Chapter 56 - Round of VII

7.15.1206 - Saturday (Field Exercise Day 1)

"Are you ready?" Rean asked Towa as they stood side by side in front of the Bracer Guild building in Vesta Street.

"Are you sure that I should be here? You don't think that they'll assume I'm trying to force my way into the group, do you?" Towa nervously questioned.

"They're not going to think that. You were our Student Council President back at Thors and our captain back on the Courageous. You're practically an honorary member of Old Class VII." Rean assured Towa.

Towa did her best not to bring up her time as a participant in the trial run, which made her a member of Proto Class VII. She knew that Rean didn't mention that on purpose, they've both been actively avoiding bringing up anything related to Angelica and George after their disappearances.

"Towa, if you don't want to attend that's fine. I can drive you back to the field exercise camp if you'd like." Rean offered.

"We're already late, I don't want to delay your guys' reunion any longer. Don't worry, I'll let you know if I want to leave early." Towa replied.

"Please don't hesitate to tell me, Towa." Rean informed Towa before turning around and opening the front door to the Bracer Guild building.


"Oh, Rean and Towa! You two are finally here." Alisa greeted.

"I guess we really were last. Sorry to have kept you." Rean replied as he looked around the room and saw the rest of Old Class VII along with Sharon and Celine.

"No worries. You two are right on time." Gaius assured them.

"Heehee. Besides, we all know you had your field exercises to deal with." Elliot added on.

"Well, as fully grown members of society and working professionals, we SHOULD be in the habit of arriving ten minutes early." Machias commented.

"Says the man who waltzed in here five minutes ago." Jusis pointed out.

"The guild branch's reopening came at a good time." Fie noted.

"Yes, I'm sure most restaurants are completely full around now." Emma added on.

"I can hardly believe we were all finally able to meet up again." Laura commented.

"Haha, I know, right? Especially since we're all so dang busy these days." Millium pointed out.

"That's right. We'll certainly have a lot to talk about tonight." Alisa noted.

"Good grief." Celine commented.

"Now, now, everyone. No need to dive into the serious stuff right away. Come on! It's our first big reunion since you all graduated! Let's cut loose a little!" Sara advised.

"Heehee, perhaps it would be best to start this reunion with a series of tender embraces. And not just among the women, of course. All your male classmates should enjoy the comfort of each other's arms too." Sharon suggested.

"Not on my life!" Jusis yelled.

"What!? Hell no!" Machias added on.

"Sharon!" Alisa cheerfully shouted as everyone began to laugh at Jusis and Machias' antics.

"Same as ever." Fie teased.

"Yes, it's almost a little surprising." Emma replied.

"The time and place may be different, but in the end, we're all the same people." Gaius commented.

"Well, we HAVE all been chatting it up on that app of ours." Millium brought up.

"Haha, when you put it that way, it kind of takes the drama out of things." Laura replied.

Everyone quickly separated into two groups to exchange hugs, one between the girls and one between the boys.

"Fie, you grew taller." Alisa noted as she saw Fie clinging to Emma.

"Alisa, you grew even prettier. And Emma, you grew even chestier." Fie replied.

"OOh, I-I was hoping you wouldn't mention that." Emma commented.

"Pfft. That hairstyle makes you look like an old man." Jusis joked after high fiving Machias.

"Y-You're one to talk!" Machias responded as he looked at Jusis' fancy clothes.

"Rean, you and Gaius are way too tall now!" Elliot commented upon realizing how much Rean and Gaius towered over him.

"Don't worry. I think I'm done growing now." Gaius joked.

"Out of all of us, you seem to have grown the least, Millium. Even Towa grew a little bit more than you." Laura noted.

"Excuse you! I grew one whole rege!" Millium responded before walking over to Towa and Fie to compare heights.

"We've finally fulfilled our promise. Sorry for not making it to your birthday, though." Alisa noted as she turned to Rean.

"Yeah, you're right. Everyone, thanks. Also, don't worry about missing my birthday. Towa kept me good company." Rean responded before looking around the room again.

"Oh, please! For what?" Elliot responded.

"I-It's not like we all got together just for your sake, you know?" Machias joked.

"Machias is blushing." Fie teased.

"Teehee, well, we ARE celebrating Rean's graduation, too. And by extension his birthday, but Towa beat us to the punch there." Emma revealed.

"Yes. After we had left, he stayed behind to uphold the spirit of Class VII." Laura added on.

"Not to mention he's the one in charge of the next generation of Class VII-ers." Millium pointed out.

"It's been said before, but you truly are the core of our group, Rean." Jusis noted.

"Thank you. For everything." Gaius commented.

"Y-You guys…" Rean responded as he did his best to hold in his tears.

"Heehee. We're starting to sound way too sappy." Alisa joked.

"'Starting to'? You guys have all been like this for years." Sara teased.

"I suppose there's no avoiding it. Today especially." Celine commented.

"In any event, we have the party set up in the back. I've prepared more than enough alcohol, so please enjoy, provided you're old enough. I've also taken the liberty to bake Master Rean a birthday cake for all of you to enjoy." Sharon advised.

"Oh, man! I get to have Sharon's cooking again!" Machias cheerfully responded.
"I can't wait." Gaius replied.

"I knew I smelled something tasty." Fie commented.

"Awright! Gimme the biggest, frothiest mug of beer you've got!" Millium ordered.

"You're nowhere NEAR being old enough to drink!" Alisa responded as she put her hands on her hips.


Towa stood silently as the members of Old Class VII started to make their way to the back room to continue their reunion.

"Is something wrong, Towa? We're not making you feel alienated are we?" Rean asked Towa once they were alone in the lobby.

"Don't worry, Rean. I don't feel alienated. I just… I think I'll step outside for a few minutes. Feel free to tell the others to continue without me. I'll join you guys before you know it." Towa responded before quickly exiting the building.

"Towa, wait!" Rean yelled as he tried to follow Towa outside before stopping himself.

Rean wanted to follow her outside, but he knew that Towa needed her own space.

"Is something wrong, Rean?" Alisa asked as she joined Rean in the lobby.

"It's nothing, Towa just wanted to step outside for a bit." Rean explained.

"Does it have to do with Angelica and George's disappearances?" Alisa asked.

"How did-" Rean questioned before Alisa interrupted him.

"Marquis Rogner called my mom a while ago to ask about Angelica. From what I've heard they determined that the last person she was seen with was George in Heimdallr. There's been a private search for them around Heimdallr and all of the neighboring towns around that area, but so far there's been no results." Alisa explained.

"I see. I figured that would be the case, George sent me a message earlier this month that implied he was in the same location as Angelica." Rean noted.

"I'll make sure to tell my mom that, I'm sure Marquis Rogner is desperate for updates of any kind." Alisa replied.

"You should go with the others, I'll wait for Towa here. By the way, here. Towa made this for everyone, I'm sure all of you guys are going to love all the pictures inside." Rean advised as he handed Alisa the photo album Towa had given him earlier.

"If you say so, I'll tell the others to save you two some cake and beers. Haha, I'm sure we're all going to get a kick looking back on memory lane." Alisa replied before making her way back to the back room.


Siegfried stood on top of a nearby building as he watched over the Bracer Guild building. He and his partner were sent there by Alberich to keep an eye on things and keep notes on what was going on inside.

The job was much more dull compared to what Siegfried had anticipated. He had expected to get closer to the building and sneak inside and listen in close to Old Class VII's reunion, but in reality all he had to do was have his partner send their combat shell to the Bracer Guild building and have it plant recording devices around the building earlier that day. Now all they had to do was wait for Old Class VII's reunion to finish so they could pick up the recordings.

"I apologize if this mission isn't as exciting as you were anticipating." George commented as he walked up to Siegfried.

"Keep your empty apologies to yourself, Copper Georg. I know why you had Alberich assign me to be your partner for this mission. I'm surprised you didn't also have Alberich assign her to this mission as well." Siegfried responded.

"While we were able to attach the mask without much issue, Ang- Project White Rose is still recovering at the Black Workshop." George noted.

"If Alberich had his way she would've taken up his place inside their empty coffin. Why in the world did you defy orders?" Siegfried questioned.

"I didn't defy my orders." George answered.

"It doesn't take an orbal scientist to know that you purposefully shot them in a non-fatal spot when you were given direct orders to kill." Siegfried pointed out.

"Like I told Alberich, it was a purely logical decision. We need as much manpower as we can get, and with the masks anyone that gets in our way could be put to good use." George justified.

"Strange that of all the potential candidates to test out the masks you chose were people you knew." Siegfried pointed out.

"For the last time, it just happens to be a coincidence that things played out the way they did." George argued.

"Face it, you're incapable of killing. You'd rather let the people who befriend your 'George Nome' persona become mindless servants so you can have them do all of your dirty work in your stead." Siegfried commented.

"That's-" George responded before getting interrupted by Siegfried.

"I understand what I am, and the situation I am in. A piece of a much larger puzzle that only a certain few know how it'll end. Not even you know your place, but you do have some idea of how it'll all play out. Do you really think what you're doing can be called mercy?" Siegfried continued.

"Honestly, I'd rather you just come out and tell me that you hate me." George admitted.

The two then noticed someone exiting the Bracer Guild building. Concerned that Rean's sixth sense alerted him to their presence they ducked for cover.

After a few minutes of hiding Siegfried stood back up to check who it was. He froze as he saw Towa looking at a picture on her ARCUS. Instantly he realized that she was looking at a picture of herself, Angelica, George, and him.


Towa stood by herself outside as she did her best to collect her thoughts while she looked through her ARCUS' photo gallery.

She was conflicted in response to watching Old Class VII reunite. It was nice seeing Rean and the rest of Old Class VII in the same room again after so long. Of course, it only made her realize just how alone she was being the only member of Proto Class VII present.

"Alone isn't the right word, I have Rean here with me after all. Plus Sara was our advisor, she was practically a member." Towa said to herself.

But it was no use, Towa couldn't help but think about Angelica, George, and Crow.

"First Crow… Now Angie and George..." Towa continued as she took out her ARCUS to look at the photo the four of them had taken outside of Thors while beginning to tear up.

Towa desperately wanted to believe Angelica and George were fine. For them to stop by Leeves and reveal that they were fine.

"Rean came back safe and sound, surely Angie and George will too." Towa said to herself in an attempt to calm herself down.

Unfortunately, Towa immediately began to recall what had happened to both of her parents and Crow. Causing her to weep even more as she began to fear the worst for her friends.


Siegfried and George stood silently as they watched Towa cry for her friends.

George couldn't help but feel guilty for the grief his actions were causing the people who once called him their friend. He wanted nothing more than to ease their suffering by any means possible. Something Siegfried knew all too well.

"Copper Georg, or do you wish for me to entertain you by calling you 'George'? I don't hate you. As a servant of the Gnomes, I hold no feelings. I, Azure Siegfried, simply exist to serve. However, while my mind tells me to serve, his- no, my body tells me to protect." Siegfried informed George as he took out one of his twin guns.

"What's the difference?" George asked as he took a step back.

"I believe that you misunderstood what I said, I didn't mean that my body was telling me to protect you. I meant that my body was telling me to protect his- no, my friends." Siegfried corrected before turning around and pointing his gun at Towa's head.

"What do you think you're doing? That's not part of the plan." George questioned upon remembering that Crow's gun was loaded with an emergency bullet.

"I saw what you have in your lab. Do you really think that you're saving anyone by turning them into servants with no will of their own by using those masks?" Siegfried responded as his mask began to crack.

"It's either that or death. You're in no position to critique me. The only reason why you helped Rean and Towa hook up back at Thors was because you felt guilty for putting both of their lives in danger." George commented.

"That's why I'm going to protect Towa from meeting such a fate. I've already endangered her life once before, and I'm not going to stand back and watch you and the others put her through more hell with what you've got planned for Rean." Crow revealed as he prepared himself to pull the trigger.

"Blue Destination." George bluntly replied.

Alberich and George both knew that their subjects could possibly regain their memories and break free from their mask's control. Fearing that they would lose control of the Azure Awakener, they had installed a voice activated reboot feature in their mask that would restart the memory erasure process to regain control of them if they ever showed any sign of remembering their past. George never wanted to use it, but Crow had given him no choice.

Crow immediately felt a sharp pain in his head, causing him to drop his gun and fall to his knees. He yelled as his memories were forcibly wiped from his mind once more, before finally passing out.


"What was that!?" Towa questioned in response to the nearby yelling she heard.

Towa quickly scanned the area, but no else was in sight.

"I must've been imagining things. I should probably head back inside." Towa concluded before turning around.

After taking a deep breath, Towa opened the door and entered the Bracer Guild building. Unsurprisingly, Rean was waiting for her inside.

"Hey, Towa." Rean casually greeted, acting as if he hadn't been hearing her cry outside.

"You were listening the whole time, weren't you?" Towa asked as she approached Rean.

"Sorry, I was." Rean admitted.

"It's fine, don't worry. I was half-expecting you to join me outside, actually." Towa assured Rean as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

Rean quickly wrapped his arms around Towa's torso in return, they continued their embrace for a few minutes while Towa continued to cry in his arms.

"Rean, do you remember what you promised me when you came back from Crossbell?" Towa asked as she looked up at Rean.

"Of course I do. I don't plan on leaving you Towa. Not now, not ever." Rean assured Towa as he looked down at her.

He had already broken that promise once when he was shipped off to North Ambria. Ever since returning, Rean swore to himself that if Osborne or any other force ever tried to separate them once more that he'd do everything in his power to defy their orders.

The pair continued their embrace for a few more minutes, before suddenly they heard laughter coming from the back room.

"Haha. Sounds like they're really enjoying the photo album you put together." Rean noted before letting go of Towa.

"Teehee. Let's join them." Towa suggested as she turned to Rean.

"Yeah, good idea." Rean replied as he grabbed one of Towa's hands.

The pair soon rejoined their friends, hand in hand. They quickly joined in on the laughter as they shared stories about Old Class VII's time at Thors while looking through the photo album and enjoying the cake and beer Sharon had prepared for them. It felt nice to bask in a brief moment of levity, even if for only a single night.

A calm none of them knew was coming before a storm.


"Damn it. Cr- Siegfried must've been slowly regaining their past memories for a while now. Ordine must've been slowly inserting some memories into Siegfried's subconscious." George concluded.

George watched as Siegfried's mask regained control of their body. Once the reboot process was complete, he stood back up and turned to George.

"Name: Azure Siegfried. Role: Azure Awakener. What's my mission?" Siegfried informed George.

"I didn't think that I would have to resort to a manual reboot, but I guess I should consider myself lucky that I realized what was going on in time. Even with your cracked mask, this should prevent you from regaining your memories anytime soon." George noted before informing Siegfried about the next part of their plan: the Great Twilight.


Author's Note

The end of the Cold Steel 3 Arc is near.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even with all of the changes done to George and Cr- I mean Siegfried's scenes.

If you're wondering how Rean pulled out the photo album out of thin air, he had stored it in the same endless void everyone places their weapons in when they're not in use: their back pocket.

Thank you all for the continued reviews/comments, I love reading all of your thoughts!