A/N: Damn if there's any Texas simp reading this i'm sorry... Don't worry she doesn't die or anything it's just now that i realize that i did her badly...
Chinatsu: Mom? How did you meet Dad?
The young girl, who was sitting on her mother's lap, raised her head, looking at the kirin. One would have expected her to have only her mother's features, coming as she did from a union between a kirin and a raceless man. And yet, she was indeed born kirin, but instead of having the same skin tones as her mother, in magenta and pink, her skin was mixed with gray and black patterns. Just like her eyes, which were a sparkling green.
The kirin was surprised by such a sudden question, as the two watched the sunset over the horizon from one of the palace's comfortable terraces.
But the mother seemed to be thinking about how to tell the story.
Fumizuki: A long time ago... Before we even had the idea of having you, I was held prisoner at the top of a tower by a terrible dragon, and no one could free me... Not even your big cousin, or Shirayuki...
Chinatsu: Really...?
asked the young girl doubtfully. Five years old and yet she had already inherited her father's incredulity...
Fumizuki: I swear it, sweetheart... Then one fine day, when the town was in trouble, a knight arrived and rescued me from the tower.
Chinatsu: Was that knight Dad?
she asked admiringly. To her, the fact that he was a knight was obvious; in those days and times, nobody called him doctor anymore, but his martial talents were recognized, as was his armor.
Fumizuki: Yes, he was your father.
she said, amused. In the end, his story wasn't so far from reality.
Chinatsu: And it was love at first sight? At first sight, like in Shirayuki's stories!
This earned a laugh from the kirin. The passion for Higashian love stories was something the girl's bodyguard and godmother had instilled in her protégé...
Fumizuki: Not exactly... It took me a long time to fall in love with your dad. But after a while I was so in love with him that I couldn't go a day or a night without thinking about him. At some point we kissed... We defeated my dragon together, we got married. And some time later, you came along...
she said, touching her daughter's nose with her fingertip. Earning a small laugh from the girl.
Chinatsu: That's a nice story...
Fumizuki: Hm hm...
Chinatsu: I love you, Mom.
Fumizuki: I love you too from the bottom of my heart, darling...
she says, holding her pulpit tightly in her arms. Feeling at the height of her joy.
Fumizuki: Let's wait for your father a little longer.
?: No need to wait.
The young woman turned, like her daughter, to look at her husband. His hair as black as ebony, and his eyes, greener than precious stones.
Chinatsu: Daddy!
The girl leapt from her mother's lap to run to her father, the giant stooping and opening his arms for his daughter. The two embraced, then the giant stood up and spun around, drawing a laugh from his child.
Sebastian: How are you, my little angel?
Chinatsu: The master taught me lots of things! And Mommy was telling me how you met!
The giant was still holding his daughter in his powerful arms and seemed intrigued.
Sebastian: Oh really? he asked, looking at his wife.
The young woman laughed slightly.
Fumizuki: I was telling how you saved me from my dragon...
Sebastian: Oh, I see...
Chinatsu: Is it true, Dad?
Sebastian: Yes, it is...
The young girl was surprised to see that the incredible story was actually true. The giant advanced to his wife, bent slightly and kissed her on the lips. Each kiss for the kirin was similar to the first. Each time, she felt as if her heart would stop.
Sebastian: Good evening my love...
Fumizuki: Good evening... How was your trip?
He pulled up a chair and sat down next to his wife, watching the sunset, his young daughter sitting on his lap.
Sebastian: I managed to convince them that a lasting peace was the best thing for both sides. So we can finally breathe.
Fumizuki: Great.
Sebastian: Tell me about it.
She extended her hand slightly towards her husband, who took it in his without thinking. The two looked straight into each other's eyes.
Fumizuki: I'm happy, you know...
Sebastian: Your happiness is enough for me.
He said with a smile, bringing his head close once more for their lips to meet. Once the kiss was over, the kirin looked down at her daughter on her husband's lap. A smile playing on her lips, the girl had closed her eyes, half-asleep, relaxed by her father's presence.
Fumizuki: What if we had another?
The giant was surprised for a second, before smiling again.
Sebastian: We'll see about that tonight.
he whispered in his companion's ear.
The kirin opened her eyes, waking up in a different room from the one she was used to. She looked around, a little unsettled at first, before remembering that she was in her niece's house.
Then, once she knew she was wide awake, she thought back to the dream she'd just had.
Putting a hand to her face, she blushed, ashamed of the thoughts she had.
This was it... A man had cared about her for a few moments, and her subconscious was already trying to turn him into a lover.
What a shame... A woman as old as she was, to have such thoughts about a man like him. When her own niece was already in love.
The thoughts of a crazy old woman, she told herself. Reassuring herself that these thoughts will pass some day.
And even if she did feel a little affection for the giant, it wasn't as if he was going to return the favor. After all, she was a woman who was already married, and suspected that the giant cared too much about her self-esteem to break oaths even if people weren't happy with them. Not to mention the fact that she was old, and yet hadn't experienced a single adventure in her life at the palace place, except for a brief period as a biker. She may not have been covered in hair, but she was still an antro. And she suspected she wouldn't be to the taste of a standard man.
Not to mention that he already had so much better things to do... If he wanted to, he could already be the lover of Ch'en and Hoshiguma, two young women much younger, more beautiful and interesting than her.
She asked herself.
So why didn't he want her?
Perhaps he was interested in her?
Fumizuki: Pfff... You're really stupid, Fumi.
she thought, feeling ridiculous for even asking the question in the first place.
Of course not, Sebastian would never think of her in that case.
The giant awoke peacefully in his hotel room. Still feeling the lingering traces of a reassuring presence on his back. As he drifted off to sleep, he was full of doubts. But the same presence as earlier in the day had come to comfort him.
The colossus felt rested. Then he opened his eyes and stood up to see that his bed was strewn with the same flower petals. The ones that looked as if they'd been made directly from gold leaf, such was their unearthly metallic shine.
He took one in his fingers, feeling the softness of the petal. Before letting go to take a shower. He'd really need to research this.
He didn't need to.
He didn't like leaving questions unanswered.
You already know who I am.
Nah, he didn't.
He slipped under the shower, the cold water beginning to run over his skin.
Are you scared?
Of course he was afraid. He was about to launch a Dantean assault on a mafia hideout where a steam knight was surely holed up, and many other dangers. Not to mention the fact that only he and Hung possessed the medical arts. And Hung was far from being the equivalent of Nearl, or any of the other medic defenders on Rhodes Island.
So they had no access to medical care...
In other words, throwing themselves into danger, with no room for error.
So you're scared.
Yes. Yes, he was terribly afraid of losing friends or people he'd grown to love.
You'll make it.
He sincerely hoped.
He got out of the shower and dressed as usual. Stepping out into the hallway, he could see Irina, already up and about, even if her head seemed a little foggy.
The young woman greeted the giant.
Sebastian: Are you the only one up?
Irina: I told you I was a morning bird.
He sighed.
Sebastian: They're going to be late... And are you sure you're not getting up so early, just so you don't have to walk all the way?
The ursine smiled, slightly embarrassed.
Irina: Hey, I like your car.
The giant grinned and walked towards the elevator.
Sebastian: You...
Seeing him from behind, instead of thinking directly of slapping him on the behind as she had done before, she thought of going a little gentler.
She snaked her arm around the giant's waist, like some couples she'd seen.
Irina: And I like the guy behind the wheel even more...
She expected to be pushed away violently. But instead the giant just smiled silently. And for once... she felt satisfied.
Exusiai: Is this really necessary? I haven't worn one since the army.
The giant was helping Exusiai into a bullet-proof vest, the young woman seemingly uncomfortable with the idea of wearing protection. Thinking little of the fact that the giant was running his hands all over her.
Sebastian: Believe me, it is. Most of us can defend ourselves against gunfire, but avoiding every injury is important.
He looked around to see Irina putting one on, and putting her scarf in a position so as not to be disturbed during the fight, starting to look like her period during the meeting, without the gas mask. Sora took one and slipped it on with ease, confirming her heritage as a Sanktah. Hung did the same, as did other pieces of armor in addition to his shield.
Angelina tried to don a vest herself, but the giant couldn't help her. The proximity made her blush horribly.
Irina: I'm fine... With just you, me, Skadi and Lapp, it's already a lot.
Nian seemed to have made herself a traditional Yen armor. Probably for show.
The giant would almost have expected Siege or Indra to choose to wear protection, but they both preferred to keep their mobility.
The sound of guns and steel, the smell of gunpowder and tension were all present in the bar.
While everyone was getting ready, Yushia looked at the giant, seeing that he was carrying neither his weapons nor any equipment.
Yushia: Aren't you getting ready, doc?
Sebastian: My equipment is outside.
He did take his sword in his hand, as well as other equipment, chlorophyll, grenades, throwing knives and ammunition. But he didn't equip them. He opened one of the crates marked with the Laterano bucket, and pulled out a light machine gun.
Its size seemed reduced, with a shorter barrel and stock. But the weight was still there to intimidate the bravest. Not to mention the fact that using a high-rate-of-fire weapon, even for good santkas, remained a challenge.
But neither scared the doctor.
He headed outside, the rest of the team following, all ready. Some waited in the street, multiple vehicles being made available after their looting of the Triad's resources, but what interested Sebastian, a real truck was also there.
The giant headed for the alley next to the bar, where a gigantic crate lay, the one that had arrived so long ago... well, this week, but it seemed like an eternity ago. He opened the doors of the crate, hiding behind it.
Out of sheer curiosity, Exusiai stayed with him. Watching as he left his weapons at his side.
Sebastian: If you thought you could stare at me when I was changing, you're wrong, I'm not taking my clothes off...
The sankta, faced with the giant's mockery, began to blush intensely.
Exusiai: N-nan! I swear it wasn't for that... I was just curious about what it was...
Sebastian: One of the crazy projects of Columbia and its army... Putting every imaginable budget into an armor project.
She heard the sound of heavy boots on the floor as the giant changed.
Sebastian: Armor... Make it as impenetrable as possible, without developing an integrated exoskeleton. Unfortunately, after the first model, they realized that the armor was far too expensive to mass-produce, not to mention so heavy that no one could move in it.
She heard the sounds of the giant changing, then saw a hand reach for the assault gear he'd taken out inside the bar.
Sebastian: In a way, this reminds me of something. I was obliged to be classified as a fighter in Rhodes. Guess what they named me?
Exusiai: I don't know...
she said, crossing her arms. The giant closed the door of the huge crate. Revealing himself to the world.
She was speechless before the wall before her.
Sebastian had become a mountain of steel, Kevlar and ceramic.
Sebastian: Front-line specialist.
He stepped out of the alley and showed himself to the others, strapping his sword to his belt.
Irina: Wow... that's some vest.
He inspired both fear and comfort. The giant already had the figure of a shield, standing up to enemies like an impregnable fortification, an unbreakable wall. But now he was no longer a wall, but a mountain.
Some noticed that, with every step, the concrete shattered beneath the giant's feet, so heavy and massive had he become.
Nian raised an eyebrow.
Nian: I don't want to be mean doc and underestimate your strength doc, but isn't that a bit heavy?
Indra: Do you really think you can do your antics with that on your back?
The giant heaved a sigh, disappeared in a flash, reappearing just behind Indra to flick him on the back of the head.
He seemed even faster than usual...
What he had just done impressed the others, especially considering how badly the asphalt was crumbling under the giant's weight.
Sebastian: The weight of armor is not a problem for me... Armor protects me and holds my bones and muscles in place, so I can give my all without fear of being dislocated by my own strength.
He headed for the truck, opening the back to climb in, the transport being the only one able to move the giant despite his weight.
Sebastian: Don't forget. Ten seconds is all I need to get their attention, and you have to take advantage of that to reduce their ranks as much as possible.
The giant closed the door of the truck, which then set off towards the battle site.
The Triad's last stronghold was a gigantic factory in the slums that had closed down not so long ago. There was only one road to get there, as all around were buildings with no gaps to squeeze through.
In short, only one passage to control. And controlled it was.
Dozens and dozens of junkies with guns, triad men with a little more training, and mercenaries stood in this corridor of death.
The sun was peeking over the horizon.
Emperor: Doc, they're waiting for us.
Sebastian: We're sticking to the plan.
Emperor: Copy that.
It was the penguin driving the truck... he put his foot on the gas pedal with a broom, his own legs unable to reach the pedals. The heavy vehicle accelerated and began to be riddled with bullets, arrows and art projectiles. Emperor had been chosen as driver precisely because nothing that touched him could kill him.
They stopped about twenty meters from the bastion.
And the rear doors opened.
The giant circled the truck, putting himself in full view of his enemies.
They all began firing once more, but this time the giant didn't stand still. He retaliated with the machine gun in his hand, cutting his enemies to shreds. Some of them tried to get closer to the giant, thinking that if he used a firearm then they'd have a better chance in close combat.
What a mistake...
His other hand found the hilt of his sword, and he swung at the first idiot to approach, slicing him in two cleanly.
It was only a simple junkie who had pounced on him, but soon other interesting enemies were heading his way. A man charged towards him, also appearing to be a junkie, wearing heavy armor plates on his shoulders with the number 3 marked on them. The jerk tried to tackle the giant, but Sebastian stopped him with his sword arm. Another man ran towards him with a heavy mace in his hands.
He tried to crush the giant's machine-gun arm with a well-placed hammer blow, but the giant moved his arm, letting the attack hit his forearm.
*clunk*
The sheer destructive power of the attack had no effect on the metal golem standing in the middle of the battlefield. But the energy still kicked up the surrounding dust and created a shockwave.
Caught by surprise, the hammer was almost torn from the enemy's grasp. Sebastian took advantage of the broken guard, the blade on the back of his right elbow cutting the club-wielding man's throat.
He stepped back, blood pouring from his neck. But Sebastian noticed that he still had a few sparks of life left, and therefore of potential danger.
Machine-gun fire rang out, riddling the poor fool with bullets and killing him instantly.
Sebastian turned to the man still holding his arm, who was busy struggling with him, and fired again. The armor the man was wearing blocked most of the bullets, but the few that hit his adversary meant he had to back away from the pain and impact.
The giant took advantage of this, his sword now free to attack the enemy.
This idiot should learn to wear a helmet. The giant thrust his sword into the man's skull like a common woodpecker. The giant under his helmet began to hear a more dangerous projectile splitting the air, so he withdrew the sword from his enemy's skull, shattering his bones and brains, and parried the ballista bolt that threatened to get him.
He looked ahead and could see that near the factory entrance were several artillery pieces.
Damn, they were really going at it...
He raised his sword, ready to defend himself once again, as more and more shots hit him, ricocheting off him like tiny pebbles.
But the enemy artillery fire never came. Instead, a rocket blew up one of the ballistas, while mortars and the like were destroyed by grenade-launcher fire. As the sound of a swarm of drones appeared in the sky, the giant began to fire, acting as human flak.
But it was a real flock that came, and even if the giant attracted all the fire, this would soon prove problematic.
Alongside him came his allies. Hung stood proudly, shield in front, Lappland and Waai Fu behind him.
A wall of steel appeared from the void a little further on. Nian, Feater and Skadi took cover behind it.
From a rooftop a little further away, Exusiai began firing at the armada of drones that seemed to be rapidly covering the sky.
The giant threw himself forward, rising ever higher in front of his enemies in a bid to bait them. A pack of dogs and soldiers, forming a veritable cohort, tried to get in front of the giant and cut him down. But he swung his sword left and right, mowing down souls like wheat.
Lappland was hit by one of the bullets, which lodged in her leg, but she activated her arts and her constitution meant that she was not too badly affected.
Sebastian: Nian! Make a shelter!
The goddess frowned and began to concentrate on her powers, stretching out the wall she'd created to make a roof, protecting the rest of the team from drone fire.
Enraged at not seeing the end of the swarm, Exusiai called upon her arts, summoning all her weapons from her pocket dimension and raining lead and flames down on the unmanned objects.
More and more blue balls of flame began to hit the drones, their numbers finally beginning to dwindle. Art shots began to increase in intensity and speed. Angelina flew past like a rocket, using her arts to fly over the battlefield.
At the same moment, what looked like an organized cohort of mercenaries began to move towards the shelter where Nian and the others were. Sebastian fired in their direction, but his machine-gun fire was stopped by soldiers with shields covering their comrades.
Just as he was about to join them and strike with his sword, his attention was caught again. He sensed the danger at his back and parried an attack with Purgatory. A harpoon planted itself in the ground between the giant's feet. But the harpoon was still attached to a weapon.
The giant looked at his opponent. Surely fallen, before him lay one of the elite ursus troops. Their gas masks and harpoons instantly recognizable.
The giant swung his sword at his opponent, but the latter dodged with incredible speed, disappearing before the giant's very eyes.
That and his hieratic breathing... He'd taken combat drugs.
As he prepared to throw himself at his enemy, he felt another attack coming from a man in anti-explosive armor equipped with a two-handed hammer. Sebastian thought of just blocking the attack, but once again he failed to see that the enemy was drugged, before receiving an attack that had so much force put behind it that it threw the giant a few meters away despite the fact that his weight had now reached a ton.
The giant rose to his feet with a grunt, and looked up, dodging a final attack in-extremis. An overloaded plasma beam almost hit the giant. Instead, it hit the road and reduced him to magma.
A simple caster, but one who had also taken combat drugs.
So three at once...
Brilliant.
Luckily, it wasn't three against one.
The ursus soldier leapt at the giant with the idea of skewering him with a harpoon, but instead of simply parrying or blocking, the giant grabbed his opponent's weapon with his hand. And while his speed was far superior, his sheer strength was not. As he came to a halt, the caster took the opportunity to fire at him, but he didn't have time to launch his attack, as a grenade hit him, fired by Irina.
Just as the giant was about to be attacked by the man with the mace, the former leader of the meeting arrived like a shooting star, kicking the enemy in the visor and knocking him back.
Black mist ran through her, and her eyes glowed even redder than usual, a sign that she was using her strengthening arts.
Irina: I told you, what would you do without me?
The giant thrust his sword into the harpooned soldier's throat. Irina leapt back, dodging another attack from the armored one with the hammer. The weapon planted itself in the ground.
Sebastian: Not much.
The giant raised his leg, then brought it down on the mace still in the ground, destroying his enemy's weapon. Enraged by the drug and the loss of his work tool, the enemy tried to strike a blow at Irina, but too quick, the young woman dodged, ducking and ducking under the clumsy arms of the armored man.
Then she raised her grenade launcher and shot him in the helmet at point-blank range.
He let out a howl of pain and stepped back, then the giant thrust his sword into the enemy's foot to make sure he didn't move, before raising his fist and slamming it down with all his might. Piercing his helmet to crush his skull.
The enemy crumpled to the ground. But in a final gesture, he lit a distress flare and all the drones turned towards the giant and the ursine.
The ursine sighed and approached the doctor, who stood up to her full height, taking the fire for her.
Yushia came close to them, rising into the air step by step on the glass steps she called with her arts.
Wisps of sand and glass dust swirled around her as she accumulated material for ammunition. She made one last leap, leaping above the cloud of drones, and took a deep breath.
Summoning all the glass she could muster, she created a large star with sharp points which she began to spin, reducing the drones to dust.
Exhausted, she tried to remain conscious, but failed. She fell heavily to the ground. The giant prince that he was, no longer needing to cover the woman behind him, threw himself forward, catching the zalak in the air.
Slowly opening her eyes, the zalak rested them on her savior's helmet...
Much more romantic if he didn't look like a robot.
Irina stood up to the giant, parrying arrows and crossbow bolts with her sword. Regaining her strength, Yushia erected a wall of glass, allowing them to breathe a little.
Free of the drones, Exusiai took aim at the enemy snipers. Sora beckoned to the sanktah and climbed down from the roof. Showing her military training, she moved from cover to cover, dodging shots before rejoining her allies. She cleared her throat and began to sing, her arts giving a boost to the others on the ground.
Yushia, once again full of energy, rose to her feet, while the giant took a second to reload his machine gun while he was under cover. The more trained mercenaries returned to the attack on the right of the small group.
Irina fired her grenade launcher, those idiots with their shields not knowing the difference between bulletproof and blastproof. Those who had thrown themselves at Nian's group were biting their fingers.
Skadi emerged from cover, no longer worried about being shot at by the drones. Her sword behind her back, she quietly advanced on the phalanx of soldiers in front of her.
When the first came towards her, so quickly that no one could see the attack, she sliced him and the five nearest in two cleanly.
Without even seeming to make an effort.
The other mercenaries in column were all cut to pieces by the abyssal hunter. And for once, the beast in her head wasn't looking forward to death and destruction. And yet, in the midst of her slaughter, one human was brave enough to stand in her way. A man tried to slit her throat by surprise, his blades glowing violet.
She stopped the attack with her hand, her strength containing the very sword infused with the arts. But the man's other sword came to pierce her skull, and though she was fast, her enemy was even faster than she was. Her brute strength was Skadi's main asset. And unlike the giant, she couldn't afford to just take all those blows, even if she was more resistant than most, an attack like this would be fatal.
Fortunately, Waai Fu leapt into action to prevent this from happening.
She delivered a terrific kick to the enemy, throwing him off balance, before drawing one of her daggers to stab him in the chest, right in the heart.
The aegir nodded his thanks to the feline, before the fight resumed. Without the drones and with the remote units busy fighting the fire raining down from the Penguin Logistics sanktah.
And once again, the giant happily threw himself straight at the enemy.
With coordinated actions and a strong sense of unity, the team eliminated one Triad soldier after another. The outside world was soon devoid of any trace of opposition. Once the final sword stroke and shot had been fired, the giant called for his team to regroup. Taking a moment to breathe, treat everyone's wounds and make sure their equipment was in good condition.
Many turned to Sebastian, the giant having taken a ridiculous amount of hits, only to see that his armor was intact, save for the thin scratches in the metal, and the fact that all the paint had been stripped off, every inch having been hit by a projectile.
And yet there it stood, proudly.
Lappland refused to be treated by Hung, but accepted Sebastian's chlorophyte.
As Exusiai reloaded, she couldn't help asking.
Exusiai: Is it just me, or has no one left the building yet?
The giant frowned under his helmet, noticing that she was right. Not a single enemy had left the factory except for the drones on the roof.
Sebastian: It's true, and it's weird.
Nian: They must be planning an ambush.
Skadi: I can drain the factory...
Sebastian: Nah... If they were getting ready, I'd hear something like a beehive rumbling. And right now, I can't hear a thing.
Lappland: Is this a trap?
Sebastian: Impossible.
He began to think hard. Then an idea came to him: at this point in the mobile city, there was a huge hollow in the underground structure. Big enough to fit a city block.
Sebastian: Those bastards are holed up...
He rose to his full height, readying his weapons again.
Sebastian: This building is too small to be of such importance. It's just an entry point.
He walked ahead, the rest of his team behind him. He opened the factory doors, confirming that no one was home.
Irina: Another secret passage?
Sebastian: Probably. A funicular, I'd say.
His eyes began to shine, scanning the floor for the slightest flaw, before stopping.
Irina: There, next to the container.
Sebastian: Good point.
All team members gathered near the container the giant pointed at, then using his body's magnetism he began to become aware of the electronic systems near him. Then he moved towards what appeared to be a simple broom in a bucket. Sebastian picked up the broom with one of his hands, and tipped it slightly to one side, a mechanical crank sounding.
Sirens and alarms sounded, the place where the team were standing revealed as a platform. The giant joined them and the platform slowly descended. And all without music.
As Sebastian looked around, darkness overtook them for a moment, as they traversed the upper layer of the mobile city before arriving in the structure of the block.
The heavy sound of machinery and the smell of chemicals reached the senses of the team members.
Then all eyes fell on a huge chemical plant.
Mostima: Lord...
Sebastian: Production must have just started... Or their drugs would already be flooding the streets.
Irina: Shall we blow it up?
Sebastian: And condemn the poor infected people who live above it? No thanks.
The funicular reached what seemed to be its final destination. But once again not an enemy in sight, and with all his senses blurred by his surroundings, the good giant couldn't determine whether any were trying to hide.
They came to a gigantic wall that led to another part of the factory. Sebastian looked at the tiny but armored door. He tried to listen in from the other side, but apart from a rumbling he heard nothing.
He turned the handle, moving to the head of the queue as usual. The new part of the factory he started to cross was not at all well lit. Except for a single footbridge over the void, which led to another part of the factory at the other end.
The rumbling was louder.
The rest of the team followed Sebastian up the gangway, they too hearing the rumbling.
Lappland: Where the hell is it coming from?
asked the lupo. Annoyed by all the noise.
The giant shrugged and leaned over the void. But seeing nothing, he lit a distress flare, and could see only wriggling blackness. He let his flare fall to illuminate the bottom, but instantly regretted it.
Infused originium slugs. Hundreds and hundreds of them. Climbing over each other and swarming below. They'd just stepped into a nest. And with the distress flare, they'd only just become agitated.
The others too were intimidated by the sight, but Sebastian was terrified. He let out a howl and collapsed to the floor, the spiders slowly climbing the walls to reach the gangway. Everyone was concerned that the giant was gripped by panic and fear, firing his weapons left and right, but without much accuracy.
Realizing that this time they couldn't rely on the giant to win, Lappland moved to one end of the gangway, Waai Fu to the other. Of course, this wasn't the first time the young women had come across a nest. This kind of place appeared everywhere in mobile city structures. Their fighting arts and techniques ensured that the spiders died before exploding.
But the giant's screams continued.
His eyes were misty, and even though there was nothing near him, he started scratching his armor and beating himself, as if he were infested by the beasts himself. Hallucinating from fear. Memories, from another time and era, raced through his mind.
Thrown into a pit by his master, with only darkness and hordes of spiders for company. For a week, until he died, or became someone else. His past, linked to his addiction, gave him pain, resentment and hatred.
But this event in his past, the very beginning of his training in the mercenary fortress in Armenia, nothing in his whole life had scarred him more, and terrorized him more.
After all, he was still a man, even if he was only fourteen at the time.
Sebastian: They're on me!
Seeing him struggle vigorously, and noticing that the two young women holding the gangplank weren't doing very well just the two of them, Exusiai rushed at the giant. Laying her hands on him. Irina approached slowly, concerned for the giant, as was Siege.
Bringing a little help to their companions, Yushia and Mostima used their arts to seal the explosions of the spiders they could kill.
Exusiai: Seb! Easy, it's me! It's all right, they're not here.
Only when the last of the spiders had been eliminated did the giant begin to breathe more or less normally under his heavy helmet. His emerald eyes met Exusiai's, even though the young woman couldn't see him.
She tried to remove the man's helmet to see if all was well, but as she lifted it just enough to see the bottom of his face and a singular tear, he took her hand to stop her.
Sebastian: No...
Irina: You okay, doc?
Everyone was now turned towards him.
He felt... weak and humiliated. His fear had reduced him to inaction. Under everyone else's gaze. Of course, none of the gazes turned towards him were mocking or disappointed, all were worried and sorry.
To see the giant, unbreakable and invulnerable, so afraid of something on this planet.
Sebastian: I have... this memory...
A half-truth. Of course, he wasn't going to reveal that he'd been born in a very different world. Or anything like that, but he felt his heart was heavy.
Sebastian: It often haunts me... An old man, pushing me into some kind of dark pit, filled with spiders. For I don't know how long... Until I feel them biting and stinging every inch of my skin, and filling my skull.
He looked down at the palm of his armored hand.
Irina had already had a glimpse of how vulnerable the doctor could be, Exusiai too, and everyone here had at least guessed or imagined a weakness in the doctor. Siege seemed the most surprised. And it was when he saw her that he exclaimed.
Exusiai: Is that why you're so scared of spiders?
Sebastian: Yeah. I'm not invincible... I've got my tricks. Spiders... But also fire and acid. Since I can feel every cell in my body, the pain those two cause me is so great that it's unimaginable for you. Then there's everything mutagenic. My DNA is so complex that the slightest mistake could cause me real death. That's why I avoid taking the triad's combat drugs...
Surely here Siege was the one who held the doctor most dear as a figure of admiration. And the one who thought he was the most invulnerable. But she told herself that, after all, she respected the giant for his humanism. And humans had their faults.
All listened silently. If the giant often felt the need to point out that he wasn't the leader of their little team, and that everyone was entitled to put forward suggestions and ideas of the same value and importance as his own. Nor was he a god, an invincible being or any other exception. He was just a big guy.
Irina: We've all got our tricks, haven't we?
She said, holding out her hand to the doctor, a smile on her lips. Determined to show him she wasn't judging him for his fear. No matter how great. He accepted her hand by reflex. Then the young woman pulled slightly before realizing that he was far too heavy to lift.
Irina: You should go on a diet.
The good giant laughed lightly, before standing up on his own.
Sebastian: Probably.
He picked up his weapons and sighed, leading the way again. The atmosphere was heavy because of what had just happened. The giant turned his gaze to the end of the gangway where another door lay.
Aak: But why would they keep a nest in the middle of their base?
Sebastian: Not to be egocentric, but either they knew it was my weakness. Or they needed all that crap for something else.
He passed through the other door, returning to a much better-lit area. What looked like a much better-equipped lab than the one Angelina, Irina Siege, Indra and Yushia had attacked.
Sebastian: This is where they must have developed most of their tricks...
Angelina: And the lab we found?
Sebastian: Probably a diversion... Although this one seems to be focused on R&D, the other must have been purely for manufacturing.
As some of them explored the laboratory, the giant found a gigantic blackboard containing numerous formulas and equations, as well as a few tables containing spiders riddled with extractors. Aak joined him, with Lappland also taking a look.
Aak: I don't understand... I just understand the beginning with Tyrasine, but not the rest...
Lappland: Tyrasine helps secrete dopamine, noradrenalin and adrenalin. It makes for one hell of an addictive, psychoactive cocktail. Infused slugs secrete a lot of it naturally...
The two chemists turned to the lupo in surprise. The young woman shrugged and looked at the giant.
Lappland: You left a document from Rhodes Island lying around the bar the other day talking about this... And the theoretical production of medicine using spiders.
Really well-hidden genius.
Sebastian: They've managed to extract the active ingredients, and multiply the effects tenfold. And not just a little. They use slugs as a raw material. The rest of the formula is an addition to the chemical cocktail, to bulldoze the brain and bring about irreversible changes.
Lappland approached the table, Aak feeling slightly out of his depth in terms of adictology. She analyzed the formulas a little more conscientiously.
Sebastian: And did you look at any other papers I had?
Lappland: Nah, but I liked the biology courses. I'd wanted to be a doctor for a while...
She surprised herself by saying that. Revealing in all good faith a childhood dream that only Texas knew about.
Sebastian: Hm... The rest seems to atrophy the ventral tegmental area, the nucleus accumbens, and the prefrontal cortex.
Lappland: So we're automatically weakening the areas responsible for choices and levels of physical and emotional satisfaction. This part of the formula blocks the classic dopamine neurotransmitters.
Sebastian: What it does is plunge them into a state of incurable craving, insatiable other than by taking it again, from the very first dose.
Aak: And as an antidote?
Sebastian: Do you have an idea?
he asked the lupo, curious to dig a little deeper into his genius.
Lappland: Non lo so bello. You're the neurologist here. I'm not.
Sebastian: Pff... Chlorophyte as a transport vector, and also to heal damaged areas of the brain, some depressants, to counter adrenalin and noradrenalin... After a while, the anxiolytic effects of the drugs should be countered by natural stress. With a treatment like that and a depressant of my own, we could use it in aerosol form on a large scale to make sure the city is rid of this poison, without worrying about doses.
Indra: Yo doc! Still don't hear any enemies?
Sebastian: Nah, all there is in the surrounding underground is that damn steam engine...
Siege: The steam engine?
Realizing what he'd just said, the giant exchanged glances with Siege and Indra, all three panicking at what they'd just heard.
With a sudden jolt, the place where the painting was located erupted with a thunderous explosion. The giant barely had time to turn and raise his weapons to meet the attack, before he took three blows in quick succession, so fast that he was thrown only when he met the last one.
He was thrown across the room and shattered the concrete wall at the back.
The dust settled, unlike the steam, and everyone was able to admire the adversary standing before them.
Siege was trembling, while Indra had replaced her usual aggressive expression with one of fear.
And everyone else thought the battle had turned a corner.
Before them stood a relic from another time, a concentrate of technology and strength. A legend, having made Victoria the superpower it was today. A colossus of steel and steam.
A steam knight.
Some thought of raising their weapons. But what was the point?
Before them stood a force with which no one could compete. It would be like standing before an Emperor's blade, a Snow Priest, a Grand Inquisitor or any of the other elite units that surpassed mere mortals.
All were seized with fear.
All but one. His machine gun shattered, in contrast to his will and his sword, the giant rose to his feet and began walking straight towards the enemy.
The giant was afraid of spiders. He was. But perhaps it was the only thing capable of standing in his way that frightened him. The doctor's colleagues could see that, despite their opponent's strength clearly outstripping them, he refused to give in, refused defeat.
He was afraid of one thing.
Only one thing.
Sebastian: Raise your weapon, tin can!
And a mechanical demigod was not one of them.
Siege was the first to stand up to the doctor. First of all, out of a sense of duty. Her nation was wiped out, dominated by the Sarkazs, and here he was, instead of being on his motherland to defend it. Then it occurred to her that if the giant was so confident, then the battle could be won.
That the giant could be vulnerable on his own, just like her. But they weren't alone.
Everyone grabbed their weapons, determined to fight.
The steam knight raised his right arm, the steam coming out of the nozzle rapidly forming plasma that took the shape of a blade.
Sebastian gripped his sword with both hands. As did his allies.
Then he threw himself forward. The knight threw a blow, attempting to slice his opponent with the energy sword. The giant raised Purgatoire and blocked the attack.
All his bones compressed, and the phenomenal force behind the exchange shook the surrounding area like an earthquake. But the giant held firm. He understood why the leader of the meeting had chosen this sword: it was capable of absorbing all the heat a star could hold before it began to melt. So the poor plasma of the Chevalier's sword was a poor substitute.
Sora intoned his chant, all his allies feeling stronger on the battlefield.
But the Knight was an experienced fighter, and realizing that his enemy would block this attack no matter what, he tried what had worked before. He held out his Pilebunker and prepared his attack. Understanding the devastating attack that was about to come. Nian concentrated her powers, creating multiple walls of the hardest metal she knew on the path between the Knight's weapon and the giant. The attack was almost entirely halted, but when the last wall broke, it was Skadi who moved into the path of the weapon, swinging her sword at the Pilebunker to reduce the attack to nothing. L'aegir's extraordinary strength ridiculed his opponent.
Arms immobilized. Sebastian gave his next order.
Sebastian: Destroy the weapons on his back!
Irina didn't need to think, the mist enveloped her and she leapt towards the steam knight as he began to lower his immense dorsal cannon. With all her might, she thrust her sword into the meagre gaps of armor she could see. Steam and sparks flying, the heavy weapon was inoperable for the moment.
Far from being very slow, the knight stopped his attack on the giant, understanding that he would not yield, so he grabbed the ursine behind his back and threw it with all his might towards a wall. It was Lappland who leapt into the air, catching the other white-haired woman and landing back on the ground, saving her from being smashed against a wall. The two young women landed a little behind, close to Mostima and Yushia, both reciting incantations to boost their arts and prepare a simultaneous devastating attack.
Once again, the giant lunged at the Steam Knight with his sword, passing between his legs at phenomenal speed, to plant his sword in the Knight's joint, reducing his mobility.
Seeing all these enemies in front of him, the Knight began to open the missile traps on his back, targeting the various Rhodes Island operators, then fired. Exusiai managed to shoot down some of the missiles on the fly, but there were too many. Siege recognized the attack - after all, she'd seen the steam knights in action before. She felt she had to do her best, and even more so like all her comrades around her.
She placed another hand along the length of her hammer, calling upon her own arts. The arts of the royal family. Golden lightning began to crystallize around her and her weapon. She struck the ground, the power of a mighty bloodline coursing through her veins, and the lightning slammed into the dozens of missiles, knocking them down in mid-air.
The steam knight took a step back. Of course, he recognized the young woman's art. And when his eyes fell on her, he recognized her too.
He released his Pilebunker from Skadi's grasp, and just as he was about to strike something else caught his eye.
Indra: Oi Cragstone! How's your mother?
A little reference to the family history of the pilot behind the steam knight. Alphonse de Cragstone's mother, originally a noblewoman, had been reputed to have approached many aristocrats indecently to extract secrets and sell them to the Leithanians. She had been dragged into the crowd and burned alive.
Mad with rage, the knight directed his attack at the feline, who with her immense reflexes dodged. He tried another attack with his energy sword on the same feline, but as he couldn't see in time to dodge, it was Sebastian who blocked the attack with purgatory.
Waai Fu: Aak! Boost me!
Le... Truc, pulled out his syringe gun and fired a particular one at Waai Fu, who felt an immense force flood her body. She ran towards Hung, and the perro, understanding her intention, raised his shield above his head and used it as a platform to propel the young woman through the air towards the steam knight. Thanks to her agility, the feline sneaked up behind the knight, finding the missile spears. Realizing her intention, Exusiai took out a grenade belt from her pocket and threw it at the knight with all her might.
The feline saw the object pass over her head and grabbed them with the tips of her claws, before slipping them into the missile compartments and pulling the pin to escape. Throwing himself to the ground.
The explosion unbalanced the knight, who looked down to see the feline on the ground. He raised his leg, intending to crush her, but Skadi threw herself under the golem's leg to prevent the young feline from seeing her last day, blocking the attack, despite all the weight and force the enemy wanted to use.
Fortunately, the four gorillas in the team were there.
Angelina, noticing that her colleague was beginning to experience a little difficulty, and feeling useless so far, began to use her arts, with an intensity rarely seen before. Before long, the steam knight was levitating above the ground, while the vulpo was sweating profusely from the monstrous effort she was putting in.
FEater began to smile. She started to run and took a leap into the air, drawing back her fist clenched in the heavy mechanical gauntlet, and slammed it straight into the enemy, who with his weight reduced to zero without gravity, was hurled against one of the few remaining intact walls of the laboratory at full speed. Fracturing the concrete.
At this point, Mostima and Yushia finished their spell. All the sand in the concrete and the glass in the laboratory came together, forming a tornado of glass that ended up forming dozens of spikes as hard as diamonds. Levitating and pointing at the steam knight.
Mositma gave the final impulse, her mastery of time and space enabling her to spin the spikes, before firing them at a speed faster than rifle bullets straight at the steam knight. The projectiles riddled him, and although not all of them did him any visible damage, the force behind them was such that the knight broke through the wall, revealing another area. Collapsing dozens of meters below in this new part of the improvised arena.
Once again, it was the giant who threw himself at his enemy first, landing in a much larger, clearer area, a thin layer of water at his feet.
Probably an auxiliary water tank. But with all that the control tower was spewing out, it was virtually empty.
The rest of the team found their way down to join the doctor and the struggling knight.
All threw themselves forward, those able to attack from a distance mustering all their power to try and weaken the enemy.
This time, he targeted Skadi with his energy sword. Unlike the giant, she wouldn't have the stamina to stop the attack or the speed to dodge, as she well understood. Irina too, concentrating her arts, strengthening her body ever more, leapt forward, knocking the aegir out of the path of the steam knight's weapon.
