Chapter 41 "Into the Fray"
"As we understand it, Colony 5 has encroached upon a battle between Keves and Agnus in Legre-Bhaja Valley." Morning had arrived, and Reynolds, the short, bearded coordinator began laying out the details of the biggest mission on the docket, one to which Noah and Mio were privy. "Our team in the area had been tasked with eliminating the Moebius involved with the prior confrontation, but the appearance of an additional Kevesi force has made it a particularly precarious situation."
"Wait, so that's two from Keves against one from Agnus?" one volunteer vocalized their understanding of it.
"It would appear so," the bearded man nodded stiffly. "Thus, our people out there need reinforcements. Whether it's to retreat safely or to offensively strike against Moebius is up to the team leader."
"But sir, that could mean there are three Moebius at once," another volunteer in the crowd spoke up.
"Indeed," a grimace formed on Reynolds' face. "It goes without saying, this is about as dangerous as it gets. The military does not recommend participation if you are inexperienced with the handling of Moebius."
"We're ready," Noah stepped forward with Mio at his side. Their friends, Alexandria and Chickadee, were also present after professing their commitment last night.
"As are we," the stylish soldier vouched for herself and her partner, "right, Chicky?"
"Of course," the furry-eared Agnian shared most of Alexandria's confidence.
"Very good," the coordinator eyed them approvingly. "The worst case scenario has come to pass, but the City trusts that you will handle it."
"Thank you for letting us help," the zephyr clenched her fist over her chest, still feeling personally invested following Colony 5's ravaging of her previous home. "We'll be careful."
Perhaps due to Reynolds' warning, only a few others accompanied Noah's group down the outdoor corridor to the Levnis pad where their ride awaited them. Nerves varied from mild to tense during the short ride to the Cent-Omnia region, the most war-torn that Aionios had to offer. On this day, well over a hundred unliberated soldiers across three colonies had populated Legre-Bhaja Valley, a lowland boasting two ponds, glowing flora, and black fog.
At first glance, there was a Kevesi base in the southern portion of the valley and an Agnian one northwest of it. Curiously, Colony 5's Ferronis had been parked on a short cliff near Moonbright Mountain while presumably its personnel had scaled down to the battlefield with their Levnis fleet. As for the now cloaked ship carrying Noah and company, the pilot carefully landed them at the regional team's temporary station in the eastern nook, considerably away from the action.
"Not a moment too soon," a tall man with wavy, golden locks poking out from a hat waved to the liberated soldiers upon their disembarkation. "Things have really taken a turn."
"Is everyone okay?" the former pacifist immediately scanned all the new faces, none of which bore smiles.
"We had to pull back, but we're all fine for now," the speaking militant brought everyone up to speed. "Anyway, I'm Roald, leader of the Gran Dell militia for the City."
"I'm Noah," the cordial Kevesi shook his hand before moving aside for his Agnian counterpart, "and this is Mio."
"Ah, welcome to this beautiful valley that's presently being razed," Roald extended his arm towards the meadow full of bioluminescent trees and dandelions. "We were scoping the battle between Colonies 26 and Eta here when another one from Keves showed up."
"Colony 5, they defeated my former colony before coming here," Mio enlightened him of her relationship to the rogue entity.
"So, this is unfinished business for you, then," the group leader presumed of her.
"It's personal for me, at least," the moonblades-wielder corrected him, brows heavy on her face.
"The Moebius in charge pushes Colony 5 to keep killing well after victory," Noah divulged what he'd gathered of their pattern of behavior. "We have to put a stop to this."
"We'll do what we can," Roald rested his hands on his hips. "Unfortunately, we've lost track of all three Moebius amidst the fighting."
"I might be able to help with that," the ponytailed soldier offered upon summoning his Blade and separating the inner sword from within it.
"Whoa," his boss for the mission gaped at the intricate design of both pieces.
"It reacts to Moebius, so I can use it to find them," the younger deserter explained, already sensing a faint pulse in the Blade under discussion. Every militant curiously watched Noah slowly point it in multiple directions until he found one that generated the slightest increases in vibration intensity. "North… there might be Moebius north of us."
"Your Blade must be chockful of Origin metal, more than what's in our own sensors," the blond patted one such device hooked to his utility belt. "Right, let's move out, and stay vigilant."
By now, most of Legre-Bhaja Valley had been covered by the battle amongst colonies, whether it was active combat or offscouring of husks and Levnises. Hoping to draw no attention to themselves, the combined group of militants and volunteers kept low to the ground while they tiptoed around a low ridge. It didn't take long for the telltale vibrations in Noah's inner sword to grow even more, though no Moebius were in sight. A few careful steps later, however, he glimpsed the distinctive red armor of the enemy on the other side of a thin bush. In fact, all three of them were present, engaged in a rather contentious conversation.
"I really don't see what the problem is," spoke the consul of Colony 5, a burly man with a bulbous helmet. "Every soldier on Aionios is fair game."
"But these ones are our pawns," argued the consul of Colony Eta, a woman whose helmet looked like a budding flower. "The board is lopsided now."
"That's right!" The consul of Colony 26, a man with a helmet shaped like a citadel tower stomped on the ground in clear discontentment. "You've meddled with our important match, one which I was handily winning!"
"You were not winning, V!" she pivoted towards him. "My Agnian aces had your Kevesi clods retreating due to your… embarrassingly poor placement."
"Poor?" he returned her pompous stare. "My defense was the best there ever was, T!"
"By putting all your Levnises in the same spot?" the female consul summarized his apparent strategy. "Such easy targets! They were flattened in less than an hour!"
"Wha…?" words failed Colony 26's consul instantly. "But I…"
"You had more than enough time to plan for this, yet you insisted on taking the dead-end," she pointed to his base which was obscured by smoke and black fog. "No wonder I had the upper hand."
"You did not!" he lost what little composure he had left. "I am infallible!"
"You're an imbecile," Colony Eta's consul concluded her side of the argument before returning to their colleague who'd interrupted their colonies' battle. "Still, it would've been nice to claim victory without interference."
"You're not victorious!" the denying dictator wasn't finished with her. "I am! It's in my name!"
"Blimey, get over it," Colony 5's consul chided both of them. Upon turning away in annoyance, he sensed the presence of extra company from behind the nearby bush. "Hmm?"
"We've been spotted," Roald whispered to Noah and the others. Inexplicably, and in the blink of an eye, the shrubbery withered away and fully exposed them out of hiding.
"Well, this just keeps getting better," the caped woman dropped her hand which appeared to have been glowing.
"How dare you peons eavesdrop!" Colony 26's consul redirected his ire once more, this time at the militants and volunteers. "This is simply unacceptable!"
"So is your treatment of soldiers!" Mio retorted as everybody rose to their feet. "They're not playthings, they're lives!"
"Each one has a dream!" her trusted partner likewise accosted the enemy trio, all weapons now drawn. "But you Moebius give them no chance!"
"That sword…" the burly boss of Colony 5 focused on Noah's Blade.
"Those rings…" Colony Eta's own leader did the same on Mio's.
"It's the Ouroboros brats," he determined, palming his red-armored fist.
"E, V, we have to squash them!" she rallied her two male cohorts. "They've slain our kind!"
"I will gladly put them in their place!" penumbral energy began wafting from him, too impatient for additional discourse.
"They cannot defeat us mighty Moebius!" the hifalutin hierarch of Colony 26 hollered, putting aside his gripes with the other consuls. "Their dying screams shall soon ring across the valley!"
Not quite in unison, the enemy trio unleashed their collective power in a dazzling, reddish-purple light. The already unfavorable situation was about to get even worse with the appearance of three giant, disfigured Moebius bodies. Though the militants and liberated soldiers still held vastly greater numbers, it was an intimidating sight to behold, regardless.
"Brace yourselves!" the group leader warned them before the inevitable clash commenced. "Here we go!" All at once, Noah, Mio, and the rest each picked a foe to fight.
"You'll fall before you can even touch us!" Colony 5's Moebius claimed upon slamming his wide palms on the ground. The ensuing quake sent roughly half of his prey into a tumble, prompting the others to come to their aid.
"My turn!" the female monster raised her arms. Seconds later, the pappi of every large dandelion in the vicinity dispersed in the air and subsequently attached themselves to Noah and company.
"What the…?" Roald flailed his extremities to try to remove the white fluff, a mostly futile endeavor which only furthered his vulnerability.
"Kneel before me!" Colony 26's Moebius plowed him with the sole of his mutated foot. Others who'd either been toppled or slowed down by sticky pappi would soon suffer similar fates as the bumbling beast found more victims to kick. "Yes! Witness my excellence!" A strange, inelegant dance soon followed, somehow rendering healing ineffective for his prey who were already in dire need of it.
At the same time, Noah and Mio remained on the offensive, free from the fluff due to his sword and her agility, respectively. Whilst still able, the two deserters slashed at whichever adversary stood in their way. However, aftershocks from the earlier quake made it difficult for them to concentrate on their attacks, thus none came close to landing on the Moebius' cores.
"This is not going well," Noah gauged of their progress while the muscly master of Colony 5 continued to pound the ground. The subsequent flying of dust gradually lowered visibility for the now separated militants and liberated soldiers.
"What should we do?" the zephyr looked to Noah for guidance, the two of them now at the edge of the skirmish.
"Ahh!" A cry from Chickadee drew their attention back towards the dust cloud where they found her tangled in vines that couldn't possibly have been there moments earlier. With a hand still free, she summoned her lance which, unfortunately, wasn't shaped for cutting.
"Hold still!" Alexandria was already at her side, trying but also failing to release her.
"Where did those…?" Mio started to question the plants' subsistence before jumping into action. Carefully, she sliced through the roots with one of her ring swords.
"Are you alright?" the lone Kevesi holstered his Blade and helped to pull the now limp vines away.
"Yeah," the dark-toned girl peered down at herself. "It just… grew beneath me, wrapped around my legs…"
"Roald and the others," he kept his own sights forward. "They're sti-"
"There you are," Colony Eta's Moebius emerged from the dusty, viny mess.
"Aha!" her ground-shaking associate likewise spotted the liberated soldiers. "Thought you could get away, did you?" Eager to resume the fight, he slammed the ground again to stir up another quake and series of aftershocks.
"We'll get you yet!" the botanical beast followed up his attack with her own, a fresh clutter of vines growing at an accelerated rate. Now wise to their tactics, Noah's group dodged the unnerving plants with deft movements. The ground continued to shake, however, more so than before. Tried as they might, it became too much of a task to stay upright and mobile for long.
"Wah!" the accessorized Agnian wailed upon being snagged by the vines, as was Chickadee again seconds later. To make matters worse, their audible panic inadvertently drew Colony 26's Moebius straight to them.
"So, there's more left," the vulturous villain eyed the two seventh-termers with wretched rapacity. "Your dulcet death throes will be every bit as delightful as the others'!" Choosing Alexandria first, he wound up his mutated fist and prepared to pummel the life out of her.
"Nuh-uh!" Chickadee poked him with her Blade, despite being stuck herself.
"Why you…?!" he turned to her instead. Though she couldn't quite reach his core, the Agnian lancer kept him at bay with several more awkward yet effective jabs. "Stop that, this instant!"
"Go away!" Her arms grew tired from swinging every which way, though backup would soon arrive in the form of the surviving militants whom Colony 26's Moebius had missed in the dust cloud.
Meanwhile, the other two Moebius chased Noah and Mio all over the northeast corner of the valley, at times through the debris field where one partially damaged Equites Levnis seemed to be watching. Once more, the male monster hit the ground in hopes of tripping up his prey while the female one called forth more vines.
"We need to… go back and help!" Noah shouted in regards to rescuing their friends, both deserters sprinting breathlessly.
"Let's… branch off!" the moonblades-wielder suggested after peering over her shoulder to their pursuers. "Divide their attention!"
"On three!" he decided as their running space rapidly dwindled in front of them. Before they could even begin the countdown, however, the nearby Equites fired ether shots at both Moebius. Though no meaningful damage had been dealt, the act caught everyone off guard, nevertheless.
"Hey, what gives?!" the burly beast turned around menacingly.
"It can't be one of mine!" Colony Eta's Moebius quickly determined while the brave Levnis charged up for another round. This time, the shots were easily blocked, and soon her ever-present vines were all over the Equites. Now tipped over, the cockpit opened to reveal its overstuffed crew of three. Crawling out first were a couple of two-toned boys, one small and early-termed, the other tall, muscly, and instantly familiar to Noah.
"Wha…? Lanz?" It surprised the swordfighter to see him there despite his affiliation with Colony 5.
"Were we seriously done in by snuffin' plants?!" The defender couldn't believe what appeared to him as rotten luck.
"I'm sorry, Lanz," the younger soldier removed his pilot's helmet. "It was hard to aim and steer simultaneously."
"Nobody's blaming you, Pollux." The last occupant kicked the cockpit door further open, revealing herself as Ashera, Colony 5's hotshot who was now in her third term. "Anyway, looks like we'll have to fight 'em directly, just like I wanted!"
"Are you kiddin'?!" Lanz summoned his heavy sword but quickly ducked behind it. "Look at the size of those mudders!"
With the rebel Equites out of commission, the Moebius resumed their onslaught on Noah and Mio who were frantic to reach their Agnian friends. Equally riled up, the botanical beast threw everything she had at them while her male cohort switched to fisticuffs.
"Come on, you guys!" the third-termer drew her Blade, a lance which had been modified to be double-edged. "We're missing the fun!" Without waiting for Lanz and Pollux, Ashera made a run for the monsters whose kind they'd never seen before.
"Spark!" the older two-toned boy cursed her impulsiveness. "Fine, we're right behind you!" With his heavy sword in hand and Pollux wielding a regular one of his own, Ashera's two teammates followed her into the fray.
"Lanz, you're here!" the former pacifist glanced at his ally whom he'd called via his Iris yesterday.
"Of course, but why are you?! I told you I was busy!" Lanz appeared equally annoyed and confused, soon pointing at the monsters towering over them. "And just what are we dealing with?!"
"Moebius," Mio answered for him with a bit of a hiss at the end.
"Moebi-what now?!" he shook his head in further befuddlement.
"The consuls," the liberated Kevesi offered a more familiar title to him, alternating his glaring stare between the two abominations. "One of them is your con-"
"I recognize you… Lanz, and Ashera, my star," their transformed boss focused on them.
"Oh?" his apparent favorite subordinate hardly seemed frightened.
"H-how do you know us?" the defender questioned with considerably more apprehension.
"Your consul," Noah nearly repeated what he'd told Lanz seconds prior, now with a better understanding of the situation himself.
"My soldiers, my very best soldiers," the burly beast gazed upon them with disdain despite the dignifying designations. "Why do you throw away all that you've garnered under my imperium?"
"S-sir?" Lanz loosened his grip on his heavy sword.
"You stand with the enemy," Colony 5's Moebius growled at the solidarity amongst soldiers, "traitors to… the cause."
"You mean Noah?" the older two-toned boy looked to his fellow Kevesi. "But he's…"
"Kill them now, or get out of my way," his mutated master delivered the ultimatum at last.
"Too much talking, not enough fighting!" Ashera fussed before reigniting the action with a swipe at Colony Eta's Moebius.
"Be careful!" the zephyr warned her, but it was too late to matter as the younger girl soon found herself snatched by a spindly, mutated hand.
"Quite the little firecracker you are," the female monster suspended her prey in the air.
"Let her go!" Pollux panicked at the sight of his peer in peril.
"Kill the traitors!" the burly beast reminded him of his own demand. Yet, neither unliberated, male Kevesi could make a decision before their ultimate superior's patience expired. "So be it." In one swift motion, he clapped his palms together which created not only another quake but a loud crash as well. Every soldier's ears stung debilitatingly, leaving them wide open and virtually defenseless. Stunned, Pollux fell to the ground which spurred Lanz to sidle in front of him with his heavy sword expanded like a shield. Unfortunately, he too, was disoriented, thus the Moebius easily punched through his Blade and sent both him and Pollux into the nearby pond.
"Lanz!" the ponytailed soldier watched in horror, his head pounding from the shock wave. Able to bear the pain for the moment, Noah gripped his inner sword and drove it into the Moebius' core. The exertion without a moment to recover temporarily blurred his vision, though he could still make out the distinctive expulsion of penumbral matter in front of himself. An accompanying, garbled scream of agony further evidenced his successful hit, however, the noise agitated his condition to the point of collapse.
"You…" Colony 5's Moebius strained to look at his killer who was now on the ground. "I knew I shouldn't… have let that sword out of my sight."
"What?! Moebius cannot be defeated!" The botanical beast stared in disbelief at the sight of her colleague dissolving into a spray of white motes. Unintentionally, her hold on Ashera relaxed enough for the limber girl to break free and run to help Lanz and Pollux. As for Noah, the throbbing had become even more unbearable thanks to the shouting of Colony Eta's Moebius.
"M-my head…" the swordfighter groaned, no longer able to keep his Blade active.
"Oh, I'll make much more than that hurt for you!" Shock turned into anger for the female monster who began a slow but minatory march towards Noah.
"Get away from him!" Though also heavily affected by the shock wave, Mio gritted her teeth and proceeded to intercept. One step into her sprint, however, her legs seemingly and inexplicably gave out which sent the normally agile Agnian onto the ground, too. "Wha…? Why did…?"
Seconds seemed to tick louder for Mio who suddenly found herself numb and unable to move a muscle. It was as if she were fighting with her own body, a struggle to regain enough feeling to remobilize. Cruel it was, then, that she managed to prop herself onto her hands and knees just in time to behold the unfathomable a mere three metri away.
Not even bothering with her unique powers, the enraged Moebius of Colony Eta slammed Noah into the dirt before kicking him against the rocky wall near the pond. There he lied, weak, now beaten and gasping for air. It had to have hurt beyond words, Mio was sure of it as she could practically taste the pain herself. Whether or not her own body was actually ready for action again, she rearmed herself and ran between Noah and his oversized assailant who'd raised her arms for the finishing blow.
Yet, Mio delivered it first. Aglow and enhanced by Ouroboros, she sliced upwards with both ring swords. The resulting scars were long, deep, devastating, running right over the Moebius' core which became another evaporative mess. The botanical beast cursed out Mio something fierce upon fading away, but the anxious Agnian heard and saw none of it while she knelt over her Kevesi counterpart.
"No… please don't…" she cradled him in her arms. "Don't go, Noah. I-I'm not ready."
"Mmm…" his eyes could barely stay open, her own now filled with tears.
"Stay with me," the moonblades-wielder pleaded, pulling him closer. "I've got you." Her embrace was firm but gentle, warm, comforting after a traumatic turn of events. Soon, Mio's lips were pressed against Noah's forehead, this time for more than just a gesture of affection as she deepened her attempt to ease his pain and suffering. Unable to heal him, it was the best that she could do within her abilities while everyone else had their hands full.
Nearby, Ashera tirelessly dragged Lanz and Pollux out of the pond, both boys unconscious but still alive. On the other side of Noah and Mio, the rest of their scattered, battered group still had to contend with Colony 26's Moebius. With the two other monsters gone, he no longer had the help of their powers disabling the militants and liberated soldiers. Indeed, every vine had withered away completely, allowing Alexandria and Chickadee to free themselves at last.
"What is this?!" the bumbling beast backed up, balking at the scene which no longer favored him. "Absolute nonsense!"
"Oh, good!" the female Kevesi returned from her rescue of Lanz and Pollux. "There's still one left for me to fight!"
"Why should I be the one to clean up everything?!" the remaining monster bleated in the air as if his now dead and nonexistent associates could hear him. "This is… this is not my responsibility!"
"Quit your whining!" Ashera pointed one end of her doubled-edged lance at him. "I've still got plenty le-"
"Bah!" Colony 26's Moebius shook his fists in frustration, evidently paying no mind to her. "This never happened!" Defeated more mentally than physically, he dematerialized off the plane and effectively brought the long and arduous confrontation to a close.
Though the three colonies were still warring in the background, the mission was over for the militants and liberated soldiers. With plenty wounded, the next order of business was to pick up the pieces. Alexandria and Chickadee shared a heartfelt hug during an emergency rollcall which unfortunately confirmed the loss of several teammates, including the group leader.
Nearby, Mio continued to hold Noah close to herself until assistance could come their way. Though their personal goal of thwarting the Moebius of Colony 5 had been accomplished, they'd nearly paid the ultimate price for it like some of the others had done. Her head swam with several flustered and unsorted thoughts, but one thing was for certain. This life of theirs, precious and limited, was never going to be the same again.