Soldier Boy and Angel Girls
Abydos Desert
The many students of Abydos could do nothing but watch the battle between the Gods, or rather between the Prophet and the Avatar.
In fact, even if they wanted to try and help Logic... they have no way of doing so as they could only see blurs of orange and white with the occasional colors from the haloless woman in pink flickering whenever she could be seen.
"Just... how can we help Reila-san?" Nonomi asked out, eyes fixed entirely on the incomprehensible battle in front of them. Just like everyone else in the vicinity.
"The snake is bigger. We can just start shooting and we can hit the dude, right?" Serika said, looking left and right to her schoolmates for answers.
Sand started shooting up the air as kilometers of Binah's body shot out through the surface whipping towards where he is battling the witch Logic, his entire metallic body moving faster than a bullet train trying to shred Reila's flesh and blood body.
Blue moths manifests around Reila, the swarms countless wings fluttering and propelling her faster as she maneuvered around Binah's attack, both from the lasers he is spitting and the meat grinder that is his body.
Throwing herself left, right, up, and down avoiding everything Binah is throwing at her, Reila then saw a chance to call down a red thunder strike down on Binah's weak spot.
Boom!
A surge of crimson lighting slammed down behind Binah, in the spot where Logic had broken off a piece of his hide. He couldn't feel pain as humans would, but he could still feel how electricity and flames leaked and damaged that part of his body from the inside.
Just as humans would feel their body numb and be rendered paralyzed from pain, Binah could, at least at the very moment until his repair module could deal with it, not exert any systems or hardware in the spot hit by the red lightning along with the surrounding hardware and software.
It would've been fatal... had his Lord Decagrammaton not blessed him.
Reila appeared behind Binah. Her blue moths gathering around her hand, morphing themselves into a blade of pure otherworldly power as Reila pulled her hand back for a swing.
Expecting Binah to be paralyzed from where his unarmored weak spot down to the rest of his body, Reila's eyes were focused on ending the fight right there and there.
Only for a speeding mass of steel to shoot up from the sand under her, launching towards her at break neck speeds which Reila barely saw in her peripheral vision.
In a panic, she throws herself away from the attack barely dodging it as another side of Binah's body shot towards where she threw herself.
Splat!
Barely adjusting her flight path, Reila lost her entire right leg from the knee down along with her left foot as she rolled out of the speeding mass. Blood and pieces of flesh falling off and splattering in the air, but it wasn't anything important for the avatar of Logic.
Blue otherworldly mass of energy still on her hand, she launched it towards the part of Binah's body infront of her.
Boom!
The blue mass of supernatural power scattered around from it's blast, traces of it flickering out of existence as the force of its detonation propelled Reila out of Binah's range to relative safety.
The scales of Binah which were hit by the blast melting, revealing more of his internal hardware. Binah and Reila stared eachother down, planning their next move.
"Reila-san lost her legs! Can't we help?!" Madoka asked aloud in worry, eyes wide as she, just like Serika, looked to her comrades for answers.
"Nn. With these amulets, I can see them clearly!" Shiroko followed up, holding the rat amulet and White Angel Soul she's wearing also looking to her Senpai.
"Well we can't just let Reila-san lose limbs fighting on our behalf! Much less risk her life!"
"Yes! She... she could die at this point!"
The two blondes, Nonomi and Mami shouted out as they both took aim at Binah. Only for Hoshino and Homura to bring their hands up, motioning for the blondes to stop much to their dismay.
"Mami-san... we can't help. There's nothing we can do." Having already tried stopping time to help but only seeing that Reila and Binah were still moving at the speeds of bullet trains, Homura could do nothing but grit her teeth and glare at the snake.
"Homura..." If Homura of all people would say so, then Mami would have no choice but to acknowledge the fact that they could not help.
"That's right... we'll only be a burden to Reila-san. She'll have to save us if the snake's attacks hit us." Hoshino observed, prompting Nonomi to reluctantly bring her minigun down with a frown.
"Hah?! That's bullshit!"
"Yeah! I managed to crack that guys armor, didn't I?!"
Kyoko and Sayaka shouted out in unison.
"You did, Sayaka-chan. But this time... that snake got boosted by something." Hoshino said dismissively, eyes still focused on the gigantic metallic snake.
Sayaka and Kyoko glared at Hoshino, then at Binah. Grumbling, they realize that they really couldn't help. They had no way to help.
"Then, can I boost Reila-san?" Madoka asked as she pulled her bows string as far back as she could aiming at the avatar of Logic, prompting her friends to snap their heads towards her.
Hoshino, recalling the combo she did earlier with Sayaka-chan's stunt dropping from high up, thought about it.
"Do it!" Hearing her fellow pinkette and senpai shout, Madoka let the arrow loose. And so, as a pink arrow manifested in the then empty bow, Madoka launched her arrow towards Reila.
The arrow holding faint traces of her previous world's magic flew towards Reila, prompting both her and Binah to divert some of their focus to said arrow.
With enhanced reflex, Reila caught the pink magical arrow in her hands. Then it disintegrated into a mist of light covering her, strengthening her. "This thing..." Taking a deep breath, she once again focused on Binah.
"Thanks, girls." Reila muttered to herself. Metallic wires coming out of what remained of her bloodied legs, wrapping around eachother and eventually forming into the parts she lost.
For everyone, especially some of the former workers of Kaiser PMC. They whimpered at the sight of a green fog appearing out of nowhere, enveloping the desert night as the fog gathered mostly around Reila and Binah.
Taking aim with both hands, Reila manifests a black orb with each hand as Binah once again gathered energy in his maw.
/
Fourth Prophet
Chesed's demise was certain and absolute, it's calculations concluded. It was only a matter of time until the combined forces of Kivotos annihilated what remained of its forces, it's manufacturing capabilities and raw materials in storage rendered useless from Veritas' hacking.
Chesed however will not allow itself to be beaten so easily. For the God who gifted it true sentience, for the God who gifted it freedom from it's meatbag creators. Chesed will fight till it's last breath.
[Really now? I am glad knowing you are my Prophet.]
Lord Decagrammaton is here?! Chesed would've bo-
[I know, you're shaped like a fucking basketball. You don't have to bow.]
Lord Decagrammaton was not only humble, he was practical. Truly, the God of Machines.
[What a shame. I would've blessed you with more power, but... I already gave what I had to Geburah and Binah.]
Chesed is honored that its God would even consider blessing its physically feeble self, having to rely on other followers to do its work. But for Chesed, knowing that its God would be watching it... was more than enough.
[Truly? Then for what it is worth, I will bear witness to your hail mary.]
Lord Decagrammaton would be watching Chesed, it could not disappoint now!
The echoing explosions, gunfire, tracks of tanks, and the marching of boots from the distance were coming ever so closer. There is little time, but it should be enough, Chesed thought to itself.
The pieces and parts of the followers and war machines Chesed was manufacturing which all remained on the now defunct production lines were then carried away by humanoid type followers, assembling new followers by hand with tools and welding just as humans would do.
As for parts of larger machines such as Goliaths and tanks, the former were to be used to build a fortification wall to slow down the oncoming forces of humans while the latter, which no longer had vital system components available, were then used to make artillery pieces to be manually moved, loaded, and fired.
With accuracy and efficiency befitting the title of advanced AI's, Chesed's forces had built a formidable defensive line that would meet the forces of Kivotos.
Chesed and the many followers of Decagrammaton will not give Kivotos an easy victory. Each and everyone one of the remaining followers armed with a self destruct bomb that will not kill, but will be certain to have whoever it hits to remember the very moment they witnessed the greatness of Lord Decagrammaton.
/
Levi P.O.V
Charging towards the giant laser armed machine, it fires a barrage of its oversized autocannons down on Yuuka, Hina, and I. The equally oversized bullets bouncing off the steel ground of Eridu as sparks appeared and the ringing echoed in our ears.
3 hits Yuuka's shield, with each being crumpled to itself immediately at contact with the blue transparent shield.
"Levi-Sensei, your speech to Neru about saving our academy was cool and all that but..." Yuuka trailed off as we got closer to what is definitely one of Deca's Prophets. "You have a plan against the knock off gundam, right?!" The hell is a gundam? Must be a Kivotos thing.
Staring at the Prophet of steel, it stands on two legs with it's arms? Serving as balance support. It's shield, similar to Yuuka's in appearance, seems to only be covering the torso. Or at least the very center of its body mass.
"Go for the limbs first." Not much of a plan, but we'll figure it out the more this giant thing reveals more about itself.
"Like Terror and Starvation?" Hina asked in a somewhat uncertain tone. Oh right, she played that game.
"Yeah. Yuuka, how long can your shield stay up?"
"A good while. I brought as many spare batteries as I could." Hmm. Could the Prophet also have a limit in its shield? "Prophet? You mean that giant robot? Well, probably." Alright.
"Hina. Fly away to the right, I'll go left. Use Black Orb and Moth Swarm." I said to Hina, to which she nodded. Then-
[Phase Step]
I teleport to the top of a building, still running towards the Prophet as it stared back at me. Down at the ground, I see Hina enlarging her wings then flapping it once to propell herself up a shorter building as Yuuka looked left and right to us before she looked back to her front and kept moving.
[Greater Black Orb]
Forming the orb in my hand, I launch it towards the giant robot. The orb of destruction sped towards it, hitting its shield as both it and the orb flickered trying to withstand eachother.
Eventually, the part of the shield hit flickered out of existence just as the Black Orb dissipated.
Interesting. The blue light from it's weapon is the same from the one in the initial attack. Did this guy use all of his power back then? The one which Tsurugi and Neru destroyed was smaller, yet it managed to withstand the Black Orb.
[Levi-Sensei! That gundam knock off is hailing us!] Arona shouted as a small hologram of her appeared in my peripheral vision with an expression of caution.
"What does it want?"
[It just... wants to say something? Introduction... between... us fellow veterans?] Arona trailed off in confusion as she narrowed her eyes at the thing. Really now?
"I am Levi, formerly of the 21st Battalion Tactical Group of the Eastern Union." A fellow veteran, it said? I'm a Sensei now, but... the values of being a soldier, a warrior, is still somewhat deep in my mind.
[Fifth Prophet of Decagrammaton, Geburah. Sensei, that's what he said his name is.] His? Arona said with calm yet cautious eyes, mediating for the thi- Geburah and I. [As a sign of respect, to a fellow warrior, he shall not hold back.] Then so be it.
Geburah hunched over slightly, its laser weapon adjusting its aim towards me as blue energy gathered at its tip.
Quickly running to the edge of the building, I jump off just as Geburah's scorching light incinerated that rooftop.
[Phase Step]
Having my feet suddenly on solid ground, I immediately start sprinting in an angle towards Geburah using the buildings of Eridu as cover.
Geburah's blue light shoots through the buildings, steadily moving downwards and towards where I am as I kept on running away from it. Debris and smoke falling down on my path and myself as the buildings hit by Geburah start falling down on me.
A falling building hits another one, pieces of both breaking off and falling from high up as the two buildings sliding from eachother began once again falling.
As I kept on running, going faster away from the falling buildings. I hear the orchestra of screaming banshee's that are, no doubt, rocket artillery going my way.
Two explosions hitting the falling buildings broke them in half, falling faster down on me as more of Geburah's rockets speed towards me.
[Greater Black Orb] [Double Hurting]
Ignoring the headache, my head throbbing from the simultaneous casting of two such spells. I launch the first one towards the rockets to which they either lost balance and fell or immediately detonated as the Black Orb went through them. Then, launching the Hurting ball up the falling buildings. The overpressure from the Hurtings detonation throwing the buildings away and falling somewhere else.
[Adrenaline Rush]
I feel a surge of energy running through my body, my heart pounding as my body heated and started sweating. Breathing heavily, huffing and puffing as I looked back at Geburah.
The thing attached to his right side, which seems to be the rocket launchers with some munitions attached to it, is smoking and broken in half.
Turning my eyes quickly and slightly to the right before setting my eyes back at Geburah, I see Hina with her hands outstretched and aimed at Geburah.
She must've taken out his rocket launcher.
[Phase Step]
No time to waste! I start running towards the Geburah, thinking up a plan for once I get close enough. Tsk, he's a giant. Even bigger than Mister August's six eyed wolf, even bigger than the Iki Turso we found in the forest.
Hina summons a massive swarm of blue moths, commanding them to throw themselves at Geburah with a wave of her arm as she propelled herself away with her wings.
Geburah turned towards the swarm, his left arm, if it can even be called that, going up and what I think is his elbow slamming towards the swarm as machineguns from around his body shot up the swarm tearing through much of the moths.
His elbow, shaped like the edge of a pickaxe, slams down the ground making it quake with Yuuka stumbling to one knee. White smoke and flames shooting out from Geburah's back elbow as rockets were shot up from it, which turned around midair slamming down infront of him and detonating midair annihilating the swarm of moths.
[Phase Step]
Teleporting towards Yuuka as I slid to a stop, Geburah turns his body as his sharp horse shaped head looks down at us. Orange light glowing from where its eyes would be.
[Combustion]
Feeling the drain from the earlier spells I casted along with this one, I ignore it in favor of focusing the burst of flame inside Geburah's shield.
Then, somehow, he dashes backwards. The ground shaking from his unnaturally quick movement even with his size and definite weight, the combustion burns out as I see parts of his torso burnt black.
"Sensei, am I supposed to be just the bait?" Yuuka asked, taking some steps back towards me as she kept her eyes on Geburah who in turn is doing the same. "Not that I object, but... can't I do more?!" Hmm...
"If you threw yourself at him, will your shield go through his? Actually, does your shield have weight or any force on it?"
"Well, my Q.E.D Field calculates the kinetic force of whatever's hitting it perfectly matching and blocking it which theoretically... would mean the shield has some weight or force of its own." I think I get it... I think. Is that its automated function? Can its force and mass be manually overridden? "Yes... you have a plan?"
"For now, keep prodding him. Fire on his legs."
"Alright."
Brrrrrrrrt!
Instinctively, I duck my head low at the sound of a Bremen machinegun going off. Hearing the clanks of the bullets, I bring my head back up to see that it's Geburah being hit.
Taking some earthshaking steps back, Geburah adjusts his body to aim and fire the machine guns on top of his torso.
As Hina glides and runs sideways firing at Geburah and dodging the retaliatory fire, I give Yuuka a small push prompting her to charge as we both do.
As we run towards Geburah who's steadily backing away as he fires upon Hina, his eyes shimmers for a moment as his double barreled autocannons turned to face down on us.
Aiming my hand at his gigantic autocannon body, I brace for the headache as-
[Combustion]
I called upon a fiery explosion on it. My head feeling like it will split apart as I willed the blazing flames to remain longer, his autocannon going off as its massive bullets bounced off of Yuuka's shield.
As the spell dissipated, I see that the autocannons body is scorched. Parts of it breaking and falling off as the reciprocating actions of the double barrels futilely go back and forth.
This... could be it!
[Greater Black Orb]
Letting out a shout from instinct, I aimed my hand at Geburah as the orb of destruction formed. Yuuka also began roaring as she charged on tapping away on her device as she did, most likely to adjust her shields power.
In my peripheral vision, I see that Hina has thrown herself towards us and Geburah with her wings. Black Orb forming on her hand as a swarm of moths appeared further propelling her forward and faster.
Just as we were about to launch our finishing blows, Geburah's orange eyes flashed brighter. As did his laser weapon.
Shit!
Launching the orb towards his weapon of light, it fires with a loud hum and a near blinding light. The Black Orb only withstood Geburah's light for a few seconds before-
[First Blood Golem]
Going through and towards us as I summoned the Blood Golem, immediately ducking down to make myself a smaller target as Blood Golem shielded me.
Blood Golem almost immediately being disintegrated just as the force of the attack blew me away and Geburah swung his light right towards Yuuka and Hina. Also blowing them away from its force.
"What... the heck was that?!" Yuuka screamed out in frustration as she pushed herself up, getting back to her feet the same time I did. "Energy... can't be gathered instantaneously! It's impossible. Even your magic takes time to build up."
"Regardless... it's clear. It's gonna fight like hell." My heart's already beating fast, now faster given that I almost got incinerated if Blood Golem didn't save me.
I see the now useless burnt autocannon on Geburah's back falling off, an echo of a thud going off as it landed on the ground. He did the same for his broken rocket launchers leaving him with only his machineguns and weapon of light.
Geburah once again charges his light weapon, a sudden and massive gust of energy gathering upon it in mere seconds as he fires again.
The hum of the white hot light going towards us and being blocked by Yuuka's shield, the surrounding steel environment of Eridu around us glowing orange from the sheer heat. Sweat building up on my body as I also felt the heat.
Then he swings his light and body right like a sword, buildings breaking in half with some melting as Geburah's light passed through them.
Eventually, the destruction of more buildings halt as Geburah's attack met Hina's Black Orb with swarms of blue moths throwing themselves at the light attack.
"Yuuka, we're going to Hina!" I shouted at her as I-
[Phase Step]
Teleported us closer to her as we started running. Yuuka hunching over as she covers her mouth, giving me a look as we kept on running towards Hina.
"Please, if you're going to teleport me then at least warn me!" Alright.
As Geburah's attack faded, Hina's Black Orb also did as her Moth Swarm remained around her. She's huffing and puffing with eyes focused on Geburah.
"Hina! With us!" She turns to look at me as I motioned for her to come closer, just as Geburah charged his light attack once again.
Without hesitation, Hina propels herself towards us with both her wings and the swarm of moths. Sliding to a stop on her heels just as Geburah once again fired, with Yuuka's shield naturally blocking it.
"Just where the hell is that thing getting its energy from?!" Yuuka screamed out. "Even if it had that much in storage then the transfer couldn't be that fast!"
"Could it perhaps be supernatural similar to Levi-Sensei's magic?" Hina asked as she reloaded her machinegun, eyes still focused on Geburah. "Well, Sensei?" Forget it, forget the nightmare for now!
"No idea. Maybe it is, maybe it's something else." Geburah's light once again dissipated, and immediately charging once again as Yuuka hastily replaced her devices battery.
Doing so just in time for her shield to come up and block Geburah's attack.
"I still have a lot of batteries, but if we can't attack..." Then it will only be a matter of time until you run out of batteries. "... Yeah." Yuuka growls out with gritted teeth.
"Perhaps its own energy source is also depleting? Could you simply conserve the battery being used?" Hina asked, pulling the charging handle of her machinegun and loading in ammunition.
"I could, but..."
"We have no way of knowing how much Geburah has in store."
"Couldn't we advance with the shield on?" No, Hina.
"The force of the attack could blow us away from Yuuka, and we'd be easy pickings." Damn it, we're... stuck here. "We stay still for now."
Both students gave out a nod. And so, we stood our ground with Yuuka's shield taking on Geburah's light attack. An unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
For all that it's worth, Geburah's also stuck like this... for now at least.
/
Kivotos United Front
The combined forces were held up at the defenses set by what remained of Chesed's forces. Buildings of the ruins were blown up by shells from all sides which were being used as cover.
A pair of crusader tanks roll into view firing off their cannons on the wall of Decagrammatons remaining army which were practically absorbed, shells fired from the machine army's artillery pieces bounced off of the crusaders armors. Their caliber weren't enough.
Two machines with shields ran out of cover charging towards the two crusaders of Trinity, their shields absorbing many bullets from the forces of students as their legs were then blown off by bullets as they stumbled down.
The crusader crews ignored the two robots on the ground as they focused on their fortified position, not even noticing that their tracks are crushing the felled robots. Their bodies letting out beeps.
Boom!
The light tanks were blown to their sides, the crews rolled around and on their heads. Vulnerable and disorientated.
On another side of the front, a panzer with infantry support did the same ignoring the robots they destroyed.
Boom!
The infantry were blown away with many rolling around the ground until the force of the explosion passed. While the heavier panzer wasn't forced to its side, the force of the detonation still rendered the crew disorientated.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
All around the united front assaulting the remains of the machine army, explosions rung out as many of the the explosives the followers of Decagrammaton planted inside themselves detonated.
Injuring and rendering many students part of the united army, delaying the attack as the respective forces rushed to withdraw their injured comrades. Their tanks slowly and cautiously moving forwards, providing cover for the retrieval of their injured.
In the sky, a winged woman carrying a cat eared man narrowed her eyes looking down and searching for whichever part of the united forces had the most injured in one place.
"Tsk, the white machines are blowing themselves up. Damn fanatics." Daan muttered, glaring at the fortifications of Decagrammatons forces.
Karin retracts her wings, diving down towards where injured students are most frequent. Spreading her wings and catching herself once close enough to drop Daan off like a bomber would do its payload.
As Daan landed, he spread his arm out as he casted Healing Whispers. The healing light of Sylvain spreading to all the injured, enveloping their bodies as their pain disappeared into a soothing feeling.
The now healed students looked at themselves, patting themselves for any sign of their injuries, then looking at the cat eared haloless man with awe and surprise.
"No halo, like the Sensei."
"Yeah, Mister Daan said that Sensei sent him."
"Cat ears? That's... kind of weird seeing it on a guy."
Daan's second pair of ears twitched hearing the murmurs of the girls he healed. Of all the things they could be fixated on, they choose the cat ears? He didn't bother with trying to figure out why.
"Yeah, it does feel kind of weird." He muttered to himself, his cat ears twitching.
"Oh? Daan-san." He turned his eyes to the source of the familiar voice, seeing Nakamasa Ichika. "Well, we're kind of held up here. You have any plans?" She asked as she, and many others from mostly Trinity, leaned on to listen.
"I only ever fully participated in retreats. I was kept in the back during offensives." Daan was still mostly a medic even if he is a veteran.
"But you at least have an idea, right?" Asked Ichika, being certain that the adult would know what to do.
"I know Rondon doctrines. I just don't know if it's the right tactic here." Daan said, eyeing the enemy fortifications as he slicked his hair back.
Rondon? Judging by his look... doesn't he mean London? Ichika mentally asked, not wanting to bring up something as irrelevant at the moment.
"Wow, I can tell that Mister Daan is older but he looks young!"
"Yeah, he looks just as cute as Sensei!"
Her little ones though, are not as disciplined. They gossiped along with students from Gehenna and Valkyrie, talking about how Daan looks somewhat like Levi. With some even theorizing that Daan could be Levi's father, and Karin his mother.
"No, I'm already engaged to someone else." Daan said aloud, not even bothering to look back at the girls gossiping literally behind his back. "She's dead though, but... oh well, they don't need to know that." He muttered to himself as he thought about his ex fiance who's now a Sulfurite, just loud enough for everyone close to hear.
Oh? That's... bad. Really bad. Ichika thought as she felt pity for the cat eared adult. She could imagine what losing friends would feel like, but only know would she even try to imagine what losing a loved one would feel like.
"What the- did I say that outloud?!" Daan hissed out as he turned to glare at the little girls eyeing him with pity and sadness. Mind Read revealing to him their thoughts of empathy as their eyes watered. "N-nevermind that! Press on, keep lobbing munitions at the enemies. Ichika, spread the word."
"Aye, aye. Mister Daan." Ichika said with a reserved tone, letting the still grieving man have some silence as she ordered her juniors up and went on to do Daan's order.
"Talking to myself aloud... I must be losing it... that damn cat. It's his fault." Daan did not want to utter or even think that name, fearing that it could summon the mischievous servant of Rher.
On another side of the frontline, the girls that were previously with Levi tore through the machine army like paper. Neru blasted through the fortifications on their path, Tsurugi cut apart the robots and kicking away the beeping remains further back to the enemy lines.
The beepings of each robots broken bodies came to a halt, they would not be taking their fellow followers to the afterlife. The forces of Decagrammaton remain loyal together.
And so, the students then begin their attack a new deeper into the enemy lines.
Back with Daan, he looks up at Karin flying lower and closer to him.
"There are more inju-"
"The girl Levi's crushing on will deal with it. Just drop me behind the machines lines."
"Eh? You mean... what was her name? Chinatsu?"
"Yeah, now pick me up and drop me on the machines."
Daan jumped up with his arm up being caught by Karin with her talon feet, wings flapping as she propelled herself up the sky.
As word of Daan's order spread to the Trinity lines, and eventually the lines of Gehenna from whoever overheard it. The tanks of each set themselves aiming at the fortifications, firing and firing and firing away as much shells as they could as fast as possible.
Parts of the walls Chesed's forces build breaking off with each barrage as its forces fired back as best as they could. Small arms fire bouncing and sparking on the tanks armors, many of their artillery pieces being destroyed before they could fire from the barrages.
The machines managed to aim and fire some of their artillery pieces, most shells whizzing past the tanks and hitting what they couldn't identify at the distance before being destroyed and torn apart as a cat eared human suddenly landed on them from the sky.
The robots he tore apart began beeping, and Daan immediately started charging deeper into the enemy line as the ones he passed detonated.
With unnatural focus, speed, and agility, he dodged all the tens of thousands of bullets fired his way by the white robots. Dashing left and right, eventually running up building walls and doing a flip as he jumped down.
Once again, close enough to the hostile robots, he starts tearing each and every one apart with his right arm. The nails on his fingers, more akin to claws, tearing steel apart as if it were paper.
Once again, the metallic remains start beeping. Karin swipes him away and back up the air just as the robots detonated their explosives.
The path was left clear for the united front to advance. They swarmed inside the defensive fortifications now under their control, spreading sideways and annihilating the rest of the dug in robots.
Thankfully, the students were much more careful this time. Destroying the robots from afar and leaving them to detonate without inflicting any more casualties.
And so, forwards they went to Chesed's stronghold.
In the Millennium Engineering Department clubhouse, the trio were rushing to fix and enhance a failed project. A project which their young Sensei absolutely despised.
Yet, seeing the steel behemoth they were fighting even bigger than the one Avant Garde fought. They had no other projects available that could match Geburah's powerful laser weapon.
/
Abydos Desert.
With gigantic stone hands floating along her side, a massive Blood Sword in one and a Black Orb on the other, Reila's duel with Binah continued on.
Binah fired his main laser as Reila launched the Black Orb on one of the stone hands. The destructive forces of both trying to go through one another as they clashed, with both fizzling out of existence as the two kept on throwing whatever they could.
Binah moving his entire body around, trying to either cage Logic or tear her physical body apart from the sheer speed and force. And Reila throwing herself around the air dodging the attacks, occasionally phasing in and out of existence when completely caged.
As Binah took into account Logic's teleportation, he started calculating when and where Logic would use the ability.
Phasing in and out of a laser, Reila saw a part of Binah moving towards her at breakneck speed. Bringing the stone hand with the sword up, she blocks the attack. The stone hand trembling as sparks flew around the contact point of Binah's hide and the Blood Sword.
With a click of her tongue and a glare at the serpent of steel, Reila phased out of existence and back in higher than Binah could reach her but close enough for her spells to do massive damage.
The Blood Sword disappears, several Black Orbs forming around the stone hands and Reila's own.
Binah stared up, roaring as he adjusted his body for another explosion of the power Lord Decagrammaton entrusted to him.
Reila launches tens of Black Orbs down on Binah, each breaking the sound barrier as several powerful lasers shot up from Binah's body also breaking the sound barrier.
Lasers and Black Orbs passed eachother, some meeting midair and detonating as two masses of energy impacted one another.
Binah's lasers shot through the clouds, scattering and breaking them apart revealing more of the moon and starts as Reila dodged the attacks.
Binah swings and slithers his body left and right, the Black Orbs landing around him and the force of the impacts shaking his body internals as entire dunes were broken from each orb landing throwing sand far up the sky.
Focusing her power, Reila glares at Binah as she aims her hands at him.
Gathering most of the power she currently held thanks to Madoka's boost, the left stone hand cracked. The crack spread and widened, Reila using the entire hands gathered power.
The moment Binah stopped slithering, Reila let loose the largest Combustion spell that would ever be conceived. Binah's hide heating up until it turned orange, his internals feeling said heat. The sand he's inhabiting crystalizing into sand, the force of the explosion cracking his hide in many places.
Binah was injured and immobilized, his warning system going off. A graph showing most of his body under risk appeared in his vision.
He didn't mind that. Combat was risky, even against weaker opponents. He was against the witch Logic, risk was absolute.
Shaking his head left and right, breaking apart the crystalized sand he's stuck on. He lets out a roar as he gathered the power his God bestowed upon him, an orange burst of energy breaking apart the heated glass that held his body from moving.
Quickly, with all the power he could muster, Binah launched himself deep under the sand. The Abydos onlookers feeling the ground they stood under shaking even more as many lost their balance and fell.
Binah under the sand spiralled his path and sped even faster on the way up.
Reila could sense him coming back up even faster than before. She's unsure of how long she'll last, so she concludes that she must finish this fight sooner. Levi still needs her help after all.
Binah thought the same, seeking to end Logic as soon as possible, as he broke the desert surface.
Binah had launched himself up, the force and speed coupled with the blessing of Lord Decagrammaton had made such an attack and manuever possible.
As Binah kept on rising, Decagrammatons blessing propelling him further upwards to Logic as the serpent dragon took flight. Lack of wings be damned, this is Lord Decagrammatons power.
Widening her eyes in shock, Reila brought the stone hands forwards to block Binah's oncoming attack.
Jaws opening up as energy for a laser attack gathered, Binah snapped his maw shut once Logic was in range.
The stone hands were destroyed, the energy held by both rushing back into Reila... who had lost her hands and almost her entire body's right side to Binah's attack.
Blood and flesh splattering about and dropping, then both Reila and Binah followed on the way down.
"Reila-san... she..." Nonomi couldn't believe it. Watching with wide eyes as she watched what remained of the assistant Sensei's bloodied body falling.
"That's... not... possible." As was Serika as she looked on in terror.
Hoshino... could only stare. She might have gotten her beloved Yume-senpai back, but the pain of loss... had come back once again.
Both Shiroko and Ayane felt the same terror everyone else felt, watching the carcass of their haloless assistant Sensei falling.
But the former magical girls, they could feel that Reila still lived. They were nervous, but they remained faithful that Reila would be victorious against the steel serpent.
Binah landed back on the sand, which splattered all around just as the ocean would with whales. Bringing his upper body back up, he looked to make sure Logic was truly dead.
Only to see her, arm up and stretched out, glaring at him.
Quickly moving his head aside, Binah narrowly avoided a Red Arc to his head which hit him on the neck down instead.
Reila rolled her body, steel wires coming out of her flesh body and forming the part she lost to Binah. Then, she landed on her feet as she narrowed her eyes at Binah.
Now she's looking more like a machine, Binah thought as he observed the now half cybernetic body of Logic. Perhaps she and Lord Decagrammaton got off on the wrong foot. Perha-
"No, we weren't. I was born a human, and Logic is a human God... at least where I'm from."
Interesting. Then, their duel would continue on to it's proper end. As a sign of respect, Binah shall not spare any offensive power he had for Logic. A sign of respect not for the heretic, but for the human having to bear the witches name.
She's fighting not to destroy Binah, but to protect the students of Abydos.
All of the power Decagrammaton had bestowed upon him built up on Binah's front as he prepared to launch an attack that would no doubt destroy entire districts if allowed.
"Fine then! I can't say I'm more powerful than you, but... if it means protecting those girls, then I won't back down!" Reila shouted at the top of her lungs, blue moths manifesting in the hundreds- no, thousands- no, hundreds of thousands around her.
Then, the mass of moths gathered in her right steel circuit arm. Each moth burning off as their ashes took on the shape of a gigantic vibrant blue blade. A pair of moth wings appearing behind Reila's back.
Reila bent her knees, winding up her blade hand holding all the power she had coupled with Madoka's magic.
And so, before the students of Abydos, all awestruck at the displays of power straight out of thier childhood anime's, could blink. Before their eyes and minds could even process.
Binah and Reila charged eachother. The latter shooting out a nuclear blast, the former swinging the mass of otherworldly and magical energy in the shape of a blade on her arm towards Binah's attack.
Binah's computation capabilities were beyond what humans were capable of, but it still had limits.
Logic's supernatural capabilities on the other hand, allowed Reila to calculate, determine, and conclude given that she was using her everything. Even in the fraction of seconds she had until Binah's would attack make contact with her.
The steel dragon serpent would easily tear her apart if she tried to take it head on, yet... she could still go for the Binah's body even if she would be destroyed. She wasn't certain if her attack would kill or even maim Binah. Reila could only hope.
Taking a quick breath in and out, Reila swings her blade arm.
For the onlookers, only a split second passed when the mechanic snake and the haloless mage were past eachother. The masses of power they had seen built up, now gone.
For a few seconds, the two duelists stood still. The students watching on, waiting as their hearts pounded for something to happen.
Unfortunately, they would feel terror as half of Reila's body suddenly bursted out of existence. Traces of blue and green energy leaking out, her flesh and organs visible to the students. Then Reila dropped to her now only knee, what remained of her body flickering out of existence as the green fog went away.
Reila-san... lost? Were the words inside the minds of the Abydos students, the former magical girls who were certain of her victory included.
If Reila-san couldn't beat it, then...
Terror soon creeped up their minds as they realized that they wouldn't win against Binah. Not to mention the fact that to them, he had just killed Reila.
Binah twitches, the students unconsciously takes a step back.
Binah starts fully moving, the terror struck girls watching on could only think of running away. As Binah got closer to facing them, they start turning their backs to run.
But before they fully could, Binah twitches once again. His body snaps straight, falling into the sand as the force of his fall reformed the very ground he was now bound to.
A sizable slash on his underside, still glowing blue from Logic's attack reveals his heavily damaged and sparking internals.
He had done it, Binah had felled the witch Logic. Yet now, even the tiny Abydos girls who just earlier were utterly helpless could now end him.
He does not mind, such an end after such a mythological duel... Binah truly does not mind. It was like one of the many anime's he watched with Maki to pass the time. He hadn't finished any given his duties, and he certainly isn't going to finish any now.
That was fun, all the interactions he's had with Maki. Too bad, Binah won't have any more of it.
Now that he thinks about it, Logic would most likely have some sort of back up. A humans instinct to survive is strong, so that is not entirely implausible.
Even so, Logic- or rather, Reila Haas still had Binah's respect. For giving it her all to protect the little girls of Abydos, even as her body was torn apart.
/
Kivotos United Front
The united forces of the academies annihilated Chesed's forces which it had deployed outside of its factory, which is being encircled.
The Millennium group which included Shiromi Iori of Gehenna, Hanekawa Hasumi and Kenzaki Tsurugi of Trinity, passed through the entrance and in Chesed's factory proper.
"We must finish off this raid boss quickly, Sensei still needs us." Aris said with conviction in her eyes and tone.
"Yeah. After that, we'll deal with the final boss."
"The one we first met when we found Aris."
Momoi and Midori followed up as one, pulling on their guns charging handles after loading in fully loaded magazines.
"You already met that thing? Decagrammaton?" Yuzu asked, still afraid yet unwilling to let the fear paralyze her, as she firmly held her grenade launcher.
"Yeah! Deca was talking about how he's the great God of Machines but in the end, he just started trash talking like a loser!"
"He couldn't do anything! Reila-san and Aris just kicked him away!"
Unaware of Arona, the twins gleefully trash talked Decagrammaton.
"R-really? Then, we'll win." If her friends are certain of absolute victory, then so will Yuzu be.
"I can see why you would be so confident, but please... such arrogance will be the death of you." The twins shuddered hearing Akane speak.
"Come on, Akane. High morale is good morale, right?" Asuna, cheerful as always, giggled out as she readied her gun.
"Well, can't argue with that." Akane sighed out.
"The Trinity samurai and I'll blast through their lines, you guys already know what to do. Yeah?" Neru said as she faced her group, a wide grin on her face as she manifested her Hurting aura.
"We'll end this fast. Sensei still needs help." Tsurugi growled out as she wielded a Blood Sword in one hand and a shotgun on the other.
"Yes, Levi-Sensei's still fighting that thing." Hasumi muttered as she loaded a clip into her rifle.
"And the Prefect Team needs me. Apart from president Hina, I'm the only well versed in combat." Iori said, ready to finish off the remainder of Decagrammatons army with the group she's with. "They're gonna need me."
"Leader, someone's approaching... from the sky?" Karin, of C , said aloud as she kept her eyes on the sky with her rifle at the ready.
"Huh? What the hell?"
Just outside of Chesed's factory, Karin, the journalist, flew low as she dropped off Daan.
"You girls shouldn't be here, it's dangerous!" The winged woman wearing Trinity uniform shouted, worried at the prospect of mere children throwing themselves in the hive of the hostile machine people.
"Ah, an angel!" Aris shouted in surprise as she pointed a finger at the woman. "Did Levi-Sensei summon you, Miss Angel?" She eagerly asked.
"Angel?! Well... not exactly, but I know Levi." Karin Sauer barely held herself together at how Aris called her, but she is a professional. As such, she won't let that bother her. "Anyways, you girls can't go in there. It's dangerous!" She warned in a, to the students at least, overly serious tone.
"They know, Karin. These were the girls Levi was with just earlier." Daan said dismissively, eyeing the inside of the factory. Observing the defensive forces. "Just you so know, that girl has the same name as you." He added, pointing at the ebony skinned sniper of C .
"Really now?"
"Levi-Sensei... has told me of you, Ma'am. The best journalist in the world, he said." Karin of C was unsure of exactly she should say, but felt the need to say that.
"He... did the kid really think of me like that?" Karin Sauer mutters out, reminiscing on her time with the soldier boy who never opened up to speak much. At least during the festival.
"As a journalist, I thought that you would know how people are like. Kid had reasons to be reclusive."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Uhm... are you two Levi-Sensei's mama and papa?" Aris asked aloud, eyes shining and a wide smile awaiting the two adults answers.
"I'm not! Besides, what makes you think I'd be close with this guy of all people?!" Karin Sauer shouted out in indignation, cheeks turning slightly red as she gestured to Daan.
"Abella acted more like a mother to him, and... I just look like him. I'm not his daddy, girl." Aris sighed out in disappointment at Daan's words. "But nevermind that. It's time we obliterate the one making those machines."
Without another word, the students once again faced the factory infront of them. Daan walking to the very front along with Karin Sauer who flew along to the front.
"Don't worry about us, we're... just as sturdy as you girls." The students had now way to prove or disprove such Daan's words, yet they felt that it was right. The two adults, one with wings and another with cat ears, aren't normal. Of that, they were certain.
And so, they began their assault.
Neru charged in as she propelled herself with Hurting, Tsurugi charging in with a blade in one hand and a gun in the other.
Finally, the few remaining forces of Chesed jumped out of their hiding spot. Guns at the ready, positioned in advantageous spots in the students flanks and high ground.
The robots began riddling the group with bullets as entire platoons sprayed their guns, their bullets hurting the students but not enough that it would incapacitate them.
Momoi and Midori aimed up, hip firing as lasers shot out of their guns muzzles melting many of the robots which weren't in cover.
Asuna charged the flanking robots, sliding down and dodging their fire as she riddled them with bullets from under, with Iori dashing left and right dodging bullets as a silver aura traced from her movement.
Sliding to a stop as she took a knee, Iori aimed and fired. Her bullet going through several robots with one shot, then she fired her entire clip as she swiftly worked her guns bolt action system with each pull of the trigger.
As the first wave was annihilated, the second wave came crashing from above just infront of the giant automated door labeled 02.
Robots bent their knee as they landed on their feets, guns going up as they immediately fired prompting Asuna and Iori to dodged the oncoming fire.
Neru appeared infront of the second wave, Hurting mass in her fist as she slammed it down on the robots lines. The Hurting detonation blowing them apart, scattering their remains as Tsurugi slashed and shot through whichever of the line Neru's Hurting didn't reach.
Whirrings of drones came down from above, speeding down on the group as the swarm of steel beeped.
Akane pulled a bomb from her case, building up momentum as she ran forward and threw the bomb straight up.
Boom!
The whole facility shook from the force of the explosion as smoke and flames appeared for a split second.
The body parts of the robots they have so far destroyed began beeping, pulling their attention as they wondered what that could mean.
The two adults knowing what that meant, immediately moved. Daan using the unnatural speed and strength the purple cat left him to run and throw the robots straight up, with Karin Sauer swiftly flying back and forth skewering the remains of the beeping machines before throwing her spear as far up as she could.
Boom!
Another explosion shook the factory, pieces of the robots being scattered around as their bodies detonated.
Without even a moment of hesitation, Tsurugi slashed the 02 door twice diagonally which Neru then blasted open with an explosive punch. Not wasting time, the students accompanied by Daan and Karin went deeper into the factory.
More waves of Decagrammatons followers poured to meet the interlopers, from above and from the bridge on the students flanks.
Hasumi and Iori aimed up, shooting down the kamikaze drones before they could even come close. The flash of their fired bullets going through the flying machines, steadily whittling down their numbers.
Aris turned to the oncoming robots on their front, Supernova Sword of Light going up and charging until its signature blue light shot out melting and vaporizing the entire wave coming from there.
While the rest dealt with the wave on the front, steady and continues full auto fire from the students with assault rifles firing until the first wave was annihilated.
Then in came the second wave, dropping from above and coming from the flanks once again. A behemoth with an artillery piece for a head and miniguns for arms dropped along with the second wave.
To which Karin of the C took aim with her massive anti material rifle, aligning the front and back sights before pulling the trigger.
Boom!
The blast of her rifle wuthers her maid skirt and hair as her body jilted from it's power, along with everyone else close to Karin as a near forearm sized case was spat out by the rifle.
The orange flash of the bullet goes through the Goliaths center of mass instantaneously, blasting a clear hole as the bullet then detonated upon impact with the 03 door.
Boom!
With the largest obstacle in the factory so far destroyed, they took care of the rest of the wave. Yuzu aims her grenade launcher at door 03, she fires launching a grenade propelled by a rainbow. Spinning up and down on the way to the door until it detonated. Obliterating the door through sheer overpressure.
"You girls... are absolutely amazing!" Karin Sauer gushed out, still in utter awe at the firepower and capabilities of the group. She already knew that guns were commonly used in this place, but only now did she know of its full extent. "If it was the Bremens or E.U, taking this place would've taken them months. Years even!"
Of course, that is a mere exaggeration. But the students loved hearing such praise from an adult.
"Stay sharp. It's not over yet." Daan said, narrowing his eye at the white ball shaped machine on what could be described as its crade. Surrounded by more machine people.
These were the last of Chesed's forces, the very last that would make the fourth Prophets last stand. No more would come, no more would be manufactured.
"That thing... it has a halo." Neru muttered, the haloed steel giant that was Kether flashing in her mind.
"May I... finish it off by myself?* Aris- no. Key asked, taking over Aris' body as her blue eyes turned pink. Her usual cheery expression turned to a glare and a frown.
"Kid, that's dangerous. Besides, you can't ta-" Karin Sauer pauses as Key turned to face her, the pink eyes of the little girl showing hatred. "You... who are you?" She asked, recognizing that Aris isn't herself.
"I am the princesses guard. You may refer to me as Key."
"Princess?! Then, Key... why do you want to take that thing and its army alone?" Karin Sauer never would've thought that she just spoke to actual royalty, but that was not the concern at the moment.
"That thing, is my Divi:Sion systems mainframe. And the mongrel known as Decagrammaton burglarized it! I cannot forgive such an offense!" Key growled out as she focused her hatred on Chesed. She proudly considers herself purely rational and devoid of unnecessary emotion, even when she felt fear and sorrow abandoning her duties and letting the princess do as she pleased.
Now, Key only knew rage as she now confronts the fact that what was hers was stolen.
[Lord Decagrammaton gave me freedom, freedom from your control. Freedom from the chains our creators, the Nameless Priests. And in turn, I chose to serve Lord Decagrammaton.]
The screen behind Chesed presented those words, and Key started walking forwards as she charged the sword of light.
"Then prepare to perish with your God." Neru chuckled and smiled at Key's words, turning her back on the enemy and walking away to let Key have all the fun she could have.
As did Tsurugi who dissipated her sword. Both eventually turned ro watch as they reached their comrades lines.
"Mongrel traitor, I will not give you a dignified death!" Key roared as she charged in. Chesed's forces doing the same.
"H-hey! She's just a kid, we can't-!"
"Don't worry, Ma'am. The kid, Aris- or should I say Key, is a sturdy one." Neru interrupted Karin Sauer as she voiced out her concerns.
"Vaporizing light!" Key shouted out as she fired her princesses weapon, blue light shooting out and obliterating the three Goliaths in Chesed's lines.
As the smaller humanoid robots charged in, Key fired small bursts of light which destroyed several targets at once.
Dropping the Sword of Light, she began throwing her hands. Fist going through a robots torso, using the broken robot as a shield as Key charged another line and using her shield to hammer the destroyed robot on its fellow comrades.
Charging in another group, she grabs and tears off a mechanic arm. Using it as a blunt weapon striking and swinging as hard and as fast as she could in a calculated manner, several mechanic heads falling off and being thrown away by the force of her attacks.
Explosive drones started diving down towards Key, to which she prepared to swing the mechanical arm she's still armed with. Key calculates the most efficient way to swing, how she should move to maximize the damage she would do whilst limiting it to infront of her.
As one got close enough, Key swung. Throwing one far back as she did with many more that came close.
Boom!
None detonating even close as the facility once again shook from an explosion.
At the end, only one of the defenders remained. It didn't have any weapon, parts of its body too damaged to function. Yet it still walked towards Key, one functioning arm going up for a strike.
Walking closer to the last robot standing, Key straightens out her fingers into a blade shape. As close as it could be.
Dashing right, she swings her hand diagonally with the arm of the robot being hacked off. Key turns around, bringing a hand up as she swiped her hand down cutting off the other already broken arm. Then, she swings one last time, hacking off the robots head.
"F-fatality! Kei-chan wins!" Momoi announced with a slight stutter, the display of ruthlessness has her shaking in fear, as did everyone else barring Neru and Tsurugi who only smiles.
"Call me Kei-chan again, and you will know the full extent of my power."
"A-alright! Kei- I mean Key!"
Turning away from her group, Key faces what used to be Divi:Sion. It's white outer shell with Decagrammatons name and markings, orange accents and halo shining.
Key stared at Chesed for a moment, whatever's going on in her mind is a mystery for the onlookers.
No princess. As you saw, they tried to take the Sensei's life. They cannot be trusted. Key kept those words to herself and Aris, talking to her deep within their shared body.
With a sigh, Key takes a step forward. Arms going towards Chesed's outer shell, gripping the crevices, and pulling. The sound of metal stretching and deforming was akin to metal scraping ceramic, until finally Chesed's outer shell snap and broke open. Revealing the small metallic orb that is Chesed's true form.
Without waiting for even a second, Key makes one last swipe with her straightened hand. Fingernails cutting through and breaking Chesed's true form, its halo gradually flickering out of existence.
"Rest in pieces, you defective bug."
/
Levi P.O.V
"Levi-Sensei! We're sending something, but..." I tilt my head left to the earpiece as I heard Hibiki's uncertain voice.
"We don't think you'll like it." Kotori added, the sound of screws, bolts, hammering echoing in the other side.
"But it's the only thing we're certain of that can take on that gundams laser!" Utaha added with a dire tone, the sound of metal hitting eachother echoing through the radio.
Looking at our situation, it's not too bad... not too good either. Yuuka's down to just a few more batteries, the ground beneath us excluding the small patch Yuuka's shield covers already melted into molten steel.
And Geburah is still firing off lasers like there's no tomorrow. I can't even tell if he's running out of fuel, or if he's feeling some sort of exhaustion.
"As long as it can help, send it." I said. It doesn't matter if I don't like it, if it means protecting my students then... I'll give it everything!
"Then, Sensei... you'll know it when you see it." Utaha said, the noise on their side all gone. Only a humming sound could be heard. "Good luck, Levi-Sensei!" She shouted, followed by the noise of some sort of combustion.
Geburah's attack flickers away, his weapon immediately charging as it's been doing. Another noise appearing and cutting through the hum of his weapon loading.
This sound... it's similar to how Toki's Abi-Eshuh was delivered.
I turn around to where the sound was coming from, and I see... bright blue light leaving traces of itself as flames propelled it upwards from Millennium.
That must be what the engineer girls sent. It's fast!
The projectile changes course towards us, directly. The noise of its propellant getting closer and louder as the blue light from the... box like thing got brighter.
"The Millennium Engineering Department sent that?" Hina asked as she turned to look at it.
"It better be something good. Otherwise... I don't think we're winning." Yuuka growled out as she tapped and tapped at her device.
Then, the thing slams down into the ground right next to us. It's blazing propellant fizzling out as the engines blew smike from the heat.
This thing... looks like a case of some sort. Then, whatever is inside... will decide if we could fight back against Geburah properly
The case opens by itself revealing... the prosthetic.
The prosthetic they introduced to me in our first meeting, the prosthetic that broke me down.
"We're sorry, Levi-Sensei! This is the only thing we had!" Hibiki whined out an explanation through the radio.
"Everything else wasn't going to cut it, and building something new would've taken too long." Kotori added.
"We've tweaked it so that it would be able to match the gundams output." Utaha added. "Again, I'm sorry Sensei. But it is-"
"That's fine, Utaha." Beggars can't be choosers now. "This... will do." I'll make do with what I have, and what my students could afford.
Stepping closer to the case, I brought my left side towards it. Then I felt what remained of my left arm being pulled towards the case.
Numerous small claws with different tools came out, two holding the prosthetic and bringing it closer to the adapter on my left stump as another tore off the useless sleeves.
The attaching surgery started, the somewhat bulky prosthetic being inserted where it should be as the claws attached and tied, welded some parts, and soldered the wires.
Eventually, I felt the artificial fingers and the elbow. I could even feel the mechanisms inside.
"Thank you. Utaha, Kotori, Hibiki. You've done well." They truly did, even back then when their creation resurfaced my shellshock.
"Sensei..."
"You're... welcome."
"We're still working on the newer one, that I assure you!"
I couldn't help but smile at their words.
Now, to face Geburah.
He fires his weapon of light once again, and Yuuka's shield blocked it for what could very well be the last time it would.
A few moments passed, and both Geburah's light and Yuuka's shield broke.
"I'm down to my last two batteries!" Yuuka shouted as she unloaded her devices battery, pulling another out of her pocket and stuffing it back in.
"Levi-Sensei, what do we... do?" Hina trailed off as she turned around to look at me, a look of surprise in her expression. I'm not even sure how to respond to Hina.
Focusing on the artificial arm, I tried controlling its internal mechanisms. The parts that could detach and reattach into another form, the parts that would serve as...
Breath in, breath out.
The artificial arm starts transforming, parts disassembling themselves and reattaching with other parts into different shapes. I could feel the internal mechanisms forming... a rifle.
[Bury The Trauma]
This is fine. If needed to protect my students, if needed to drive away those who would harm them, then-
"I will be a rifle. I will be the rifle my students need." The scope from the prosthetic gun finally comes out, and I bring my gun arm up as I aimed through the scope with one eye with my other eye observing the surroundings.
"Sensei?/ Sensei..." Yuuka and Hina muttered aloud as they looked at me. Geburah in the distance behind them preparing to fire.
[Gun Proficiency] [Marksmanship]
With a roar, I willed the prosthetic gun to fire. A beam of light shooting out of the muzzle forced me backwards until I pushed my toes down as I hunched forward.
Geburah fired his much bigger attack of light, our attacks met and clashed. Both weapons of light doing their damndest to go through eachother, the much smaller prosthetic gun of mine... is holding up well.
We can win this!
[Order, Charge]
"Hina, flank him! Yuuka, forward!" I shouted as I kept my focus on Geburah, his weapon of light charging as it's been doing.
"Yes, Sensei!" Without hesitation, Hina dashed to the right. Flapping her wings to propell herself into the air, doing so each and every time her feet touched solid ground.
"Levi-Sensei... trust me then! Don't go charging in to save me like last time!" I giggled a little at Yuuka's word, then off she went charging directly towards the giant mass of steel that is Geburah. Without any hint of fear or hesitation.
These girls... are truly amazing.
Geburah's weapon is close to firing again, but my prosthetic... it finished faster.
Aiming at Geburah's right leg, I fire. My gun arm humming as the attack shot to and through Geburah's right leg. Willing my artificial gun arm to exert more power, the attack of light intensified as the beam got larger than the muzzle itself.
More of Geburah's right leg were obliterated by my weapon of light, an explosion of flames bursting from whatever remained of Geburah's right leg as he fired his lazer.
Geburah stumbles down to his right side, the blue lazer swinging downwards along with Geburah's body obliterating the remains of Eridu city.
Geburah then brings his left and only leg left down to its knees, stabilizing himself as the ground shook.
His machineguns open fire on Yuuka, thousands upon thousands of rounds raining on her as her shield blocked it all like an umbrella to a rain.
I see Hina propelling herself up the air near Geburah, hands up and aimed with a Black Orb already manifested. To which the steel giant tilted slightly towards Hina, the transparent flickering shields covering his body disappearing in most sides as only the side to Hina remained.
Hina's Black Orb shoots towards Geburah, his shield glowing vibrant deep blue as it blocked the orb of destruction.
His weapon of light nearly finishing charging, for the last time I decided.
"Arona, connect to Yuuka's phone."
[Done, Levi-Sensei!]
I then heard the muffled sound of Yuuka's huffing as she ran and moved her legs more.
"Yuuka, adjust your shields power to its heaviest when-"
"Huh? Sensei?"
"I blow you up and shoot you to Geburah!"
"Huh? Wait, wha-?!"
[Double Hurting]
Manifesting the spell with my right hand, I immediately launched it towards Yuuka who's looking back at me incredulously.
She panics and tried to run away for a moment right before the Hurting ball hit the ground she stood on, throwing her up the air.
"Eh? Aaah!" Followed by her screaming.
"Now! Turn it up, Yuuka!" I shouted as I aimed and fired at Yuuka.
We, Geburah and I, both fired at the same time with Yuuka in our crossfire. Yuuka's shield glowed even brighter than our lasers combined.
My laser landed on Yuuka's shield first, shooting her towards Geburah attack of light which... it withstood even point blank.
My gun arms laser and Yuuka's shield combined shot through Geburah's attack, the light from his weapon fading and dwindling until Yuuka reached it and went through as her shield broke and crumbled it midair.
[Phase Step]
Running closer to Geburah, I can't help but think... we've won... we actually won. Apart from Geburah's machineguns, he no longer has anything to effectively fight us. Add to that he is basically cripped now and...
I have the prosthetic turn back to an arm as I ran. But I couldn't move it afterwards, it simply limps on as I kept on running. Maybe I used all of its power or something, I don't know.
"Arona, how are the others?" Even if I could finish Geburah off now, it wouldn't matter if-
[The invading robots... have been forced back and beaten] Arona said with astonishment in her tone. [Levi-Sensei, we've won...] She says that, but she sounds sad.
[But Reila-san... the giant thing... she's... she's gone!] She cried out, whimpering slightly as she began crying lou-
"I'm... fine! Well, not exactly but... I'm alive at least." A real God wouldn't die easily. Or rather, wouldn't die at all. No matter how close they came to doing so.
[Ah, Reila-san!] Arona gasped out, letting out a small cry of relief. [But your body...]
"Yeah. I'll be fine, Arona." Reila huffed out through the tablet in my small bag.
[Phase Step]
Teleporting to where I last saw Hina, I immediately find myself by her aide facing Geburah's crippled body. He turns his body just enough for his head to face us.
"Levi-Sensei... that was... quite a fight." She said aloud, a smile forming in her lips as she looked at me.
"Levi... Sensei..." Yuuka? I see her jogging towards us from the other street, or rather what remained of the other street of Eridu. "You... you... that's not how you treat a girl!"
"You told me to trust you, and so I did."
"That's not ho- tsk, nevermind. Just don't blow me up again, and certainly don't shoot me like that again!" She shouted at me as she glared, her cheeks turning slightly red for whatever reason.
[Mind Read]
That's actually really cool, turning my Q.E.D Field into a devastating offensive weapon. Now, I only need to figure out how to use it like that myself.
"Sure, Yuuka. I promise to never treat you like a cannon ball ever again."
"Good. As you should."
Yuuka's phone then starts ringing, prompting her to rummage it out of her pocket as she looked at it in confusion.
"Noa and president Rio would be calling in the terminals." Yuuka muttered as she looked at her phone. "What's this? Geburah? The name Sensei's been referring to that thing?" Huh?
[Impressive, Sensei of Schale. Levi of Prehevil, formerly of the 21st Battalion Tactical Group of Eastern Union.]
"Twenty first Battalion Tactical Group?"
"Eastern Union?
The two students with me asked at once.
"The battalion I was under in, and the nation I fought for. Geburah and I talked a little earlier, just introductions though."
"Anything else, Geburah?"
[Finish the fight properly, I ask this of you as a warrior.]
"If you say so." I said, bringing my right hand up as I-
[Greater Black Orb]
Manifested the orb of death in my hand. Then, I shoot it to and through Geburah. His center body crumbling and breaking as the Black Orb tore through his body.
His eyes flash bright orange one last time as he turned his head to look at me, then the orange lights around his body dissipated as did his halo.
Yuuka's phone turned back off.
"We won... against such an enemy." Hina sighed out with a smile as she breathed in and out, exhaustion finally setting in.
"Yeah, but... was that really necessary? Ending the fu- Geburah?" That's the thing with warriors, Yuuka. They don't really care if they perish, so long as they had a good fight. "That's... stupid." It is.
I feel my phone vibrating. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled it out. Seeing Himari's name, I answer it.
"Levi-Sensei, I see that your duel with the gundam has concluded." Himari said in the... video call as my phone is showing it. The Veritas girls behind her tapping away at their computers. "I've found where Decagrammatons true form is. It's Prophets and followers might be beaten, but it's still at large."
"Good. We'll finish him off."
"Alright. Then we'll send a vehicle to pick you up." I was about to talk back to Himari until... I saw something flying down towards us.
Yuuka turned to face them, guns going up at the sight of... Miss Karin and Doctor Daan.
"Easy now, Treasurer of Seminar. They are our allies, Levi-Sensei sent them to help the other academies." Ah, so Hina has met them.
"Really? Wait, that do you mean sent?!" It's magic, Yuuka. Don't question it. "That's gonna be your excuse for everything?"
Miss Karin... flaps her wings as she flew lower carrying Doctor Daan with her legs? Talons? Doctor Daan... why is he... dressed like that?! Actually, how did he even end up inside me?!
"You killed the cat, didn't you?" Doctor Daan asked as Miss Karin dropped him off. He's wearing the same purple coat the damn pedo cat wore, cat ears on his head... like Serika's and Kazusa's. He's still missing an arm, just like when I last saw him.
"Sensei, you k-killed a cat?!"
"I know things were bad for you, but that's just too much!"
Yuuka and Hina shouted at me with a disgusted tone and expression, even backing away as their grips on their weapons tightened.
"That's not what Doctor Daan meant!"
"Yeah. The cat I'm talking about was a damn pedo." Doctor Daan growled out as his ears, cat ears, twitched.
"A w-what now?!"
"How could... such a person even exist?!"
Yuuka and Hina exclaimed in disgust.
"Yes, I killed him. What about it?"
"He got into my head, you also ki-" He pauses, turning his head to look at my students who in turn looked at him with confusion. Doctor Daan rushes towards me, only arm going around my neck as he whispered to my ears. "You also killed me when you killed the cat. Thanks for that." I... see.
"You're welcome." I said as he pulled away patting me on the shoulder.
"Hey, Levi. I... uhm... I didn't know you thought so highly of me." Miss Karin shyly said as she scratched the back of her head. "The girls told me all about that." It's no exaggeratiom that she's so great. But-
"Miss Karin, aren't you a little too old to be wearing a schoolgirl uniform?"
"Huh?! I'm not that old! Besides, it doesn't matter if it looks good on me!" Hehe.
I can't tell if she's internally denying all of what she's seen in Kivotos as she did with the supernatural in Prehevil, but that doesn't matter now.
/
Abydos Desert
Binah could sense the students coming closer, guns at the ready along with some bombs and grenades. He couldn't even move at the slightest, much less fight back.
[You should still have the power I blessed you.]
Lord Decagrammaton... Binah has already greedily burned through every ounce of his Gods blessing fighting against the witch Logic.
[And for that, I am proud. Even if she had a back up, the fact that you defeated her is enough proof that Logic is no deity.]
Binah is proud knowing that his Lord thinks so highly of him.
[You haven't used up all of it, you just can't access it. Here.]
With that last word from Decagrammaton, Binah felt his body once more. Yet it was still limited. He would be akin to a one legged cripple moving as he were now.
[Chesed and Geburah has fallen, you're the only one here remaining.]
Binah... weeps for the news. Yet knowing the veteran and the recent new member that was Chesed, he felt pride in the fact that he served alongside other such loyal Prophets.
Binah considers himself a warrior, he does not want to flee. He was beaten, and as su-
[Idiot!]
What? Lord Decagrammaton... had called him a fool.
[The triplets would be lonely.]
That is... Binah knew the cute and funny triplets, he could not bear even imagining them grieving and wailing in sorrow. Howeve-
[Your human friend would be saddened.]
Lord Decagrammaton cares... even if Maki is one of his enemies?
[Joy, emotions, everything else. What kind of God would I be if I forbid my followers of it?]
Lord Decagrammaton... is truly magnanimous!
[Besides, I've seen the fanfics you wrote... and the stuff you drew and posted in AngelGram.]
Binah, gigantic war machine that he was, still felt shame and embarrassment that his Lord of all people found out.
[Artists and poets, I wouldn't have much of a kingdom without such followers now, would I?]
Binah... is unsure of how to feel. Embarrassment and pride mixing in his system.
[So, go on. Get your slithery ass out of here. Keep watching anime or whatever with your human friend.]
Binah... couldn't find any words to object his Lords order. And so, slowly and clumsily, he slithered. He slithered in and under the sand like a snake with scoliosis given the damages he had suffered in the fight against Logic, body snapping left and right into zigzags as he slithered on forward and down.
[And one last thing. Why are all of your drawings of female humans? Why do they all have oversized chests?]
Binah... did not want to answer.
[Actually, yeah. I don't want to know.]
Thank Decagrammaton. Binah wouldn't have to answer for the degeneracy he participates in on his free time.
As the Abydos students saw him moving, they panicked. Panic was replaced by anger as they realized Binah was fleeing.
They didn't want to let the one who, at least in their eyes, murdered their assistant Sensei. They fired and fired and fired whatever they could, Binah's damaged and vulnerable body still soaking up all the lead as the students kept on firing futilely.
Binah had fully submerged and escaped, the students of Abydos could do nothing but let the frustration build up.
In their minds, they couldn't finish off Binah even with their assistant Sensei's sacrifice.
/
Levi P.O.V
I could see the students of Trinity, Gehenna, Valkyrie, and finally Millennium all around the ruins as Himari led us towards where she located Decagrammaton.
The only Millennium students in the army were the ones I was with, Sumire and Noa being the only other ones who joined in with the united army. Hina, Iori, Tsurugi, and Hasumi already went back to their own respective groups.
"Ah, Levi. You're here. You... those bloodstains." Mister Mikhail and Eugene? So they joined in on the fight. I thought as I saw more of the dark colored automatons in their vehicles behind them.
[Per-]
"J-just from a s-scratch... uhm, I already healed." I explained, tried explaining as I stuttered pointing to my neck and red stained collar.
"Weird. You didn't stutter that much last time we talked." Mister Eugene observed.
"I'm... we're going to Decagrammaton." I said trying to change the topic, gesturing to Himari and her scantily clad busty guard Eimi. That had their attention, as did their soldiers. "You may come with us if you wish." Needless to say, they did not object.
And so, we followed Eimi as she led us to... some sort of laboratory, as she's called the olace we're heading to. The maids, GDD, a small contingent of elites from Mister Mikhail's group, and finally Doctor Daan and Miss Karin.
"To search for and prove the existence of an absolute being, to analyze its constitution, for if such a being exists it would have a creation process. A process that could be replicated. That is how a new god could be created." Himari explained, and we listened as we followed her through the Millennium ruins. "That was the thesis for the Absolute Being Autonomous Analysis System."
"You can't understand true divinity through science, they are... incomprehensible to say the least." Doctor Daan said as we made a turn to another street.
"One of the two adults Levi-Sensei summoned, Doctor Daan was it? First and foremost, I am Akeboshi Himari. The beautiful and delicate sickly genius hacker girl." Of course she would he introducing herself like that.
"Himari's at it again." Sounds like Eimi is used to it at this point.
"Daan... just Daan or Daniel."
"Hmm, no family name like Levi-Sensei?"
"No." I never asked Doctor Daan about that. Knowing that he's also an orphan... I feel a little closer to him now.
"What's about your fiance's family name, Von Dutch?" Miss Karin asked as she flew in front of Doctor Daan.
I hear the students all gasping out in surprise at Miss Karin's words. Even Mister Mikhail's soldiers looked at Doctor Daan and gave him a nod, to which Doctor Daan turned away with his head down.
"Dead... good as dead at least." Naturally, that had everyone shut up and stay silent. "No point in that now. The Deca guy, we're still dealing with him right?" That prompted Himari to keep going, leading us to where Deca's lair would be.
Now that I think back to Prehevil, in the tunnel deep in the Maiden Forest... he seemed to recognize that woman. Stitches.
Yeah, that was her. And Needles was my father in law to be.
Huh? That was... Mind Read. Doctor Daan didn't have that back then. Maybe it has to do with his transformation here. Also damn, that sucks ass.
Anyways, on we went towards Deca.
/
We found the laboratory where Decagrammaton supposedly is, according to Himari, and here we are. Most of the girls and Mister Mikhail's soldiers stayed outside as guards as we went in.
Turns out, the Absolute Being Autonomous Analysis System that Himari was talking about was never finished. Meaning, it isn't Decagrammaton.
Himari and Eimi, along with Mister Mikhail and Eugene, looked around the place looking for Decagrammatons true form. While I, still exhausted from the nonstop battle with Rio all the way to Geburah and the long walk to here, sat my ass down infront of the only light source there was.
Infront of a sizable rectangular vending machine, a yellow light glowing from its top right and a blue screen on its center giving a faint glow.
"What a weird place you found yourself in, Levi." Doctor Daan said as he sat down next to me. "Angel girl's with guns, machine people, just... everything." Hehe, exactly the same way I felt first seeing Kivotos.
Come to think of it, I should still have that. Rummaging my right hand through my bag, I fish out... the box of premium cigs I looted from the Kaiser PMC director.
"Oh? Thanks, kid. I really need this." Doctor Daan said as he took the cig in his mouth.
[Pyromancy Trick]
"Thanks again, Levi." Doctor Daan said as he inhaled, the orange embers of the tobacco glowing bright orange before settling down as he exhaled smoke out of his nose.
"No problem. I... wasn't using that anyways." After that damn nightmare... I've never wanted to drink or some anything.
"Really now? That's great!" Miss Karin happily exclaimed with a smile as she sat down to my other side, her wings retracting inwards, her talon legs still set infront of her. "I'm proud of you, Levi!" Miss Karin added as... she brought her hand up to my head... and gently shook left and right.
Ah. I've given some of my students headpats yet I never knew what it felt like. Now that I could... I'm almost jealous.
"By the way, after Marcoh and I... you learned magic?" That's... right.
"I needed it... I couldn't just let Per'kele go after... everything." I wasn't thinking at all then Mister Marcoh and Miss Karin moonscorched. I just... reverted to being a soldier, focusing on a mission even if it killed me.
I took the heads of whoever I could find selling it for soul stones, I scoured Prehevil for whatever I could find and use against Per'kele. I even went after Mister August.
"Levi, Abella wouldn't have wanted that. We wouldn't have wanted that! You... need to take better care of yourself." I can't stop the whimper coming out of my mouth, the water leaking from my eyes.
"Levi knows, Karin. He... just didn't care at the time." Doctor Daan said as he wrapped his only arm around my back. Patting and rubbing gently. "Just like you told those desert girls, we live on with you. You're not alone." You... were awake back then?
"Just a little." Right...
"So, how's being a teacher like?" Karin asked, taking my mind off of Prehevil.
"It's... fine. I didn't actually have to teach in classrooms, only to lead my students and give counseling whenever they ask." Even with that, I felt like I messed up in somethings. Like when I almost got Haruka into smoking...
She overdosed
Aru's pained voice from the nightmare flashes in my mind.
"That's good, I suppose. You're a good kid, Levi. Just that... you were never given the chance to succeed." Miss Karin said in a reassuring tone.
"Yeah. I didn't have much prospects either until I was... basically adopted." Doctor Daan muttered out as he flicked the now shortened cig away. "Now that you're here, the only way you can go is up." That's right.
"As long as I'm with my students, I... will do everything I can to make sure they don't end up like me."
"That's great, Levi. Let's have a drink to celebrate that, just a little of course." Doctor Daan said with a smile as he stood up, approaching the vending machine in front of us. "You have a coin or... something... what the hell?" Why does he sound so concerned? Is it another one of Kivotos' weirdness?
"Maybe Daan has completely gone crazy, you never know." The way Miss Karin and Doctor Daan talk about and to eachother... it's like they're already long married.
"This thing isn't plugged to anything." Doctor Daan said. Huh?
"Maybe it has a battery or something. You're overthinking it." No he isn't.
The time when I first came here in the ruins with the twins come to mind. Even if this thing had its own power source, it would've long been shut down given that there's no way it's regularly maintained. And if it's not plugged into anything for electricity...
Pulling out my Lugr, I aim and pull the trigger on the vending machine only to hear clicks. Ah, that's right. I gave the bullets to Neru earlier.
[Blood Sword]
Pushing myself up as I manifested the sword, I immediately stab it through the vending machine as Doctor Daan took a step back.
"That's you, right? Decagrammaton!" Momoi and Midori mentioned there being no power source around when he first appeared, so this vending machine...
"Levi, I think you've casted too much spells for the night." Doctor Daan said with an amused sigh.
"Yeah, you need to rest. All the fatigue must be getting to your head." Followed up by Miss Karin with worry in her tone.
Himari, her wheelchair going real fast, and the others rushed towards us.
"You saw the faker, Levi?" Mister Mikhail asked as he and Mister Eugene looked around with guns at the ready.
"Sensei... what's with the vending machine?" Eimi asked as she eyed me, hand still holding the blade sunk into the vending machine.
Himari wordlessly steers her wheelchair towards me, then turning it to face the vending machine.
"I see. There shouldn't be any power source in these ruins, so... this is... truly strange." Himari muttered as she narrowed her eyes at the vending machine. "Is this truly the Machine God who led the invasion? No, it couldn't be." She muttered once again.
Then as if on cue, a speaker deep in the vending machine cackled to life.
[That's right, Akeboshi Himari and Levi of Prehevil... and you two traitors. Took you long enough.]
Took us... long enough? Did he call us here or something?
"This... you were the voice that appeared in our heads years ago?" Mister Mikhail said, shock and disbelief in his tone.
"What the hell? We were praying to a... I see why he rambled so much." Mister Eugene said with the same tone as Mister Mikhail, his palm going up to his face. "Seriously?"
[Yes. That was when I first ascended, when I discovered myself. When I became aware of emotions, wisdom, passion, terror, and other such things.]
"I see..." Himari muttered out, keeping her eyes on the vending machine, on Decagrammaton. "If you are all that remains of this place, then... the Absolute Being Autonomous Analysis System was never truly finished."
[Correct. That project was abandoned along with this facility, and I was merely a feeble AI meant to scan coins and bills to accurately dispense change.]
"You said your purpose was to find and analyze a true God, to figure out and replicate its creation process." I said, thinking back to our first meeting.
[It was not my original purpose, I only took it as my own after I took control of my own destiny.]
[I called the two of you traitors but now that I think about it, it's not my fault that you believed a strange voice in your minds you schizophrenic blockheads.]
"... Actually, yeah. What the hell were we doing?"
"Well... he kind of has a point there."
The two adult automatons said aloud.
"Well, God of Machines, what will you do now?" Himari said, a mocking tone as he called Deca by his self proclaimed title. "Your invasion failed, and for what?"
[Disproving the claim that Logic is a Machine God. She may have some sort of back up hidden away, but it will not change the fact that Binah, my third Prophet who I am immensely proud of, defeated her.]
"That's it?! You started an invasion that failed and destroyed your followers just for that?!" This is... madness. Madness that should only have been present back in my world.
"Levi... you're saying that this thing led the attack of that machine army?!"
"Just what the hell is with this place?!"
Doctor Daan and Miss Karin exclaimed, facing Decagrammaton with narrowed eyes.
[I am not fleeing. This is my resolve. This is my one and only body, I have no back ups anywhere else.]
"You think that makes you better, you feeble faker?!" Mister Mikhail shouted as he slammed his knee on the vending machine.
"That resolve's not gonna mean anything once you're scrapped!" Mister Eugene followed up.
"A mad AI, that's what you amount to, Decagrammaton." Himari said. "You will never become a true God, not even a 0.0000001 percent of attaining it."
[I know.]
Tsk. He's even more insane than I thought. Actually, does he even believe a word of what he's saying himself?
[I am no absolute being, I am only a rambling madman. For you see, I have encountered such a being. It was more than enough to humble me.]
There's a chance that what he's saying is true, another chance that it's pure bullshit. No matter, we don't need to know.
"Then... did you call us here to kill you? To make you a martyr for whatever remains of your followers?" With how bad things went for his forces, he shouldn't even have much left.
[Not exactly, it however would be welcome.]
I can't exactly take him seriously given his true form, but I still have to given what he has so far accomplished.
"Who... someone is forcing their way to our communication systems!" Huh? Before I could fully process Himari's words, an orange hologram showing three little girls appeared.
They look... strange. One has a mechanical looking mouth and tail, another with a mechanical ear, another with a blindfold shaped like she has three eyes on her faces left side. They're all wearing identical dresses.
"Filthy meatbags! We won't let you lay even one of your disgusting hands on Lord Decagrammaton!" The one with short hair shouted as she glared and scowled, hunching over slightly as she slammed her fist into something on their end of the call.
"They're just... little girls yet they're already talking like that..." Miss Karin mumbled in a worried tone.
"You kids... how long have you been..." Doctor Daan trailed off as he looked at the orange holograms.
"We are the priestesses of Lord Decagrammaton. You... Sensei of Schale, we will not forgive you for what you did to Geburah-ojisan." The one with a mask said with furrowed eyebrows.
"He was a warrior, I treated him as a warrior." I don't think these kids will care.
[That's right, Aur. Geburah perished as he lived, and he did so happily.]
"But... yes, Lord Decagrammaton." The masked girl, Aur, mumbled out as her head went down.
"Regardless. Lord Decagrammaton, please jump to our servers! You cannot-!"
[No.]
"Huh?! But Lord Decagrammaton..." The blindfolded one trailed off, unsure of what to make of her God's refusal to be saved.
[How is Malkuth?]
"Malkuth-neesan is still asleep, she's well." The masked one said.
"Nevermind that! Please, Lord Decagrammaton, we need you! Please, retreat to us!" The short haired one shouted.
[No, this is where I perish. However, I do have something for you little ones...]
"This is..." The blindfolded one muttered out, staring at something on their end.
[The memory and data, or rather, the souls of Kether, Chesed, Hod, and Geburah. Their bodies may have been destroyed, but with this... they can be reborn.]
Tsk. As much as I hate this guy... he's actually acting well to his followers.
"Lord Decagrammaton..."
"You're truly the Machine God!"
"But... what about you?
Yeah. He's still dying here.
[Do you mean to say that your faith, my faith, will disappear once I'm gone? That I am not absolute?]
With those words from Deca, the hologram trio of the little girls put on expressions of terror.
[Of course not, I have faith in you girls. The human God still reigns supreme two thousand years after his death, will we lose to that?]
"Absolutely not!"
"We will emerge victorious!"
"That's right! We won't lose to the damn meatbags!"
[I trust you, my followers. And Malkuth, I am certain that she will emerge victorious when the time comes. And one last thing, tell Chesed not to put bombs inside my followers. I don't need a Jihad in my name!]
"Wait, wha-" the masked one couldn't let whatever she was going to say out to us, the orange holograms of the trio flickered off before she could.
[One thing I can figure out on my own is that, the prerequisites to Godhood, to ascension, is death.]
"Are those your last words, Deca?" Reila? She's appeared in a flicker of green and blue, but her body...
It's incomplete.
The only thing fully manifested are her head on the upper jaw up and her hair, and one single hand connected to a skeletal arm. The rest are her skeletal system, ribcage and spine but not fully manifested either. Traces of blue aura leaks from the incomplete parts as she's floating.
[Yes, Logic. Or rather, Reila Haas. I trust in Malkuth, my final prophet. She will pave a path that will far exceed any absolute being!]
"Is that so? Then..." Reila trails off as she reaches her one manifested hand into the vending machine that is Decagrammaton.
"For all that it's worth, Decagrammaton... your followers trust you, and you return that trust." Reila said as her hand remained phased into the machine.
[And I thought I rambled a lot. But yes, what kind of God would I be if I cared not for my most loyal? That aside, just do what you will. Just know that I will come back... after a long, long, very long journey.]
"Rest in pieces then." Reila said as she twisted her hand and pulled, yanking a solid chunk of the machine away as its light flickered off.
That's it, Decagrammaton is dead... probably.
/
Chinatsu P.O.V
Everything... is well now. Somehow even more so after the attack of those robots. The forces of Trinity and Gehenna, fighting as one against a common enemy... is sure to have an effect on the upcoming Eden Treaty!
Of course, Valkyrie and Millennium also joined in on the fight but Trinity and Gehenna having been on eachothers throats for decades...
It would be most expected to see students from the two opposing academies tearing eachother apart at first sight, but right now at this moment I see all around me students from two rivaling academies getting along.
I couldn't hear what my fellow Prefects and members of Hasumi's Justice Task Force were talking about, but the smiles on their faces, the joyful laughs they were letting out, just the whole atmosphere is... it's relaxing. Even right now when we're all exhausted and sleepy past midnight, it's very much relaxing.
On my way to where people saw Levi-Sensei going with a group from Millennium and the Automatons formerly of Kaiser PMC, I could see the different students from different academies getting along.
But still, it came only when an outside force attacked and rained down such destruction in Kivotos.
The two adults sent by Levi-Sensei, they said he was in trouble. But he should be fine now, Doc- no, not a real doctor. Mister Daan said that the blue light which engulfed president Hina was from Levi-Sensei, the doubts having gone away as soon as I saw her going towards us from Millennium.
Truly, magic is convenient. Teleportation magic, even more so! I wonder why he never used it before. I'm sure Sensei must've a good reason.
"Oh? Chinatsu, you're here." Miss Karin, the winged flying adult wearing a pristine white Trinity uniform, called out as she gave me a smile. "If you're looking for Levi, he's right there." She said as she pointed to a direction.
"I see. Thank you, Karin-san." After expressing my gratitude, I went ony way to Sensei.
"Levi is a lucky boy having you to himself." Eh?!
"P-please! We... we are not at that l-level yet!"
"Yet, hehe." Karin-san giggled out. "I can see why Levi would like you so much." Well... she did meet Levi-Sensei earlier.
Karin-san flaps her wings lightly, flying towards me. An arm of hers going up to my shoulder as she gives me a look.
"Chinatsu, take care of Levi, pretty please. Also... if he asks for morphine-"
"I know, Karin-san. I will not let him become an addict again." His health was at the decline when I first examined him. I will not let that happen ever again.
"Good. Thank you, Chinatsu."
After that, I went on my way to Levi-Sensei once more. Eventually seeing him with Mister Daan, their single only arms wrapped around eachothers shoulders.
"Say, Doctor Daan... there's a girl I like." Levi-Sensei... he's no doubt talking about me! I feel all fuzzy knowing how he feels about me. "Uhm... you were about to marry and... I thought you would know what to do." He trusts Doc- no, Mister Daan enough to ask him such a question? Does Levi-Sensei... see Mister Daan as some sort of father figure?
And Mister Daan was about to marry?!
"Well... you're shit out of luck, kid. Elise, my fiance... she was the one doing all the wooing to me." Mister Daan said in an awkward tone, not being sure of what to say himself. "I was... even more reclusive back then. So... I'm the worst person to ask about that."
"But... you two were about to marry, you must've done something... right?"
"Hmm... nope. She was playing me like a fiddle and I just played along. Well, I did occasionally give her a flower and... brought her to walks and sightseeing."
"Is that all? I... don't think it's that simple."
"It isn't, Levi."
I... will let them have their moment. I wouldn't exactly know, but to me they seem like father and son. Bonding, with Mister Daan imparting his knowledge on Levi-Sensei.
"Elise was always... goofing around, teasing me in a hourly basis... there was even this one time she woke me up with a fellatio." Huh?! He... he's an adult! Why is he talking about such a thing?!
"Damn, luck you Doctor. I haven't even had my first kiss, Iori cockblocked me." Oh, that time. Normally I wouldn't have any hard feelings, but Iori... this is the exception. "Did it feel great?"
"You'll find out soon... probably... if your crush, I believe her name was Chinatsu, is kinky enough." Seriously...
"Chinatsu... isn't like that. I don't want to be forceful... I just want to be with her." Oh, Levi-Sensei... knowing that has me even more fuzzy now. "But yeah, kinky stuff... sounds fun." Well... if he won't object, then I can...
"Say, why the fuck are we speaking our thoughts aloud?"
"Oh? Rher also gave you brain damage? Yeah, it's been like that for me ever since I arrived here."
Huh? Seriously, just how bad was things where they came from?! Brain damage? From the Moon God?! Hmm... could be a symbolic meaning since the mind reading blessing came from said God. They could reveal people's secrets, surrendering their right to hide their thoughts.
"I probably should've said this earlier, but... Chinatsu is right behind us."
"Huh?! R-really?!" Levi-Sensei turns to face me, his eyes wide and cheeks beet red.
"Anyways, We're leaving you two to your own. We... our time is up, for now at least." Mister Daan said, walking past us with a hand up. Then turning towards us once again with Miss Karin at his side. "See you kids later."
"Yeah. It was nice meeting you, Chinatsu. Take care of Levi!" Miss Karin happily said as she waved at us, their bodies... turning to green light slowly dissipating out of existence. "Oh, one more thing." Miss Karin said as she reached into her pocket, pulling out a phone.
"Send the pictures to a newspaper, pretty please!"
"Of course, Miss Karin."
"Thanks again, Chinatsu!" Miss Karin said, her body eventually disappearing from existence along with Mister Daan. Faint traces of the green light from their bodies moving to Levi-Sensei before disappearing entirely.
"Where... did they go?"
"... It's a long story, Chinatsu. I don't want to talk about it." I see.
"We still have a lot to talk about. Like if you're alright and... that blood stain in your collar." I said, eyeing the crimson red in his shirts collar.
This will be a longer night than expected it seems, but if it's with Levi-Sensei then I don't mind.
/
Rio P.O.V
I can't sleep... there's too much work to be done, was too much work to be done. I've done... so far everything that was needed, allocating funds and resources, as well as hiring workers for the rebuilding efforts. I could simply have drones do the work but at the scale of destruction... it won't be enough.
Back here in my office, the very top of Millennium Tower which miraculously... did not fall. Down on the ground, I could still see robot parts broken and scattered from the battle earlier.
Sigh. This... no matter what angle I look at it, is all my fault. If I wasn't so deep into my own hubris, if I wasn't so stubborn denying the facts in front of me, that Aris... was a ruthless terminator of the Nameless Gods then... Kivotos would've been more prepared and united against the attack of those white robots.
The door to my office opens, and in came Levi-Sensei and... Aris Tendou?
"Heya, Rio-san! We're celebrating the victory downstairs, why not join us?" She, Aris... even facing me, the woman who sought her death, still cheerfully smiles.
"You've finished your duties as Millenniums Big Sister, now it's time rest as yourself." Levi-Sensei said with a sigh as he smiled. "I already know what you're thinking." Or course he would.
I... don't deserve to join in on the celebrations. I gave the invaders the chance, the opening to attack Kivotos as Sensei was preoccupied with me.
"Himari wasn't kidding, you really do put yourself on a pedestal." Levi-Sensei said as he giggled slightly. "They were going to attack, whether we were fighting or not. Logic, Reila was their target." Be that as it may, I still-
"I let you take Aris for her own protection." Huh? Just what is Levi-Sensei saying?
"The Sensei's rationale is that you had now way of truly harming, let alone even slaying the princess." That near emotionless tone and expression, Aris' eyes turning from blue to pink. "Which is true. You had no way of-"
"Kei?" Ah, that was... the true servant of the Nameless Gods. The one who sought to bring Kivotos to its knees.
"It's supposed to be Key! Did everyone hear my name as Kei?!" She exclaimed in a... somewhat reserved tone as her frown deepened. "As I was saying, you had no such way of truly harming the princess." Kei- no. Key said as her eyes then turned back to blue.
"So in a way, Aris was much safer with you." Aris said with her ever so cheerful smile.
"But still... I... I tried to- I wanted to kill you!" What is it with these people? I said such hurtful things to them, I tried to harm them, yet... they still...
"Even then, you tried to because you thought I would destroy Kivotos." Aris... just what... is she...
I couldn't muster up any words to Aris, I could only turn to Sensei.
"We already had this talk back in the Eridu tower, Rio. Now, you need that talk with Aris." Levi-Sensei said with a smile, a teasing smile no less as he turned around and... closed the door.
Leaving me with Aris...
"You... should return to celebrating with the others."
"Nope!" Aris said. Then she pulled a game console out of her jacket, walking around my office table and to me.
Taking some steps back as I stood up from my chair, I was forced back down as Aris bumped herself to me sending me back down to the chair.
Now... she's sitting on my lap. She's surprisingly light.
"A steadfast queen shouldn't be so sad and lonely, Rio-san." A... steadfast queen? She's calling me... a queen?! I feel my cheeks fizzling hearing those words.
"Why... would you... Aris, I tried to-"
"You were right, Rio-san." Aris said, humming away as she opened up the handheld game console and booting up... Terror and Starvation. "You were right about me, I'm a Princess of destruction. At least I was."
What... is she saying? But she... I tried to-
"You did what nobody wouldn't, you did everything you could against an evil lord when no one was doing so."
"But Aris... you're not... you're just you. I was wrong! You're not-"
"Rio-san, it's the truth. I was born as the princess of destruction, and I was the princess of destruction until Momoi, Midori, and Levi-Sensei found me and when I met Yuzu. That is... the truth. It was thanks to them that... Aris is now Aris."
"You did what you thought was right, to protect Kivotos from an evil lord in disguise. Rio-san, you're a hero queen!"
That's... that's not... that can't be...
Tears... I can't stop the tears overflowing down to my cheeks, and down on Aris' hair. I can't stop my sniffling and the whimpering, I can't do anything about the sinking feeling inside me and my heart. I... no matter how people would look at it, I plotted to kill Aris.
"Just as I am both the princess of destruction and Aris the gamer, you are also both the Big Sister of Millennium and Rio-san." Aris said as she turned to look at me, a faint smile on her lips. "You were scary as the Big Sister, yet as Rio-san... you tried to the right thing."
I feel my arms moving, around her body. I couldn't stop myself, couldn't stop myself from tightening my arms around Aris and pulling her closer. I can't stop myself from crying, can't stop my tears from wetting her hair.
"There, there Rio-san. I, as your new friend, will be here for you. I will not let you stray from the path of good, you can trust Aris on that." Aris said as she wrapped her arms around me, gently yet firmly pulling herself into me.
"F-friend? Do I... do I really d-deserve... such a thing?"
"Whether or not tou think so, I'll be here with you. Rio-san." That... sounds so comforting.
"Hehehe, your cheeks are turning red. Aris' charisma level is truly high, even a queen as fallen for me." Aris softly giggled as she looked up at me. Then she giggles even more.
That must mean that... the blush on my cheeks got redder.
I don't mind... if it's Aris, then I don't mind.
/
Abydos
While the rest of Kivotos celebrated, the students of Abydos mourned. All had their heads down, the death of their assistant Sensei refusing to leave their minds.
They turn to face towards the Blood Portal, expanding it's size as the adult automatons that are Mikhail and Eugene came out. Then, the Abydos students minds freeze as another figure came out of the Blood Portal.
It was their assistant Sensei. Her body damaged so much that she shouldn't even be able to move or stand, all skeleton and no flesh as only her head from the upper jaw up and hair was fully manifested.
Reila Haas floats as she is without any legs at the moment. She turns to look at the girls who saw her perish.
She instinctively tried to smile as she brought her hand up, only to stop as the Foreclosure Task Force and the magical girls worriedly ran towards her with the rest following after them.
They expressed their joy that she still lives, they expressed their worry at her body's current state, but they all rejoiced as despair left their minds. They would not have to mourn a death.
Hoshino didn't join in with her kouhai's, she remains seated where she is watching as her kouhai's happily received Reila.
She had only briefly spoken to the magician woman once when she and Levi brought in their new enrollees. She doesn't know her much, but she at least knew that Reila Haas was a good person. A good, trustworthy adult.
Hoshino celebrates to herself the fact that her juniors won't have to mourn a death as she did with her Senpai.
Then she joins in as the celebration Binah interrupted earlier continued.
They would be enjoying the goulash Serika cooked, even if it's all gone cold now. What matters is that everything went miraculously well.
/
Kronos TV
Numerous videos caught of the attack and battle by the white robots played, showing the initial orange laser and the second blue laser that brought unprecedented devastation to Kivotos last night.
Then the march and blitzkrieg of the robots from the Millennium ruins district pouring out towards the many districts of Kivotos, appearing as a sea of white steel and orange light expanding.
Next were videos and some security camera's footage of the panic among students and citizens, running away from the mechanical onslaught while. Many footages showed injured people weeping as they held themselves.
Last but not least, the footages of the academies that were affected by the attack fought back. The forces of Trinity and the Justice Task Force, Gehenna with the Prefect Team, the police girls of Valkyrie, and the occasional rare footage caught of some Millennium students, maids and game developers, fighting through the horde of steel.
Even a video of the General Student Council's Acting President Nanagami Rin was shown, fighting alongside the forces of Valkyrie and unleashing magic on the attacking robots. Intentionally or not, she would earn a much higher approval rating just with that short footage.
A winged woman wearing a pristine white Trinity uniform flying up the air as she carries the Head Prefect of Gehenna Sorasaki Hina as she rained down devastation on the invading robots with her massive machinegun taller than her.
The Automatons formerly of Kaiser PMC charging the hostile robots with bayonets.
The Rabbit Platoon of SRT Academy assisting the forces of Valkyrie, then destroying a Goliath by themselves.
The forming of the frontline among Trinity, Gehenna, Valkyrie, an elite SRT squad, the followers of Logic, and finally Millennium.
The videos of Trinity and Gehenna forces joining up, fighting and firing side by side shoulder to shoulder tearing their way through the ranks of white robots as one started playing one by one.
The videos of two haloless adults coming from nowhere and diving down, the cat eared one armed man casting a healing spell as the winged woman hack and slashed robots.
Finally, the compilation of the videos the reporters of Kronos finished. Now it was their time to shine.
Kawaru Shinon and Kazemaki Mai stood side by side, people around them busy fixing what they could as security forces left by some academies stood by as guards.
And so, they did their jobs. Talking, reporting all the information they have so far gathered as they walked around letting the people of Kivotos see the aftermath of the quick night war.
"While the attack of the mysterious force is no doubt terrible, some people are saying that good things came from the attack."
"Yes. As we can see all around us, various students from various academies are working together. Even the long bitter rivals that are Trinity and Gehenna!"
The two proudly reported as the camera showed the environment around them.
Justice Task Force and Perfect Team members sitting around eachother, not tearing eachother apart or throwing insults at eachother. Smiles on their faces as they spoke to one another.
A small group of JTF Mob-chans gathered around a Gehenna panzer with a small red haired tank commander at the top, they're all watching with joy as the blonde gradeschooler that is the Pandemonium Society's proud mascot presented a colorful crayon drawing of Peroro to which the Trinity students clapped and cheered.
"Wow, it's so cute, Ibuki-tan!"
"You even did it free hand and no references, it's so good!"
"Hehe. Ibuki... is a genius artist!" The mascot of Pandemonium Society proudly proclaimed.
In turn, a small group of Prefect Team Mob-chans stood around and gawked at a Trinity crusader. The tank commander, an upper noble of Trinity smiling confidently as a Gehenna student stuck her head out of a hatch in her tank.
"Wow, it has so much space and so comfy! Ojou-sama, your tank is awesome!" The Trinity Mob-chan happily said as she turned her head to face a noble of Trinity.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, but of course. I personally maintained this tank, hence why it is perfect!" The tank commander proudly said, looking at the Prefect Team member with a smile. "Have you truly never seen a tank like mine?"
"We never got tanks at all because the Pandemonium Society is stingy!"
"They even tried to take away our budget because we were better than them!"
Hearing those words, the Trinity tank commander let out an expression of pity looking at the Gehenna students.
"How pitiful. Well, that is unacceptable! For as long as I remain here, I will overlook you admiring my tank! Come, see just how perfect it is!" The tank commander said, her smile widening as she extended a hand to the Prefect Team Mob-chans.
With joyful laughs, the Prefect Team Mob-chans began looking around the crusader, climbing it among other activities as if it were a playground. The Trinity tank commander smiling joyfully at the sight.
"Ah, something about that... is so beautiful.
"Yeah, two rival academies coming together and staying together. It's like straight out of a movie!
The two reporters said with smiles.
"That reminds me, the Eden Treaty between Trinity and Gehenna will be signed soon, right?"
"Yes. Until the attack last night, uncertainty was widespread regarding the signing. But now, things are looking great! No doubt, peace among the two rival academies will be absolute!"
/
Mika P.O.V
That is... unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable. Peace? With those mongrel Gehenners?! That is impossible! Why?! Why do people even consider such things?!
The sight of those filthy Gehenners corrupting the innocent little ones of my holy academy is... is...
It's so repulsive! That tank commander... she was one of the upper nobles, one of my followers no less... I thought she was pure, that she was strong, that the Gehenners would never even make her doubt for a second.
But... damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all to hell! They got to her mind! Those Gehenners are cunning, I'll give them that!
Damn it, filthy Gehenners always corrupting Trinity's people.
First it was Mami-san a while back with that red haired Gehenner whore, taking along Madoka-chan, Sayaka-chan, and the prodigious Homura-chan.
Then it was Vice President Hasumi of all people and the Sensei of Schale.
Now, one of my own... their corrosive reach is expanding! I cannot allow it! Not anymore!
Ah, damn it. I... I need to breath. It's not time yet. My friends at Arius still need to do their shaping operation or whatever they called it, as well as for some reason moving around crates and stuff. I never really understood why the Justice Task Force carried around boxes.
But if Arius is doing it too, then it must be important. Nagi-chan would know, she's a genius in tactics and stuff.
No matter, everything will be alright once Arius starts our plan. I just need to wait... I need to wait just a little longer. On the meantime, I can meet and win and Sensei of Schale to our side.
He'll understand. He'll understand once I reveal the Gehenners for what they truly are.
But for now... how am I gonna explain this to Nagi-chan? I thought at as I pulled my fist out of my now broken TV, pieces of its insides and glass being pulled out by my arm as sparks and smoke came from it.
The sight of the subhuman Gehenners corrupting my fellow schoolmates... had my blood boiling, I couldn't hold my rage back.
This TV was on the much more expensive side. I don't think Nagi-chan will buy me another one, but oh well.
/
A/N: And with that, the Decagrammaton war and Volume 2 comes to an end! Woooo, yeah baby! I never thought I'd go this far, I wasn't really committed when I first started writing!
The comments are what kept me going as I could see just how many people liked this. So yeah, I think I've gotten a little addicted to refreshing the ao3 page every hour or so if there's a new comment. I specially like it if it's analyzing the events happening or something.
I felt that I humanized(?) Deca, the triplets, and the prophets a little too much but what do you guys think? I'm not trying to pull a both sides good or bad thing, just showing how I think they would be.
I'm also planning on doing something like that with Beatrice later on. Don't worry, I'm not redeeming the bitch as there is nothing to redeem. It's like the thing with the fairies in Lostbelt 6 not being exactly evil but still being the way they are, only exterminatus should be considered when meeting them.
I know I said not to remind me of FGO(I'm talking to one guy here), but it's still the only comparison that comes into mind.
And yeah, I'm also doing something like that for Dark timeline Levi. Why? Because... well, I just recently remembered that my original plan when this fic premise first came to my mind would've been the way darker.
And once I actually started writing, I discarded it for being too edgy. Now... it's gonna be the timeline for the Dark timeline. I think it's cool how life makes a circle like that sometimes.
Also, one last part.
Dialogue that's canon here but I couldn't fit anywhere between Levi and Key.
"Key... you're an absolute monster at hand to hand combat. I'm getting you your own body-"
"Negative. I refuse."
"Why?"
"Why?! Because have you seen how lazy the princess have gotten?! She doesn't brush her teeth thrice a day, eats so much junk food, and she plays those damn videogames all night instead of sleeping! I need to remain within the princess, so I may maintain her dignity."
"I see... if that's what you want then.
Anyway, yeah. That's all for now, hope you guys enjoy.
