end, only one beacon of light stood in the darkness. A small, unassuming, egg-shaped building with six legs, with light pouring out of its round windows. Inside, three young teenage girls sat around a kitchen island.
They had traveled as quickly and as far as they possibly could, until it had become too dark for them to see forward. After fighting one of Zagato's minions, awakening a Mashin, and traveling for miles on end, they were in a desperate need of a break.
"Here you go, I made plenty so eat up," Umi said with a smile, as she served out the food.
Hikaru and Fuu looked at the hamburgers Umi had made. They were big, dripping with juices, yet simple, and were served with a side of fried potato wedges.
"These look great, Ms. Umi," Fuu praised her. "But why did you make so many?"
Umi looked over to the counter, staring at the three remaining hamburgers, before answering, "I guess I'm just used to cooking for a larger crowd. Hikari and Hotaru always eat an extra portion..."
"Thank you for the food," Hikaru said quietly, before taking a bite out of her hamburger. "It's good."
It wasn't hard for Umi and Fuu to notice that Hikaru didn't have her usual appetite. The mention of Hotaru had spoiled their appetite slightly and their plan for having ice cream for dessert had also failed. As the three of them started eating quietly, Mokona, who was sitting in Hikaru's lap, jumped onto the floor all of a sudden.
"Mokona, what is it?" Hikaru asked, watching as Mokona's long ears twitched.
Mokona's ears pointed in every which direction, until Mokona stared towards the door, "Pupuu puuu!"
Right after Mokona had chirped, there was a heavy knock on the door. The Magic Knights were surprised by this and even more in shock as the door opened on its own.
"Tadaima~!" they heard a familiar voice, before they saw a tall figure enter.
"Hotaru!" they all yelled in unison.
As the three girls stared at him like they had seen a ghost, Hotaru grinned widely, "You would not believe the day I've had."
The Magic Knights pushed back their chairs and rushed over to greet him. Hikaru reached him first, almost pouncing on him as she hugged him tightly. Umi grabbed hold of Hotaru's arm, hugging it a bit more discreetly. Fuu stood close to Hotaru, not quite hugging him, but her emerald eyes were sparkling from seeing him.
"Hotaru! I'm so glad you're okay!" Hikaru yelled, pressing her cheek against his chest plate.
"How did you survive the fall?" Umi asked.
"I see that your armor has finally evolved, Mr. Hotaru. Congratulations!" Fuu smiled.
"Oh right, yours did as well," Hotaru smiled back. "But that is but a footnote on what has happened. Check what else I picked up along the way."
As Hotaru moved out of the doorway, the girls waited with bated breaths. It was too dark for them to see what was going on outside. It took some encouragement from Hotaru, but eventually another familiar tall figure walked in. As Alcyone came in, the Magic Knights gasped and took a few steps back.
"Hotaru, what is the meaning of this?" Umi asked, summoning her rapier.
"Why have you brought this old lady to our home?" Fuu inquired, taking a defensive stance.
"Alcyone, are you alright?" Hikaru asked.
Everyone turned towards Hikaru shocked, as the shortest of the Magic Knights seemed to be genuinely worried for her. As Fuu and Umi took another look at Alcyone, they could see what Hikaru meant. She was unarmed, her outfit and hair were messy, and her demeanor had changed. While she usually held herself tall and proud, Alcyone now seemed timid and anxious.
Alcyone swallowed nervously, before answering with a quiet voice, "I've been better. Zagato tried to have me killed, but Hotaru saved me. It's a long story…"
"We can discuss it over dinner," Hotaru suggested, smelling something good in the air. "What we having?"
"H-Hamburgers! I made them myself," Umi answered proudly.
"Ooh that sounds great, I've wanted one for ages," Hotaru said excitedly.
As they all sat around the kitchen island, Hotaru was slightly disappointed. While the girls had talked about hamburgers, they had meant hamburger steaks. Though he had been craving the American version, he was too hungry to bring this up. As the five of them ate together, Hotaru and Alcyone shared what had happened to them to the Magic knights, omitting a few details.
While the girls were still wary of Alcyone, they felt they could trust Hotaru's sense of judgment. Once they were done eating, they all felt a bit better about what they had accomplished today.
"Aaah that was delicious!" Hikaru stretched after a meal.
"It had a nice home cooked feel to it," Alcyone praised the meal as well.
"So, what is for dessert?" Hotaru asked Umi. "You girls did awaken another Mashin, right?"
Umi sighed, "Yeah, we were supposed to have ice cream for dessert. But it turns out that while Mokona was able to conjure an ice cream machine, it cannot conjure ice or anything cold."
Hotaru looked over at Mokona, who was snoozing on the Magic Knights' bed, raising an eyebrow. He wondered just how specific its conjuring abilities were, but as of right now, it didn't matter.
"Ice cream? What's that?" Alcyone asked, the name of it piquing her curiosity.
"It's great! It is soft, cold, creamy, and comes in tons of flavors!" Hikaru explained, sharing about her favorite food.
"And we're going to have some right now!" Hotaru announced. "Alcyone, you mind lending a hand?"
"Ummm… sure?" she agreed, a bit nervous as to what they had in mind.
"Oh right! She can use ice magic!" Umi remembered, clapping her hands together.
"And I picked up some new spells as well," Hotaru smiled. "So, what flavors we making? I'm having chocolate."
"Of course you will," Umi snarked, remembering yesterday. "I like banana the best."
"Strawberry is my favorite!" Hikaru yelled excitedly.
"I'm quite partial to vanilla myself," Fuu admitted.
"What about you Alcyone, what flavor is your favorite?" Hotaru asked.
Having never had ice cream before or heard of the flavors the others were talking about, she thought about it long and hard, "Uuuh… I guess I like herbal tea?"
As the Magic Knights looked at her awkwardly, Hotaru had an idea, "In that case, I know of an herb that will do nicely."
After Umi had made a large batch of custard inside a pot, Alcyone and Hotaru got to work. With Hotaru using Silver Speed and Steel Strength and Alcyone using Frozen Finale sparingly, it didn't take long for them to churn up five batches of ice cream.
"This is so delicious!" Hikaru smiled, enjoying a strawberry sundae.
"You really outdid yourself with the mixture, Ms. Umi," Fuu smiled, eating a banana split.
"Not bad for a first timer," Umi winked, adding sprinkles to her serving.
Having already eaten a full scoop of chocolate ice cream, Hotaru asked, "How do you like it, Alcyone?"
"It is delightfully cold," she smiled happily. "What was this herb called again?"
"Mint, it has a very cool and refreshing taste."
"And I hear it pairs well with chocolate," Umi hinted teasingly, causing Hotaru and Alcyone to blush a little.
While the world outside was dark and barren, not a shred of negativity could be found inside that night.
Author's Afterword: I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I tried keeping it to the length of an average MKR episode, but I overdid it more than a bit. But I felt like it was necessary in order to get all the required plot points across. Things are going to keep getting more hectic from now on, as Saving the Villainess has finally reached the turning point in its story.
Most of this chapter was taken up by the battle between Hotaru and Zagato. Hotaru has so far been mostly a comic relief character, but now he can finally start showing off his potential. I really wanted to throw him a bone earlier on in the series, but it would have caused issues. If I gave him Aluminum Flight, his fall would have meant nothing. If Silver Speed, he would have become too powerful. If I had given him the ability to use two spells at once, it would have taken away from this fight.
As for Zagato, I have always wanted to treat each character in the original series with respect. As such I needed to show off why Zagato is such a big deal. To do this, I pulled magical spells from both anime and manga versions. While he is cautious of Hotaru, Zagato is still much more powerful when he has his head in the game.
Now let's talk about ice cream. In the manga bios, each Magic Knight was assigned a favorite food. Umi's is spaghetti, Fuu's sushi, and Hikaru's ice cream. While the first two have already been mentioned in this series, I figured ice cream would be perfect for this chapter. It is never stated what Hikaru's favorite flavor is, but I think I chose aptly for each character. I was thinking of going with licorice for Alcyone, but I think that would fit Zagato better.
As always, reviews and speculations are welcome and appreciated. Thank you to merendinoemiliano and TheMotivatedOne, as well as an anonymous Guest, for your reviews on the last chapter!